Just got back from Vietnam. I booked a 3 Day, 2 Night Halong Bay tour through Columbus Cruise (also known as Pinta Cruise). The weather in December was very nice clear, sunny and around 72F. There was however fog in the morning, but you are on the Ocean so a early Marine Layer is to be expected.
http://www.pintacruiser.com/introduction
http://columbuscruise.com/
My experience though Halong Bay with this Company was fantastic. I would recommend them to everyone traveling to Halong Bay. The staff was very friendly, and the food was great. The Junk Boat was refurbished, so its pretty new looking and very nice. The rooms are clean, the bed is comfortable and they have AC. The only complaint about the room is that the sink, toilet and shower are all packed into this small single room. There is no seperation. Was very strange, so we didn%26#39;t shower until the next morning until we reached the second night at a hotel on Cat Ba Island. The rooms are small but we mananged to get two large suitcases and two small backpacks in there. But you are in Halong Bay so its simply a place to sleep. The guest rooms are on the first level, the honeymoon suite is on the second level. On the Second level is the bar and dinning area. The third (top level) is the sun deck which has a several lounge chairs.
The Tour Guide... She was so friendly and full energy. Spoke English pretty well and had a good sense of humor. Made the trip very fun.
The Kayaking through Halong Bay was really fun, recommend it. I%26#39;m from the Northwest so tend to like the outdoors. The currents are very strong through Halong Bay. It does take some strengh, we had no problems but a few other people including our guide had to get towed by a local boat since they could overcome the current. When in the Caves and Lagoons its very easy to paddle. Try to stay away from major Ship Lanes and Small Island since they had the strongest of currents. There are two options for Kayaking one is to Caves (strong currents) the other is to Kayak around in the Lagoon which has a rather large fishing village the water is very calm.
Now for the Trekking. I liked the trekking. It%26#39;s about 3 hours long. Must be noted that the first half of the trek is not your basic tourist trail. The trail was made by a local that lives on the islands lots of short climbs and rocks. But was really beatiful. The last 30 minutes is a paved road back to a pickup point. We got to try local fruits from a farmer that lives on his own in the Jungle.
The tours through the Caves are very nice. Sun Sot Cave was the best of the lot.
The Private Lunch on the Beach was great. If you like seafood your in for a treat. My only complaint is that we stayed on the Private Beach to long. So we checked into our Hotel on Cat Ba Island very late. But enough time for a SPA Treament and Dinner. My other complaint is that we had to leave at 8am to head back to the boat. So we had no time at all to enjoy the Island. That is partially our fault, partially the fault of the Guide. There is a 2pm speed boat that will take you to Haiphong then back to Hanoi. It%26#39;s much quicker and will give you time to enjoy the beach and relax. So if you take 1 Night on the Ship and 1 Night on Cat Ba make sure to tell the guide that you are taking the speed boat back so that you can enjoy your stay on Cat Ba Island. They can arrange your transfer.
When I return to Vietnam in the Future... I plan to visit Halong Bay again, and will be sure to book with Colubus Cruise again.
My Columbus Cruise ( Pinta Cruiser ) Experience
Hi, Thanks for your report on the %26#39;Pinta%26#39;. It sounded great. I am glad you had good experience with this booking company and junk. I am wanting to book a 1 night/2day Halong Bay trip for March for my husband and myself and really want to get it right this time as he hasnt been to Vietnam before and I went a couple of years ago with friends and had a terrible junk which I cant remember the name of, booked thru our hotel at the time. We booked a 4 star and got a 1 star! So I dont want to make the same mistake again. You said the honeymoon suite was on a different level, do you know if that costs extra and if its a better room as that is my main concern, as last time the room was sooooo dodgy, I could hardly sleep, and the food was really ordinary too. And as this trip is our 25th silver anniversary present to ourselves, the honeymoon suite might be the better choice.
I have been in touch with Columbus, and they have been pushing Santa Maria a bit if I wanted a better junk than Pinta. I havent heard any reports on Santa Maria though as I think it is only just starting up again, so if anybody has had an experience with that boat I would love to hear about it.
Every time I enquire to a travel agent or the hotel where we will be staying as to which junk, they all seem to go for %26#39;phoenix cruiser%26#39; and not Pinta or Santa Maria, so I think maybe they dont get a commission on it or something. Does anyone have feedback on phoenix cruiser also?
My Columbus Cruise ( Pinta Cruiser ) Experience
I had a wonderful time on the Pinta cruise in November. I was looking for the Santa Maria but it was in maintenance at the time. Santa Maria is a little bigger than Pinta. Santa Maria has 12 cabins, Pinta has 8. I loved the deco on the Pinta – fresh roses on the dining table, nice furniture. My favourite of the trip was the second day heading to Cat ba island. The ship made a stop at a private little island for lunch, awesome seafood. Amazing how the crew members carried all the food, tables and chairs from the boat to the island. They even had white linen chair covers, yes a delicious lunch served in a beautiful setting.
I agree that it’s a bit rush to check out Cat ba hotel at 8am, not enough time to enjoy the island. If you want to leave later in the afternoon, take the hydrofoil to Hai phong or take the bus-ferry-bus all the way to Hanoi. The guys at Columbus Travel are professional, definitely recommend to book directly with them.
The honeymoon suite costs a little more than the regular bunk rooms. But the honeymoon suite is much larger, so the comfort level is a little higher since you don%26#39;t have to keep stepping over your luggage. The Santa Maria was still under maintenance when I booked through Columbus Cruise. I booked it very early. I did however see the boat on my return from Cat Ba, it looked very nice. I liked Pinta Cruise because it had fewer rooms, so it had a very intimate feel to it.
I was amazed by the private beach lunch too. I liked the white linen chair covers and table, was a nice touch to a terrific seafood lunch.
Thanks to both of you for your replies, you have been very helpful. Yes, I think I will just go ahead and book the Pinta Cruiser, seeing as the Santa Maria doesnt seem to have any reports on it, and if the Pinta is great anyway, probably dont need to spend the extra $$$. Columbus have been very prompt in their emails to me, and seem very professional, just wish they would update their website about the Santa Maria etc.
Hi
Columbus Cruise or pinta cruiser ?
http://www.pintacruiser.com/introduction
http://columbuscruise.com/
Hi, Is the Pinta Cruise suitable for older kids. We are a family of 5 (boys 11-14 yrs)... do you think the Cat Ba Hotel is a good option or both nights on the boat? My boys are all very well mannered.
We were also on the Pinta in December. (New Years Eve). I would highly reccomend it. It was my understanding that the Santa Maria was not going to up and running until about August but maybe they have finished refurb early. On outr cruise there were 2 families with early to mid teenage family and they had a great time.We had 2 nights on the cruiser and didn%26#39;t stop over at Cat Ba
Hi toonhanman19.
Columbus Cruise and Pinta Cruise. ';Same Same';
Hi Dobbysan.
If your boys are (11-14) they may enjoy the kayaking. There are two kayaking options. They may get some cabin fever being on the boat for 2 days at that age. I would opt to have 1 night on the boat and 1 night at the Resort. That way the kids can spend some time at the private beach. Just a 5 min drive to the downtown are there are some shops and resturants you can goto.
Thanks for your prompt reply, one more question, is the 2pm speed boat option inclusive of the price or I will need to pay extra?
No comments:
Post a Comment