D'Charme Cruise

We did the 1 day Lan Ha Bay cruise today and it was excellent! We had debated a bit about what company to go with, how much to spend etc. and I'm so glad we chose this one. It was recommended by our hotel, along with a few slightly cheaper tours. We decided to go with Panorama as the boat looked newer/more comfortable, which it certainly was when compared to the other day tour boats we saw out on the bay. We also liked the fact that they did smaller group size. Everything was excellent - picked up on time, all ran to schedule, Viet Hai village was surprisingly enjoyable due to the gorgeous scenery and the fact that we could cycle back to the dock and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately they seem to be making some odd additions (a formal grotto/flower bed area at the side of the road, various metal arches to grow plants ovee the road) to the area that are quite ugly and not in keeling with the raw beauty of the place, so hopefully this project doesn't go much further or they run the risk of ruining this part of the island. Anyway back to the tour. The guide Truong was brilliant! A local from Cat Ba, he had a really lovely gentle demeanor. His English was excellent and he took time throughout the day to explain about the area, the legends behind Lan Ha and Halong Bay, origins of the names and various facts about the limestone formations. He seemed to truly have an interest and knowledge about the area, which was so refreshing. He was a real gentleman and made the trip for us. The food at lunch was really excellent also, the best meal of our trip so far. We spent a lovely hour kayaking in the afternoon and stopped at a swimming spot. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend this tour and company.

The guide Truong was very informative and easy-going. The boat trip schedule was well balanced with different activities and locations including kayaking and visits to a small fish farm. Highly recommended!

In spite of it being a little cool and cloudy we had the best day. The village visit was very informative. Our guide, Truong, spoke excellent English and shared many interesting stories with us. I found him very respectful and considerate. We rode bikes through the village and soaked our feet in a pond where little fish come nibble dead skin off your feet! We dined on an amazing lunch once back on board. We ate family style and must have had 12 dishes. It was some of the best food IÕve had in Vietnam. Also the Vietnamese coffee was the best weÕve had so far. After lunch we stopped at a little bay to kayak through 3 caves. It was a highlight of the day. We were picked up and dropped off back at our hotel. I would highly recommend their tour

Our friends booked a two day tour at this company and were very enthusiastic, we booked a one day tour and can certainly recommend. You will be picked up at your hotel and brought to the Harbour by good English speaking staff. You will go through the fishermanÕs village to Lan Ha and Ha long bay. You will stop at a town where you will get a tour, some more information about Cat Ba in general and you get to try some rice wine. Then you will go back on the boat, have lunch and then go to a place to kayak (absolute highlight!) and then you will be able to swim (pretty chilly in the beginning of February). I would say it is a nice one day tour which I can recommend 100% at this company. The staff is friendly and takes their time. Truong our guide was amazing!!