March 17, 2016

Southeast Asia Cruise – January 2016

Follow us on Facebook! On January 22, 2016, my wife and I went on our sixth cruise – a cruise promoted as a taste of Southeast Asia. We had never been in Southeast Asia before, except for a brief stopover at the Kuala Lumpur airport on our way to Perth, Australia. But it has always been a popular destination for Canadians with many visiting Thailand, Viet Nam, Singapore and Malaysia among others. So it was another part of the world that needed exploring. I’ve already posted about all our ports of call as well as about our stay in Singapore. So this post is about the cruise itself. Cruises are…

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written by Destinations - Posted in Cruising, Mariner of the Seas, Southeast Asia

March 5, 2016

The Sea Caves, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

Follow us on Facebook! James Bond fans may remember 1974’s The Man With the Golden Gun, starring Roger Moore as 007. Not one of the best Bond films, but memorable in part for the spectacular scenery of Phang Nga Bay in Thailand which served as the setting for villain Scaramanga’s hideout. The movie drew attention to the area and put pressure on Thai authorities to preserve this natural beauty. In 1981, much of the area was designated as Ao Phang Nga National Park, including the many islands in the area. It has become a major eco-tourism destination. On our second day in Phuket we booked an excursion to explore sea caves…

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written by Destinations - Posted in excursions, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Phang Nga Bay, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Phuket, rock formations, sea caves, Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Thailand, tourism

March 1, 2016

Phuket, Thailand – Sunshine, Shopping and Sleaze

Follow us on Facebook! Note: some of this travelogue includes discussion of the sex trade in Thailand. If that may offend you, after the picture of the masseuses, skip to three paragraphs past the picture of Patong at night.  Our fourth port of call on our Southeast Asia cruise was Phuket, Thailand. Our ship anchored out in Patong Bay for two days giving us ample opportunity to explore on our own and to take an excursion or two if we wanted. We opted to explore on our own the first day and take an excursion the second day. I’ll write about that, a motorboat and canoe adventure in Phang Nga National…

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written by Destinations - Posted in beaches, medical tourism, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Phuket, Patong, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Phuket, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Phuket, seamy side of Phuket, sex trade, shopping, Southeast Asia, Thailand, tourism

February 27, 2016

Port of Call: Langkawi, Malaysia

Follow us on Facebook! The third port of call on our Southeast Asia cruise was Langkawi, an island at the northern end of Malaysia near its border with Thailand. The ship docked at the Star Cruise Jetty, the southernmost tip of the island. We had seven excursions to choose from and, unfortunately, we happened to pick the worst one. It was promoted as an Island Overview. “you’ll visit a functioning rubber estate,” it read, as well as see “working paddy fields with buffaloes”, “quaint Malay Kampungs” and the “Mausoleum of the Martyred Princess”.  It sounded good. But it was more a dreary bus ride than anything. Luckily, the tour ended…

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written by Destinations - Posted in Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Langkawi, Southeast Asia, Malaysia

February 23, 2016

The Temple of 10,000 Buddhas – Penang, Malaysia

Follow us on Facebook! The second port of call on our Taste of Southeast Asia cruise was Penang. More specifically, the city of George Town on the island of Penang. We opted for one of the ten excursions offered, a trip to the Kek Lok Si Temple, sometimes known as the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas, which is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. We assembled in the ship’s theatre in the morning and disembarked as a group to catch a bus for the half hour drive through narrow residential streets until we finally got there. Our first impression of the city was that it was not as wealthy as Kuala Lumpur. Our…

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written by Destinations - Posted in Cruising, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Penang, Kek Lok Si Temple, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Penang

February 10, 2016

Sentosa Island – Singapore’s Playground

Follow us on Facebook! On our second full day in Singapore we decided to visit Sentosa Island. We had heard a lot about it as a must-see destination. We weren’t sure what to expect. The description we found on the Internet made it sound like a large amusement park. It is that, but a lot more besides. So hopefully our experience will give prospective visitors an idea of what they will find. We made our way to Chinatown where we boarded the subway, the Purple Line to HarbourFront Station. Exiting the subway, you find yourself in a large shopping mall. There are a lot of them in Singapore! Our online…

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written by Destinations - Posted in Southeast Asia, Singapore, Sentosa Island, Southeast Asia, Singapore, tourism