Australia Cruise - from Sydney - 110035

Founded in 1864 by Robert Towns, the city today has a double name ("Townsville"). It is the starting point for excursions to Magnetic Island (lined with palm-trees and paradise beaches) but Townsville itself also has a lot to offer. Townsville's aquarium, the Great Barrier Reef Wonderland, is a first-class aquarium with a live coral reef, which visitors can even walk through thanks to the glass underwater tunnel. The colourful Great Barrier Reef lies just off the coast of Townsville. Here, visitors can dive to the huge area of coral or swim in the shallow waters.

Cairns, the capital of the "Far North" region is full of that tropical lust for life. As the secret "backpacker capital" of Australia, it has an almost magical pull on young travellers thanks to the seemingly limitless recreational activities it has to offer. It is far easier to reach the Great Barrier Reef from here than from central Queensland. The crystal-clear waters, palm-lined islands and sandbanks attract divers and snorkellers in particular, making the two offshore islands, Green Island and Fitzroy Island, hugely popular holiday destinations. The outer reef loved by divers is around 50 km away. In the near vicinity are untouched sections of coast and a mysterious wilderness of rainforest backed by a high mountain range.

Bitung is an Indonesian port famous for its coconut and fish processing industry. The sprawling city is the starting point for trips inland. Ferries also sail from the harbour at Bitung to other destinations in the region, such as e.g. Ternate on the Northern Maluku island.

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.