14-night Exotic Asian Kingdoms Voyage

Laem Chabang is a city of color and contrast, you'll be awestruck by the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds.

Laem Chabang is a city of color and contrast, you'll be awestruck by the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds.

Sihanoukville (also called Kompong Som / Kampong Saom) is Cambodia's only port and is rimmed by four beaches: Ochheuteal, Sokha, Independence and Victory. The town is the perfect spot for fishing or diving. Visit the nearby waterfall or Ream National Park, a great day's adventure. The sleepy colonial town of Kampot isn't too far away, with the intriguing ghost town Kep also nearby.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is often referred to as Vietnam’s jewel and the Pearl of the Orient. Located in south Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s largest city, with more than six million people and over one million motorbikes. Under the current regime the city is once more being rebuilt. Whole blocks are disappearing, being replaced by concrete, steel and glass structures. Central Saigon, which is still the official name for the city center, shows evidence of the French colonial city, with wide, tree-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés and elegant French architecture. The city is divided into two sections: Saigon, the municipal and historical district, and Cholon (Chinatown), where the entrepreneurial talent and private funds are concentrated. Cholon appears to be the most populated and in general the most vigorous part of Ho Chi Minh City. It is well worth a visit for its bustle and activity and its pagodas, which are reputed to be the finest in the whole city.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is often referred to as Vietnam’s jewel and the Pearl of the Orient. Located in south Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s largest city, with more than six million people and over one million motorbikes. Under the current regime the city is once more being rebuilt. Whole blocks are disappearing, being replaced by concrete, steel and glass structures. Central Saigon, which is still the official name for the city center, shows evidence of the French colonial city, with wide, tree-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés and elegant French architecture. The city is divided into two sections: Saigon, the municipal and historical district, and Cholon (Chinatown), where the entrepreneurial talent and private funds are concentrated. Cholon appears to be the most populated and in general the most vigorous part of Ho Chi Minh City. It is well worth a visit for its bustle and activity and its pagodas, which are reputed to be the finest in the whole city.

This state capital is strung out along the coast, with jungle-clad hills as a backdrop, and is home to a population of about 180,000. From an obscure fishing town, Kota Kinabalu has grown to a fashionable, modern town with deep-water anchorage. The highest vantage point, Signal Hill, offers an excellent view. Other sights include Papar - a scenic drive south from Kota Kinabalu, through paddy fields and jungle, the old town section (bandar lama) of Papar with several rows of quaint wooden shophouses, painted blue and laid out along spacious boulevards lined with palms and a large market in the center of the town; and Pulau Tiga National Park - a dip forest reserve virtually untouched and containing species not found on other islands.

The port of Muara, 17 miles east of Bandar, sits on the very last tip of Brunei; it is mainly known for its spectacular beach and fish market. The small town center has a few simple eating places. On a clear day there are fine views across to Mount Kinabalu. Other sights include Crocodile Beach - a spectacular beach littered with driftwood great for a stroll and named for pesky sandflies which “have a bite like a crocodile”; Pantai Mentiri Golf Course - a golf course located only five miles from port. Brunei is a strict Muslim country with conservative dress. Due to Ramadhan entry into mosques is not permitted and all places of interest close at 3 pm.

Semarang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, situated on Java's north coast between the shore of the Java Sea and a small ridge of mountains. With a population of over one million, Semarang is the largest city in Central Java and its capital. Semarang serves as a popular gateway to the mountainous interior of Central Java and to fabled Borobudur. Pasar Johar Market is the sprawling central market, selling brassware and bric-a-brac in addition to foodstuffs and textiles. Citraland is a convenient shopping mall on Simpang Lima, one of the major shopping streets. The majority of Semarang’s restaurants are centered around Jalan Gajah Mada. Their menus feature every variety of Asian cuisine. Other sights include Gereja Blenduk - a Protestant Dutch church dating from 1753 and the oldest church in Central Java. Built in the shape of a Greek cross, it features a baroque organ and pulpit; and Chinatown - offering such buildings as the Confucian Thay Kak Sie Pagoda, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and built in 1772.

One of the last traditional Indonesian cities that evokes old colonial Asia, Surabaya remains delightfully untouristed and little changed from the thirties. You'll discover old neighborhoods of typical Dutch colonial homes, while in Islamic enclaves throughout the city, men in fez-like hats gather around mosques with minarets. Visit the Surabaya Zoo exhibiting a family of Komodo dragons. Or travel across the narrow straits from Java to the island of Madura and a bygone way of life, where a centuries-old style of bull racing still continues to be used as a method of breeding selection for the island's important cattle industry.

Celukan Bawang is a small but lively village in Bali. The village is best known for it's commercial harbor. Visitors arriving by cruise ship can enjoy the village hospitality and explore the town.

Benoa (Tanjung Benoa) is a modern Balinese resort - a government-run dreamland of coconut palms, white sand beaches and pristine waters located near the island's southernmost tip. Geologically, the area is quite different from the rest of Bali, and even from the rest of the Bukit peninsula upon which it rests. Instead of rice fields or limestone cliffs, there is sandy soil reaching down to a long, sandy beach protected by a reef. Coconut trees are everywhere. The climate here is also drier than the rest of Bali, freshened by a mild ocean breeze.