Would I Recommend? from SMSMAN's blog

The Infamous Boat Trip Of Nha Trang, Vietnam

Do the Nha Trang boat trip.  Do the Nha Trang boat trip!!”

There’s something that I’ve learned in my months on the Southeast Asia Backpacker Trail — if several people fervently tell you that you have to do an activity, you do it.  No questions.

So as soon as we rolled into Nha Trang, Vietnam’s most popular beach resort town, I knew that the boat trip would be part of our itinerary.  But I had no idea how bizarre it would turn out to be!

The boat trip usually costs about $9.  Because it was Tet, Boat Tour the peak vacation time for the Vietnamese, the price rose to $9.  But considering that the trip included visits to three islands plus lunch, it was still a good deal.

Are these trips popular?  God, are they ever. There were literally dozens of boats making the same trip as us that day!  There were backpackers, but also Vietnamese families and tourists from other Asian countries.

Snorkeling in the Corals

I’ve never seen a coral reef. Crazy, I know! So, I was more than happy to jump out into the water during a thunderstorm to see the marine life. As soon as we anchor, hundreds of colorful fish surround the boat. Getting up close and personal to them via a snorkel is an unforgettable experience.

Phileh Lagoon

One of my favorite parts of the boat trip is this gorgeous lagoon. Swimming in crystal clear waters sheltered by the forested limestone cliffs is an absolute dream.

My Experience with the Phi Phi Islands Boat Tour

This entire boat tour experience was a bittersweet one for me. While it was an unforgettable experience seeing the beauty, there were many portions of our day that contributed to my overall negative opinion of the tour.

In the months leading up to our Thailand trip, we made multiple attempts to book a private boat tour in Phi Phi but we never confirmation from any company. Figuring we would try to find something once we arrived we did just that at our accommodation check-in. They offered to book a half or full day tour with U-Rip. We were all for it, paying the 1600 Baht ($50) per person right there and reserving it for our second day on the island.

My Experience Embarking on the Boat Tour

The next morning comes and it’s storming like crazy. I consider trying to reschedule for our third day but I think maybe the storm will clear up. Meeting at our hotel’s reception office, I’m surprised to find multiple other parties of people. We were under the impression that we booked a private tour. Maybe they’re on a private tour too?  Walking about 15 minutes with our guide to the south side of the island, we come to our final meeting place.

Would I Recommend?

Being completely honest, I would recommend an all day boat tour but I would NOT recommend the U-Rip company. I also wouldn’t recommend doing a group tour.

Reasons Not to Use the U-Rip Company

• Communication about where exactly we were going all day was close to nil. Half the day was spent sitting on the boat waiting to see where we were going next and without any clue about when we’d arrive.
• The itinerary was changed multiple times without our knowledge.
• Stopping at different places, we could swim for maybe 5 minutes before the guides ushered us back onto the boat.