SUGGESTED 7 DAY BREAK
The following is a suggested itinerary
Contact us to design your unique wellness break!
Day 1: Hanoi
Welcome to Hanoi!
Upon your arrival at Hanoi airport look for your driver who will be waiting for you with a sign bearing your name.
If you arrive on the weekend (Friday afternoon – Sunday) you may have time to experience ‘Walking Street’. This is an area around Hoan Kiem lake and the night market in the main street of the old quarter. It is special space, introducing visitors to a capital city full of arts and culture, from the traditional to the contemporary.
Accommodation: La Siesta Premium Hang Be – Junior Suite
Day 2: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay
After a relaxed breakfast, your private car will pick you up from your hotel for transfer you to Tuan Chau Harbour to embark on your wellness cruise.
After checking in at Tuan Chau Marina, you will take a quick speedboat transfer to Ylang – your luxurious floating home before starting your 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 Ylang’s nearly 360-degree light-flooded, elegant restaurant. Enjoy a fine menu of tasty local, international or vegetarian dishes freshly prepared by the culinary team. Relax on the terrace deck or on your private balcony and soak in the enchanting aura which emanates from the surreal seascape.
While cruising in the early afternoon, there is time to enjoy Ylang’s vast wellness and spa facilities. Take a plunge in the pool with infinity-like vistas or choose your favourite treatment from an extensive spa menu.
As you reach the shore of a small lagoon on Cat Ba Island, you have the opportunity to ride a bicycle (electric cart transfers are also available) for a tour along small paved roads towards Viet Hai village. Little has changed in Viet Hai since the ancestors of the 80 households settled here centuries ago. Situated in a valley within Cat Ba National Park and surrounded on all sides by forest and mountains, the locals are isolated from the island’s other villages and towns. The community is self-sufficient, as the residents provide for themselves by working the farms, fishing, or collecting rain water for drinking. Here you have the unique and authentic opportunity to meet the local inhabitants, learn about the fruits and vegetables grown in the valley, have a glimpse of the local households and try some homemade liquors.
Back on board, there is time for you to partake in the various activities offered while cruising to a tranquil place for an overnight mooring. A tea tasting class is held in the Ylang Restaurant where you may learn about Vietnam’s traditional herbal teas and gain insight into their health benefits. Alternatively, let pamper yourself with a spa treatment, opt for a foot massage in the privacy of your suite or gaze upon the beauty of the bay during sunset from the terrace deck.
For dinner, choose from a diverse selection of dishes on the menu as your chef prepares a delectable multiple course meal. Afterwards in the Wellness Studio, you are offered a guided “singing bowl meditation”, which is an ancient Tibetan ritual invoking a deep state of relaxation, alleviates stress, and promotes a better night’s sleep. One of the best ways to spend the evening is to take a seat under the stars on the terrace deck or on your private balcony to embrace the serenity of this surreal landscape. And if you would like to fully immerse yourself in relaxation, our spa is open until late.
Accommodation: Ylang Cruise
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day Three: Lan Ha Bay
Wake up early and join the Tai Chi session on the terrace deck to ease your mind and muscles with the first rays of the sun touching the water. Then reenergize yourself from the wide selection of healthy or hearty breakfast offerings. Meanwhile, Ylang will be sailing towards the southern tip of Cat Ba Island.
After your relaxed breakfast, board a tender and visit one of a few remaining authentic floating fishing villages near Ben Beo. This fishing village is home to 300 families living in floating houses and earning a living from fishing and aquaculture, much like their ancestors. Get a close view of how the villagers live and work on the water in this unique community.
The tender will then transfer you to Ben Beo Pier, where you come ashore and travel a short distance along scenic island roads to Cat Ba National Park. A leisurely and mindful hiking tour brings you closer to the elements of this lush, jungle-like national park. Cat Ba National Park is designated as a biosphere reserve and hosts over 1,500 plant species, 78 avian, 20 reptilian and 32 mammalian species including deer, macaques and civets.
During lunch, Ylang resumes sailing northeast through the stony labyrinth of Lan Ha Bay, eventually reaching a secluded spot in the bay. After lunch, you head to a natural island beach via tender for kayaking, swimming and optional guided meditation session (snacks and juices are provided). Otherwise, kick back on board in the privacy of your suite or treat yourself from our wide selection of wellness offerings.
In the early evening, a food carving demonstration is held in the Ylang Restaurant, where your chef demonstrates the Asian art of shaping and transforming fruits and vegetables into a various decorative items, some of which are served during your meals. After dinner, soothe your body and mind and bring your day to a gentle close with another guided “Singing Bowl Meditation” ceremony, or simply unwind on your private balcony while taking in the tranquillity of Lan Ha Bay.
Accommodation: Ylan Cruise
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 4: Lan Ha Bay – Ninh Binh
Start the day early again with another open-air session of Tai Chi before having a light snack to go with your tasty, traditional Vietnamese coffee. This morning, Ylang moors in another quiet spot to offer you one last chance to go kayaking or take a refreshing early morning swim – conveniently from the ship’s platform. Enjoy these final moments to fully take in the senses of the bay.
While you cruise back through Lan Ha and Halong Bay towards Ylang’s mid-bay anchoring spot, you are served breakfast and have some time to savour the moments of this unique journey while relaxing on comfy sun beds on the terrace deck.
Your private car will pick-up you from the harbour and transfer you to hotel in Ninh Binh.
Accommodation: Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh
Breakfast and Lunch Included
Day 5: Ninh Binh – Hanoi
After breakfast this morning, your guide will take you to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital where you will visit the temples of two great kings (Dinh Bo Linh and Le Hoan).
Enjoy lunch at local restaurant (at your own expense) where you will be able to taste local specialties.
From here, you will take a boat trip to explore the incredible cave complex in Trang An. Enjoy peaceful moments with clear water, fresh air and spectacular views of mountainous areas. The Trang An Landscape Complex is a spectacular region of limestone karst peaks permeated with valleys, many of them partly submerged and surrounded by steep, almost vertical cliffs. This area was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was one of the locations featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island.
Late this afternoon your driver will take you back to Hanoi where you will have a chance to relax
Accommodation: La Siesta Premium Hang Be – Junior Suite
Breakfast included.
Day 6: Hanoi:
After breakfast, your guide will meet you in the foyer of your hotel to discuss your morning itinerary which will be adapted to your interests.
You first stop is at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (closed on Monday & Friday) to pay respects to Uncle Ho and learn about his incredible life. Then continue to the nearby Presidential Gardens and One Pillar Pagoda. Afterward, you can choose from the following; Temple of Literature, Fine Arts Museum, Hoa Lo prison or the Military Museum.
Back at your hotel this afternoon, you will have time to completely unwind and immerse yourself in the indulgence treatments available at La Spa. At the heart of the La Spa service is the magical number four; the logo details a circle embracing four leaves whilst their service centres on: four signature spa packages, four types of body massage, four facials, a choice of four essential oils, four specially created teas and so on. Whichever treatments you choose, you know that you will be heading back to your room relaxed and refreahed.
Accommodation: La Siesta Premium Hang Be – Junior Suite
Breakfast Included
Day 7: Hanoi:
Unfortunately, your Northern Vietnam Wellness Break concludes after breakfast this morning.
Breakfast Included
Your Holiday – Your Choice.
We want you to take the time to feel relaxed and replenished so you can either extend the length of your stay in Hanoi, add an extra night at one of the luxury properties at the invigorated Tuan Chau Harbour, or add an extra night in Ninh Binh. You can also choose to shorten your stay by not including Ninh Binh or by selecting only one night in Lan Ha Bay on Yalang’s sister ship Ginger.
Every wellness package is tailored to your individual needs so talk to us today.
