We took public bus from Hanoi, cost us for only 40,000 Vietnam Dong. You can actually join the tour package to Halong Bay from Hanoi. Since we wanted to experience the public bus, we decided to go by ourselves.
This was the bus we took
Hanoi to Halong city by bus took us 4 hours. A long way to Halong city, we passed a small town, not sure what's the name, with people dried the incenses in from of their houses. They had pink and yellow color incenses. And we also passed a complex where people dried the Vietnam spring roll skin. The journey with public bus was interesting. We didn't experience what people used to say "Vietnamese vomit in the bus" -no, totally nothing like this. The only strange thing we met only toilet without chamber/private room. So when we stop by at a small rest area, we found the toilet, it was a big room, approx 8x8 square meter, with several squat WCs side by side and not separated by window. So when one took a pee the, she could chat with the other who squatted beside her.
This was the rest area where the public toilet without room/chamber was
Halong city is a small and quiet town. Hostel is so cheap, but be careful, you have to check the room condition before you bargain. Yes, you cab bargain the price. We got USD8 per night for double room, hot water, blanket, private bathroom.
Another thing should be aware is, be careful to tour operator look alike who offers you the package to Halong Bay. A guy we found in a hotel offered us USD 50 per pax for 8 hours Halong bay tour including lunch, hotel pick up and transfer back to Hanoi. We found it too expensive and we started to bargain. We knew that tour operator in Hanoi offered USD 25 per pax for one day tour. But the guy said USD 25 was only for 4 hour which we couldn't see much. We asked for 6hours tour the, He said the price was the same, USD 50 per pax. So we decided to get 8hours then.
Our boat was unexpectedly looked weak. Thanked God we didn't get sunk. There were 11 persons including us. 2 Indonesians, 3 Frenches, 1 Japanese, 1 Greece, 1 Swedish, 1 Italian and 2 English. All of us were disappointed with the boat, but we couldn't do anything. The boat operator didn't understand what we complained about. So we just sat down and enjoyed the view of Halong Bay.
Our boat
We started to get bored after 4 hours. The Frenches even got out from the boat and joined the other boat to go back to Halong City. 6 of us left and continued the trip. We still had another 4 hours to go. And,,,,,, finally, after total 6 hours trip, the boat surprisingly stopped at Halong City again. We complained to the boat operator, telling him that we should have 8 hours in total. But he didn't understand what we said. Crap!!! We went back to the hotel and waited for the transfer to Hanoi.
So, things to do in Halong :
1. Don't trust the any guy telling you that 8hours Halong Bay trip is more excited than 4hours or 6hours. There are only 4 and 6 hours
2. Halong Bay is so amazing, but when you remember USD 50 per pax for 6hours trip by crap boat, simple lunch and no English speaking boat operator, it's totally crap
The boat was even not completed with the safety equipment like life vest. Once again, thank God nothing happened to us. I heard about the sunk boat in Halong Bay and around 17 people died, on February 2011, few weeks after our Halong Bay trip.
3. It's better to join the tour from Hanoi, the trusted tour operator is Sinh Tour (be careful, many fake sinh tours in Hanoi). With USD 50 per pax, I think you get a luxurious boat
4. Always bargain for what ever you buy
Herewith some pics to enjoy
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