Why does the cross-Vietnam train tour cost more than 200 million VND per passenger?

In addition to the "unique" amenities, train travelers can experience Vietnam's historical culture "from the glorious past to the dynamic present" during 8 days traveling along the North-South route.

SJourney is a luxury train operated by a number of investors - represented by PYS Travel - in cooperation with Vietnam Railways, launched in December. The train journey lasts 8 days and 7 nights, passing through the cities of Ninh Binh, Quang Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet and departing from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. To experience the tour, visitors need to spend about 220 million VND, including 7 nights on the train and tourist activities in the cities visited.

Mr. Phan Trong Thang, CEO of SJourney, said the idea of a luxury train is not new in the world but not in Vietnam, while the North-South railway is one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world. Therefore, the parties involved have coordinated to create a high-class railway experience with the main target being international visitors.

The train consists of 13 carriages, running its own route - different from other luxury train products that have appeared in Vietnam, where investors usually rent one or two carriages and run according to the railway schedule. Mr. Thang said that operating a luxury train is not simply going from point A to B, but also needs to bring special emotions to passengers on each journey.

Initially, the unit had no idea how the train would operate, so they sent many delegations to survey some luxury trains around the world. Mr. Thang was a guest on two Palaces On Wheels trains that passed through a series of historical sites in Rajasthan, India on a 7-night journey and Golden Eagle in Uzbekistan.

However, "we did not create this train ourselves," he said, adding that he had received advice from Golden Eagle Luxury Trains - a company that specializes in providing high-end train tours globally.

Dining room space on the train. Photo: Giang Huy

Learning from the experience of international luxury trains, SJourney has created a "unique" train in Vietnam from design to experience. The train is designed in the Indochine style with a betel nut red exterior combined with metallic gold, reminiscent of the golden age of Indochina tourism in the 1930s when trains like the Trans-Indochina connected many regions in Southeast Asia.

The staff on board are selected from those who have experience serving on cruise ships, 5-star hotels, and can speak English fluently. This is considered the first step to touching the emotions of tourists during the 8-day journey. In addition, the diverse cuisine from Asia to Europe with selected local ingredients also makes tourists comfortable throughout the time on board.

During his survey, Mr. Thang found that the bedroom size of ships around the world usually ranges from 5-10 square meters and a 10 square meter room is usually a suite, costing tens of thousands of USD. With the product in Vietnam, the entire room is made with an area of 10 square meters, optimizing the resting space of guests, with a price of about 8,600 USD. This is cheaper than most similar sized rooms on luxury ships around the world, according to the tour operator.

Passengers will be able to rest more comfortably when the train runs at a speed of about 40 km/h - slower than the current 75 km/h of the North-South train, to avoid shaking. The speed is also calculated for passengers to relax and enjoy the scenery from the train.

Tourists who spend more than VND200 million will be able to experience Vietnamese culture on a journey. The tour designers hope that every day when they wake up, tourists will "feel excited" about what awaits them at their new destination.

When coming to Ninh Binh, visitors can explore Trang An and experience a journey back in time when visiting heritages from the Dinh and Le dynasties. Visitors will also have lunch in the space of the Tam Coc limestone mountains.

The journey in Quang Binh begins with a visit to Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, a cruise on the Son River, and an exploration of Phong Nha Cave. Visitors will relax at Nuoc Mooc Stream and enjoy lunch in the middle of nature. In the evening, passengers will dine in the middle of rice fields with local cuisine after experiencing a cooking class.

In Hoi An, the tour team works with a local host to organize meals for tourists right in the middle of a field. The host is a famous chef and only accepts one group of guests each day, and the entire menu is made from local ingredients. In Hue, the group will meet an artist couple to talk about the art of Ca Tru and visit their private gallery.

In Nha Trang, tourists dine on the Emperor Cruise, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Nha Trang Bay, visit the fishing village and relax at Soi Beach. In the afternoon, the journey continues with a visit to the Stone Church, Loc Tho Pagoda, ancient houses, combined with a cooking class and afternoon tea.

On the morning of the 7th day in Phan Thiet, visitors immerse themselves in the spiritual space on Ta Cu Mountain, explore the traditional fish sauce making process at the museum. In the afternoon, White Sand Hill is a place to participate in outdoor activities and enjoy the scenery. In the evening, visitors enjoy a farewell dinner at the ancient Poshanu Tower before returning to the ship and heading to the final destination.

"Guests experience high-class service but still have a connection with the locals," said Mr. Thang. Through the 8-day journey on the train, the organizer wants to bring tourists to explore the beauty "from the glorious past to the dynamic modern life" of Vietnam. In this journey, the train acts as a bridge between the past and the present, bringing a journey "beyond the imagination of tourists".

The operator representative said the reaction of the first group of guests was "very good", and that they were "reluctant" when preparing to leave the ship, although they themselves felt there were still many areas that needed improvement.

The maximum capacity of the boat is 60 passengers, but the first two trips were less than 30% full, welcoming 18 and 12 passengers, respectively. Mr. Thang said this was within expectations because before the launch, there was not much promotion and the majority of passengers who were eligible to experience it were not reached.

Mr. Thang had dinner with a female tourist in the first group to experience SJourney. Photo: NVCC

Next year, SJourney has been signed by a number of companies from the UK and Germany to charter the ship for their customers. The company hopes that the number of bookings will be positive so that the company can operate weekly trips, instead of the current frequency of two trips per month. The tour operator also hopes that the tourism industry can join hands to create more unique products, thereby building a high-end tourism ecosystem in Vietnam.

"We want the train to become a symbol of Vietnamese tourism," said Mr. Thang, adding that the train's main markets are British, American, European and Australian tourists. He believes this is a product that can affirm Vietnam's position in the high-end tourism market.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, Vice President of the Capital Tourism Club, said the train is aimed at high-end customers who want to experience unique things, instead of just the usual comforts and luxuries. The price of more than 200 million VND for the trip is considered "normal" by Mr. Dat, adding that in Dubai there are services that the rich can spend up to 500 million VND per day.

"This is a potential product to introduce to high-end customers when they come to Vietnam," Mr. Dat commented. However, he said that the price is difficult for domestic customers to access, so the organizers may have difficulty filling the ship.

In addition, the fact that the train still runs on old, narrow-gauge tracks may be a minus point. In the past year, Mr. Dat has taken the train six times and has been unable to sleep well because of the noise created by the narrow-gauge tracks.

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