Saturday, February 09, 2008

Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise

Day 1(22/11/07) - SGD/Hanoi

-1715 Depart Singapore TR308
- 2000 Arrive Hanoi
- 2130 Check in Hanoi Elegance 2
Hotel is small, but clean and comfortable. Location is good too!

(*get tickets for water puppets on 3rd day)

Late night Dinner as no dinner was provided on Budget carrier. Was totally famished that we risked the night street hawkers. No choice... but the noodles is really goood....!


Day 2 (23/11/07) - Halong Bay Cruise (Halong bay Lagoon Explorer)
– 0830 Pickup from Hotel

Highlights:
* Halong Bay
* Explore Sung Sot (Amazing) cave

4 hours ride... but the beauty of Halong Bay is worth it - trust me.

But of course, spend a little bit more for a well-equipped and comfortable cruise (Air-con, hot shower, clean bed) if an overnight stay is expected.
I loved the experience on our Junk! One of the most beautiful vessel at Halong bay, in fact, most photographed. Plus, it's quite luxurious... nicely furnished rooms with hot shower and air-con, small exclusive bar and sun deck for endless appreciation of the grand beauty at the bay. And it is equipped with the "silent" power generator, which they would switch to at night, so there's no worries that your room is just right besides the engine room.
This is one of the few Junk that can really operate by it's sail, though most of the time, it's operated by the motors. But due to its small size, this Junk can only take up to about 8 to 10 people at each time. So, book early!

*** Note: Beware of scams when you book your cruise online! I heard of stories where payment were made for luxurious cruise, but in the end they were put on cheap ones! SO, if you're interested in this luxurious Junk cruise, do your booking only with Authorised agent (Hanspan) or the Company - Tropical Sails.

Lagoon Explorer Cruise

Shadows of the Bay




On our way to catch the sunset...

Beautiful sunset view on top the the little hill at Soi Sim beach....



Day 3 (24/11/07) - Halong Bay/Hanoi Old Quarters

-1700 Reach Hanoi
- 1900 Thang Long puppet performance


Highlights:
*Traditional water puppet in the evening- Book your tickets early!
*Dinner at Bobby Ching
The Ngoc Son Temple at the Hoam Kiem Lake



Day 4 (25/11/07) - Hanoi Old quarters/ Home Sweet Home
0900 Hoan Kiem lake, old quarter, French quarter
1200 Lunch at Cha Caa la
1730 Hotel pickup to airport
2030 Depart Hanoi TR309
0050 Arrive Singapore
Highlights:
*Vietnamese Coffee - Bought enough to last 5 months!

Budget/Costs:
Airfare (inclusive taxes) $232/pax
2 nights Hotel + pick-up $74/pax
Halong Bay Tour (w kayak) $198/pax
Sight-Seeing, Meals $100/pax

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