Cai Rong – Travel Guide At Wikivoyage

Do

Either hang around the port and watch the local fisherpeople do their thing, or get a boat and see some of the fantastic ocean karst topography of the Halong Bay region; smug in the knowledge that you are avoiding the five-hour-long tourist hard-sell that production lines of clueless tourists are going through just an hour away to the southwest!

The most popular destination is Quan Lạn island.

There are two types of ferries available: long passenger speedboats with near-exclusively internal seating, and slower ferries that carry both small amounts of cargo and supplies along with passengers and have roof and outdoor areas. The slower ferries are not necessarily much cheaper, but are far more interesting if you have the time and the weather is bearable.

The basic route is around the top of Ban Sen island, south along Cao Lo island to Quan Lạn island. The main port of Quan Lạn is at the northernmost tip of the island, and is also the first one you reach (an hour by fast boat, around two and a half by slow boat). A second port of some small-scale industrial purpose lies about half-way down the island on the western side, though the ferry may first visit some minor points of habitation (no roads, shops, hotels, etc. at any of them) on the opposite Ban Sen island before kicking you off here. Count on two and a half hours if you get off here.

Ferries from Cai Rong to the north tip of Quan Lanh:

• Slow ferry departs 07:00 (06:30 in summer - reported elsewhere and probable but not verified) - 60,000 ₫ong
• Slow ferry departs 13:00 (Oct 2013) - 60,000 ₫ong
• High speed passenger ferry departs 08:00
• High speed passenger ferry departs 14:00 (Feb 2012)

Ferries from the north tip of Quan Lanh to Cai Rong:

• High speed passenger ferry departs 07:00 (Feb 2012)
• High speed passenger ferry departs 14:00 (not verified; anyway there should be an afternoon one)
• Slow ferry leaving around 07:00 - 60,000 ₫ong
• Slow ferry departs 13:99 (Oct 2013) - 60,000 ₫ong