The tour would have been perfect had not been for two small details: first, the guide was supposed to pick us up at our hotel between 8 and 8:30 a.m., but instead he arrived there at 7:15!!! We were far from ready, despite being already awake, and if the amazing staff of our hotel hadn't made everything they could to arrange a breakfast takeout for us, we would be doomed... Second, it is a long long drive from Hanói to Halong Bay roughly 3 hrs and the tour driver didn't make it any easier by honking ALL THE WAY like crazy! I know, I know, it is a Vietnamese thing, they are always smashing the honk, but I imagined a professional tourist company would know better and not stress the hell out of their clients....nope!
Anyway, putting all that aside, we enjoyed a lot during our boat trip through the incredible limestone wonders of Halong Bay. It ended up being a nice sunny day despite all forecasts telling otherwise! The luch they served on the boat was delicious, really generous, and we had plenty of time for photos and sightseeing on the upper deck! The visit to the cave was another highlight of the tour!
I hope they better their drivers guidelines so you can enjoy a nice and RELAXING day at Halong Bay! -