OVERVIEW

Experience the Old World beauty and charm of the Seychelles during an orientation tour of picturesque La Digue. Enjoy a scenic drive to L’Union Estate, where you’ll gain insight into La Digue’s history at the estate’s old Creole house and coconut factory, and delight in daily life characterized by a decidedly relaxed pace punctuated by bicycles. Continue to La Digue’s beaches, considered to be among the world’s finest, including nearby Anse Source D’Argent, which has been called a bather’s and photographer’s dream. You’ll thrill to the soft white sands and dramatic granite boulders that have long enchanted visitors to the island. Keep a sharp lookout for the resident avian wonders, as you might catch sight of a Seychelles paradise flycatcher, a rare bird endemic to these islands that sports glossy black plumage with elongated tail feathers.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit intriguing L’Union Estate and see a coconut factory, a traditional Creole house and oxcarts that evoke the island’s colonial past.
• Appreciate La Digue’s white-sand beaches, recognized as some of the world’s most stunning.
• Search for one of the island’s splendid endemic birds, the exotic Seychelles paradise flycatcher.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Visit two of Beppu’s many hot springs known as jigokus and a forested park that countless wild monkeys inhabit. With more than 2,500 thermal springs in and around Beppu, thick clouds of steam can always be seen rising from the ground. At the Umi Jigoku, the so called Sea Hell, you will notice that the cobalt-blue water is near boiling and so hot that visitors only observe the thermal phenomenon. However, at the Chinoike Jigoku or Blood Pond Hell, you might take a foot bath in the iron oxide-rich water that gives the pool its reddish color. The hot springs throughout Beppu are said to have restorative powers, and visitors come from all over to soak in them. The Takasakiyama Monkey Park is also wildly popular, as it offers a rare close-up look at macaques freely roaming the forested mountain slopes. You too will be free to wander about while observing these Old World monkeys.

Enjoy meeting the locals and being entertained by whimsical lemurs on this delightful tour to nearby Nosy Komba.

Board your local boat from the ship's gangway and cruise across the east coast of Nosy Be to Nosy Komba, passing the verdant Lokobe evergreen forest along the way. Reaching the fishing village of Ampangoriana, you will tender ashore (please note it is a "wet" landing) and then have a bit of time to mingle with the locals and browse for souvenirs. Approximately 500 yards from the village is the Black Lemur Sanctuary, home to Madagascar's most famous residents, the black lemurs. During your visit, you will have the opportunity to observe these lively creatures as they leap from tree to tree. The black lemurs are the males and the brown lemurs the females. Although these animals live in the wild, they are tame enough to be fed with bananas and their capricious behavior will no doubt be fun to watch.

Leaving the sanctuary, you will walk to a nearby snack bar where you will be treated to a light snack while relaxing in the shade of a Tamarind tree and taking in the wonderful views of the Lokobe Reserve and surrounding islands. During your break, the local Sakalava embroiders will give you a demonstration on tablecloth making and the village children will perform a brief folk show for you. Free time will be provided for you to stroll on the beach, shop for souvenirs or perhaps take a dip in the ocean.

At the conclusion of your visit, you will re-board your boat and cruise back to Nosy Be and your awaiting ship.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a jaunt around Cooktown and get an excellent introduction to this frontier town in Queensland’s far north. The town’s name and early fame are both tied to one pivotal event that took place here in 1770: British explorer and cartographer Captain James Cook’s ship Endeavour smacked into the Great Barrier Reef offshore. Limping into what became known as the Endeavour River to beach the vessel and repair the damage, he inadvertently established the first non-indigenous settlement in Australia. You’ll travel to the top of Grassy Hill to see a monument commemorating his landing and marvel at stunning 360-degree views out to the water. It’s a scene little changed from what Cook would have seen for himself 250 years ago as he scanned the reef-line for a safe route back out to open sea with his repaired ship. At the James Cook Museum, housed in a grand former convent built with 1880s gold rush wealth, see actual relics from the Endeavour, including her anchor and a cannon jettisoned during the grounding. Later, an amble through the Botanic Gardens introduces you to exotic Aussie flora like chocolate pudding trees, jackfruit, blue ginger and the Cooktown Orchid, state emblem of Queensland.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a guided overview of Australia’s first non-indigenous settlement, founded temporarily and by accident by Captain James Cook.
• Drive through town and up to the top of Grassy Hill, where Cook saw much the same views you will.
• Visit a museum brimming with artifacts from Cook’s ship, from journals to an anchor and cannon.
• Take a relaxed stroll through tropical botanic gardens established in 1878 and see colorful, curious plants long-used for food and medicine by local aboriginal peoples.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

Visit a vanilla plantation and explore a stunning cirque on this fascinating tour that includes lunch and free time for shopping. Take a picturesque drive to Saint-Denis, the economic and political center of Réunion Island, and notice eye-catching colonial mansions and buildings that date back to the time of the East India Trading Company during the 18th century.

Driving through the Sainte-Marie region, you’ll view sugar cane fields, lush greenery and, further east, vibrantly hued Indian temples. At a fragrant vanilla plantation, relish a guided tour and informative demonstration of how the plant’s aromatic oil is produced. Continuing to the Cirque of Salazie, thrill to a route through the natural amphitheater that passes countless cascading waterfalls, verdant gardens and colorful flowers while you ascend to approximately 3,300 feet. You’ll capture amazing photos during a stop at Bridal Veil Falls, then enter the town of Hell-Bourg, named for a respected former admiral and island governor.

Take a walking tour past the village’s enchanting Creole houses and enjoy time on your own to shop before savoring a traditional lunch, a wonderful conclusion to your delightful exploration.

Delve into the history of the surrounding Aichi Prefecture by browsing an open-air museum and a 16th-century castle that is remarkably intact. Dozens of buildings from the Meiji Period have been carefully reconstructed at the Meijimura museum, and you will easily recognize the Western influence in the architecture. This short period in Japanese history ended in 1912 and marked the end of samurai rule and the beginning of Japan’s modernization.

The nearby Inuyama Castle is even more impressive architecturally as it is one of the few castles in Japan that survived wars and natural disasters without being severely damaged. As you meander through this official national treasure, you will see artifacts relating to the Naruse family that once owned the castle. The armory of samurai weapons and the hidden doors for the guards are of particular note, as they shed light on the fact that the castle was under constant threat of attack.

Discover how the natural resources on Amami are maximized to create products that are revered far beyond the island. The silk produced there is particularly valued and has been for more than 1,300 years. As you will see at Oshima Tsumugi Village, the silk manufacturing involves dozens of processes that take up to six months to complete, resulting in distinct textiles with remarkably detailed patterns. You will notice while driving around the island that Amami is almost completely covered with trees, including sago palms. These iron-rich plants are used for dying silk and often eaten despite being toxic if not properly prepared. You will learn about the multi-step process to remove the toxins at Ankiyaba. Bananas are also grown there for their natural fibers, which are used in textiles. The brown sugar from the island’s abundant sugar cane is a key ingredient in making shochu, a unique distilled liquor that you will sample after touring a brewery.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Watch a remarkably complex silk manufacturing process that produces distinct textiles.
• Discover how sago palms and bananas trees are harvested for various industries.
• Tour a brewery that makes the distilled liquor shochu and sample the product.

Manila's tumultuous past comes alive on this exploration of its most historic sites, many of them contained within Intramuros, the city's original 16th-century district. Depart from the pier by coach and arrive in Intramuros, the city's oldest district, which is enclosed within a thick wall that the Spanish built for defense in the 1500s. Here, you'll tour notorious Fort Santiago, where prisoners were held and tortured throughout the history of Manila. You may even see the symbolic bronzed footsteps of Dr. Jose Rizal, a national hero who was imprisoned in the fortress before walking to his execution, the penalty for his inflammatory, anti-colonial writings. Then, after some free time to shop for souvenirs, you'll travel to serene Rizal Park, whose focal point is the Rizal Monument which was built in honor of the country's national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. After a photo stop you'll continue on to view the Manila Hotel, a luxurious Philippine landmark that opened in 1912. General Douglas MacArthur used the hotel as his command post during much of World War II. After viewing these most notable landmarks of old Manila, you'll return to the pier where your tour concludes.

Visit the Melanesian village of Hnathalo, where ancient customs are still practiced religiously and traditional island values are held in high esteem. Hnathalo is also the name of the tribe living there. Following a welcoming coconut drink, you will walk among the village’s thatched huts, hand-carved totems and open expanses shaded by swaying palms and towering Royal Poinciana trees. It will be like traveling back in time, as little has changed over the years because traditional Melanesian ways are still fervently practiced in Hnathalo. That is especially true in the preparation of dishes such as bougna, a concoction that you will sample after seeing how it’s cooked over red-hot stones in a cleverly designed ground oven. You will also be invited to enter the circular Chief’s Hut, one of the largest of its kind in New Caledonia, and view a church that French Catholic missionaries constructed in 1883. It is decorated with period furnishings that enhance the authenticity.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Learn about the traditional Melanesian way of life in the rural village Hnathalo.
• Sample the Melanesian dish bougna, which is cooked in banana leaves in an earthen oven.
• See the interior of the revered Chief’s Hut and a missionary-built, 19th-century church.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

An eye-opening study in contrasts, this tour presents the extravagant world of Brunei's sultan, followed by a look at life in a village built on stilts in the river.

Starting off from the pier, you will first travel inland toward the majestic Jame Mosque, Brunei's largest, where you will pause briefly for photos. Nearby, you will have a second photo stop that offers you a distant view of the Sultan's Palace (there is no stop at the Palace itself) which is situated on the leafy banks of the Brunei River.

Continuing on, you will arrive at the white-domed Royal Regalia where you can wander through exhibits of luxurious items from the Sultan's lavish coronation and other celebrations. Some of the items you may have the opportunity to see here are His Majesty's royal chariot, ceremonial swords, a model of the palace and various gifts from foreign dignitaries. But as you will soon see, there's more to Brunei than the extravagances afforded by its abundant oil and natural gas.

Making your way to a nearby jetty, you will board a boat and cruise to Water Village where you will witness firsthand a much different side of life. More than 30,000 people live here in thousands of structures built on stilts in the Brunei River. The village is an amazing assortment of homes, restaurants, mosques, shops and hospitals, all connected by wooden boardwalks. Surprisingly, some of the homes are quite elaborate, and you will have the unique opportunity of stopping by one for a cup of tea. Amazingly, people have lived in the Water Village for more than 1,300 years, making it one of the most historic areas in Brunei.

Following your time at the Water Village, you will retrace your route as you make your way back to the pier.

Explore the heritage aspect of Surabaya visiting the Dutch colonial style building compound and visit the iconic heroes’ monument of Surabaya City. Delve into the cultural heritage of Surabaya by visiting Kampong Lawas Maspati, commemorative war monument and a 5-star hotel that reflects more than a century of local history. A panoramic drive through the city takes you to the Majapahit Hotel, a more than 100-year-old lodging that the Japanese used as their headquarters in East Java during World War II. This classic landmark blends romance and elegance with its graceful colonial architecture. While touring, you will see how the hotel has evolved into a 5-star resort. During the visit have some local coffee and enjoy the local snacks. Continuing on, you will next visit the Heroes Monument, a towering obelisk that commemorates the Indonesian soldiers and civilians that died in the Battle of Surabaya in 1945. The conflict eventually led to Indonesian independence in 1949. Our last stop will be visiting Kampoeng Lawas Maspati, it is now a village being made as community base tourism where historical building is still maintained such as the Residence of Raden Sumomiharjo (the relatives of Sultanate Palace of Solo) and Sekolah Ongko Loro the historical people school since 1917. We will learn how in a crowded kampong with nearly no soil left, the villagers can create the green zone, also have some cultural activities specially presented by the local community and mostly elderlies.

OVERVIEW

Gain an understanding of Brunei’s cultural heritage by visiting an array of remarkably diverse marquee attractions. For a glimpse into Brunei’s flourishing sea trade centuries ago, you will browse the Maritime Museum. Similarly, a stop at the waterfront market Tamu Kianggeh will present a look at how the Brunei River facilitates trade today as much of the traditional merchandise arrives by boat. For an even deeper dive into the importance of the river, you will stroll parts of the 23-mile-long boardwalk that runs through Kampong Ayer, the world’s largest settlement on stilts. Every single building – mosques, houses and stores – hangs over the river. In contrast, you will peruse the luxurious artifacts displayed in the Royal Regalia, a museum full of items from the sultan and Brunei’s royalty. Photos stops at the Prime Minister’s office and at the iconic Jame Mosque, which is featured on Brunei’s currency, will round out your exploration.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse a maritime museum and a museum with extravagant artifacts from the monarch.
• Enjoy a boat ride along the Brunei River to the Tamu Kianggeh waterfront market.
• Wander through a waterfront market and through the world’s largest village on stilts.
• Pause for photos at the Prime Minister’s office and at the Jame Mosque.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• No low-cut tops, shorts, short skirts or short dresses.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.