South East Asia Cruise - from Singapore - 130013

Singapore is a city state at the lower end of the Malay Peninsula, only around 100 km North of the equator. Today the city is one of the most important ports and trading centres in South East Asia. Singapore has a population of over 3 million, including first and foremost Chinese, Malaysians and Indians. Europeans and other ethnic groups round off the city of many nationalities and four official languages. Visitors will notice the spotlessly clean and well-kept roads and squares; Singapore is also one of the safest cities in the world. Some interesting buildings dating from the colonial era have been placed under preservation order, including several former British administrative buildings and Raffles Hotel, whose guests included many authors. From the southern shore of the Singapore River visitors can take a boat trip around the river and Marina Bay. Sights include: the shopping street Orchard Road, Chinatown, Little India, Singapore River, the Botanic Gardens, the zoo and Fort Canning.

From the West Coast of the Malacca peninsula (West Malaysia) direct on the border with Thailand, is a group of islands including the main island "Palau Langkawi". Visitors are enchanted by the long, palm-lined beaches and dreamy little sandy coves that hide the odd secluded fishing village. The jungle further inland is a sanctuary for many species of birds. Another rarity is the almost 100 metre-high island of bats. A trip to the island capital of Kuah with its beach promenades and shopping arcades is well worth it. Incidentally, Langkawi is a duty-free free trade area. A visit to the marble tomb of the Malayan Princess Mahsuri is also a must.

Visitors to Thailand's largest island can look forward to paradise beaches, a varied landscape, a bustling provincial capital and a wide variety of recreational activities. It's no wonder that Phuket, with its 215,000 inhabitants, is South-East Asia's most popular holiday island. The island's beauty lies in its magical coastline. There are gently sloping white sandy beaches with still waters and precipitous headlands with thunderous crashing waves. The town centre of Phuket is a popular destination for shopping. Sights include: Thai Village, a Thai-Folklore village with a cultural performance featuring traditional Thai dancing, sword-fighting and Thai boxing, Thalang National Museum, the Wat Phra Thong temple with a partially-buried statue of Buddha.

The island of Penang is also a federal state on the west coast of the peninsula. It is Malaysia's most famous destination, and hardly needs an introduction. Georgetown is known not only as a city full of history, but also for the long beach at Batu Feringghi with its lovely hotels and the expansive view of the sea. The island is connected to the mainland by the Penang Bridge, measuring 13.5 km in length, making it one of the longest bridges in Asia. Sights include: Fort Cornwallis, which today is home to an outdoor museum and acts as an open-air theatre, Penang Bird Park, the Orchid and Hibiscus Garden, the leisure park at Bukit Mertajam and the small but extremely interesting butterfly farm just North of Batu Feringghi.

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and is situated on the island of Java. The city is a fascinating mix of various cultural influences. The old town with buildings from the Dutch and Portuguese colonial periods is well worth seeing. This is also where you will find the National Monument at Merdeka Square. The Central Museum has an excellent anthropology section and exhibits sculptures from the pre-Hindu era, among other things. The Portuguese church with the huge Dutch pump organ (1695) is also well worth a visit. The modern Istiqlal Mosque in the town centre is one of the largest in the world. The antiques market in Jalan Surabaya (Surabaya street) and the many batik factories in the Karet district are also must-sees. In the South-East of the city is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, a theme park covering 100 hectares which provides an insight into the (at times very varied) cultures of the 26 Indonesian provinces. Each province is represented in Taman Mini by a scale model house in the respective traditional style. Inside the houses are exhibitions of traditional costumes and handicrafts from the various regions. The majority of the houses also provide cultural tours - an events guide is available at the tourist information office. The Jakarta cultural centre is one of the largest in South East Asia.

The Indonesian port of Surabaya on the North-Eastern coast of Java is also called the "city of heroes" on account of its turbulent past. Today, this metropolis with a population of over one million is an important production and trading centre and the second-largest city in Indonesia. From Surabaya it is easy to reach the tiny neighbouring island of Madure, which is famous for its legendary bull races. Sights include: Surabaya zoo, the harbour of Kalima, the martyrs' memorial and Kayoon flower market.

Benoa is a traditional fishing village in the South of Bali. At the entrance to the port is the Pura Sakenan temple . It is linked with the pilgrimage of the Buddhist saint Dang Hyang Nirartha and is particularly important during the Galungan Festival celebrated every second year.

Benoa is a traditional fishing village in the South of Bali. At the entrance to the port is the Pura Sakenan temple . It is linked with the pilgrimage of the Buddhist saint Dang Hyang Nirartha and is particularly important during the Galungan Festival celebrated every second year.

Semarang is the capital and the most important port in the central province of Java. The town is also a centre of the economy and tourism. A visit to the world-famous Buddhist temples of Borobudur in the Provinz Yogyakarta is well worth it. Excavation of the temple began only in 1814 and in 1983 it was declared a national monument by the president in office at that time.

Muara is the port of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of the Sultanate of Brunei. The most important sight in Bandar Seri Begawan is the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque built at the centre of an artificial lagoon with golden domes and a 54-metre-high minaret that towers over the city. Other sights include: the Churchill memorial with the Churchill Museum; the Hassanal Bolkiah Aquarium; the splendid "Lapau" with its throne room - the stage for traditional royal ceremonies. The Sultan's residence "Istana Nurul Iman" is also worth a visit, as is Tasek Park with its pretty waterfall, the Tamu Market, the Brunei Museum, the Malaiian Museum of Technology and the tomb of the 5th Sultan Bolkiah, who was known as "the singing Admiral" due to his love of music and conquest.

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah in East Malaysia. Sabah is on the north-eastern side of Borneo and has been known as the "land below the wind" since time immemorial, since it lies just below the typhoon belt. The city's landmark and the religious centre of Sabah is the state mosque, which is a splendid sight to behold with its magnificent dome and the blue and gold mosaics. Other sights include: Sabah Foundation (a 30-storey glass building and a technical masterpiece), the town of Tuaran (with a model farm for agricultural research) and the huge Kinabalu National Park at the foot of Mount Kinabalu.

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 metropolis of Manila, which has a population of around 1.7 million, is the capital of the Philippines and is considered to be a very important port. The city lies in Manila Bay, Luzon, and consists of 7 main areas. Manila has several universities, an international airport, many shopping centres, oil refineries and other industrial trades. Sights include numerous Baroque churches, which were granted World Heritage Site status in 1993, "China Town", a magical area of Manila, the Chinese cemetery, "Intramuris", the oldest part of the city with many churches and ancient buildings and "Mataki", an ultra-modern and luxurious shopping centre.

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.

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.