Kayak Halong Bay Vietnam

And now, our adventures at sea have drawn to close. We’ve sampled the budget, mid-range, and luxury tour options. And as we reflect on the experience, what conclusions can be drawn?

The budget tour is a crap shoot. We’d be hard-pressed to say which of the myriad agencies offering discount tours is most likely to offer the best experience. The problem is, in order to fill all the boats, agencies shift passengers around from operator to operator, so there’s no telling in advance what which boat you’ll be on or how good the crew will be. For every report we get of having a wonderful time going through a specific tour company, we hear from elsewhere that travelers had a trip from hell.

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