JMA RECOMMENDS | LYRA GRANDEUR, HA LONG BAY

Jessica Minh Anh has experienced some of the world’s most extraordinary destinations, yet Ha Long Bay carries a beauty and emotional resonance entirely its own.

Invited by Vietstar Cruises Investment JSC, she spent four unforgettable days aboard Lyra Grandeur, travelling through emerald waters framed by monumental limestone karsts. Her journey brought together the privacy of La Suite de Lyra, cultural discovery at Viet Hai Village, a restorative spa experience and an exceptional culinary journey through Vietnamese flavours.

“Watching the sunset bathe the limestone cliffs in gold was pure magic,” said Jessica Minh Anh.

A PRIVATE HOME ON THE WATER

Jessica’s home throughout the voyage was La Suite de Lyra, a luxurious 57-square-metre sanctuary with floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces overlooking the bay.

Contemporary comfort was softened by Vietnamese and Indochine-inspired details, creating an atmosphere that felt elegant, intimate and connected to its surroundings.

Framed by the suite’s expansive windows, the limestone formations appeared almost close enough to touch.

The private terrace became one of Jessica’s favourite spaces. It offered uninterrupted views as the scenery moved from misty mornings and brilliant daylight to the soft gold of sunset. With the ship gliding quietly between the islands, La Suite de Lyra felt less like accommodation and more like a private residence moving through nature.

DISCOVERING VIET HAI VILLAGE

Jessica’s journey extended beyond the ship with a visit to Viet Hai Village on Cat Ba Island.

Surrounded by forested mountains and peaceful countryside, the village offered a slower and more intimate perspective on the region. The natural scenery was magnificent, but it was the connection to local culture and everyday traditions that gave the excursion its meaning.

During the visit, Jessica joined a traditional Vietnamese bánh cuốn-making experience. She discovered how the delicate steamed rice sheets are prepared and carefully rolled by hand, turning one of Vietnam’s most familiar dishes into a personal cultural encounter.

The experience was simple, interactive and memorable. It brought together food, tradition and human connection while revealing the time and skill behind a dish that is enjoyed throughout Vietnam.

More than a sightseeing excursion, Viet Hai Village added cultural depth to the voyage. It allowed Jessica to experience the landscape beyond its celebrated limestone formations and connect with the warmth, resilience and traditions of local life.

RESTORATION AT SEA

After exploring the bay and Viet Hai Village, Jessica returned to Lyra Grandeur for a restorative massage at the ship’s Sea Memory Spa.

The treatment created a quiet transition from cultural discovery to complete relaxation. Within the spa’s calming environment, the massage offered the privacy and stillness needed to fully disconnect.

On a voyage filled with dramatic landscapes, excursions and activities, the spa introduced a different kind of luxury: time to pause, recover and be entirely present.

A CULINARY JOURNEY THROUGH VIETNAM

Food became one of the greatest pleasures of Jessica’s four days aboard Lyra Grandeur.

At Harmony of the Sea Restaurant, generous meals were served beside panoramic windows overlooking the bay. Breakfast brought together comforting Vietnamese favourites and international selections, including pho, eggs, fresh fruit, juices and coffee.

Lunches and dinners continued with beautifully presented Vietnamese and international dishes prepared with fresh local and seasonal ingredients. From seafood and traditional flavours to refined contemporary creations, the variety made every meal feel like a new chapter of the journey.

Jessica enjoyed a great deal of delicious food throughout the voyage, but the pleasure came from more than the menus alone. The ever-changing landscape remained present through the restaurant’s windows, allowing guests to dine while limestone cliffs and emerald waters passed quietly outside.

The combination of flavour, presentation, attentive service and scenery transformed dining into an experience rather than simply part of the itinerary.

AN OASIS ON WATER

Lyra Grandeur’s sculptural Oasis Pool & Jacuzzi created another distinctive space for relaxation.

Its curved architecture and open-air setting gave Jessica a peaceful place to enjoy the sun while remaining surrounded by the dramatic geography of the bay. On the private deck, the gentle movement of the ship and uninterrupted views created a sense of freedom and seclusion.

Luxury here felt less about excess and more about space, privacy and the rare opportunity to slow down within one of the world’s most extraordinary natural settings.

THE HEART OF VIETNAMESE HOSPITALITY

Beyond La Suite de Lyra, Viet Hai Village, the cuisine, spa and magnificent landscape, what stayed with Jessica most was the spirit of the Vietnamese people: soulful, resilient, gracious and deeply connected to culture, family and tradition.

That spirit could be felt throughout the voyage—in the welcome, the attentiveness of the crew, the traditions shared at Viet Hai Village and the pride behind each experience. The hospitality never felt mechanical. It gave the journey its emotional centre and transformed four days at sea into something deeply personal.

THE JMA TAKE

Four days aboard Lyra Grandeur unfolded with an effortless rhythm: quiet mornings in La Suite de Lyra, generous meals overlooking the water, cultural discovery and bánh cuốn making at Viet Hai Village, a restorative massage and golden evenings on deck.

What makes the experience memorable is how naturally the ship, landscape and Vietnamese culture come together. Ha Long Bay is never treated as a distant backdrop. It enters the suite through the windows, accompanies every meal and changes the atmosphere from one hour to the next.

Jessica extends her heartfelt thanks to Vietstar Cruises Investment JSC and the Lyra Grandeur team for the exclusive invitation and exceptional hospitality.

JMA Team