If you have ever wonder what it would be like to take a top hotel with you when you travel, you simply have to try the Pelican Cruise Halong offered by Halong Luxury travel. I knew that Halong Bay would be special. I had seen the brochures and read the blogs and reviews that are all over the internet. People’s praise for this very special part of the world is pretty much unanimous. It is after all a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has just about won every possible award that it could. It is a paradise on earth, that is without doubt. What did surprise me though, was simply the quality of our cruise boat.
The moment we arrived it was apparent that something was going to be a bit special about this four days trip. We were greeted and given a welcome drink in the dining area. After this we had time to check into our cabins and orient ourselves with the boat before they served lunch.
The cabins are spectacular, easily as good as any of the hotels I have stayed in, in Vietnam, and I have stayed in some of the best. Silks and satins accompany crisp linen bedsheets. The walls are tastefully decorated and the carpets, fixtures and fittings are glorious. Add to that panoramic views through the window and from our own private balcony and you get the idea. It was like living at the Ritz, but with an infinitely better view, and one that changes all the time.
We returned to the dining room where a buffet lunch was served. It was exquisite. Superb quality of food, tastefully presented and cooked to perfection. The staff were excellent and everything was pretty much perfect. We set sail as we were eating and after lunch I went up on the sun deck and took in the views. The bay is so special, better than anything I have ever done before.
In the early evening after we had cruised round for a few hours, the most superb dinner was served. Five star all the way and with excellent wines. After this we sat up top again watching the sun go down and sipping cocktails. It was like a through back to the days when only the rich could travel. I felt totally spoilt and pampered. Sitting in the warm Vietnamese evening air drinking delicious cocktails in the most glamorous setting. This was the stuff of film stars.
The trips away from the boat were informative and interesting. We went to caves, islands, and National Parks. We went kayaking and had a barbecue on a beach. It was all just fine. However for me it was the simple pleasure of those late night cocktails that did it for me. The memory of those nights will live with me forever. I’ll never forget the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this magnificent trip.