Review of Lan Ha Bay 1-Day Tour: More Beautiful Than Ha Long? Itinerary Visiting Fishing Villages & Monkey Island

Wondering whether to choose Lan Ha Bay or Ha Long Bay? Discover the most detailed 2025 review of the Lan Ha 1-day tour right away. Experience kayaking at the ancient Cai Beo Fishing Village, swimming in crystal-clear waters at Monkey Island, and savoring fresh seafood on board. This article provides an honest comparison of beauty, prices, and itineraries to help you have a trip that is "worth every penny." Check it out now so you don't miss this pristine island paradise!

The rise of the "forgotten paradise" Have you ever felt "suffocated" amidst the crowds at famous tourist destinations and wanted to find a more peaceful place that still retains the magnificent beauty of limestone mountains on the sea? Lan Ha Bay - the "quiet" neighbor located right next to the heritage site of Ha Long - is emerging as the perfect answer for travel enthusiasts who love wild beauty. Recently, the question "Is Lan Ha Bay more beautiful than Ha Long?" has always been a heated topic of debate on travel forums. This article will provide a detailed review of the Lan Ha Bay 1-day tour, taking you to explore the ancient Cai Beo Fishing Village and experience swimming at Monkey Island, helping you get the most objective view before deciding to pack your bags and go.

What is a Lan Ha Bay 1-Day Tour and why has it become a trend?

Before diving into the comparison, we need to clearly understand the nature of this tour. The 1-day Lan Ha Bay tour usually departs from Ben Beo (Cat Ba town), taking visitors floating on wooden cruises or modern steel boats to explore the bay area managed by Hai Phong. Unlike the overly familiar and commercialized Ha Long, Lan Ha attracts tourists with its quiet beauty, emerald green sea water, and significantly lower density of boats. This is the ideal choice for those who have a limited time budget but still want to fully experience activities such as Kayaking, swimming, and visiting fishing villages in just 6-8 hours.

Real-world comparison: Is Lan Ha really more beautiful than Ha Long?

To answer the question "Is it more beautiful or not?", we need to look at the actual experience. If Ha Long bears a majestic, overwhelming beauty with huge caves, Lan Ha bears a delicate, soft, and "cleaner" beauty. The biggest plus point of Lan Ha is the extremely clear sea water; you can see the bottom in some pristine beach areas like Van Boi or Ba Trai Dao. Moreover, Lan Ha possesses hundreds of small, smooth sandy beaches scattered at the foot of rock islands – something that Ha Long rarely has. The space here is also quieter, without scenes of jostling and queuing to enter caves, helping visitors feel the true relaxation of a vacation.

Detailed itinerary review

 Cai Beo Fishing Village - Ba Trai Dao - Monkey Island . A standard 1-day Lan Ha tour is usually designed optimally to pass through the most beautiful spots. The journey begins when the boat leaves Ben Beo, slowly gliding past Cai Beo Fishing Village – one of the oldest fishing villages in Vietnam. Here, you will witness with your own eyes the daily life on the water with fish cages floating close together, creating a vivid ink wash painting.

After enjoying a fresh seafood lunch right on the boat, visitors will arrive at the Ba Trai Dao area or Dark & Bright Cave to participate in the most awaited activity: Kayaking. Rowing the paddle yourself, weaving through limestone caves close to the water surface, and touching the cool water is a "must-try" experience. The final stop is usually Monkey Island. Here, you have two choices: one is to immerse yourself in the blue water at Cat Dua beach, the other is to challenge yourself to climb to the top of the jagged cat-ear mountain. From the top of Monkey Island, you can zoom out to capture the entire panorama of Lan Ha Bay into your lens – a "million-like" check-in angle not to be missed.

Experience and "crucial" notes

Although Lan Ha is very beautiful, for a complete trip, you need to note a few things. Regarding timing, summer (May - August) is when the sea is most beautiful, with brilliant yellow sunshine suitable for swimming and Kayaking. When going up Monkey Island, be careful with the wild monkeys here; absolutely do not tease or carry food openly because they can snatch items and cause minor injuries. In addition, prepare sunscreen, hats, and motion sickness medicine because the travel time on the boat is quite long.

Service selection and booking Currently, the price range for a 1-day Lan Ha Bay tour varies quite widely, from budget wooden boats (about 600,000 VND - 700,000 VND) to luxurious 5-star cruises (from 1,000,000 VND and up). Depending on your budget and check-in needs, you can choose the appropriate service package. However, the advice is to book services in advance, especially on weekends, to avoid running out of tickets or being overpriced.

Conclusion

In summary, Lan Ha Bay, with its wild, peaceful beauty and interesting itinerary visiting Cai Beo Fishing Village and Monkey Island, is totally worthy of being a "heavyweight" rival of Ha Long. If you are looking for a new, less crowded experience in the Northern region, then the Lan Ha Bay 1-day tour is an unbeatable choice. Plan today to verify for yourself if this "paradise" is really as beautiful as rumored!.