THE
Far East
If you have always wanted to visit the Far East and
immerse yourself in the rich vibrant culture - teeming
with temples, life, flora, fauna and a tropical climate
- then there is no better way to do it than on a cruise.
Plus there has been a boom in Far East cruises with
more and more cruise lines positioning ships in the Far
East during the winter months and some throughout
the summer.
For many people considering a Far East holiday one of
the hurdles is coping with the different standards of
living, hygiene and cleanliness. Also travelling in the
heat and humidity can be quite a task. A Far East cruise
solves these problems by effortlessly transporting you
to key destinations in familiar "western style" service,
facilities and air conditioned comfort. Norwegian
Cruise Line goes one step further with their premium
all-inclusive cruising concept on board where you are
free to order a drink without having to dip your hands
in your pocket and not worry about on-board tipping.
Here we list the most sought after destinations you
can visit on a cruise:
HONG KONG: Hong Kong is one of the most
exciting cities in the Far East, it is well organised with
lots of shopping, nightlife and points of interest. The
picturesque Hong Kong Island skyline is best viewed
from Kowloon at night across Victoria Harbour
when the "Symphony of Lights Show" is performed.
Perhaps wander through the sky scrapers of the
Central Business District and visit Hong Kong Park.
Take the tram up to Victoria Peak on the hills behind
the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island - the views from
here are magnificent. Travel on the iconic Star Ferry
between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon to experience
local life in the street markets where haggling is
essential. There are separate market places for jade,
fish, flowers, electronic goods and a general street
market. Look out for the western nightlife areas of Wan
Chai and Lan Kwai Fong both on Hong Kong Island.
CAMBODIA: Most cruise ships will visit
Sihanoukville. This is the premier beach town of
Cambodia sporting miles of white beaches and
picturesque islands. Cambodia is a surprising
destination with possibly the best scenery, the most
amazing temples and electrifying history. The capital
Phnom Penh is situated approx 115 miles to the
North East where you can visit the awe inspiring Royal
Palace, the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument,
Genocide Museum & the Silver Pagoda.
The Cambodian royalty were overthrown in 1970
and the country was plunged into a series of civil
wars before the communist forces, known as Khmer
Rouge, seized the power from the government in
1975. The Khmer Rouge government, headed by Pol
Pot, implemented a genocidal reign by evacuating all
city residents from their homes and making an entire
population work as slaves in farming fields. 2 million
people were estimated to have been lost during this 3
to 4 year period. In 1979, the genocidal regime came to
an end thanks to the intervention from Vietnam troops.
SINGAPORE is situated at the end of the
Malaysian peninsula and is a tropical paradise often
referred to as the "Island with a thousand shopping
malls". Visit the 2.2km stretch of Orchard Road - the
Oxford Street of Singapore, Chinatown, Little India
and the vast Bugis Street Market. Have afternoon tea
or even a Singapore Sling in the famous Raffles Hotel
or take a cable car ride to Sentosa Island for some
panoramic views. Gardens by the Bay is a nature park
with futuristic looking tree sculptures covering 101
hectares of land, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. You
will find two waterfront conservatories: the Flower
Dome and the Cloud Forest; and the Supertree Grove
with 18 man-made trees which reach heights of up to
16 storeys. The Supertree Grove features a nightly show
(free admission), that showcases the magical lights of
the super trees to music. You can also visit the Sky Park
observation deck 57 floors on top of the Marina Bay
Sands hotel. This striking hotel has an infinity pool and
gardens which spans the roof over the three towers of
the hotel.
THAILAND: There is so much to see and do in
Bangkok, in the countryside and on the coast. Aside
from the famous nightlife of Thailand's bustling capital
- Bangkok you can also enjoy the quiet reverence of a
Buddhist temple or visit the Grand Palace - an ornate
royal residence built in 1782 Perhaps visit the floating
river market or use you time here to visit the Bridge on
the River Kwai.
A completely different port of call is Phuket where
the main attraction is a lazy day on the beach or a
visit by boat to Phang Nga Bay. A day out here is an
unforgettable experience that will definitely get you
thinking. A distinctive feature of the bay is the sheer
limestone cliffs that jut vertically out of the emeraldgreen
waters. James Bond Island was featured in "The
Man With the Golden Gun" and Koh Panyee are just
two of the more famous spots in this bay. Ko Samui is
Thailand's second largest island and is famous for the
40 foot tall golden Big Buddha statue on the tiny island
of Ko Phan connected to Ko Samui by a causeway. Ko
Samui itself has lovely palm-fringed beaches, coconut
groves and a dense rainforest too.
VIETNAM: Sail the vast coast line of Vietnam
featuring a number of ports of call such as Phu My
for Ho Chi Minh, Chan May for Danang & Nha Trang.
Ho Chi Minh (also known as Saigon) is where you can
explore the Mekong Delta on board a private longtail
boat to experience the diversity of the Mekong
waterways exploring fish farms & exotic fruit farms. The
biggest attraction here is to experience the world of
the Cu Chi freedom fighters with a visit to their famous
tunnel system. This network of over 200 km of tunnels
became legendary during the 1960's when they played
a vital part in the American War, allowing the Viet
Cong to control a large rural area close to Ho Chi Minh
City. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam with centuriesold architecture
from Chinese and French influences.
Wander through the narrow streets of the Old Quarter,
visit a variety of temples, including Bach Ma, honouring
a legendary horse, and haggle in Đõng Xuân Market.
Danang is Vietnam's fourth largest city and a deep
seaport in Central Vietnam, located halfway between
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The city is famous for its
natural scenery such as China beach and the Marble
Mountains. These are a cluster of five marble and
limestone mountains which are named after the five
elements. Stone steps carved into the mountain lead to
a Buddhist Pagoda. Nha Trang is located on a beautiful
bay which was chosen by Travel and Leisure in two
succeeding years as one of 29 most beautiful bays in
the world.
CHINA: China is a huge country with staggering
distances between the main points of interest and thus
is a whole destination in itself - deserving a separate
destination focus. You can get to see most of the
highlights on a cruise if visiting Beijing. Other ports of
call include Xiamen - situated approx' 1400 miles from
Beijing and Shanghai (situated just over 900 miles away
from Beijing) and will give you a taste of China mixed
with historic British involvement.
JAPAN: another multiple port of call destination such
as Kobe, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Okinawa, Osaka
and Tokyo. Yokohama is the port for Tokyo situated just
over 17 miles away to the north east. No visit to Japan
would be complete without a visit to the bright lights
of Tokyo and the shopping district of Ginza. Perhaps
catch a ride on a bullet train to Visit Mount Fuji and
the Fujigoko 5 Lake region where you will find beautiful
scenery and hot springs.
16 Call now to book: 0800 082 2170 or visit
https://www.jetlinecruise.com/cruise-destinations/far-east