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2D/1N Maya Cruise Tour: Here are Stunning Photos of Day 1 - Lan Ha Bay Luxury Cruise
Here Are Stunning Photos of Day 1 - Lan Ha Bay Luxury
Cruise
So what
REALLY happens in a super luxurious yet
incredibly affordable overnight cruise experience in Hanoi? It’s time
to be an insider-blogger and let me do the slicing and dicing of information
and photos for you. Can you believe it? I am still trembling from excitement
even after the Maya Cruise experience, because I had a super awesome experience
with them. The misty February atmosphere of the Halong Bay, coupled with the
translucent vibrancy of the Maya Cruise overnight
package is a big check in my bucket list indeed. I know, I know - I am a far
cry from being a master chef, but what I can digest, based from my cruise life
experience with Maya Cruises, is that the cultural flavors
of Vietnam will be one of the finest impressions you’ll ever experience. It’s really the BEST time to try this out, especially since
they are relatively a new player in this travel industry, and so you can expect
a strongly progressing kind of luxury Asian cruise for a price that is
way within your means.
As of the
moment, there are actually two kinds of cruise experiences that the Maya Cruise
team offers. First is the HANOI – HAI PHONG – LAN HA BAY – HALONG BAY cruise, which
takes about 3 Days and 2 Nights. Another one is the LAN HA BAY - HALONG BAY cruise, which
takes about 2 Days and 1 Night. Each of these cruise experience will have
inclusions (such as an English speaking tour guide on boat, all meals aboard -
lunches, dinners, light breakfasts), sightseeing entrance fees, welcome drinks,
cold handkerchiefs, fresh flower and fresh fruits baskets, and two bottle of
mineral water in each cabin; and exclusions (such as beverages, tips, gratuities
and other personal expenses). Speaking of cabins, you can actually choose from
different types – from 1st floor, 2nd floor,
with a wide window with full view, or with a private balcony. I like the names
of the rooms though, they’re pretty "expensive": Sapphire Room, Ruby
Room, and Diamond Room –
floating gems in the vast Hanoi waterscape?
So, what happens before the arrival, you may ask? ... and, we
were off to a good start! I was picked up from Hanoi Old Quarter area via their
very luxurious van, where we headed to the
highway to Got Port, Haiphong. It wasn’t so much as a long and winding
road, but more of highway with lots of colorful cemeteries and naked rice
fields. Took about 2 hours to get there, with a stop-over, lots of stories and
conversations with the tour guide and newfound friends within the van. We were
actually asked to introduce ourselves, like in a classroom, so as to meet new
friends whom will be with us in the cruise ship! This is a big plus for me,
because it gives you a chance to make friends in an instant (ie. British,
German, Indian, Malaysian, etc.); multi-cultural socialization at its
fundamental “luxury van” fashion. Lol. There are unlimited
water bottles provided, good thing! Plus, phone charging port! The driver was very attentive and we
felt very comfortable throughout the whole travel to and from the destination.
After going
through the port exchange, seamless small boat to big boat transfer, and passing through the
Cai Trap canal, we received the warmest Vietnamese greeting! With a welcome
drink on one hand, and a dangling point and shoot camera on the other, we were
given a thoroughly courteous cruise briefing, safety instructions and check in
by the Maya Cruise team. Again, I could not regurgitate this enough, but next
to the Nepalese and Japanese as the most polite people in all of
human-kind, I think the Maya Cruise team are as good (if not, maybe
even better) in terms of etiquette and customer service. They were trained
well, and I am sincerely impressed by it. Even the westerner friends we met were in awe by the politeness and all out customer service of the crew; we were all smiling and looking at each other, doing mental telepathy saying "we are impressed, so are you". Lol.
As we
started to cruise the Lan Ha Bay & Ha Long Bay, the islets slowly
transformed into this postcard perfect throwback and my eyes were massaged into
relaxation. While having our luxurious lunch, we passed by the Da Chong
islet, where we saw lighthouse built by the French over 100 years ago. The
limestones looked so dramatic, especially with all the silk-like mist and
serene waters embracing it. I was happy that the
route Maya Cruise offered was more on the less touristy path, so there weren’t
too much unnecessary boats and tourists around the islands, which made the view
more unspoiled. We were given some free time to grab a book, enjoy local
coffee, and just be in the moment and stay still. It was absolutely perfect.
Around
midafternoon to early evening, we reached the Tra Bầu area of Lan Hạ Bay, where we
were offered a chance to kayak, swim, and rest. Almost every one of
us decided to take part in this, despite the chilly weather, because the
setting was so inviting! This is one of the “busiest” part of this day, because
flocks of travelers from other cruise ships also dock in this area. It’s busy
with laughter, water fights, and kayak demos from the locals. The other local
guides also have their own area for quick tea break and chit chat. I think you
shouldn’t miss this part of the trip, because even though it’s considered
optional (especially for the seniors in the group), you can actually enjoy the
company of the folks here. It’s a nice prelude to our epic evening!
The start
of sundown over the Gulf of Tonkin opened in full swing with a traditional and
interactive cooking class. We prepared a Vietnamese dish and started the happy
hour extravaganza! No one was competitive, but everyone was in high spirits.
So. Much. Laughter. This reached until the romantic dinner special, where we were served the
BEST of the VERY BEST food you’ll ever enjoy. So. Much. Delicious. Food.
We closed
the day with some squid fishing activity and a lot of siesta under the
starless night sky. The flickering lights of the nearby cruise ship and the
hushed sounds of the Hanoi waters made me feel like I was slowly being sewn
into an over-the-top movie scene of some travel flick. Lol. It was so
surreal! Maya Cruise’s day one cruise activity is well thought of, catering
to the needs of every single passenger, and I am glad Maya Cruises
is doing a really good job.
On to the
next day…
MAYA CRUISE TRIP IN HANOI, VIETNAM TRAVEL SERIES
[VIETNAM TRAVEL] Read the rest of Explore Vietnam
Travel Blog Series:
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