Private Junk Overnight: Ha Long Bay

The junk departs from Hon Gai Harbour at 11 AM and does not return until noon the following day. In between: sailing through Ha Long Bay's southern reaches, where the karst towers are thickest and the tourist boats fewest.

The boat takes a maximum of eight guests. It has four cabins with en suite bathrooms, a sun deck, and a covered dining area where the on-board chef prepares all meals from ingredients selected that morning at the harbour market. Lunch is served while sailing; dinner after anchoring in a sheltered bay for the night.

The itinerary is flexible by design. Guests choose their pace: kayaking into hidden lagoons, swimming from the boat, exploring the floating fishing village at Vung Vieng, or simply sitting on the sun deck watching the limestone islands drift by. This is slow travel: unhurried, confident, and profoundly quiet after dark.

Ha Long Bay lies in Quang Ninh province, in the northeast of Vietnam, and covers around 1,500 square kilometres of sea dotted with nearly two thousand limestone islands and islets, many of them topped with jungle. A large part of the bay was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The name means Descending Dragon, from a legend in which a family of dragons sent by the gods spat jewels and jade into the sea to stop invaders, and the jewels became the islands.

A private junk lets you avoid the busiest routes. Most day trips and larger cruise ships follow set itineraries through the same caves and viewpoints, and the sheer number of boats can be a surprise. A private boat can anchor in quieter areas of the bay and around Lan Ha Bay, close to Cat Ba Island, where the scenery is similar with fewer boats and more sheltered water for kayaking and swimming.

The weather shapes the trip. The most settled periods are usually October to November and March to May. In summer, from June to September, heat, storms and typhoons can lead to cancellations at short notice, since the authorities suspend sailings when storms approach. Winter is cool and often misty, which softens the karsts but limits the views. If your trip is cancelled because of the weather, you can rebook or be refunded according to the booking conditions.

Pack light layers for the evenings on deck, swimwear, and shoes that grip on wet surfaces for kayak landings. Cabins are compact, so a soft bag is easier than a large suitcase. Please tell us in advance about dietary needs, allergies and any mobility issues, as the boat has steep stairs.

The junk is combined easily with a few days in Hanoi or Ninh Binh.