Halong Bay - Volendam 2013

[Princess Jessie]

Arriving on Volendam 26 Dec.. Would like to do private day trip Junk tour. Please can someone recommend Junk. Would like to do 6 hr cruise.

Or if anyone would like to join. We are two couples from Uk.

Roll call seems very quiet.

[John Bull]

Hi, Your Highness.

 

You are likely to be able to fix up a day junk when you get there, the touts will probably approach you.

Guessing you're there for a day & a half, ideal if your half-day comes first so that you can fix for the next day, but fix-&-go should also be possible if your full day comes first.

 

Shame its a slow RollCall but you'll probably meet like-minded folk on-board. We boarded as just a twosome but by the time we got to Halong Bay we were going ashore mob-handed with new Brit, US & Canadian friends, a group averaging 12 to 20. And that was on a little ship with just 550 passengers. :)

 

Ideal number on a junk is about a dozen (room to spread out on the roof), though the junks actually hold about 30.

8 of us hired a basic junk for a 6 hour cruise for $90, no food, buy cheap sodas & beers on-board. Others hired one for 4 hours for $60.

Those prices the total for the junk, not per person. Silly-cheap. That was 3 years ago so expect to pay more.

Hopefully others can come up with suggestions for pre-booking. Pre-booked will cost double that or more, but a lot of folk prefer the security of having a booking. And hey, it won't break the bank :)

 

Don't waste your time with a cruise of under 4 hours.

And try to avoid ship's junk excursions - if a junk will hold 30, that's how many will be on it.

 

A surreal experience, heightened rather than spoiled by the mist that's usually around. You just might think you're on some deserted planet.

Amazing.

 

JB :)

[Princess Jessie]

Hi JB.. Thank you for your reply... it is frustratingly slow the Roll Call....

and although I have scoured trip advisor, and put up various questions.. most of the responses relate to longer overnight Halong Bay tours...

 

I am sure one can book when we arrive, but then it's a case of what we get pushed into rather than a recommendation...

 

I will keep looking and posting....

[SWANOZ]

Try Best Cruises we have booked a full one day cruise with Stephen of Best Cruises for Dec millennium Jennifer

[John Bull]

Hi JB.. Thank you for your reply... it is frustratingly slow the Roll Call....

and although I have scoured trip advisor, and put up various questions.. most of the responses relate to longer overnight Halong Bay tours...

 

I am sure one can book when we arrive, but then it's a case of what we get pushed into rather than a recommendation...

 

I will keep looking and posting....

 

Yes, I can understand the desire for a pre-booking.

 

There are two qualities, "standard" & "luxury". I suspect the difference is the age/maintenance of the junk & fittings, but probably the "luxury". is worth the little extra compared to our junk.

 

Try e-mailing tour operators in Halong Bay.

Perhaps not the junk operators who list only overnites - those junks are company-owned & specifically designed for overnites.

I'm thinking more of general agencies based in Halong Bay, who are in contact with the private one-junk captains - same captains/junks as the touts offer.

 

That would overcome the uncertainty of availability, but of course it wouldn't be the same as recommendations unless you quoted their details on forums hoping to catch the eye of someone who used them. And although ours was OK but not special, I have no idea of the name of the tout, captain or junk.

 

BTW the standard of English is usually poor. So keep your e-mail phraseology simple & expect a bit of a struggle to understand replies.

 

And Vietnam's tourist industry is in its infancy, there's plenty of clueless wannabe tour operators and a few out-and-out scamsters. So commit no front money without firm recommendations, & even then only by credit card.

 

Here's another thought.

http://www.viator.com/tours/Hanoi/Private-Tour-Deluxe-Halong-Bay-Day-Cruise-including-Seafood-Lunch-from-Hanoi/d351-2514HAN_EHHBC

Viator are a world-wide booking agency, good reputation, standards to maintain, your money's safe & you have a comeback if things go belly-up.

We used them once, very satisfactory - daytrip into China from Hong Kong, we were wary of pre-booking with an unknown local operator but needed to pre-book/pre-pay because of the group-visa requirement.

I don't see agencies as necessary for most tours, but there's odd occasions - and mebbe Halong Bay is one?

The tour that I've linked is a day-tour but includes transfers from/back to Hanoi. Viator may not be interested in offering anything other than as specified, but you could ask a price for a junk for you to fill with sharers & with a pick-up in Halong Bay rather than Hanoi.

And see what he two other worldwide agencies, City Discovery & cruisingexcursions.com have to offer.

 

Edit: just checked-out

http://www.city-discovery.com/ha-long/tour.php?id=10058

Much more like what you seek.

And I'm sure the kayaking bit isn't compulsory :D

 

Research for our entire SE Asia cruise was hard work. much much more difficult than elsewhere.

But well worth the effort & our very best cruise experience.

 

JB :)

[Balcatta]

Hi JB.. Thank you for your reply... it is frustratingly slow the Roll Call....

and although I have scoured trip advisor, and put up various questions.. most of the responses relate to longer overnight Halong Bay tours...

 

I am sure one can book when we arrive, but then it's a case of what we get pushed into rather than a recommendation...

 

I will keep looking and posting....

 

You might try info@redcranetravel.com

we have booked with them 12 persons in a private group 6 hr. cruise..

[kazganymede]

Arriving on Volendam 26 Dec.. Would like to do private day trip Junk tour. Please can someone recommend Junk. Would like to do 6 hr cruise.

Or if anyone would like to join. We are two couples from Uk.

Roll call seems very quiet.

We arranged a junk tour though Paradise tours and had about 40 people through the roll call. It was quite a long drive to the marina but the tour was good, even though the Bay was very smoggy.

[Princess Jessie]

Thank you for all your words of advice.. much appreciated...

Our Roll Call is hardly active at all... so am not able to get info from there...

 

Will follow up on the tips given and if any other companies come to mind then please let me know...

[Princess Jessie]

Does anyone know the distance from where the Ships tenders arrive and drop off passengers in relation to where one gets the Junks... is it all in the same area?

 

Or a taxi ride? and if so.. how far and how long?

 

Thank you

[John Bull]

Does anyone know the distance from where the Ships tenders arrive and drop off passengers in relation to where one gets the Junks... is it all in the same area?

 

Or a taxi ride? and if so.. how far and how long?

 

Thank you

 

 

That's a tough one. I doubt even the captain will know until a day or two ahead.

Some ships berth, others moor along the bay, I'm none too sure how many tender piers there are & there are at least two concentrations of junks.

 

Ours was a 2 - 3 minute taxi hop along the coastal road, cost included.

But yours may be elsewhere.

 

Was a big concern for us, couldn't get any info out of the cruise line. :confused:

But no worries :) - if you hire a junk over the 'net the operator will know where you land. And so will the touts.

Don't worry about finding them, they'll find you.

 

JB :)