My husband and I visited Halong Bay as part of an organised tour from Hanoi. We thoroughly enjoyed our overnight cruise and would recommend this experience, even for budget travellers. The only detractor was seeing litter in the water in the area where we went kayaking. Apparently it's been cleaned up a lot in recent years but it's a real shame that there are still plastic wrappers, bags and bottles etc being disposed of thoughtlessly in this amazing place.

Halong Bay is really beautiful! The views are simply outstanding. The water was calm, the air was clear, you could just easily get lost in all its magnificence .It felt like no other place on earth. We spent just over 1 day and a night on board a junk cruise boat, as part of a tour of Vietnam.
It should have been one of the real highlights of our holiday. The journey we endured, four excruciating hours on a van each way, was well worth it. Exceptional natural beauty. Definitely well worth a visit!

Definitely visit, it is so beautiful. I recommend to book one of the better cruises so you can have a truly spoiling and amazing experience.

I think it is much better to book as a package from Hanoi- you will get better price with transport. Just do your research in the ship- the travel agents always want to sell you their favorites first. You can always come and say make me a package with a specific type of ship.