ASIA

Where Oceans Meet

Sacred temples, soaring skyscrapers – from its tranquil backwaters to its energetic city streets, Asia enchants at every turn. This vast swathe of land and sea covers a third of our planet, an area so broad that three great oceans flow into each other here: the Arctic, Indian, and Pacific. Within its generous boundaries, more than half the world’s inhabitants have made their home, communities that speak thousands of languages, observe diverse customs, and practice multiple faiths. Variety truly is the spice of life on a cruise in Asia.

A cruise in Asia offers the chance to scoop up at least a handful of its treasures – on close inspection, these jewels shine bright. Picnic beneath pink clouds of cherry blossom in the Japanese capital of Tokyo. Tour the soft green folds of the rice terraces in Bali’s Batukaru mountains. Sail in a junk across the emerald waters of Vietnam’s Halong Bay in the shadow of millennia-old limestone spikes sculpted by the wind and waves. Spy the snow-topped peak of mighty Mount Fuji in Japan.

There is rare wildlife to encounter, too. Meet Malaysia’s gentle giants of the jungle, the orangutans being cared for at a Sepilok Rehabilitation Center in Sabah. See Earth’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, on the Indonesian island for which it is named. Spot the stealthy tigers peeping from the undergrowth in India’s Ranthambore National Park. Dip into the waters around Boracay in the Philippines to swim beneath the waves with a rainbow of sea creatures.

Yet while nature offers many such astonishing sights through the seasons, local cultures provide their own spectacles. Marvel at the high-kicking acrobatics of Taekwondo athletes, performed to the melodies of Arirang folk music in South Korea. Stand in awe of the gigantic, reclining golden Buddha at Wat Pho in Thailand's capital, Bangkok.

See Hong Kong light up in neon as the sun sets over the waters of the Pearl River. Admire the ornate pastel shophouses built Singapore’s Peranakan community. Learn how to make delectable Xiaolongbao dumplings in Taiwan, and savor a fresh cup of tea brewed on a plantation in Sri Lanka. There are so many flavors to sample – taste a few on our luxury Asia cruises.