Questions about Vietnam Experience

Walt Bilofsky wrote:
Are the waters in Halong Bay very calm? Or do the junks rock about
all the time?

"tile" wrote:

geno.y wrote:
On Sep 1, 3:21 am, "tile" wrote:

yes aluxury junk for 3 days

Which one were you on? Do you remember the name? Did you include the
Kayaking ?

Best regards. Geno

I do not remember the name.. but it belonged to a company that had
many similar ones..
it had a deck where people could rest or sunbathe instead of a roof.
yes. they had two or three kayaks tied to a rope. from time to times
people where using them ( mainly for the excursions to the caves.. )
food was fantastic.. cabins were good and silent..
I think it had only 9 or 10 cabins
we were 14 people on the whole.. with 3 different groups and 3
different guides.
if you need the address of the company that arranged that I will
send it.. or skype contact. it is a good and big company in Hanoi.
the price included pick up rom hotel transfer to halong bay and
transfer back to the hotel.

waters are very calm and you can sleep very well
we had been swimming al the time, no problem

geno.y wrote:
On Sep 1, 10:50 pm, "tile" wrote:
geno.y wrote:
On Sep 1, 3:21 am, "tile" wrote:

yes aluxury junk for 3 days

Which one were you on? Do you remember the name? Did you include the
Kayaking ?

Best regards. Geno

I do not remember the name.. but it belonged to a company that had
many similar ones..
it had a deck where people could rest or sunbathe instead of a roof.
yes. they had two or three kayaks tied to a rope. from time to times
people where using them ( mainly for the excursions to the caves.. )
food was fantastic.. cabins were good and silent..
I think it had only 9 or 10 cabins
we were 14 people on the whole.. with 3 different groups and 3
different guides.
if you need the address of the company that arranged that I will
send it.. or skype contact. it is a good and big company in Hanoi.
the price included pick up rom hotel transfer to halong bay and
transfer back to the hotel.

I've got a friend who is trying to decide between the Huong Hai
(Deluxe) Junk and the Halong Ginger. The Halong Ginger is new so I've
don't have any feedback on it.

Geno

more or less they are all the same
I have seen one that was bigger
with 3 decks
but I would rather choose one with just a few cabins and a few guests
Huong hai is the name of the company they have many junks

On Aug 31, 4:26 pm, "geno.y" wrote:
P.S. Obviously Alfred & I have very different tastes. Phnom Penh is
one of my least favorite cities in all of Asia. And I have traveled
extensively in every country in Asia and SE Asia with the exception of
Brunei, Nepal and Bhutan.


Which would you recommend, Bangladesh, North Korea or Tajikistan?

Alfred's right on the money.

You really have no need for a guided tour in Vietnam. Getting around is
easy, doing everything on your own is easy. Yes, it has changed a great deal
in 10 years. The goverment has all but released its grip on the tourist
industry, and free enterprise and competition are flourishing. It reminds me
a lot of Thailand just when the Asian economic boom was ramping up (before
it crashed!) The difference between Vietnam now and 10 years ago is a bit
like the difference between Thailand in the late 80s and the mid 90s.

Sapa itself is a beautifully situated town, but as it is quite overrun by
visitors, it has become more of a jumping off point than a destination unto
itself. Bac Ha is a popular destination from Sapa, but therein lies the
problem. Though it is a big, colourful market, there are also droves of
tourists. A much better bet is the market at Faulong, right on the Chinese
border, on the VN side. You will likely be the only tourist in a sea of
Flower Hmong colour. Well worth inquiring about.

Bob


"Walt Bilofsky" wrote in message
...
"geno.y" wrote:

You didn't say of you prefer to travel like the backpackers or with a
little more elegance. Personally I like staying are really nice hotels
and having a private car and guide for sightseeing.

Thanks for your comments.

We like to travel the same way you do.

From what you say, it doesn't sound like Sapa a must-see area,
although I get the impression from tour books that it is.

Would you say that it's better to go by private van between Hanoi and
Sapa? My wife prefers to avoid trains; she doesn't like the motion.