Shore Excursion: Amazing Day Cruise at Ha Long Bay

This was my first tour with Viator and I was extremely impressed. Our guide, Johnny, was fantastic He was prompt, very knowledgeable and kind in every way All the staff were so obliging and helpful. An excellent day. Thank you.

It was an amazing day. Our tour guide Johnny was the best. He took such good care of us. The views were spectacular.

Ms. Lily (Mi Van), our guide, was very good. She met us exactly where we were told she would be (information centre). Small group, which was good. Ha Long Bay was lovely. My favourite part of the excursion was the speedboat ride (I felt like James Bond 007 being chased). The onboard meal was more than enough for all of us at our table. It was a cultural treat, and so well prepared. The whole excursion was worth every penny spent. Even the obligatory shopping stop was a pleasant surprise, as the surroundings were so picturesque.

Quite a well organised set of activities. Johnny, our guide, was a wonderful companion. I would recommend the speed boat experience, although it was not included in the package, it is totally worth it. The caves and the boats were excellent too.

Amazing scenery. The cave was spectacular. The hour long stop at the pearl store was unnecessary. The speedboat was an upsell and chaotic.. The “beach” water was filthy.

Firstly want to say Sonny our guide was fantastic. As we're the boat staff. Very attentive and informative. However, this was not a luxury boat as described. A few stools on the astro turf deck. Then secondly do not expect to have Halong bay to yourself. It is awfully overcrowded. Hundreds of boats and thousands of tourists trying to see the same sights. You are taken around a pearl farm and shop. The caves are super impressive but with thousands of Chinese tourists, all with tourists guides shouting on mega phones, it was far from a pleasant experience. Amazing speed boat experience. However you wear life jackets which were filthy and absolutely stink. We had greasy dirty hands after touching them. Then the sampan / kayak experience. I have no idea how someone isn't seriously injured. There is no regulation and our sampan driver went straight into and nearly capsized 2 inexperienced kayaks. Again way too many tourists in a small area. Chinese tourist boats all feeding the local monkeys to get photos; surely this isn't ethical?. Then finally the beach stop. A tiny beach with thousands of tourists. It was filthy and utter utter chaos. I have loved Vietnam but am embarrassed to be a part of the tourist problem at this stunning location. This really needs controlling and safety / hygiene needs overhauling.

Great Tours great prize the boat not particularly comfortable, but that’s not super important. Vy was s great host.

Tourist tour that you should experience anyway. Good intelligible guide. Lots and good food on board.excellent trip

David contacted us the day before with exact details of where to meet in the Terminal. We visited a pearl farm, Hang Sung Sot cave which required a lot of climbing steps. Lunch was local Vietnamese dishes and plentiful. After lunch we transferred to a bamboo boat (or kayak) and sailed through another cave where we saw monkeys. We paid an extra 300000 dong each to do an optional speedboat, but it was well worth the money. There is only one free drink per person so remember to take some cash with you. We finished the day at Ti Top beach which was extremely busy and there wasn’t enough time to climb the steps to the Temple. David our guide was fantastic, he learnt everyone’s name, was very patient, attentive, fun and helpful. He also spoke perfect English. A perfect tour guide.

This was a fantastic cruise around the most stunning Halong Bay. The tour was with Maximus travel and the tour guide David was excellent. He spoke English extremely well, was really informative and very friendly. He guided the group carefully ensuring everyone’s needs were met. The cruise vessel was well appointed and very clean. The lunch provided was extensive and tasty. They also catered separately for my partner who is coeliac and follows a gluten free diet. Halong Bay is a Unesco site not to be missed.