This review is for the group transportation (not private transfer) that picked up our family from our hotel to Hanoi to the dock at Ha Long Bay. The bus that picked us up was for 18 people - picking up various people at other hotels. But the while the bus had seats for 18 people - the bus did NOT have adequate space for 18 people's luggage. By the time it picked up our family, there was not enough luggage space so the luggage had to placed in the walkway. I had to CLIMB over the suitcases to get to the back row (only rows left). The guy next to me told me "had he known it was like this, he would have never booked it." We were stuffed like sardines next to all the suitcases and when the bus stopped midway, everyone had to wait until the suitcases were removed before we could walk down the walk way. And before we boarded again, we had to do the same thing - get stuffed with all the suitcases. Worst off, the bus driver dropped us off at the WRONG dock terminal. He literally dropped us off, took our suitcases off and before I asked which terminal - he quickly gave me the wrong dock number and drove off. We could see our cruise, but there was no one there to welcome us and we didn't see any other passengers either. We finally walked onto the boat and talked to the cleaning crew. They took us up to the dining room where apparently all the passengers were seated and finishing up an orientation. The boat was about to leave before we realized what happened so we scrambled back to the dock to have all our suitcases pulled down the ramp to the dock. We had called our travel agent too and he said he would try and contact the driver or cruise. No one called us back until we figure it out on our own. IT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

Cross posted onto Klook but will reshare it on here because of the issues we have encountered on this tour. 1) Spent 40 mins at a pearl farm before going to the terminal, which is not included in the listed itinerary. This was a waste of time as we weren't interested, and everything was severely overpriced there. (See time stamps on the 1st image) 2) Guide had not much clue of who is in his group, as I got stopped 2-3 times and asked if I am part of his group. No proper identification on who belongs to his tour group. 3) Plastic water bottles are not allowed on board due to environmental reasoning, but this was not communicated across until we arrived AT the terminal. We were told that glass bottled water are available for purchase on board, only to find that it was canned water. The boat only provided small glasses of half filled tea at times where food is provided. The staff on the boat were also trying to hard sell jewelry, which was a big turn off. 4) Tour guide was pressuring us into providing a 5-star review on Klook as we were on our way back to Hanoi Old Quarter. Initially we told him we will do the review, but he stood behind us for a few minutes, expecting us to do the review in front of him (mind you - we were STILL on the boat at this point, having only JUST departed from Titop Island). He said to us "Not 4, 3, 2, or 1 star, only 5 stars", which is ridiculous, he was constantly telling the tour group that we should be lenient if we encounter any problems during the tour and not post it online. He left us alone after a few minutes as we weren't completing the review in front of him, and then came back 5 minutes after, and asked us to promise him to fill in the 5-star review. We already mentioned that we will do the review later. During the bus ride back to Hanoi, the tour guide was seen asking other travellers to do the same thing, and standing behind them to make sure they write 5-star reviews on Klook AND Tripadvisor, before taking a confirmation photo of the completed review and sending it back to HQ. I can't speak on behalf of other's experience, but issues 1, 2 and 3 mentioned above made the tour as 3 stars. However, the pestering and intimidating tactics used on us to force an ingenuine review has made us VERY angry and annoyed, and this is why we are giving it a 1-star review. As a tourism business, you NEED any kinda of feedback to make sure your business is going in the right direction. Don't try to silence your customers by intimidating them into writing a 5-star review. Consider improving your services and offerings, rather than using other excuses on why paying customers need to be tolerant of the issues that occur during the tour.

It was a great day and an amazing tour. Our tour guide Dylan was very friendly and looked after us very amicably. His information on the surprise cave was very accurate validated through my preliminary google research. Wonderful guide to visit with who made our visit very smooth right from pick up to drop at the destination.

I 100% recommend this tour! We had an amazing day, there are no words to describe how beautiful Ha Long Bay is 🤩 Our guide Dylan explained every detail of the itinerary and he made sure we were enjoy the day!

We had a great time visiting this beautiful place! Dylan, our tour guide, was very funny and welcoming and he made sure we were enjoying the experience during the whole day. 100% recomendable!

Amazing experience. Dylan was a great guide. And we enjoyed kayaking and the other activities. We will surely plan a trip again next year

I had the chance to have Will as our tour guid to the Halong Bay. Will was so nice and so professionnal. He took the time to explain everything carefully and has made sure that everyone enjoy the cruise ! We are so grateful of this experience and we recommand it ! With Will is like to be in paradise but in Vietnam !

Loi, our guide, was amazing. So energetic, made us laugh and such a joyful person he is. You will wnjoy your tour with him for sure. Food too was good.

The trip was amazing! Loi did such a great job at guiding us through Ninh Binh. Not only did we get to experience the beautiful scenery of Ninh Binh but learnt a lot about the history as well. Lastly Loi also surprised us with a fun video of the trip he took of us.

The trip was amazing, the tour guide Lợi was very energetic and hillarious! definitely recommend. Also for Ninh Bình, spring would be a better time if you are not up for intense sunlight

Loi was an amazing tour guide and helped to make the day extra special. On the hike we were able to see amazing views and after enjoyed a lovely boat ride.

The tour was great value for money. Loi did a great job at lifting spirits and waking us up after an early start on the bus. We had lots of laughs with karaoke. Amazing day and got to see lots of beautiful landscape

We had a super time on this tour with Loi! He took us to Mua cave, Hoa Lu temple and Trang Am. He was super knowledgeable and his enthusiasm was infectious! This tour was the best way to explore Ninh Binh and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see all the best spots in just one day! He also took photos and videos throughout the day, and sent them all to us at the end of the day so we will remember it forever. Thank you Loi for a fantastic day 🙏

We had a few tweaks to the standard trip, as we went on the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Lao Cai (and from there the onward bus transfer to Sapa). The "deluxe" ticket option offered a 4 person compartment that wasn't overly deluxe, but which was adequate. Small beds for western sizes - with our two teens on the overhead bunks, and us just managing to stretch our legs out in the bunks below. We woke up at 6am in Lao Cai to torrential rain - not a good sign for a trek. We hastily bought ponchos from the local sellers for d10k each and were taken by bus to Sapa, to "The Sheraton Hotel" (we're guessing no relation to the upmarket US chain!). There you got a very basic breakfast and a chance to change clothes and pack your bags for the trek, amidst many other trekkers. You can leave non-essentials in their storeroom, but we recommend not leaving any valuables as its a constant thoroughfare of bodies. In terms of trekking gear, make sure you bring plenty of plastic bags for inside your rucksack to keep your clothes dry. You can hire wellies for d200k per day which are a decent option for footwear, and I went with Merrell hiking sandals (less of a strong recommendation). Hiking boots would be good, as would hiking-style (waterproof) trainers. Avoid normal trainers or flip flops as they will get wrecked and you'll definitely struggle. Hardcore European goretex raincoats aren't necessary, but we realised there are differences in the plastic ponchos on sale locally. Avoid the coloured plastic ones, and stick with the clear plastic ones - bigger and stronger (not prone to splitting on their first use) at about d15k with a bit of bartering. Plenty of mosquito spray (deet if you can) is the final strong recommendation. Optional are the long trekking trousers which I found also helped with the mozzies. We started our trek with a local guide and a group of 4 Spanish tourists, so 9 in total, and were soon joined by a mass group of local villagers with mysterious cane baskets on their backs. The villagers proved helpful in navigating some of the trickier parts of the trek, and were happy to give you a hand on ascents and decents on the slippy parts of the trail. The scenery, once some of the rain had slackened off, and the mist lifted, was amazing. It was all you imagine of far eastern mountain vistas - terraced rice fields with little houses dotted around, and majestic mountains soaring into the clouds. The camera doesn't do it justice - but check out our pics where we tried our best. We agreed that the views at one of the cafe stops along the way were the best we've seen in 30 odd years of travelling the World. Lunch was at a local village, and was basic but quite nice. The main hazard is the local people badgering you to buy "handicrafts", which we understand amecdotally may be mass produced in China. We instead gave out small denomination notes to the villager kids rather than buy their bracelets for d10k each. The mysterious wicker baskets carried by the villagers turned out to provide an almost limitless supply of such bounty, and again we found the tactic of distributing smallish amounts of cash was preferable to buying stuff you'd rather swerve. The afternoon's trek offered more fantastic picture opportunities, and we eventually arrived at our homestay around 3pm. Our expectations were low, so we were pleasantly surprised at the standard. It was well worth getting a private bathroom so you can at least make an attempt at removing the mud, and we enjoyed a great view over the local rice fields. The homestay family was super-friendly, and we loved making (+eating) the crispy spring rolls, even if it meant less room for the excellent evening meal. Our 15 year old said it was one of the best meals he'd had in Vietnam. The next morning saw us up at 830 for breakfast of Ban Mi and coffee, and we started our trek at 915. Another physically challenging morning, fortunately without the rain. More waterfalls, cascading rivers, and a walk directly through the rice fields. You see all sorts of wildlife - mostly chickens, but also water buffalo and of course cats + dogs. The most difficult part of the trek was the "bamboo forest" section, which required 100% concentration, and in my case becoming an expert with one of the local's walking staffs. The mud oozed and our feet squelched our way for a good hour. The waterfall at the end was an appropriate reward. You then get lunch and are taken back to the Sheraton by around 1.30 in time to make your transfer back to Hanoi (3.30 in our case by sleeper bus - recommended over the standard bus and a good option to see the return scenery in daylight). The timings gives you a chance to enjoy a much needed massage at one of the many spas in Sapa town, which otherwise doesnt warrant that much of your time. We've been on a lot of trips in our 3 weeks in Vietnam, and so far this was the top of the "must-do" list. Even with some/ plenty of rain, and a lot of tourists along the routes, the scenery around Sapa is just stunning - 10/10. The fact the homestay was welcoming & fun, the tour well-organised , and the rest of our party were great company was the icing on the cake. Book it!

Today visited Hoa Lu and enjoyed a lot. Special mention is our tour guide Loi who has been very helpful throughout the trip. Hope to visit again under the guidance of Loi.