Every part can be changed to suit your group.

1. Day 1 Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay by boat

   We leave your Old Quarter hotel between 7:15 and 7:30am for Cat Ba Island, crossing by road and a short ferry ride. At the dock we board our boat and sail into Lan Ha Bay, lunch served on deck as the limestone karsts rise around us. Depending on weather and tides, we stop at either Ba Trai Dao, three islands with white sand beaches, or Ho Ba Ham, a quiet lake linked by tunnels through the rock, good for kayaking and swimming. As the sun sets over the bay we can join a cooking session for spring rolls, and after dinner try squid fishing if it is the season. We sleep aboard.

   
2. Day 2 Kayaking, Viet Hai village and return to Hanoi

   After a quiet sunrise over the karsts, we take the kayaks out again before breakfast, exploring lagoons tucked between the limestone cliffs for one to three hours depending on conditions. The boat then brings us to Viet Hai, a former fishing village, where we cycle for about an hour through its fields and lanes, with the option of a short hike into the national park for those who want it. On the way back we pass the floating village of Beo, home to around 200 households who still live by fishing. We dock around midday and drive back to Hanoi, arriving by about 4:30pm.