ADVENTURE CRUISING
THE ORION DIFFERENCE If journeys are the midwives of thought, then there are few places more conducive to conversations than Orion II’s Nautilus Club lounge and bar during days at sea. For Ruth and Howard from Sydney on their first expedition-style cruise, this visit to Vietnam ticked all the right boxes. Intrepid Kate and Emma had the experience of the company’s flagship itinerary to the inimitable Kimberley to compare our cruise with and, for them, Orion offered the Alpha and Omega of cruising. One thing everyone agreed upon – this was a company that melds a cruise high on luxury with the allure of the destination.
giddily between fast and slow, traditional and cutting-edge, exotic and familiar. Some ship schedules call for an edify- ing triage in monuments and palaces when you feel rushed and guilty, oppressed by the overload of fleeting cultural beauty. Not so in Hanoi where we had a day to explore the capital at leisure.
T
he enchanting tree-lined ellipse that is Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi bestows a restful grace.
Elsewhere, faded white and ochre stuc- coed colonial façades peer out through filigree gates. Modelled on the Palais Garnier in Paris with elaborate pillars and balconies, the Renaissance-style Hanoi Opera House is an iconic landmark, while the grimy, neo-gothic St Joseph’s Cathedral looks somewhat out of place in the French Quarter. Conventional wisdom says the only sensible way to get around the labyrinthine Old Quarter is by cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi). Perhaps it is tradition or maybe convenience that dictates little shops cluster according to their special- ity in this furnace of commerce. Welders, tailors, shoemakers, as well as exotic flower-sellers and purveyors of snake-wine containing pickled cobras rearing in their glass flasks, all have their domain. Locals crowd around stalls where cauldrons of bubbling pho ga perch precariously on braziers. This gingery broth of potatoes, chick-peas, coriander and chicken is ladled over rice noodles and livened by chilli pepper and lime. Saving the delights of ‘street food’ for later in our journey, we dodged the seemingly endless torrent of motor scooters to reach a patisserie where we lunched on oven- fresh baguettes and local Blue Mountain
goat cheese, accompanied by superb Vietnamese ‘Highlands’ coffee. After a fortifying bai hoi beer, we met
our fellow travellers for the long drive to Haiphong. France’s former main naval base in Indochina has been reduced to a gloomy, vaguely threatening port where smog, dust and humidity manage to coexist. Appearing like a beacon among legions of blackened containers, Orion II was a most welcome sight. A relative minnow at just 4,077 tons,
this charming vessel was acquired as a running-mate to the highly-successful Orion in 2011. Following an extensive refit, this boutique 100-passenger ship combines luxurious creature comforts with incomparable soft adventures. I settled into my air-conditioned sanctuary on Deck 5 and unpacked before enjoying a much-needed shower, replacing the musty port odour with the scent of L’Occitane shower gel. This restrained halcyon of polished
rosewood panelling is a legacy from the ship’s former life as Renaissance Four of defunct Renaissance Cruises. Spread over five decks, accommodation ranges from 215sq ft Ocean Suites to 258sq ft Penthouse Suites. There are 16 balcony suites but, in
reality, there’s little differentiation between the six grades of suites. After an early night, I awoke to a scene of breathtaking beauty. Literally meaning ‘Bay of Descending Dragons’, Ha Long Bay, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where more than 3,000 incredible lime- stone karsts rise from the jade waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.
emnants of mountains formed 67 million years ago, each appears like an unfinished sculpture hewn by the hand of nature. Lapping water against the stone has carved out a number of vast, striking caverns, as well as tunnel caves and uniquely shaped massifs. After a morning aboard a local tourist junk exploring the stalactite chambers of Sung Sot Cave, we got the chance to scour Cat Ba National Park aboard one of Orion II’s nine Zodiacs. With Expedition Manager Justin Friend at the throttle, we skidded across the sibilant water before nudging into caves and grottoes of the limestone pillars that pin-cushion these Elysian waters. It was an afternoon of pure serendipity After breakfast on deck of tropical fruits, a selection of mueslis and freshly-prepared eggs, we docked at the stygian port of
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