VIETNAM: Halong Bay Made Better With Dom Perignon
Here at Roaming Around With Robin & Allison (RAWRA) we are a little bit extra. Actually we are a lot extra. We promise bespoke experiences on every trip, but we always include one or two truly memorable experiences. Our luxury cruise was already next level, but we kicked it up a notch with the addition of Dom Perignon in personalised champagne flutes at sunset in Halong Bay. This was a night to remember.
Halong Bay Vietnam Overview
Halong Bay is one of the most visited places in Vietnam. The stunning seascapes, craggy limestone cliffs and thousand of islands draw visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage listed natural wonderland in droves. Halong Bay is a few hours by road from busy Hanoi, but it feels a million miles away.
Orchid Cruises Halong Bay Vietnam
We chose Orchid Cruises to transport us in style around Halong Bay. The swift (just 90 minutes) transfer to Hai Phong was a key factor in the decision making. Every minute counts. Welcome drinks, scattered rose petals and smiling crew greeted us the minute we stepped on board. Our cabins were simply divine. We enjoyed private balconies, window seats, comfy beds and full size baths all with stellar views.
Activities on board included shore excursions, kayaking, cooking demonstrations and fishing. And the food! We had four meals while on board and the five course degustation dinner was a stand out. While the standard offerings were wonderful, it was what RAWRA organised that made this trip next level. We brought the bubbles!
RAWRA Dom Perignon Experience
This particular RAWRA experience took quite a bit of planning. The first step was getting permission from our licensed vessel to BYO champagne. Paying a corkage fee sealed the deal.
Dom Perignion is not readily available in Vietnam. Try as we might, we could not find any local stockists. Not easily defeated we decided there was only one solution. Bring it from home. Given Halong Bay was the last stop on our 2019 Asian Adventure that meant lugging our precious cargo around the entire trip. Not ideal, but at RAWRA we go above and beyond to create magical experiences every step of the way.
Once onboard we discovered our cabin fridge was not large enough to accommodate the substantial Dom Perignon packaging. The ideal temperature to consume Dom Perignon is 12 degrees celsius. We hadn’t carried these special bottles half way around the world to give up at the final hurdle and we would never disrespect the vintage drop by drinking it warm. Thankfully the crew came to the rescue and allowed us to use the larger refrigerators in the galley. They even popped it in the blast freezer for a few minutes prior to serving to ensure it was nice and chilled.
When the time was right, Robin distracted the troops while Allison set the scene away from prying eyes. Silver ice buckets were sourced, personalised champagne flutes in gift boxes were arranged, the best table was chosen and bow-tie adorned staff were on hand to pour. While we don’t claim to be able to control the weather, we did time our pre-dinner drinks to perfectly to align with a stunning sunset. Our travellers’ delight was all the reward we needed and this truly was an experience to remember.
Surprise!
Dom Perignon at sunset in Halong Bay is just one of the many surprises we have planned for our travellers. They genuinely no had no idea it was coming. RAWRA trips always include bespoke experiences. Each one is meticulously planned from scratch starting with a blank piece of paper. If you can see yourself enjoying a tailored itinerary to an amazing destination with bespoke experiences get in touch to see where we are travelling next.
Disclosure Statement: This post is not sponsored. The information provided is based on our own personal experiences and has not been influenced in any way by the brand(s) featured. This post may contain affiliate links and any purchases will earn us a small commission at no additional cost to you.
