▪ VET14:55 (GMT+7) - Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The launch of Life Heritage Resort Ha Long Bay will bring couples a stress free, relaxing “once in a lifetime” experience
The launch of Life Heritage Resort Ha Long Bay will bring couples a stress free, relaxing “once in a lifetime” experience.
After several years working on Life Heritage Boats on Ha Long Bay, tuning and fine-tuning the project, the first of Life Resort’s fleet took to the water on overnight trips on October 5 and it plans to make multiple-night voyages available in time for its grand opening on November 4. “Now that we’ve got everything the way we want it, as well as official permission from authorities, we’re good to launch,” Mr Chris Duffy, General Director of Life Resorts, told VET.
Life Heritage Junks Ha Long Bay offers 22 private deluxe boats the equal of a floating four-star resort. Each junk has a spacious 32 sq m cabin with an upper deck, a 10 sq m covered dining terrace and an 18 sq m sun deck, offering the utmost in privacy whilst partaking of the spectacular views.
Cabin facilities feature a separate living area with panoramic windows, a sun deck, an en-suite bathroom and shower, comfortable queen size beds, air conditioning and heating, a DVD/CD player and LCD television, and sun beds on the upper deck.
Day cruises begin with a leisurely check in at Life Resort’s private land-based hub on Tuan Chau Island. Crews consist of a captain, engineer and cruise host, who acts as a butler for passengers. Day cruises depart at 11am while overnight cruises sail at noon and return at 10am the following day.
“Even though they are really designed for overnight, the unique nature of our product allows you, if you wish, to retire to your own cabin during a day cruise for a well-earned afternoon nap or to take a shower in the private en-suite,” said Mr Duffy. “This is predominately a couples product and you therefore have the above deck splendour of Ha Long Bay and below decks complete privacy if you so desire. We designed it all with couples’ need to enjoy time together in mind, in one of the world’s most beautiful locations.”
Given that safety is one of the most important factors guests consider when taking a cruise on Ha Long Bay, all boats of Life Heritage are built to international safety standards and are fully licensed and rated for the waters in which they cruise.
A unique keel system provides even better stability and this takes a lot of the discomfort out of water travel for tourists who are not used to the sea. “For starters, we are in compliance with the strict new safety requirements established by authorities for Ha Long Bay,” Mr Duffy said. “Our vessels also maintain direct contact with onshore emergency services, 24 hours a day.”
All crews aboard Life Heritage Ha Long Bay Junks are fully trained to international standards in water safety, as this is a foreign-owned enterprise with a western general manager as well as a Western fleet engineer, to ensure that every boat is always kept to high and exacting standards in presentation as well as safety and security.
Life Cuisine is always freshly prepared using the best local ingredients. Each overnight trip includes lunch, afternoon snacks, dinner, and breakfast with free-flowing soft drinks, drinking water, coffee and tea. Lunch and dinner offer a choice of three starters, main courses and desserts.
Breakfast consists of a healthy and sumptuous mini-buffet to start your new day of exploration and relaxation. Guests are able to choose their favourite dishes prior to sailing. A wide selection of quality beverages is available on board the junk and guests can also pre-select their preferences prior to sailing.
Once out on the water, sailing through the maze of islands, the boats cruise past floating fish markets, call on hidden grottos, anchor off secluded beaches and simply sail gently beneath the sleeping dragons of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.
According to Mr Duffy, besides offering first-rate amenities on a historic Vietnamese craft, it is the customisable aspect of the cruises, set against a backdrop of one of the most stunning locations on the planet, that makes the Life cruise a once a lifetime experience.
Life Resort Junks are now offering a special rate of $557, including taxes and service charges, for a one-night cruise booked on the internet, which is a discount of 25 per cent of the published rack rate and a 16 per cent discount of the normal internet rate.