Indochine Cruise 3 DAYS/2 NIGHT

In light of being awarded the 2018 Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellent, Indochina Sails launched the newest member of the team – Indochine Cruise in 2019 to improve the cruise quality in Lan Ha Bay and to retain its position among the top luxury cruises in Halong Bay. Spruced up with a combination of contemporary luxury, the Indochine metal boat interprets the traditional Indochinese maritime heritage while evoking the colonial period of Vietnam.

With a long and rich experience of 20 years onboard, Indochina Sails’ cruises in general, and Indochine Cruise in particular, have become the first choice of tourists around the world when traveling in the Gulf of Tonkin. They are adored for their luxurious charm and perfect services which are among the best Halong cruises.

“Comfort – Quality Service – Charm – Reasonable Price”. A short description of the Indochine cruise will give you a clear notion of what the 5-star service proposes. Come to Vietnam and experience the praised cruise yourself and you will fall for the experienced and motivated staff along with outstanding services.

Cabin and Suites

Indochine Cruise offers five distinct classes of suites, which add up to 43 rooms in total (32 Junior Suite – 08 Suite – 02 Junior Suite – 01 President Suite), with an area of from ​​32m2 to 80m2, equipped fully with necessary amenities. To create the most favorable conditions for group travelers, the 32m2 standard room type accounts for up to 70%.

Junior Suite

• Area: 32m2
• Capacity: 02 adults + 01 child
• Highlight: Private balcony

The cabin takes up to around 32m2, not too large and just enough for 02 adults. A calming and refined elegance is what you can find in the Junior Suite, which occupies the 1st & 2nd decks of the cruise – closest to the reception & restaurant area. You can choose between a double bed and two single beds, whichever is more convenient for you. The private balcony is not too spacious, just enough for two chairs for guests to enjoy the view of Lan Ha Bay.

One small point that I don’t prefer about the design: there is a mirror arranged opposite the bed. Despite that, this is still an ideal choice for couples, or small families with a kid because there is an extra bed next to the private balcony.

Suite

• Area: 42m2
• Capacity: 02 adults + 01 child
• Highlight: Private balcony, Bathtub

I had a chance to stay in this room type – this suite is located on the 3rd floor, which is very convenient for guests to move to the sundeck, the Cochinchin lounge, and the plunge pool. According to the introduction of the cruise manager, there are 08 Suite rooms, with a comfortable balcony (which seems quite more spacious than the Junior Suite) including a table set for couples, bringing a more stunning view of Lan Ha Bay from higher down in the balcony. My room looks exactly like the picture – this is a flawless combination of luxury and the tradition of Indochina maritime heritage framed with quaint wooden furnishing and intricate interior decor. In addition, an advantageous point is that there is no engine noise or fuel smell in the cabin.

I would highly recommend opening the curtain at night, then you can wake up and see the sunrise view through the large window – It’s really a wonderful experience on board. My en-suite bathroom is great too, there is a huge bathtub with a sea view passing the balcony to the bay. All the amenities in the bathroom are designed luxuriously with a high-class 24K gold-plated dragon foot porcelain bathtub. I don’t know what the other cabin types are like, but the soundproofing of my room isn’t too good. In general, this room is worth trying – especially for couples who are looking for a memorable trip together.

Executive Suite

• Area: 54m2
• Capacity: 02 adults
• Highlight: Private balcony, Bathtub

Lying on the second deck, the Executive Suite is also an ideal option for couples, which is adorned with a whimsical Southeast Asia theme, and dim yellow lighting which emphasizes all traditional patterns. There are only 02 Executive cabins on the cruise, spacious for 02 adults with an extended private balcony, which will definitely elevate your high-end overnight stay to another level.

Surrounded by large glass windows, this suite will ease your mind throughout the journey with a breathtaking enormous sea view in front of the delicate king-size bed. Moreover, the amenities in the en-suite bathroom are the same as in the Suite cabin.

President Suite

• Area: 80m2
• Capacity: 2 people
• Highlight: Private balcony, Jacuzzi tub

The only President suite cabin on the 3rd floor is a fit for any passengers looking for an exquisite experience on the pure waters of Lan Ha Bay. Taking advantage of the largest cabin on board, the arrangement of luxuriant interior furniture will please even the most stringent customer. This cabin breaks the binaries between centuries by incorporating both authentic French Indochina heritage and the modern technology of the twenty-first century, providing a lavish stay like a king on board.

With an impressive area of up to 80m2, the suite has an elegant separate living room for greeting guests. You will be offered two luxurious bathrooms: one like the bathroom in the Junior Suite next to the living room, and the remaining with an opulent tub – the same as the Executive Suite (which is located in the bedroom area). Generally, the President Suite is best for high-end couples or families with kids.

Family Connecting

• Area: 54m2
• Capacity: 3 people
• Highlight: Private balcony

For great accommodations on the Halong family cruise, the two Family Connect cabin on the 1st deck tries to ensure a certain level of privacy for all by combining two Junior suite cabins through an internal door. In one space, a single bed is provided with vital amenities for one. The other two can take the second room with nice and comfy twin beds while being able to access the single room easily. The cabin offers separate bathrooms and balconies to level up the convenience and to ensure both family moments and intimate times.

Deck Plans

Indochine Cruise takes advantage of 4 decks to arrange spacious and comfortable accommodations for up to 110 passengers onboard. All suites are located separately from restaurants and lounge areas to assure a completely safe and sound experience throughout the cruise. These public spots can be accessed easily from all decks through the center staircase.

• The first deck: Includes the main restaurant (Tonkin Restaurant), a 24-hour reception area, and the cabin area (Junior Suite & Family Connecting)
• The second deck: The An Nam restaurant & main bar on the stern of the boat, the remaining part is for the Junior Suite & 02 Executive Suite cabins in the bow
• The third deck: Place for swimming with a small plunge pool, the Cochinchine Lounge, and a gathering area of 08 Suite rooms & 01 President Suite
• The fourth deck (Sundeck): The top deck of the Indochine Cruise for sunbathing, enjoying the panoramic bay view, and Taichi Class

Highlight Services and Facilities

With a team of skillful and professional staff (with a total of up to 50 crew members), Indochine cruise provides a wide range of high-end services and classy facilities. To praise the rich customs of the Gulf of Tonkin, the Indochine launches two restaurants: An Nam Restaurant on the second deck and Tonkin Restaurant, run by award-winning chefs, on the main deck.

Lounge

• Cochinchine Lounge: Having an area of 350m2, this is an ideal place for relaxing with a classic piano at the end of the lounge, you are free to play the piano – a high-quality one with limpid sounds. According to the cruise manager, this lounge is also used as a conference room.

Passengers can relax, overlooking the gorgeous bay through the glass window with luxurious table sets and vintage designs, bringing a sense of imperial architecture. This lounge is also a place for cooking classes if the weather is harsh.

• Main bar: The main bar in the Cochinchine Lounge with various sorts of wines and soft drinks. This is a good place for you to savor colorful cocktails – there is always a skillful bartender at the bar to serve drinks.

Even so, I would recommend enjoying the bar on the sundeck if the weather is nice – you can enjoy both fresh air and the panoramic bay view.

Restaurant

• Tonkin Restaurant: Having the same area as Cochinchine Lounge, Tonkin Restaurant is the main restaurant of the cruise, where you will be served your main courses. There is a place like a small bar – where staff can prepare drinks for guests during their meal. At the end of the restaurant is the buffet area, you will move to this area to choose various tasty food by yourself (if this is a set meal, the staff will bring dishes from the kitchen to your table).

It’s really romantic to savor Western dishes in the restaurant – I suggest you should have meals at the table sets next to the window, especially at dinner. After a good meal, you can stay late in the sundeck bar, and savor a great selection of local and international beverages. This area is also a place for the cruise manager to give cruise information and safety instructions before the trip.

• An Nam Restaurant: This is the second restaurant on board with an area of 150m2, it’s quite small and most suitable for groups to celebrate separately and have a buffet meal here. A small bar is available to serve drinks. Especially, the restaurant has a spacious balcony in the back of the wine cabinets.
• Floating Bar: This is my unique experience in the Indochine Cruise that isn’t offered in any other cruise. The floating bar is on a row boat, the bartender will serve guests a tipple and snacks right there. You can enjoy your drink on your own kayak among the beautiful scenery of Lan Ha Bay.

Spa & Gym

• Spa: Located on the second deck, Oriental Spa offers professional masseuses with age-old techniques perfected by Vietnamese people. You will have a chance to experience a soothing massage, body scrub, and herbal treatment with 5-star standards.

With a reasonable price of about US $25,5, this is a perfect choice for guests to relax both their bodies and mind (The price details are on the catalog in each cabin. You will have to ask the cruise manager if you want to book the services).

• Gym: The small gym room is equipped with enough modern machines for guests to keep fit. Unless you are in strict training, I would recommend that you should only relax as much as you can on the cruise.

Jacuzzi/Plunge Pool

There is a separate room with a 4-season plunge pool inside. It provides thrilling relaxation while immersing in cool waters and admiring spectacular landscapes at the same time through large windows. Though the pool isn’t too large, I think this is an alternative option to relax because I had a 2 day 1 night Indochine Cruise tour in the winter – the weather was biting cold and no one wanted to swim in the freezing seawater.

A small note for you: the pool room doesn’t have lights, so at night this area is extremely dark. You should use the Jacuzzi pool in the morning or afternoon.

Souvenir Shop

Located on the third deck, there is a small corner on the third deck that displays unique Vietnamese-styled items. This boutique has many sorts of vintage things such as luxurious round velvet cushions, classic cutlery sets, night lamps, etc. You can buy some as a gift for your friends or family after the cruise trip.

Sundeck

• Sundeck: Being also the top deck of the Indochine Cruise, this area is an ideal place for guests to sunbathe, enjoy fresh air, and admire the charming beauty of Lan Ha Bay. The area is divided into two parts: the open-air sundeck (with wooden table sets) and the remaining with a roof (features elegant sofa sets). The sundeck is really airy and spacious with an impressive area of more than 1000m2, fully equipped with many sunbeds and table sets, so you don’t need to worry that there is no chair for you to sit and relax like other small cruises.

Additionally, Indochine Cruise offers guests special theme events including seminars, parties, business, birthdays, weddings, and celebrations. Especially, you can experience a luxury brand-new way of having dinner in Lan Ha Bay (only for charter): from the sundeck, mystical caves, and hidden beaches, to floating platforms.

• Skybar: An outstanding open-air bar in the middle of the sundeck will definitely be the must-try bar to enjoy various types of soft drinks, wines, and cocktails. The bartender is available at the bar even at midnight to serve guests (You will have to ask the manager to arrange this).

Food and Drink

Onboarding with Indochine overnight cruise in Halong, you will be served scrumptious meals that are a fusion of Vietnamese traditional cuisine and international flavors. On a 2-day-1-night itinerary menu, you will be served 04 standard meals:

• 01 light breakfast: This light meal is served in the early morning (from 06:00 – 07:00), including bread, cake, jam, etc. I would recommend waking up early and having a meal before joining the Taichi Class at 06:30.
• 01 lunch (set menu/buffet): Because the number of guests on my cruise tour was quite small due to the off-season, I was served a set menu lunch on day 1 with Vietnamese style meal – Crab soup, salad & spring rolls, seafood, Vietnamese cuisine, and desserts with cakes & fruits.
• 01 set menu dinner: Unlike the Vietnamese set menu lunch in the morning, at dinner they served me a Western meal with melodious songs and gentle yellow lights, bringing a serene and romantic vibe. Usually, the guests will have pumpkin soup, seafood salad, grilled salmon/steak, and desserts with cakes & fruits.
• 01 brunch (set menu/buffet): Luckily, I had a chance to try the buffet lunch. There were many delicious dishes to choose such as chicken soup, rice noodles, coconut rice, etc. All food was kept warm well because it was in the chafing dishes.

The tour booking has already covered all mentioned meals along with welcome drinks, the dishes may change depending on the season. For your information, other beverages served upon request will be charged separately including wine, soft drinks, cocktails, fruit juice, and so on.

Itinerary and Highlight Activities

The Indochina Cruise itinerary will take you to discover the deepest beauty of Lan Ha Bay – the hidden gem of Cat Ba Island. You will have a chance to explore the most charming attractions of the bay such as Trung Trang Cave and Dark&Light Cave:

• Go sightseeing: You will be taken to both the famous wet cave (Dark and Light Cave) and the dry cave (Trung Trang Cave).
• Kayaking/Wooden boat: If you heading to the Dark and Bright Cave, you will have to go kayaking/get on a wooden boat rowing by local people. Going inside, you can learn the interesting geology of the cave. You can ask the ferryman to take photographs of your family/friends. The expedition to Dark & Bright Cave may take about 1 hour, including the speedboat’s transfer time.
• Fishing Village Visit: You may kayak around and get a glimpse of local fishermen’s daily lives in Van Boi premier fishing village. This is the best place to learn about the life of local fishermen in Cat Ba.
• Taichi Session: Improve your mental and physical health with the ancient martial art of Tai Chi session. The Taichi class opens every morning on the sundeck at 06:30 and lasts for about 20 minutes. You may skip this activity if you can’t wake up early. Still, I would recommend you to try it because this is really a relaxing experience
• Cycling: A relaxing activity to explore the mysterious and low-pace life at Viet Hai village – a culturally rich commune on Cat Ba Island. First, you will be transferred by a tender to Cat Ba Island for about 15 minutes, then you will move to the Viet Hai village and begin the cycling trip. You should opt for a 3 day 2 night trip to join the activity
• Squid Fishing: Challenge yourself by joining the adventurous squid fishing activity with the help of professional staff at night. In the breeding season of squids (usually from Sep to Feb), your chance to catch more squids is higher. Unfortunately, I came to Halong coincides with the squid season but couldn’t catch any squid because the weather was cold at night and I gave up only after 5 minutes.
• Cooking Class: Besides enjoying Vietnamese cuisine throughout the trip, you can make them yourself by participating in a cooking class with award-winning chefs. After making your own food, you are free to taste your effort. The cooking class is usually held on the sundeck, but if the weather is harsh, the class will open in the Cochinchine Lounge. Due to the cold weather, my cooking class was organized in the lounge, and the chef taught everyone how to make spring rolls.

Transport from Hanoi

You may choose between a private car service with a driver or a shuttle bus for your transportation. If you are planning to book a private vehicle, please make sure to notify the booking agent. As for shuttle service, all buses have daily departure and you should get to the shelter beforehand.

• Transport from Hanoi: The Indochina offers door-to-door pick-up to take you from the hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter to Tuan Chau International Marina around 08:00 – 08:30. It will take about 2.5 hours to transfer on the highway.
• Transport from cruise port: After you get from Hanoi to Halong Bay cruise, you will be welcomed at around 11.30 at the Indochina Sails’ waiting station with a warm drink (Tuan Chau Pier). At 12:15, all guests will be transferred by tender/speedboat to Indochine Cruise on Lan Ha Bay. The overnight cruise would end at 11:00 the next day with the final stop at Tuan Chau Port.

Because the transfer from Hanoi to Tuan Chau Port and vice versa isn’t included in the price, I had to book a bus service from BestPrice Travel agency. This was a new D-car Limousine, which was modern and clean inside, bringing a comfortable and safe experience during the trip. The driver was kind and polite too, he helped me to lift my heavy luggage onto the bus.