I'm trying to decide between Buffalo Tours and Handspan for a 2 day one overnight junk tour.

1) Were there opportunities to visit multiple caves or was the focus of the trip kayaking and swimming?

2) Did you make detours back to the dock/jetty to pick up more daytrippers or people signed up for longer excursions? Were you notified of this in advance?

I keep trying to reply....3rd time luck (hopefully)

I used Handspan (more expensive than some but brilliant $97 plus a $35 single supplement for 1 night). Spotlessly clean cabin and bathroom, best food I had in Vietnam, and good guide. I did a one night trip, but I know it has a 2-night kyaking trip also.

I'd use them again. Halong Bay is a genuine experience, and it is not worth risking it on a cheap operator where the experience might be soured by poor organisation.

My junk didn't make any stops to pick up any other trippers.

Spend as much as you can afford...a lot of the junks are older and need some TLC...we did a two night with Bai Tho junks...they have several...some were newer and appeared nicer than ours...the Dragon Pearl is the nicest! Ask which boat you will be on...all the tour co's seem to book on the same few junks...you don't go back to port to pick up new people...if the boat is going back, you'll go out on a smaller boat for a few hours. It seems that most of the junks follow the exact same route and all drop anchor for the over night in the same area...it became a pkg lot of junks so to speak...I actually had our captain move the boat away from several loud junks! If I were to return I would try to find something truly private. Halong is incredible!

Just to qualify my reply...while I used Handspan, it booked me on one of the smaller Huong Hai Deluxe Junk Cruises as Dragon's Pearl was full.

vietnamluxury travel - the Dragon pearl is not enormous!
MPT- My husband and 1 spent 2 nights on the Dragon Pearl in Oct. 2004, booked through Handspan. It was a lovely experience. We also went kayaking, which was alot of fun.
The cabins were luxurious (we had cabin 201), and the food was first class (more then we could even eat!)
We really enjoyed ourselves.

We have time for just a day trip to Hanlong. Recommendations wanted for the nicest boat.

can anyone give me an idea of the price range for halong bay tours / junks? 2 days / 1 night? are there also day tours? i'm not looking for anything luxurious, just want something to get me around and let me soak in the place without any hassles.