City Info: Hà Long Bay

One of the most famous sites in Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is a serene two- or three-day vacation from the hubub of Ha Noi and is a must-see for any trip to Vietnam. The serene beauty of the bay pampers the grown-ups, while the kids will enjoy playing pirates on their own ship.

You can set up a tour through your hotel in Ha Noi or do it on your own by catching the train out there, but I'd suggest you just stick with a tour. It's easy and reasonably priced. Expect to pay between $25-50 each; anything less than that could be a bit shady. We paid $27 each for one night, which included transportation to/from Hanoi, meals, and twin beds for each of us. The kids got their own cabin next to mine and it worked perfectly. There are 3-day/2-night packages as well, with one night on the boat and the next on Cat Ba Island. We plan to do that on our next trip.

Since you are on a boat, kids need to be watched.

Outside resources:

• UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Official Ha Long Bay Web site
• Wikipedia: Ha Long Bay