The first time I had ever heard of a ‘junk boat’ tour was when my cousin was telling me about her trip to Vietnam a few years ago. As she told me about her junk boat tour I thought she was implying that the boat she took the tour on wasn’t nice. I took it literally- a ‘junk’ boat.

Poor, poor, naive, Lisa.

Later when I booked my own trip to Vietnam and started doing some research, I learned that the junk boat tours, just east of Hanoi in Halong Bay, were a must-do activity when in the country.

There are many different companies, boats, and cruise lengths to choose from, so do your research online and see which one is the best fit for you.  We chose the IndoChina Dragon Pearl, 3 day, 2 night tour.  It’s one of the luxury junk boat tours, and we figure since it’s not everyday that we’re in Vietnam, we wanted to treat ourselves.

We were picked up at our hotel in Hanoi by a luxury mini bus, arranged by IndoChina.  The 4 hour drive was made less painful by the unique Vietnamese landscape on the way…and the free in-vehicle wifi.

When we arrived on the Dragon Pearl we were really impressed with the size of our room, considering we were on a boat.  We had a king size bed, a baby crib, a small couch, and a giant bathtub. The fact that there was still room for our family of four to hang out comfortably was more than we expected.

But what we were focused on was the view!

Throughout the tour, there were plenty of activities, but again, these will vary depending on the tour and company you choose.  During our 3 days we had the opportunity to kayak, do tai chi classes, Vietnamese cooking classes, go late-night squid fishing, and have lunch on the beach, all at no extra cost, and all very accommodating to families with young kids.

For me, Halong Bay was the postcard I picture in my mind when I think of Vietnam.  The scenery from our boat were amazing, and when I went to the top deck to lounge out in the afternoon sun, I was absolutely blown away with what I was met with.  It was like nothing I had seen anywhere else in the world.

Over the course of 3 days, our boat calmly sailed along the South China Sea and these breathtaking views were un escapable! On the deck, the scenery was jaw dropping. While we ate dinner I found my gaze drifting. From our bed we could watch the rock formations go by, and even the view form the bathroom was something to write home about!

Throughout all the traveling I have done over the years there are a few places that I will never forget the first moment I saw them because they were truly magnificent: Macchu Picchu in Peru, the first time I saw mountain sized sand dunes in the desert, the Taj Mahal, and now, without a doubt, Halong Bay in Vietnam will forever be on that list.

If you’re in Vietnam, do not miss it. Trust me on this one.