Singapore Meets Sydney Travel Tips

For American travelers, an Asian-Pacific cruise offers an exotic antidote to everyday life. Enjoy the effortless comforts of good company and fine dining onboard and discover the flavors, colors and textures of remarkable port cities at each destination.

Bangkok, Thailand
A city of golden temples and meandering canals, Bangkok celebrates 2007 with a year of regional festivals. Beginning with the Chinese New Year, the traditions continue with the Buddhist holy day, Magha Puja; the Traditional Thai Kites, Sports, and Music Festival; the Bangkok International Film Festival; the 9th International Festival of Dance and Music and many more.

Sydney, Australia
From world-class shopping on Pitt Street to the city’s stunning beaches, your stop in Sydney will be packed from start to finish. If you are only in port a day, try a city bike tour. You’ll see all of Sydney, from the Opera House to the city’s oldest pub, enhanced by the stories of a local guide. On a longer visit, Sydney is also a perfect gateway to its surrounding areas, from the Blue Mountains to the wineries of the Hunter Valley.

Dunedin, New Zealand
With its beautifully preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture, its outstanding Botanic Garden (opened in i869!), and its impressive Public Art Gallery, Dunedin is southern hemisphere heritage at its best. This is a city of gardens surrounded by natural beauty. Take time to visit Larnach Castle, and see the world’s only mainland albatross breeding colony and the yellow-eyed penguins at Taiaroa Head.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
A modern city deeply rooted in tradition, Ho Chi Minh City begins the Year of the Pig with “Tet,” the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Between festivals, explore the unique shopping streets, where you’ll find clusters of vendors offering treasures such as antiques, souvenirs, hand-crafts (especially bamboo, rattan and lacquer ware), fashion, footwear and Oriental medicine.

Singapore
A modern city known for its amazing shopping, Singapore is steeped in the traditions of its five ethnic cultures—Chinese, Indians, Malays, Peranakans and Eurasians—and surrounded by scenic rainforest and islands. Year-round festivals celebrate arts and culture, while outstanding museums, including the newly reopened National Museum of Singapore, the Hua Song Museum and the Old Ford Factory, highlight history and heritage.