Ylang, the latest member of Heritage Line’s ship collection in Lan Ha Bay, features a splendid blend of Asian-Vietnamese design with French-Colonial accents. This ancient flair of Indochina emanates throughout the vessel with a delicate floral leitmotif inspired by local poetry and related to the four seasons of the year. Local artisans contributed to Ylang’s decoration with hand-crafted paintings and artwork using various materials and techniques. All suites are dedicated to a particular blossom which typically represents a season in Vietnam. All this creates an inimitable sense of bliss and an exceptional abode at sea.
Ylang has only ten spacious suites on two decks – each room is flooded with natural light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling panoramic doors which open onto a private balcony. What makes Ylang unique, is her expansive spa with its extensive selection of thoughtfully selected treatments. The focus on wellness lives on in the more dynamic activities such as yoga in a dedicated room, or early morning Tai Chi lessons on the upper deck.
Your luxurious floating home sets sail around noontime. We greet you with a refreshing welcome drink upon boarding while we acquaint you with the facilities and procedures of our Heritage Line ship - Ylang.
As our unique journey begins, lunch is served in the brilliant dining room on the terrace deck offering panoramic views of the passing scenery. We pass an ancient lighthouse built by the French more than a century ago. While heading deeper and further south into the maze of Lan Ha Bay, you can enjoy the activities offered onboard - take a plunge in the pool, have a taste of our signature beverages at the bar, or settle into relaxing bliss with a fine treatment or massage available in our expansive Ylang Spa.
Our first anchorage spot is a local pier at southern Cat Ba Island which is the entry point for a visit to a charming village named “Viet Hai”. We hop on bicycles (or electric cars) for a scenic exploration along small paved pathways, which meander through the lush tropical forest towards the village nestled in the valley. Meet and interact with the local inhabitants doing their daily work around their homes or gardens and get to know the life of this remote area where time seems to stand still.
Back on board, we set sail to at a tranquil place for our overnight mooring. Our chef will serve a multi-course dinner and afterwards you may join fellow passengers for a movie night in the dining room or join our crew fishing for squids.
Perhaps you might want to take a seat under the stars on the terrace deck or your private balcony to embrace the serenity of this surreal landscape. For those who like to fully immerse themselves in relaxation, our spa is open till late.
For those who wake with the sun, coffee, tea, and pastries are offered. To get the full wellness experience from Ylang, a Tai Chi session is held on the sun deck to ease mind and muscles with the first rays of daylight. Otherwise, you can sign up for a guided yoga class in our dedicated yoga room.
Once energized, breakfast is served in the dining room or in your suite before we set off to visit one of the few remaining local floating fishing villages. Get a close up view of how the families live and work on the water in their unique community. We continue to the shore and travel a short distance along scenic island roads to Cat Ba National Park. A leisurely hiking tour brings you close to the elements of this lush national park with its jungle nature. Learn more about the endemic flora and fauna and the island itself as Northern Vietnam’s largest island in the Gulf of Tonkin.
During lunch, Ylang continues to sail through the bay to a secluded cove. The afternoon is free to choose from: you may like to swim and sunbath on a natural beach, or join a kayak tour – or a bit of both, or just kick-back on board and treat yourself to our wide selection of wellness offerings.
After dinner feel free to join a Q&A session with interesting insights about both Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay or simply kickback on your private balcony experiencing its natural splendor.
Start early again with a tasty traditional Vietnamese coffee, of which we hope will become part of your future morning routine to remember this special place on earth. Join for another open air session of Tai Chi or take part in some Yoga indoors.
Ylang moors this morning, offering our guests some time to kayak or a refreshing early morning swim from the ships convenient platform. Take these final moments to fully merge with the scenery of the bay before Ylang gently glides back to its harbor. Whilst we pass back through Lan Hay Bay towards the pier, we serve a hearty breakfast, and leave you time to relax on the deck day-dreaming before we have to say our final goodbyes.
We took some time to choose a cruise which we thought suited our needs best - and we made the right choice, apparently. We were really impressed with the ship's itinerary, the cuisine on board and all the additional trips and attractions. Biking was especially pleasant, but we also enjoyed doing Tai Chi early in the morning, with the sun rising in front of us. Recommended!
Can't go wrong with these guys!
January 11, 2020
I wasn't so sure this cruise was such a good idea - if it's this touristy and crowded, can it still be something I'm going to like? It was all that and much more. The bay itself is beyond spectacular, but I was almost equally impressed with the quality of service they provide on board of Ylang Cruises. Excellent dining, wonderful rooms, nice choice of additional activities - but you're also free just to laze about and spend the entire afternoon in an armchair on your private balcony, a drink in your hand! Really wonderful.
Great choice for a holiday with kids
November 30, 2019
If you're looking for a cruise to keep your kids entertained for two days, look no further than Ylang Cruise! We were all delighted with the cruise, our three boys included. It's hard not to be happy when you're swimming or kayaking in a bay this beautiful! Hats off to these guys, what they deliver is really something special. I will recommend them to all of my friends and family, it's really worth every penny you spend on it.
Perfect !
October 30, 2019
It was the first time that I organized a trip for my parents (and not the other way around) so I was quite anxious to get everything right. Of course I needn't have worried - all the staff of our Ylang Cruise made this task very easy and smooth for me. My parents especially enjoyed the kayaking trip, which came as a bit of a surprise to me! All in all, we had a fantastic time and we can easily recommend this cruise to anyone wondering whether to book with them or not.
A honeymoon for the ages!
September 28, 2019
The cruise was really just perfect, especially that it was our honeymoon! We were impressed how everything was so well organized and well timed - all the meals, additional attractions like kayaking and swimming. We can definitely recommend it to anyone!
Splendid !
August 15, 2019
There's virtually nothing we'd change about that cruise. We were picked up straight from our hotel, which we thought was very convenient, and then we received treatment fit for a king when we arrived on the ship. Perfect meals served in an elegant restaurant with panoramic windows. A spacious room with a private balcony. Wonderful all-around, highly recommended!
As good as it gets!
May 25, 2019
This was all we had hoped for. Everything organized to the perfection - all the meals and attractions, and really nice rooms with panoramic windows. 5 stars if you ask me!
