Halong Bay Boat Options

Halong Bay: Boat Options

Tropical Sails

Tropical Sails was launched in July, 2005 and is currently the nicest boat on Halong Bay. We have leased this boat for the entire 2005/2006 season.

The 3.5 cabin boat is smaller (22 meters) and more intimate than the Huong Hai (below) and sleeps 5 in comfort and is ideal for families and couples to groups of 3 to 7 persons. Click on this link to display a floorplan of lower and upper decks.

- 3.5 Cabins with private bath and toilet
- Air conditioning
- Luxury dining area
- 6 Staff (cook, captain, mates)
- Sun and fishing lounges
- Fresh meals and bottled water
- Licensed Kayak guide with 5 years minimum experience

Ideal for: Groups of 2-7 people. The crews on both boats are excellent with children of all ages.

Comments:
"We had a wonderful time on Tropical Sails.It is a beautiful boat & very comfortable - in fact it didn't really feel like we were on a boat, with hot showers & airconditioning in our room. The crew looked after us extremely well . We had wonderful food which was always beautifully served, and everything was spotlessly clean.

We moored in quiet places away from other boats and visited the tourist sites at times when there were not many others there, which was very nice. Tao was a great guide! She was so enthusiastic about Vietnam & her job, and was happy to tell us anything we wanted to know. Her instructions for kayaking were very clear & helpful, & She was also a fun holiday companion, providing a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere." - J. Lawson, Tokyo Japan

Huong Hai

The Huong Hai, is the nicest full-size boat on Halong Bay (right). We lease a deluxe model that is well-maintained.

A large eight-cabin boat with plenty of deck space. Good for groups of six or more. The best, larger size boat currently cruising Halong Bay.

- 8 Cabins with private bath and toilet
- Luxury dining area
- 5 Staff (cook, captain, mates)
- Camping or deck sleeping options
- Fresh meals and bottled water
- Licensed Kayak guide with 5 years minimum experience

Ideal for: large groups of 6-16 people.

Junk Sails

Fisherman at Halong mount fan-shaped Chinese junk sails on their boats, the same sort of sails once deployed by pirates in these waters. Junks have been used for centuries by the Chinese, Japanese and Javanese for fishing and transportation, and often as living quarters; a junk commonly includes a deck, high masts, and several cotton sails.

Halong is one of the last places where junk sails are still handmade by families of sailmakers. Coarse cotton panels are sewn together with silk thread -- every seam sewn by hand. To discourage rot and mildew, the completed sail is dipped in a liquid that comes from a beetroot-like member of the yam family. The sail is dipped and dried three or four times; a process that gives its dark red-tan color.

The sails are braced flat by bamboo strips or battens. the bamboo must be treated for quite a different problem — bamboo parasites can literally shred the wood while at sea. Bamboo may be treated with japanese lilac leaves, pounded into a paste with lime and seawater. Lacquering can also render bamboo less susceptible to borers.