South Seas Cruise - from Lautoka - 123503

'The 'sugar city' of Lautoka, an economic and cultural centre, is the second-largest city on the Fiji Islands. The main palm-lined street gives the city a friendly feel. Mosques, Hindu temples and Christian churches bear witness to the turbulent past and the diverse population. There are several restaurants and hotels, but the highlight is an excellent art gallery at a hotel direct by the water. Lautoka is also the starting point for many tours to the neighbouring islands.

Toba is situated on the Shima Peninsula. From here, a bridge measuring 63 m long leads to the Mikimoto Pearl Island, where Kokichi Mikimoto first succeeded in artificially cultivating a pearl in an oyster in 1893. The island has a Pearl Museum, where you can find out all about pearl farming. Divers demonstrate how they dive for pearls and seaweed. Another attraction is the aquarium with shows and several exotic sea creatures.

Kochi is one of the few originally preserved castle towns in Japan and is located on the island of Shikoku. Alongside the Chikurin-ji temple, Kochi Castle is the city's most important tourist attraction. Kochi's diverse nature can be enjoyed on a walk through one of the impressive parks, for example, while the extensive caves in the surrounding area are also well worth a visit.

Kobe is the capital of the prefecture of Hyogo and one of the largest cities in Japan. It lies between a large lake and the Rokko mountains and is one of the most beautiful and most cosmopolitan of Japan's cities. For many centuries, Kobe was the most important port in Japan and was the first to be opened for overseas trade.