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.

The company tour stopped at a pearl shop enroute which was not mentioned and no one wanted took time away from Halong Bay. The guide was really bad at giving instructions on when to meet back up and where. At some point we merged with a different group so that was confusing. The buffet on the boat was not amazing. The various guides got really mixed up with the boat seating. We had very little time at the various stops, mainly at the kayak stop when because 100’s of people from various tours were there, we ran out of time waiting for a kayak. The tour guides did not help. And then we ended up waiting for ages for other people who were late as they ignored the time to get back to the boat. The places this company went to in Halong bay were sooo busy with loads of other boats. Nothing serene about it. Halong bay itself is beautiful, but for how long? Arrived back at hotel very late, this wasn’t made clear. Coach was far from the luxury advertised.

Beautiful day full spent in culture, food with marvellous landscape! Lovely the afternoon with the boat and the river. Prepare yourself for hoa lu, during summer the heat challenges the climb

He so amazing, very energetic and lively guy..you not feel bored and you enjoy the trip by him.thank you and i will never forget all the good memories here in vietnam

Loi was very energetic and was able to tour us around cheerfully. The tour was very informative and full of fun! You must try having a tour with him! We will definitely come back to Vietnam! What a beautiful place!

Loi was truly amazing. We had the best day thanks to him. He went out of his way to entertain us and teach us about Vietnam history and culture. Extremely approachable and friendly and he made an amazing video of memories. The tour itself was incredible, well organised and brilliant views and sights

Will was our guide. He was perfect and explained everything nice and with lots of details. We had lovely time with beautiful mountains and landscape….

guide committed and passionate about your work. very attentive, kind and funny. totally recommendable Ninh Minh with him He make a remember vídeo of the day