Posts Tagged ‘Halong’

Hanoi City -Perfume Pagoda – Halong Bay ~ ‘The Historical, Fascinating Charm And Be A Part Of The Ocean Magic.!

Hanoi City -Perfume pagoda – Halong bay  Tour 3 days ~ ‘The historical, fascinating charm and be a part of the ocean magic.!

Code: PV – HN 32 – 12

Routes: Hanoi to its heritage

Duration: 3 day/ 2 nights

Feature: Alive with its tree-lined boulevards and lakes and its blend of French, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture, Hanoi is the jewel of Asia. Charming pagodas and the “36 streets and 36 wares” of the fascinating Old Quarter will vie for your attention. And, there are a multitude of other famous sights: the impressive Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Opera House, the Museum of Ethnology, the ancient Temple of Literature…
A great way to see spectacular Halong Bay is on a slow cruise through the seemingly never-ending bay of islands. Lay in the sun, enjoy a selection of the freshest seafood, and capture photograph after photograph.
Later take a more intense look of one of the islands, “get off the beaten track” at a more leisurely pace. Finish the day with an amazing night’s swim in the phosphorescent water. On board the Chinese Junk take part in boat-watching, sunset and sunrise. Actually be a part of the magic.

Itinerary in Detail:

Day 1: Hanoi city tour – the one thausand years

Depart at 8:00 am from your hotel by car. We will begin our day by visiting Uncle Ho, learning about his great life at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, and his residential place. Next stop is the nearby Temple of Literature. The site of Vietnam’s first University, built in twelfth century, to teach the royals the Confucius theory. Here we will also have a chance to see a traditional music performance. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant for a taste of authentic Hanoi Pho (noodle soup) . In the afternoon, choose one from the numerous museums or temples around Hanoi (Museum of Ethnology, Women’s Museum, History Museum or Quan Thanh Temple).

A late afternoon walk around Hoan Kiem lake and Hanoi’s fascinating Old Quarter for some great fun, shopping, and street side traditional food. This is your chance to be part of typical Hanoian style and its traditional Vietnamese culture. We finish our relaxing but informative day by attending a Water Puppet Show, a favorite experience for all visitors to Vietnam.We can help you get back to your hotel if you wish, but often our guests would just rather spend the evening enjoying a drink with a view of the city.

 Day 2: Perfume pagoda ~ ‘Heritage in culture.!

7h30 .The bus to pick you up at the hotel to take 2 hours road trip. Taking row-boat trip to visit that land on the Yen stream to Thien Tru. Then you will enjoy time to trekking go up and down visit the main cave so nice, step by step you will arrive Huong Tich cave on the top of the mountain to see Golden-Silver tree, rice stuck….One hour down. Have lunch at bottom mountain in restaurant beside.

PM : After lunchtime ,you will go to visit the Heaven Kitchen pagoda and to know about Buddhism ancient architectural at Le Dynasty. Then you will come back by row-boat trip and 2 hour road trip to Hanoi and arrive at about 18h30.

 Halong   ~ ‘Be a part of the ocean magic.!

Depart, 8:00 am, from your hotel to Halong city in our private car. After 3.5 hours driving and viewing simple, country side, rice paddy life, we arrive at the at port. Board your private boat, an authentic Chinese Junk and start your amazing cruise through this World Heritage Site. Lunch is served onboard, a selection of the freshest seafood. We visit “the amazing cave”, followed by a swim in the tranquility of Halong Bay and its emerald water.

We will cruise further into a quiet area where we will anchor and stay overnight. Dinner and relax as the sun sets. Then you are free to swim in the phosphorous water, retire to your cabin, or fall asleep under the stars amidst the magic of Halong on the top deck. (L,D)

Day 3: Halong – Hanoi

Wake up early in the morning for a great sunrise and a breath of fresh ocean air. Breakfast served on boat then we do a leisurely cruise through thousands of seemingly never ending islands. These are great opportunities to capture some amazing photographs.

We stop to visit a floating fishing village and listen to some legendary stories of the fishermen’s daily life. Take one last swim somewhere in the middle of the bay to refresh before cruising back to the Halong city pier. By noon we will be ashore and break for lunch at a local restaurant. Then we hit the road back to Hanoi. We arrive and finish our tour at your hotel by 5:00 pm. (B,L)

Prices ($US)

 Your price when;

Standard

Superior

Deluxe

you are 10 persons:

189 / person

205 / person

257 / person

you are 20 persons:

129 / person

145 / person

214 / person

Included: E.S. guide, private transport, private junk, admission fees, meal as specified: B for Breakfast; L for Lunch; D for Dinner.
Excluded: drinks, other personal expenses.
What to bring: Passport, towels, swimsuits, , change of clothes, sunblock, sunglasses & hat, insect repellent, flash lights.

Halong Bay, Vietnam – Se Asia’s Best Kayaking ?

Exotic Destinations: Halong Bay Vietnam

Vietnam is a small country dominated by a huge coastline. Its narrow, S-shaped slip of land stretches between the Mekong Delta in the south and the Red River Delta in the north and meets the South China Sea in a dramatic one and a half thousand mile sweep of beautiful beaches, traditional fishing villages, impressive headlands and island-filled bays. Halong Bay is a huge body of calm water containing thousands of fantastically-shaped limestone islands. It rivals Thailand’s Phang Nga bay as SE Asia’s best tropical kayaking destination.

Sunset over Halong Bay off the northeast coast of Vietnam creates a scene that defines the Orient. The silhouetted limestone columns, which rear out of the sea from the slenderest of bases, assume such perfection of proportion and form as to mock all man-made sculpture as artless imitation. For centuries the harmony of this seascape has inspired a whole school of Vietnamese painting. To drift in a junk beneath the yawning overhangs and watch the fading light transform rock peaks and fringing jungle foliage into giant figurines is, for a few short moments, to become part of an ageless Asian picture.

A Kayaking Dream Come True – Halong Kayak trip

After the good-natured crew of Dragon One had welcomed us aboard and loaded our double kayaks onto the cabin roof, we set off, away from Bai Chay and into another world. And what a world it turned out to be. My sense of wonder and awe at the place steadily increased as we paddled amid towering islands wreathed in thick, tumbling vegetation, explored spectacular sea arches, pretty rock gardens, dramatic caves and golden ribbons of beaches. The guide’s excellent navigational skills were essential in such a complex landscape.

After hours in the kayaks we would return to the support boat, which had a large, covered deck with tables and benches where we could relax and socialize, and to a cook who had been sent to us from heaven. Lien, as well as being blessed with beauty and a sweet disposition, had the gift of being able to whip up eight course banquets in a tiny galley area, over two kerosene burners. At mealtimes cries of delight could be heard from the boat as one superb dish after another was placed before us. The best seafood imaginable – lobster, prawns, crab, an array of fish, as well as delicate spring rolls, fragrant soups, stir-fried meat and vegetables, all exquisitely prepared. As we ate, we could gaze out at a stunning panorama of islands that stretched endlessly in all directions, beckoning us to go further into the bay, to discover its deep secrets and ancient mysteries.

One day we kayaked into a misty sunrise. Ahead, through the mist, strange shapes had begun to materialize. Limestone rocks rose sheer from the water up to several hundred feet. They were strangely humped and angled, patterned with fissures, caves and arches and improbably covered with trees. As we moved past them, more and more appeared, in serried ranks stretching back into the fog, as if some clever trick with mirrors were creating the illusion of hundreds of these surreal islets. But there were hundreds of them, creating a mysterious scene straight from some ancient Oriental painting and giving credence to the legends about this enormous bay: that its islands were formed from jewels spat out by dragons, and that sea monsters still lurk in its waters.

Towards the end of our third day of gentle three-hours-a-day paddling, we came across a small temple on a sand beach at the base of a cliff. Colourful paper boats hung from its low ceiling. On its altar, brass pots bristled with incense sticks and plates were heaped with offerings of fruit, cigarettes and money left by passing fishermen. One by one, our crew of six added to these offerings, then lit incense sticks and stood with them between their palms, bowing towards the altar and praying. Silently and a little self-consciously, we also paid our respects to the spirits and dragons of the sea, leaving our Western offerings behind – dollar bills, candy bars and cookies. This scene was to be re-enacted several times over the coming days, as we discovered more shrines, tucked away on beaches amid thick vegetation, all with evidence of having been recently visited by fishermen.

Fishing families in Halong Bay live aboard their small, simple boats, which are built from woven bamboo caulked with tar. Often, the boats are rafted up together to form floating ‘villages’. Paddling between islands, we frequently came across these villages, where smoke rose from charcoal burners, radios played, dogs barked at us from the decks of boats and older children shouted excitedly while their younger siblings peered fearfully around the low straw canopies.

At times, our senses were overloaded by what Halong Bay offered us. On our fourth day we paddled into a low tunnel which led beneath the rock cliff of a towering island. At the far end of the tunnel was a pinprick of light. Ducking beneath stalactites and fending off bulging walls with our paddles, we manoeuvered towards it. The beams from our head torches were swallowed up by the shadowy depths and our nervous laughter echoed around us. Gradually, the light expanded, grew in brightness and shimmered on the water. Presuming we had paddled right beneath the island, I expected us to re-emerge into Halong Bay and see the now familiar vistas. Instead, we had paddled into the very heart of this limestone island, which over centuries had been eaten away by water and wind until it was perfectly hollow and open to the sky.

A profound silence fell over our group as, kayak by kayak, we emerged, blinking, from the dark tunnel into a lagoon enclosed by a circle of sheer walls. The air was still and hot. The only sound was the ringing cry of a solitary bird, hidden somewhere in the dense, hanging vegetation. We floated in jade-coloured water; above us, framed by sharp rock, the sky was pale, the sun masked by clouds. I hardly dared breath, afraid of breaking the spell cast by this ethereal garden, this untouched and perfect place. It would have been easy to stay there for hours, but the tide was creeping up and soon the tunnel would be sealed by water. As we left, I thought of the vastness of this marvelous bay and how on this and future trips there was so much more to discover – shrines, beaches, caves, tunnels, lagoons inside islands – and who knows what else?

After kayaking back to our boat we sailed until sunset and, after dropping anchor in a secluded cove, stretched out on deck to watch meteors flash across the night sky. Out in the bay, lights from squid fishermen bobbed on the horizon like fallen stars. Behind us, moonlit rock giants towered over the still waters and silver beaches in timeless repose. In the dark silence, Halong Bay held onto its beauty.

If visiting Thailand, why not visit one of the country’s currently best three beach destinations:

Koh Lao Liang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/kohlaoliang.shtml

Ao Nang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/ao_nang.shtml

Railay/Tonsai: http://www.andamanadventures.com/railay-tonsai.shtml

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Hanoi Halong Catba Maichau Tamcoc Hue Myson Hoian saigon Mekong Tour

Day 1 : Arrive Hanoi ( D )
Arrive Hanoi airport. Meet the tour guide at the airport and transfered to the hotel. First visit of the city with guide. Take a cyclo tour around Sword Lake and the Old quarter. Dinner and Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L , D)
Breakfast at hotel. Full day city tour : the old quarter, Ngoc Son temple or « Jade Moutain » which was built on Jade island in the 19th century. It was dedicated to Van Xuong, considered as the brightest star in Vietnamese litterary. Visit Ly quoc Su pagoda, vestige of the dynastic temple of Ly. Have a look at the cathedral located at side. Visit Temple of the literature, the oldest school, established in 1070. One of the five courses is the most perfect example of Vietnamese architecture, with her wood sculptures. Visit famous pagoda with the single pillar “Chua Mot Cot”, built at the 11th century, by king Ly Thai To. Walk in the streets of the 36 corporations, the street of silk, the street of hemp, etc. In the evening, enjoy water puppet show. Dinner and Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi -Halong bay – Catba island ( B, L , D )
Departure towards Halong bay, Cruising on the bay, enjoy the landscape of 3000 islands in the sugar loaf shape, scattered on 1550 km2 which constitute this archipelago bathing in the surprising green emerald water. Multiple caves, like Thien Cung grottos, the cave of the wonders, Surprise grotto. Many fine sand splits and beaches in a enchanting decoration. Visit a part of the islands and caves (approximately 6h of boat). Lunch on board with seafood. Overnight at hotel in Cat Ba island.

Day 4: Catba island – Haiphong – Hanoi (B, L )

Drive to visit Cat Ba National Park. Bathing at Cat Co Beach. Lunch. PM: Get hydrofoil to HaiPhong City. Drive back to Hanoi. Free and Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 5 : Hanoi – Hoabinh – Maichau (B, L , D)
8:00 AM ick up at your hotel in Hanoi. Drive to Hoa binh( about 2 hours). Short stop for break and coffee. Drive on to Man Duc for lunch. Leave Man Duc to Muong village where you can do a short walk for 2 hours. then drive on to Mai chau with few stops on the way for taking pictures.
Go around the valley before having dinner at a stilt house of Thai minority village. Enjoy the traditional music performance ( Performed by local artists ) Overnight in the Thai village. Clean and comfortable matress, blanket and pillow are provided.

Day 6 : Maichau – NinhBinh (B, L , D)
Breakfast. Discover the Thai people. They are the most minority of Vietnam, a visit which will make you enter in a true patriarchal society. Lunch then continue to Ninh Binh by a very beautiful road of countryside. Check in hotel. Dinner and night in Ninh Binh.

Day 7: Ninh Binh – Tamcoc – HoaLu – Hanoi (B, L )
Hoa Lu is called “Ha Long bay in land”, it is a landscape similar to that of Halong bay (without the sea but in the rice fields). You will embark in small boats at Van Lâm, led by young women, to sail on Ngo Dong river which curves among the rice fields and the mountains of limestone and threads under three mountains, to arrive till Tam Coc caves (three caves). Superb landscapes and the meeting of the life on river of the fisherman and Vietnamese farmers. In the afternoon, return to Hanoi. Free and  Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi – Hue (B, L )  Flight
Breakfast and transfer to the airport for flying to Hue. Pick up and transfer to the hotel. AM: Boat trip on Perfume River to visit handicraft village: making conical hat and bronze casting. Visit Thien Mu Pagoda considered as Royal Pagoda of the Nguyen Dynasty and Imperal Citadel. Lunch.
PM: Visit Mausoleums of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh King. Visit a typical garden-house in Hue (Hue has another name as “city of garden”). Visit Dong Ba market. Night at hotel in Hue.

Day 9: Hue – Myson – Hoian (B, L )
Depart for Lang Co, a small village of fishermen. Taking photograph from HaiVan Pass ( The pass of Sea and Cloud). Visit Cham Museum in Danang. Lunch.

Drive to MY SON. Very spectacular, the site Cham of My Son Afternoon visit Marble Mountain. Arrive Hoian. Free at leisure. Overnight in Hoian.

Day 10: Hoian (B, L )
Breakfast. Start the visit of this charming small town, first commercial center in Vietnam since the 15th century, with more than 800 classified buildings : Japanese Covered Bridge, TanKy Old house, Assembly Hall Chinese. PhucKien Pagoda, Hoian Museum and Market. After lunch, continue the visit. In the evening, walk on the river Thu Bon in sunset. Back to hotel. Overnight in Hoian town.

Day 11 : Hoian – Danang – Saigon (B, L , D)             Flight
Breakfast. Transfer to airport for the morning flight to Saigon.

Arrival in Saigon.Transfer to the hotel. Lunch at the restaurant. Afternoon is free for personal discovery. Diner on boat cruise. Overnight in Sai Gon.

Day 12 : SaiGon city tour (B, L )
Breakfast. Beginning of the city tour: post office, cathedral, Reunification palace, centre town, then continuation towards Cholon by trishaw, visit Thien Hau temple, Binh Tay market. Lunch. Afternoon is free for personal discovery. Overnight at hotel.

Day 13 : Saigon – Caibe Floating market – Saigon (B, L )
Breakfast and drive to Mekong delta. Morning is reserved to a boat trip at Caï Be, on the innumerable channels connected to each other. You will discover a watery life. Thousands of people live there, on water, in water, for and thanks to water. Lunch on an island. Afternoon, back to Saigon. Overnight in Sai Gon.

Day 14 : Saigon depurture (B )
Breakfast at hotel. Free time for shopping. Transfert to the airport 2h before the departure flight to your home.

More information at : http://www.hanoipeacetour.com/english/?page=tours&menu=detail&id=431

A Tour of Halong Bay

My bike is sitting un-used in my room, waiting for a ride. I have not cycled since arrival in Hanoi as it looks to be quite a big challenge to navigate the horrible traffic congestion out on those streets. It is the worst I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to quite a number of third world countries. It is a total free-for-all out there. Accidents are commonplace, much like bumper cars, except with bicycles, motor bikes, and pedestrians running into each other.

I was up early for an all day guided tour to Halong Bay. The cost was $29 and included lunch. I originally had planned on cycling out to Halong and then spending a couple of days exploring that area, but I’m already a couple of days behind my planned time for this trip and by taking a commercial tour, it will get me back on track. At 6:30am I took the elevator down to the lobby, it was pitch back inside and outside, no lighting in the lobby at all. The front doors were locked and closed shutters blocked the view to the street. As I got used to the darkness and looked around the lobby, I could make out people sleeping on cots and also that there were a number of motor bikes parked in the lobby too. I stood around wondering how I was going to get outside where I would be picked up by the tour company mini-van. Soon, a few of those sleeping bodies began to stir and awaken. Within a few minutes they were all getting off their cots, turning on the lights, folding the cots up along with their bedding, and preparing for the work day ahead. These people were all hotel employees, and I surmised that this hotel is also their home. What a way to exist! I’m sure many other employees live in the same manner at other businesses.

The tour van came by at exactly 7:30am and we headed east out of the city on our way to the Gulf of Tonkin, 115 miles away. We soon crossed over the Red River, named not for political reasons, but because of a mineral in the river that turns the water a red color. The trip to Halong would take 3 1/2 hours and part way our group of 8 tourists stopped at a small village for a tour of a cottage industry. This occurred I would guess, because the driver would get a commission on whatever we would purchase while shopping there. It seems that every village produces or manufactures a particular product or item, and in this case it was a village of silk weavers and embroiders. I must admit, these artists did amazing work. When given a small 6 inch photograph, they would embroider a duplicate scene to a size of 12 inches, or up to a three foot size reproduction in perfect detail, using about 100 stitches or more per inch. You could stand a foot away and not be able to tell that it was not an enlargement of the photo, or a very good oil reproduction. I was really impressed with the quality and would have loved to have purchased one, but such is my limitation when touring by bicycle. Space is always a big consideration and at a premium, with no extra room for non-necessities. When one of these masterpieces is finished, it is fairly weighty and quite stiff, so they cannot be rolled into a smaller package.

After that break, we continued on. I found myself sitting next to a young gal from Canada named Jennifer. She is working in Vietnam and was on a break, therefore taking today’s tour. Her job description is something we would all probably love. She works for an international five star hotel chain and therefore travels world wide checking into the company’s hotels, incognito, and spending five days at each one. She uses all the amenities the hotel offers in addition to eating in their restaurants, and then writes a report on her findings. After a five day stay, she flies on to the next one. All her expenses are paid, and she gets a salary in addition. I didn’t know such a job existed! She told me she is due for a vacation soon, and I asked her where she will go on a vacation as it appeared to me that she is on a perpetual vacation. He favorite vacation spot… Thailand! Mine too! Then she told me that when she goes on a vacation, she never stays in a five star accommodation, even with a big discount, she prefers smaller, unique accommodations with a local atmosphere instead of the same-same accommodations of the big chain hotels. She asked me for some suggestions on places to go and places to stay in Thailand, and I offered her some advice on great locations like Koh Samui, and Phuket which are a couple of my favorite places to visit.

After our little shopping spree, we continued on. This mini-van driver was much more sane than the insane driver I had from the airport. At one point we passed a truck load of ducks, each one was placed in a white sack with a slit for the duck’s head. There must have been at least a thousand birds packed on that truck and all their heads were bobbing up and down and darting in every which direction. We were all amused at that sight. Legend says that a huge dragon ran down from the highest mountains and into the sea at Halong Bay. On it’s way down the mountainside, the dragon’s immense tail was swaying to and fro and thereby digging very deep valleys and raising the soil to form higher mountains. These deep valleys were then filled with sea water and that action created the 3,000 islands that make up Halong Bay.

When we arrived at the pier on the bay shore, we were divided into 3 groups, so each group had it’s own guide/translator. Each group also had it’s own boat. The group I was in boarded a 40 foot long converted junk that was actually pretty nice with a lower deck that served as a dinning room, and an open air upper deck which was for lounging. Our guide’s name was Tom. Tom was a girl. Of course I teased her about the name, and she would just look at me with a ‘I don’t understand look’. I didn’t think she knew anything about teasing, so I explained that I was just having fun with her name. She told me she loved Americans!

We were served a great meal in the dinning room of the boat. There were 6 large plates of food, served family style, plus rice and drinks. The boat trip took us through a number of islands and we all relaxed on the teak lounges on the top deck. The trip took a couple of hours, the scenery was magnificent and the sea was calm and clear. We docked at one of the islands and then climbed a long staircase up the side of a mountain and entered some huge caverns. The caves were illuminated and had nice tiled pathways and stairs. The caverns were immense, so large that it was hard to realize their actual size. Tom gave us a running commentary, but her English was difficult to understand, so we didn’t learn much. This trip to Halong Bay is considered the number one tourist destination in all of Vietnam. In 1994 this area was designated a World Heritage Site and became protected, that shows the importance of this beautiful spot.

We got back to Hanoi late in the day, about 8:30pm, and the driver unloaded all of us at a central location, not at each of our hotels. I was ravished by hunger by this time of day. Our drop-off location was near the lake so there were numerous restaurants to choose from. I chose “Mama Romas”, a great choice, if I say so myself. The Ambiance was very nice, right out of Italy. There was a solo violinist playing soft romantic music right across from my table. The meal I ate was better than meals I got when visiting Italy! The only thing I missed was my sweetie who could be sitting in the vacant chair at my table. By the time I walked back to my hotel, the street sweepers, with brooms and shovels were out in force. It’s a big job picking up all the trash that is deposited in the gutters and on the streets in this city. During the daytime, people toss all kinds of trash and garbage into the streets and there are piles of stinking garbage everywhere by nightfall. By morning, everything has been cleaned up.

Recommended vessels on Halong bay, Vietnam:

Overnight luxury cruise on Halong Bay: Indochinasails
info@indochinasails.com; www.indochinasails.com

More cruises on Halong Bay: Vietnam Cruise or Huong Hai Junk

Vietnam Cruises – Explore Bhaya Cruises in Halong Bay

Discover the breathtaking scenery of Vietnamâ??s premier destination aboard a cruise vessel which exudes charm and luxury! The Bhaya is a new boat with an ancient history. A true traveler of his time, the Vietnamese Emperor Khai Dinh (1885-1925) defied the custom of taking thousands of courtiers on a royal trip, and took just twelve of his most trusted followers on a very exceptional trip to Halong Bay.

- 2 days and 1 night (165 USD per person)

Unbeated Rates for Bhaya Cruises in Halong Bay – 1 Night

- 3 days and 2 nights (300 USD per person)

Luxury Cruising on the Bhaya Cruises in Halong Bay – 2 Nights

His ship was one of the best of the wonderful wooden junks that sailed the waters of Halong. Inspired by the romantic landscape of the limestone karst islands rising in the middle of the waters, Khai Dinh commissioned a poem in praised of the bayâ??s beauty to be carved on the cliff of Dau Go Cave. The tale of the kingâ??s trip and the hardy ship he had chosen as his water home circulated among the ship builders of Halong.  Each succeeding generation of shipbuilders dreamed of duplicating Khai Dinhâ??s wonderful boat, but nearly 100 years passed before an 80-year-old master shipbuilder, Nguyen Van Hoa, turned the dream into reality. Master Hoa was born into a highly respected family of ship builders in Quang Ninh Province. From early childhood, his father had filled his mind with stories of this magical kingly junk that no one could replicate. At the same time, under the expert tutelage of his father, Hoa developed into one of the most gifted ship designers of his generation. Night after sleepless night, he studied ancient drawings and scripts describing Vietnamese wooden junks. During the day he devised blueprints for all types of junks that could sail across all sorts of ocean waters.

Still, Hoaâ??s life seemed incomplete. He was always searching for a dream junk â?? the boat that would set his work apart from those of the other shipbuilders of his time. One day, among the thousands of ancient sketches and drawings, he discovered a fragment of the lost drawing of Khai Dinhâ??s matchless junk. Working slowly and carefully, he managed to restore the drawing to its original state. At last, the incomparable boat that had transported Khai Dinh and his courtiers lived again on paper. Now, all that was left was to find the support to build the vessel and, once again, bring the ship to life in reality.

In January of 2005, a chance meeting took place in Halong among Antoine Bertrand, a gifted young French architect from Montpellier, his colleague, Anne Drousie, who wanted to build a luxury boat in the style of the ancient Vietnamese junks, and Master Hoa. At last, more than 125 years after Khai Dinh had set sail, all of the ingredients were in place to finally recreate this magnificent boat.

Fiercely determined, French architects and Vietnamese master shipbuilders toiled for two long years in the heat of the shipyard. Finally, in July of 2007, the Bhaya was launched â?? a perfect blend of the experience and talent of the ancient master and the youthful creativity of the Frenchman and his friend.

The embodiment of an ancient Halong dream, the Bhaya is a flawless combination of traditional eastern delicacy and western luxury and comfort. Sailing in the midst of the wonder and natural beauty that distinguishes Halong Bay, the Bhaya will play a considerable role in the embellishment and protection of this glorious World Heritage Site!

Fully equipped with kayaking equipments and professional service, Bhaya Spirit will be sure to impress. Enjoy 360 degree views of the Halong Bay from foredeck, swim into emerald waters, relax in the sun or participate in a kayaking adventure into hidden lagoons and caves. Experience all that this magnificent Bay has to offer.

2 Accommodation Decks
1 Lounge Deck for Dining and Bar
1 Sundeck
16 Deluxe Cabins
2 Bhaya Suites
2 Royal Suites
1 Massage and Spa Area
1 Boutique Library

Other Amenities

First Aid Kits
Kayaking

Luggage Storages
Emergency Tender boat
Conference and Meeting Equipment
Safety box at the reception
IDD at the reception
24/7 Security

Meetings on Bhaya

There is no better way to avoid interruptions during crucial meetings than holding them aboard one of the luxury Bhaya cruise vessels. The Bhaya dining area is quickly and easily transformed into a board room-environment equipped with comprehensive meeting facilities and space for up to 40 people. Offering a relaxed atmosphere for business and pleasure, Bhaya is perfect for formal or informal gatherings of importance.

Incentives on Bhaya

One of the most worthwhile ways of recognizing your most outstanding staff or clients is an all-inclusive incentive cruise with Bhaya. A wide range of corporate incentive packages and cruise itineraries are available. Daily itineraries can be structured around meetings and team-building exercises, together with plenty of free time for excursions, fun activities and relaxation.

Events on Bhaya

A voyage onboard a Bhaya Cruise vessel creates a memorable occasion like no other. Whether an intimate birthday, a romantic wedding anniversary or an impressive company retreat, this is a unique way to celebrate in style. Bhaya Cruisesâ?? event management team can arrange it all. From a sparkling gala dinner in one of the most stunning caves in Halong Bay to formal dinners or dinner parties â?? all can be catered to ensure a celebration to remember.

Charter Cruise

What could be more privileged than a luxury private charter cruise to explore the legendary Halong Bay. Enjoy the freedom to choose your own private cruise destinations and itineraries. Privacy ensures you can stretch your imagination with onboard activities tailored and themed to suite your own wishes.