My classmate governors in Rotary Philippines planned a mini-reunion post our one-year term and we decided on Hanoi, Vietnam as our destination.
As the designated in-charge of travel, I solicited the help of Travel Lounge’s Sheila Saratan who created a package for us and she very well delivered as we came home wanting for more.
We arrived in Hanoi early morning and were brought straight to a Pho place upon request to have a taste of this Vietnamese soup with rice noodles, herbs and meat. It was a heavy breakfast but well worth it since Cebu Pacific does not offer even coffee on board their regional flights.
I was used to flavoring pho with the sweet-salty Hoisin sauce but in Hanoi, they only offer soy sauce and chili sauce for flavoring. It wasn’t how I want my pho to taste but it was still delicious.
Then we spent the entire morning on a city tour but the temperature was unbearable and we decided to skip some of the sights and have a taste of their famous egg and coconut coffee and we opted for the cold version which was just enjoyable.
Lunch was in the Anh Hoa Legend restaurant where we had seafood soup, the Anh Hoa spring rolls, steamed squid with ginger and fish sauce, grilled chicken honey, pork ribs with sweet and sour sauce, sour soup, some veggies and taro sweet soup for dessert.
All that eating made us so sleepy that we decided to just go to our hotel to rest before dinner. Sheila booked us in the Apricot Hotel, a 5-star hotel which indeed merits an inclusion in the list of Top 10 Hotels in the world, not just because of its amenities but because of its location right across one of the biggest lakes in Hanoi, plus a 5-minute walk to their Night Market.
Dinner was at the popular Vi Hanoi Restaurant which was a quaint home turned into a restaurant and all rooms were converted into intimate dining areas, including the balcony where patrons can eat with a view of the artsy street below.
The following day, we took off after breakfast for a two-hour ride to Halong Bay, passing through their very impressive expressway.
We were the last group to arrive before the boat – Paradise Elegance – sailed, and we had a very warm welcome from the cruise manager, Jen, who is a Filipina, along with several other Filipino crew members, including Eman, our assigned butler.
Post the obligatory safety briefing, we went to our cabins and it was really a charm, equipped with a full bath and shower room, a spacious balcony with table and chairs, and even a television that has HBO and Netflix movies.
Most of the passengers were from Europe with a big group from Italy, a couple of small groups from Spain and the rest of us Asians on board a 31-room cruise liner.
Lunch was buffet with a mix of Japanese and western food and lots and lots of fruits. After a short nap, we joined the excursion to Titov island, named after the Russian cosmonaut Gherman Stepanovich
Titov, who had a statue in his honor on the island. We were given an option to scale the 200-steps up to tip of Titov Island or swim in the beach and of course we opted for the latter as the steps were steep.
Then we went on another boat ride to Luon Cave where we boarded a bamboo boat that took us under the limestone mountain and got near the magnificent rock formation floating on top of crystal clear waters. It was really impressive.
Sunset was best viewed at the sun deck of the cruise ship while having a glass of wine before heading down to the restaurant for a fine-dining experience.
We started with Atlantic smoked salmon, Brie cheese and garden lettuce for appetizers, followed by seafood bisque with sour cream and pan-friend shrimps. We were asked to choose two main courses and I opted for Nha Trang Lobster Thermidor and a fillet of Australian beef while the others had herbal deep fried chicken breast and vegetables and cheese crepes.
They were all delicious and the presentation was awesome as well. Post dinner, we went to the lounge were we were entertained by a Filipino duo band and just before retiring for the night, I was able to capture a breathtaking lightning storm that looked like fireworks from afar.
We had a downpour that night but I didn’t know about it until the following morning as I slept peacefully through the night.
We had an early start the day after with some of us joining the TaiChi class at the sundeck before riding the boat to Sung Sot cave or Surprise cave which is touted as the largest cave in Halong Bay.
When we were informed that we will be going through a 700-step journey up and down the cave, I said no but was cajoled into joining the group and boy, though I conquered that feat, I felt my knees tremble as we were going down to the end of the cave. But it was worth the arduous hike to see all those stalactites and stalagmites. Still, although it was beautiful, I think our Underground River in Palawan is more beautiful.
After that hike, we headed back to the cruise ship for a hearty breakfast before the trip back to the main land. All in all, the entire experience was really good value for money especially since all meals were inclusive, particularly the last dinner buffet in this very large restaurant in Hanoi which boasts of 200 types of dishes.
It was a tour that kept you wanting to extend one or two more days and I really have to hand it to Travel Lounge for giving us a memorable trip.*