South East Asia Cruise - from Singapore - 114175

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.

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.

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.

Komodo is one of the Lesser Sunda lslands, a part of Indonesia as yet almost untouched by tourism. It could have been the set for the film "Jurassic Park", with its prehistoric animals the Komodo dragons and its unique landscape of craggy mountains, grasslands and forests with dried-up riverbeds. There are no roads and only a single village. Not far from Komodo are some of the most beautiful islands with a huge diversity of plant and animal life and fantastic areas for snorkelling in untouched coral colonies.

Broome, the centre of the pearl industry, lies on the Indian Ocean. The town is surrounded by wide, white sandy beaches with turquoise-blue water and the reddish-orange coloured cliffs along the shoreline. Thanks to the former pearl divers, the town has an Asian touch and still has a Chinatown area. In the 19th century, Broome was one of the most famous pearl harbours in the world. In 1910, 400 boats met 80% of the worldwide demand for mother-of-pearl. Today, the Australian port relies mainly on tourism. Sights include: Cable Beach, the Japanese cemetery, Broome Historical Society Museum, the historic outdoor cinema "Sun Pictures", where you can watch a film from the comfort of your deckchair.

In the middle of the West Australian coast, 1,100 km North of Perth, lies the small town of Exmouth. It was built in 1967 primarily as a communications base for the US marines, who left in the early 1990s. Part of the base has been used by the Australian marines, the other section has been converted into accommodation. Exmouth is first and foremost the starting point for tours to Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, the largest coral reef in Western Australia. From November to March visitors can see the turtles that come to the beach to lay their eggs. A special highlight for visitors is being able to dive with the largest fish in the world, the whale shark, at the fantastic Ningaloo Reef.

The port of Geraldton is located to the North of Perth in Champion Bay. Since the sun shines an average of 8 hours a day here, the city is also known as "Sun City". The Abrolhos Islands lie before the coast of the city; these are banks of coral and islands that until very recently caused many, many ships to sink. The most famous of these was the Batavia, a trading and passenger ship that sank in 1629 with around 300 people on board. The survivors' story is re-told at the Geraldton Museum with finds, photographs and a gripping film. The city with the second-largest port in all of Western Australia also has a number of other interesting sights: St. Francis Xavier cathedral, the Shell Museum and the view point at Mount Scott.

Fremantle was founded in 1829 and was the capital of western Australia in the early 19th century. For many migrants, the harbour represented the gateway to the land "Down Under" and Fremantle developed into a multicultural town. It is most famous for its market.

Fremantle was founded in 1829 and was the capital of western Australia in the early 19th century. For many migrants, the harbour represented the gateway to the land "Down Under" and Fremantle developed into a multicultural town. It is most famous for its market.