Lan Ha Bay is Halong Bay’s sister seascape; an extension of the otherworldly natural masterpiece of jungle-topped mountains and waterway networks. The difference is Lan Ha Bay sees only a fraction of the visitors of its world-famous relative while still matching its aesthetic grandeur.

Jump in the lounge chair limousine at 9am of day one and head to Hai Phong, just over an hour from Hanoi and significantly closer than Halong Bay. Welcome aboard! Check in to your cabin and get accustomed with your cruise ship. Tuck into an onboard lunch then disembark on Cat Ba, the bay’s largest island and national park. Explore an island cave before hiking a portion of the park to understand more about the flora and fauna of the area. Enjoy a swim and a kayak in the bay and then dinner and overnight on the cruise ship. Not ready for bed? Enjoy some late-night squid fishing to see what’s biting in the watery depths of the bay.