Bonjour Lilou,
me voici de retour avec un mail des blueswimmers qui, il est vrai, ont du se faire tirer l'oreille pour me faire la proposition suivante:
Thank you for your reply. So now, I would like to make the reservation for 2days 1night with kayaking, overnight in Bamboo hut at our based camp - Nam Cat, start on Feb 15th in
Hanoi. The detail as below:
Day1: Take public bus from
Hanoi, departure at 07h20, arrive to
Cat Ba at 11h20. Free Pick up and transfer to Blue Swimmer Adventure office.
Lunch at floating restaurant or picnic on beach upon your request.
In the afternoon, taking bamboo boat for 3 hours cruising around Lan Ha bay. Then transfer to Based camp. Dinner and overnight.
Day2: After breakfast, kayaking for 3 hours to visiting floating village, fish farm and dark cave (tidal permit). Back to based camp, check out, lunch and transfer to
Cat Ba town to catch public bus back to
Hanoi at 13h15.
Tour's cost break down detail:- Accommodation:
+ Bamboo hut: $25US x 2 =
$50US+ Extra bed: $5US x 2 =
$10US (discounted 50%)
- Bamboo boat:
$30US- Kayak: $8US x 3 =
$24US (3 double kayak)
- Meal: ($10US/person for main course and $4US/person for breakfast)
+ Adult: $34US x 4 =
$136US+ Child: $17US x 2 =
$34US (discounted 50%)
- Bamboo boat transfer back to
Cat Ba town:
$15US- Entrance fee: $3US/person x 4 =
$12US and $1.5US/person x 2 =
$3US for child
Total balance: $314 US
As I promised in the previous email, I would like to give your family a discount 5% of total balance. Then it's now
$298.3 US. This not much but I can promise that your family will have a good time with us and a
nice stay in
Cat Ba town.
Could you please tell us the date you arrive to
Hanoi and hotel you will stay. I would like to collect the full payment before departure. Our working time: 09h00 - 17h00.
Please confirm this as soon as you get my email because Tet is upcoming and getting busy. This will help us to arrange things easily.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
PS: If you do not mind, please send us your French friend. I just want to email her to say thank for her recommendation.
A savoir qu'au premier contact ils ne m'ont proposé que des tours à plus de 100$/pers, cette proposition n'arrivant qu'après avoir fait référence aux informations que tu nous a fait partager. Il me semble que l'on est encore loin des conditions que tu as eu mais cela semble néanmoins alléchant.
Ne reste plus qu'a espérer une météo clémente.
Comme tu peux voir en PS, ils aimeraient avoir tes cordonnées pour un petit mail de remerciement, puisque c'est bien à toi qu'il fait référence.Si tu veux que je fasse suivre ton mail, fais le passer ou sinon je zape la réponse au PS.
Encore donc un grand merci pour ton aide car sans cet "itinéraire bis" je crois que nous aurions évité la
Baie d'Halong par peur de l'effet Panurge.
bonne journée.
lolca a l'air plus sympa, moins touristiques, plus authentique, et les autres croisieres aussi ont l'air bien, mais plus axées sur luxe et confort! et pas vraiment dans mon budget! meme si 
