There are nearly 600 different boats licensed for tour operations on Ha Long Bay
In nearby Bai Tu Long, which houses a protected national park, the story is different.
Indochina Junk is the first company licensed to visit this area; one other cruise operator was seeking a license and has likely received it.
This means that overall, fewer than 20 boats have a license to enter Bai Tu Long Bay.
By the way, the water is the same; you go one direction and follow everyone else. You go the other direction to get to Bai Tu Long.
Please be aware that Indochina Junk is a very responsible company and prides itself on getting you ‘off the beaten track’ as they truthfully claim in their promotional materials. You’ll know if you’re in Bai Tu Long or Ha Long when you don’t see a flotilla of tour boats in Bai Tu Long bay. Look at the pictures of Ha Long Bay – rarely do you see less then two or three tour boats. To me, the relative isolation of Bai Tu Long was very relaxing, intimate and charming.
Indochina Junk instituted the ‘green’ program for Ha Long Bay and actually pay garbage men to collect the refuse and trash from the floating villages and dispose of it properly.
Indochina Junk has several boats going by Red Dragon, Lagoon Explorer, Prince I, Prince II and Princess. I am quite certain that you will find all of the boats to be in good condition and are similar in the level of luxury. Book the Princess if you want the boat to yourselves. Book the Prince if you would like to be with up to four other people and want a 2 night tour. Finally, book the Red Dragon for a bigger boat and a 1 night tour.
You will find the accommodations to be very nice. The food is ample and delicious, and kayaking is included. You will have the choice of a single or double kayak for your party. On the first night, the guide takes you to a beautiful grotto and then a floating fishing village.
The next day, you will have a 2-hour kayak which ended up at your lunch served on the beach. You’ll be able to swim in the water directly off the junk, visit a cave, and be paddled to a more tourist-savvy fishing village in sampans.
On the whole trip, they stick to the eastern group of islands nearer to Bai Tu Long Bay, which means that the only other boats you will see belong to Indochina Junk (if you see any at all). There was no crowding anywhere, nor scores of vendors selling tourist trinkets.
Indochina Junk is a operated by a private company and it’s prices can vary. If you would like to include this unique experience in your visit to Vietnam, we are happy to make the necessary arrangements. Contact us for more information.
