Indian Ocean Cruise - from Singapore - 135027

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.

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.

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.

Port Elizabeth / Gqeberha is at Algoa Bay and is the fifth-largest city in South Africa. The pretty old town has retained its rural charm, while modern buildings line the periphery of the city. Climbing the steps up the 52-metre-high bell tower, 'Campanile', is well worth it for the excellent view of the port and the city centre. One of the oldest buildings in the city is on Castle Hill Street, the manse built in 1827 which today houses the Historical Museum. Other sights include: Fort Frederick, Market Square, the Oceanarium with a snake park and tropical hothouse

Port Elizabeth / Gqeberha is at Algoa Bay and is the fifth-largest city in South Africa. The pretty old town has retained its rural charm, while modern buildings line the periphery of the city. Climbing the steps up the 52-metre-high bell tower, 'Campanile', is well worth it for the excellent view of the port and the city centre. One of the oldest buildings in the city is on Castle Hill Street, the manse built in 1827 which today houses the Historical Museum. Other sights include: Fort Frederick, Market Square, the Oceanarium with a snake park and tropical hothouse

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.