FYI ended up booking directly through the tour operator, Indochina Junk. Had none of the problems described above (dirty water, too many boats), since Indochina Junk goes to Bai Tu Long - completely different area than the rest of the tour operators. Recommended.
Last edited by NYCRachel; Dec 14, 2014 at 9:37 pm
Reason: Carrots turned into emojis