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Post by juanita on Oct 1, 2024 15:06:48 GMT
Has anyone taken a 2 or 3 day cruise in Halong Bay?
Looking for recommendations.
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Vietnam
Oct 1, 2024 15:53:19 GMT
via mobile
Post by FuzzyMutt on Oct 1, 2024 15:53:19 GMT
I will be doing exactly that in a month and a half! I’m beyond excited. I hope you get lots of feedback here!
ETA... the biggest piece of advice we got was to try to find a tour that leaves from the cruise port terminal.... (we are arriving via ship...) We are part of a larger group and were actually able to charter a chill short boat trip from the terminal to the Tuan Chau Pier, where our overnight boat departs.
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Post by juanita on Oct 2, 2024 1:12:55 GMT
I will be doing exactly that in a month and a half! I’m beyond excited. I hope you get lots of feedback here! ETA... the biggest piece of advice we got was to try to find a tour that leaves from the cruise port terminal.... (we are arriving via ship...) We are part of a larger group and were actually able to charter a chill short boat trip from the terminal to the Tuan Chau Pier, where our overnight boat departs. Thanks for that advice. We are flying in Hanoi for two days per Halong Bay cruise and then going to stay one more day before we moved to Da Nang. What ports do you have on your cruise? We did one a few years ago from Singapore to Shanghai and then spent a month in Thailand and fell in love with the country and people. We have been there twice and are heading to Thailand on Nov 18 to spend 4 months there before working our way to Vietnam and Bali and then to Sydney, Australia to get a cruise from Syd to Vancouver, then we will bring the train home across Canada. |
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Vietnam
Oct 2, 2024 14:10:17 GMT
via mobile
Post by FuzzyMutt on Oct 2, 2024 14:10:17 GMT
I will be doing exactly that in a month and a half! I’m beyond excited. I hope you get lots of feedback here! ETA... the biggest piece of advice we got was to try to find a tour that leaves from the cruise port terminal.... (we are arriving via ship...) We are part of a larger group and were actually able to charter a chill short boat trip from the terminal to the Tuan Chau Pier, where our overnight boat departs. Thanks for that advice. We are flying in Hanoi for two days per Halong Bay cruise and then going to stay one more day before we moved to Da Nang. What ports do you have on your cruise? We did one a few years ago from Singapore to Shanghai and then spent a month in Thailand and fell in love with the country and people. We have been there twice and are heading to Thailand on Nov 18 to spend 4 months there before working our way to Vietnam and Bali and then to Sydney, Australia to get a cruise from Syd to Vancouver, then we will bring the train home across Canada. Ohhhhhhhhh I love your itinerary!! We aren’t in a geographically flexible phase of life to do something so extended. It sounds AMAZING!! Our cruise begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore, and we are spending a couple days/nights in those cities. It is also doing overnights in several locations in Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, HCMC) and Thailand (Bangkok and Ko Samui) and we are doing a trip to Bali afterwards. I’ve been to Thailand and Bali before, both in the pre-cell phone proliferation era, so I’m a little excited, but also a little anxious it will be so different. Back in the before days, I had a roommate from Thailand, and he invited our friend group (a group of four American GI’s- he was also in the US military) to visit his family. It was one of my favorite experiences of my entire life. What is insane is it was before I scrapbooked and I have so few pictures, and don’t even remember specifics of where we were. His dad picked us up at the airport and drove to a small village and we spent 99% of the trip there. I don’t even know where it was! This trip will be worlds different. Sadly I lost touch with my friends family about 15 years ago. I’ve never been to Vietnam- and I am over the moon excited! |
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 2, 2024 23:01:32 GMT
Wow, what a trip - that sounds AMAZING!!! I am beyond jealous. We are flying in Hanoi for two days per Halong Bay cruise and then going to stay one more day before we moved to Da Nang. Are you locked into staying in Da Nang? Are you going anywhere else after that? Da Nang is a good location because a lot of tours are around there (Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain, Ba Na Hills etc), and of course Dragon Bridge, and the beach is quite nice. But Da Nang itself is average. I would much prefer to stay in Hoi An. I'd live in Hoi An if I could! |
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 2, 2024 23:10:52 GMT
Our cruise begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore, and we are spending a couple days/nights in those cities. It is also doing overnights in several locations in Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, HCMC) and Thailand (Bangkok and Ko Samui) and we are doing a trip to Bali afterwards. Your trip sounds amazing too!! I just love SE Asia. We've just come back from Bangkok and Koh Samui, for the second year in a row. And one of my good friends is there right now. She stayed in the same hotel in Bangkok and resort in Koh Samui that we did. If you want any tips about the best tours or restaurants in Samui, let me know - I wrote up a three page document for my friend with tips for Bangkok, Samui, and Singapore.  We're thinking of going back to Vietnam next year or in 2026. I can't wait! Bali is another story.... there are things to be very mindful of in Bali, and I'm not just talking about all the drunk Australian bogans there!  My son was there in August, and he got very sick with Bali Belly. He ended up in hospital on an intravenous drip when he got home, because he picked up a parasite. He's just one of many people I know / know of that it has happened to. He also lost all his money from his bank account (which was about $5000) after using an ATM there. They must have skimmed his card or something. |
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Post by juanita on Oct 2, 2024 23:31:39 GMT
Wow, what a trip - that sounds AMAZING!!! I am beyond jealous. We are flying in Hanoi for two days per Halong Bay cruise and then going to stay one more day before we moved to Da Nang. Are you locked into staying in Da Nang? Are you going anywhere else after that? Da Nang is a good location because a lot of tours are around there (Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain, Ba Na Hills etc), and of course Dragon Bridge, and the beach is quite nice. But Da Nang itself is average. I would much prefer to stay in Hoi An. I'd live in Hoi An if I could! We are not locked into Da Nang at all, I just know that we want to do Ba Na Hills as last time we were in that area our bus from the cruise wasn't allowed to leave the port area (whole another story). We are going to HCMC after Da Nang. I will do some research on staying in Hoi An. Thanks |
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Post by juanita on Oct 2, 2024 23:36:35 GMT
Our cruise begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore, and we are spending a couple days/nights in those cities. It is also doing overnights in several locations in Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, HCMC) and Thailand (Bangkok and Ko Samui) and we are doing a trip to Bali afterwards. I’ve been to Thailand and Bali before, both in the pre-cell phone proliferation era, so I’m a little excited, but also a little anxious it will be so different. Back in the before days, I had a roommate from Thailand, and he invited our friend group (a group of four American GI’s- he was also in the US military) to visit his family. It was one of my favorite experiences of my entire life. What is insane is it was before I scrapbooked and I have so few pictures, and don’t even remember specifics of where we were. His dad picked us up at the airport and drove to a small village and we spent 99% of the trip there. I don’t even know where it was! This trip will be worlds different. Sadly I lost touch with my friends family about 15 years ago. I’ve never been to Vietnam- and I am over the moon excited! That is a great itinerary! I am excited for you. What a cool story about having a roommate from Thailand. We met a young man from Bali on a cruise a few years ago and have kept in touch with him and he is going to be home in Bali when we are there and we are going to be meeting his family. |
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Post by juanita on Oct 2, 2024 23:38:29 GMT
Our cruise begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore, and we are spending a couple days/nights in those cities. It is also doing overnights in several locations in Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, HCMC) and Thailand (Bangkok and Ko Samui) and we are doing a trip to Bali afterwards. Your trip sounds amazing too!! I just love SE Asia. We've just come back from Bangkok and Koh Samui, for the second year in a row. And one of my good friends is there right now. She stayed in the same hotel in Bangkok and resort in Koh Samui that we did. If you want any tips about the best tours or restaurants in Samui, let me know - I wrote up a three page document for my friend with tips for Bangkok, Samui, and Singapore. We're thinking of going back to Vietnam next year or in 2026. I can't wait! Bali is another story.... there are things to be very mindful of in Bali, and I'm not just talking about all the drunk Australian bogans there! My son was there in August, and he got very sick with Bali Belly. He ended up in hospital on an intravenous drip when he got home, because he picked up a parasite. He's just one of many people I know / know of that it has happened to. He also lost all his money from his bank account (which was about $5000) after using an ATM there. They must have skimmed his card or something. I would love your notes on Samui as we are planning a few nights there. I love SE Asia too. I would move there in a instant if I could. We did a week in Bali a few years ago and was so worried about Bali Belly. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 3, 2024 0:27:58 GMT
I would love your notes on Samui as we are planning a few nights there. I love SE Asia too. I would move there in an instant if I could. Have you booked your accommodation yet? We stayed at Banana Fan Sea Resort in Chewang both times, and it was FABULOUS! I will PM you my notes. Some of my notes relate specifically to that resort, so just ignore if you're staying elsewhere. |
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Post by juanita on Oct 3, 2024 0:52:17 GMT
I would love your notes on Samui as we are planning a few nights there. I love SE Asia too. I would move there in an instant if I could. Have you booked your accommodation yet? We stayed at Banana Fan Sea Resort in Chewang both times, and it was FABULOUS! I will PM you my notes. Some of my notes relate specifically to that resort, so just ignore if you're staying elsewhere. No nothing book. We are in Phuket from 18 Nov to 14 March. We have to take one trip out of Thailand to reset our visas, so we are going to Singapore for 5 nights, the last night we are staying at Marina Bay Sands. We are thinking of Samui for maybe December or Feb. |
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Post by FuzzyMutt on Oct 3, 2024 1:18:51 GMT
Our cruise begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore, and we are spending a couple days/nights in those cities. It is also doing overnights in several locations in Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, HCMC) and Thailand (Bangkok and Ko Samui) and we are doing a trip to Bali afterwards. Your trip sounds amazing too!! I just love SE Asia. We've just come back from Bangkok and Koh Samui, for the second year in a row. And one of my good friends is there right now. She stayed in the same hotel in Bangkok and resort in Koh Samui that we did. If you want any tips about the best tours or restaurants in Samui, let me know - I wrote up a three page document for my friend with tips for Bangkok, Samui, and Singapore. We're thinking of going back to Vietnam next year or in 2026. I can't wait! Bali is another story.... there are things to be very mindful of in Bali, and I'm not just talking about all the drunk Australian bogans there! My son was there in August, and he got very sick with Bali Belly. He ended up in hospital on an intravenous drip when he got home, because he picked up a parasite. He's just one of many people I know / know of that it has happened to. He also lost all his money from his bank account (which was about $5000) after using an ATM there. They must have skimmed his card or something. Ohhhh I would be incredibly grateful if you would share your tips  I'll be waiting on peamail with bated breath! Thank you!! Also=== wow, I'm so sorry your son had such a brutal experience! What a nightmare! Thank you so much for the warning! I am actually a very likely candidate for something like Bali Belly. I will try/eat anything when traveling. I usually say I have a cast iron stomach. But.. a parasite? YIKES! Ewwwww... I am so surprised to hear he lost money that way, I've always considered Bali to be a chill destination. I tend to use my credit cards for everything, but I do sometimes use an atm to get local currency when I travel. What a great reminder to be careful. I hope your son is feeling much much better! |
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Post by FuzzyMutt on Oct 3, 2024 1:21:42 GMT
Our cruise begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore, and we are spending a couple days/nights in those cities. It is also doing overnights in several locations in Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, HCMC) and Thailand (Bangkok and Ko Samui) and we are doing a trip to Bali afterwards. I’ve been to Thailand and Bali before, both in the pre-cell phone proliferation era, so I’m a little excited, but also a little anxious it will be so different. Back in the before days, I had a roommate from Thailand, and he invited our friend group (a group of four American GI’s- he was also in the US military) to visit his family. It was one of my favorite experiences of my entire life. What is insane is it was before I scrapbooked and I have so few pictures, and don’t even remember specifics of where we were. His dad picked us up at the airport and drove to a small village and we spent 99% of the trip there. I don’t even know where it was! This trip will be worlds different. Sadly I lost touch with my friends family about 15 years ago. I’ve never been to Vietnam- and I am over the moon excited! That is a great itinerary! I am excited for you. What a cool story about having a roommate from Thailand. We met a young man from Bali on a cruise a few years ago and have kept in touch with him and he is going to be home in Bali when we are there and we are going to be meeting his family. He was awesome, I miss him alot- especially when planning this trip. Have a wonderful time experiencing things that most people will regretfully never have the opportunity to experience. What a gift to you to be able to visit and meet his family. Enjoy and be safe! |
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 3, 2024 1:41:41 GMT
Have you booked your accommodation yet? We stayed at Banana Fan Sea Resort in Chewang both times, and it was FABULOUS! I will PM you my notes. Some of my notes relate specifically to that resort, so just ignore if you're staying elsewhere. No nothing book. We are in Phuket from 18 Nov to 14 March. We have to take one trip out of Thailand to reset our visas, so we are going to Singapore for 5 nights, the last night we are staying at Marina Bay Sands. We are thinking of Samui for maybe December or Feb. I can only dream of staying at Marina Bay Sands! We stayed in a shitty hotel in Chinatown. Chinatown itself is gorgeous, and the hotel was gorgeous.... from the outside. Inside it was like a dog box. Ugh. The room was so small that there wasn't enough room to open the cupboard where the safe was, and the toilet was in the shower! Two of my colleagues went (at separate times) not long after me, and they both stayed at Marina Bay Sands. Colour me green with envy! February will probably be better than December for Samui. Depending on when in December you'd be there, you may catch the tail end of the monsoon season, and there might be a bit of rain. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 3, 2024 1:58:27 GMT
I'll be waiting on peamail with bated breath! Thank you!!! Sent! I have friends who go to Bali regularly. It's popular for Australians because it's cheap and (relatively) close. One friend goes every year, and another friend goes FOUR TIMES every year. She has a villa there. They haven't had too much trouble with Bali Belly or parasites, but I know enough people who have, to put me off going. (I did go to Bali over 30 years ago, and was fine.) The friend who goes four times a year has her own bank account there, so she hasn't had any issues with getting scammed. I think that using a credit card is definitely safer, and you have more protection from the banks. My son only got a few hundred dollars back, instead of the thousands that he lost. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 3, 2024 4:39:33 GMT
juanita and FuzzyMutt I meant to mention: I am a member of several travel groups on Facebook. These are the best ones for Vietnam and Koh Samui. The people are really helpful. Well, there are a couple of rude smart arses on the Samui one, but just ignore them! Vietnam WondersKoh Samui Holiday Tips
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Post by smasonnc on Oct 3, 2024 12:17:27 GMT
We did a Halong Bay cruise through Bhaya Classic Cruises as part of a Charlotte Travel HK itinerary. We stayed in Hanoi and the drive was harrowing, but the cruise was wonderful. We were on a boat with 7 people and 8 staff for two nights. If you're in Danang, make sure you see Hoi An. It's a beautiful ancient village. I used to go over for the weekend with people who came to visit me in Hong Kong. Make sure you have enough time to get clothing and shoes made, about 24 hours. I used Bao Diep Tailors. Yaly and Bebe are better known, but Bao Diep does work of similar quality.  I can only dream of staying at Marina Bay Sands! The trouble with staying at Marina Bay Sands is you can't see Marina Bay Sands. We stayed at the Fullerton.  |
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I'll be waiting on peamail with bated breath! Thank you!!