Any traveler in Vietnam will undoubtedly be told to visit the scenic area of Ha Long Bay. For decades, the limestone peaks of this coastal region in northern Vietnam have attracted tourists from far and wide. Sadly, its popularity and designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site have turned this natural wonder into an absolute zoo.
For us, there was nothing peaceful about the place; dozens of tour boats crowd the bay, tour operators aggressively try to fill their trips, and the water has become polluted from the thousands of people who visit each week. But don’t despair, another option still exists for those willing to put in a little extra effort. Adjacent to Ha Long is the area known as Bai Tu Long Bay. Like its neighbor, Bai Tu Long is home to countless limestone islands that rise sharply out of the turquoise waters and is relatively unaffected by the tourism industry.
Why is Bai Tu Long better than Ha Long? The same beautiful views without the masses of tourist boats!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, we don’t like tour groups. Several people in Hanoi tried to convince us that exploring Bai Tu Long on our own was impossible, but we took some advice from one of Amy’s brothers, did a little research and found a public ferry. We boarded a small wooden boat with locals that live on islands in the bay and set off into the landscape of towering peaks.
The public ferry that runs between Hon Gai and Quan Lan Island
View after incredible view of the limestone peaks in Bai Tu Long Bay
Hanging out on the roof of our boat as it slowly puttered through Bai Tu Long Bay
Because we are constantly moving, it can be easy to lose sight of the amazing expedition that we are on. Ironically, the same thing happens to travelers that happens to people at work…days blend into weeks and weeks into months. However, being out on the waters of Bai Tu Long brought back our sense of adventure. The thrill of being on a rickety boat headed to a sparsely populated island with no idea of where we were going to sleep reminded us why we left home in the first place. Watch our video from the ferry ride through Bai Tu Long Bay here or by clicking on the image below.
After a four hour boat journey, we docked at Quan Lan Island (pronounced Gwan-ah). This island is so remote that we were unable to find a map online prior to leaving the mainland, so we arrived with no idea of the layout of the land. Not surprisingly, there were numerous tuk-tuks waiting at the pier, so we jumped aboard and attempted to communicate that we wanted to go to a hotel, any hotel. The driver spoke zero English and gave us a blank look. He showed us 30,000 Dong and pointed to some small buildings in the distance. Having no other choice, we agreed to the price and were on our way.
Tuk-tuks and motorbikes are the only method of transport on Quan Lan.
Turns out there is no real town on the island, but there is one street that is home to a few mini-hotels, ALL of which double as restaurants, convenient stores and motorbike rental shops. They are very entrepreneurial people. It was quickly apparent that aside from the limited lodging, there is little to no tourist infrastructure in Quan Lan, a refreshing change from Hanoi and Ha Long.
In the morning, we rented a motorbike from our hotel (we are pretty sure that it was the owner’s personal motorbike) and took off down the road. While we would never have attempted driving on the crazy streets of Hanoi, riding on Quan Lan was a piece of cake. Little to no traffic helped put us at ease, and having only one main road made getting lost on the island nearly impossible. Peaceful is the best word to describe this place; water buffalo roam the fields, rice paddies glisten in the sun, and waves crash onto white sand beaches.
Nothing but calm
Mike mastering the motorbike
Our trip to this island can be summarized as a relaxing time on the beach. We didn’t do much else. The people of Quan Lan were some of the most friendly that we have encountered in Vietnam. Even though most do not speak a lick of English, we managed to have full conversations with people using impromptu sign language, and we were even invited into a family’s home for a crab dinner one night. It is clear that the influence of tourism has not yet ravaged this island, and we hope it stays this way. However, we weren’t the only tourists there, and we know that more will make the journey with each passing year. If you find yourself amongst them, please tread lightly.
Minh Chau Beach, on the northeast side of Quan Lan
The public ferry from Hon Gai, through Bai Tu Long Bay, to Quan Lan Island was spectacularly beautiful. When combined with the laid back atmosphere and friendly people of the island, we found it to be a worthwhile alternative to Ha Long Bay.
The return ferry ride couldn’t last long enough
The Chamborres Expedition 
Hi, great blog post & beautiful pictures! My husband and I are currently in Hanoi and planning to do exactly the same trip as you along bai tu long bay to quan lan island, but are struggling to find any information about the ferry/ferry times from halong city. Just wondering if you remembered where you found this info from or what time the ferry went? Many thanks in advance! Grace
Hello! It is a beautiful trip out to the island and fun place to explore. We arrived in Halong city with a group by bus from Hanoi who was destined for Halong bay, and we knew we wanted to see bai tu long instead but didn’t have our plans sorted out until we got there. It all fell into place in the end, but wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Everyone one you speak with in Hanoi and Halong will try to persuade you to do one of the Halong bay tours with the hordes of other tourists. We ended up finding a hotel owner that was able to arrange a driver to take us to the ferry port where the small boats leave for Bai tu long. The ferry port is called Bến tàu Hòn Gai and is located across the bridge to the other side of town called Hòn Gai from Bai Chay where the main tourist ferry port is located. Don’t think you will be lucky enough to find the ferry departure times posted anywhere, but when we were there it only left once per day do you will probably need to stay one night in Halong city if you’re coming in from Hanoi.
Hi! Thanks for sharing your experience. I found very little information in the Internet about how to go to Bai Tu Long on our own so I found this very useful. How was your accommodation? I am not picky when it comes to accommodation but I want to know if you have keys to your own room.
Hello Psyche, so sorry for the VERY late response. We some how missed your message. We hope you made it to Bai Tu Lonh bay and found a pleasant place to stay.
Hi, Cham! No worries. We didn’t make it to Bai Tu Long and almost didn’t make it to Ha Long bay because our boat had generator problems on the day we were supposed to go for our overnight cruise. We were already waiting for more than an hour at the pier but nothing. We were able to get a day trip though, which was not really anything except just a small taste of the beauty of the whole bay. Next time, next time. 🙂
Hi all! Does anyone reading this know if this ferry is still in service? Can only find info about speedy boats…. thanks in advance.
Hi Molly, it’s been many years now, and We unfortunately have not had a chance to return to Vietnam. So not sure if the ferry service has changed. Good luck and safe travels.
We just did a little quick research. No guarantees but it appears that you can still take ferries from Caí Rong. In fact there may even be more options now than when we visited in 2012.