Dragon's Pearl Junk

Of the three wooden junks Indochina Junk sails on its standard Bai Tu Long programme, Dragon’s Pearl is the biggest, with ten cabins. It takes the long way out of Ha Long, into the far northern bay that the operator sells as the less-travelled route, and one night buys a cave, a kayak among the islets and a bamboo-boat visit to a fishing village. The one rate we found, on a booking site read on 6 August 2026, works out at $155 per person, two sharing.

The operator says it was the first company to run cruises in Bai Tu Long, and that it has been at it for close to twenty years.

What is on board?

Ten cabins over three decks, finished in teak and oak, according to the operator. Every cabin is the same class, a Deluxe with large windows onto the water, a private bathroom, air conditioning and hot water. There is a dining room inside and a dining deck outside, and two sundecks, one at the bow and one at the stern. The operator puts it at 20 guests for a private charter, and sells single cabins to couples and solo travellers on the shared trips.

A guest review the operator reproduces on its page describes a three-day trip with ten passengers and six crew. Ten cabins puts it on our list of small boats.

Where does a Dragon’s Pearl cabin fall short?

Size and age. The operator’s own article on a French TV feature puts a Dragon’s Pearl cabin at 13 m²; two booking sites say 12 m² and 11 m². Beds are a double or two singles. Nobody agrees on the launch year either: two booking sites say 2010 and a third 2008, which would make it at least 16 years old; the operator gives no year. Our page on how old your boat is explains what to ask about refits.

Ask which hull you are booked on, too. Pages about this boat, old and current, talk of more than one hull under the name.

How long is the day home via Yen Duc?

Four and a half to five hours from the pier: you step off at 11:30, watch water puppets at Yen Duc from 13:00 and reach Hanoi at 16:00 to 16:30. Before that, you board around 12:30, see Thien Canh Son Cave and kayak the first afternoon, visit Vung Vieng by bamboo boat the next morning and reach Hanoi by 16:30. Indochina Junk runs this one programme for Dragon’s Pearl, the four-cabin Prince Junk and the one-cabin L’Amour. Times are the operator’s, read on 6 August 2026.

The village stop at Yen Duc makes the return a long day, but it also puts the puppet show inside the fare. The operator notes that weather and tide can change the plan. Our Bai Tu Long cruise guide explains why this end of the bay is quiet.

What does a three-day Dragon’s Pearl trip add?

Cap La and a beach barbecue. On the operator’s three-day Dragon’s Pearl programme, the first afternoon is two hours of kayaking at Cap La, an area the operator describes as a navy base. Day two brings Thien Canh Son and kayaking round Hon Co, then the beach at Cong Dam, where the chefs cook a barbecue lunch on the sand. Vung Vieng and Yen Duc come on the last day.

How much does it cost, and what is included?

From $155 per person, two sharing, for one night. That is half of $310, the Deluxe cabin price on a booking site’s “Dragon Pearl Junks” listing, read on 6 August 2026. The same listing gave $580 per cabin for the whole three-day trip, so the second night adds $270. The listing name is the older fleet name, and the operator publishes no rates, so ask Indochina Junk to confirm both figures for your date. For a comparison with other boats, see how much a Ha Long cruise costs.

The operator’s two-day package includes the van from Hanoi and back, a welcome drink, all meals on board, tea and coffee at breakfast, an English-speaking guide, kayaking and the water puppet show. Extra drinks, spa treatments, personal spending and the bank charge on card payments are not. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals are cooked on request.

Who is Dragon’s Pearl right for?

Small groups, families and friends who want a far route and a wooden boat, and who will spend the day on deck or in a kayak. The two sundecks and the outdoor dining deck suit that. A group of up to 20 can take the whole boat.

Who should book something else?

Couples who want a big cabin or a balcony; Indochina Junk’s steel Red Dragon has two cabin classes of 26.5 and 27 m², each with a loggia or balcony, on a different programme. Anyone over 80, or with a disability, sleepwalking or claustrophobia: the operator advises against the trip. And anyone who must stay online, since the operator says there is no Wi-Fi in the remote areas. Our guide to wooden hulls and steel weighs the two types.

How many Dragon’s Pearl boats are there?

We cannot say for sure. The operator’s French page talks of three Dragon’s Pearl boats, a booking site’s text says three vessels with 11 cabins each, and one guest quoted on the operator’s own page sailed on “Dragon Pearl 2”. The English page today describes one ten-cabin boat, though its heading still says “boats”. Nobody publishes the length of the boat. The departure pier is also unclear: the operator’s itinerary says Ha Long International Harbour, and one booking site says Hon Gai international port, which may or may not be the same terminal; our harbour guide explains the options. We found no Google listing we could tie to this boat; the two under the Dragon Pearl name belong to a different business, dragonpearlcruise.com, and the Tripadvisor listing for Indochina Junk covers the whole fleet, so we print no rating. One booking site gives the hull as metal; the operator and two other sites say wood. More boats on this water sit in our Bai Tu Long Bay section and the Bai Tu Long cruises list.