Everyone goes to Halong Bay. I stayed on Cat Ba Island instead and Lan Ha Bay made me glad I did.
Vietnam is limestone, hills, history and food that keeps you hungry. It is my second favorite country in Southeast Asia. We started in Hanoi, went east to Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay, then headed south to Hoi An and finished in Da Nang. Two very different halves: the quiet green water of the north and the glowing lanterns of the center.
Skipping Halong Bay felt a little crazy at first. Then the boat left Cat Ba and the limestone islands kept coming, one after another. Small fishing boats, floating villages and some islands with only a few people on them. We kayaked, swam and snorkeled in that green water, met the monkeys and went inside a dark cave. Lunch on board, a long lazy hour on the sun deck and then a sunset over the bay. Just as beautiful as Halong, maybe more, and so much calmer.
Then came Hoi An. I got lucky and arrived for the lantern festival, when the old town glows and the river fills with floating lanterns. I spent two days walking the ancient town, the riverside and the night market, crossing the Japanese Covered Bridge and eating everything I could find. Hoi An is old, peaceful and somehow even prettier at night.
Stay on Cat Ba Island and book your Lan Ha Bay boat from there. It is quieter than Halong Bay and just as stunning. In Hoi An, plan around the full moon so you catch the lantern festival.
