Emeraude Classic Cruises featured on Asia Spa Magazine

8/6/2019 Emeraude Classic Cruises featured on Asia Spa Magazine

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Stunning glass-smooth seascapes in Halong Bay, mist-strewnmountains up high in Sapa, acres o intensely green paddy eldsthroughout, and o course the explosively modernising yet in many

ways still determinedly traditional city o Hanoi, North Vietnam is

a hugely diverse destination and deserves more than the ew nights

generally allotted by travellers trying to take in the whole country.

AsiaSpa takes the time to uncover plenty o spas to help balance

with peace and pampering as you explore.

hanoiLie in Hanoi is ast and urious. Days start at sunrise with locals

springing to lie to exercise along the banks o the numerous lakes,

markets begin trading at ungodly hours, and by 5.30am the street

cas are serving breakast are. Motorbikes already choke the narrowstreets, swerving and weaving to a tune only they understand.

Pavements arent or pedestrians in this town the low seating o

street restaurants, lines o motorbikes and all sorts o paraphernalia

take up this valuable space, leaving tourists to gingerly dodge trac

in the road. The sound track is an unrelenting cacophony o claxons,

revving engines, shouts rom salesmen. This city is simultaneously

intensely alive, unbelievably colourul and huge amounts o un.

writer Catharine Nicol

Despite its little sister status compared with cosmopolitan Ho

Chi Minh City, in the last ve years the city has become more and

more sophisticated. New hotels have joined residences like Fraser

Suites and Hanoi Towers, high-end restaurants have mushroomed

and the number o luxury cars patiently negotiating the storms o

two-wheeled trac has increased exponentially. Hanoians are

natural entrepreneurs, and the results can be seen, heard and elt

throughout the city as it hurtles its way into the modern day.

The citys charming reluctance to let go o its cultural traditions may

partly explain the lack o high-end spas in town or at least until relatively

recently. A host o mid-ranked spas have long been a boon or locals,

expats and tourists desperately craving some peace, quiet, resh air, and

pampering. While the spa industry is carving out its own increasingly

sophisticated niche in town, the caveat is that it is still an industry in its

inancy. English levels vary widely, as do service levels and design and

ambiance. But armed with this knowledge, savvy travellers can still enjoy,with a degree o patience, a number o hours in the spa or a raction o

the price back home. International products give credibility and reassur-

ance, Vietnamese herbs and therapies give ascinating glimpses o culture,

while technique can be as good or better than youd expect. So book

in to experience the legendary Asian touch and recharge between your

trips to visit Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake, pagodas and

temples, bars and restaurants and o course the antastic shops.


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shiatsu but innitely more gentle. The Qi Vietnamese massage h

also eased up on the traditionally hard technique or spa purpos

As everywhere in this country oot massage is ubiquitous, and he

the luxury treatment includes massage, scrub and paran treatme

Special is the Indian Head treatment and the anti-stress acial

acials start with a skin analysis and consultation. But with pric

as reasonable as these, take advantage o the two couples sui

with Jacuzzi and steam/shower.

www.qispa.com.vn

Bellissima salon & spa

Just opening as you read this, the new fagship Bellissima Spa h

taken over eight foors o a beautiul building in the Old Quart

Well known in Hanoi, the chain is proessional and stylish, and pu

in guests particularly or their Bellissima Signature Body Therapy a

the Lava Stone Treatment. Facials include the moisturising, puriyin

multi-vitamin and collagen acials, great or reversing the eects

Hanois dry, dusty atmosphere. For men the Gentlemans Package

two hours o acial and deep tissue body therapy hits the spot.

Bellissima Spas can be ound in various locations in and arou

Hanoi: aboard the Emeraude (www.emeraude-cruises.com), t

Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel (www.hilton.com/hanoi-opera), t

Meli Hanoi Hotel (www.solmelia.com/hanoi ), the Sheraton Han

Hotel (www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton).

anam QT spa

With a great location on the

west side o Hoan Kiem Lake,

Anam QT is bustlingly busy,

over 10 years o locals and expat

regulars booking in or beauty

maintenance. Numerous foors

o reception, body work, beauty

work, hairdressing, mani-pedi

and anything else you care to

request all take place discretely

behind closed doors. Facials are results-driven, targeting diering

skin types as well as oering anti-aging, natural and brightening

options. Scrubs, slimming and detoxiying are all popular, and

they oer aromatherapy, Thai, shiatsu, hot stone and our-hand

massage as well as the popular QT Signature Holistic Massage with

aromatherapy. But keep climbing, as the surprise at this spa is its

rootop juice and snack bar. Stretch out, sip on a kumquat crush,

and request a oot massage in this delightully airy space.

www.anamqtspa.com

Qi salon & spa

Sister spa to the Qi spas in HCM City, Hanois version is a veritable

warren o treatment rooms and suites with dark wood, subtle lighting

and local art, wet areas, a hairdresser and oot massage beds. The

male area leads to the let o reception, emale to the right, and this

is one spa where the guys get more acilities in the wet area than

the girls. Shiseido products rom Japan eature throughout, and topo the menu is the Qi massage, a treatment infuenced by Japanese

this page: Spa ingredients rom Bellissima Salon & Spa; the rootop area at Anam QT

photographed by Catharine Nicol. opposite page: The soothing greys o Exquis one o the coutreatment rooms;a nd spa treatment at Le Spa du Metropole. opening page: Taking in the

o one o Halong Bays oating villages rom Emeraude Cruises.

SouthChinaSea

GulfofThailand

GulfofTonkin

Hanoi

Hue

HoChiMinh City

DanangHoiAnTHAILAND

LAOS

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

central hanoisofiTel meTropole Hanoi

The grande dame o the city, the 1901- built coloni al haven

o luxurious hush, where ceiling ans stir the air, antiques

add to the ambiance and service is fawless, the Sotel

Metropole is the place to stay. The Metropole Wing o

rooms combines space and old world romance, at its best

in the Somerset Maugham Suite, while its modern nemesis

the neo-classical Opera Wing serves up whites and silvery

greys enlivened with a splash o royal purple, bath oil menus

standing ready by claw-oot tubs overlooking shuttered

windows down to the central pool below. A ew laps beore

breakast at the alresco Bamboo Bar is the tropical way to

start the day, Spices Garden introduces a legion o local

dishes or lunch, Le Beaulieu is the epitome o French ne

dining and Angelina rounds o the night in style.

Just opened is Hanois most theatrically designed spa.

At Le Spa du Metropole, just above the pool, rich textiles

show o dierent hues in each treatment room, rom

the exuberant tradition and reds o Hao Dao (meaning

cherry blossom), to the cool modern greys o Exquis and

gentle pale turquoise and beige o the couples Tonkin

Suite complete with bath and mosaic. Throughout the

spa youll be treated to ragrances and oils blended by

Laurent Severac, an expert in distilling rom local plants.

Treatments, listed under Entres, Plats and Desserts show-

case Ytsara and Clarins products and wont begin beore acup o tea chamomile with relaxing honey to set the

mood. Traditional Vietnamese health secrets like the Dieu

Cham acial technique and Vietnamese herb poultice let

you sample a little o the culture, or try the eclectic Fu-

sion Massage, but make time to take a steam beorehand,

or come back to reality with a oot massage aterwards,

prolonging the luxurious experience.

www.softel.com/asia

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west lakesanTal spa

The West Lake area is ast growing into a village o upscale restaurants,

bars and shops and its here youll nd Hanois leading day spa, a

study in sleek lines and dark woods, pale marble and white stone,

ivory abrics and local embroidery. Santal Spa has eight treatment

rooms and suites, a oot massage and pedicure area and relaxation

inside, while outside a small posse o lounge beds bask in the central

courtyard and on the roo alresco Thai massage beds and a balconytake advantage o the unique view o open elds o green morning

glory in ront o a temple. Its a prooundly beautiul and balancing

space, and thats beore youve even started your treatment.

Sothys rom France provide luxurious acials or try a treatment

using the more medical Dr Spiller rom Germany, like the hydro

marine mask or intense hydration. The Rejuvenation package o

oot polish, warm stone massage and Sothys acial is a divine two-

and-a-hal hours, or go or a more gentle version o Vietnamese

massage with the Santal Massage, which is a our-hand delight using

oils specially made or Santal with herbs rom Sapa.

www.santalgroup.com

The relatively new InterContinental West Lake is a stunning property,

with overwater pavilions o rooms giving a very dierent perspectiveto staying in Hanoi. At present there is no spa but as the perectresort getaway or town-weary Hanoians, we hope this will bereaddressed soon!

diplomatic areaHanoi Daewoo HoTel

This Korean managed hotel is all about water. Perched on the side

Thu Le Lake on the edge o the Diplomatic Enclave, its gardens boast t

longest lap pool in town a staggering 80m giving a great workout

thing in the morning, or a beautiul s pot or evening events. Rooms a

spacious and ree wi-, a great breakast buet and Japanese, Chine

and international dining makes it an ideal business hotel.

The tness and health area include numerous pools or soa

ing the city dust away, a barbershop and a branch o Hanoi S

presided over by the lovely Ms Le. An army o treatment rooms w

have opened by the time you read this, and there are also num

ous ood massage loungers. Dont be ooled by the homey desi

as the treatments are beautiully perormed, with acials by Thal

slimming treatments and shiatsu particular strengths. The acial

dehydrated skin leaves your complexion eeling as i it has be

completely smoothed, nourished and renewed.

www.hanoi-daewoohotel.com

JusT massage

Just Massage is in the middle o the diplomatic district, which mea

you could be experiencing one o the best massages in Hanoi ne

to a VIP. Just Massage received help rom a local and an Americ

NGO to train up visually challenged locals to employ as masseu

and masseuses, oering them a career as well as their guests

socially responsible pampering experience. Rooms are simple, twfoor mattresses in each surrounded by white billowing curta

to ensure privacy. And oils can be chosen prior to treatment, w

local oils created by Sapa Essentials. Armed with medical massa

certicates, therapists here target overworked muscles, showi

they really know their anatomy and physiology. Choose betwe

aromatherapy, shiatsu, Swedish and pregnancy massage and kno

youll be supporting a wonderul cause as well as beneting ro

a great massage. www.justmassage.org.vn

Zen spa

Tucked away in the West Lake area bordering the Red River is Zen

Spa. It takes a bit o ndi ng but its worth the search to metaphorically

leave the city ar behind as you s tep into the tiny village o a spa.

Its all wooden buildings, lush greenery, ponds and water eatures

outside, with the most rustic, rural spa experience you could imagine

waiting or you inside. The relaxation room eatures lounge beds

with cushions where youll be served a cup o tea, Jasmine or your

skin or Vietnamese to help you detox, with sugared lotus seeds to

help you relax great beore your treatment.

The menu is heavily infuenced by Vietnamese wellness tradi-

tions, knowledge that was passed down to owner Huong rom her

grandmother and mother. It is now her turn to showcase therapies

like the Zen Fresh Herbal Foot Treatment where your eet soak in a

ragrant bowl thick with foating herbs, which soten and scent the

skin. Poultices similar to those youd nd in Thai spas are stued

with local herbs and applied to aching muscles, and Vietnamese

mud stars in the Body Mud Wrap where lotus and banana leaves

cover the body. The hot stone massage uses imperial jade rom

mountains in the country or creating the best energy possible. Its

a ascinating experience, so authentic youll want to try everything

on the menu. www.zenspa.com.vn

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sofiTel plaZa

The Soitel Plaza is the sleek modern counterpart to the

Metropoles historic charm. Great views over Truc Bach Lake,

West Lake and the Red River give a welcome impression o

space outside, while inside the contemporary Vietnamese

design and modern art pieces create a stylish atmosphere.

Rooms are sleek and accessed by surprisingly hip corridors

each with a hint o signature ragrance. Dont miss the SummitLounge and its outdoor terrace, a great place any time o the

day, but particularly mesmerising at night as the traic draws

white and red lines along the main arteri es ar below. The pools

retractable roo is a boon in summers heat and winters cool,

and the small massage area oers a wide selection o relaxation

inducing treatments like hot stone massages and herbal poultice

treatments and even Dead Sea mud masks. A oot massage

throne is great or rejuvenating ater a day o walking around

the Old Quarter and there are also acials and mani-pedis.

www.softel.com/3553

this page: The simple yet soothing rooms at Just Massage;a ower petal b ath flls at Zen Spa; a

couple enjoy an alresco oot massage in the courtyard at Santal Spa. opposite page: Sink into a

warm stone spa treatment at Santal Spa.


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The place to stay is the Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa. Ater

journey like this you need comort and cosiness, and this hote

the epitome o both. On cool days wood res glow and the wa

ragrance o wood smoke greets you at the door. Rooms surrou

a garden courtyard and are a rustic combination o local artiac

and technology. Youll arrive in time or breakast, a grand a

o western and Vietnamese specialities, and dont miss dinner

the restaurant, where an English che serves up ne dining dish

to perection.

The Victoria Spa, a little walk urther up the hill and alongs

the indoor pool, is a beautiully designed space o relaxation are

treatment rooms and suites, with hot soaks and therapeutic massag

the perect antidote to days spent hiking through villages. Suiinclude Jacuzzi baths and spa beds or two, ideal when choosing th

Intimate Indulgence, which includes a fower bath, an aromathera

massage, acial and oot refexology. Single treatment rooms a

just as tempting, some deliciously dark, others with ambient lig

diusing through windows, and most popular are the hot sto

massages that really warm and treat at the same time. Thai massa

is also in great demand, while the lemongrass body scrub is six

minutes o pure bliss. www.victoriahotels-asia.com

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this page:The junks and peaks o Halong Bay at sunset;enjoying a oot treatment on deck, photographed

by Catharine Nicol;and early morning Tai Chi is the way to start the day,both on Emeraude.opposite

page:Travel and dine in style on the Victoria Express Train;at Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa ease

trekking muscles with a rose petal bath and massage in their airy treatment rooms;trek through villages

and rice terraces around Sapa, all photographed by Catharine Nicol.

halong bayFrom Hanoi its a three-hour drive out to Halong Bay, but the road

takes you through the heart o rice paddy country, small towns

primary and secondary schools pouring out students in their smart

school uniorms as they cycle home or lunch. The resort town o

wall-to-wall hotels overlooking Halong Bay is bizarrely quiet when

compared with Hanoi. There isnt much o a scene here because

tourists spend their overnights on board one o the numerous junks

and ships that sail rom the shores.

Halong Bay itsel, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a millpond-fat

expanse o water broken by limestone islands and the occasional foat-

ing village. The blues, greens and greys o the landscape are innitely

soothing. For a liveaboard rookie, this isnt your usual Asian diving and

snorkeling, anchoring o pristine beaches. The Halong Bay experience

is more o a combination o culture, exploration and blissul quiet.

The Emeraude, a paddle steamer owned by the French Roqueamily in a previous lie, is one o the most luxurious here. Her 38

cabins are all designed in dark wood book the Emeraude Suite

or maximum space or the Paul Roque Suite or your own private

verandah and decks evoke the eel o colonial days gone by.

Boarding at noon or a welcome drink on deck ollowed by lunch,

the rst port o call is a foating village. As rattan armchairs take the strain

youll hear the sound o children playing giving a ascinating glimpse

sapaTravelling by train always evokes the atmosphere o days gone by,

and the Victoria Express Train to Lao Cai is a true Agatha Christie-

style experience (minus the murder and Hercule Poirot). Luxury

two or our-man cabins and a delightul dining car are designed in

dark woods, with western or Vietnamese dinner tasting menus ready

to serve the minute you board, and white duvets, pillows and Sapa

textile amenity bags ready or bedtime. With an evening departure,

the chitty-ty-chito the rails is the soundtrack, the lights o the city

changing to dark rural landscape outside the window, as the dining

car comes to lie. Steaming bowls o pho compete with plates o

pasta, all washed down with excellent wines. Tucking yoursel up or a

night being rocked to sleep by the trains steady motion eels blis sully

adventurous, until the early morning wake-up call a ew minutes priorto arrival at Lao Cai announced with a cup o coee or tea.

The journey to Sapa by road is an hours worth o switchbacks

steadily climbing into the mountains. Tiny hamlets cling onto the sides

o the hills above the rice terraces ollowing their contours in seductive

curves. The temperature steadily drops, and mists rise rom valley foors

up towards the blue-grey o the mountains on the horizon ading into

the distance. Finally the burgeoning mountain town o Sapa appears,

set around a lake and with panoramic vistas at every turn.

o lie on the water. Next disembark to wander through the series o

Sung Sot Caves, each bigger and more dramatic than the last.

Back on board theres time or reading, snoozing, swimming o the

back o the boat, kayaking, a cooking demonstration and o course dinner

ater the sunset. The ood on Emeraude is one o the highlights with a mix

o Vietnamese and western, and a strong continental infuence.

Spa at the Emeraude oers an onboard version o Bellissima

Spa, housed in a two-bed cabin or acials, one with aloe vera or

sun soothing, and massages including Shiatsu, Thai and deep tissue,

as well as wraps and packages, by therapists who must have one

o the most enviable spa locations in the country. On deck a oot

massage is a great way to get some pampering without missing the

stunning scenery foating past.

The next morning, dawn sees a surprising amount o guests on

board, and tai chi ollows a gentle way to start the day. Then itsbreakast and sadly, a quick return to the mainland. The only criticism

heard as guests leave is that the trip just isnt long enough.

www.emeraude-cruises.com

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Emeraude Classic Cruises featured on Asia Spa Magazine