Round-the-world Cruise - from Sydney - 134880

Melbourne is an Australian metropolis founded by settlers in 1835. Unlike Sydney or Hobart, Melbourne was never a prison colony. The city has an individual tradition with beautiful architecture and enchanting art and culture. As well as the settlers, you will also encounter the indigenous people of Austrialia, the Aborigines, in the city. Melbourne has a large number of shopping, cultural, sport and recreational facilities, making it extremely attractive to visitors. Sights include: the city's tram system, the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne University, the Convention Centre and Carlton District Crown.

Adelaide, with a population of 1.08 million, is the capital of South Australia. It proudly calls itself the "Festival City", since it hosts the largest cultural festical in the entire Asia Pacific region every other year in February/March. The streets of the inner city of Adelaide have a grid -iron layout. The most important street in the city is "Rundle Street" which has a large number of department stores, small shops, boutiques and restaurants. But there are still lovely old houses at Adelaide's port, like the police station dating from 1860, a warehouse (1865) and numerous historic residential buildings. Other sights include: "Old Parliament House" dating back to 1855, the Migration Museum, the Australian Museum and two universities (founded in 1847 and 1966).

The third-largest Australian island is around 110 km South-West of Adelaide, 16 km from the mainland. Today, Flinders Chase Nationalpark on the western side covers 20 percent of the island. The island is a must-see for animal lovers, since you can watch wild kangaroos, koalas and emus up close. The island is also home to a huge variety of parrots. Another of the island's main attractions is "Remarkable Rocks". These sandstone rocks lie on the brow of a granite cliff-face directly by the sea and erosion has shaped them into the most bizarre forms. Kangaroo Island also has beautiful secluded sandy beaches and crystal-clear water. Anyone who loves swimming, fishing or sailing has come to the right place.

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.

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.

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.

Melaka is on the south-western coast of the peninsula of Malaysia. The small capital of Melaka City boasts various architectural styles and trends, attributable to its earlier rulers. Several languages are spoken here. Not far from the city centre is a Portuguese village where the decendants of the Portuguese settled. Sights include: Hang Li Po's spring, the Dutch 'Stadthuys' (built between 1641 and 1660), the huge fortified gate "Porta di Santiago" (built at the end of the 18th century), the Sultan's Palace in Melaka, St. Francis Xavier's church, and Christ Church.

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.

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 capital of Sri Lanka (which used to be known as "Ceylon"), has developed into an important port for ships travelling in the Far East over the last few years. "Beira Lake" surrounds the town, which is connected to the port by means of a canal. The Clock Tower, from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the town and the port is well worth seeing. The town also has many buildings built in the 18th and 19th century by the Dutch, such as St. Peter's Church or Pettah, once the Dutch residential area, which today is bursting with a colourful bazaars. To the South of Beira Lake is Victoria Park. Colombo town centre is home to Dehiwela Zoo with animals from all around the world and a daily elephant circus.

Male is the capital of the Maldives on the island of Male. The Maledives consist of two circular atolls, a northerly and a southerly one. The island with a population of approximately 65,000 has a central location and is the largest in the country. The parliament has its seat in Male, and the city also has a presidential palace and an airport, various shopping centres and a large mosque. Sights include: the mosque in the Islamic Centre, the 'Friday Mosque', the National Museum, the fish market and the vegetable market.

The provincial capital of Antsiranana, formerly Diégo-Suarez, in the North of Madagascar has a certain 'je ne sais quoi' thanks to its colonial architecture and wide streets. The city lies in a large natural bay. "Diego", as the city is often lovingly referred to, also serves as the starting point for trips to the National Park "Montagne d'Ambre", which boasts attractions including two waterfalls and various species of lemur. En route to the seaside resort of Ramena with its fine sandy beaches, visitors can see a small volcanic mountain that rises up out of the sea, the "sugar loaf". Sights include: the Montagnes des Français, Joffreville, Cap Diego, the 'holy' lake inhabited by crocodiles at Anivorano-Nord, Cap d’Ambre, the nature reserve "Forêt d'Ambre", the unspoiled sea of rocks at Ankarana, as well as Baie de Sakalava, Baie des Dunes, Windsor Castle, Mer d’Eméraude, Tsingy Rouges and Baie du Courrier.

Cape Town, (Afrikaans Kaapstad) is the seat of the South African parliament, an anglican and a catholic archbishop and the capital of the Western Cape province, as well as a cultural centre with two universities and various research institutes, museums, libraries, theatres, botanic gardens and a zoo. Cape Town is situated at the northern edge of the Cape peninsula and is one of the largest ports and one of the most important centres of industry in South Africa. The suburbs stretch around the bay by the Cape peninsula and far into wine-growing country. The oldest part of the city between Table Bay and the slopes of Table Mountain (which measures 1,086 metres in height) is also a popular holiday destination. The surrounding area is dominated by Table Mountain. A cablecar route to the summit has been in place since 1926. The historic sights include the oldest building in the city (and, indeed, the country), Castle Good Hope (1666), the Dutch Reformation Church (1699), the old town hall (1755) and the Malai district around Signal Hill. Other sights include the parliament building (1886), the South African Museum (1825), the South African National Gallery (1871) and the South African State Library.

Cape Town, (Afrikaans Kaapstad) is the seat of the South African parliament, an anglican and a catholic archbishop and the capital of the Western Cape province, as well as a cultural centre with two universities and various research institutes, museums, libraries, theatres, botanic gardens and a zoo. Cape Town is situated at the northern edge of the Cape peninsula and is one of the largest ports and one of the most important centres of industry in South Africa. The suburbs stretch around the bay by the Cape peninsula and far into wine-growing country. The oldest part of the city between Table Bay and the slopes of Table Mountain (which measures 1,086 metres in height) is also a popular holiday destination. The surrounding area is dominated by Table Mountain. A cablecar route to the summit has been in place since 1926. The historic sights include the oldest building in the city (and, indeed, the country), Castle Good Hope (1666), the Dutch Reformation Church (1699), the old town hall (1755) and the Malai district around Signal Hill. Other sights include the parliament building (1886), the South African Museum (1825), the South African National Gallery (1871) and the South African State Library.