One Night Cruise Along Ha Long Bay with Paradise Peak Vietnam
Nestled in the northeastern part of Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is a breathtaking masterpiece of nature, characterized by emerald waters and thousands of limestone karsts jutting dramatically from the sea. Last spring, we had the privilege of embarking on the luxurious Paradise Peak overnight cruise, an experience that elevated my appreciation for the sheer beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ha Long Bay is not just a destination; it’s a living testament to the Earth’s geological history. Its iconic limestone formations, some of which date back over 500 million years, create a surreal landscape that seems straight out of a fantasy novel. The Paradise Peak cruise, with its luxurious amenities and attentive staff, provided the perfect vantage point to witness the bay’s magic unfold. The cruise not only allowed us to soak in the awe-inspiring scenery but also offered an opportunity to delve into the bay’s rich cultural heritage, as the knowledgeable guides shared fascinating stories about the local legends and myths associated with the karsts.
One of the highlights of the Paradise Peak experience was the chance to explore the bay’s hidden gems, including pristine caves that have been shaped by centuries of natural processes. The cruise also treated us to a feast of exquisite Vietnamese cuisine, showcasing the region’s diverse flavours and culinary traditions. From fresh seafood caught in the bay to savoury local delicacies, every bite was a celebration of Ha Long Bay’s bounty.
After just previously spending two nights sailing across the more secluded Bai Tu Long Bay, we were ready to see what the hype of cruising in Ha Long Bay was all about. And aboard Paradise Peak, the experience of witnessing the natural gem unfold before us was elevated by the luxury experience of sailing with this five-star junk ship.
In this post, I’ll go through everything you’ll want to know about this unique one-night cruise. From where to stay in Hanoi before being picked up to the last meal you’ll enjoy at the Paradise Suites hotel before your ride back, and every activity in between, I’ll dive into the details of Paradise Vietnam’s premium experience and itinerary.
What Is a Junk?
The type of ship that Paradise Vietnam’s fleet uses is a traditional junk ship. Aboard Paradise Peak, you won’t be setting sail in a modern yacht or cruise ship, but one of these beautiful water crafts that were once widely used in Ha Long Bay, both for military combat and for trade.
Not to be confused with scraps you pick up from a junk yard, it’s actually an anglicized loan word of the Chinese word ? “chuán”. A junk is a type of Chinese wooden sailing ship with sails that are fully battened. It’s beautiful if you get a chance to see the ship open its traditional sails fully!
The Paradise Peak Ship
The Paradise Peak is the most intimate craft in Paradise Vietnam’s fleet that cruises overnight. With only eight high-end suites, it makes for a very quiet and elegant journey with only a few other passengers to share the experience with. The junk ship is comprised of four decks, including a spacious sundeck, an indoor restaurant, an outdoor bar, a spa, library and fitness centre!
There are three categories of the deluxe suites: two Junior Suites at 38 sqm, four Superior Suites at 40 sqm and two Premium Suites at 42 sqm.
Even as the most basic tier, the Junior Suites offer such a spacious and luxurious cabin. The four-piece bathroom is one of the most high-end ensuite bathrooms you can have on board any junk ship while cruising along Ha Long Bay. The Superior Suites are made larger with the addition of a private side-facing balcony. And the Premium Suites are even larger with their own private front-facing terrace with sun beds. All three suites have their own in-room dining area.
The Paradise Peak Cruise Itinerary
Between a morning pick-up from Hanoi on Day 1 and a late afternoon return on Day 2, this overnight cruise itinerary is quite packed with a variety of experiences. There is some down time, but it’s mostly after the sun goes down or early morning before breakfast. Essentially, no cruise in Ha Long Bay – unless you opt in for a private cruise – will give you a simple day of relaxation.
But, if there is one cruise that does give you more downtime onboard, it’s this one! After experiencing a cruise experience with three times the capacity of Paradise Peak, we realized how much time it takes to get 50+ people to get ready for dining and every activity versus only 12 people. And if one night doesn’t suffice for you, you can even opt in to cruise with Paradise Peak for two nights and experience a three-day itinerary!
Where to Stay in Hanoi
Included in your cruise package in your pick-up and drop-off at any accommodation in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It’s the best area to stay in Hanoi in our opinion and there is no shortage of vacant and affordable stays here! In between different multi-day tours from Hanoi, we stayed at three hotels in Old Town. Our favourite was the Aurora Premium Hotel & Spa, which is a top notch 4-star property for super affordable.
If you’re looking for a place of an even higher caliber, then The Oriental Jade Hotel is a true 5-star for a lower price than any 2-star hotel we have in Canada! You can also check out the interactive map I have below for so many more accommodation options in Old Town Hanoi.
If you’re staying somewhere outside of the Old Quarter that surrounds Hoan Kiem Lake, there may be a surcharge for your transfer pick-up. Check with your guest relations representative at Indochina Junk if your hotel is eligible for complimentary pick-up!
Luxury Limo Van Pick-Up From Hanoi
At your designated time for pick-up, which is typically 8am, a limousine van will arrive at the pick-up location you selected and provided to the reservations team. Where we were staying, our hotel was along a street that wasn’t permitted for cars, which meant we were ready to meet our driver at the nearby street. But instead, a lady working with the driver actually came to the front desk to get us and lead us exactly to the pickup point. Our driver wasn’t able to stop along the road, so he circled around the block, and once we were ready, the coordinator who was with us called him to come around. Once we and our luggage were in the van, the lady was already on her motorbike, and headed to the next guests’ accommodation!
The limousine van was so nice! It was fully black on the outside and branded with Paradise Vietnam, and the inside truly felt like a limousine experience. If this is your first time experiencing a limo transfer in Vietnam, you’re in for a treat. Extremely comfortable and spacious seating, personal cup holders, seat recliners for the first rows, and sometimes some mood lighting… It doesn’t get much better than this. We all got complimentary waters that were already placed in our cup holders. And during our pick-up, the driver came around to place our luggage in the back for us.
The road to Ha Long is just a little over 2 hours, which means a rest stop is well appreciated. We stopped at a well established outdoor eatery where they had many stalls for us to buy snacks, hot foods and drinks. We didn’t want to ruin our appetite for what was to come but couldn’t resist having a Vietnamese coffee to wake us up! After about thirty minutes, we hopped back in our van who was waiting for us in sight, and hit the road bound for Ha Long.
Arrival & Check-In at Paradise Suites
Our limo van dropped us off right at the entrance to the Paradise Suites Hotel situated on the manmade island of Tuan Chau. The hotel sits on a very new, quiet and exclusive street which was lined with buildings a part of the Paradise Village, Most of the buildings were various hotels of the Paradise Vietnam brand, strategically located by the pier for outgoing and incoming cruises.
Upon entering Paradise Suites, our luggage was handled and tagged for us, and the hotel revealed an elegant lobby and reception area enclosed in high ceilings. On one side they had a high-end boutique that surrounded their front desk, and on the other was their open concept lounge area, snack bar and cocktail bar. This place was most definitely upscale and we could absolutely understand why guests would like to stay here a night or two before and/or after their cruise.
When checking in, we were provided with wristbands indicating what ship we would be embarking on, identified by the serial number of the ship, the name of the ship and it was coloured to help staff identify us easily. For Paradise Peak, we had a bright yellow wristband. Once we got to relax in the lounge for about an hour, we hopped on the electric buggy and made our way to Paradise’s pier at the edge of Tuan Chau.
Boarding Paradise Peak
The buggy dropped us off and the Paradise staff members started grouping us together based on our wristbands and confirmed our names once more. Soon after, we were lead down the docks by a hostess to our very own Paradise Peak ship! Everything was effortless and we were welcomed on board with a refreshing cold towel and a glass of their tasty welcome drink. The reception area had a stunning old world elegance style, a theme that would be found throughout the rest of the ship.
All the staff were so kind and inviting, as well as incredibly well dressed! Right off the bat, we could see why Paradise Vietnam is one of the top luxury cruise lines in Ha Long Bay. Shortly after being welcomed on board, we were lead by our main host for our cruise, JL, up to the Terrace Deck for our introduction, safety brief and cabin check-in.
Our Superior Suite
Our stateroom was located right beside the restaurant on the Terrace Deck. That might seem unsettling to some of you, but the seal on these doors and acoustic insulation in the walls made the location of our nothing to worry about. In fact, it actually made it so easy as we could just pop right out of our rooms for every meal and meeting! Being on the Terrace Deck meant that we also got the highest floor and view from our room and balcony!
The Superior Suite opens up to a spacious room with the in-room dining table and balcony on one side and the bedroom on the other. The dark wood slats and furniture gave the suite an executive look while also being a testament to traditional Vietnamese interior design. Placed on various features in the suite, whether on the ceiling or on the wardrobe, were Vietnamese prosperity symbols. You can’t have a luxury cruise cabin on a Ha Long Bay junk ship without them!
Bedroom
Our comfy king size bed was set in the middle of the room facing out to the windows. On top of it laid two Ao Dais with matching turbans, a traditional outfit worn by Vietnamese royals back in the day. We had these placed here for us to all wear during dinner and it was fun dressing up for the occasion! The material is a premium navy brocade with golden designs stitched throughout the garment. The turbans were like our own crowns for the day!
The leather cushion tufted headboard elevated the bedroom even more and we had our own night tables, lamps and charging ports on each side of the bed.
A landline phone and room service menu were placed on the inner night table for those of you who may want to enjoy a private in-room meal or two. Beside this side of the bed was a vanity table and large mirror. I always appreciate a large mirror in the room, whether it serves a functional purpose to help me get ready, or an interior design purpose as they tend to bring the appearance of more space and light into the room.
Across the bed was a credenza covering the whole width of the room. There was some counter space and storage cupboards here, and a flatscreen TV was propped on here. Built into the TV system was a library of different movies we could watch in our downtime. Beside the TV was our drinkable water in glass bottles, as the use of plastic water bottles is now banned in Ha Long Bay waters. A coffee pod machine was provided in our room for a quick espresso, but honestly, nothing beat having a freshly made Vietnamese coffee from the bar, especially since we had the drinks package.
When we first entered our suite, our suitcases were already neatly placed right beside the wardrobe by the crew and bellmen. The dresser doors were so intricately designed with an Indochinese pattern and prosperity symbols carved right into them. The closet housed a few things we might need during our stay, including a couple of light his-and-hers kimono-style bathrobes!
Bathroom
Migrating to the bathroom, I was so pleased to see a spacious four-piece bathroom for a cruise cabin. Not only that, but it had its own large window. All the fixtures in here were high quality Toto fixtures. Upon entering, you’ll see the granite countertop vanity with a large, round topmount sink. The mirror was nicely rimmed with a silver textured border that brightened up the vanity. There were large glasses beside the sink with face towels placed inside them and bottles of filtered water for our use. The hair dryer hung up on the wooden slat wall above the countertop.
The glass shower stall was incredibly spacious. Narrow marble tiling followed the curvature of the corner of the room perfectly and the glass walls and doors were well sealed to prevent the water splashing out from the rainwater shower head. The handheld shower head was adjustable on the polished steel rod and a tray for shower amenities was large enough for our necessities.
Over to the toilet, I really liked the roundness of it that matched that of the sink. Is it weird to like certain shapes of toilets? The soft edges just felt more comforting, I’m not sure why! It also came with a handheld bidet spray, as do much water closets in Asia.
Onto my favourite part: the standalone soak tub. It had the best view in the suite, apart from the balcony. It came with a built-in headrest and the handheld shower head made it easy to rinse off after a bath.
Beside the bathtub, Paradise provided a ton of additional amenities in case we needed them, including toothbrushes, combs, razors, cotton swabs and balls, etc. The short bathroom shelf rack also displayed additional towels in case we needed any. There was definitely a sense of abundance in this bathroom!
In-Room Dining Area
Heading back to the suite entryway, the dining table for two was placed in its own enclaves beside the large window looking out to the balcony. It was dressed with high quality placemats and the chairs with these golden decorative pillows. Although we didn’t use the area for any meals, we did for a couple of coffees!
Stateroom Balcony
The balcony was quite sizeable for a cruise cabin. I guess that’s the luxury we get with a superior suite! The dark wooden slats encapsulated the entire space and pod lights sat in the ceiling for any nighttime balcony outings. There was patio furniture out there, including a cushioned couch and a footrest, for a cozy outdoor time to admire the view privately.
Paradise Peak Dining
Although we could’ve also enjoyed any of our meals in the comfort of our in-room dining area, we decided to have them in the restaurant just outside our suite with the other guests. During the low season of March that we took the cruise, the ship was only at half occupancy, so there were just ten of us! It was super intimate, but every group travelling together had their own dining table.
Throughout our one-night cruise, we enjoyed three meals onboard and one final light meal at Paradise Suites after disembarking at the port. I’ll get into each of these meals in order! But first off, I cannot stress enough how pleasantly surprised we were with the quantity and quality of each culinary experience. The food onboard completely surpassed our expectations.
With your Paradise cruise package, all meals throughout the itinerary are covered. But that’s not all. Apart from the first welcome lunch, every meal is essentially semi-buffet with à la carte selections. That means you can order whatever and however many dishes you’d like off their menu! With our booking, we also got a drinks package which meant that we could order any drinks off their menu at no additional cost. And their drinks were bomb! Even if you don’t opt in for an additional drinks package, you’ll still receive a free flow of house wines, local beer, soft drinks, tea, coffee and mini bar!
Lunch
Our first meal onboard was beyond our wildest dreams. The menu was printed on a premium piece of paper, but even though we knew exactly what we were getting served, we were still taken aback by how much food it was! Not only did the quantity surprise us, but the quality was just as amazing!
We started with some appetizers to open up our appetite. With some fried spring rolls made with seafood fished straight of the bay and a hearty crab meat and forest mushroom soup, we were at a great start! The flavours were so on point. The rolls were well filled and crispy. The soup was well seasoned and spiced.
We also couldn’t go without ordering some freshly pressed fruit juices, and wow they were perfect! At home, we would be paying a pretty penny for these juices. Luckily, they were covered with our drinks package! Jason went with the watermelon juice and I went with the passionfruit. I love that the seeds remained in my drink as they’r the best part of the fruit!
After our appies, we were served some simple foods that are necessities in a Vietnamese meal: steamed rice and stir-fried veggies. Of course, the main vegetable had to be bok choy! Cooked with garlic, we had these greens, along with carrots and mushrooms, before a fresh sour clam broth came to the table. The broth was a nice, clear soup topped with fresh herbs. When we have a family-style Vietnamese meal, a similar soup always makes its way on the menu we order!
We thought food was about to wrap up – again, just completely ignoring the menu beside us! Until this massive plate of incredible seafood came over! Wow, we were already reaching a level of fullness, but I couldn’t keep my hands off those oysters. They were absolutely mouthwatering and seasoned with a sauce with chilis, peanuts and so much more. They were divine! Also on our seafood platter were black clams, mantis prawns, regular prawns, geo duck and squid. Wow! A saucer of dipping sauce, seasoning and lime came with for us to add to taste.
Okay, now we really did think we were done! But then a full blue crab and steamed red snapper were on the way! We were fed a feast! Note of advice: come to the cruise very hungry. Don’t ruin your appetite with snacks prior to this lunch! We finished off with a plate of seasonal fresh fruit to seal the deal.
If you can’t have seafood, don’t worry. One of our neighbours on the cruise was allergic to shellfish, and the couple was served an amazing feast with an assortment of meats. Even they couldn’t finish! When you book your cruise, you’ll be able to communicate to the team whether you have any dietary restrictions. Our other neighbours on the cruise, a family of six, were Jewish, and they were served an alternate menu throughout the cruise that was entirely kosher. This is what I love about Paradise Vietnam – they are incredibly accommodating of their guests.
Breakfast
Before heading out on our final excursion on the morning we would return back to the port, we had a light bite of croissants and pastries with a coffee.
After returning back to the ship, we had one final meal before disembarking. We got a bit of both the Western and Vietnamese menus. Jason would not go without having the pho, and this one was definitely top 3 of the best beef phos he’s had throughout Vietnam – or maybe even ever. It just had the right amount of flavour, fish sauce, the beef was tender yet thick, the noodles were bouncy, and the onions didn’t overpower the dish. In addition to Vietnam’s iconic breakfast soup dish, he ordered some scrambled eggs and smoked salmon accompanied by toast and a garden salad.
I, on the other hand, kept it light for this one. I went with the eggs Benedict with ham and smoked salmon. The eggs were cooked to perfection with the right amount of runny-ness. The smoked salmon with a splash of Balsamic vinegar helped balance the saltiness. And of course, I couldn’t enjoy breakfast without a fresh cup of Vietnamese coffee! And Jason went an iced Vietnamese coffee which looks so rich, like a chocolate shake.
Dinner
One of the most memorable dining experiences was our dinner aboard Paradise Peak. We started off my getting dressed in our designated Ao Dais with turban. Already we felt transported back to another era in Vietnam, dressed like royals and nobles would have been! The royal blue shade with golden emblems, along with the style of the garments, made us feel like we had a rags-to-riches makeover!
We got seated for dinner and the place settings were so elevated. The high-end china plate was dressed with a red napkin that was held in a stunning napkin ring. Our menus were given to us and they seemed very extensive. On one side was an Eastern dinner menu and the other had a Western dinner menu. We were told we could mix and match and order whatever and however much we wanted. All-inclusive à la carte fine dining? Sign me up!
For a set menu, it was quite extensive. For each of the Western and Eastern menus, we had the option of three appetizers, one soup and four to five main courses. The main courses offered various meat options, including beef, chicken, fish, prawns, pork and vegetarian. Every plate was decorated colourfully with different herbs or vegetables, a necessary accompaniment for Vietnamese dishes.
For starters, we had to go with the:
- Halong squid cake, crab meat spring rolls and jellyfish salad
- marinated beef with green banana salad and tamarind dressing
- smoked salmon served with black caviar.
All three were cooked to perfection and had the freshest ingredients! I swear, they are hiding Michelin-starred chefs in that kitchen.
I delighted in a soup, the Eastern option which was the seafood soup with forest mushroom. The flavours and textures were very similar to what I’ve had at my mom’s favourite authentic Vietnamese restaurant at home, but even better.
Our entrées arrived and we chose one from each menu:
- the grilled Halong fish filet with local herbs, roasted peanuts, mint, coriander, rice cracker and dipping sauce, served with fresh rice noodles
- and the grilled Australia beef tenderloin served with vegetables and Cabernet Sauvignon essence.
Again, cooked to perfection!
Final Light Lunch at Paradise Suites
It wasn’t long after breakfast when we returned back to the Tuan Chau marina to end our cruise. But our Paradise Vietnam experience was not yet over! We were transported back to the Paradise Suites hotel to await our limo van transfer back to Hanoi, but had a period of time to lounge and enjoy a final light meal at the Halong Restaurant.
Our light lunch included a set of three courses with the option of two choices for each. As always, we went with the different options just to try them out and see what the whole menu offers! The first course was a small appetizer, the second course was a light main dish and the third was dessert. The menu consisted of the least expensive options on the Halong Restaurant menu, which is to be expected for a small addition to your Ha Long cruise culinary experience! Most guests already have their fill during breakfast and this light meal is sort of like an airport lounge à la carte experience.
For the first course, we had the option between the fresh spring rolls and the seafood soup which were a nice opener. For my second course, I was a little surprised that the bún ch? I ordered didn’t come with actual savoury grilled pork skewers but instead with fried spring rolls. Don’t get me wrong, I love my spring rolls, but this is not the definition of bún ch?. Jason got the other simple dish which was stir-fried noodles.
Lastly for dessert, we had the opera cake and the passion pana cotta. Both just a small few bites, but a nice end to our last dining experience with Paradise Vietnam!
Off-Ship Excursions & Sightseeing
There were some fun excursions we got to do across Ha Long Bay. We visited fishing villages and iconic islands, and explored the turquoise waters by kayak and deep into the largest cave in the bay by foot.
Ha Long Pearl Museum & Kayaking
Shortly after our feast of a lunch, we headed to the Ha Long Pearl Museum. Located in an enclosed area of the Lan Ha Bay, and surrounded by the many islets that make up Bo Hon Island, the floating museum sits on some of the calmest waters on the bay. Completely embraced by limestone mountains on all sides, this made for the perfect place to go for a solo kayak adventure, and that’s exactly what I did.
Our ship anchored a short distance away and our tender boat took our group over to the Ha Long Pearl Museum. I didn’t find the museum to be all that interesting and just walked in and out the other way to see the pearls being farmed. Various oyster breeds were being cultivated in the shallow waters and boardwalks on each side of the cultivation area allowed us to have a closer look. One of the farmers and experts working with the museum showed us how the pearls are harvested and the fine details they look for in them to make specific jewelry.
As much as I’m fascinated by pearls and their making, I was more eager to get onto the water. The deep aquamarine colour was so inviting! Especially with there being no waves or current, I was smooth sailing. I took a single person kayak while Jason stayed back to film and fly the drone, so it was just me and nature!
At first, I got up close and personal with our beloved junk ship. But then, I paddled away from everyone and it got eerily quiet and all I could hear was the sound of birds in the lush limestone mountains I was facing and the sound of water as I paddled. It was humbling, facing this big rock by myself. It felt as though I were in a Skull Island movie. Shortly after, I started getting a few too many morbid thoughts about creatures deep under me, so back to the floating museum I went where others were paddling about nearby.
Ti Top Island
We had one more adventure on the first day’s itinerary: Ti Top Island. It’s definitely one of the busiest destinations in all of Ha Long Bay, but it’s so developed. Ti Top has its own beach bars and food stalls, and to get onto the island, the tender boats bring you right onto well constructed concrete steps as a dock. Concrete paths lined with baby palm trees lead the traffic towards the main attractions of the island. Printed signs indicated all the different areas you could check out during your visit, and the first on our list was the viewpoint.
Ti Top Viewpoint is right at the summit of the slanted cone-shaped island. At 110m high, it takes give or take 342 steps up the well built stairs to reach, which went by fairly quickly, but there was a bit of a traffic jam of course! Once we got up there, we were in a large open gazebo with many other visitors, but it wasn’t tricky to find a spot where we could admire the iconic view of Ha Long Bay.
Shortly after, we went back down to enjoy the soft sand at the crescent-shaped beach of the island! Even if we didn’t feel like soaking our feet in the water, we could also grab a seat at the snack bars or the open viewing platform a few steps up! Fortunately, it wasn’t too crowded during our visit and we got some quiet time before heading back onto the ship for the night.
Sung Sot Cave
Our final activity was our biggest. It wasn’t demanding, but took the most time to explore as it’s the largest island cave in all of Ha Long Bay. Sung Sot Cave, which translates to the “surprise” cave, is the largest cave we have ever seen. The total area it covers is over 12,000 sqm. At first, we thought it was pretty small with tight and narrow passages. We were a little shoulder-to-shoulder with other visitors. But little did we know that we were still just in the first chamber, called the “waiting room”. The supermassive second chamber was waiting for us on the other side.
Our boat crew and host JL really stressed for us to be up and out at the earliest time as possible, which was to dock at 7:45, because of how crowded and busy the cave gets. We were so thankful that we did because we saw the masses piling in later on! There was a stretch of time where we were the cave felt pretty empty and it wasn’t too many of us walking through it.
The cave follows a one-way route marked by built-in stone paths and steps and restricted by a rope line to ensure we don’t go off route. It definitely made it easy not to get lost as we kept admiring the stalagmite and stalactite! The whole cave is so well developed for the influx of tourists with various ranges of mobility, and it’s incredibly well lit throughout. I can see why Hang Sung Sot has been named one of the most beautiful caves in the world.
As we exited the mouth of the cave, there were some more steps we had to climb up, but it was still fewer than the 100 or so steps at the beginning before entering the cave. We got one final stunning view of the limestone islands of Bo Hon Island before walking along the boardwalk back to our boat!
Onboard Activities
As you sail through Vietnam’s jewel of a bay, you’ll be able to enjoy a few pastimes onboard, either as a group or privately!
Spring Roll Making Class
During the late afternoon of Day 1, we got to enjoy a brief yet immersive class learning how to make ch? giò (Southern name) or nem rán (Northern name), i.e. Vietnamese spring rolls! This is something I’ve learned to make from my mom and aunties over the years, but everyone has different techniques or slightly different ingredients they may use! As much as I think learning through my family I learned from the best, Paradise Vietnam has professional, award-winning chefs on board that could teach us a thing or two.
For starters, the ingredients they used were so well assembled. We didn’t go into the specifics much, but what we learned in this little class was how to prepare the rice paper and roll the nems the best way. Instead of dipping the rice paper in water, you use a wet towel or napkin and place the dry rice paper sheet on top so that it evenly moistens and doesn’t get too wet and stretchy. We brushed some raw egg mixture onto the top side of the rice paper, using a frayed green onion stem before loading the ingredients on, to make everything assemble together nicely. And then, we rolled!
In this class, we learned to use not one, but two rice paper sheets! Is that why my spring rolls have been falling apart?! Two sheets was genius to make sure the rolls stayed intact after frying and kept a good level of crunchiness on the outside. After we rolled a few, we let the team of chefs take it from there and fry them up in time for us to enjoy as a starter before dinner. And we also got a fancy cooking class certificate to commemorate this time and celebrate our efforts, no matter how small!
Morning Tai Chi
After waking up bright and early on Day 2, we got to experience the most amazing fog lifting up and hovering above the limestone mountains of Bo Hon Island. It was incredible. The drone, of course, got some of the best views up there! As much as this woke me up a little bit, a sunrise Tai Chi class would do the trick to get my mind and body ready to take on the day.
I honestly didn’t know how important the breathing, opening and stretching that happens during Tai Chi would truly wake me up! It just got all the juices flowing through my brain, lungs and limbs. Morning Tai Chi typically happens on the sundeck in the fresh, morning air, but because of the weather and slight rain, it was held in the restaurant for us. If you want to start your morning right, be sure to wake up early for this quick 30-minute Tai Chi session before setting off on your Sung Sot Cave adventure!
Fitness & Spa
Enjoying the Sundeck is an absolute must while you’re on Paradise Vietnam. For an 8-cabin ship, it sure has a spacious outdoor area and eight sun loungers to enjoy some time privately up here. When the weather is nice out, the team will also set up one or more of the meals up here! They always have the tables ready in case some guests want to enjoy dining on the sundeck.
If you’re hoping to get a workout in during your spare time, head to the Main Deck. It’s small, but the fitness room allows you to get some cardio or a small weighted workout in. But truth be told, with the full itinerary you’ll have, I think you’ll prefer to spend your time relaxing more!
And that’s where the spa comes in. You can book yourself a treatment – or two – at Le Parfum spa on the Main Deck. You can also enjoy your massage or body treatment as a couple if you’re travelling with someone else! The massage rooms are conjoined and a sliding wall opens up to have side-by-side massage tables. If we were on our honeymoon, we would totally opt for a couple’s massage here!
Conclusion
From the time we set sail on Ha Long Bay’s waters to the moment we returned, I was enamoured by the harmonious blend of natural wonders and human ingenuity that makes Ha Long Bay an unparalleled destination for those seeking a truly immersive and enchanting experience.
