Gain an overall understanding of Saigon through landmark architecture that reflects the changing face of the metropolis known as Ho Chi Minh City since 1976. In the lively Chinatown district of Cholon, you will find Giac Lam, the city’s oldest pagoda. A haven of tranquility where Taoism and Confucianism merge with Buddhism, the pagoda compound includes ornate tombs, a rare bodhi tree and an elegant statue of the Goddess of Mercy. For a more contemporary perspective, you will view Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, a modernistic white building that was home to the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon presents a glimpse into colonial life, as the French constructed it in the mid-1800s. The ornate Central Post Office is another French-built colonial gem. If not for the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh inside, you might think you were in Paris.

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.

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 begin driving along Roxas Boulevard, the wide wonderfully scenic thoroughfare that hugs the shore of Manila Bay. Before long, you'll 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.

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.

View the landmarks of Hiroshima, some commemorating the atomic bomb blast here in 1945 and others reflecting the city’s celebration of peace. At the poignant Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, you will behold the ruins of some of the few concrete buildings left after the atomic bomb was dropped. One of them, the Atomic Bomb Dome, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and has become a symbol of Hiroshima. You will also browse the Peace Memorial Museum whose exhibits show Hiroshima before and after the bombing and personal artifacts from the victims that humanize the devastating event. The museum encourages visitors to make a vow for universal peace. While the mood there is somber, serenity is the overarching theme at Shukkei-en Garden. Besides being a wonderful respite from the hubbub of the city, the garden is a visual delight, as plants are always in bloom. Although the atomic bomb destroyed the garden, it has been fully restored.

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.

Stroll through downtown Sabang and beyond at a leisurely pace that allows you to thoroughly soak up the ambiance and enjoy the sights up close.

After departing from the pier on foot, you will enjoy a leisurely walk past the tin-roofed warehouses clustered about the harbor and soon arrive in Sabang’s energetic downtown. The city’s commerce has revolved around the quay since the late 19th century, and while many are closed, an abundance of shops still line the streets overlooking the Strait of Malacca. Today, fishing and rattan furniture manufacturing drive the economy.

For a revealing glimpse into daily life, you will visit the bustling Market Place, a collection of shops and stalls offering garden-fresh produce, seafood and meats. Expect the sounds to be lively, the fragrances mesmerizing and the vendors friendly. Walking among the local shoppers and interacting with the vendors provides great insight into the local lifestyle.

Continuing on under a canopy of shade trees along the main street, you will then pass a series of Art Deco and colonial buildings, including the old Sabang Hospital, which was formerly an exclusive Dutch residence. Many of the buildings and parks in this section of town are marked with signs detailing their historical significance.

The beaches are also a big draw in Sabang, as they tend to be shaded by swaying coconut palms. After visiting the popular beach at Pantai Kasih, you will see a nearby hilltop fortress that the Japanese built during World War II. Today, you can still see remnants of the concrete bunkers and gun emplacements that were dug into the sides of the cliffs.

Following your time here, you will make the one hour walk back to the pier, seeing more local sights along the way.

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.

Explore a vast underground network of tunnels that hid and protected thousands of Viet Cong troops during the Vietnam War. The section that you will tour lies beneath the Cu Chi district in the countryside north of Ho Chi Minh City. Communist forces began digging the tunnels in the late 1940s, when they were fighting the French for independence. As you will discover, the tunnels span thousands of miles and once hid an underground city of sorts with living quarters, smokeless kitchens, hospitals and schools. The tunnels were typically five feet high and not even three feet wide, with air passages to the surface camouflaged to look like natural holes from tree roots or animals. The tunnels that you will traverse have been expanded somewhat for safety and convenience. Digging the tunnels was an incredibly arduous and time-consuming endeavor, as they were often dug by hand. Before abandoning them, the Viet Cong left booby traps for the invading troops.

Explore Brunei's unique heritage and local lifestyle during this full-day tour via coach and local boat.

Depart the pier for the drive into Bandar. Upon arrival, your tour will begin with a visit to the bustling local market, which features food, handicrafts, local herbs and medicinal plants. Next, you will visit the Royal Regalia Building, completed in 1992 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. It is filled with pictures of the Crown Prince, the full royal regalia used during the coronation, the crown, a replica of the throne room, and numerous gifts from state dignitaries.

Your tour will continue with a stop at Istana Nurul Iman. The world's largest residential palace, the Istana Nurul Iman is perched atop a hill overlooking the capital and the Brunei River, and offers splendid photo opportunities. From here, a visit will be made to the Jame Mosque. One of the most magnificent mosques in Asia, the Jame Mosque features 29 golden domes.

After lunch served at a local restaurant, you will have an opportunity to observe the local lifestyle during a boat-ride and visit to a local home. Your tour will conclude with a visit to the Brunei Museum. Upon arrival, you will take a guided tour of the museum's six galleries. Included is a unique and priceless collection of Islamic art, oil and gas displays, the Malay lifestyle, a wedding ceremony, the region's natural history, the royal lineage, and treasures recovered from shipwrecks. Following your visit, you will rejoin your coach for the return drive to the pier.

Follow a wonderfully circuitous route across Weh Island, taking in the natural beauty and then stopping in an alluring oceanfront village.

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a leisurely drive up to an elevated ridge that offers panoramic views of volcanically formed Weh Island. Not far inland, you will find Anak Laut, a clear freshwater lake that supplies drinking water to the entire island.

Continuing along a series of winding roads, you will soon enter an expanse of emerald-green rainforest and pass through one fishing village after another. In time, you will reach the northernmost and westernmost tip of the Indonesian archipelago, a point of land marked with a monument known as Tugu KM 0 or Kilometer Zero.

Inaugurated in 1997, the monument is situated on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, and the views from the top are spectacular. More scenic wonders await you nearby in Iboih Village, a small beach village that is a popular spot for divers and snorkelers. Feel free to wander about the village and relax on the beautiful beach, as Iboih is exceptionally welcoming and laid-back.

Then, following a snack of sweet pastries made with fried bananas and coconut, you will return to Sabang. The atmosphere is a bit more energetic here in the main city, especially in the Market Place, a collection of shops and stalls offering garden-fresh produce, seafood and meats. Expect the sounds to be lively, the fragrances mesmerizing and the vendors friendly. After visiting, you will drive back to the pier.

Delve deeply into Manila's past by visiting key historic landmarks, at times traveling by Jeepney, a wildly colored, bus-like vehicle that's considered a cultural icon.

Boarding your motor coach at the pier, you will first drive along Roxas Boulevard, the wide wonderfully scenic thoroughfare that hugs the shore of Manila Bay. Before long, you'll 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, an imposing fortress where prisoners were held and tortured throughout the history of Manila.

n, after some free time for souvenir shopping, you'll continue the tour via Jeepney. A uniquely Manilan form of transportation, these bus-like vehicles were originally made from U.S. military Jeeps after World War II. Today's Jeepneys are air-conditioned, typically painted in flamboyant colors, and abundant on the streets of Manila.

More historical sites await you, starting with magnificent San Agustin, a stone church constructed in 1606, and Casa Manila, a replica of a lavish Spanish colonial house decorated with period furniture. It was built as a pet project of the Philippines' former first lady Imelda Marcos.

Re-boarding your coach, you'll make a photo stop at serene Rizal Park, which is dedicated to national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, you'll see 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. Afterwards, you'll return to the pier.