Hanoi: 3-Day Ninh Binh Trip and Ha Long Bay 4-Star Cruise

I booked a 3D2N Ninh Binh & Halong Bay tour (March 15) for two people. The tour did not meet expectations based on what was advertised, and I was not satisfied with the overall service experience. After the trip, I requested a refund due to the issues encountered. The company refused to provide any refund or meaningful resolution. During follow-up communication regarding my request, I also received an inappropriate message stating that my passport information would be shared publicly if I did not respond. This was highly concerning and not acceptable customer service behavior. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this company.

The pictures are for illustrative purposes only lol. I highly recommend getting a nice place on land and exploring at your own pace or hire a guide and you'll still spend less but get alot more from the trip. Highlights were the bamboo boats, our quick stay at the King Kong homestay. Also the one nice thing about the "cruise" was our dinner and meeting Rosie. I'm trying to write a balanced review but there were just so many things that were misrepresented. Although we had an okay time, we felt like we lost 3 days that could have been much better spent in this beautiful country.

Well organized trip. Pickup @ hotel by Leo, punctual and informative. Welcomed by Tom @Eco Lodge, helpful and very friendly. Mr. Ha was the manager of Aspira, very patient and source of information.

Hieu Milano: All arrangements are very good. Specially dood was awesome, we liked it very much. Some joyful events can added if possible to have more fun.

Mr Tuan is a very kind, friendly and experienced tour guide. He knows well on the history of Halong Bay, please have your trip with Lavender cruise to experience the scenery in Halong Bay. Highly recommend 😀

- Whole experience very good - Ninh Binh trip very nice and worth visiting - Ninh Binh stay in ecolodge very comfortable - Cruise was nice, our room on ship big and with bath - Drivers could be better (timing, english speaking)

We enjoyed this wonderful cruise. Alex was a fantastic guide and provided a good Mood. Everything was taken care of to perfection. We enjoyed great food, beautiful views of the sundeck, kayaking / family boat trip, walk to viewpoint, swimming and visit of the Surprisecave.

We were absolutely blown away by our experience with Aspira. This cruise really solidified the beauty of Vietnam and Ha Long Bay. We were treated with so much kindness by our hosts, especially Alex who picked us up and made sure ever need was exceeded when we were on the boat. Couldn’t recommend enough. This was truly luxury.

Had a lovely time on the Aspira cruise, amazing cabins and very friendly staff! A special mention for our host Alex who was very accomodating and personable.

First, VERY highly suggest doing the 3 day/2 night cruise. WORTH IT! The shorter itinerary looked rushed. The Aspira boat was fantastic. One of the nicer boats you’ll see out in the bay without being a gigantic cruise liner. The staff is amazing and will go out of their way for their customers. Our booking agent Johnny was exemplary as well. The accommodations on board were lovely. The activities were also SO fun. Loved biking Cat Ba and kayaking in the bay. A cruise is truly the best way to fully experience Halong. The food was only okay. Rather disappointed given the rest of the amazing features of this cruise. Also, when they say drinks not included, they mean ALL drinks. They give you one tiny water bottle per night and then you have to pay for the rest at highly inflated prices. They don’t even give you water at meals. That felt very wrong to me. Overall I’d go again in a heartbeat. I’d just bring myself water and snacks for the journey.