Itinerary

DAY 1 ~ Arrive on Hanoi
Our trip begins in charming Hanoi – the Paris of Southeast Asia. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to a boutique hotel in the city’s Old Quarter, from which you can easily go shopping in the bustling markets, or stroll around legendary Hoan Kiem Lake. In the evening we’ll enjoy fine Vietnamese cuisine, a unique blend of Asian and French influences, at our welcome dinner hosted at one of the country’s best restaurants.

DAY 2 ~ City Tour (B,L,D)
We’ll spend the day exploring the wonders of this thousand year old city. Hanoi has one foot in the past and one in the future and blends Asian culture with European influences both colonial and contemporary. Starting with a walking tour of the Old Quarter where the streets are named for the type of crafts people or wares found there. Silks, porcelain, ethnic crafts and antiques are some of the most popular items but those represent only a fraction of what is available. On Pho Hang Gai (Silk Street) you can commission custom-made clothes in an dazzling array of silks and linens that will be ready when we return from Halong Bay (consider bringing a favourite item or two of clothing from home to be expertly duplicated). Boarding a mini-bus we’ll tour the city visiting some of the must-see sights including the Confucian Temple of Literature Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum complex and Hoa Lo prison - the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”. A lunch at a restaurant on one of Hanoi’s broad colonial era boulevards will provide a respite and chance to discuss the day’s sights. In the evening we’ll go to a century-old restaurant for Cha Ca, a fabulous fish dish, prepared on a tabletop brazier, that is so unique it’s cited in Patricia Schultz’s, “1000 Places to See Before You Die” (Workman Press).

DAY 3 ~ Halong Bay and Kayaking (B,L,D)
At the break of dawn we’ll walk around famous Hoan Kiem Lake where thousands of people of all ages gather to do tai chi and other morning exercises. After breakfast a mini van will take us on the three hour trip to Ha Long Bay. Driving through the verdant green countryside we’ll see water buffalo in fields, while on the road there are remarkable examples of how many people and goods (including livestock!) can be stacked on a motor scooter. Arriving in Ha Long City we’ll be greeted by the crew and board our mothership, the most beautiful and luxurious sailing junk on Ha Long Bay. Almost immediately we’ll set sail for the seldom visited southern area of Halong bay where we have obtained special permit to kayak. There will be time to get out in the kayaks and paddle before the first of several beautiful Ha Long Bay sunsets. Our day ends with an exquisite seafood meal under a starry sky.

DAYS 4 to 8 ~ Exploring the Mysteries of Halong Bay (B,L,D)
Our trip takes us on an odyssey through Ha Long Bay’s maze of 2000 islands. The only way to describe Halong Bay is as relentlessly spectacular. Incredible rock formations rise out of jade green water, every turn brings another surprise and secret passages lead to hidden lagoons and magical sea caves. These are pristine places with unique ecosystems; they are rarely visited, even by local fishermen. Visits to floating villages of fishing folk provide a unique cultural insight to a warmly open and friendly people of the sea who live their whole lives aboard tiny bamboo boats.
The days on the Bay have a very pleasant rhythm of mornings that start with good strong Vietnamese coffee served on deck followed by a delicious breakfast before setting off in the kayaks. We’ll stop from time to time for breaks on lovely sand beaches and to swim in the warm, jade waters. Most often the boat will weigh anchor after we’ve left and rendezvous with us on the other end of an island group for a leisurely lunch. In the afternoon we do shorter paddle returning in time to relax and swim before drinks, a multi-course dinner and a discussion of the next day’s paddle.

DAY 9 ~ Return to Hanoi (B,L,D)
After a final paddle, we return to “civilization” and we disembark in Bai Chai. Returning to Hanoi by van and we’ll check into the Sofitel Metrople. The afternoon will be free to shop and further explore this enchanting city. Our farewell dinner takes place in a beautifully restored French colonial mansion.

DAY 10 ~ Departure (B)
After breakfast guests depart to Hanoi International Airport (HA

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