Ha Long Bay & the Red River

Fly overnight from London to Hanoi, via Bangkok.

On arrival, transfer to the 4-star Silk Path Boutique Hotel (Hotel Pan Pacific - May 2024) for an overnight stay. Afternoon at leisure in the capital, perhaps to sample street food stalls or stroll the tight ’36 streets’ of the Old Quarter.

Transfer to Ha Long Bay (4 hrs). Well over a thousand islands and islets are scattered across the bay; a National Park with numerous caves, some little more than limestone pillars crowned with forestry, others with beaches, hemming ragged shorelines, or clusters of craggy karst cones soaring skyward from the sea. All are UNESCO protected and even more spectacular when colour-washed by sunset. Embark on the RV Angkor Pandaw for ten nights and cast off for an evening of sailing, mooring in a sheltered bay amidst the beautiful island scenery.
(B, L, D)

Morning sail around Ha Long Bay and its islands dating back 20 million years. Mesmeric, magnificent, mystical scenery makes Ha Long Bay a magnet for visitors to Vietnam. Stop at Viet Hai village to visit a local vegetable farm and typical village houses. Cruise towards Lan Ha Bay to visit a floating fishing house.
(B, L, D)

Its topography formed over 20million years, Ha Long Bay National Park encompasses numerous caves. We visit one of them by small-boat this morning, before entering the river to moor near the port city of Hai Phong. Entertainment on-board.
(B, L, D)

Cruise the Kinh Thay River, enjoying the scenery and scenes of daily life along the riverbanks. In its setting of farmland and fruit orchards, visit Thanh Ha for a village walk and a private water-puppet show. Continue cruising until late evening.
(B, L, D)

Visit the beautiful Bonsai village of Dien Xa, an ever-evolving work of art, and meet with the local artists dedicated to tending the trees. Sail on the Day River to splendidly scenic Ninh Binh.
(B, L, D)

Take a rowing boat to tour Ninh Binh, where waterways swirl between limestone monoliths scattered haphazardly around the town, and the gorgeous landscape is given the epithet of ‘Ha Long Bay on land’. This afternoon, visit Pham Phao village, known for generations of making and restoring musical instruments.
(B, L, D)

Sail upstream on the Red River to visit the 100-year-old Phat Diem Stone Cathedral, set beside a tranquil lake. Considered ‘the Catholic capital’ of the country, its rare Eurasian design is unlike any other church in Vietnam. Continue cruising to Hanoi. 
(B, L, D)

Discovery in the capital includes visits to the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius and known as ‘the first university’ for its seven centuries of learning; Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum; and Hoa Lò Prison, dubbed ‘the Hanoi Hilton’ by US prisoners of war, now largely demolished but partly retained as a museum. Visit a coffee shop to learn about the country’s coffee industry, and later enjoy a traditional ‘unicorn and lion’ dance performance. 
(B, L, D)

Begin the day with a visit to Bat Trang craft village, Vietnam’s ‘cradle of ceramics’, and cruise the Red River for an excursion in highland Vietnam, viewing rural scenes of rice paddies and rocky outcrops, and visiting the little-known Buddhist temples of Tay village, a thousand years old. 
(B, L, D)

Sail between the scenic banks of the Da (Black) River to visit Duong Lam Ancient Village, a tranquil and timeless enclave of brick roads, banyan trees, pagodas, and wooden houses, recognised by UNESCO for Cultural Heritage Conservation. An afternoon tour of local crafts visits woodcarving workshops and the blacksmith village of Ly Nhan. Enjoy a traditional dance performance this evening. Sail to Viet Tri.
(B, L, D)

Disembark the ship this morning. Visit the village of Gia Thanh, a hub of crafting the conical ‘non la’ hats; drive to Hung Lo Temple, a ‘national historic relic’, its centuries-old architecture preserved intact and still in use; and travel (4hrs) to Hanoi airport for the return overnight flight. 
(B, L)

Arrival at London Heathrow.