Travel Tales: Round Up of My Best Day Cruises

here I am cruising through Halong Bay – Vietnam

Travel Tales: Round Up of My Best Day Cruises

Over my 14 years of travels since 1998 I’ve joined several fantastic day cruises- on rivers, in bays and on seas. Most were pleasure cruises, but a few were more or less transportation service which just happened to be very interesting, unusual journeys.

Here’s a round-up of my favorite trips, all of which I highly recommend if you’re traveling in the following countries.

Halong Bay – boat cruise – Vietnam

Halong Bay, Vietnam-

This was easily my favorite cruise of all. I’d been wanting to visit Vietnam’s remarkably picturesque Halong Bay for years and the stunning bay lived up to all my expectations. I’m particularly enthused by limestone karst topography. Those craggy rocks graces Halong Bay, Vietnam; Yunnan, China; Vang Veng, Laos; Phanga and Krabi Provinces, Thailand; and the Perfume River, Vietnam.

From about 1998 to 2007 I spent 1/3 to ½ of my life in the Phanga/Krabi region of Thailand, in large part because of its stunning scenery. So on my cruise through Halong Bay, I was surprised to discover it actually has a very different atmosphere and rock formations from Krabi

My Halong Bay trip is also one of the rare ‘package tours’ I’ve joined over the years. It was really the only feasible way to visit Halong Bay as an independent traveler at that time. The tour started in Hanoi with a 2-3 hour drive by mini-van to Halong Bay, lunch, boat trip through Halong Bay to CatBa island, one over-night at Cat Ba, and the return trip (which was open-ended). I stayed out at wonderful Cat Ba island for about 5 nights before returning.

Read my entire travel tale: Trip Through Halong Bay

Check out my photo gallery from that trip: Halong Bay Photos 

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Chinese junk cruise in Phang nga Bay – Thailand

Chinese Junk cruise through Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

This cruise comes in a close second favorite. In many ways it was a very special and unique trip. It was my first ride on a Chinese Junk. It was my first luxury cruise, which I felt quite privileged to join as a budget traveler just getting started on my indefinitely world travels.

Most significantly, I joined this cruise on January 1st, 2000. The first day of the new millennium.

Being booked on a luxury cruise meant that a private luxury car picked me up at my guest house on Phuket and drove me to the harbor. Throughout the relaxing cruise we were offered fresh fruit and drinks then served a luxurious buffet lunch. Phang Nga Bay scenery was spectacular. One highlight of our trip was a brief visit to famous ‘James Bond Island’.

Lounging on a regal Chinese Junk, complete with huge red canvas sails and plush cushions, enjoying delicious food and stunning scenery was certainly a perfect way to ring in the new millennium. 

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cruise up Vietnam’s Perfume River

 Perfume River Cruise, Vietnam 

Another fantastic ‘package tour’ I joined from Hanoi was a day trip along the Perfume River with a hike up into steep mountains to a sacred cave temple. Like the Halong Bay trip, we set out from Hanoi by mini van. This time we headed south and soon found ourselves rolling through beautiful rural scenery that became increasingly more spectacular as we neared the Perfume River.

Once there, we boarded narrow wooden river boats which were pushed up the river by boatmen using long poles. The further upriver we went, the closer we got to the rugged karst mountains.

Eventually, we reached a large river-side temple where we climbed ashore. We marched up steep mountain steps then out along narrow dirt trails to the cave temple. The cave was illuminated by candles and filled with several Buddhist statues.

After soaking up the atmosphere, we trekked back down to the river, ate lunch, and were poled back downstream to our entry point. Finally we drove back to Hanoi through vast rice fields glowing in the evening light.

check out my photo gallery: Vietnam’s Perfume River 

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Amazon river boats – Manaos – Brazil

River Cruises on Rio Negro, Brazil Amazon

While working on Survivor Amazon, our crew was treated to several interesting trips up and down the Rio Negro, in the very heart of the Amazon. On one trip we visited the strange ‘Meeting of the Waters’, where the muddy Rio Salimoes and the clear black Rio Negro rivers converge. Because of difference in water siltation, density, and temperature, the waters do not immediately blend together. Instead they remain distinctly separate for a long distance along the river junction.

On another cruise we visited a remote Amazonian tribal village. We saw huge crocodiles, rare white dolphins, and many fantastic jungle birds.

Cruises along the Rio Negro are offered from Manaos City, Brazil, located on the banks of the Amazon River.

Read my story: My Amazon River Cruises

Check out my photo gallery: Brazil Amazon 

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view of the Mekong River at Luang Prabang – Laos

River boat up the Mekong River, Laos

This trip was essentially the local’s daily transportation along the Mekong River. Locals use the boat to get between major towns in northern Laos, to go to market, and to make return trips to their home villages.

I took the boat from Luang Prabang upriver to PakBeng village, en route to northern Laos. A handful of other western travelers climbed aboard that day, too. The day-long trip was quite fascinating, since we were mainly riding with local Laos people, carrying all sorts of goods and merchandise.

The river scenery was quite spectacular as well. The muddy waters of the fairly narrow river were lined with incredibly dense tropical jungle. The river winded its way through the lush forest. Here and there a tiny village appeared along the river bank or a graceful temple spire poked out of the trees.

A couple hours into the trip I badly needed to pee. I searched the boat, only to discover that there was no toilet! At all! Eventually I got so desperate that came up with a technique to pee over the side of the boat while, hopefully, nobody was watching.

I went to the far back of the boat, in the ‘engine room’ where few people were sitting. I slipped my back end over the side of the boat and somehow managed to pull my panties over to one side. Then I let loose into the river! That worked just fine. I certainly felt much better afterward.

The best part of the trip was our night time arrival at a super tiny, super remote riverside village that had no electricity. The entire town was illuminated by lanterns and candles. I felt transported back into an earlier century. We spent the night in that tiny, twinkling village then set out by truck the next morning into northern Laos.

Check out my photo gallery: Laos

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Lash joining a sunset dinner cruise at Langkawi Island, MalaysiA

Sunset Dinner Cruise, Langkawi Island, Malaysia

Earlier this year I was invited to join a fabulous sunset dinner cruise through the beautiful bay at Langkawi Island, Malaysia. We were served cocktails and a buffet BBQ dinner while slowly cruising through a collection of small, jungle-clad rocky islands.

We enjoyed a unique ‘sea jacuzzi’ and then watched a stunning sunset over the sea. We were treated to an extra finale during our return: a dramatic lightening storm burst out over Langkawi.

Read my review of Sunset Dinner Cruise and the Sea Jacuzzi

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You might also enjoy:

TRAVEL STORY: TRIP FROM HANOI TO HALONG BAY VIETNAM TRAVEL TIPS: 10 GREAT OUTDOOR ADVENTURES TO DO IN LANGKAWI ISLAND Travel Tips: Overdeveloped Beaches and Islands to Avoid in SE Asia My 20 Best Adventures in 20 Years of Solo World Travels