Are Swim Treks the New Travel Trend? I Swan Across Vietnam’s Lan Ha Bay to Test the Waters

Did you know you can book a group holiday entirely dedicated to swimming? If you love swimming in the open ocean but long for a safe, guided experience surrounded by like-minded people, combined with a little tourism on the side, then a swim trek might be just the holiday for you.

The Million-Dollar Idea I Was Too Late to Invent

After ten years of swimming at Sydney’s beaches and clocking countless laps in my local pool, I had the idea of Googling ‘swimming holidays’ when my partner booked herself a surfing retreat in the Maldives.

I thought the concept of dedicating an entire trip to a single activity was equally outlandish as it was genius, and wondered if someone had been ambitious enough to launch swimming holidays already. I didn’t expect to find much, and prematurely sat daydreaming about starting a business, but my bubble quickly burst.

Not only do such holidays already exist, but they’ve convinced millions of customers around the globe.

Looking Beyond Australia

Intrigued by the premise, I started digging a little deeper, and looked for options in Australia first. I figured that in a country girt by sea, swimming holidays could be found everywhere and for every purse, but this soon appeared to be utopic.

There are operators in Australia, including Pinetrees Ocean Week on Lord Howe Island, Ocean Swim Safaris on Heron Island, and OceanFit in the Whitsundays, but as you might have guessed from reading those names alone, they tend to come with a hefty price tag. As a guide, seven days in a single room at Pinetrees will set you back $7,375, excluding flights.

At the time of my research, I wasn’t yet smitten by the concept, and I didn’t feel like investing such a large sum of money in an activity that I already do almost daily for free, especially without the added appeal of discovering a new country.

I kept browsing and soon found SwimTrek, a UK company leading the market with more than 50 destinations across every continent, including several close to home in South East Asia and Fiji. I viewed them all in search of a perfect fit, based on travel convenience from Sydney, difficulty grading, accommodation type, availability, tour highlights, and of course, cost.

Lan Ha Bay in Vietnam stood out to me. As a woman travelling solo for the first time, I was looking for a destination known for being safe, with a direct flight from Sydney, and for which the SwimTrek pick-up point was easy to get to from the city centre.

I’d also heard Vietnam was beautiful and affordable, and I love the cuisine, so with that, I booked the trip for $3,500 (excluding flights), and packed my bags for Hanoi.

The Lead Up

Upon booking, I was asked to confirm whether I preferred sharing a room with another woman or single occupancy, as well as how long it takes me to swim 1km. I thought the latter question was simply an invitation for trekkers to show off a little, but this detail would prove handy for SwimTrek, as our guides would use it to assign us to a group: pink, orange, or yellow.

Once the booking was confirmed, I was led to a trip page where I could find more details about the guides, the itinerary, and my fellow SwimTrekkers. I was pleasantly surprised to read that most of the people joining were also travelling solo, as I’d assumed most would be friends, families, or couples.

Another thing I hadn’t anticipated was that everyone spoke fluent English, with most Trekkers coming from or living in the UK, the USA, or Australia. I imagined it’d be far more multicultural, which has its benefits, but can sometimes limit opportunities for deeper connection.

Touchdown in Lan Ha Bay

I met the group at the Hanoi Opera House, where we were welcomed by our guide, Mong, who shepherded us onto a bus for the four-hour bus-and-ferry journey to Cát Bà, the largest island in Lan Ha Bay. We used this time to get to know each other, and before we knew it, we were checking into Flamingo Beach Resort, a lavish three-building complex with rooms bigger than my apartment, an endless breakfast buffet of local and continental dishes, and a rooftop bar boasting breathtaking views.

We met our three other guides for the week – Eoin, Tung, and Poppy – then had a quick welcome swim at the beach, where we were given our colour-coded swim caps based on the speed we’d indicated upon booking.

Mornings on the Bay

Each morning after that, we were driven at 8.45am sharp to the nearby wharf, where a local family welcomed us onto their boat, a two-deck wooden vessel typical of Vietnam with a dining room, kitchen, toilets below, and sunbeds on the roof deck.

The boat carried us to a new spot in Lan Ha Bay every morning for our first swim. While we travelled, we lazed around and chatted until the guides gave us a ten-minute warning for the safety briefing, gathering us around a whiteboard featuring the itinerary, hand-drawn with clearly untapped talent.

The guidelines were clear: we were to follow our guide’s instructions, stay grouped, sign in case of distress, and most importantly, enjoy! Each of the three groups was accompanied by a guide in an escort kayak, while the yellow group (the steady group) also had an additional guide swimming alongside, towing a buoy for anyone who might need extra support.

We swam for up to 3km each morning, stopping occasionally to regroup, sip water, snap photos, and listen to our guides’ next set of instructions. The water was consistently warm and flat, the scenery spectacular, and with no other boats in sight, it felt as though we had the whole bay to ourselves. We glided through the water together, accompanied by nothing but the sound of bubbles, and the reassuring sight of our guide in the kayak, watching over us.

Swimming is usually such a solitary hobby of mine, so sharing these extraordinary moments with people who carry the same passion for it as me felt unexpectedly meaningful.

We returned to the boat around midday for lunch, lovingly prepared by the local family while we were out. The tables were dressed and full of authentic Vietnamese flavours like tofu, soups, spring rolls, eggs, and rice. I must admit that come day five, I wanted nothing but a burger, but this is by no means a criticism of their dishes, which were all exquisite.

Eat, Swim, Repeat

In the afternoon, the boat took us to another swim spot while we relaxed or napped upstairs on the deck. Around 2:30pm, we were called down for our second swim, often paired with a quick history lesson from our guides. By that time, it wasn’t always easy to find the motivation to swim another 2-3km so soon after eating, but this is yet again where the power of community makes all the difference. We lifted each other up and off we went.

Fresh beer awaited us in the eskies upon our return, and we spent the journey back reminiscing about our day while nibbling on fish crackers. Since dinner wasn’t included on this trip, we were all responsible for our own dinner plans, if we chose to make them.

Some of us went out together every night, others on some nights, and some preferred to stay in. Everyone was free to do their own thing, without any expectations to socialise, which I found was another pleasant aspect of travelling with strangers that I hadn’t anticipated. This level of freedom is rarely possible when travelling with family or friends, and one that makes a group holiday feel unexpectedly more relaxed.

Lan Ha Bay, a Perfect Backdrop

Unlike neighbouring and more famous Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay isn’t near industrial zones and has far less boat traffic, which means it’s cleaner and less polluted. While the water isn’t clear and there’s little marine life beyond the occasional bout of annoying sea lice, there’s something deeply reassuring about swimming in a quiet open water.

While few beaches in the world compare to Australia’s, our strong currents and deadly sea creatures are a very real concern for all of us, with many choosing to stay out of the water altogether. SwimTrek’s destinations are all swim safe, and swimming in a group accompanied by a support kayak adds the extra peace of mind that allows you to fully enjoy your swims.

Aside from the bay itself, Cát Bà is a lovely island large enough to offer plenty of restaurants, hotels, and massage spots, yet still protected from the mass tourism and chaos found in many destinations across Asia. In the late afternoons and evenings, we explored the area together and took part in a range of activities, including a loose interpretation of karting, the visit of a war hospital, and a magical nighttime kayaking tour in waters glowing with luminescent plankton.

So, is a SwimTrek for you too?

Swimming 20km over six days is no small effort, so good health and a genuine love of swimming are essential, but it’s nowhere near as intimidating as it sounds. Daily swim distances vary by destination and are published in advance, allowing you to choose a gentler grade if needed. Even then, you’re free to rest whenever you like during the trek, or to opt out of a swim entirely, without any pressure.

If you love a holiday that combines your favourite sport with a bit of tourism and plenty of good company, I can’t recommend SwimTrek highly enough. I loved it so much I’ve already booked my next one, exploring the Shipwreck Coast on the north-east side of Bali next spring. Maybe I’ll see you there.