The Emerald Tour Begins - Hanoi and Halong Bay
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
As much as we have fully enjoyed Hanoi and the wonderful hotel we stayed in, it is time to move on. Pack the suitcases again; put the clean laundry in the bags. Check out was at noon, followed by a short taxi ride around a lake
and a park to a new hotel (Anatole Hotel) and a somewhat upscale neighbourhood where we will meet our companions for an organized tour that we are taking for the next 16 days. (Emerald Tours) A new experience for us, to be sure.
The hotel staff greeted us with warmth, a cup of tea and some wonderful snacks (coated dried lime peel and coated apricots – both delicious). We waited patiently until our room was ready and then were escorted to a wonderful corner suite with everything we could ever have hoped for. As much as we had enjoyed our first hotel, the Anatole is a definite upgrade. Most impressive is the fact that the entire staff speak fluent English. I asked Pham how she had learned the language. Her response surprised me … by watching American cartoons. Go figure!!
We are now in our very comfortable room awaiting our 5 pm meeting with the rest of our travelling companions. As I have said, this is new for us so we are not sure what to expect. I was chatting on Facetime with a friend from Australia so we ended up being a few minutes late for the meeting. If I were one of the passengers and someone arrived late, I am sure that I would silently think, “Well, we are going to have to put up with them being late all the time.” Not a great way to start.
Anyway, the meeting went on and some parts of the trip were clarified and some were very confusing. We will be travelling in three different countries – Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. There was great discussion about the need for visas and how to get them and what currency would be best to use in the transaction. Cambodia and Laos strongly prefer US dollars which we have little access to at this point. Oh well.
Dinner was served and we all gathered as a group. We sat with a lovely couple (Trish and Allan) from Portsmouth in England. Lots of chatter about travel we have all done and places we still would like to go.
Soon it was bedtime and repacking cases. We are leaving here tomorrow morning early and need to reduce our luggage if that is possible. What a job!!! We will be back in three days with lots of new experiences under our belts.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
We packed our bags and started with an early breakfast at our hotel in Hanoi as we were leaving Hanoi to go to Halong Bay, one of Vietnam’s UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. We were travelling with our Emerald Cruise group and Halong Bay was the first destination. The bus was reasonably comfortable; the trip took about 2 ½ hours.
We traversed Hanoi, once again amazed at the smooth flow of traffic in spite of the incredibly crowded thoroughfares. Cars, trucks, bicycles and scooters mingled across traffic lanes with great confidence and success.
We passed through many business districts, neighbourhoods and industrial areas.
Eventually we left the crowded city behind and began our journey on a motorway, four lanes in each direction, all moving quickly. In some places, there were separated lanes for motorbikes with a cement barrier between those lanes and the ones were travelling in. It was a toll road so occasionally we had to pass through a service centre.
We were travelling through an agricultural area: rice and sweet potatoes were the main crops. Vast areas of rice paddies filled with water flanked both sides of the road. Large groups of people were wading in the water and bending deeply to pull weeds, thin the crops and/or plant more rice. Occasionally, we saw men on very old style tractors cultivating the land.
The landscape began to change was we drew closer to Halong Bay. Large limestone hills dominated the landscape. It was clear that the limestone was used in construction projects and landscaping. There were so many steam shovels visible. It was a very active area.
Finally, we reached the community of Halong Bay and drove through it to the docking area. Several cruise companies operate from this location, each one with its own welcome centre. There were numerous cruise ships, large and small, floating just off shore.
We waited in a comfortable setting with flavoured tea until it was time for us to board our vessel. Room keys were distributed and porters carried our bags to the boat. Within a very short time, we set sail.
We were surprised at the number of boats in the water. Nonetheless, it seemed like we were on our own adventure as we floated among the large limestone (karst) formations. The jagged rocks told a story of weather and disintegration. Each rock told its own story.
Our group gathered together for our first meal on board. It was a delicious lunch, served by well trained and very personable staff. And, they all spoke English. They were extremely attentive in the dining room as well as throughout the boat. Every detail was attended to. Very impressive indeed.
Halong Bay is an enormous collection of limestone mountains that have been carved by the sea. We sailed through rock formations … high mountains, innumerable bays, caves and rock piles as erosion has impacted the landscape. The rockfaces show many colours, ranging from black, various shades of grey, brown and beige as well as pure white. Once again, erosion has showed its power and transformed these mountains into interesting shapes and colours.
While the ship was cruising among the magnificent landforms, the guests on board (us!) were invited to partake in an amazing lunch. Tables were elegantly set. The food was served by professional and friendly staff. Of course, it was Vietnamese cuisine so some of the dishes needed to be described to us. In the short time we have been in Vietnam, we have become accustomed to food that is beautifully plated and deliciously flavoured. This ship was no exception. We fully enjoyed the tasty food from start to finish.
By the time we had finished lunch, our luggage had been delivered to our cabin. We quickly prepared for our first adventure off the ship.
Our destination was Cat Ba Island.. We boarded a tender, donned life jackets and headed off to parts unknown. After a short ride, having passed by many mountains and through several passages, we landed at Cat Bo Island. We were given a choice of riding in an electric cart or riding a pedal bike from the dock to the village. Several people chose to ride, having been cautioned about the steep hills they would encounter. Bravo to them!! Jim and I opted for the electric vehicle.
Of course, we arrived at the village before the bikers. It was a fascinating village with a philosophy of community-mindedness. We first visited the large community garden that was tended by the people in the village and the crops were shared with the people in the village. A wide range of crops were growing, some of them very familiar – lettuce, beans, squash, and others that were not familiar at all.
We walked from the garden past the community cemetery
to the centre of the village where an articulate young woman made a presentation about the village and its priorities – fishing first, then agriculture and tourism. She also shared information about the Cat Ba langors, and animal that is on the brink of extinction. Fewer than 100 remain. The village is working to preserve these animals and increase their numbers.
After her presentation, there was an opportunity to purchase local crafts, to have fish pedicure or attend a cooking demonstration. Then, we headed back to the tender, cycling or on large electric golf carts (seated 10 people) and returned to our ship.
It was happy hour, a great opportunity to get to know our companions and enjoy a refreshing drink. And then we had dinner, an amazing roast beef feast. The chef is certainly adept in the kitchen and the servers have clearly been professional trained. We are going to eat well on this ship.
It had been a long day, starting early in Hanoi, settling into our cabin, travelling across the open water to Cat Ba island, eating sumptuous meals and enjoying meeting our travelling companions. It was time for bed!
Thursday, January 29, 2026
This morning had a more leisurely start than yesterday for Jim and I. We decided to forgo the first outing of the day and spent some time relaxing in our cabin. The outing was a walk to a cave that has burrowed its way all the way through a mountain. For us, the deciding factor for not going was the climb to get to the cave entrance. Counts varied by those who went but it was at least 50 steps, some said over a hundred steps, pretty rugged in places and no hand rails at all. The walk through the cave sounded interesting but at the other end, there was an equally long set of steps to return to the tender, again with no hand rail. We were certainly not the only people who remained on board and enjoyed the scenery.
Later in the morning, there was a second outing to the Halong Pearl Farm, visible from our ship. We tendered over and listened to a fascinating description of how the pearls are grown. Different sizes of oysters can grow different sizes of pearls. A specific kind of oyster grows coloured pearls. Oysters are raised to a certain age that is the best time to seed the female ovary (a very intricate process which was demonstrated) and let the pearl develop which takes a varying length of time, depending on the size of the pearl. Some oysters are less successful at developing oysters, but as the staff pointed out, they are still good to eat.
Of course, there was a large display of jewellery available for purchase. And the prices were reasonable but we resisted temptation and left empty-handed.
More tender time, and it was time for lunch, We have been sitting at various tables chatting with a range of people. Everyone is friendly and interested in where we are from and previous travel experiences. There are many Australians, a few lovely Americans, several Canadians from all across the country, and lots of Europeans, primarily from the UK. Topics tend not to get political, thankfully. We are not the only ones on board who have an extensive list of adventures. Naturally, the conversations flow easily, with much laughter.
Another outing was available in the afternoon. Back in the tender we go. This time the destination was Ho Ba Ham area. This is an area that has one of the last more remote floating fishing villages. Several fishing boats are tied together, five I think, and families live on these boats. Babies are born there; children do not attend school but learn about fishing at an early age. Freshwater comes from rainfall or the drippings from cave roofs. And fishing is their livelihood.
Our guide did a great job of pointing out features of the mountains surrounding us. Areas of erosion, evidence of limestone, various types of vegetation, several sandy beaches (although, by law, swimming is only permitted in a limited number of locations). As usual, we learned new things about the Halong Bay area and enjoyed the tender ride across the water as well.
It was still a while until dinner and many of our travel companions gathered on the upper deck to enjoy the view, the warmth and the company. Conversation peppered with laughter filled the air. Travellers from Canada, Australia, United States, Denmark and Great Britain all together having a great time. We have only been on the ship for three days but we have developed wonderful budding relationships with many. One night in Hanoi and we move on to Phase Two of the Emerald Tour.
Dinner followed and early to bed. Another busy day awaits us tomorrow.
Friday, January 30, 2026
Our day started early as Jim was out of bed at 6:30 to visit a nearby large floating fishing village. Once the tender from our cruise ship arrived at the village, Jim joined a group in a rowboat to look around the village. One of the many unique things they saw was a floating store that went boat to boat supplying things that the occupants needed.
One means of local transportation is a small rowboat with a plastic chair fastened to it. Oars are attached to the edges of the boat in such a way that they can be used for propulsion. Large floating platforms connect one boat to another and likely serve for sorting, cleaning and sharing the fish that are harvested.
Most of the village men were still out fishing. This village is well established and families have several children. One of the goals of having a large village is to be able to provide schooling for their children. The children in small villages do not attend school at all.
Once the early risers returned to our ship, we set sail for the town of Halong Bay where we disembarked from the ship and boarded a bus to head to our next destination. Farewell Halong Bay and all its beauty and ruggedness.
Hanoi was our destination today. It was a several hours from our starting point, travelling along a busy multi-laned freeway.
The landscape was generally quite flat and agriculture was a prominent feature, especially rice. Along the way, we stopped at an embroidery emporium where people with a range of handicaps were busily creating mural-like pictures using many colours of embroidery thread.
It was fascinating to see them work. The finished products were absolutely beautiful, some as large as a large-screen television. Of course, they were for sale and some of the proceeds went to support the people who had no other source of income. There was also a broad array of jewellery available but we passed on the opportunity to purchase anything.
When we reached Hanoi, our first stop was the Temple of Literature, located on the campus of the Vietnam’s first university, established to educate Vietnam’s royalty, mandarins (civil servants) and members of the elite. The university, one of the first in the world, functioned for an amazing 700 years. It’s charming gardens and well-preserved architecture offers a fascinating glimpse into the nation’s past. There remain many stone tablets with names of doctoral graduates from over 1000 years ago.
Several of our companions, including Jim, went on a walking tour of the Old Quarter which is where our original hotel was located when Jim and I first arrived in Hanoi.
Finally, we were able to check into our hotel (the same one we were in when we joined this travelling group).
Then we attended a traditional water puppet show which was fascinating as it focussed on very old Vietnamese stories and featured a wide range of puppet characters, each of which was active in a pool of water. Live music on traditional instruments accompanied the puppets. Fascinating.
Finally, it was time for dinner. We ate in a unique restaurant called KOTO (Know One Teach One) which was set up to train disadvantaged children. The food was amazing and the staff were wonderful. What a great way to prepare young men and women for employment.
Finally, we returned to our hotel. Tomorrow our day will start a little later although a very full itinerary is in place.
Good night, everyone.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
We left our beautiful hotel in Hanoi behind and moved on once more. It was pouring rain outside but that did not alter the itinerary for this intrepid group of travellers.
Our first stop for the day was at Ho Chi Minh’s grounds. Donning raingear, many of our fellow travellers set out to wait in the long line to enter the sacred grounds surrounding Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. The plan was to tour the grounds but not to go into the Mausoleum.
Since I had been to this location before, I chose to remain on the bus as did several others (it was raining pretty hard). We chatted and moved about inside the bus until one woman decided she needed to use a toilet. The driver contacted Duk to develop a plan and we moved on to the Pan American Hotel. What a pleasure that was!!
Access to bathrooms was just the beginning. We were invited to sit in the luxurious bar and lounge and indulge in the beverages of our choice. So twelve of us settled into the comfortable seating with lovely drinks and plenty of conversation. I introduced four fellow passengers to Coconut Coffee (I have become addicted to it) and we all drank it with pleasure. No alcohol required. We were all very thankful to the lady who needed to pee.
After a couple of hours, Duk, our guide, called the bus driver to come and pick up the more adventurous contingent. They were wet, bedraggled and tired. They had walked and walked and walked around the grounds in the pouring rain. A highlight was the change in plans and they did go into the Mausoleum to see Ho Chi Minh’s grave, as well as the places he lived after the wars. (Some of them might have been a bit jealous of our dry and comfortable alternative.)
And the bus moved on …
This time our destination was the airport. We were flying to Hue. Of course, it took some time for our entire group to check in for the flight. I have to admit, I was a complicating factor because I needed a wheelchair. Security was a breeze and the waiting area near the gate provided lots of access to interesting shops. Soon enough we were in the air, a smooth ninety minute flight to Hue.
When we arrived in Hue, a very special treat awaited us. We were invited to participate in a mock dinner for royalty. We were all dressed in royal attire and escorted into a banquet hall befitting the crown.
One of our members was celebrating his 75th birthday today so he and his wife were designated King and Queen for the evening. With crowns on their heads, they led the procession into the banquet hall where we sat at long tables. Of course, the king and queen had a table of their own.
We were treated to live music on traditional instruments and some lovely singing by three local ladies as well.
The food was beautifully plated, completed with birds, a peacock, a monument and other works of art carved from foods. We enjoyed special salads, soup, meats, and dessert, all served by young and beautiful Vietnamese women.
Of course, contrary to tradition, there was a birthday cake at the end, accompanied by the traditional birthday song. Only then did the king and queen forfeit their crowns.
Back to real life, we climbed on the bus for a short ride to our hotel. It had been a long and full day. Sleep was a pleasure.
Sunday, February 1, 2026
It is hard to believe that we are more than a month into 2026 already.
This day has an extensive itinerary and started quite early. Breakfast was over by 7:30 am and once again, we climbed onto our bus. The main feature for the morning was a tour of the Hue Citadel and city centre. It was estimated to be over 2 kilometres and two hours with lots of stairs. I have to admit, I am quite fatigued from all the walking and stairs so I opted to remain on the bus and go to the bus station to wait for our group. I had naively expected that the bus station would have a waiting area, perhaps even with tables and a café. How wrong I was!!! It had none of the above, including no wifi and I remained on the bus with the driver. And so we wait …
In fact, it became a fairly productive time as I had fallen behind somewhat on keeping up with this diary. So by the time the rest of the group had returned from their tour of the Citadel (loads of steps according to the walkers), I had caught up on my writing and had edited some of our photos.
The group that went to the Citadel arrived back to the bus station on rickshaws.
Our next activity was a ride on a Dragon Boat along the river in Hue. It was quite fun. Of course, the boat had two dragon heads at the front and was suitably painted.
The trip along the river was smooth and scenic in spite of the rain that was somewhat relentless. The Golden Arches Bridge was particularly beautiful.
There was a commentary along the way and also a young woman who modelled t-shirts, pyjamas, jackets and dresses, all of which were for sale. It was fun to see all the options but we refrained from purchasing any.
The Dragon Boat docked on the opposite side of the river and we disembarked quite close to the entrance to the Thien Mu Pagoda.
The literature indicated that there were a lot of high steps to get up to the pagoda, itself. I was not the only who refrained from the climb. Happily, there was quite an active market nearby
We then said farewell to Hue and headed off toward Hoi An, about a 3 hour drive. The scenery was interesting and quite variable. We passed through several villages, most of which were surrounded by huge rice fields. The rice here had grown enough to be vivid green and visible above the water.
There were mountains that occasionally intersected with the road. On two occasions, we travelled through tunnels rather than following the road over the mountains. Jim and I chuckled a bit when the explanation was that the mountain roads would be wet and quite slippery due to the weather. Clearly, the driver is not ready to tackle a Canadian winter.
An interesting fact about the road tunnels is that they were all built during the Vietnam War so that the Viet Cong would not see the movement of the troops in South Vietnam. Other refuges included caves that were enlarged and smaller tunnels were dug below ground to enable the movement of troops as well as providing protection when bombs were dropped.
Soon we were adjacent to the East Sea (not to be called the South China Sea) where fishing was a prime occupation. Hundreds of sticks were in the water, each one propagating oysters.
There were also large fish nets to catch the numerous kinds of fish that lived in the waters close to shore. Hand hewn wooden boats were rowed out on the water where fish nets were collected and fishing rods cast into the water.
Rustic buildings on stilts were used for storing fishing equipment.
We stopped for lunch at a busy roadside restaurant. The food was very good and the coconut coffee was excellent. Several other fellow travellers have grown to love it as well. We all laughed about that being our first choice, even before the food.
After lunch, we passed through the outskirts of Da Nang, where Jim and I had recently spent several days. It was fun to see at the edges of the city where we had enjoyed some delightful experiences.
And finally, we arrived in Hoi An, at the delightful Bel Marina Hotel (two swimming pools and several other amenities. Luggage has arrived and we have settled into our very comfortable room. We are here for three nights. The rooms are spacious and ours looks directly out over the largest pool.
But the day is not yet over. In a couple of hours, we are heading out with a small group to see a production called the Hoi An Memories show. It is a short walk from our hotel. We hope the rain stops so we do not get soaked as it is an open air event. Time will tell.
Your trip so far sounds similar to ours. My regret is not spending more time in Hanoi. Your description brings back so many memories. We found the Cambodians so friendly and peaceful.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the cruise. We sail with AMA and it was a most unforgettable experience! Thank you!!
Loved the Dragonboat and the drama presentation. As usual, you are always experiencing wonderful tasting food. If I drank coffee, I'd consider coconut coffee!
ReplyDelete