Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

09:32' AM - Thursday, 17/06/2010

When is the best time to visit Ha Long?
How far is that from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay?
Can we travel from Hai Phong to Ha Long?
What about seasick on boat?
What if the weather turns very bad?
Do you have life jackets on boat?
How many caves in Ha Long Bay will we visit?
Is one day trip to Ha Long Bay worth to visit?
What kind of boat do you use?
Can we sleep outside on the top deck of the boat?
Where does the boat anchor at night time?
Do we have to bring passport for sleeping aboard?
What kind of food on boat in Ha Long Bay?
Can I order meals to fit my special dietary requirements?
Will my hair dryer, razor or appliances work on board?

Please give us your questions (clich here) if you do not find yours here.

Our answers

When is the best time to visit Ha Long?

Summer is a good time to cruise on Ha Long Bay but the best time of year is during the spring or fall. Because the bay is situated in the northern part of the country, it can get colder in the fall and winter, and though you won't see extremes such as blizzards, it's still a lousy place to be when it gets cold.

Tip: You should bring a swim suit with you, night's swim in the phosphorescent water is also very nice (must be before your drinks)

How far is that from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay?

Ha Long Bay is located 170 km away from Hanoi, this would take you about 3 – 3.5 hours on bus transfer to Ha Long city, bus trip normally leaves Hanoi by 8.30 am.

We will be hitting the road for Ha Long Bay through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta and the scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life.

Can we travel from Hai Phong to Ha Long?

Yes, you can! If you are already there in Hai Phong, you can call OpentourJSC to have a car and guide pick you up from there and drive to , which should be less than 1,5 hours.

Or you can plan a trip with OpentourJSC from Hanoi to Hai Phong city, do the sightseeing, spend the night there then move onto Ha Long on the next morning.

What about seasick on boat?

If you look on Vietnam map, you will see Ha Long lies on the Bac Bo Gulf with lots of island that made up Ha Long Bay. With its calm water, Ha Long Bay really acts as a shield that stops all the violent waves, so it's hard to get sea sick in Ha Long Bay.

Only some of the routes that the junks cruise can be close to open sea that the junk was swinging up and down. But once the junk was surrounded by Ha Long Bay unique limestone islands, it became stable again.

Tip: When the junk gets swinging, do not walk around on boat to avoid seasick.

What if the weather turns very bad?

OpentourJSC often see the weather forecast, if the weather turns bad, we have to call our clients to inform the situation whether it’s safe to go. Same with Ha Long Bay, we work closely with our captains and will inform you before you leave Hanoi to Ha Long Bay so that you do not waste the day traveling on road.

If the weather turns bad while you are cruising, we could anchor our junk at the hidden places, this is normally safe and OpentourJSC has not witnessed any bad weather that we have to hide in a cave.

Do you have life jackets on boat?

Yes, that is one requirement in our OpentourJSC, there are 2 life jackets in each cabin and there are enough life jackets for all passengers and crew team on boat.

Tip: If you do not see this when boarding the junk, please ask for the instruction from the crew member or our captain.

How many caves in Ha Long Bay will we visit?

We will embark on the boat for a cruise amongst the islands and islets of this stunning Ha Long bay. We will visit ONE cave on our 1 or 2 day trip, however, if you wish to visit more than one cave, we have to plan this well prior to departure so that our captain know where to go and please be informed an extra fee for each additional cave you plan to see.

Note: If the weather turns bad, we all have to follow the captain’s instruction, cave visit or extra cruise can be canceled without prior notice.

Is one day trip to Ha Long Bay worth to visit?

Ha Long Bay is so beautiful that one could not miss; though 3 hours drive each way is a bit long for somebody. You will get about 4 hours on Legend Bay Junks cruise, which is just enough for you to get an overview of what is Ha Long. We suggest that you drive to Ha Long city and sleep in the hotel the night before, so you would have a longer time on the Bay, more cruises, more caves, and more swimming.

Tip: To see Ha Long Bay and its all, you should plan a 2 day trip with Legend Bay Junks. Please contact one of OpentourJSC travel consultants to know more about this.

What kind of boat do you use?

There are many types of boats/junks in Ha Long Bay, we often use the small Chinese wooden junks for your private tours that combine classic beauty with modern comfort. These junks for overnight trip is often with very fine cabins, one restaurant and a very spacious top deck area with reclining chairs for you to enjoy Ha Long and the sound of silence.
Tip: Ha Long Bay is beautiful so enjoy it with Legend Bay Junks since our attention to detail has been put into all aspects of comfort and viewing pleasure.

Can we sleep outside on the top deck of the boat?

Yes, it is very nice to sleep outside there on the top-deck but please check this with our tour guide or the junk’s captain if the weather is fine to sleep outside. To note that we have very fine cabins designed with comforts of everything needed for a good sleep: natural rubber mattress, blanket, feather pillows and mosquito net and we can not bring this outside for you.

Tip: That night we all stayed up drinking talking about home and watching the shooting stars from the top deck. It was a wonderful time!

Where does the boat anchor at night time?

Afternoon cruise to see the hidden wonders of Ha Long Bay, Legend Bay Junks’ captain will find a suitable place (within the allowance areas) to anchor for the night, this place is normally inside the very calm bay surrounded by the islands.

Tip: Before we drop the anchor for the night, you will probably see the sunset so get your camera ready to take these wonderful moments.

Do we have to bring passport for sleeping aboard?

Yes you do have to bring it with you on boat and please provide us your full names, gender, passport number, visa expire date before your departure to Ha Long Bay.

Tip: Each boat/junk has it own safety box, please do leave your valuable belongings in this safety box so that you can have more fun visiting cave, swimming…

What do we have to bring with us to the boat?

Passport
Sun cream, insect repellent
Small changes for buying drinks on boat
Swim-suit and changes
Your own towels (though we have towels available)
Good camera with lots of films or memory space
A sense of adventures

What kind of food on boat in Ha Long Bay?

Most of the meals offered with seafood as Ha Long Bay specialty is seafood; there is lots of sea dishes combined with traditional Vietnamese food, I’m sure you will like the food on boat, if you are allergic with seafood, please inform your meal preference to our tour operator before your departure to Ha Long Bay.

Can I order meals to fit my special dietary requirements?

If you require a special diet or if you need to have special food items available aboard ship, please notify our OpentourJSC Travel Consultant before sailing at least 2 weeks. Special Dietary requests such as salt-free or vegetarian foods should be reconfirmed with our OpentourJSC Travel Consultant.

Will my hair dryer, razor or appliances work on board?

Vietnamese style electrical sockets are available in all suites. If you have any questions about the appropriate place to plug in shavers, hair dryers, etc., please ask your cabin attendant.

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