FOUR DAY HA LONG BAY OVERNIGHTER

Four Days, Three Nights – For Adventurers on Discover Vietnam itineraries

Ha Long Bay, North Vietnam - On the coast near the Chinese border

SETTING:                   Considered the classic example of marine limestone topography, Ha Long Bay is a World Heritage site of more than 1,000 limestone karst islands,

SEASON:                  Year round, but foggy and rainy from December to March.
                                    Water is warm enough to sustain coral year round.

SKILLS:                      Easy.  We paddle inside the caves, but encourage you to learn how to paddle outside the caves.  Some caves are large enough to self-paddle on slack tides.

LODGING:                 Brand new escort boat with full galley providing SeaCanoe’s famous Seafood vegetarian meal plan.  Showers and Western toilet.  Sleep inside the large cabin or on the sundeck.  Air mats and bedding is provided.

ACCESS                   Trips depart from Hanoi.  Daily flights via Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Air France.  Several carriers fly direct from Hong Kong or Singapore.  Visa on arrival is available.

DEPARTURES:        Daily departures from your hotel in Hanoi

HOT TIP:                    Our most popular way to see Ha long Bay.  Everybody so far calls this trip a ‘life-changing experience”.

DESCRIPTION:  As Asia's original sea kayak expedition company, SeaCanoe emphasizes local conditions and culture. . We understand local politics, so we’ve got the only permit to overnight and/or camp in the Bay, allowing you to visit sites far from the pier rarely seen by outsiders.  With more than 1,000 islands, you won’t see all of Ha Long’s best sites in four days (try six days for that!).  But we’ve been researching the Bay since 1992, so this trip provides the most efficient insight into Ha Long’s spirit if you are on a tight schedule.

Kayaking inside limestone karst is one of our specialties.  Aside from the comforts and permits, escort boats allow you to efficiently experience the remote geology and untouched culture harbored within Ha Long’s scattered limestone islands.  With three sunsets and three Sunrises on the water, your chances of wildlife sightings are greatly improved, and the tranquility is overwhelming.

The first day takes you to Haeng Toi, our overnighter site where you can adjust to the Bay’s drama and ambiance.  The next morning you motor even further into the endless islands and spend the next three days in a great circle before finally returning to the pier.  Each itinerary is built around the tides, but it really doesn’t matter.  There are virtually unlimited options, with sites that work only on Slack tides while others are Spring tide locations.

Throughout your trip, you explore complicated rock gardens; paddle long dark sea caves and visit cliff-lined inland lagoons. (“Phong’s in Vietnamese, Hong’s in Thailand.)  You will learn about stalactites and stalagmites, coral gardens, wildlife and Ha Long’s exceptional geology with English-speaking guides trained in cave kayaking and Ha Long’s Natural History.  In most caves, staff does the paddling.  However, some long-range caves are large enough that cave self-paddling is sometimes an option.

SeaCanoe’s self-designed ultra-tough inflatable kayaks allow you to explore deep into small caves.  Silent and smooth, you won’t disturb bat colonies, and if you are lucky, you might see birds, primates, reptiles, fish and coral closer than you ever dreamed possible.  Many species we see were considered rare or extinct in this habitat.  (Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but sunrise and sunset are the best times.)

SAFETY NOTICE:    Ha Long has large caves and lagoons that create dangerous tidal currents at varying but predictable times.  SeaCanoe started exploring Ha Long's local conditions in 1992, and with a 16-year perfect record for safe kayaking and the only kayaks especially designed for sea cave exploring, only SeaCanoe can guarantee your safe entries into the smallest and most complex of Ha Long’s sea caves.

Day One –

-0800  Depart your hotel in Hanoi
-0930  Snack break
-1200  Arrive Ha Long and eat lunch
-1300  Depart Ha Long pier
-1500  Arrive Haeng Toi and explore the Bay by kayak,
-1800  Return to escort boat
-1900  Seafood dinner
-2000  Optional night paddle
-2200  Return to escort boat and sleep

Day Two –
-0700  Breakfast
-0800  Depart for Second Island 
-0900  Kayak caves in Second Island, one with a triple Phong
-1200  Return to escort boat for lunch
-1300  Continue kayak exploration, more caves and Phong's
-1800 Rendezvous with escort boat
-1900  Dinner
-2000  optional night paddle

Day Three
-0700  Sunrise breakfast
-0800 Continue Island exploration including caves and Phong's
-1200  Return to escort boat, lunch underway
-1300  Arrive Fish Farm Island and paddle sea tunnel and coastal paddle
-1800  Rendezvous with Escort boat
-1900  Dinner and Sleep on escort boat or beach camping near Tito beach
-2000  Optional Moonlight paddle

Day Four
-0700  Depart for North Coast of Dao Cat Ba; breakfast underway
-0830 Explore caves and Hong's of North Cat Ba
-1100  Depart for Ha Long City
-1200  Arrive Ha Long City pier
-1230  Goodbye to SeaCanoe staff - return to Hanoi with Vietnamese staff
- 1500 Snack break 
-1630  Return to your hotel in Hanoi

SLIDE SHOW at  http//:www.seacanoe.com
HA LONG FEATURE STORY AT http//:seacanoe.com

We provide almost everything from your hotel pick-up to your return – transfers including two snack breaks, English speak kayak guides, all Deluxe meals with brewed coffee, gourmet teas and soft drink included (lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch), all kayaking, sleeping gear and all escort boat privileges.

You should bring the following on any SeaCanoe overnighter:

Hat
Shorts
Sleeping clothes
Sun block
Mosquito repellant (just in case)
Sunglasses
Swimming gear
T shirts - protection from the sun
Toiletries
Towel/Sarong
Very light long pants - protection against mosquitoes
Beachcomber's footgear (booties, Tevas, heavy-duty sandals, etc.
Camera with lots of film
(We have drybags, but SeaCanoe is not responsible for cameras optical or electronics gear.)

This information is a sample only, offered to give you a general idea of our product and is not contractual.  Times and locales often vary according to tides, weather and the decisions of the expedition leader. Our objective is to give you the best possible experience within the time frame and detailed conditions of your expedition.  Our policy is to continually update and improve our products for your benefit.

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