Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay

An ever-increasing demand to see Halong Bay is pushing Vietnam’s number 1 tourist attraction to its limit. The attraction is sadly becoming known more for its overcrowding than it is for its beauty, and some people arriving to Vietnam have already got their sights squarely focused on the alternatives around, in Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay. Both are part of Halong Bay, featuring the same limestone spires, the same placid seascape and a similar scope of attractions; what differs these sister bays from Halong Bay is the route through which they sail, both known more for their more quiet and relaxed passage due to the lack of other cruises.

Bai Tu Long Bay has long been established in the tourism community as an alternative to Halong Bay, whereas Lan Ha Bay’s emergence is relatively recent. Tourism is growing in each bay, however, so whether you choose either Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay, it’s better to visit sooner rather than later.

Tra Bau in Lan Ha Bay

Beaches

Beach life in Halong Bay is one of those wild and beautiful scenes in the imaginations of many tourists who have never visited it. The few beaches that cruises actually visit are usually quite far from this idyllic picture, as vast amount of tourists and strict government policy means that excursions to beaches are quite busy and a little more regimented than many tourists would hope for.

At Bai Tu Long Bay, the closest approximation to this imagined scene is probably Ban Chan beach, where you can find perfect golden sands backed by stretching casuarina pines and lapped by clean ocean waters. Many of the beaches in Bai Tu Long Bay are a little on the small side, and that is the same for Ban Chan, but it still avoids crowding from tourists due to its isolation. A larger and even quieter stretch of white sand can be found at Quan Lan beach, with its long and curved coastline that faces onto the open ocean beyond it. Unfortunately, Quan Lan hasn’t quite made it onto the itineraries of Bai Tu Long Bay tours, but the few beautiful resorts and homestays here offer an excellent reward for those willing to make the effort.

On Cat Ba Island in Lan Ha Bay, the scene is a little different. The three beaches comprising Cat Co 1, 2 and 3 likely host as many tourists in one day as Ban Chan and Quan Lan do in a month. These are tiny spits of sand located next to the centre of town, which explains their popularity, but heading to the other side of Cat Ba town to get to Tung Thu beach is always worth the effort. This deep alcove contains beautiful sands and a tunnel-vision view of the shimmering blue ocean beyond, similar to that of Ba Trai Dao, which is one of the most visited beaches on Lan Ha Bay tours and a real castaway-style highlight for every passenger who docks here.

Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay?

Caves

The table above doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Bai Tu Long Bay, which only features one cave that passengers can visit. The wealth of options for Lan Ha Bay stands it in good stead in this category, but still can’t really hold a candle to Halong Bay, which boasts more caves than visitors to Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay will be able to visit.

As the only cave in Bai Tu Long Bay, Thien Canh Son gets its fair share of visitors. Every itinerary to the bay heads to this cavern, translating rather evocatively to ‘Mountainous Landscape in Heaven’ because of the stone staircase that takes visitors from inside the cavern to a small viewing platform that overlooks a beautiful outside. The cave is rather small and excursions that last any more than 30 minutes here are really just killing time. There are some impressive rock formations and interesting evidence of the cave’s age inside, but compared to the caves of Halong Bay, Thien Canh Son finds itself a little bit lacking.

There isn’t much lacking from the collection of Lan Ha Bay caves, which feature natural beauty and historical intrigue in abundance. This is most certainly the case at the Hospital Cave, serving on Cat Ba Island as a secret Viet Cong hospital and command centre, built as a fortified vault into a mountain. From 1963 to 1975, the cave featured many medical rooms as well as a cinema and swimming pool, with the ‘beauty’ part covered by the wide-spanning views of undulating jungle available from its entrance and exit. Amid the waters of Lan Ha Bay, the Dark and Bright Caves offer a unique experience as a dual wet cave system which, as you may be able to guess from the name, contain differing levels of light. The Dark Cave requires a torch to illuminate the wonders inside, while the Bright Cave next-door acts as more of a short tunnel into an enclosed lake, flooded with light that filters through the treetops as they cling to the stretching mountains around.

Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay?

• It’s not hard to pick the winner here. For beauty, history and the fact that it has more than one cave, Lan Ha Bay wins this one.

Fishing Villages

The tiny choice of floating fishing communities in both Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay does not do this unique and truly ancient culture any justice. Before mass tourism came to Halong Bay and its neighbouring bays, fishing villages were numerous and active, with residents living simple but largely happy lives in isolation. After government incentives moved most residents onto land, some were also incentivised to remain in the bay to act as tour guides for their villages, showing tourists their attractively humble lives via sampan boat.

In Bai Tu Long Bay, one of the few remaining villages is Vung Vieng. The beauty of the colourful houses as they stand resolute on sturdy rafts can never be understated, with schools, hospitals and fish farms curving around the bases of forested mountains. Though still a busy village, the purpose of Vung Vieng is really to show tourists a way of life that has since moved on, though it is still a prominent part of Vietnamese tradition in other places around the country.

Stand on the mountaintop Cannon Fort on Cat Ba Island, and you will see a wealth of vibrant fishing villages in operation below. The Hai Phong authorities that manage Lan Ha Bay have hopefully learned from the mistakes that the Quang Ninh authorities, in charge of Halong and Bai Tu Long bays, made with their handling of the bay’s residents. Visitors can head to Cai Beo, the only fishing village in Lan Ha Bay that is available for visiting, to see the authentic daily happenings of what archeologists believe to be one of the oldest floating villages in Vietnam.

Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay?

• Another one to chalk up for Lan Ha Bay here; the authenticity of its villages and the respectful distance kept by the management authorities leads to a better experience for tourists.

Kayaking

As one of Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay’s most relaxing activities, kayaking excursions consistently find huge appeal in a bay full of placid water and natural beauty on all sides. Due to safety reasons, there are only a few places around both bays where visitors are allowed to kayak, but most cruises’ practice is to provide you with a kayak, a quick lesson and then allow you free roam around the area, with a stern mothering eye kept on all passengers from the dock.

That serene feeling of gliding along a rippling carpet of water is encapsulated best at Cap La and Tra San in Bai Tu Long Bay, two areas coupled together for their shared, open-plan beauty dotted with imposing limestone columns. Given the size of the conjoined areas, a good amount of time is usually given on itineraries to allow for exploration, which is also the case with Cong Dam, a vast and sparkling sea with lagoons and inlets abounding. Cong Dam is a popular area for overnight cruises to anchor the ship for the night, so kayaking excursions here can happen during sunset, which lays the ground for a truly magical experience.

At the Tra Bau area of Lan Ha Bay, the experience is no less special. This is a small but verdant area operated by a local fishing family, who provide exclusive access for V’Spirit Cruises. With no tourists around, passengers can explore the expanse of Tra Bau from the seat of a kayak, enjoying the gentle rolling green hills sitting behind our local family’s house. For more information on Tra Bau and the rest of the V’Spirit Explorer’s itinerary, please click here. Other than Tra Bau, Bai Trai Dao beach and the waters outside of the village of Viet Hai provide more kayaking options in Lan Ha Bay, but neither provide much in the way of new scenery, as both areas can be seen from land.

Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay?

• With a wealth of beautiful choices, Bai Tu Long Bay takes the crown for the best kayaking opportunities.

Bai Tu Long Bay

Tourist Numbers

The real reason that Lan Ha Bay is opening up to tourism at the moment is because Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay are essentially full, with the Quang Ninh tourism board forbidding new companies to start their cruising here. This is a worrying sign for Lan Ha Bay, which continues to progress at a rapid pace and will likely lose its isolated appeal in the future.

Many tourists head to Bai Tu Long Bay with the hope that they will find the same quiet waters and uninhibited attractions that Halong Bay boasted before mass tourism began. Sadly, this isn’t much the case anymore, and now companies conduct a roughly equal number of cruises in Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay. There are no day boats to Bai Tu Long Bay, which is its saving grace here, and large stretches of water for cruising, kayaking and anchoring still feature wild beauty in abundance. Indeed, anchoring in vast areas like Cong Dam can transport passengers back to a time when Bai Tu Long Bay’s focus was on humble living, not on tourism.

Currently, the far lower tourist numbers in Lan Ha Bay are the main reason that people are wondering whether to visit Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay. Long periods of time without spotting another boat are certainly not uncommon here, while the serenity afforded by space and the peacefulness of uninterrupted fishing villages is very genuine. The future of Lan Ha Bay is completely in the hands of the governing body of Hai Phong province, but it is highly unlikely that the area will be quiet for long. Full-scale construction efforts at the harbour providing access to Lan Ha Bay do not paint the most positive picture, so we invite you to come and see the extraordinary scene here while it still exists.

Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay?

• Though the future is uncertain, Lan Ha Bay will, for many years still, be the most tranquil experience in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Comparison Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long Bay

Sightseeing:

For the Sighseeing both Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay have many sightseeing places to visit. For Lan Ha Bay there are some beaches like Ba Trai Dao, Loc Vung and many pristine beaches while Bai Tu Long Bay with Ban Chan Beach. The caves in Lan Ha Bay like Dark and Bright Caves while in Bai Tu Long Bay there is Thien Canh Son Cave. When we go to Lan Ha itinerary, customers also can visit some caves like Trung Trang Cave  and Quan Y Cave on Cat Ba Island. 

There are many places in Lan Ha Bay for kayking like Dark and Bright Caves, Tra Bau Area, Ba Trai Dao while in Bai Tu Long Bay there are some places like Cong Do or even no name but very beautiful place.

Natural Beauty

Both Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay are very beautiful in the natural beauty. They are like Halong Bay with thousands of limestone islands and with emeral water.

Peace

Bai Tu Long Bay now there are less cruises and less services so you may feel more peaceful when you cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay comparing to Lan Ha Bay. Most of the new cruises now operated Lan Ha Bay while the number of cruises in Bai Tu Long not raising.

Cruises and Services

As we mentioned above most of the new cruises now operated in Lan Ha Bay so if you are looking for a cruise in Lan Ha Bay there are lot of options for you to choose a good one while it is not easy to find a good cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay because there are not many options for you. Most of the cruises in Bai Tu Long Bay are wooden junk cruises and many of them are old cruises and without balconies. 

Most of the cruises in Lan Ha Bay are 4 star to 5 star and many of them have swimming pools, Jacuzzi pool and have luxury services. 

Best Cruises in Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay

Please see some best cruises in Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay as below. There are all good cruises to put in the list of accommodation for your Package Tours in Vietnam.

Capella Cruise

Capella Cruise is a luxury cruise in Lan Ha Bay with luxury cabins and good service. There is a nice pool on the cruise and it has a good itinerary for people who wish to enjoy the trip with more activities. The cruise has excellent reivews left by customers in recent years and it is one of the best cruises in Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay

Elite Of the Seas Cruise

We can say Elite Of The Seas Cruise is the best cruise in Halong Bay until 2025. The cruise has very nice swimming pool and top notch service. There is fly camera free service on the cruise for cleints want to have an album of unforgetable photos for your trip in Halong Bay. All cabins on the cruises are luxury and all corners of the cruises are very clean. It is suitable for all people who want to have a luxury trip especially for the couple who are on honeymoon.

Stellar Of The Seas Cruise

Stellar Of The Seas Cruise is also one of the best cruises in Lan Ha bay and Halong Bay until 2025. It is in the same company with Elite Of The Seas Cruise. Stellar Of The Seas Cruise has a large swimming pool and luxury cabins suitable for honeymoon couple and all people who want a luxury trip for thier life.

Dragon Legend Cruise

Dragon Legend Cruise is the best cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay until 2025. There are not many good options for Bai Tu Long Bay so we can say Dragon Legend Cruise is number one when you wish to travel in Bai Tu Long Bay but with a good cruise. The cruise has a pool so it is good for family with kids and honeymoon couple also for good photos.

Athena Cruise

Athena Cruise is also a good option when you want to travel in Bai Tu Long Bay. It is a steel cruise so it is safe cruise and it has good reviews on Tripadvisor. All cabins on Athena Cruise is luxury and clean. The staffs on cruise are friendly and helpful.

Dragon Pearl

Dragon Pearl is in the same company with Dragon Legend. Dragon Pearl is junk wooden cruise. It is a 3 star and with good service. The cruise is not luxury as it is not a new cruise but it has a long history in service and the service is stable for many years.

So, finally – Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay?

In the great battle of the Halong Bay alternatives, we have found Lan Ha Bay to be the overall victor. Of course, the beauty of both bays is subjective, but both receive international praise on incredibly high levels. The problems surrounding both bays pale in comparison to the natural splendour that they exude, with incredible beaches, caves, fishing villages and kayaking excursions adding up to a genuine once-in-a-lifetime experience that will not soon be forgotten.

From a sun lounger atop the sundeck of the Escape Sails, you will have plenty of opportunities to soak in the incredible atmosphere of Lan Ha Bay on our luxury day cruise through the region. We take our passengers to lesser-visited locales, including the exclusive area of Tra Bau. Click here for the highly unique itinerary, where our passengers get 7-8 hours of unadulterated time atop the crystal waters of Lan Ha Bay.

For more information please contact Vietnam Escape Tours Travel - One of the leading travel tour company in Vietnam. Travel with us and you will enjoy your trip in Vietnam.