Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand Blog
I'm late posting this, but I'll offer this link for those who might be taking this tour. It may help you better understand what you will see and do on the tour.
https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2024-1Vietnam-01.htm
I have received a number of email requests for more information about how I set up the day cruise on Ha Long Bay and how much it costs. I added a section on the blog that outlines that and have reproduced it here.
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[Update 11/23/2024: I've been asked how I set up the day cruise to Ha Long Bay and how much it costs. I contacted the concierge at the Metropole Hotel (h1555-cr1@sofitel.com) several months before we were scheduled to arrive. The concierge set everything up and the total cost for the guide, transportation to and from Ha Long Bay, lunch, and the boat was 12,700,000 đ (đông). The exchange rate changes but today that's about $500. Back when we did the cruise, it was a bit more. I tipped the guide and driver with American money and that was not a problem for them. Vietnam gets a lot of American tourists so there's a lot of American money floating around.
Recommendation: Leave Hanoi early, maybe 7am. You'll be up early because of the time change and an early start will give you more time at Ha Long Bay, or time to get back for the Tauck welcome dinner. The excursion people will want to take you to a pearl place. That's just an attempt to sell you some pearls (and the tour guide gets a cut if you buy anything). If you're not interested, just tell them and they'll skip it.
It will be a private tour, so the boat is yours. If you do some research about Ha Long Bay and want to see some specific site, they will take you there. Just inform the tour guide as soon as you see him/her so they can pass it to the boat captain.
If you're thinking of an overnight, I communicated with Quyen at Indochina Junk (quyen@indochina-junk.com). They have a boat with one cabin, named L'Amour. For two days and one night, they wanted about $750, but that was when the đông was stronger. Today, it would probably be closer to $500. There was a separate charge to pick you up at your hotel and take you back.
We did not use them so I can't give an evaluation, but they seemed professional. The concierge at the Metropole can probably help you. I'm sure many of their guests have asked for an overnight at Ha Long Bay. The concierge may recommend a different company.]