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FIRST PERSON
My husband and I were booked
on the
Emeraude
, a replica of the
eponymous paddle steamer that
offered similar cruises around Halong
Bay in the early 1900s. The original
vessel was part of a four-craft flotilla
of cruise and freight boats, all named
after precious stones and all owned by
Frenchman Paul Roque. Half a century
before, Paul’s father and uncle had
left France for the French-occupied
territory in pursuit of their fortunes
and a taste of adventure. Historical
accounts — contained in a coffee-table
book called
The Jewels of Halong
Bay: A Tale of Adventure in French
Indochina and a Curious History of the
Emeraude
and in the captions of sepia-
toned photographs found in some of
the ship’s lounge areas — reveal that
life in Indochina was nothing if not
interesting for the Roque brothers.
Their fortunes rose (on the strength
of a trading and timber empire) and
fell (bankruptcy and kidnapping by
pirates) and rose again (when the
family launched their cruise ships).
I liked that our boat had an
interesting history behind it, a nice
bonus on top of the vintage-inspired
interiors that oozed old-school
travel and romance. I thought
perhaps I should’ve come in a dress
rather than shorts and in proper
shoes instead of flip-flops. I was
especially thrilled when, thanks to
the fact all 34 of the boat’s luxury
cabins were occupied, we were
bumped up to the Paul Roque suite.
It felt as though we’d won a
small-town lottery. Located at the
bow of the boat’s second level and
all decked out in polished dark
wood, brass fittings, Art Deco lamps
and Persian rugs, the Paul Roque
suite certainly looked to be the
Emeraude’s
fanciest room. Fun fact:
“It’s JohnMcCain’s favorite suite,”
chief purser Anne Sabang told us,
SAIL SEASON
Check out the
Emeraude
’s
promotional prices, which start at
US$302 (two days and one night
for two people). Emeraude Classic
Cruises, 12 Ly Dao Thanh, Hoan
Kiem District, Hanoi; tel: +84 4
3935 1888;
emeraude-cruises.com
Clockwise from left:
Vessels moored in one
of Halong Bay’s coves;
retro-style fittings
aboard the
Emeraude
;
kayaking on the bay; a
vintage fan adds a touch
of Old World glam to
the cruise experience.
Previous page: the
Emeraude
, a replica of
the 1910 paddle steamer
of the same name
PHOTO (KAYAK) BY JENNY PEÑAS
