How to annoy a hotelier......and Halong Bay

Trip Start Oct 28, 2007
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Trip End Nov 21, 2007


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Flag of Vietnam  ,
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Yesterday we had booked a tour to Halong Bay through Sinh Cafe.  However, our hotelier kept bugging us to book his tour.  We finally had to admit that we booked elsewhere.....the service then changed incredibly.  Where previously, we had received assistance and laughs, we were now ignored.  This is probably the first time in the whole trip where we saw a nasty side of Vietnam.  So, while we had given our laundry in to be washed at about 10am and told it would be ready tonight, when we finally reminded them about it at 11.30pm, it was still damp.  This morning when we arrived at reception to drop our bags, we received no hello but the key was demanded (to allow their staff to rush back to the room and see what else they could charge us for).  We sat down for breakfast at 7.35am.  By 7.55am, we still hadn't been served but 3 couples who arrived after us had.......we went to reception and voiced our disdain, before going to the Sinh Cafe.  There, apologies were neverending for the dodgy service of our hotel and they provided us with breakfast.  It was a bad start to the day.

Our tour bus to Halong Bay finally came at 8.45am.  12 people crammed into a small bus for 3 hours did not really lift the spirits.  We boarded our boat and waited close to an hour for the Captain to get clearance for us to leave.  Then the tour really began.....we enjoyed a lovely lunch, disembarked to visit the "surprise cave" and then whiled away the afternoon surrounded by beautiful scenery.  Our spirits were lifting.......almost....then we docked at Ca Bai Island where we were to spend the night.  We were then advised that we had to wait for the bus.  After 15mins the bus arrived but we then had to wait for passengers on another boat.  After about 90mins......we were finally taken to our hotel in the dark.

The hotel is lovely.  We had a beautiful dinner with some people off the boat.  We then visited a few places and met some lovely people.  The day ended nicely......sleep time now!
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