Peaceful Northern Vietnam - Ninh Binh, Halong Bay 5D4N (KA)

Hong Kong - Hanoi

Welcome to Hanoi. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by our local guide and transferred to the city center for hotel check-in. Get out to enjoy the first dinner in Hanoi. Overnight at the hotel.

Overnight: Hanoi
Meal: --/--/DD

Hanoi city - Ninh Binh

Your day starts early with a visit to Temple of literature - Vietnam’s first university, the thousand-year-old. After that, we will drive out of town to Nho Quan – Van Long. Enjoy the beautiful landscape and take the opportunity to make some photos of the endless rice fields bordered by the mountain ranges. Upon arrival at a typical local house, we take a rest here then enjoy a special local lunch prepared by the host family. This is a great possibility to join the real life in Vietnam.

After lunch time and some relaxation, get on your bike and cycling along the dike which one side is bordered by lovely Hoang Long river and the other by immense rice fields. Following this experience, you will board on a traditional sampan rowing boat to get deeper into the Van Long Nature Reserve to observe the Ardeola bacchus, Egretta garzetta… which are generally called as white storks by locals… Van Long is a great place to observe migrating raptors (especially during spring and autumn) and it is also the only known breeding site for the magnificent Bonelli’s Eagle in Vietnam. In the late afternoon, check in to your hotel.

Overnight: Ninh Binh
Meal: BB/LL/DD

Ninh Binh - Halong

We leave Ninh Binh this morning and head straight to Halong bay a stunning UNESCO World Heritage site with its 3,000 islands of towering limestone dotting the bay and Gulf of Tonkin (180km - 3.5-4 hour driving). Upon boarding you are greeted with a welcome drink and gather in the dining room for a comprehensive safety and boat orientation briefing followed by itinerary details.

After the briefing and check in we have a bit of free time till lunch is served at 1:00pm. Lunch is a multi-course Vietnamese and Western set menu. Any and all dietary needs will be catered to.

During lunch we cruise through the Bai Tu Long Bay, cruising through the most beautiful and quiet area in Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay to visit Cua Van Fishing Village. Cua Van Floating Fishing Village is one of the largest fishing villages on the Bay. Guests can choose between kayaking through the village or visiting on small bamboo boats (sampans) rowed by the villagers.

Back on board after visiting the village there will be free time of about one and a half hours before the Cooking Demonstration on board will be held by our Chef and all the passengers could attend to this. During that time the chef will conduct a Cooking Demonstration showing the guests how we decorate and make some Vietnamese food which is traditional food in Vietnam. In addition we will have the first of our double happy hours from 6:00 till 7:00 during which time one free drink will be received for each one ordered. The dinner is served at 7:30pm.

Dinner is a sumptuous buffet featuring an array of salads, seafood, meat dishes, seasonal fresh fruits and deserts.

After dinner guests can relax in the dining room and lounge or on the upper deck and enjoy the second happy hour from 9:00 till 10:00. Board games and playing cards are available and massage services as well (massage service is available throughout the cruise – on your own budget). Also, everyone can try their luck at squid fishing from the boat with help from the crew. Overnight on the cruise.

Overnight: Halong Cruise
Meal: BB/LL/DD

Halong - Hanoi

The next morning coffee, tea and breakfast pastries are on offer from 6:45. Tai Chi lessons are led by our tai chi master at 7:00 before we leave the boat at 7:45 for a walking tour of Titov Beach Island. About one hour is spent on the island allowing time for a climb up the steps to the peak for a breathtaking 360 degree view of the Bay (there is also an expansive viewing deck half way up). After the climb there is time left to relax on the beach and have a swim.

Back on board it’s time for final packing and freshening up before enjoying a full breakfast buffet, including traditional Vietnamese Noodles (Pho). After breakfast guests may relax in the dining room and lounge or on the deck enjoying the last Bay view’s before disembarkation at 11:00am. Transfer back Hanoi, enjoy a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter of “36 streets and 36 wares” dated back from the 11th century to witness the bustling quarter of Hanoi. Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc... The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The trip ends at Lake of Restored Sword with a visit the Ngoc Son temple. Overnight at the hotel.

Overnight: Hanoi
Meal: Brunch/DD

Hanoi - Hong Kong

Free on your own activities until transfer to the airport for the flight home. SERVICES END

Meal: BB/--/--