📍3 Day/ 2 Night Athena Luxury Cruise In Ha Long Bay: An Honest & Comprehensive Review.
WONDERING WHAT IT’S LIKE ON A 3 DAY LUXURY CRUISE ON HA LONG BAY IS LIKE?
No place is more synonymous with Vietnam than Ha Long Bay. This magnificent UNESCO world heritage site is consistently ranked as one of the most spectacularly beautiful places on the planet, consisting on over 1900 individual limestone karst mountains rising sharply out of the ocean in the country’s northeast. It’s a sight to see, and one of the best ways to experiences this bucket-list destination is by embarking on a luxury cruise to explore this unforgettable landscape.
And I did just that, selecting Athena’s three day/two night luxury cruise to explore this breathtaking place out outstanding ecological value. I visited Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, Ha Long Pearl Farm, Dark & Bright Cave, Tring Nu Cave (instead of Me Cung Cave) and Luon Cave and sipped cocktails from the rooftop jacuzzi during happy hours, watched the sun rise and set over these fabled mountains and more. Here is my honest and comprehensive review of the positives and negatives of this once-in-a-lifetime trip to this global destination.
Athena Luxury Cruise In Ha Long Bay.
Athena Luxury Cruise: Review Overview.
Why I Chose Athena Luxury Cruises?
I chose Athena’s 3 day/2 night luxury cruise because I was looking for the best way to experience this breathtaking place I had always wanted to visit and realised that I in order to do that I would have to do an overnight cruise and that 3 days was the longest that I was able to find.
I poured over all the 3 day offerings that were on Get Your Guide, making comparison spreadsheets to see which went where and found this one had the most to offer that I liked the sound of even though it was more expensive than some of the others.
It also had the most detailed, and easy to understand itinerary which gave me the most confidence to book with them, unlike some which were very brief and unclear and not very reassuring at all.
How Many Days Cruising Ha Long Bay Is Enough?
The answer is all the days in the world. This place is unimaginably beautiful, but three days was the maximum I was able to find.
Day 1 was far too hectic and touristy for my taste and I would have felt I’d have wasted my money just going to Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island because it was crazy crowded. Day 2, the only people I saw were the people on our Junk Boat who were also doing two day cruises, which was fantastic and why I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going for three days as this was when I felt most connected to this breathtaking place. Day 3, was also lovely but short, and is what passengers get on the second day if the only get 2day/1 night cruise.
Off-Boat Sightseeing Activities.
Athena’s 3-day, 2-night luxury cruise on Ha Long Bay (which includes visiting neighbouring Lan Ha Bay) has 6 outdoor, off-boat activities allowing passengers to explore these two unforgettably epic UNESCO World Heritage sites in one unforgettable luxury adventure.
From caves, mountaintops, beaches and lagoons, to encountering rare and endangered wildlife, they offer a mix of guided and self-exploratory adventures that will leave you with last memories, all while enjoying spectacular views of these magnificent natural landmarks from the moment you leave the marina to the moment you get back.
Day 1.
Ha Long Bay.
Day one was a half-day exploration of two of the bay’s most visited attractions. The spectacular Sung Sot Cave, an enormous open-mouthed cavern with stunning columns and rock formations, and the breathtaking Ti Top Island, where the lookout from the top has expansive panoramic views showing the epic landscape from above.
As beautiful as they are, the lion’s share of cruise lines have these places on their itinerary, at least the ones I came across, so unfortunately, they were so insanely crowded that it felt like everyone in the bay was at these two spots. So, for the reasons listed in the cons sections below, I don’t recommend going to them if it only includes these destinations if you’re not fond of crowds.
➡️ Sung Sot (Paradise) Cave. – Guided.
Bo Hon Island.
Sung Sot, (English translation: Paradise) is Ha Long Bay’s largest cave and features two chambers with impressive rock formations and pillars scattered throughout the massive cavern, with the second being accessible through a narrow passageway that opens up to reveal a large freshwater lake that monkeys often roam. As with many places in Vietnam, the cave is also associated with a legend, as it’s believed to be where the famous national hero Thanh Giong went after defeating Chinese invaders.
Passengers from Athena were taken here aboard the tender and were fully-guided through this iconic cave.
✔️ Pros.
- This is a beautiful large cavern featuring plenty of striking formations.
- Some areas gave off a high fantasy vibe like something out of Dungeons and Dragons or Lord Of the Rings, and that you have to tread lightly lest you awaken the fearsome cave dwelling dragon, which you inevitably do, on a question to obtain a mythical artefact which is the only thing in the world that can kill the even more formidable beast that is threatening to destroying the realm.
- I was concerned about the stair count, which is estimated to be around 600, but I didn’t find it too taxing. Mostly at the start/end, but once you are inside, it is mostly easy going, with a few steps at a time scattered throughout.
- On the tender back to the boat, I saw an eagle.
❌ Cons.
- Very crowded. There were so many people and tour groups inside this place at one time. Even knowing that every cruise I came across went here and being prepared for it didn’t help and there was just a constant stream of folks coming through.
- The guided tour felt super rushed, which is not surprising I guess, given how much tourists groups were coming through. I stopped to take photos for a split second and ended up getting left behind, it was that fast! This is the place I have the least vivid memories of because I spent most of the time trying to catch up rather than enjoy the scenery, which I still tried to do whilst looking for my group amongst the many others that were packed inside.
- Needless to say, I heard none of the commentary.
- I don’t know this second chamber or large freshwater lake that often has free-roaming monkeys was that the websites talk about. I only recall one path doing a circuit around the cave, and none of that was through a noticeably narrow area, which is supposed to lead to it. Even looking at the photos I took, I can’t see any pathways or people going off to the side even looking at the many pictures I took. I couldn’t even find any images of it online, only a small pond which I remember seeing, but that can hardly be called a lake.
➡️ Ti Top Island. – Free To Roam.
Also Known As Ti Tov.
After a brief stop back at the ship to get our swimming gear, it was off to Ti Top Island. This gorgeous island is one of the smallest in the bay, but it more than makes up for it with its beauty. We had about an hour to explore ourselves. Options were relaxing on the crowded beach, swimming in the refreshing ocean waters or climbing the 400+ stairs to the mountain’s 110m high summit.
✔️ Pros.
- Magnificent panoramic vistas from the top and narrower viewpoints from several spots along the way. (I recommend doing this over swimming in the ocean.)
- Because there are places along the trail to enjoy the scenery enroute to the top, people less physically fit don’t need to go to the top to enjoy the breathtaking landscape.
- Climbing to the top is a great exercise endeavour.
- The staff also gave us towels to use so we didn’t have to bring out own.
❌ Cons.
- As crowded as Sung Sot Cave was, Ti Top Island felt even more, which can probably be attributed to its tiny size. It’s another place that is one every single Ha Long Bay Cruise appears to go to. It felt like just about every person in the bay was on this island.
- The path to the top is all uphill, so it’s exhausting to climb, but well worth it for the views.
- We only had an hour here, which if you’re a fast walker you will be able to swim and climb to the top of the mountains, but the walk to the stop is all uphill stairs, so by the time I got back after enjoying the view, which I didn’t feel rushed to do, I didn’t have enough time to swim.
Day 2.
Ha Long Bay & Lan Ha Bay.
The second day was on a traditional “Junk Boat” to visit Ha Long Bay then venture into neighbouring Lan Ha Bay, which has more of the same breathtaking limestone karst islands the former is famous for but lies closer to the eastern edge of Cat Ba Island. This was my favourite 24 hours of the cruise by far, as it was just our Junk Boat on the water and at the islands where no one else was in sight for most of the day, which is always the best way to explore places of outstanding natural beauty.
➡️ Ha Long Pearl Museum.
The Ha Long Pearl Museum not so much of a museum, but more of a shop with a live demonstration of how they are cultivated. It is on a floating platform in the middle of the bay, surrounded by iconic mountainous island. I also believe it’s one of only two cultivated farms of this kind in the country.
✔️ Pros.
- It was nice to explore a different part of the bay.
- There were even more gorgeous views of the limestone karst mountains. It truly newer gets old.
- There was an upper level viewing deck with chairs to enjoy even more the scenery.
❌ Cons.
- This was one of the things that I didn’t like about the cruise. I do not like animal cruelty and animal products. However, unfortunately, all the longer cruises I came across had this as part of their itinerary as it is an iconic local of the industry and way life in this famous bay. Furthermore, it’s one of the two places in Vietnam that do this, which for many people is a source of fascination, so it was unavoidable. I just enjoyed the views.
- The toilets weren’t the best.
➡️Dark & Bright (Sang Toi) Cave . – Guided.
Cat Ba Archipelago.
One of the signature experiences in Ha Long Bay is kayaking through sea caves under the famous mountains into hidden lagoons, and Dark and Bright Cave is one of the most magical places to do so.
There are two incredible tunnels to paddle through, with the Bright Cave being shorter, wider and illuminated by natural light, while Dark Cave, is 70m long, much narrower and barely illuminated before both open up into protected lagoons surrounded by towering and untouched mountains, which only kayakers get the privilege of seeing.
✔️ Pros.
- This was an incredibly cool and unique experience being able to kayak through under low sea caves into hidden lagoons.
- It was peaceful, relaxing and absolutely breathtaking. I was in awe the entire time.
- One of the most special moments was briefly getting to see three extremely rare, almost endangered languars that only live on that island. There are estimated to only be around 50 left in the wild, so that was an unforgettable experience, so keep your eyes super peeled!
- Another great thing about it is that only the people on our boat were there, allowing us to connect to the landscape in a more intimate way than if there were more people, which is why another reason why I enjoyed this place more than Luon Cave which is similar to Bright Cave, and recommended doing the three day cruise over a one or two night.
❌ Cons.
- I would have liked to have spent more time. Going through the caves ad into the hidden lagoons didn’t feel rushed, but because it was such a beautiful and special place, I was just enjoying doing a physical activity in the presence of just us, it would have been nice to settle into it and enjoy the magnitude of where we were and what we we doing, and be able to kayaking the outer areas too so that the memory sticks even more.
➡️ Tring Nu. (Virgin Cave.)
The water was getting choppy, so instead of heading to Me Cung Cave, they took us to an Tring Nu Cave, but that wasn’t the main attraction. The junk boat parked up at the dock, and we had to walk through the lovely cave to a gorgeous sheltered beach, where we got to swim in the warm waters surrounded by the rugged peaks of this magnificent place of unforgettable ecological beauty.
✔️ Pros.
- One of the coolest things about this place was parking up on one side, walking through a gorgeous open mouthed cavern to a sheltered beach on the other side. I was in awe.
- The view lookout at the top of the stairs just before heading down to the beach was gorgeous as it is surrounded by steep, limestone karst mountains. This place couldn’t be any more beautiful. This was paradise.
- I felt I had a good amount of time here. I would have liked to have stayed a little longer, but that’s my thing. I love nothing more than lingering in places of immerse natural beauty and this definitely fit that bill. Still it never felt rushed. It was so cruisy and relaxing.
- This was great because I got to swim this time which I didn’t have time for at Ti Top island, but this was way better because there were far fewer people.
❌ Cons.
- As amazing as this place was, it was still sad that I didn’t get to see the original place that we were supposed to go to.
- The water didn’t seem hazardous at all, so I’m not sure what that was about.
Day 3.
Ha Long Bay.
The last day of the cruise on Ha Long Bay was a morning excursion to Luon Cave, before heading back to the ship for the return journey to the mainland. For those who opt for a 2 day/1 night cruise, this is typically what most companies offer for the second day.
➡️ Luon Cave.
Bo Hon Island.
Luon Cave is another beautiful sea cave that visitors to Ha Long Bay can get the unique experience of paddling through.
The stunning low cave is like Bright Cave, where it goes underneath the mountain through a short but wide cave and comes out into a breathtaking enclosed lagoon. You can opt to kayak yourself, which is included, or pay extra to board a big bamboo boat and be rowed in by a local boatman.
✔️ Pros.
- This cave is similar to Bright Cave that we visited the day before.
- We were the first ones there so got to enjoy the peace and serenity to ourselves. It was only while coming out into the bay that other people came which was great that we got to enjoy it before all the others did.
- There was monkeys! Someone threw them bananas and so got to see them for a while and really close, so I have some incredible photographs.
- Kayaking is included, but a cruisy option if you don’t want to paddle is to go in bigger bamboo boat. (extra cost.)
❌ Cons.
- Accidentally left something on the platform and never got it back even though the head guy on the boat enquired about it, which I know 100% I left there on the seat…
Athena Cruise Ship.
General Overview & Room Amenities.
- 5 room configurations across 2 levels.
- Deluxe Balcony Cabin – 10 rooms. – Sleeps up to 2 adults and one child. – 25m2.
- Elegance Balcony Cabin. – 6 rooms. – Sleeps up to 2 adults & one child. – 28m2.
- Premium Terrace Cabin – 2 rooms. – Sleeps up to 2 adults and one child. – 32m2.
- Family Triple Cabin. – 2 rooms. – Sleeps up to 3 adults and one child. – 35 m2.
- Elegance Family Connecting – 1 room. – Sleeps up to 4 adults and 4 children. 58 m2.
- Each room comes with:
- Comfortable mattress on a wooden framed bed, soft pillows and extra blankets.
- Large windows with blackout curtains.
- A private balcony (except the Premium Terrace Cabin. It comes with a sun terrace.)
- Modern bathroom with multi-use rain shower, toiletries, towels, ribe & bum gun.
- Mirrored wardrobe unit with elevated luggage bay.
- Desk and chair.
- Sofa chair with coffee table.
- Air conditioning.
- 32-inch TV with cable service.
- Free wi-fi. (Might not be the best service due to location.)
- Complimentary drinking water, coffee and tea with a kettle.
- Life jacket, fire extinguisher, emergency lamp and hammer.
My Room. – Deluxe Balcony Cabin – 108.
✔️ Pros.
- I liked the dark decor that exuded old world luxury and timeless French charm.
- My favourite thing was the large wall-to-wall windows which gave a broad view of the breathtaking ever changing views of the Ha Long Bay’s spectacular limestone karsts as the boat drifts on its anchor, from the comfort of my room. They also allowed plenty of natural light in.
- It’s a reasonably sized space and didn’t feel too cramped, however, some might think it’s a bit on the small size.
- Large sized wardrobe perfect for a 3 day/2 night cruise. I liked that underneath had an inbuilt place to elevate luggage, so it doesn’t take up floor space and is great for people with bad backs.
- The bed was delightfully soft and comfortable. Plus, I loved the banner with the Athena logo draped over the closest corner, which made everything feel more regal and exclusive.
- The full sized mirror on the bathroom door was good for checking appearances and there was enough room between it and the bed to be able to do so without being on top of it.
- The TV was actually directly in front of the bed!
- The spacious bathroom continued the old world charm, but with modern amenities such as a three-way-use shower with rain head, stylish toilet with clean lines and a bum gum.
- Everything was clean.
❌ Cons.
- Both the main door and the balcony doors were hard to open, with the former needing to be manually closed sometimes, rather than just letting it close itself.
- Speaking of the balcony door, you barely know its there as it was presented with a curtain covering which just looked like an extension of the main window curtains. This can be both considered a pro and a con.
- I didn’t mind where the bed was but this having it directed towards the window would have been cool so I could enjoy the view snuggled up in the covers.
- The deep coloured decor might be too dark, moody and old fashioned for some people.
- Folks who sleep in complete darkness will not like there are no blackout curtains.
- Elements that I thought undermined the luxury feel was the open wardrobe, and the scuffed back panel where the luggage goes which could have used a door to give it a sleeker look, the mismatched bedside tables and lamps and the gap in the door for the lifejackets above the TV and the window sill in the shower flaking from lack of waterproofing.
Top Deck.
The top deck was where the luxury was at, with the gorgeous jacuzzi being the centrepiece of the stunning open space being the perfect place to take in Ha Long Bay’s breathtaking beauty while relaxing in warm, bubbly water or on one of the deck chairs with a drink in hand under twinkling garden lights from the nearby rooftop bar offering a two-for-one beverage special at the end of the day.
Scattered around the deck’s perimeter were metal garden tables and mattressed deck chairs and swinging basket chairs to enjoy the scenery sitting down without getting wet while behind the bar was a small indoor seating area for those who didn’t want to be outside.
✔️ Pros.
- The jacuzzi was the place to be. I loved being able to sit in there with the bubbles going and appreciating at the magnificent scenery surrounding me.
- 2 for the price of one happy hour drinks was a great way to cap off the day
- One of my absolutely favourite things about the cruise is that because I was the only one doing the 3 day/2 night itinerary, that besides the staff, I had the whole ship to myself for an hour in the morning, while the people who were doing the 2 day cruise were visiting Luon Cave and another hour in the afternoon when the new people were still at Ti Top Island, so the top deck is where I spent most of the time.
- The temperature in the afternoon, night and morning was nice and balmy.
- I loved the Athena Goddess artwork.
- There was plenty of seating scattered across the top, so you could have your own space and not feel like you’re right on top of someone else.
❌ Cons.
- The Jacuzzi wasn’t the warmest. But with the outside temperature and humidity being high, it wasn’t that bad.
- One of the cocktails I got was horrible.
Dining.
The dining area was exquisite. Located on the second deck at the front of the boat, it was spacious and beautifully decorated, with large windows lining the entire exterior wall, capitalising on being able to see out at all those beautiful limestone karsts whilst allowing natural light to stream in.
The food was a mix between al-a-carte for the first lunch and both dinners and a buffet menu for breakfasts and the last day’s light lunch. They also had a dedicated vegetarian menu, which they were great about adapting to be vegan for me for al-a-carte dining and bringing me out food they made just for me for when it was a buffet.
Meals provided:
- Day 1 – Lunch and Dinner.
- Day 2 – Breakfast and Dinner – Lunch was on the junk boat.
- Day 3 – Breakfast & light lunch.
✔️ Pros.
- This was a really beautiful, modern and classy space.
- The large windows were excellent, not just for letting in ambient light, but for allowing us to enjoy that incredible view.
- One of the worst things about cruise ships is that the dining tables tends to be cramped together. While they were a little close to each, there was plenty of room to slide in and out of the seats and walk around.
- The waitstaff and chefs were phenomenal about catering to my vegan diet. They have a vegetarian menu and were more than happy to adjust it for me, for which I am very grateful.
- Even during the buffet options, they made something just for me. I was particularly fond of the small potato bites.
❌ Cons.
- A dessert other than fruit would have been nice, even though I love fruit.
On-Boat Activities.
- Squid fishing at night. – I could see some people trying to catch some by jostling the fishing line up and down in the water, but they didn’t seem to have any luck.
- Early morning tai chi classes.
- Cooking classes such as making spring rolls.
- They also offer massage services. – Extra cost.
Tender Boat.
This small wooden boat was used to take us to and from the shore to the Athena cruise ship. throughout the either 3 day adventure. It had a cover, so we weren’t sitting in the sun, there was nothing at the front, except a crew member standing there so we had great views views looking forward. This is also where we embarked and disembarked. We were also supplied lifejackets to wear.
✔️ Pros.
- It’s a lovely little traditional Vietnamese boat.
- The staff standing on the front was cool.
- They gave clear and concise instructions.
- Feeling the fresh air on our faces as we sped through the water was refreshing.
❌ Cons.
- Embarking and disembarking happens at the front. While it is wide and staff hep see you safely on board, there are stairs to get down to the seating, which means if you fall, (or come back late) everyone gets front rows seats to the embarrassing moment, which you may or may not be able to live down. LOL. But at least it’ll make a good story, so long as you don’t physically hurt yourself. Wounds to your ego are inevitable.
- The seating is solid wood so it’s hard on the deirre. However, trips in the tender aren’t for a very long time.
- You have to keep your limbs inside especially when docking as you may get clipped when the boat bumps into the other boats it pulls up alongside, but they make plenty of announcements to remind your.
Day 2 Junk Boat.
✔️ Pros.
- The guy had a real passion and joy for his job, which was uplifting. . Very friendly and approachable. He has pretty good English and could be understood reasonably well, but I did have a little trouble understanding some words, but not enough to make it problematic.
- They were very generous with food.
- Got to interact with the other passengers, which felt more natural
- lunch on second day
❌ Cons.
- The back where the toilets were were a bit messy and unkempt, and left a bit to be desired.
- They were too generous with food. The Vietnamese are very generous, but it does make me feel bad with the waste for not being able to eat it all. The hot chips were cold.
Athena Staff & Crew.
✔️ Pros.
- helpful. got our shoes back. but not my camera thing.
- caring when a person was late coming back to the tender.
- friendly and made you feel very welcome.
- spoke english well. were very helpful.
- tender guy was great
- lady at bar took photos of me.
❌ Cons.
- Nothing negative to say about the Athena crew. They were all phenomenal.
- I was disappointed about the people on the floating kayak pontoon not being able to get my item back that I left there while in a hurry, as it was in an obvious position on a seat, but the operate separately to Athena.
Docking Location & Process.
After arriving at the Tuan Chau International Marina at around 11.30am with the luxury limo transfer. It was very streamline to check in and pay for the transfer, then there was about half an hour to look around, get something to eat and just relax before boarding the tender to officially start the cruise.
I arrived at the tuanAt the boat terminal, half an hour to check in before departure. safety briefing in the dining hall. clear and consice.
✔️ Pros.
- Beautiful tourist facility. Proper world-class facility. Food stalls and souvenir shops. They had some of the regular sort of stuff you find all over Vietnam, but also had some unqieu stuff too.
- Check in was really simple and easy. Paid for one-way transfer from Hanoi, told them didn’t want to return to as I would be spending time in Ha Long City after the cruise.
- The process was very streamlined.
❌ Cons.
- There weren’t any cons about this place.
Transfer From Hanoi.
An optional extra is getting picked up from your hotel in Hanoi in a luxury VIP limo (that’s what they are called in Vietnam, but it’s more like a bus on the outside, with upscale seating inside) and being driven directly to the Tuan Chau International Marina as organised by the cruise line. This is what I opted for as it was the most convenient way available. However, I didn’t get a transfer back as I would be spending time in Ha Long City after the cruise, and therefore only paid for one-way.
I was the first to be picked up from my hotel, Mercure Hanoi La Gare, outside Old Quarter, right on the dot at 7.00am. After picking up the other passengers, it was a drive Ha Long City, with a pitstop at a Pearl Museum, 2hours and 25min for a brief tour of the pearling industry and time to buy snacks, goods and go to the toilet, before heading back on the road.
Interestingly, none of the other passengers went aboard my particular Athena ship, and some didn’t even go to the same port even though it was an Athena vehicle, so it seemed like was more of a joint operation, or perhaps the company doesn’t all depart from the same place.
Anyway, those who were did get off at the same place as I did arrived at the Tuan Chau International Marine around 11.30am.
✔️ Pros.
- Big, spacious reclining seats with generous legroom, even with my day bag by my feet. There was even a footrest bar for added comfort.
- The back of each seat had a USB charging port and a fold-out cup holder for the passenger behind and a pouch, which was great as it was a long drive.
- Every passenger was given a bottle of water for hydration during the 3+hour trip.
- The views driving to Ha Long Bay, particularly when we were out of the city were lovely, with the limestone mountains of what I believe is Ninh Binh, described as the Ha Long Bay on land, in the distance, for a good portion of the trip. And then of course, Ha Long City and Ha Long Bay itself as we got closer to the port.
- Classy looking, luxury bus, They call them limos, with LED lighting, adjustable air conditioning vents, and ceiling holographic panels. pull down curtains
- Some single seats for solo travelers so they don’t have to sit next to strangers , and a row of thee t the back
- The limo was in good condition and well maintained, inside and outside. The only thing that looked tacky was the piece of paper that was just taped to the tip box.
- It was great that I was able to only arrange pick up, as after the cruise, I was spending time in Ha Long City.
❌ Cons.
- The colour was a bit monotone. There was so much brown and beige that aside from the modern roof lighting, kind of felt like something out of the 70s.
- The material for the seating appeared to be “genuine” leather.
- My fold-out cup holder was floppy and wasn’t able to hold my drink.
Overall Impressions.
The luxury cruise on Ha Long Bay with Athena was excellent. It was classy, elegant and exceptionally beautiful from start to finish. I couldn’t get enough of seeing those spectacular mountainous limestone karst islands was absolutely breathtaking and truly a feast for the eyes. And being about to do that from my room, private balcony and the rooftop jacuzzi made me feel like a millionaire, especially the two times on day 2 when I was the only on the boat! And watching the sun rising and setting over these iconic landmarks was another incredible priviledge that I loved about doing a multi day cruise at these UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As for the excursions, the beaches, peaks, and caves of this place were incredible, but Sung Song Cave and Ti Top Island on Day 1 were WAY TOO CROWDED. I am not a fan of crowds, and prefer to visit places when there is absolutely no one, or as few people as possible as I like to examine them closely, marvel and their grandeur and form a connection with these places. However, as these two were on every cruise I came across, I was expecting there to be many people, but that was a severe underestimation. Plus, as the tour through Sung Sot Cave was so fast, it’s mostly a blur, which is why I would have been very unsatisfied with a one day trip.
Day 2 was easily the best day as everywhere we went it was just the people from our Junk Boat, and there were hardly any other vessels once we left the area all the overnight boats are docked, which made me appreciate this place so much more. While pearl farm was of no interest to me as someone who doesn’t support products made from animals, getting to kayak Dark and Bright Caves into hidden lagoons and see ultra rare monkeys was very special and I would have loved to have spent much more time here exploring it. It was also sad that visiting Me Cung Cave was aborted at the last minute, but walking through Tring Nu Cave to get to the secluded beach for a refreshing swim on the other side was a fantastic alternative.
Day 3 was the second best day, getting another chance to kayak through sea caves this times at Luon Cave was also fun, if again not long enough, as was seeing more monkeys, but they were less wild as bananas were bring thrown to a platform created for them, but it was still a cool experience. And that the people from our boat got to do this before everyone else came was also great.
Plus, the food was great and the staff was exceptional, so although it wasn’t as adventurous as I would have liked, it still left me with lasting memories of this magical place I have always wanted to visit.
Who Is The Athena Luxury Cruise For?
- People who want to spend more time exploring the breathtaking islands of Ha Long Bay.
- Couples who love nature and are looking for a romantic way to spend time in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
- Folks celebrating special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries and honeymoons.
Conclusion: Athena Luxury Cruise On Ha Long Bay Review Review.
Athena’s 3 day/2 night luxury cruise on Ha Long Bay is an incredible way to combine seeing world-famous islands of this breathtaking bay and neighbouring Lan Ha Bay, and some their many beautiful mountains, exquisite caverns, kayakable sea caves and hidden lagoons in a unforgettable way.
If you plan to visit Hanoi Or Ha Long Bay consider looking at these other posts.
