The Untouched Alternative to Halong Bay – 6 Days

You have the entire day today to discover the charming capital of Vietnam. Hanoi is an eclectic mix that has something to offer everyone with its broad, tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, serene lakes, and historic oriental pagodas. Your city tour will take you to some of Hanoi’s most important landmarks, including the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes the stilt house and mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, West Lake, the solemn Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, and one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum).

Your guide will take you on a culinary tour, sampling street food in the Old Quarter, following the sightseeing tour. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the ideal location to discover the finest Vietnamese cuisine, but with so many options, it can be challenging to know where to begin. You will be motivated to seek out those wonderful smells and experience some of the authentic Hanoi food scene if you enjoy local history, culture, street food, and drinks and the aforementioned sounds right up your alley. You now have the opportunity to discover Hanoi’s distinctive culinary tradition and sample regional specialties influenced by Chinese and French cuisine. Before returning to your hotel, stop for a drink and marvel at the Hoan Kiem Lake’s amazing nighttime view from a café.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

After breakfast at the hotel, travel to Ninh Binh province to see an ancient setting rich in natural beauty that was recently added to the World Heritage List. You will begin your tour at the Bai Dinh Pagoda complex, the biggest pagoda in Southeast Asia and Vietnam, when you arrive at around 10:00. This location is breath-takingly beautiful, perched on the foothills of Dinh Mountain, surrounded by breathtaking views of the lovely river valley below, and dotted with limestone karsts. It will take a full day to explore all of the stunningly impressive and exquisite Vietnamese architecture found in the pagoda complexes. You cannot help but be enchanted by the sacred settings and your guide’s fascinating account of a Buddhist legend. Here are a few of the highlights:

• 500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats),
• Two huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, the other 36 tons,
• Three bronze statues of “Tam The” (50 tons each).

The tour concludes with a climb to the summit mountain where visitors can view the 100-ton bronze statue of Buddha Sakyamuni and take in the expansive view of the picturesque region dotted with limestone mountains.

You will depart for the Trang An Grottoes, a magnificent 20 square kilometer limestone massif that dramatically rises out of the rice paddies, after lunch. There are pristine areas with mystic valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle hidden deep within the towering mountains. Set out on a traditional sampan and leisurely rowed through many caves, including “Hang Toi” (Dark Cave), “Hang Sang” (Bright Cave), and “Hang Nau Ruou” down the lovely river (Cave of Distillery). Every passage reveals something new that is concealed within tranquil, deserted valleys and may have been transformed from one World and time to another.

We then proceed to a hotel in the city to spend the night in Ninh Binh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh.

Join Orchid Cruise, the first five-star cruise line with the most thorough schedule. Investigate Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, and Lan Ha Bay, the bays of wonders. Take a break on a leisure cruise, unwind in the pristine ocean, or laze around on a pretty white sand beach! As you travel to the land of pleasure, you will quickly forget all of your worries and enjoy the beautiful scenery, delectable seafood, and tranquil atmosphere. This will undoubtedly be a once-in-a-lifetime trip!

After breakfast, meet your driver and guide in the hotel lobby and travel for approximately 3.5 hours through the provinces of Nam Dinh and Thai Binh in the Red River Delta to Dinh Vu Port in Hai Phong City, where your 5-star Orchid Cruise is waiting for you.

12h00: Transfer by tender to the Orchid Cruise.

12h15: Welcome aboard! Enjoy a complimentary drink while you checking and review safety instructions. Your exploration of Halong Bay begins – one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

12h40: Your Orchid Cruise proceeds to Da Chong islet where you can see a lighthouse built by the French over 100 years ago. Enjoy lunch on-board before continuing your journey via the islets of Duck (Con Vit) and Gia Luan. These amazing limestone karst formations rise up out of the sea in an impressive manner. This area is untouched due to being a fair way from Halong City, not so many tourist boats venture here, meaning it has a more isolated appeal.

14h45: Progress to Ba Trai Dao beach area of Lan Ha Bay, a separate part of Halong Bay. Geologically, Lan Ha is an extension of Halong Bay but sits in a different province of Vietnam. The region is known for its pristine beaches and spectacular beauty with about 400 fascinating karst islands and limestone outcrops. Unlike Ha Long Bay, the islands of Lan Ha Bay are forested, and most are small in stature.

15h00: Experience the small coracles that used by fishermen for centuries. You will learn how they go to trade or to cast fishing nets whilst navigating the waters in their tiny craft.
Alternatively, you may prefer to kayak amongst the jutting karsts or simply enjoy a swim in the crystal waters of the bay. (This program offered April through November)

In the winter months, (December to March) you may visit Viet Hai village. Bike along the village path and go through lush forests. Enjoy stunning scenery of rice fields on the way. Optional electric cart service is available (at an extra cost).

17h45: Return to your ship. You may watch the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin or join a traditional cooking class. The ship’s chef will instruct you in the making of some Vietnamese dishes.
Option: Massage service available, please book with Cruise Manager directly.

19h30: Dinner is served. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served by professional on-board catering staff.

21h30: Watch the water glistening in the moonlight as you lounge on the top deck sipping a cocktail of choice or try your hand at squid fishing- one of the most interesting evening activities that you may experience. Overnight on board.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Accommodation: Overnight on cruise.

6h00: Rise early to witness the bay at its very best whilst enjoying an invigorating Tai Chi session on the sundeck. After breakfast, continue your journey and head out by canoes to explore the bay in the area where the Dark & Bright Cave is situated.

9h45: Return to The Orchid for check-out procedures.

10h15: Enjoy a delightful brunch as you are navigating back to Dinh Vu Pier.

11h35: Disembark.

Meet your tour guide, then spend the afternoon exploring some of Hai Phong City’s top attractions.

In addition to being well-known as a significant industrial port city, Hai Phong City has enormous tourism potential. It kept many beautiful architectural features, such as the old neighborhood’s French neoclassical buildings and traditional structures like pagodas and temples.

One of three theaters constructed in Vietnam by the French, the Hai Phong Opera Theatre, also known as Municipal Theatre, is the first stop on the tour and a representative cultural landmark of Port City. The Theatre, Flower Stall, and Le Chan Statue are located close to the City Square. Hai Ba Trung, one of the female generals who served under the Trung Sisters’ command, rose up against Chinese rule in the year 43 CE. Explore this lovely city’s tree-lined streets on foot.

Visit “Cho Sat” (Iron Market), a bustling urban market with a sizable footprint, after lunch. The market was constructed using iron and steel, so people call it “Cho Sat” to make it easier to remember. Even if you have no intention of making a purchase, it’s still interesting to observe daily life in Hai Phong’s bustling downtown.

Take one of Vietnam’s most up-to-date freeways back to Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Your tour guide and driver will take you to Bat Trang after breakfast, where ceramics production traditions are passed down from one generation to the next. This historic craft village, which is only 30 minutes south-east of the city, has developed over the past few years into a major hub for ceramic and pottery exports. Take a stroll through the streets to see dozens of family-run pottery shops and discover how the village came to be known for producing some of the best pottery in Vietnam. Enter a workshop to participate in a hands-on activity like decorating a piece of regional pottery with paint. The original artwork will be allowed to dry at the studio before being delivered later for a keepsake.

You might have some free time before your driver takes you to the airport for your departing flight home, depending on your flight schedule.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodation: N/A.