Lan Ha Bay 3 Days 2 Nights Biking, Kayaking, Cruise & Bungalow

Had the best time on the 2 night cruise, especially after the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. Lots of relaxing and sightseeing, mixed in with the perfect amount of activity - kayaking, cycling, rock climbing, tai chi, swimming and exploring. Everyone on board was friendly and helpful, and our tour guide, Anbeck, was a delight. Energetic, fun, and very knowledgeable. He made time to sit with us and talk throughout the 3 days. Most people on the cruise did the 1 night trip, but if you have the time I highly recommend the 2 nights. We are leaving full, happy, relaxed, and having made some new friends along the way. This tour is the best for a tranquil get away, coupled with meeting new people, learning about the place and some activity.

Hannah was AMAZING! My trip was turned around in terms of planning so everything became a bit unclear the first day. First day, a number of things were not done that were advertised; Squid fishing, visit with kayak to cave, happy hour without music. Day was very unfortunate and certainly not worth the money you paid. But again Hannah was great and she made the 2nd day totally good.

We were guided by Mya, she was an excellent guide. Full of energy to explain and make us enjoy our stay. I highly recommend it!

An extraordinary experience: a team at the top, well-organized logistics 3 days 2 nights A corner of paradise and value for money accessible to all Special mention for the village of Viet Hai for its haven of peace and serenity and special mention for Tony, a real showman and very friendly

Cons: Disappointing, underwhelming, did not match expectation and very poor communication. I was so disappointed about this tour. We booked as a group of 5 because of good reviews which I'm now questioning. Starting with the hike.... It was 2 km up of which 1km was uphill where you were climbing over live electrical wires.... No part of this hike was safe or easy (and I'm saying that as a triathlete) and even when you got to the top...the platform was not safe. I had a ton of anxiety coming down as well as you were practically crawling down over live wires again. The description mentioned pristine beaches... We never set foot on a beach. The only swimming time we did get was 30 min after lunch. Day kayaking we were told would be an hour and half and was only 30 min of actual kayaking and 30 min of waiting in the kayaks in a backup line up to get through. They mention kayaking through caves....misleading. This tour says guided and I just have to laugh... We were abandoned the second day. The guides were not good with communication. We never knew what was going on or what time we were meeting and I found one of the guides to be a bit rude and brushed off a lot of concerns we had. One of our group was sick (throwing up mid hike and was out for the whole day afterwards) and there was no concern or checking in by the guides. The food was bland and we basically had the same thing for every meal which was a veggie, chicken stirfry with no flavour and a fish dish. Drinks were not included.... That includes WATER! Everywhere else in Vietnam we got a bottle of water on a tour or in our room. Not this trip... $$$$$ Positives: - The night kayaking was cool - The homestay was quiet and comfortable and very relaxing. The staff was friendly at the homestay and showed more concern for our group than the guides. - the staff on the boat (not the guide) were very friendly

Disappointing, underwhelming, did not match expectation and very poor communication. I was so disappointed about this tour. We booked as a group of 5 because of good reviews which I'm now questioning. Starting with the hike.... It was 2 km up of which 1km was uphill where you were climbing over live electrical wires.... No part of this hike was safe or easy (and I'm saying that as a triathlete) and even when you got to the top...the platform was not safe. I had a ton of anxiety coming down as well as you were practically crawling down over live wires again. The description mentioned pristine beaches... We never set foot on a beach. The only swimming time we did get was 30 min after lunch. The night kayaking was cool. Day kayaking we were told would be an hour and half and was only 30 min of actual kayaking and 30 min of waiting in the kayaks in a backup line up to get through. They mention kayaking through caves....misleading. This tour says guided and I just have to laugh... We were abandoned the second day. The guides were not good with communication. We never knew what was going on or what time we were meeting and I found one of the guides to be a bit rude and brushed off a lot of concerns we had. One of our group was sick (throwing up mid hike and was out for the whole day afterwards) and there was no concern or checking in by the guides. The food was bland and we basically had the same thing for every meal which was a veggie, chicken stirfry with no flavour and a fish dish. The homestay was quiet and comfortable and very relaxing. Drinks were not included.... That includes WATER! Everywhere else in Vietnam we got a bottle of water on a tour or in our room. Not this trip... $$$$$

Breathtaking landscapes. The village of Viet Hai is truly an oasis of peace. Our guide Thanh was super kind from the first moment, always smiling and caring towards us especially during the afternoon hiking. Fresh food and all the guys very friendly with us.

Very well organized, lovely homestay in viet Hai, great tour guide who spoke english very well. The boat was fun, too. We saw a beautiful sunset in lan ha bay, which was not very touristic.

BEKA - we visited at the end of September. The homestay has been created in a beautiful garden setting, it was simple and modest but comfy and clean. Blissfully silent. The bathroom was an "all in one" ie the shower hose was beside the toilet/basin, not in a separate stall so danger of saturating the toilet paper if untrained !!   Food was simple yet very tasty, everyone is served together at long tables (there were only 2 other guests, Australians!). Ran your own bar tab from the fridge and finalised at end of stay.  Instantly relaxing, just being there. Typhoon damage to the island was evident everywhere, esp Cat Ba township, v sad.  To the casual visitor damage to the forest was only evident when you tried to walk in it, trees down everywhere but the wide vista scene, the hillsides and the karsts, still appeared green to visitors. The clean up was done remarkably quickly throughout the region with little debris in water. The tours were great, especially with the insights offered by Thang our guide: walking through the little village was very pleasant. Unfortunately the Peak hike was not accessible due to the cyclone damage, instead we enjoyed a walk out to a cave and lookout.  The night kayaking was such a buzz, the bioluminescence in the water like stars trailing through the sky, mesmerising. We all felt we had Harry Potter wands! Also a very special experience, being out in the pitch dark in a kayak (we were paddling 2 up).  Other highlight activities on the boat day trip : swimming through caves, jumping off the boat, lots of fun.   The scenery itself is awe inspiring and these bays are far less touristy, boat wise. We exchanged the 2nd night of our homestay for a night on a different, small cruise boat which was quickly organised for us by Thang for a few extra $$, just so we could enjoy more of the bays and the towering karsts. It was very relaxing.   Only 4 other people on that boat with us. Very pleasant, excellent food, attentive staff. We moored away from other boats so, again, a quiet still night. I would happily recommend this 3 days /2 night BEKA experience for people who are active, happy with modest digs (who laugh at wet toilet paper events), who enjoy being off the beaten track and exploring, plus content with 2-3 stars accommodation (ie the homestay).  If you need a proper shower stall, and a la carte menus this may not be for you. Our friend in her late 70’s did all but the kayaking (but still came along in a little boat, once again organised by the thoughtful Thang) , she had a blast. The 3 of us loved it.  Special thanks to our young guide, Thang. He was really terrific: quietly efficient with a gentle humour, spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. He looked out for us at every step, always confirming next day activities and times.  He made sure all members of our party could still join in the spirit of each activity even if not the specific activity (ie night kayaking, cave kayaking) so they didn't miss out. Pick up and drop off to Hanoi went very smoothly with the Beka staff confirming all arrangements prior and were always ready waiting for us. I would not hesitate to do it again, it was that enjoyable.

We had 3 days left and we stumbled upon this package to explore Lang Ha Bay and we really wanted to be part of this experience. But it seemed that the itinerary would not be an exact fit. Beka Travels worked with us and tailored the experience to suit our travel needs and ensured that we were taken care of from Noi Bai airport till reaching Cat Ba and arranging stays and transfers to ensure we got the most out of our tight timeliness. I really appreciate the extra mile and effort taken by Beka Travels to ensure that we had the best experience. We went hiking and kayaking across Viet Hai village and also had sufficient time exploring Cat Ba. Really loved the entire team and they helped us have a good experience!