North Pacific Cruise - from Hongkong - 109437

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 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 Island of the Gods lies between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Paradise beaches, colourful temple festivals, idyllic rice paddies and fire-spouting volcanoes shape the island's image. The magical secret of Bali lies in the unity of everyday life, art, religion, community and nature. That is why it is also known as the "Island of 10,000 temples", since every village has at least three sacred buildings. One of the most famous of these is the temple of "Tanah Lot" which is shrouded in mystery and located in the South of the island directly by the sea.

The relaxed atmosphere of the outback dominates in Darwin too. The nearby wilderness of Cockatoo National Park boasts cave paintings and aboriginal art, rock formations that are more than 20,000 years old, and the dense lush Australian rainforest with many many waterfalls.

Brisbane or 'Brissie', as the city is familiarly known to Australians, is on the east coast of southern Queensland. Beautifully sited by the Brisbane river, it has many sights, lively shopping streets, a huge variety of restaurants and a very broad and ambitious cultural programme. Sights include: the Botanic Gardens, the Lone Pine Sanctuary with its Koalas and Kangaroos, Brisbane City Hall, the pedestrian area at Queen Street Mall , Roma Street Parkland, South Bank Parklands, the viewing point at Mt. Coot-tha Lookout, with its fantastic view of Brisbane and the suburbs.

Vila is the capital of the Republic of Vanuatu in the South West Pacific. It has been independent since 1980 and used to be known as the "New Hebrides". Vila, situated on an island of volcanic origin, offers tours of the volcano, sailing trips and tours of the harbour and is also a paradise for divers. Visitors can visit the sites of famous events during the Second World War and view the largest collection of Pacific archaeological finds in the world.

Suva is the capital and the most important port on the island state of Fiji in Oceania. It lies on the main island, Viti Levu. The Fiji museum, set up in 1904, is well worth a visit. Its collection of indigenous art and tools provides an insight into the history and culture of the native people of the island. Plants from throughout the South-Pacific region grown in Thurston Botanical Gardens. The Nature Reserve and Recreation Park 'Colo-i-Suva Forest Park', which is 18km from the capital, has picturesque waterfalls, nature walks, picnic areas and small lakes

Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii. With a population of 1.24 million it is the largest city between America and Asia. The most important sights on Hawaii include the memorial at Pearl Harbour and Punchbowl National Cemetery, the King's Palace (the only one ever to be built on US territory) and the extinct volcanoes "Diamond Head" and "Koko Head".