Asia Ports« Back to Port Information
| Borneo | Cambodia | China | India | Indonesia |
| Japan | Korea | Malaysia | Myanmar (Burma) | Papua New Guinea |
| Philippines | Singapore | Taiwan | Thailand | Vietnam |
Borneo↑ Back to top
Brunei
Wedged between two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo, Brunei is as exotic and unexplored as its name implies. Despite the fact that oil has made Brunei the richest sultanate in the world, the friendly water-villagers of its capital Bandar Seri Begawan, maintain their traditional values, living in stilted houses on the river. Only the TV antennae, the huge golden-domed mosque and the sultan’s opulent 1,000-room palace reveal the vast wealth that this tiny jungle nation enjoys.
Kuching
Kuching escaped bombing in World War II and has retained much of its old charm. It is by far the largest city in the state of Sarawak. Kuching is divided by the Sarawak River. The south is a commercial and residential area dominated by Chinese while the north shore is predominantly Malay, characterized by old kampong houses lining the river. The recently renovated riverfront area provides a pleasant area for strolling, dining and boat rides.
Sandakan (Sepilok)
Surrounded by thick, mountainous jungles where wild orchids grow, this Malaysian coastal trading town serves as a loading port for the rich tropical hardwoods found in the interior of Borneo. About 15 miles from Sandakan, Sepilok is the home of the famous orangutan sanctuary, one of the few places in the world where you can see these animals in their natural setting.
Cambodia↑ Back to top
Sihanoukville
By 1960, what had begun as a housing project for workers evolved into Sihanoukville, a town named in honor of King Norodom Sihanouk. In the years to come, Sihanoukville experienced commercial success due to its new port. It also became a transit point for anti-American forces during the Vietnam War. Then in 1975, after the Khmer Rouge regime captured the American container ship Mayaguez, the United States attacked several strategic points in and around the city in retaliation. Despite its war-torn past, Sihanoukville has re-emerged as Cambodia’s second-most important city after Phnom Penh. Rebuilt with Soviet aid, Sihanoukville is rich in cultural diversity, home to unspoiled beaches and a certain charm that is just now being discovered.
China↑ Back to top
Guangshou (Canton)
Canton, now known as Guangshou, has been a foreign trading port for over 2,000 years and a center for revolutionary activities for which it gained recognition as the “Birthplace of Modern China.” It was here that Sun Yatsen and Mao Zedong began reshaping their nation over 60 years ago. You can visit Sun Yatsen’s impressive Memorial Hall, the famous Flower Pagoda, and Shamian Island, an enclave of aging but still grand British and French colonial buildings. Or, visit the Canton Zoo, home of Canton’s most famous residents, the giant pandas.
Hong Kong
Situated at the Eastern tip of China, Hong Kong is one of the world’s truly great cities. This former British colony reverted to Chinese control in 1997, yet the culture-rich atmosphere remains. As the financial capital of the Far East and the premier gateway to China and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong offers one of the world’s truly great travel experiences. Within the little more than 400 square miles of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories, visitors will find everything from hiking, horse racing and sailing to internationally renowned art galleries. Some of the best hotels, dining, and shopping in the world are found in this dazzling metropolis. At the same time, it offers a delightful realm of natural wonders and serene rural villages.
Shanghai
From the Opium Wars to junks and barges, images of Shanghai flood the senses. The real Shanghai is a teeming metropolis of 11 million, bustling with energy, towering skyscrapers and Art Deco buildings, honking traffic and shopping crowds. But once you enter China’s largest city, you’ll find Eastern ways abound: Tai Chi along the Bund, the serenity of exquisite ponds and gardens, and an endless flotilla of sampans edging along the Huangpu River. Explore Shanghai old and new: the busy bazaars and alleyways of the Old Town, Yu Garden, the Wuxingting Tea House, Long Hua Temple and other landmarks.
Tianjin (Beijing)
Tianjin serves as the gateway to Beijing, the ancient capital of China. Known as Peking under British rule, the city is a veritable treasure-trove of historic wonders, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, where you enter the world of The Last Emperor, a complex of incredible historic significance and physical grandeur. Just outside the walls of the Imperial Palace lies the largest plaza on earth, Tiananmen Square, home to Mao’s Monument and his Mausoleum.
India↑ Back to top
Chennai (Madras)
This thriving port on the Bay of Bengal provides the perfect introduction to the wonders of southern India. Magnificent Dravidian temples compete with monuments from the British colonial past, including the Chepauk Palace and the High Court buildings. Chennai is also a thriving university and cultural center, as well as a leader in Indian film making.
Cochin
The lush Kerala region is the proverbial land of incense and myrrh, from which the world has sought its exotic spices since ancient times. The aromas of ginger, cloves, cardamom, cumin and other key ingredients of Indian curries fill the air. A visit to the St. Francis church reveals the tomb of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Guests may also tour Mattancheri Palace, which houses some of India’s finest Hindu frescoes and ceremonial costumes. Not far from Mattancheri is a Jewish colony dating back to 1000 A.D. A 16th-century synagogue has hand-painted floor tiles from China.
Mormugao (Goa)
A fascinating blend of India and the West, the mythical kingdom of Goa was conquered in 1510 by the Portuguese, who held it until it joined India in 1962. The Portuguese influence is still clear in the names and Christian faith of the locals, and in Renaissance monuments like the Cathedral, the Basilica Bom Jesu, and the convent of St. Francis, a converted mosque.
Mumbai (Bombay)
Few cities evoke such a wealth of sensations as Bombay. Entering the city under the Gateway of India, which commemorates the visit of King George and Queen Mary in 1911, the sounds and aromas are exotic and the level of activity from the bazaars to the street vendors assaults the senses. Remnants of British rule along oceanfront Marine Drive stand alongside the former home of Mahatma Gandhi, and the cave temple at Elephanta with its second-century Hindu gods. Bombay also serves as the gateway for land tours to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, and Delhi, the historical center of India.
Indonesia↑ Back to top
Bali (Padang Bay)
Known as the “Island of the Gods,” Bali is famous for its shimmering beauty and fascinating culture. Hundreds of Hindu temples, towering mountains and verdant rice terraces form a spectacular backdrop to the charm of the Balinese people. Here are mysterious volcanic lakes and jungle-shrouded volcanoes, wondrous ancient temples, fabulously creative painters and wood-carvers, and the legendary dancers who re-enact the stories of their Hindu deities.
Komodo Island
A rare discovery awaits the traveler who ventures onto this remote island of Komodo. Walking through the dense vegetation, hearing and seeing a variety of bird and animal life, you may feel you’ve landed in another epoch. Indeed, the last vestiges of long-gone dinosaurs survive here, in the form of the legendary giant lizards called Komodo dragons.
Semarang, Java (Borobudur)
Semarang provides access to the remote interior of Java and the astounding temples of Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument on earth built in the eighth century. Here you can explore a complex of dramatic carved towers that were forgotten for almost 800 years. Topped by graceful stupas, the winding pathways display carved panels depicting the life of Buddha.
Sulawesi (Bitung, Palopo, Pare-pare, Ujung Pandaang)
Visitors will discover the natural wealth of Sulawesi, a fertile land of cocoa and clove plantations. Tiny off-shore islands harbor coral reefs teeming with hundreds of species of tropical fish. In nearby Gunung Dua Saudara National Park, there is a cross-section of endemic animal life as tarsiers,hornbills, macaques and cockatoos thrive in a geologically fascinating area of hot springs and volcanic craters. The island is well known for its primitive tribes, most notably the Bugis. So feared were they that the word bogeyman, some say a corrupted form of bugis man, was coined to describe these fighters.
Japan↑ Back to top
Beppu
Among Beppu’s attractions is Beppu Jigoku (Beppu’s Boiling Hell), pools of mineral-colored water and bubbling mud. A circuit of the nine hells, seven of which are located in the old geisha district of Kannawa, discloses their different functions, colors, and mineral properties. Atop Mt. Tsurumi, accessible by aerial tramway, is an observation platform, children’s playground, gardens and two take-off platforms for hang-gliders. Though this mountain last erupted more than 1,100 years ago, slight volcanic activity can still be detected on the far side of the crater.
Hiroshima
Set on a bay in the Inland Sea, Hiroshima was the infamous site of the first atomic bomb explosion in August 1945. But perhaps the best reason to visit Hiroshima is the enchanting island of Miyajima with its famous Itsukushima Shinto shrine, considered one of Japan’s most beautiful sights. Its famous torii stands just offshore, a tall, vermilion-colored symbol of Japan, which appears to float during high tide.
Kagoshima (Kyushu)
This large city is an excursion base from which to explore the dramatic coastlines, national parks and volcanic mountains of Kyushu, Japan’s third largest island. Mount Sakurajima, an active volcano, can be reached by ferry. To the north, Kirishima-Yaku National Park is a scenic area of smoking volcanoes, craters and lakes. South of the city, Ibusuki, the island’s most popular seaside resort, welcomes kimono-clad bathers to its sandy beaches and warm, underwater springs.
Kobe
Famous for its succulent Kobe beef and cosmopolitan flair, this booming port town sits between the Rokko Mountains and Osaka Bay. It contains a remarkable cultural mix of Swiss chalets, Moslem mosques and Russian Orthodox churches tucked between traditional Japanese buildings. A cable car ascends to the summit of Mount Rokko, a national park.
Nagasaki
One of Japan’s most historic cities, Nagasaki was a major port, trading with the Portuguese and Dutch in the 16th century. You can still see this colonial legacy in the brick buildings, old forts, canals and curving cobblestone streets. On a hill overlooking the bay, beautiful Glover Mansion, the setting of Madame Butterfly, is typical of the fine homes built by wealthy foreign residents. But Nagasaki’s ties with Korea and China are equally apparent in the famous Chinese temple, a large Chinese colony and the numerous fine Korean and Chinese restaurants.
Osaka (Kyoto, Nara)
This large, bustling port is the starting point for tours to Kyoto and Nara, the cultural fountainheads of classical Japan. Kyoto’s Old Imperial Palace and the shogunal Nijo Castle remain glorious symbols of the power the city held for over 1,000 years. Until 1868, Kyoto was the capital of Japan, filled with elegant timber buildings, hundreds of Shinto shrines and over a thousand Buddhist temples, as well as sacred treasure-houses of religious sculpture, painting and exquisite gardens. Nara, City of the Seven Great Temples, lies in an idyllic setting.
Yokahama (Tokyo)
Yokahama is the main gateway to Tokyo, where huge department stores brim with shoppers, neon flashes from dusk to dawn, and the entire world pays heed to fluctuations on the Nikkei Index. From the Imperial Palace and Meiji Shrine to the fabled Ginza district, Tokyo is an intriguing composite of East and West. Yuppies sporting MP3 players bow formally in greeting. Women in kimonos and business suits stroll side-by-side. Geishas play samisens while disc jockeys play rap and pop hits. Japanese houses of wood and paper stand in the shadow of towering steel and mortar. Not far away, Mount Fuji, the majestic symbol of Japan, soars 12,388 feet to its snow-clad peak.
Korea↑ Back to top
Inchon (Seoul)
Inchon is the port of Korea’s booming capital, a shopping paradise which vies with Hong Kong. But historic Seoul also brims with treasures. Begin with a bird’s-eye view atop Namsan Hill. Visit Kyonbok Gun, the Palace of Bright Happiness, and the 14th-century Changdok Palace, home of the royal family. Stroll through its beautiful Secret Garden, 80 acres of ponds, tea houses and pavilions. Discover the extensive collection of Korean art in the National Museum. Or travel beyond Seoul’s ancient gates to the Nanhan Mountain Castle or historic Suwon and its wonderful Folk Village of Minsokchon.
Pusan (Kyongju)
From Pusan, visitors can journey to the ancient Silla capital of Kyongju, a dynasty which reigned in Korea for almost a thousand years. Today this small provincial town is virtually a museum without walls, dotted with many splendid ruins. Nearby, the forested mountains and valleys shelter hundreds of beautiful Buddhist shrines including the renowned Sokkuram Grotto, and Tongdosa and Pulguksa temples. Pusan is also a shopper’s mecca and Korea’s vital southern link to Japanese and American trade.
Malaysia↑ Back to top
Penang
The swirl of Batik in eastern bazaars, the cascade of waterfalls in the Botanical Gardens and jungle-clad hills ringed by golden beaches are among the images you will take from Penang. This lovely resort island and its bustling capital of Georgetown are the picture of Malaysian diversity. Visit the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and Kek Lok Si, one of the most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia; see the ornate Khoo Kongsi, an old Chinese clan house; or marvel at the Penang Bridge (third longest in the world).
Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur)
This port is used as an access point for Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia’s capital rises like a vision from the deep jungles. Its fascinating array of architectural styles includes Malay stilt villages, Islamic minarets, Hindu temples, Chinese shop houses and the indescribable opulence of the Royal Palace. In the background rise the world’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers completed in 1996.
Myanmar (Burma)↑ Back to top
Yangon (Rangoon)
Myanmar, known as the “Golden Land” for its rich soil and the wealth of minerals and precious stones, was called Burma by the British. In 1852, the British annexed Myanmar and gradually transformed Yangon into a booming trading center for rice, oil and teak. Their colonial rule lasted until 1948, interrupted only by the Japanese occupation during World War II. Yangon’s cosmopolitan air dissipated after the country achieved independence in 1948. When General Ne Win seized power in 1962, Myanmar closed its doors to the outside world. After suffering decades of neglect, Yangon has begun to awaken and today it is possible once again to experience this country’s unique culture, relatively untouched by Western influences.
Papua New Guinea↑ Back to top
Rabaul, New Britain Island
Rabaul is the capital of New Britain, the largest of Papua New Guinea’s islands. Covered by tropical rain forests and surrounded by a colorful coral reef, Rabaul is also is also the last resting place for many Japanese warships. It was one of their most important bases in the area.
Philippines↑ Back to top
Cebu
Cebu is the Philippines’ oldest city, first discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century. Historic sites include Magellan’s Cross where the explorer baptized the first Christian Filipinos and Fort San Pedro, the oldest fortification in the islands. You’ll find that Spanish influence lingers in the island’s staunch Christianity, the names of the Cebuano people, and in their cuisine. Today, Cebu attracts scuba divers and beachcombers alike with its fascinating marine life and white-sand beaches.
Manila
Bustling Manila is the second-largest city in Southeast Asia with its towering skyscrapers and remarkable joie de vivre. Yet amid the big-city turmoil are oases of calm: lush tropical parks, magnificent cathedrals, and dramatic Spanish forts. Intramuros, Manila’s famous walled city, was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century. A “must see” is the Malacanang Palace with its opulent displays of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos’ decadent indulgences.
Singapore↑ Back to top
Singapore
One of Asia’s great success stories, this island republic has merged diverse cultures into a dynamic and thriving nation. Clean, modern and full of green gardens, its neighborhoods reflect the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arab and European backgrounds of its past. After sampling the legendary shopping, retire to Raffles Hotel’s famous bar and toast Maugham, Kipling and Noel Coward with a Singapore Sling.
Taiwan↑ Back to top
Keelung (Taipei)
Across the Formosa Strait from mainland China is the bustling port of Keelung. Just 20 miles inland is Taipei, the national capital and one of the most prosperous cities in Asia. Attractions include the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Grand Hotel, and the National Palace Museum with its art treasures from Beijing’s Forbidden City.
Thailand↑ Back to top
Bangkok
A mirror of Venice in Asia, this “City of Angels” is a bustling place with a maze of extensive waterways constantly in motion. In between the office towers and royal palaces are beautiful parks, boulevards and gardens. Bangkok is a city with more than 400 Buddhist temples. The most famous of these is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, containing a statue carved from a single piece of jade. Gaze at one of Bangkok’s best-known landmarks is Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn. Spend time in the city’s oldest and biggest monastery, Wat Pho, where you’ll be awed by its famed Reclining Buddah. Shoppers will enjoy the excitement of the floating markets.
Laem Chabang (Bangkok)
For most cruise vessels the port of Laem Chabang is the gateway to Bangkok, a lustrous city of immense Oriental charm, festooned with ornate temples, shrines and a lacework of canals. Shining through this dream-like setting is the hospitality and warmth of the gentle Thais. These talented people have raised folk dance to high art, created mouth-watering cuisine and built a splendid capital, unique in all the world.
Phuket
Set like a jewel in the Andaman Sea, Thailand’s largest island has great expanses of sandy beaches that lure sun-seekers to their shores, and a unique culture combining influences from China and Portugal. Visit the fabled monastery of Wat Chalong, the Orchard Garden and the Thai Village where examples of the country’s culture are presented in a tranquil lakeside setting.
Vietnam↑ Back to top
Cai Lan (Hanoi)
From Cai Lan visitors can traveler through the stunning landscape of the Red River Delta to the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Lush parks and beautiful wooded lakes lend a delightfully civilized air to the city. The One Pillared Pagoda, built in the 11th century during the reign of Emperor Ly Thai Tong, is constructed of wood and designed to resemble a lotus blossom, the symbol of purity. The Temple of Literature also dates to the 11th century and is a fine example of traditional Vietnamese architecture.
Da Nang (Hue, Hoi An)
Today this lovely town on the South China Sea reflects the peaceful era of pre-war Indochina. Up the coast, the grand Thien Mu Pagoda and stately Tu Duc Tomb welcome you to Hue, Vietnam’s ancient royal capital on the banks of the Perfume River. Nearby, visitors can also explore the historic commercial seaport of Hoi An, which preserves colorful buildings from the 16th century onward in picturesque riverbank streets.
Haiphong (Hanoi)
Haiphong is a gateway to the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, where you can see the Du Hang Pagoda, a fine example of the country’s traditional architecture, and the Hang Kenh House, famed for its intricate wood carvings. The city is considered an architectural museum piece with a rich history dating to Neolithic Times. Ho Chi Minh’s final resting place, his mausoleum, is near the Citadel and is open to the public. The Old Quarter is an especially fascinating area, reflecting the country’s French colonial past.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
After 20 years of isolation, this history-laden Vietnamese capital will charm and fascinate you with her vibrant sights. Formerly Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is a blend of magnificent French colonial architecture set against spacious boulevards thronged with trishaws, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. Leave time to shop in the Ben Thanh Market or wander in the landmark Reunification Hall. The more adventurous may opt for an excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a network of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong in hiding from Allied troops.
Some content provided courtesy of CLIA (Cruise Line International Association)