Grand Pioneers Cruise offers the longest and most distant tour discovering Hạ Long Bay. Photos courtesy of VINH DAV

 Thanh Hà

Have you ever walked the length of a football field? I haven't.

But I have been on a cruise as long as a football field – the Grand Pioneers II – one of two most luxurious cruises in Hạ Long Bay.

Do you know that the area of the​​ Hạ Long Bay is more than 1,500sq.km but tourists only visit about one fourth of it? With a three-day tour on the huge yacht, I was able to explore into the furthest areas of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

The cruise, actually a floating luxury hotel, is 110m long and nearly 19m wide with six decks, providing rooms for 160 overnight passengers, 320 sightseeing guests and a crew of 90.

The largest yacht in the bay, designed and made in Việt Nam, met all strict maritime safety regulations to sail to the furthest point of Hạ Long that connects to international waters.

An overview of Thiên Cảnh Sơn Cave on Hòn Cỏ Island.

The journey, four times longer than a normal, began from the Đầu Gỗ Cave and ended at the Xương Rồng (Cactus) Island which has never been visited by a cruise in the past.

The tour has been designed to serve different types of visitors. 

For those who love to have their own private time, they could enjoy swimming and the gym, singing karaoke and watching movies, playing 3D golf and going to a spa on the boat or just simply relaxing on deck doing some sun bathing and reading a book. All around them a beautiful landscape picture provided by mother nature.

For more socially active people, a full activity schedule is on offer. 

The cruise first dropped us at the Thiên Cảnh Sơn Cave, famous for its unique natural beauty and lyrical landscape, attracting many tourists every day.

Inside the cave, we were impressed by the magical beauty of stalagmites and stalactites with unique shapes formed millions of years ago.

Outside, the beautiful white sand and the crystal waters of a beach irresistible for checking-in and taking photos. I wished if I had more time I had a chair, an umbrella and a cocktail so that I could relax and enjoy the natural beauty and peace.

It was then kayaking time!  

Hạ Long is great destination for kayaking.

Passengers were encouraged to take part in the most popular activity at the bay. It was a unique way to explore hidden corners and serene beaches, allowing us to forge a deeper connection with the awe-inspiring nature of the bay

I took a single boat and after a few minutes struggling to manage it, I could slowly paddle around, get closer to the tranquil waters and unique rock formations and totally relax in the breathtaking environment.

Around me, people were excited with this new kind of sporting activity and discovering the vibrant life of Hạ Long's fishing community, witness net weaving and fish feeding at the Vung Viêng, one of the four oldest fishing villages in Quảng Ninh Province.

They could pause at a pearl farm listening to explanations of the intricate and meticulous process of cultivating pearls and shopping for gorgeous products as souvenirs.

One of small islands in the Đá Xếp Park, special geological park with a landscape and karst mountains.

The next day, the cruise led us to Cactus Island, the last check-in point of the bay, where visitors can see a symbol marking the boundary of the World Natural Heritage site.

On the way there, we visited Đá Xếp Park, an outdoor geological museum over 320 million years old.

The area was home to hundreds of small islands formed by beautiful horizontal rock layers. It looked like an architecture block consisting of many large and square stone blocks placed on top of each other in rows, cleverly and skillfully arranged by nature.

The layers of rocks here were among the reasons UNESCO recognised Hạ Long Bay as a World Natural Heritage Site.

"I have never been here yet although it is my fifth cruise in Hạ Long and I am a local resident of Quảng Ninh," said visitor Nguyễn Thúy Hà.

"I booked this tour just because of such unique places and I am really impressed with what I see here. What's great karst mountains and pristine beaches. I believe that this cruise gives me the most complete experience of the bay," she said.

On the way back, passengers had two options of visiting Sửng Sốt (Surprise) Cave and swimming at the Titop island.

Sửng Sốt Cave is a world of stalagmites and stalactites. Photo courtesy of Ngọc Anh

Sửng Sốt is known as the centre of the UNESCO-declared World Heritage area, it was one of the widest and most striking ones with the area of around 10,000sq.m. It was a sparkling world of stalagmites and stalactites but also a diverse biosystem with a pristine appearance.

Meanwhile Titop was considered the most beautiful island in the bay with the beach shaped like a crescent moon offering spectacular views with tranquility and beautiful blue waters.

"Hạ Long is so fabulous. Everything here is beautiful. It is a great decision of my family to choose Hạ Long as the first destination to spend our holiday. It's worth skipping the Olympic Games at home to enjoy such a magnificent beauty," said Frenchman Arnault Chaput. 

Grand Pioneers II's swimming pool, a place for relax and having a drink after a busy day,

 Meanwhile David Turnbull from Australia praised the new yacht's modern and environmentally friendly style along with good service and nice staff. He was also impressed with the shimmering and magical stalactites and stalactites and hoped to return to Hạ Long very soon. 

For me, it was a really a memorable trip that I would love to have one, two, three times more. VNS