I went on a two day, one night trip to Ha Long Bay, and it was incredible. Hieu, our tour guide, was knowledgeable and effortlessly created a really fun (but chill) group dynamic. While he got us everywhere on time, we never felt rushed.
The boat was SO clean. Our rooms were gorgeous and smelled fresh - none of that mildewy smell that older seafaring boats can get. The sheets were pristine, and the floor to ceiling glass windows allowed us a perfect view of the bay. I don’t know how the team did it, but they found areas in the bay which were completely unoccupied, no other tourist boats in sight.
Finally, the excursions. While many loved the kayaking, I think a sleeper favorite was the early morning bicycle ride through the island. It was gorgeous - hopefully my attached photos do it some justice.