Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comPrivate Tour: Deluxe Halong Bay Day Cruise including Seafood Lunch from Hanoi
based on 7 reviews
Duration: 11 hours (approx.)
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Product code: 2514HAN_EHHBC
7 reviews of Private Tour: Deluxe Halong Bay Day Cruise including Seafood Lunch from Hanoi
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Private Tour: Deluxe Halong Bay Day Cruise including Seafood Lunch from Hanoi. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
The best experience ever! Don't miss it! The best of Vietnam!
Reviewed by: Caroline Y, United Kingdom, March 2008
Absolutely outstanding.
Reviewed by: Patricia C, New Zealand, October 2007
Our tour guide was fabulous. His English was excellent and his personality very easy going and friendly. His added commentary on life in Vietnam was one of the high lights of our trip. The tour on Halong Bay exceeded our expectations. Breathtaking natural beauty and outstanding lunch (even though we're not big seafood fans).
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States, November 2006
The drive to Halong Bay was rather long, three-and-a-half hours, and tedious, but the trip itself and luncheon were very good.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United Kingdom, November 2007
Very good value, as detailed on the official site.
Reviewed by: Geoffrey Q, Australia, February 2007
Please note that this is private tour. Which means you will be stuck with a very awkward not-so-good-with-english-speaking guide the whole time, to whom you have to pay rapt attention as he speaks non-stop about the poverty and corruption in Vietnam. The anonymity of a group tour would perhaps be more fun because you can choose when to take pictures or pay attention when something interesting is being discussed. The private tour is awkward, and the lunch is somewhat paltry.
Right after lunch, the serving staff will come to accost you with cheap souvenirs and they are very persistent. And since you and your travel companion are the only persons on the boat, other than your guide, you feel very pressured. They don't stop when you say no.
We were alone on a massive junk boat so it was kind of wasteful and a bit lonely. The guide also cut the boat ride short and told us we couldn't jump off the boat and swim in the bay, though he found time to stop at tourist trap souvenir factories on the drive out to Halong Bay and again on the way back to try to get us to buy stuff at stores he had obviously made deals with. When we told him we didn't want to shop, he and the driver got out of the vehicle anyway and stopped and had tea with the factory owners while my brother and I waited in the overheating car for 30 minutes. Vietnam is notoriously shady, but I expected to not have to deal with any of that on this tour since I paid American prices and booked through a reputable company.
Reviewed by: Magnolia S, China, July 2008
