Halong Bay Day Trip (Japanese) | 4-Hour Cruise, Cave, and Kayak Experience

I signed up after watching a video by a certain YouTuber I like (lol). I was guided by Mr. Nagatomo (TIEN), the same person from the video, and I had a great time throughout. Lunch was very satisfying, with plenty of dishes and generous portions. Also, as noted in the precautions, plastic bottles are not allowed in Ha Long Bay, and since it was a hot day, I bought canned water several times on the boat, but it was expensive, so I highly recommend bringing your own drinks in a reusable water bottle. For the dinner-included plan, they took me to a Vietnamese sticky rice restaurant, and it was delicious! I apologize for being selfish when everyone else had bun cha! lol It was a wonderful experience. Thank you very much.

Since it was a Japanese-guided tour, I was able to understand the Halong Bay tour explanation with a clear mind. The other tour participants were all wonderful people, and we had enjoyable conversations. The Vietnamese tour guide also tried very hard to explain things in Japanese, and his personality really shone through. Thank you very much. The two-person sea kayak was quite challenging to paddle, so I might not have had much time to fully admire the scenery, haha. The Vietnamese food we ate on the boat was also delicious. The cave we landed on the island was cool inside and featured many impressive natural limestone formations! The bus ride to and from the destination was also comfortable, and it was great to be able to charge my cell phone. It was a full-day tour, but it was very worthwhile to see the many unique rock formations.

The trip to Ha Long Bay was about 3 hours each way, but it was easy and comfortable in a comfortable bus! We were relieved that there was a rest stop for bathroom breaks along the way. The guide spoke fluent Japanese, so we were always at ease, and it was great that he taught us about Vietnamese culture and the tipping system! It was also a nice touch that we each received a bottle of water on the bus. The weather was good, and Ha Long Bay was very beautiful. Many strangely shaped rocks stood tall in the magnificent sea, and it looked like a scene from a movie. We also went into a limestone cave, which was very beautiful and felt like an otherworldly space. All of the seafood lunch we had on the boat was delicious! Bringing plastic bottled drinks onto the boat was prohibited out of consideration for the environment. Water bottles were okay. You'll be offered drinks for purchase on board, but it's okay whether you buy them or not! Overall, I'm very glad I participated. If you come to Hanoi, I highly recommend joining the tour!

【Enjoyed Halong Bay even on a day trip!】In the morning, our guide, TIEN, picked us up right on time. We were staying at a hotel very close to Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi's Old Quarter, so TIEN came directly to our lobby. The bus was spacious, and since everyone on board was Japanese, we felt very comfortable. We had one rest stop. We wore our Team Nagatomo IDs and did some shopping. My wife was delighted to buy some silk embroidery. Upon arriving at Halong Bay, we boarded a boat, and lunch began. We shared a table with a couple from Tokyo and chatted pleasantly until we reached our destination. Halong Beer was inexpensive and delicious! 🍻 The food was mainly seafood. (It seems they can accommodate allergies if you inform them when booking... TIEN asked us about this on the bus.) After seeing sights like the Fighting Cock Islets, we arrived at our first destination: sea kayaking 🚣‍♂️. TIEN recommended a bamboo boat, but we chose kayaking! Since we were already wearing our swimsuits 🩳, we decided to go for it as a travel memory. We got wet as soon as we got in, so we changed on the boat as soon as we finished 🛳️. We had a relaxing time kayaking. Our second destination was Thien Cung Cave ⛰️, which was a mystical experience. We learned a lot about the cave as we walked through it. This tour was a wonderful opportunity to experience the natural beauty of both the sea and the mountains. On the way back, we enjoyed dinner 🍽️ in the Old Quarter, savoring a Bun Cha dinner. Everything, from kayaking (or bamboo boating) and the cave visit to dinner, was included in the tour price, so we didn't have to worry about calculating dongs. A big thank you to our guide, TIEN! 😊

The bus was full on the day of the tour. Mr. Nagatomo, whom I had seen on YouTube, was our guide. We departed from the Sheraton Hotel at 7:40 AM, and the bus made several stops at different pick-up points on the way to Ha Long Bay. Mr. Nagatomo kept us entertained on the bus by showing us his iPad and sharing interesting stories about Vietnamese history and famous people he had met. He's quite the talker! The cruise itself was very comfortable and a wonderful experience. He gave detailed explanations even inside the cave, which made it even more enjoyable. We also enjoyed the delicious Vietnamese food served on the boat. I was impressed that they provided cold towels when we returned to the boat from the tour. For dinner, we could choose between sticky rice or Bun Cha in Hanoi, and I think everyone chose Bun Cha. There was even a family that skipped dinner and got off the bus on the way back to visit Aeon Mall. This was our first time participating in a tour abroad, and it was a great experience.

It takes about 3 hours from hotels in Hanoi to Halong Bay with a break on the way. It was a chartered cruise just for our group of 13 people. After departing, we enjoyed a cruise while having drinks and a 10-course meal. During the meal, the ship cruised very slowly, and there were almost no waves, so there was hardly any rocking. I was impressed by the guide's explanations and stories, as well as their extensive knowledge and language skills. I was also satisfied with the tour, as they were considerate of the participants and we were able to fully enjoy the charm of Halong Bay. I would like to participate again if I have the opportunity.

It was a very fulfilling tour. Our tour guide, Tien (Nagatomo-san), kept us entertained! His Japanese is excellent, and he told us fun stories on the bus, making it feel like a show. It was very hot in Ha Long Bay, but I think it's worth experiencing even in the heat. Drinks are not included, so I recommend bringing your own water bottle. My companion tried the canoeing experience and was able to handle it more smoothly than expected. It was a weekday and not crowded, almost like we had the place to ourselves, which was also great. Lunch was seafood on the boat, and there was so much food we couldn't eat it all. Dinner was bun cha, which was also delicious. One concern I had was that it would have been nice to be able to contact the guide in some way the day before. I was a little worried. Even so, I would like to participate in Nagatomo-san's tour again next time.

The Halong Bay tour was a memory of a lifetime. Our guide, Nagatomo-san, kept us entertained throughout the journey with engaging and creative commentary using a tablet, so we were never bored. Furthermore, when there was a delay due to traffic during pickup and drop-off, we received a polite notification via text message in advance, which put us at ease. It was a highly satisfying tour that provided both "fun" and "peace of mind" throughout the day. Moreover, the price was very reasonable, and I felt it offered excellent value for money. Nagatomo-san, thank you so much! This is a wonderful experience that I wholeheartedly recommend.

I participated in early January. Our guide, Mr. Nagatomo, was a very talkative person and taught me a lot about Vietnam. He has studied Japanese and Japan very well and is wonderful. The tour was geared towards Japanese people, smooth and reassuring. The sightseeing boat that goes around Halong Bay is a new boat, and it was said to have debuted about a month ago. It was clean and very comfortable! I was grateful that the toilets were clean as well. The lunch I had on the boat was delicious, and the staff were kind. The scenery of Halong Bay is really beautiful, and you never get tired of seeing the strangely shaped rocks that change their appearance depending on the angle. Also, the beauty of the limestone cave was more impressive than I had imagined. You can fully enjoy the beauty and mystery of nature.

I'm an introverted middle-aged man who isn't good at group activities. I've been to Vietnam on business trips before, but I finally joined a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay, which I couldn't do before due to scheduling conflicts. Thanks to Mr. Nagatomo from Vietnam, who guided me on this tour, I had a great time. Above all, Mr. Nagatomo's selection of Japanese songs was perfectly matched to each scene, making it even more enjoyable (his spirit of trying to entertain the participants). In Ha Long Bay, the highlight was the course where we toured small bays between the islands in a rowboat, and the scenery seen beyond the rock cave made me feel the size of the island even more and left a lasting impression. The shuttle bus and the tour boat were also great, and I was very satisfied with the dinner included. The bun cha for dinner was delicious, especially the accompanying meat.