Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay 2 Days 1 Night with Sunlight Premium

Posted By : annaandfamily2016
Really enjoyed the trip and the included activities. Glad we took our swimmers as loved the swim off the boat at its evening mooring spot, swam evening and morning time!
No WiFi on the boat but that's a bonus as prefer to watch the scenery, its wonderful. Able to use credit card to pay for drinks.
We did really enjoy it but 4 star rating as had no bathroom window and our room was next to the generator which ran all night so was quite noisy.
But beautiful place to visit!

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Posted On : 2023-12-27 03:22:07

Posted By : Shanice_S
I spent a long time checking reviews to find the “perfect” halong bay tour and I thought this was it, but how wrong I was. If I could give this tour zero stars I would.

This was our last booked tour on our holiday so we had some other experiences to compare it to. This one fell seriously short.

Initially our tour guide picked us up from our hotel. Unlike all the other tour guides we’ve had he didn’t call us to let us know he was on the way so when he arrived later than expected we were already concerned as we weren’t sure they were going to show up.

He then proceeded to tell our coach that the journey was 4 hours, not the 2 quoted on the itinerary. The coach was crammed full with hardly any spaces for bags, especially with a number of people bringing suitcases filling up the bottom of the coach and 4 hours of that was not enjoyable.

Following that as our guide, Ming, told us nothing. And I mean nothing. He caused lots of concern as there were a number of people on the bus doing different activities. This led to people becoming concerned they were not on the correct tour.

When we finally arrived at the boat we were treated to lunch. The scenery and the food were the best bits of this tour.

Throughout the rest of our stay, the guide Ming didn’t inform us of anything. No information about the area, no updates on what we would be doing next, only informing us just before (literally 5/10 minutes) we needed to be ready for anything. He was the worst guide we’ve had in Vietnam and it was very very disappointing.

Then we get onto our room. We paid over £200 English pounds and were put in a room above the engine. The noise was unbearable and not only this, the bathroom floor became so hot from the heat the engine generated you could not stand on it with bare feet as it hurt. No-one told us this so had it been extremely hot at the point we realised this could have caused a burn. And I am not exaggerating, it was truly that hot.

When we went to do the activities, the water was quite shallow for the kayaking. This was ok but meant some of our group got stuck on some rocks. We shouted for Ming to go back and help them and although he heard us (we could see he turned his head at the calling of his name) he ignored us and carried on. Leaving the group to help themselves. When they finally caught up he then had the audacity to have a go at them for getting left behind.

We then got taken to the swimming spot, the sun had already disappeared so it was cold so we did not partake. Some of our group did but they got cold so came back quickly. It would have made more sense to have the swimming part of the tour in an area where there was still sun or at a different time of day so it could be enjoyed.

Finally the bike ride, we were taken on this tour with the guide from another boat and their guests. We weren’t informed there was a a stop at a shop at the turning point so we didn’t take any money, nor did a lot of others so this was frustrating, however the guide sat us down and provided some information about the island which was very good. We all wished we had him on our boat instead of Ming !
The bike ride was good but there wasn’t any opportunity to stop for photos of the surrounding natural beauty (something we had done on a different tour which had a bike ride).

Overall for the cost of over £200 and the title of a “premium” tour I expected better. I am extremely disappointed and will be requesting Viator look to provide some compensation for the awful experience we had.

I’m unsure how this tour has received so many good reviews because it certainly didn’t live up to expectation and I will be telling anyone who asks me about it, to avoid it.
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Posted On : 2023-12-14 19:07:50

Posted By : JINKY_L
It was a great experience but a bit disappointed because i thought we will go swimming on a beach and tour on a cave.but instead we need to kayak to get to the beach. But some of us cant do that. I would like to complain also a serenity staff her name is Beverly. She left us on the port because our name was not on her list. Instead of helping us or call tje office to clarify this she left us. The captain of the boat was waiving at the bus driver and beverly to stop but still she signaled the driver to leave. Leaving us at the port. Good thing Min was there. He was really a life saver. He fixed the problem. Disspointed on your lady staff!
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Posted On : 2023-04-28 12:59:38

Posted By : Vee_l_
Stunning cruise and very helpful staff. Special mention to the tour guide, Trung. We loved our stay. Quiet and culture oriented boat.
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Posted On : 2023-03-04 23:46:24

Posted By : herendi_d
Everything went very smoothly, the transport from the hotel, the staff were very polite and helpful, the food was delicious and our room was large and had a beautiful view. Trung, our guide was funny, informative and very helpful. I would recommend the 2 night 3 day option.
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Posted On : 2023-03-04 12:19:10

Posted By : ceci4444
Our tourguide Trung was very helpful, funny and well organised. His English was really good. Unfortunatelly our original cruise date was changed so we had to be spontaneous about our plans.
The transport went smooth but there was a lot of waiting involved.
The crew prepared excellent food and had plenty of vegetarian options for us! Everyone was really caring and polite.
We had spacious cabins with a really nice view.
The kayak ride and the bike ride could have been a little longer. But everything was well organised.
Thank you Venezia cruises for this special experience!
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Posted On : 2023-02-26 00:36:53

Posted By : Aaron Q
The staff are exceptionally friendly. Our guide Trung is very personable with a fun sense of humour. The boat cruises very smoothly and everything was spotlessly clean, notably the bathrooms and windows. Cabins were surprisingly large and bed was comfortable. Facilities aboard are minimal but adequate for 2-day cruise. Food served was nice - not gourmet material, but had decent variety. I enjoyed the activities - kayaking around an island with a little beach visit, and cycling (easy ride) to a small local village. Packed a lot into 24-hours - it felt like a lot longer. If you have only 2-days in your itinerary for this type of Ha Long/Lan Ha bay cruise - I definitely recommend this one. Excellent value for money in my opinion.
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Posted On : 2023-02-25 22:50:19

Posted By : V6087KUlaurenr
This is a great cruise, the activities are nice and the view is so amazing. Trung is a great tour guide and did everything possible to make sure everyone had a great time. I would recommend this tour to everyone
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Posted On : 2023-02-25 22:07:28

Posted By : Linda R
Had the most terrific time on this cruise/tour. The boat and our room was awesome and very spacious, the food was plentiful and delicious and the crew where very helpful and friendly. Out tour guide Trung was with us throughout the whole tour and back to Hanoi and everything went very smoothly. He was very helpful and friendly and spoke English very well. We had a great time on this trip with Venezia and would recommend this tour.
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Posted On : 2023-02-24 09:24:32

Posted By : David D
First of all, the experience is incredible because of the environment. Lan Ha bay is amazing.
However, discovering it on this cruise makes it unforgettable. The size is perfect (small group), the cabins are huge and very clean, the quality of the food is excellent and the service of the crew, excellent.
The story and the rhythm provided by Trung stand out, leading the team guiding all the activities. Brilliant.
There will be more modern and better-equipped cruise ships, but for value for money, this is the right choice.
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Posted On : 2023-02-24 07:46:23