Day 1 – Singapore

Departs 04:00 pm.

Singapore – the very name summons visions of the mysterious East. The commercial center of Southeast Asia, this island city-state of five million people is a metropolis of modern high-rise buildings, Chinese shop-houses with red-tiled roofs, sturdy Victorian buildings, Buddhist temples and Arab bazaars. Founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles of the fabled East India Company, the city is a melting pot of people and cultures. Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil are official languages. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are the major faiths. Singapore is an ever-fascinating island boasting colorful traditions, luxurious hotels and some of the finest duty-free shopping in the world. Lying just 85 miles north of the Equator at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the island was a haven for Malay pirates and Chinese and Arab traders.

Day 2

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Day 3 – Penang, Malaysia

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 08:00 pm.

In 1786 Francis Light persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to cede Pulau Pinang – the “Isle of Betel nut” – to the English crown. Legend has it that Light persuaded his men to clear the overgrown island of Penang by firing a cannon filled with gold coins into the jungle as an incentive. The island was renamed Prince of Wales Island, and its major town was christened Georgetown after King George III. Whether the story is true or not, Penang quickly became a major trading port for tea, spices, china and cloth. Here European, Malaysian, Hindu, Arabic and Chinese cultures met, melded and flourished. Today George Town is a cosmopolitan city that has preserved its unique heritage and its exotic blend of cultures. George Town is perhaps the best-preserved city in Southeast Asia. It boasts a European-style esplanade and a wealth of temples, mosques and Chinese clan houses. Listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2008, this virgin paradise has no shortage of cultural sights and natural scenery.

Day 4 – Langkawi, Malaysia

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 07:00 pm.

Langkawi comprises a group of 99 tropical islands lying off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The main island is known as Pulau Langkawi. The islands are shrouded with an intriguing heritage of myths and legends that feature ogres and gigantic birds, warriors and fairy princesses, battles and romance. Langkawi has been accorded the Geopark status by UNESCO, for its beautiful geological heritage of stunning landscapes, karsts, caves, sea-arches, stacks, glacial dropstones and fossils. With a geological history dating back 500 million years, the islands contain unique rock formations that stir the imagination and baffle the mind.

Day 5 – Phuket, Thailand

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Hailed as the “Pearl of the Andaman Sea,” this island off Thailand’s long southern coast boasts a colorful history. A crossroads for trade, Phuket has been a melting pot of Thai, Malay, Chinese and Western influences. Its importance over the past 500 years stemmed from the island’s natural resources, which include tin, hardwoods and rubber. In the past half-century, Phuket has enjoyed wide popularity as one of the premier travel destinations in Southeast Asia. Travelers are drawn to the island’s beaches, crystalline waters, and dramatic, forested hills.

Day 6 – At Sea

Day 7 – At Sea

Day 8 – At Sea

Day 9 – Ko Samui, Thailand

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

Thailand’s third largest island has been attracting international travelers for less than half a century. Before then, this island in the Gulf of Thailand was noted for its coconut plantations and rubber production. Today, Ko Samui’s premier charms are its powdery white beaches, its Buddhist temples or wats, and its crystalline waters. Despite the island’s increasing popularity, it retains a casual and unspoiled air that offers a bracing tonic to the experienced traveler.The majority of the island’s population resides in Nathorn, Ko Samui’s capital. The island’s first settlers were a mix of Hainanese coconut farmers and Malay fishermen.Nathorn is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tenders.

Day 10

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 11:00 pm.

Day 11 – At Sea

Day 12 – At Sea

Day 13 – Singapore

Arrives 07:00 am.

Singapore – the very name summons visions of the mysterious East. The commercial center of Southeast Asia, this island city-state of five million people is a metropolis of modern high-rise buildings, Chinese shop-houses with red-tiled roofs, sturdy Victorian buildings, Buddhist temples and Arab bazaars. Founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles of the fabled East India Company, the city is a melting pot of people and cultures. Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil are official languages. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are the major faiths. Singapore is an ever-fascinating island boasting colorful traditions, luxurious hotels and some of the finest duty-free shopping in the world. Lying just 85 miles north of the Equator at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the island was a haven for Malay pirates and Chinese and Arab traders.