www.emeraude-cruises.com High Life Magazine writer Colm FitzGeralds recounts his trip in Halong Bay on the Emeraude Classic Cruises, which he called "the jewel of Halong Bay".

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This spread: Sunrise over
Halong Bay.
Ed and I glided past an oyster farm on
stilts and then began our slow return to the
Emeraude. As our paddles dipped in and out
of the sea, the heavy tropical heat faded and a
soft breeze blew in, while a soccer ball-sized
pink jellyfish floated past. Climbing or no
climbing, Halong Bay had my full attention.
ONE MAN’S CURIOSITY
The history of the Emeraude is a tad roman-
tic. Not in the common sense, but in its depth,
and to this day in its fairy tale ending. The
ship would likely be lost to the annals of mari-
time history if not for French entrepreneur
Eric Merlin. In December 1999, Merlin was
perusing the St. Ouen flea market in Paris for
“T
“The rocks! We’re gettin’ too close to the
rocks,” Ed shouted back to me in his Brook-
lyn accent. We were, and it was exactly what I
wanted. Ed and I were in a yellow double sea-
kayak paddling around a horseshoe cove in
Halong Bay, Vietnam. We had set off from our
cruise ship, the Emeraude, half an hour ear-
lier.Towering limestone walls curved around
us like the Roman Coliseum.
I had first seen Halong Bay—a UNESCO
World Heritage Site— in a rock climbing film.
Being an avid climber, I promised myself that
I’d visit one day. And there I was, mere feet
from perfect white-grey limestone and not
only was I without my climbing shoes, but
my partner was afraid to get close enough for
me to touch the rock. I quickly forgot about
climbing though, as we paddled out of the
cove and found ourselves bathed in the un-
believably sharp light of the mid-May sunset.
The pale limestone karsts glowed golden
and the jade water lapped lazily against our
small watercraft. We stopped paddling si-
multaneously—as if on cue—and took in the
scene before us: Our ship, the Emeraude,
a working replica of an early 1900s paddle
steamer, sat anchored to the sea floor. The
last rays of sunshine blasted horizontally
over the layered thumbs of jungle-topped
islets on the horizon. Other passengers
splashed and laughed gleefully in the calm
water off the boat's stern.
The Jewel of Halong BayHistory and luxury on one of the world’s most captivating seascapes.
WORDS AND PHOTOS COLM FITZGERALD
postcards from French colonial Indochina to
add to his collection. In a box labeled “Indo-
chine,” he found three postcards dated 1916,
1917and1919.TheydepictedaseriesofFrench
Colonial paddle steamers plying the waters of
Halong Bay in north-east Vietnam. A magni-
fying glass revealed the name of one to be the
Emeraude. Intrigued, he set out to find what
had become of these ships, and before long en-
visioned an Emeraude replica offering luxury
cruises on Halong Bay once more.
By 2003, Merlin had boat builders work-
ing on his recreation in the nearby port of
Haiphong. Always curious by nature, he need-
ed more information to come full circle. Con-
temporaries in France directed him to an
archive in Aix en Provence that housed docu-
ments from the French Indochina period. The
Emeraude,asitturnsout,hadbeenpartofaco-
lonial business empire owned by Paul Roque.
With this whiff of a clue, Eric Merlin sent
a letter from his Vietnam office expounding
his vision to the 1,220 Roques he found in
a French phone book. Not soon after he re-
ceived a call. “Look no further,” the voice on
the other line said. “We’re the family you’re
looking for. I am Paul Roque’s son.” Nearly
four years after discovering the postcards,
Eric Merlin had finally found his source for
unearthing the Emeraude’s history.
THE ROQUE BROTHERS
The Roque’s adventures in Vietnam began with
three enterprising brothers—Xavier, Henry and
Victor. Originally from Bourdeaux, they made
their way to Saigon in 1860 and established
themselvesassupplierstotheFrenchmilitary.
Subsequently, the Roque’s created an
empire of timber, sugar, opium, utilities and
steamships. But by 1890 their success drew
the attention of the Chinese pirate Luu Ky.
On Jan. 8, 1890, Ky and his bandits raided
the Roque’s residence in Dong Trieu and took
Henry and Victor hostage. The brothers were
held for two months before being released
in exchange for a considerable ransom, the
equivalent of a million dollars today.
The Roque’s empire was virtually bank-
rupt and the brothers’ adventurous spirits had
been dashed. Henry took charge of the remain-
ing assets, along with Xavier’s son, Paul Roque.
The two concentrated their dealings in Halong
Bay and Haiphong. They invested heavily in
five paddle-wheeled ships which would ferry
goods and offer luxury cruises amidst the bay's
captivating scenery. The boats would be named
the Rubis, the Perle, the Saphir, the Onyx and
the Emeraude. The Roque’s entrepreneurial
instincts struck gold once more as the cruises
soonbecameahitwithFrenchtourists.
In 1921 Paul Roque returned to Paris,
leaving Vietnam behind. He was the last of
his family to leave Indochina, following six
decades of exotic adventure. The original Em-
eraude ran aground in 1937. The ship quickly
sank and still sits at the bottom of the bay. Mi-
raculously, all passengers survived.
BACK ON THE BAY
Getting to Halong Bay was simple enough. Af-
ter a couple of days in the fervent and pulsing
scene of Hanoi, I was ready for tranquility. I
was picked up mid-morning by a Sprinter shut-
tle van at the Emeraude’s Hanoi office. The
other passengers included four Americans, a

3. 40 41
Canadian and our guide, a bubbly Vietnamese
woman named Lan. Our driver bulled his way
through the seemingly impenetrable traffic
and we were soon on a highway headed east.
We passed scenes endemic to Vietnam:
water buffaloes trudging through verdant
rice paddies, scooters piled high with goods
ranging from piglets to flowers, and tall
narrow houses that stood like books on end
with scooter repair shops occupying the
ground floors.
Threehourslaterwearrivedinfrontofthe
Emeraude Café in Halong City and stepped
out into the high noon heat. I delighted in the
café’s air conditioning while sipping espresso
and checking e-mails. Soon enough passen-
gers were led onto the small concrete pier
at Bai Chay and began boarding the tender
boat. There was a group of Britons, a family of
Spaniards and my new friends from the Hanoi
shuttle. “Anyone want a bit of pineapple,” one
of the Englishmen said. “I just bought it at the
dock.” He had a small plastic bag of pineapple
and wore a sailor’s striped Popeye T-shirt.
“Sure,” I replied. It was sweeter and juicier
than any pineapple I’d ever had before, and
seemed to soothe and cool me, all at once, in
the intense heat of the day.
As the tender neared the Emeraude,
the ship's features became more apparent:
green smokestacks, rounded corners of the
doors and windows, and the replica paddle
wheel at the stern. Once onboard we were
each given our room key by the staff man-
ager—a young Vietnamese woman in an im-
peccable white uniform. While most of the
passengers shuffled off to their cabins I set
course for the sun deck.
Walking around the Emeraude, I reveled
in the gleaming wooden decks, copious wicker
furniture and the brass-framed porthole win-
dows. On the top deck, near the wheelhouse,
I lay down on a huge circular day bed. The
sun's heat was brilliantly intense, yet, the cool
sea air sweeping past made the temperature
deceptively comfortable. I lay there for some
time—no hat, no sunscreen. Though I felt my
skin burning—I simply didn’t care to move.
With patchy clouds in a bluebird sky, the hyp-
notic drone of engines and the smooth sea
stretching to the rock formations in the dis-
tance, I needed nothing more.
Then I looked to my left. A British couple
in bathing suits just a few sizes too small had
occupied the other day bed across the deck.
“Lovely isn’t it,” the man said languidly.
I nodded and smiled. They were already
red as lobsters and looking for more solar
punishment. I snapped to my senses and went
mid-ship to investigate my cabin.
The icy air conditioning was a welcome re-
lief as I peeked into the small yet elegant room.
Wood paneling, hemp cloth walls and a vintage
brass GE fan transported me to a bygone era.
The ship's mere 37 cabins makes for an inti-
mate experience. Only 18 were occupied on my
cruise. Like the Emeraude’s exterior, my cabin
was simple, but managed to evoke a sense of
quality and craftsmanship seldom seen these
days; no flat screen TV’s and no WIFI aboard
this ship. Turn of the 20th
century French style
and the staggering beauty of Halong Bay pro-
vided all the spectacle one needed. All else was
a distraction as I came to learn.
Through my window, a jungle-topped
rocky islet came into view. I stepped out onto
the deck once more and realized we were sur-
rounded by these hulking blocks of stone and
stood there gob smacked by the sight. The
seascape had an ethereal, dreamy quality to
it. The karsts floated between sea and sky.
I could see why Vietnamese legend has
it that Halong Bay was created by a family of
dragons. In fact, Halong means “Bay of De-
scending Dragons.” As the story goes, the
ancient people of Vietnam were under attack
from seafaring invaders and the gods sent
dragons to rescue them. And instead of fire,
these dragons spat jewels that incinerated the
intruders. Thus were created the nearly 2,000
islets we see today. Standing there on the Em-
eraude, looking out at the bay, this fantastical
story didn’t seem at all that farfetched.
By mid-afternoon I was trudging up the
steep stone steps towards Sung Sot Grotto
with the other passengers. The cicadas
buzzed noisily in unison. Salty sweat pooled
into my sunglasses and dripped off my nose.
We met our guide at the mouth of the cave,
where multiple other groups from other
ships had also congregated. We walked
down the steps into the cave enmasse and
the temperature instantly dropped—a wel-
come relief. The first chamber displayed
stalactites and stalagmites of varying sizes
illuminated by colorful lights. While the
formations were certainly captivating, I
couldn’t bear the crowd, and by the time we
Right: Passengers from
the Emeraude descend
the stone steps from Sung
Sot back to the dock. The
cave's exit looks over the
heart of Halong's UNESCO
World Heritage Site area.
March through June is the best time to visit.
Plan your trip around the weather as a foggy
day will ruin your trip. It’s all about the scen-
ery here.
An overnight cruise is definitely the smart
way to see Halong Bay. The sunsets, sunrises
and starry nights are simply magical.
Bring a hat and plenty of sunblock if you
burn easily. The heat in Vietnam is intense.
Comfortable shoes are a must for hiking
up the 50 steep stone steps to the Sung Sot
Grotto. The cave is well worth the walk.
If you kayak, make sure the staff adjusts
your seat correctly.
The Emeraude’s buffet lunch is excellent.
Sidebar If you go
The green papaya and banana blossom salads
are especially delicious.
Hundreds of local people live on floating
villages on Halong Bay. They will often put over
to the ship in their sampans and offer their
goods. For some of them this is their main
source of income.
More Information
Emeraude Classic Cruises
46 Le Thai To Street, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Tel: (84-4) 3935 1888, Fax: (84-4) 3825
5342, Hotline: (84) 9 0623 7899
E-mail: sales@emeraude-cruises.com
Web site: www.emeraude-cruises.com
reached the enormous third chamber I set
off down the path alone.
Exiting the cave I was greeted by an ex-
pansive view of the bay from above. Mark,
the Canadian from the shuttle van snapped
photos next to me. “When I was here in the
early nineties there was nobody here,” he
said. “Vietnam has changed significantly.
Tourism has become a huge industry.” While
the waters of Halong Bay were not clogged
with cruise ships that day, I imagined the
cave without the throngs of tourists and day-
dreamed about being there 20 years prior.
DINNER AND A MOVIE
That night, following our kayak adventure,
Ed and I went for dinner in the Emeraude’s
restaurant. The dining room ambiance was
reminiscent of a glamorous 1920s movie. Our
dinner buffet was decent, with the sautéed
prawns being the highlight.
After watching crew members squid fish-
ing off the stern, I went topside for an open
air showing of the epic Oscar-winning French
film, Indochine. I watched the high drama un-
fold around the film’s star, Catherine Deneuve,
for an hour until I began dozing in my chair.
Within minutes I was in my cabin fast asleep.
SITTING STILL
Next morning I woke early. Recalling where I
was, I jumped out of bed. I just could not miss
the sunrise. Opening my heavy wooden door I
was instantly hit by the already thick heat. The
sun had yet to crown the islets in the distance.
Isatdownonaloungechairnexttotwowomen
in dark sunglasses and waited. A gilded light
crept across the scene and no one said a word.
I had many such moments aboard the
Emeraude: simply sitting and soaking in
other worldly surroundings in silence. I
swore I’d bring my climbing shoes the next
time I visited. But lately, and with the pas-
sage of time, the more I think about my
meditative dalliance on Halong Bay, I might
just deliberately leave them at home.
Born in Ireland, Colm FitzGerald grew up
in Southern California. An avid backpacker
and rock climber, he now lives in Hungary with
his wife Anita and their demonic Chihuahua-
mix Whoopi.
Left: A visitor checks
out the intricacies of the
Sung Sot Cave. Below: Ed
taking in the sunset from
a kayak.