Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay – Lunch – Tra Bau – Dark & Bright Caves – Afternoon Tea – Got Harbour – Hanoi (L)
7:15 – 7:45: The driver will collect you from your hotel lobby in Hanoi. Our Lan Ha Bay Day Cruise will begin as we start our journey along the smooth highway to Got Harbour in Hai Phong city. Keep an eye out for attractive rural scenes as we cross the highly traditional Red River Delta en route to Hai Phong.
10:00: At Got Harbour, we will have a short time to relax in the waiting lounge before stepping on board the majestic Escape Sails. Here, we will be presented with a welcome drink as the crew announces the itinerary for the following 7-8 hours of cruising time.
11:00: A multi-choice lunch, suitable for catering to every diet, will be served in the elegant dining room as your luxury Halong Bay day cruise sets sail. Some of the bay’s more famous islets will greet us while we cruise, including the islet of Da Chong and its 100-year old French lighthouse left behind after Vietnam’s colonial era.
12:30: We make our first stop of the day in a quiet corner of the Tra Bau area, where the Escape Sails has exclusive access. The beauty of the karst-lined seascape opens up to us as we kayak and swim through its silent waters, enjoying the stillness of an area uncluttered with other cruise ships.
14:30: Our next stop is to the Dark & Bright Caves, two fascinating wet cave systems with directly opposite appeal. A local will row us on a sampan boat through the Bright Cave, where we emerge into a hidden lake enclosed on all sides by streaked cliffs and their tree-topped peaks. Passengers with keen eyes may be able to spot beautiful Cat Ba langurs, an endangered species of monkey that has sought sanctuary amongst the forested mountainsides of the Bright Cave.
15:30: In the mid-afternoon, we spend more time aboard our luxurious Halong Bay day cruise. Relax on one of the two sundecks and cherish the phenomenal sights of unbounded nature on all sides, perhaps with a drink from the bar. Later in the afternoon, our talented chefs will put on a cooking class and fruit-carving demonstration, followed by a Western-style afternoon tea with accompanying snacks.
17:30 – 17:45: We arrive back at Got Harbour just as a beautiful sunset envelops Lan Ha Bay. We take the final step off our cruise and board the bus that will be waiting to return us to Hanoi.
19:45 – 20:00: The driver will drop you off at your hotel lobby in the capital’s Old Quarter, concluding your Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay daytrip with the Escape Sails.
The staff at the Escape Sails are very appreciative of your time. It was an honour to show you this slice of our homeland and we hope that you enjoy your travels throughout the rest of Vietnam!
