The classic Full Day Boat Tour from Cat Ba to Monkey Island is one of the best experiences I had in Vietnam! I went twice and would do the exact same tour a third time, that’s how fun it was. No matter which company you use, the tour is exactly the same; Lan Ha and Ha Long bays are national parks/UNESCO sites, so entry and exit times are strictly controlled. For the same reason, the prices are ultra competitive, between $15 and $30 per person (depending on company and season). You can buy them on tripadvisor, klook, or in cash the day before (or even the morning of).

I went with L’s Travels, which I was happy with. A friend did Captain Jack’s twice and highly recommended them. L is more chill and Captain Jack is more of a party boat. If you want to get a feel for the vibes of different companies, check out their reviews on TripAdvisor. All the companies use the same type of boat and serve the same basic lunch (rice, tofu and tomato, morning glory, scrambled eggs).

The first hour or so is spent just cruising the bay. As you leave the port, you sail through a fishing village, and see how fisherman literally live on the water, with floating houses, a floating market, bar/restaurant, etc. Once you get past the village and into more open water, the views are just incredible. They’re still beautiful on a cloudy day, but it’s worth it to wait for a beautiful day!

The next big activity is kayaking. There’s a central kayak station that all the tour companies visit at slightly staggered times. The lagoons are grand and scenic, and didn’t feel crowded even with lots of people on the water. The water is totally calm, zero skill or strength is required. There are caves dripping with stalactites to row through, and areas shallow enough that you could wade in. A couple local fishermen did, to retrieve their shellfish baskets.

Kayaking these lagoons is the only time I saw the elusive, critically endangered Cat Ba langur up close. There are only 70 or 80 of these indigenous, large white headed monkeys left. I was incredibly lucky; some tour guides go a whole season without seeing one. The langur I saw was not at all shy, and seemed interested in watching us!

The third stop of the day is a lovely secluded beach for swimming. As a weak swimmer I was worried, but you don’t have to go very far before the water is so shallow you can stand up. There are also life jackets available.

The last stop of the day is the appropriately named Monkey Island; the minute you get off the boat there are so many monkeys, who love to pose for pictures and beg for snacks. The little island restaurant may serve real food and drinks; all anyone seemed to buy was beer, bottled water, Oreos and potato chips to give the monkeys.

There’s a tough scramble to the top of Monkey Island, where the views are beautiful. If, like me, you don’t know what a scramble is, it’s halfway between a rock climb and a hike. It requires sneakers or hiking sandals, there are sections that are vertical, and you do take the risk of hurting yourself badly should you misstep. This is craggy rock, not stairs or dirt. Most reasonably fit youngish people can get all the way to the top, but it is a bit scary.

There’s plenty of time for both scrambling to the top of Monkey Island and sunbathing or swimming, so don’t worry about choosing.

Finally, the trip back to the harbor has the same magical views, and you get on land and ferried back to the office around 4:00 or 4:30. Local restaurant owners line up outside and hand out coupons for free drinks or discounts at their places, so most people grab a free beer with their new acquaintances from the boat.

I only wish the tour ended after sunset; I’d love to experience a sunset among those karsts. I can’t recommend the classic boat tour highly enough; I think it’s a fantastic deal for a fantastic day.