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Red Dragon
Rates
Summer promotion for Red Dragon
Cruise.
First Choice Travel offers you an interesting tours to Halong by
cruising Red Dragon 2 days 1 night
Travel Itineraries
Halong bay (2 days 1 night)
Halong bay (3 days 2 nights)
Bai Tu Long bay (4 days 3 nights)
Halong & Bai Tu Long (5 days 4 nights)
Shared tour to Halong bay
Charter the whole boat
Rates for travel agents
Customer centre
Questions
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email us now to have the answers from the consultants
Terms of use
F.A.Qs.
Halong Guide
Activities to join
Things to do
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that you will do to in our trips
Kayaking
Fishing
Swimming
Rock
Climbing
Trekking
Cooking
Studying geological values
Studying the biodiversity
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Customer Reviews
Reviews
from Australia
Steve McKenna leaves the crowds behind to enjoy the myths and magic
of Halong Bay.
In recent years, the emerald waters of Vietnam's Halong Bay have
become clogged with cruise liners. The phrase "quantity over
quality" sprang to mind when I heard fellow holidaymakers moaning
about shabby old junks with cramped cabins, surly staff, terrible
food and boisterous backpackers.
The Red Dragon, on the other hand, seemed almost too good to be
true. This swish new boat promised not just style and seafood to die
for, but some elusive serenity as well.
Its policy is to float away from the crowds, giving passengers the
chance to enjoy the bay and its stunning and seemingly endless
limestone karsts and isles in peace and quiet.
The Dragon certainly looks the part. It resembles Johnny Depp's ship
in Pirates Of The Caribbean and was modelled on a 17th-century junk
that used to ply the waters between Singapore and northern China.
However, instead of carrying timber and cannon - back then it was
hard to distinguish between tea and spice clippers and pirates - it
has many of the trappings of a boutique hotel.
Varnished, walnut-shaded Vietnamese tau wood is the dominant feature
throughout the $US500,000 ($759,000) vessel and it features an
etching of the "gateway to heaven" symbol (a H capped by a curved
I). It's a hint of the kind of scenery the Dragon courses through.
While the upper deck is perfect for sight-seeing, below deck are
five ensuite cabins, each boasting ultra-comfortable beds, black and
gold patterned silk curtains and a seductive lighting scheme that
suggests "honeymoon". The small marble bathrooms have showers that
spill out steaming hot water.
As Halong City's concrete jungle faded from view, our Vietnamese
guide, Trang, began pointing out some of the more striking sights of
the UNESCO World Heritage-listed area, which is a conduit to the
South China Sea.
"Look, Turtle Island," she beamed. "You see, it looks like a turtle.
And there's Teapot Island. Can you see it's shaped like a teapot?"
There were a few cursory glances but most passengers, including me,
were too busy tucking into lunch - a delicious mix of spiced king
prawns, pan-fried squid, grilled sea clams in butter sauce and
steamed sea bass. Jellyfish was also served but it was deemed too
chewy.
The same couldn't be said for the scenery. We were now amid a maze
of islands tufted with forests of eucalyptus and orchid. No other
buildings or vessels were in plain sight.
The view on one side of the boat had a sober, cloudless blue sky as
a backdrop and was beautiful but bland. The other side, however, was
drenched in sun; the water glimmered and the islands were little
more than silhouettes, stretching back as far as the eye could see.
The scenery stirred my imagination. I now understood why the area
was the birthplace of so many myths and legends.It's the site of
many ancient battles, usually involving the locals warding off
Chinese and Mongolian armies.
Legend says the islands were spat out by a giant dragon who wanted
to help the home side by throwing obstacles in the enemy's path.
Geologists, however, say they were formed millions of years ago by
tectonic movements.
We spent a pleasant afternoon visiting caves and kayaking on the
perfectly still waters and, when the Red Dragon's masts were raised,
thoughts of eye-patches, parrots and wooden legs immediately sprang
to mind.
If lunch had been good, dinner - grilled mackerel, prawns in Maotai
liquor, steamed sea crab in draught beer and pork loin in garlic -
was even better.
When we'd finished eating, the chef played guitar and sang
Vietnamese songs. Afterwards, he asked us to sing a traditional tune
from our own countries. We all cowered in our seats, until a
passenger from Luxembourg teamed up with a French woman and offered
a half-hearted rendition of a Parisian warble.
I took a walk on deck and stared at the full moon. There were a few
winking lights in the distance and, apart from the gentle hum of the
boat's engine, it was completely silent. Bliss.
The following morning, we were paired off into small boats and young
women in conical hats made from palm leaves rowed us around the
local fishing village of Vung Vieng, comprising a scattering of
wooden shacks built on large planks anchored to the seabed.
Though there were lots of nets and wire-mesh baskets stuffed with
squid, peeking into some of the homes I saw mod-cons like
televisions, DVD players and pool tables.
"Most people stay here all their lives, although they do sometimes
go to Halong City if they need to sell fish or to see the doctor,"
Trang said.
Twenty-four hours after pulling out of Halong City, we returned.
Though it was a wrench to leave the Red Dragon, it had been
wonderful to experience a side of the bay that few tourists ever
see. The feeling was reinforced soon after, when I spoke to a young
Irishman who'd been on a different Halong tour.
"We had a great time," he said. "We were drunk three days flat. One
morning, we got up at 8am and by 10am, we'd got through four bottles
of rum. It was brilliant!"
I smiled. The Red Dragon may lack the party verve of boats like
Captain Jack Sparrow's but therein lies its charm.
TRIP NOTES
Getting there
Malaysia Airlines flies from Sydney to Hanoi via Kuala Lumpur, see
malaysiaairlines.com.
Tired of touristy places but you would like to admire the beauty of
Halong bay, Bai Tu Long bay, join us today on Red Dragon Cruise.
Discover the untouched area of the bay. Visit the local fishing
villages. You rarely see other crowded tourist groups.
Red Dragon
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comments to
- Website:
http://www.reddragoncruise.com
- Email:
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- Tel: +84-4-3767.8656
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