Northern Vietnam Bliss

Vietnam | Dec 27 - Jan 3, 2023

Great location and very friendly, responsive staff. Comfortable rooms and a good spread of food for people of all diets for breakfast.

As far as overnight train rides go, this is one of the most comfortable I’ve been on in SE Asia. The sheets and pillows were very clean and the complimentary snacks and drinks were appreciated. The room was a bit cold in the winter months, but manageable. The rooms were very quiet and we couldn’t hear anyone once they were all in their rooms. The shared bathrooms were surprisingly clean, even at the end of the long journey and I would compare to any average airplane bathroom on a long flight. Stocked with toilet paper and soap as well.

Beautiful grounds and architectural details at this hotel. Unfortunately it was extremely foggy our entire stay, but even despite that, the ambiance was incredible. Very kind and caring staff who were attentive and caring in their interactions. The room was large and the bed was a dream to sleep in. Bathroom could use some more ventilation and the drain in the bathtub was very slow. Food at breakfast was amazing and we were spoiled for choice of delicious options. The spa experience was one of a kind and we wished we had more time to enjoy the amazing facilities there- hot and cool plunge pools, sauna, herbal bath and excellent massages. We took the free shuttle into the city center, which was a short trip and always on time. Would highly recommend this hotel as a peaceful and gorgeous spot to start and end your days when exploring Sapa.

A nice, medium sized boat to cruise Halong bay in. The staff were very kind and hospitable, paying attention to details and making sure each group was taken care of in a similar fashion. All activities were run to plan and on time. The boat furnishings, floors and decor were a bit run down, and some repairs and updates would be helpful, but overall a beautiful boat and setting to spend a night. Our room was by far the best part! It was HUGE for a cruise and had an amazing bathroom with large rain shower, beautiful soaking run by the window, lounge chairs on our private deck and fabulous Japanese toilets. The bed was large and comfy and the heating worked efficiently for us during the cold nights. We had a spa treatment which was nice, although the space was also a bit musty and could use some updates to decor. Food was plentiful and the staff did a great job accommodating my vegetarian needs.

Super full after this short tour of Hanoi specialty foods. We loved the variety of spots our guide took us and how he gauged where to go next based on our preferences and thoughts. Vegetarian and non-veg options were available at all stops. Our guide was very friendly and easy to laugh with, ask questions and trust for other suggestions to check out during the rest of our stay.

Wonderful variety of activities, scenery and authentic experiences with local people. We enjoyed tasting the rice wine, tea, and SO MUCH food local food (for vegetarians and non). While we didn’t get to ride bikes due to rain, we didn’t feel like that diluted the trip. Our guide was kind, chatty, and helped us in translating and playing games or asking questions with our hosts at each spot. We felt very welcome and while I know there are other tourists who do come to this area, we felt like we were the only ones there and only saw one other small group of expats at lunch. We are grateful for this tour and the insight it gave us into local daily life in the countryside.

The walk was mostly on paved roads and our guide was very quiet on the first day. We were challenged to know what to ask and weren’t provided a lot of information. The walk was peaceful and we did meet some local woman artisans, but we felt like their goods were machine made, wrapped in plastic for loads of tourists, and it didn’t quite feel authentic other than seeing one of their homes briefly. We would have rather learned how to make something with them or played games with the local kids than be haggled to buy something most of the walk.

A great day of trekking through the countryside and enjoying the beauty of the rice paddies. It was extremely muddy, so I appreciated our guide’s suggestion to rent rain boots for the day’s excursion. The first two villages of the hikes were east walks on paved roads and footpaths, but hardly anyone except us out walking. The walk to the last village was through the rice paddies and very challenging to navigate in the thick mud and hills. Two very capable and kind local women held my hand through much of this section of the trek and saved me many times from face-planting into the mud! Our guide seemed more relaxed than the previous day which made for a more enjoyable, fun experience.

Had NYE dinner here. Excellent views of the city. Upon entering, we were seated right next to another couple even though there were two top tables available across the room. We asked to be seated there instead for our privacy and the other couples. We were told this was not possible after much discussion. When ordering a bottle of wine, we were brought the wrong bottle that was not on the menu and told it was the only one. My husband went to ask management about it, as the service staff were not able to explain the situation. We ended up ordering beer and wine by the glass instead. The vegetarian food was extremely plentiful but it was all brought out at once so much of it was cold before I could eat it. My husband, on the other hand, was only brought one dish and a salad, which seemed miserly compared to all of the vegetarian dishes I was brought. We had to leave the table multiple times to find staff and order more drinks or ask for plates to be cleared. Overall, it was an average meal. The staff were trying but they seemed overwhelmed and inattentive for such a big night of celebrations.

Beautiful but a very short experience. The “dark” cave was closed so we only toured the “light” cave which was not big. The rower was amazing and worked so hard. Despite the rain and fog, it was still peaceful and gorgeous. Our tour took us about ten minutes earlier than other boats did and it made a HUGE difference to be the first ones out on the water. When we returned, the dock was crammed with tourists. Enjoyable but i would have liked a longer ride and to have seen more than one small cave.