Name: Blue Swimmer Ancient House
Address: Nga 3 Anh Soi, Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba, Vietnam, Haiphong, Haiphong, Haiphong, 0, Vietnam
Rating: 4

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24-hour reception

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Garden

Terrace

General

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Family room

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Laundry

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Breakfast

Cafe

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

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Transfer

Pets allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Tung Thu Beach

Cat Bi International Airport

Van Don

Blue Swimmer Ancient House

Haiphong

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

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king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

park access

I was really worried after a friend booked this place and then I read the reviews.  Upon arrival though I was really relieved, this place is absolutely fine for the money you pay and the staff were kind and friendly and arranged taxis to go into Cat Ba for dinner etc.  yes, it was basic but it had a charm.  For the price it would be 4 out of 5, I just marked it down as it is really basic and a little out of the way.

We had the dorm room (there were three of us really spaced out and only sharing with a guide from another group).  The private room was 'fine' according to the couple who were staying there.

Absolutely fine for the price

Located a couple of miles out of Cat Ba Town, this quiet guesthouse can only be reached by 100.000d-ish taxi. Set to a beautiful garden, the ancient house feels (and looks) like a temple. 
Since you're in 'rural' Vietnam, expect some bugs and animals roaming the vicinity. However, beds are provided with musquito nets. As it gets dark at 7, the facilitity gets dark as well. A few lights make for a cozy, but slighly uncomfortable setting. Internet/Wifi is completely absent.

Dinner for 8$ (they're going to try to charge more) is wonderfully delicious, the breakfast is okay (and free) - you get no choice in what you eat - but expect eggs or pancakes. They even had peanut butter :)

Laudry can be arranged for 2$ per kilo, however they're lenient and won't actually weight your clothes.

Kayaking can be arranged with the Blue swimmer agency. 43$ per person for a well guided personal tour for 2 people, on Lan Ha Bay from Ben Beo, including lunch, taxi, and rental.


What to expect 

It's such a shame with this place, because the houses and the frontyard is really nice, but I didn't get very nice vibes from the owners. The day of check-out it felt like they wanted us out as soon as possible, and the overall feeling of them was that they where happy if they just got the money. The breakfast is not to good, dont expect to much there, some dry bread and bananas. We hade booked to stay in the sharehouse, but where moved to a private house with three beds. I couldn't sleep almost at all because of really noisy rats, crawling about in the night. In the moring, (at around 4 am), there is a qhoire of the loudest roosters ever, screaming all over the village, and in the yard.

I can not recomend this place, mostly because you expect something extra for the price, and also because the owners were not really helpful, and just where happy about getting the money.

Not worth the money at all

My boyfriend and I went here based on the lonely planet recommendation, which are normally very accurate. However this stay was so disappointing and an absolute robbery of your money. On the outside it looks charming, however on the inside it is dirty and dusty. There is no air conditioning and it is infested with insects--- huge spiders and cockroaches. The bed did not feel clean and the mosquito net was old. It was seriously nothing like we thought it was going to be. Now , of course if this homestay had cost between 8-20 dollars I could understand the why the amenities were lacking, but it cost 60 DOLLARS A NIGHT! I felt so robbed. Needless to say after a buggy night we left the next day, and got a hotel with air conditioning, cleanliness and a seafront view for 15 dollars. Do not stay here. 

An extremely disappointing stay 

I booked this homestay only for the recommendation I found on the lonely planet and that is the main reason I accepted to pay $60 for the private house. When I arrived I felt in a desolated place, My girlfriend and I were the only guests and the bathroom was totally dirty and bad smelling (I wouldn't expect much higher conditions if I was in a homestay paying $8/10 as you can pay in every other Hotel in the city centre).
The worst thing is that as soon as we arrived one of the owner (the only one who can speak English) was only interested in selling tours and tickets. We wanted to go to Halong bay and he wouldn't let us go by saying that from Cat ba we weren't allowed because of the Government and there weren't any other boats going there. The day after we went on a tour with an other agency to Lan ha bay and Halong bay. 
I wouldn't recommend to anyone!!!

Blue Swimmer Ancient House

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