Day 7: Hạ Long Bay to Huế - Culinary Escapades

Hạ Long Bay Adventure, Day 2

For those early risers, there will be Tai Chi at sunrise on the sundeck. We’ll have a light breakfast then off to visit a beautiful water cave named “Dark & Bright” on a bamboo boat. (The Dark & Light Cave is a system made up of two separate caves. The “Dark” Cave is 100 meters long with very little natural. The “Light” Cave, on the other hand, is considerably shorter and has lots of natural light beaming through gaps and holes in the rock making it feel like a church. The Light Cave is always accessible whereas the Dark Cave is sometimes swallowed by the tide.) Going through the Dark & Bright cave, we will come to a lagoon, surrounded by magnificent mountains.
We’ll row back to the Orchid Classic Cruise to pack up our luggage and check out the cabin room, followed by brunch as we cruise back to Tuần Châu Pier for our next adventure.

Part 2

Huế, located in central Vietnam on the bank of the Perfume River (Sông Hương), is the cradle of Vietnamese culture and was the last dynastic capital of Vietnam under the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802 to1945), when it was the political, educational, and religious center of Vietnam. It is also known for the fierce fighting during the 1968 Tết Offensive. In 1993, UNESCO designated Huế’s Imperial City a World Cultural Heritage site because of its complex grounds and monuments.

Huế is also considered Vietnam’s culinary capital. Vietnam has an estimated 3,000 dishes. Of these, some 1,700 originated from Huế. Huế cuisine can be divided in three categories: royal, folk, and vegetarian. Huế royal cuisine is considered the pinnacle of Vietnamese gastronomy for its sophistication and refinement. Huế royal cuisine is unique in its delicate way of cooking and presentation that makes it a work of art. All royal dishes must be carefully and beautifully presented and follow the rules of precision and harmony between color and taste, yin and yang, and hot and cold. It is said that Huế royal cuisine is eaten by the eyes and nose before eating by mouth. In 2021, Huế provincial authorities submitted a request to UNESCO for recognition of its cuisine as an intangible cultural heritage of Việt-Nam.

We’ve designed your experience in Huế as a cultural and culinary immersion into Vietnam’s royal heritage and distinctive way of life.

Highlights. Who You’ll Meet. Where You’ll Sip & Savor.

Flying to Huế, Huế Cultural and Culinary Immersion, and a Royal Welcome Dinner

We’ll travel to Nội Bài International Airport by private transportation for our 1-hour flight to Huế.
After checking into our hotel, we will attend a private art and fashion show featuring “Áo Dài” the traditional Vietnamese dresses that originated from the Nguyễn Dynasty.
For our Welcome Dinner in Huế, we will experience Việt-Nam’s royal era with a Classical Royal Feast, complete with royal costumes for you change into, royal music and performances, and royalty dishes beautifully prepared.

Accomodation in Huế

Azerai La Residence is a lovely property within a 5-minute cyclo journey to the world heritage city of Huế and the ancient citadel. The central part of the resort was originally home to the French envoy and in 2005 was carefully restored and extended with two additional wings added to create an exceptional boutique hotel.