You’ve heard of Halong Bay, the world-famous UNESCO Heritage Site, renowned for its incredible natural beauty of emerald seas and limestone karsts, hidden coves, and lush jungle islands. But the term “junk cruise” is a strange one. Something called “junk” can’t be very nice, can it? Actually – it can – it can be luxurious, relaxing, memorable and exciting.
A ‘Junk Boat’ is a traditional Asian sail-boat with large, square, bamboo and linen sails. ‘Junk’ has nothing to do with the quality here – it’s just the name of the type of ship. In fact, the quality can be the exact opposite of junk. We’re talking about sunbathing on gleaming decks, feasting on a spread of fresh and delicious seafood, swimming in tranquil seas and kayaking limestone caverns. Sounds pretty fantastic, don’t you think?
All aboard the Junk Ship!
So what should you expect on a Halong Bay junk cruise?
The junk cruises through Halong Bay are designed for relaxing and enjoying the incredible scenery, and that means that they cruise at a slow pace through the bay. At the same time they also give ample time for adventuring on and off the boat. They drift around the steep limestone karsts and islands, frequently dropping anchor to allow passengers time to hop off, explore islands, swim, kayak, or head into the local floating villages that dot the bay.
Every cruise is designed a little differently, but they all have the same essentials.
You’ll get to pick a one, two, or three day trip. The two and three day excursions usually mean that you’ll have a cabin on the ship and get to spend at least one night on board. This is an especially memorable experience because the sunsets and sunrises from deck are amazing – red and golden skies above dark waters and misty islands. If you have the time it’s definitely worth extending your cruise.
A golden sunset over Halong Bay
There are lots of activities that you’ll have an opportunity to try out while you’re on your junk cruise. You’ll have plenty of options, or you can always just keep soaking up the sun from the deck lounge chairs! The choice is yours – it’s your luxury cruise.
Every trip will include at least one caving experience, either to Surprise Cave or Dragon cave, and the crew will decide which cave to take the junk to after you depart. Both caves offer a chance to see stalactites and stalagmites, but Surprise tends to be a bit more popular between the two so it may be worth asking if you can go explore it.
Most cruises will offer you time to go kayaking. Sometimes this will be in open waters in the bay and sometimes the cruises will take you to limestone tunnels that you can explore and paddle through.
You’ll also get to go swimming at least once a day. This could mean visiting beaches on the islands or diving in straight from the junk boat’s decks. Cat Ba Island is another popular part of many of the junk cruises. There’s a beautiful natural park with trails you can hike or bike, or more beaches to spend a sunny afternoon on.
Kayaking the bay offers a chance for adventure
You will also get a unique opportunity to visit floating villages and markets, where local fishing communities have lived right on the ocean waves for generations. You can buy fresh seafood from the fishermen or goods from the markets, and take a ride in a flat-bottomed sampan with a local.
On the junk boat you can expect some fantastic seafood meals. Plump shrimp and lime, grilled fish, or steaming crab with butter and garlic are all included in the price of the cruise itself.
They do dinner right on the luxury junk cruises
The Halong Bay junk cruises are a fantastic opportunity for a truly spectacular holiday. Incredible beauty in one of the word’s most famous natural wonders, peaceful relaxation on emerald ocean currents, adventures in the shape of caving, kayaking and swimming, exploring unique floating villages, and feasting on an array of fresh and delicious seafood. It’s a trip of a lifetime. So don’t be bothered by the name “Junk Cruise,” because there’s no junk about it. This is your chance to do something truly amazing in beautiful Vietnam.
You’ll never forget your time on a Halong Bay junk cruise
The post What’s a Junk Cruise? Why You Should Cruise Halong Bay? appeared first on HalongLuxuryTravel.