South East Asia Cruise - from Singapore - 121217

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.

Around 2 hours to the South of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, lies the port of Phu My. Sights in and around Ho Chi Minh City include: Reunification Hall, the National History Museum, the former US Embassy, the city hall, Saigon Cathedral, Vung Tau, the Rex Hotel, and the temple of the goddess of the sea.

Around 2 hours to the South of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, lies the port of Phu My. Sights in and around Ho Chi Minh City include: Reunification Hall, the National History Museum, the former US Embassy, the city hall, Saigon Cathedral, Vung Tau, the Rex Hotel, and the temple of the goddess of the sea.

Nha Trang is a friendly coastal town with white, palm-lined sandy beaches and clear waters, making it ideal for snorkelling and diving. Nha Trang is also famous for its excellent seafood. There are a large number of restaurants, cafés and discos in the city. One of the main attractions is the French-gothic style cathedral of Nha Trang and the temple of Chua Long Tu, built on a hilltop with a white statue of Buddha measuring nearly 15 m high. From the bay you can see the strange rock formations referred to by the locals as "Buddha's footprints". A boat trip to the islands just off the coast is highly recommended. A trip slightly North of the Cho river provides an excellent view of the Cham Towers of Po Nagar and Po Klong, which stand on a small mountain. Here, visitors can see the remains of the prayer hall and the Thap Chinh tower measuring around 20m high, which dates from the 9th century.

Da Nang is the capital of the Vietnamese province of Quang Nam Da Nang. It was here that the Americans set up one of their largest air force bases in South East Asia. Today, Da Nang is a bustling port and a popular holiday destination with beautiful white sandy beaches. It has a wonderful promenade, lined with tall trees, behind which there are large, prestigious villas dating from the French colonial occupation. Sights include: Han Market, the Cham Museum with 300 statues and reliefs from across the country, the China Beach made famous by an American television series, the marble mountains, remote grottos and Buddhist pilgrim temples.

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.