Ha Long, Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long, explained before you go

Ha Long Bay is the name everyone knows, but the karst seascape it describes runs on in both directions. To the south-west, past Cat Ba Island, lies Lan Ha Bay. To the north-east, towards Van Don, lies Bai Tu Long Bay. From a boat the three look related, because they are: the same drowned limestone landscape of towers, arches, lagoons and caves. The differences are in boat traffic, access, beaches and who manages the water.

Administration matters more than it sounds. Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay belong to Quang Ninh province. Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island belong to Hai Phong city, which absorbed neighbouring Hai Duong province in the 2025 reorganisation of Vietnam's provinces, while Quang Ninh stayed unchanged. Cat Ba is now administered as the Cat Hai special zone of Hai Phong. Two authorities means two sets of fees, permits and storm notices. When UNESCO extended the World Heritage listing in 2023 to cover the Cat Ba Archipelago, the site became Vietnam's first World Heritage property spanning two provinces.

• Distance. Ha Long is roughly 150 to 170 km from Hanoi by road, depending on start point and route. With the expressway through Hai Phong, cars take about two to two and a half hours and buses a little longer.
• Official routes. Ha Long Bay boats follow numbered routes, VHL1 to VHL8 since May 2025. Day entry fees for the classic routes are 200,000 or 250,000 VND per person, with a separate port fee on top.
• Season. Tropical cyclones normally affect the coast from May to November. Authorities stop boats leaving port when a storm approaches, and overnight trips are the first to be cancelled.
• Seaplanes. The scenic seaplane flights over Ha Long Bay that ran from 2014 stopped from 1 April 2026, according to a report in March 2026. Helicopter sightseeing was halted in 2023.
• Safety. On 19 July 2025 a sightseeing boat on route 2 capsized in a sudden thunderstorm and 39 people died. The UK Foreign Office advises checking a boat's registration and safety record and wearing a life jacket.

I Love Halong does not sell cruises, cabins, tours or tickets, and takes no bookings. It does not rank boats, compare boat companies or publish lists of recommended vessels. When a page mentions boats, it describes criteria you can check yourself, such as hull material, route number and weather policy, not brand names.

That choice is deliberate. Boats change owners and names, standards vary from one season to the next, and a ranking ages faster than the bay does. The questions on the checklist page work for any boat you are offered, from a shared day boat at Tuan Chau to a private overnight trip.