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Voyage Report: continued
EMERAUDE
by Jonathan BoonzaierEMERAUDE, page two
Published August 28, 2006. All images and text copyright Jonathan Boonzaier 2006, unless otherwise noted.
Owners: Emeraude Classic Cruises
Behind the bridge and officers quarters was a large canvas covered area that featured a large wood and brass bar, wicker chairs and tables, and lots of green shrubbery. All that was needed were passengers in linen suites and panama hats.
The deck below contained the majority of cabins including a plush suite up forward.
A wraparound wood-clad promenade deck was lined with more wicker chairs.
On the lowest deck there was a large, bright wood-panelled dining room forward, along with a small purserŐs bureau and dark wooden cabinets displaying some quality souvenirs that were available for purchase.
The rest of the deck consisted of more cabins looking out onto more of those wooden promenades, while at the stern, inside the fake paddlewheel housing, was a swimming/water-sports platform complete with a fleet of kayaks that could be hired for a small fee.
The EMERAUDE picked up anchor at noon and slowly made her way across the main shipping channel and into the picturesque bay. Anyone who has visited Halong Bay knows just how beautiful it is - an emerald green bay dotted with thousands of strange limestone islands and rocky outcrops. It is most popular in winter, when the temperatures are cool, and an eerie fog makes the surroundings more surreal. In those months the EMERAUDE is fully booked.
But I was there in the middle of a hot summer's day, and there were plenty of other little wooden tour boats and replica junks ferrying tourists between the islands. Locals, in smaller craft, frequently follow these boats trying to sell souvenirs or seafood. Fortunately few seemed to target the EMERAUDE.
Lunch was served shortly after departure, and what a fantastic meal it was. Served in the dining room, it was a fusion Vietnamese-French buffet, exquisitely prepared and served on monogrammed china with high quality silverware. And the local Vietnamese coffee served afterwards was superb. Dinner later that evening was equally as good, if not better.
The EMERAUDE spent the afternoon cruising through the bay.
At one island we went ashore to look at a magnificent cave with giant stalagmites and stalactites lit up in bright, floodlit colours. At another island we went ashore for an hour to swim off a white sandy beach perched precariously below high cliffs.
At twilight, now deep within the bay and far from the other tour boats, we anchored for the night. I rented a Kayak and went paddling around several of the islands. A blood red sunset, absolute silence except for hundreds of chirping birds, high cliffs, lush tropical foliage, and nobody else around - pure heaven!
I returned to the EMERAUDE as darkness fell over the bay and went swimming off the stern. After dinner the passengers met on the top deck for G&T's as the ship remained anchored amidst the islands under a moonlit sky.
Early the next morning a Tai Chi class was held on the upper deck. I am not sure how enjoyable it was as I was still sleeping. A breakfast buffet was served as the EMERAUDE made her way back to Halong City. It was time to settle our bills at the purser's bureau and get ready to disembark.
END
More information on the EMERAUDE and her itineraries can be found at www.emeraude-cruises.com
