South Seas Cruise - from Lautoka - 129255

'The 'sugar city' of Lautoka, an economic and cultural centre, is the second-largest city on the Fiji Islands. The main palm-lined street gives the city a friendly feel. Mosques, Hindu temples and Christian churches bear witness to the turbulent past and the diverse population. There are several restaurants and hotels, but the highlight is an excellent art gallery at a hotel direct by the water. Lautoka is also the starting point for many tours to the neighbouring islands.

Honiara is the capital of the Solomon Islands which are located in the South-West Pacific, to the East of Papua New Guinea. The islands are characterised by the almost moonscape-like mountain landscape. Honiara is on the island of Guadalcanal, which boasts the highest mountain in the island group - Makarakombu stands 2,447 m tall.

The Philipinos refer to the island at the mouth of Manila Bay simply as "the rocks". But it was here that one of the most fateful events of the nation took place. It was on Corregidor that the American forces and their Philippine allies were forced to surrended to the superior force of the Japanese in 1942. "The rocks" are perforated with tunnels where the defence forces hid. Today one can see the ruins of the defences and the one-and-a-half metre long Malinta Tunnel, once the headquarters of General Douglas Mac Arthur. It was here that the supreme commander of the Pacific forces spoke the immortal words "I shall return".

Cebu is the ninth-largest island in the Philippines and was the first to be specifically selected for colonisation and converted to Christianity. On account of the beautiful landscape and the perfect water -sports conditions, tourism has played a vitally important role on Cebu since the beginning of the 1970s. Cebu City is the island's capital. The queen among the cities of the South stands unique in terms of its diverse culture. Sights include: the Fort San Pedro, which today houses a museum, the Taoist Temple, the Casa Gororgo Museum, the Minore del Santo Nino basilica, Magellan's Cross, the Carbon Market selling handicrafts and agricultural produce and San Carlos University, the oldest university in the Philippines. The most beautiful beaches and the best areas for diving and snorkelling are to be found along the coast of the Moalboal peninsula.

The small island of Boracay - just 7 km long and 1 km wide at its narrowest point - is to the North of the Phillipine island of Panay. Boracay has a great many hills; there is a completely untouched tropical rainforest in one part of the island. The island has a few villages connected by jungle paths. "White Beach", which stretches for miles and is lined with palm trees, is an excellent place to relax and sunbathe. As well as the beaches, the main attraction is the range of water sports on offer in the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Chinese island of Hong Kong ("Xiang Gang" in Chinese) has, together with the island of Lantao and the Kowloon peninsula, has belonged to the Chinese special administrative region since July 1st 1997. "Hong Kong in the narrow sense" forms the core settlement of the group of islands with a population of more than 4 million. The city is one of the largest financial centres in the world and represents a major junction for sea transport in the region. Sights include: floating restaurants at the harbour, Tai Po racecourse, the beaches at Castle Peak, Man Mo Temple; the bell tower at the tip of the Kowloon peninsula serves as an excellent viewing platform of the city skyline; the 800 m long escalator on Hongkong Island (the longest in the world), "Tiger Balm Garden" with its small caves and statues from Chinese mythology, Victoria Peak with views of the port and the city. There is also a huge number of restaurants and shops.