Let me start off by telling you that Vietnam is the next big thing if you’re looking forward to going for backpacking/budget travelling. This country should definitely be on your travel bucket list.
And no journey to Vietnam is complete without a trip to Ha Long Bay. About four hours drive from Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is a nature’s beauty that features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. Ha Long Bay has been twice recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site & is North Vietnam’s #1 Tourism hub.
While most tourists prefer and choose 2 days & 1-night cruises in Ha Long Bay that includes activities like kayaking, fishing, swimming, and enjoy cooking classes; three of my friends and I chose to experience a different side of Ha Long. Since we were more like backpackers, we chose the hostel life in Ha Long City. We booked Ha Long Bay View hostel which is right in the heart of the city, the hostel has just the right vibe for backpackers and solo travellers. They provide dorms as well as rooms. We stayed for a day and booked two rooms, it was hardly about $13.5 {which is approx INR 900} per room. The hostel is vibrant, young, lively with music, friendly and efficient staff who were great help booking travels and tours {most of them understood and spoke English which is a bonus}. While we did not want to do kayaking and other activities; the staff recommended us to hit the beach and later hike a mountain which offers the best top view of Ha Long Bay. We were excited and rented a two-wheeler from the hostel itself as the mountain was 20 minutes from the hostel. Trust me, our evening was all worth that hike which we wouldn’t have done if it was a cruise.
The night was young and so was Ha Long Bay View Hostel. You will get to meet people from all over the world in the Backpackers Pub. The pub has a pool table and flags of all the countries. The food served is good and the drinks are super affordable. They also have happy hours {a beer on the house for the people who stayed there and drinks like LIIT for about INR 250 and whisky for INR 150} or what they like to call ‘fucking cheap’ as written on their menu board. The music is the best part, probably the only pub where I heard some of the latest English tracks. It definitely sets the mood just right. And if you’re not a fan of loud music and all that crowd, the rooftop is just the right place for you. It offers a beautiful view of Ha Long City.
And if you want to hit the road to pub hop or eat some delicious seafood, or shop or get a massage, everything is at a walkable distance which makes this whole hostel experience a delightful one.
All in all, I just had one day at Ha Long Bay and I was so glad to not choose that cruising life because this hostel life was definitely more like my thing.
And no journey to Vietnam is complete without a trip to Ha Long Bay. About four hours drive from Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is a nature’s beauty that features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. Ha Long Bay has been twice recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site & is North Vietnam’s #1 Tourism hub.
While most tourists prefer and choose 2 days & 1-night cruises in Ha Long Bay that includes activities like kayaking, fishing, swimming, and enjoy cooking classes; three of my friends and I chose to experience a different side of Ha Long. Since we were more like backpackers, we chose the hostel life in Ha Long City. We booked Ha Long Bay View hostel which is right in the heart of the city, the hostel has just the right vibe for backpackers and solo travellers. They provide dorms as well as rooms. We stayed for a day and booked two rooms, it was hardly about $13.5 {which is approx INR 900} per room. The hostel is vibrant, young, lively with music, friendly and efficient staff who were great help booking travels and tours {most of them understood and spoke English which is a bonus}. While we did not want to do kayaking and other activities; the staff recommended us to hit the beach and later hike a mountain which offers the best top view of Ha Long Bay. We were excited and rented a two-wheeler from the hostel itself as the mountain was 20 minutes from the hostel. Trust me, our evening was all worth that hike which we wouldn’t have done if it was a cruise.
The night was young and so was Ha Long Bay View Hostel. You will get to meet people from all over the world in the Backpackers Pub. The pub has a pool table and flags of all the countries. The food served is good and the drinks are super affordable. They also have happy hours {a beer on the house for the people who stayed there and drinks like LIIT for about INR 250 and whisky for INR 150} or what they like to call ‘fucking cheap’ as written on their menu board. The music is the best part, probably the only pub where I heard some of the latest English tracks. It definitely sets the mood just right. And if you’re not a fan of loud music and all that crowd, the rooftop is just the right place for you. It offers a beautiful view of Ha Long City.
And if you want to hit the road to pub hop or eat some delicious seafood, or shop or get a massage, everything is at a walkable distance which makes this whole hostel experience a delightful one.
All in all, I just had one day at Ha Long Bay and I was so glad to not choose that cruising life because this hostel life was definitely more like my thing.