Heritage Line Ylang

After meeting at Heritage Line’s welcome lounge at the Tuan Chau Marina, we take a short speedboat transfer to your luxurious floating home before starting this unique journey of exploring one of the wonders of nature – Lan Ha Bay and its main island of Cat Ba. The first highlight of the cruise is lunch, which is served in the ship’s nearly 360-degree, light-flooded, elegant dining room. Enjoy a fine menu of tasty local, international, and vegetarian dishes freshly prepared by our culinary team.

After lunch, relax on the terrace deck or on your private balcony and soak in the enchanting aura which emanates from the surreal seascape. While we cruise along in the early afternoon, there is time to enjoy the ship’s varied wellness and spa offerings. Choose your favorite treatment from an extensive spa menu or take a plunge in the pool with infinity-like vistas.

On the way to Cat Ba Island we tour one of the bay’s remaining floating fishing villages. The village comprises around 70 floating houses and buildings and is home to around 200 people. We will cruise through for about 30 minutes including a stop at a family home. Then it is on to Viet Hai Village. As we reach the shore of a small lagoon on Cat Ba Island, we hop on bicycles (e-cart transfers are also available) for some leisurely pedaling along small, paved roads towards the Viet Hai village. Little has changed here since the ancestors of the nearly 100 households settled here centuries ago. Situated in a valley within the Cat Ba National Park and surrounded by thick forests and mountains, the locals are isolated from the island’s other villages and towns. The only access is via sea. The community is largely self-sufficient, as the residents provide for themselves by cultivating vegetables and fruits in the nearby fields, growing rice, of course, in the valley, and fishing on the bay. This is a truly unique and authentic opportunity to meet local residents and experience their daily life. We have a glimpse of local households, a collection of farming equipment of days past and present and taste some locally made “wine” of various flavors. All the while enjoying the natural beauty and tranquility of this bucolic remote valley amidst the towering mountains.

Back on board, we set sail for an anchorage spot in the midst of Lan Ha Bay for the overnight mooring. Join an optional tea-tasting lesson in the dining room to learn about Vietnam’s traditional herbal teas and gain insight into their health benefits. Alternatively, get pampered with a spa treatment or take a sauna session in the ship’s fantastic spa facilities. For dinner, you can choose assorted dishes from the delectable multiple-course menu. After dining, we offer, in the wellness studio, a guided “Singing Bowl Meditation”. This is an ancient Tibetan ritual that intends to invoke a deep state of relaxation – it alleviates stress and promotes a better night’s sleep. You can also opt for one of the best ways to spend the evening by just taking a seat under the stars on the terrace deck or on your balcony to embrace the serenity of this surreal landscape. Or if you would like to fully immerse yourself in relaxation, our spa is open until late.

Wake up early and enjoy coffee, tea and pastries in the dining room before joining our Tai Chi session on the terrace deck. A great experience to ease your mind and muscles with the first rays of the sun touching the water. Afterward, you can re-energize from our wide selection of healthy or hearty breakfast offerings. Meanwhile, the ship sails towards Gai Luan Pier. From the pier a short bus ride through the scenic forest road takes us to the Cat Ba National Park. We invite you for a leisurely and mindful walk (taking the same path both ways) through this lush, jungle-like forest to get a feeling of this tropical island. Cat Ba National Park is designated as a biosphere reserve and hosts over 1,500 plant species, 78 avians, 20 reptilian, and 32 mammalian species including deer, macaques, and civets.

Once back on-board lunch is served, and the luxurious ship resumes sailing northeast through the stony maze of Lan Ha Bay. Eventually, we reach a secluded spot in the bay which will be the base for our afternoon activities. The ship will anchor here, and we offer our guests an afternoon of “at your own choice”. Our tender is available to commute between a wonderful natural island beach for relaxing or swimming. Kayaks are available as well to explore the calm area on your own. A snack and drink station is set up on the beach if you get thirsty or need a bite to eat. Guests who like to stay on the ship, or those who prefer to return from the beach, can enjoy a treatment from our spa menu, or use the steam bath or sauna as complimentary available wellness facilities. Enjoy this afternoon to the fullest as the clock is not ticking and take back home long-lasting memories from Lan Ha Bay.

As the sun sets the ship is sailing further to its overnight mooring spot for the last night. Enjoy your last multi-course dinner in the ambiance of the dining room. We offer another guided “Singing Bowl Meditation” tonight to join, or simply unwind on your private balcony while taking in the tranquility of Lan Ha Bay.

Wake up early and join our Tai Chi session on the terrace deck to ease your mind and muscles with the first rays of the sun touching the water. Traditional Vietnamese coffee, tea and breakfast pastries await in the dining room to start the day. It is time for the ship to lift anchor and cruise to a place called “Frog Lake”, a secluded area that is perfect for our energetic morning excursion. Go for a refreshing swim in the bay or explore this captivating marine landscape via kayak. The cliffs stretch vertically out of the water and you feel a sense of freedom while paddling through this labyrinth of jade-green water, rocks and vivid tree-topped islets.

Back on board, we serve a hearty breakfast while cruising back to our off-shore embarkation spot, from where we transfer you back to the welcome lounge at the pier by speedboat. Savour the last moments of this unique journey while relaxing on comfy sun beds on the terrace deck.