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Voyage Report:
EMERAUDE
by Jonathan BoonzaierEMERAUDE, page one
Published August 26, 2006. All images and text copyright Jonathan Boonzaier 2006, unless otherwise noted.
Owners: Emeraude Classic Cruises
Halong Bay in Vietnam has deservedly earned its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage sight.
Situated in Northern Vietnam, the massive bay is dotted with thousands of limestone islands and rocky outcrops that poke up from the emerald green waters. Not surprisingly, a boat is the best way to experience the spectacular seascape.
In the distant past, French colonialists and other tourists would sail the waters of the bay on paddle steamers. When the French left Vietnam, these classic steamers disappeared and Vietnam was plunged into many tragic years of war. With peace long restored, tourists have returned to Halong Bay, many opting to spend a night on its waters on a fleet of decidedly basic junks.
But the old world style luxury returned to Halong Bay three years ago when a replica paddle steamer, the EMERAUDE, made its maiden voyage under the auspices of EMERAUDE Classic Cruises.
The vessel is the brainchild of Frenchman Eric Merlin, who has been a resident of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi since 1990. His past entrepenuerial efforts in the country include the Hanoi Press Club and Exotissimo Travel, one of the leading inbound tour operators.
Merlin says his interest in starting a cruise operation in Halong Bay began in 2000 when he stumbled across a vintage postcard of one of the original paddle steamers that cruised on the bay at a flea market in Paris. After determining that none of these were still in existence, he decided to build one himself. The EMERAUDE of today was built in a Vietnamese shipyard on designs based loosely on that of the original steamers. The US$2.4 million it cost to build the ship was money well spent.
My journey on the EMERAUDE began at the end of one of the seafront piers in Halong City where the jaunty little tender from the EMERAUDE was waiting to ferry passengers out to the ship anchored in the bay.
The ship looked quite delightful, a marked contrast to rusty old freighters anchored nearby. The tender journey to the ship was swift, and soon we were comfortably ensconced in the luxury of a bygone era.
Passengers were warmly welcomed on board by the ship's eager young Vietnamese crew. They ushered us up to sun deck where we were handed a much welcome fruit juice and a chilled face towel. As we sat in wicker chairs under a white canvas awning, the French purser and captain explained the ropes and issued our cabin keys.
My cabin was on the next deck down, and what a delightful room it was.
With a door and a window that opened up onto the teak-lined deck, it was straight out of another era. The interior was genuine old school colonial, with rattan panelling and wooden floors, and two beds with quality linens.
The bathroom was particularly nice with painted steel bulkheads, a tiled floor, an old fashioned porcelain toilet, an antique washbasin and old fashioned brass taps and fittings, as well as high quality toiletries.
The only concessions to modern tastes were air-conditioning and bottles of mineral water. For safety reasons all bulkheads and decks on the ship are made of steel beneath the old fashioned cladding.
Impressed so far, I explored the rest of the ship and was equally delighted at the faithful recreation of a vintage colonial steamer. This was the real thing. On the top deck was the bridge, which admittedly was decidedly 21st century inside, but the wooden outdoor decks were lined with proper wooden steamer chairs with plush mattresses.
Click here for Page two of Jonathan Boonzaier's EMERAUDE voyage report
