• 

We spent a couple of days in Halong City trying to work out how to get to Cat Ba Island without giving the scummy tour operators shed loads of money for doing “jack”. We finally sussed out that we could catch the Government Tourist Boat to the island and catch a bus from the jetty into the main town. Cost of the boat was 130,000 VND (£4.30) which included 30,000VND to get us into Halong Bay which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The boat was due to depart at 1pm and would include a stop at a cave, and tour round the bay, the whole trip to take 3.5 hours. Once on the island the public bus should cost us about 10,000VND, “It’s easy” said the nice lady, in the smart uniform.

Whilst waiting for the boat we met an American couple, Rob & Erin, who had been teaching English in Korea, and were now on a short break before returning home to the US. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts to get the official ticket themselves, they ended up trusting one of the “helpful” people who offer to assist with ticket buying. They didn’t know he was a tout until they spoke to us so needless to say they were just a tad hacked off. It wasn’t much money but it is just annoying that the scum make a living out of lying through their teeth to make money out of people who cannot speak the language. We’ve learnt over the last couple of years that it pays to do your homework and if you don’t have time then just accept that you will pay over the odds.

At 1.30 p.m. we finally got on board what turned out to be a tour boat, not a Government Boat at all, after having to wait until the main tour party bus arrived. All had paid varying amounts for pretty much the same trip, most of them all the way from Hanoi. The majority on board had booked a longer trip, including spending a night on Cat Ba and/or a night on the boat. By this time we had already moaned at the boat “captain” about the late start, and got a telling off for going up on deck whilst still at the jetty. The four of us had to put our names on a passenger list, and the captain added a note alongside in Vietnamese. The boat captain refused to explain this but we guessed we had been noted as being “different” from the main group.

We finally set off only to grind to a halt 1km out of the wharf. Lunch time for those on the tour, we didn’t want to pay extra for lunch, but at least we were allowed up on the deck where we made ourselves comfy on some loungers. Some of the main group, who were staying on the boat that night, joined us and we spent a very pleasant trip chatting and watching the stunning scenery pass by. The boat stopped for about 40 mins for the visit to the cave. There was then another stop, around 30mins, for the tour group to go to a water cave at another charge of 50,000VND. We stayed on board the tour boat. When they got back, an exuberant young lad decided to jump off the top deck into the sea, much to our amusement. The captain however was not amused, “no swimming” he bellowed grimly. Several of us shouted to him “no pay, no swim, and no fun!”

Off again and we finally pulled in to a deserted looking jetty at about 4.30pm. Not so bad after all the delays and stops we thought, but strange that Lonely Planet suggested the trip would take 5 – 6 hours. We got off, along with the others who had booked transport only, and those who booked a night on the island as part of their tour. We walked a short way and waited a little apart from the tour group for a bus to arrive. A scruffy beat up green bus pulled in. A Vietnamese guy told us “that is not your bus, your bus in 15 minutes”. We told him we wanted the public bus as we were not part of the tour, and he again said, “not your bus”. Only after the bus left did we see the sign which showed a picture of the scruffy bus and confirmed it was indeed the one to Cat Ba town. He Lied.

It was now that we realised that he was a motorbike taxi driver and we had been turned over and it become very heated between us and the lying little scumbag. His scam was to prevent us getting on the local bus, wait until the tour bus had gone and offer us a motorcycle taxi ride to town at a rate of 700,000VND. We decided with Rob and Erin that we were getting on the tour bus if they liked it or not. If we didn’t then we decided to start a fire, stay the night rough and see if the motorcycle taxi driver could swim!!

It started to get dark and things continued with moto man, and to make matters worse another guy, claiming to be the “Manager” first denied that there was a local bus, and then told Erin off for not getting on it! Our tempers were raised, and it got more and more heated. Finally, after about 40 minutes the tour bus arrived and then it got really sh***y. Neil grabbed our bags and as soon as the arrival tour group got off the bus he tried to get on. Then the tour group organiser shouted that we weren’t allowed on so Neil took his place at the entrance to the bus door so no one could get on or off. It was an ugly standoff between us and the 3 guys from the tour bus, the driver being particularly big and menacing. Neil stood his ground, Cheryl joined in and Rob continued to threaten moto man.

During the “negotiations”, in an effort to get us on the bus we were instantly adopted by Sarah, a wonderfully feisty American girl, who had bought a ticket which appeared to include the bus for her. “You can’t leave them – they’re my parents” she shouted. For a split second the tour guy was confused, her moment of inspiration nearly worked. Then one of the boat guys shook his head, “They not your parent” the tour leader shouted, “you liar”, “ME LIAR??” Sarah bellowed back.

Arguments continued, the official tour group got on the bus plus a few locals and then the tour guide graciously offered to negotiate to get us on the bus, as if he was doing us a great favour. We could get on the bus but it would cost us 100,000 VND (the local bus would have cost 15,000VND!). It had got pretty scary as Neil was pushed, shoved and manhandled by the 3 tour people and he and the rather large driver came pretty close to blows.

At one point during the mêlée he did raise his fist towards Cheryl only to be given a serious verbal threat from her that seemed to make him think and back off. A petite French woman was roughly pushed and shoved as she believed she had paid but the bus man did not think she was included, but eventually let her on. Meanwhile, Robin from Canada, was videoing the whole thing so we hope one day to get a copy if it comes out.

It was pitch dark, we guessed given the time it took for the boat to get here that we must be at the far North of the island, not at the jetty we had been promised by the ticket seller and it was probably too far to walk. Our options were limited, and we definitely were not going to pay the scumbag moto man, so Rob, Erin and us reluctantly handed over the cash, whilst still swearing at the guide and driver, and got on. The bus man passed money to a number of Vietnamese guys, including the moto driver and the boat tour guide, it was clear they had all played a part and were entitled to a slice of the bounty.

The final blatant piece of profiteering took part halfway on the journey. The bus stopped, the tour man screamed at the French couple, Ronan & Clemence, “you not include, I speak to your boat, pay 100,000VND, or I throw you off”. They argued, and our group stood in support, but eventually they paid and we finally arrived in Cat Ba Town at around 7pm.

Cheryl writes, the thing which disappointed me most was the reaction, or lack of reaction, of the people on the official tour. They had been delayed by nearly 2 hours, they had witnessed the ugly standoff and Sarah explained to them what was happening to us when she got on the bus. Even when the French couple were threatened with being abandoned in the middle of nowhere, and Neil asked them if they were going to let them throw them off, the tour group sat in silence. One of my favourite quotes sums it up, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” Edmund Burke.

In real terms the scammers cost us 170,000VND, a paltry £5.50. However, it makes you seethe to think that this treatment gets served up to tourists on a regular basis thus giving Vietnam such a bad name. It only seems to happen around Hanoi and Halong Bay and we know that it’s just a minority of scammers. It just leaves you trusting nobody…..and that’s sad for the majority of people in Vietnam who are very friendly and just trying to make a relatively honest living.

However, in hindsight, the £5.50 turned out to be a good investment as we have “truly bonded” with some very nice people. We’ve been “adopted” by a lovely American girl and we now have a number of friends with integrity to visit on future trips…..overall money well spent. Since arrival we’ve also met other travellers who suffered the same trauma who have also bonded with fellow sufferers so maybe, just maybe, something good is coming out of all this crap.

•