Cruises in Ninh Binh

Cruising from Ninh Binh means two different things. Inland, boats on the Trang An and Tam Coc waterways are rowed through limestone tunnels by local boatmen, in sessions of about an hour and a half to two hours. At sea, the choice is a day cruise to Ha Long, Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long Bay, a four and a half hour limousine ride away. None of these is an overnight cruise. They suit travellers who want the water but not a night on a boat.

The bay days follow one timetable: pickup between 6:45 and 7:15 at Tam Coc, Trang An, Mua Cave or in town, boarding before midday, back in Tuan Chau port between 17:30 and 18:00, and arrival in Hanoi between 20:00 and 21:00. The day ends in Hanoi, not where it started. The Ha Long luxury cruise has a buffet lunch, Luon Cave by kayak or bamboo boat, Surprise Cave and the Titop Island viewpoint. Lan Ha adds a cooking class, a trampoline and a water slide. Bai Tu Long runs a smaller group and visits Thien Canh Son Cave, which is less crowded than Surprise Cave. Bay groups go up to 30 people, far more than the rowed boats carry.

Practical. Typhoon warnings from June to November can cancel a bay sailing, so look at the forecast the day before. January averages about 17C on the water, which means a jacket on deck, and a hat in summer. With the road included the bay day runs more than ten and a half hours, worth knowing before you choose it over an inland boat ride. Most are free to cancel until 24 hours before the start.