Well in the case of the "Bonsai I"
dragon boat, you get an extraordinary dining and entertainment experience on the Sai Gon River. (The original American Country&Western song title was, You Load 16 Tonnes and What Do You Get?) The reason for the title is that this ship, skillfully constructed using sao wood (Hopea Odorata) from Khanh Hoa Province, weighs over 340 tonnes. It is the largest existing dragon boat in Viet Nam and is a replica of a royal Vietnamese-style dragon boat, once only used for the emperors.
We were curious as to who conceived the idea and carried out the formidable task of constructing such a unique vessel and thus tracked down the father - daughter team behind its creation.
Believe it or not, it all began in a small Austrian village of 800 people. Stefan Ernest and his daughter Madlen Ernest worked together to bring Stefan’s dream to reality. Madlen wished to move out of her small town and decided to study hospitality management. Her special field of study was river cruises. She began by working on river cruises between Amsterdam and the Black Sea. She had always wanted to see Asia and ended up in Viet Nam. Stefan became interested in cruise lines because of Madlen’s chosen profession and in November 2003 he arrived in Viet Nam on holiday. He had previously considered India or Thailand, but chose HCM City as he felt that Viet Nam presented the greatest opportunity and with so much potential that he decided to build his dream boat here. He had been a master woodworker in Austria and with his skills in carpentry and wooden construction, he tackled the task of re-creating a beautiful replica of Viet Nam’s past history. The exterior design and artistry remain faithful to the ships of the 19th century, but the interior is a state-of-the art plan, carefully constructed to provide the utmost in tasteful decor and safety.
The 40m long boat can carry up to 170 passengers in stately comfort. The interior design allows for individual seating at formal tables or can be converted into a "conference cruise" mode. Due to the size and weight of the ship, it cruises steadily and smoothly. Upon inspection, we were impressed with the many safety features and "Austrian" thoroughness – even to the point of having international insurance coverage. The crew’s numbers often reach as many as 50 persons, including music performers, waiters, kitchen staff and the captain’s mates – and we almost forgot – the magician!
He began as a security guard and, upon seeing the original magician perform, was mesmerized – he studied, practiced and became a better magician than he ever was as a security guard.
The European management details extend to special details of decor and service. Candles on the tables and staff queries as to whether one is a smoker or not (removing the ashtray if the answer is "no") present an altogether truly unique experience in HCM City; originating from Bach Dang pier, opposite to Ham Nghi Street. Check their website for booking availability and details – http://www.bonsaicruise.com.vn/ VNS
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