Let Emeraude Classic Cruises transport you back to the days of old 'Indochine' as you discover magnificent Halong Bay in style on board a luxurious replica steamer.
One of the great natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay covers an area of 1,500 km over which are scattered thousands of limestone islands and grottoes rising from clear, emerald waters. The only way to really appreciate Halong Bay's natural beauty is on an overnight cruise.
In 1910 a paddle steamer called the Emeraude was offering unforgettable cruises on Halong Bay for visitors to what was then French Indochina. Today the Emeraude offers a regular cruise service on board a luxurious replica steamer with 38 cabins meticulously designed to evoke the nostalgic charm of colonial Indochina.
With polished wooden floors and brass fixtures and fittings the Emeraude's cabins offer timeless elegance while the restaurant offers delicious, freshly caught local seafood and the flavours of traditional Indochinese fare.
Facilities:
Daily departures
Original cruise programmes
On-board massage room
Dining:
2 bars and a restaurant serving Indochinese culinary delights
Room type:
37 luxurious air- conditioned cabins and one suite
Emeraude Classic Cruises manages cruises through Halong Bay, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which covers an area of 1,500 square kilometers, scattered with thousands of limestone islands and grottoes, in the Gulf of Bac Bo.
Who should go? Though not the most expensive ship on Halong's emerald waters the Emeraude is certainly one of the most stylish and comfortable. Its French background make it a very different ship than than the many junks that make Halong Bay their port.
When to go? It is best to avoid Halong during the rainy season, from May to October. Getting rained on while on land is bad enough, but you don't want to be caught on the bay during this time.
Where is it? There is only one way to truly experience the beauty of Halong Bay, to be traveling on its waters. Don't spend any time at the landbound hotels.
What's not to be missed? For a little adventure, hire one of the kayaks to explore the caves during the low tide. (Be very careful to avoid the high tide). Wake up early in the morning for Tai Chi on the decks with the sunrise.
What's cooking? The seafood here is to die for. Throughout your trip you will see dozens of little "baskets" from which women sell their seafood. The Emeraude's kitchen staff has already taken steps to ensure you are well fed.
2 Days and 1 Night at Emeraude Cruise*
This package includes a one night stay on Emeraude Cruise and transfers between Hanoi and Halong. Prices are per person based on a half twin sharing basis.
Deluxe Cabin Room
Now - 30 April 2010
Starting from 286 USD per person
1 May - 30 September 2010
Starting from 248 USD per person
Our Emeraude Cruise Package Includes:
Accommodation at the Emeraude Cruise in Room Category as mentioned, based on half twin sharing
Lunch, dinner and breakfast
Round trip transfers in private A/C vehicle with a guide.
Our Emeraude Cruise Package Does Not Include:
Domestic flight ticket in Vietnam with airport taxes.
Other services than mentioned.
Other meals than specified.
Personal expenses i.e. telephone call, laundry, drink, etc.
* Recommended Package only. Please send us an inquiry to ask for more available packages.
EXTEND THIS TOUR WITH..
Overnight Cruise on The Mekong - 2 Days / 1 Night
Cruise Halong Bay by Luxury Boat - 2 Days / 1 Night
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TRAVELLER REVIEWS
I just wanted to let you know we had a great time visiting Vietnam. All the tour guides were great and the itinerary ...>> Read more
Thanks so much for helping us fall in love with your very special country. I do hope we'll be back soon>> Read more
I just wanted to let you know we had a great time visiting Vietnam.
All the tour guides were great and the itinerary gave a chance to see a good variety of scenery and historic sites. We both would like to come back and spend more time getting to know Vietnam.
I really enjoyed Hanoi and Hoi An and it great to go back for a closer look. Thanks for all your help planning the trip and hopefully we can do it again soon.
Dan
Traveler's Review
Deirdre and Caitlin O'Dea
I wanted you to know how grateful Caitlin and I are, for the wonderful holiday you organized in beautiful Vietnam. We were happy with every detail of the trip - our three very knowledgeable, very different guides, the talented drivers, the interesting and varied itinerary, amazing accommodation, delicious food and most of all your incredible attention to detail which made the trip run so smoothly.I very much appreciated all your help and your generosity in organizing our very late check out from the Duxton in Saigon at no extra cost to us.I will highly recommend Exotissimo travel to our friends and hope that they are lucky enough to be looked after by you. Thanks so much for helping us fall in love with your very special country. I do hope we'll be back soon
Cam o n Deirdre and Caitlin O'Dea May 2010
Traveler's Review
Rainer
Dear Trung,
We enjoyed the tour very much and thank you for the organization, which went smoothly and exceptionally well. We met some very interesting people in the group, one of whom highly recommended Exotissimo as a Tour Operator and we totally agree. So I decided to login on the Exotissimo website and we will do some other tours with your agency. At the moment we are thinking about Laos or Myanmar.
Well, Vietnam has positively surprised us and we recommended a visit to our friends we have had contact with since our return. Vietnam is a very nice country with a lot to show at all kinds of things: Beaches, culture, history and so on. Special thanks and warm regards to you and please also pass our thanks to all the people who helped organize this trip and the guides.
The decision to stay at Phu Quoc Saigon Resort was exactly the right one. It was a resort, where we could summarize the memories of the trip and really relax. Again thanks and we wish you all the best.
Rainer June 2010
Traveler's Review
Jane and Kate Whitmore
Hello Vi,
I am writing to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip to Vietnam and the services supplied by you and your company.
I also have a couple of suggestions for improvement.
First of all, your services were flawless! You may use me as a reference anytime. Please forward this email to your manager and any other high-level people who should know how pleased we were with your services.
Here are the things that you and your company did really well:
Communication I chose your company because of the consistent and frequent email communication from you. As you know, the person we originally were working with left. You picked up the work and continued promptly and efficiently. Initially I was somewhat worried about using an "unknown" travel agency outside of the United States to arrange this travel. You allayed those fears with your frequent, responsive communication. It was very reassuring to know that you were there and always responded within 12 hours. Well done!
Guides and Drivers Our guides everywhere on our trip were excellent. I appreciated that each one stated something like, "This is your vacation and I want you to have a good experience." On several days we made slight requests for changes to the itineraries. Every time our guides were accommodating and gracious. Their English was excellent. The drivers were always safe. I also appreciated that we were not expected to pay for our guides' or drivers' meals which would have been an unexpected expense.
Hotels met or exceeded our expectations. We especially enjoyed the hotel at Angor Wat.
Travel arrangements We were picked up promptly every time. When just the driver picked us up at the airport, he immediately called the guide so we could speak with him about the next day's schedule. This was very reassuring and impressive, even when these calls were late at night. We appreciated that our travel was confirmed and we were given updated airline information, including the one time the flight was delayed.
Itinerary I originally proposed an itinerary. Your agent made some suggestions which were good. When Mrs. Vy was not available for us on the day of cooking school, Vi was proactive to let us know. As it turned out, we did not have Mrs. Vy for cooking, but her assistant, instead. This turned out to be just fine and we were very happy with our cooking school experience. The "Hanoi Hilton" prison was not on our itinerary, but when we asked our guide about it, he included it.
Thank you for your excellent service and our very wonderful trip.
