Originally Posted by
ManUtd99
Er, why do you think so? The Vietnamese certainly disagree. The Vietnamese Prime Minister had hosted fellow Heads of Government on it during the last ASEAN Summit in April.
Using a particular facility to host an event is of no relevance, decisions are made based on practical reasons; in this case probably bacause no other boat/junk has a large enough hall. If the Vietnamese really share your opinion, Halong Bay would be full of "steamboats" by now. The last time I counted, it was still one "steamboat" the Emeraude.
I am not saying the Emeraude is a bad choice, just that its no longer the premier boat on the bay as you have claimed. I also feel its out of sync with the environment, its like having London black cabs roaming the streets of Hanoi. I have been on a few boats on the bay, and have no emotional attachment to any boat, its scenery on the bay that I enjoy.
I actually wanted to try it once but they couldnt accomodate my preference for staying on the bay longer; you disembark quite early in the morning and even if I wanted to do 2 nights they insisted that I have to disembark and reboard again after a few hours on land. The Emeraude is not for those who truly appreciates the beauty of Halong Bay; more for the first time tourists with disillusioned picture of Indochina, anyone for cooking class ....