Halong Bay with a Toddler

Halong Bay with a toddler

During the summertime, my mom, dad, and sister came to visit us in Hanoi for around 10 days.  In order to break up the monotony of being in Hanoi the whole time, we decided to take a trip out to Halong Bay. We did some planning and research, figuring which cruise would be the best for 5 adults and 1 child. Ultimately, we chose Gray Line Cruises as their prices were affordable and they had good reviews. We wanted to make sure we were not on a party boat as we had a toddler with us and most of us wanted a decent bed time.

Through the cruise company we were able to book a private “limousine” van which picked us up at our apartment and drove us the four hours to Halong City. Since our trip to Halong Bay, a new highway opened up and it now only takes around two hours to drive to Halong Bay. Our first night we stayed at the Novotel Hotel in Halong City to enjoy local culture on land first. We did some walking around for lunch and ate at a traditional Vietnamese seafood restaurant, Nhà Hàng Hải Cảng Seafood, and then hung out by the pool for the rest of the afternoon.

Once it was dinner time we all cleaned up and went to eat dinner at Vinace Italian restaurant near the hotel and then went to the walking street area to let Lily drive her favorite remote-controlled cars and to get some ice cream. It was very lively out and hot which made us all a little tired so we went back to the hotel to turn in for the evening.

The next morning we had breakfast in the hotel and then our van picked us up and took us to the cruise terminal which was about 30 minutes away. Once arriving they took our baggage from us and lead us to the boat. The way of entering the boat was a bit strange as we had to the walk on a wobbly dock to the back of the small boat. Once we made it on to the boat we waited in the dining area for the local boat guide to explain how everything on the boat works and the timeline of events. We were given the keys to our room, which ours were on the same level as the dining room, and checked out our digs for the night. Since my family had three adults we booked them the VIP suite which had a porch with some lounge chairs at the front of the boat. The rooms were small, as most cruise liner rooms are, but had what we needed for one night and we wouldn’t be in the room much anyway so we were pretty pleased.

The boat was pretty small as there were less than 20 passengers on board. We ate our lunch, which was awesome because it was such a good variety of food that even the pickiest eaters (me and Lily!) were able to fill up.

After lunch, we took a small boat from our cruise boat to do kayaking or take a boat ride. Since we had a toddler, Matt and I opted for the rowboat ride and since my mom wasn’t feeling well she went with us. My dad and sister ventured out on their kayaks where we were able to take cool pictures of them.

Once we were done with the boats we headed for Titov Island to enjoy swimming at the beach or climbing to the top of the peak for picturesque views. As we pulled up to the beach it started pouring rain so we got a little wet before hitting the beach, but the rain quickly passed. The nice thing was the cruise line provided beach towels so we didn’t have to bring our own. We found a spot and rented some chairs and let Lily play in the sand and then swim in the water. I am not one for murky water beaches so I only went in a little but the rest of my family had a great time out there swimming in the warm water.

Later on, some of my family decided to hike up to the peak to take some pictures, which was quite the hike as they came back sweaty and a little winded. My sister shared the pictures with us and the views were gorgeous. We only stayed at the beach for an hour and then we met the rest of the passengers to go back to our cruise for dinner.

Upon arriving we were given time to relax and shower so Matt got a massage in our room while Lily napped and my family and I went to the sun deck to enjoy cocktail hour and to partake in a Spring Roll cooking demonstration.

We made sure to take some pictures as the sun was setting enjoying the views before nightfall approached. Our boat was docked pretty close to some limestone mountains and were were able to take in a view of all the boats across the bay, as we were right on the end. It was so quiet outside so we could hear others partying on the other boats. Then we all headed down to dinner and enjoyed some yummy food once again before heading to our rooms for the evening. My sister and I stayed up on the top deck to take some night photos of the stars and all the boats in the bay. Usually the offer a nighttime squid fishing excursion but since it is not squid season they recommended against anyone going and wasting their time.

The next morning there was a small continental breakfast laid out for us to eat and then passengers could go the Surprise Cave which consists of stalagmites and stalactites. Since it was raining and Lily was a bit grumpy we decided to pass on that excursion, but my family went ahead and took some pretty pictures.

It rained most of the morning and so we stayed in our room to pack, play cards and relax. When everyone came back brunch was set up in a buffet and we filled up before departing. After checking out of our rooms we hung out on the sundeck to enjoy the last bit of views while the cruise headed back to the embarkation point where we said our goodbyes to the crew and waited for our driver and headed back to Hanoi. Along the way, we stopped at a handicraft souvenir rest stop and bought some souvenirs and some snacks which was nice to be able to get out and stretch our legs and shop since we really didn’t see any souvenir shops in Halong city.

Overall, I would say the two-day one-night cruise was the right amount of time to see Halong Bay with a toddler and family from the states. There are so many boats in the bay and tons of tourists at the beach, it is almost too crowded and hard to get decent landscape photos. It is becoming a huge tourist attraction making it not as enjoyable for some people, but I think we made the most of our short trip. I could have done without the night in Halong City as we really didn’t experience anything different than what we would experience in Hanoi and many of the tourists in the city are not Westerners so it was hard to find things to do that we were familiar with, especially with a toddler. Another thing we would have liked to change in the dining area on the boat was not air-conditioned so it was really hot mid-day eating in there with just fans blowing. There were AC units in the dining room, but they were not working.

Overall I can say that traveling to Halong Bay with a toddler and seeing the beautiful scenery was a must do on our list before leaving Vietnam. I think our family from the states also enjoyed it and it gave them some cultural insight into life in Vietnam. I would recommend this trip for all family types as the trip can be catered to what you want to do. Although we were the only people on our boat with a toddler, it wasn’t impossible to do and the other passengers did not seem to mind a crazy little girl running around the boat.

Cruise Line: All the staff on the cruise were very friendly, accommodating, and took care of us completely. The boat was about what I expected for Vietnam and probably one of the most up to date. The food was excellent and prepared nicely. The itinerary was optional, meaning you could’ve spent the whole time on the boat if you wanted or pick and choose excursions as we did.

Novotel: This hotel was in a good spot as there were many places within walking distance. The pool was nice and the bar made good drinks. The buffet breakfast was also nice and had many items to choose from. The rooms were a little small, but it was nice to have adjoining rooms with family.

Transportation: Since this was provided by the cruise line it was definitely helpful as we didn’t have to search for multiple cars to take us to and from our locations. The driver didn’t speak English so luckily Matt speaks Vietnamese so we could communicate. The driver did have us waiting a while for him the day we departed the cruise and the only place to wait was in the small waiting room alongside the road.

Thanks to my mom and sister for taking pictures, as a busy mom chasing a cranky toddler, I failed to take any on this trip!

Check out another short boat excursion we went on with a toddler in Can Tho, Vietnam.

Check out more blogs about our travels here.

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