EAST & SOUTH EAST ASIA
DESTINATION GUIDES
EAST & SOUTH EAST ASIA While a staple region for many a world cruise, cruising in Asia is still a less common option for British guests, primarily due to the flight times involved with travelling from the UK. However with the rapid rise of cruise popularity amongst the local population of this region it is a place where cruise is only going to grow and the placement of some of the world’s newest and most popular ships, including those of lines such as Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity to name but a few, shows this. One common concern about itineraries here is the fact that distances between locations mean that cruises have historically been longer, however with current investment in the infrastructure and knowledge of the region the variety, versatility and flexibility of these itineraries should increase. With major shipping ports in the area such as Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as the beautiful retreats of the Thai islands and Kota Kinabalu & Penang in Malaysia, South East Asia has a wide range of different experiences to offer while still being able to offer ports with the infrastructure in place that allows for exploration. It is however worth noting that with many South & East Asian ports the distances between port and city can be quite lengthy. Both Port Kelang (Klang) for Kuala Lumpur and Laem Chabang for Bangkok require some travel to reach the city centre, albeit through the stunning countryside and culture that is on offer in the region. Many Asian itineraries are part of a world cruise, but across the year you will find that many niche and luxury lines offer fascinating island hopping itineraries in the area, while there are also a number of incredible river itineraries in the area along the Yangtze and the Mekong. Cruises to the region often start from Australia however, with the increased infrastructure you will now find more beginning on mainland Asia so this cruise region is sure to grow massively in the near future.
www.cruiseexperts.org
Key Ports
Hong Kong Shanghai, China Port Kelang (for Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia Laem Chabang (for Bangkok), Thailand Tokyo, Japan Singapore Manila, Philippines
Key Attractions Hong Kong Skyline Hong Kong Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur Wat Pho Bangkok Penang Island Malaysia Marina Bay Singapore Historical Centre of Ho Chi Minh City (from Phu My), Vietnam Bali Indonesia
Best Times to Go
Peak Season: November to March Shoulder Season: October & April
Key Information
Languages: Both South & East Asia are diverse areas so a universal language is not present. English is widely spoken at significantly varying levels but unless off the beaten track you should not have a problem.
Currencies: Key Currencies are Yuan
(China), Yen (Japan), Hong Kong Dollar (HK), Singapore Dollar (Singapore), Ringgit (Malaysia), Baht (Thailand). However, the most commonly accepted currency is USD, which will be recognised by many establishments.
Visa Required:
Most countries in the area are either Visa free or provide a Visa on arrival, something that will most often be arranged by your Cruise Line. China is visa free for guests in transit, however it does still require Visas for UK nationals if staying on in the country.
History
The regions of East & Southeast Asia are some of the longest occupied in the world and there is evidence of settlement in China and Mongolia as early as 40,000 BC. While cultures were developing fast in Europe, this was matched on the other side of the world as both Japan and China became formidable powers in the East, although with the strong Persian & Scythian powers separating them from the Western world these two sides of the world never clashed. China and Japan both developed as split nations fighting for power over each other with the Chinese Dynasties and the Japanese Shogunates as the ruling bodies. It was during this time that such magnificent luxuries such as Great Wall and Terracotta Army were constructed by powers looking to show their wealth and power in the fight to rule the land. While China unified in the 3rd Century AD, it would take until the 1600’s for the Edo period to begin and the unification of Japan to commence. In Southeast Asia development was less swift, although it is through these nations that many religions and cultures, notably Buddhism, spread into the further East. While much knowledge of the area has been lost, recent studies have revealed the vast size of some of the settlements in the area – particularly Angkor Wat. While it is now much in ruin and overrun by the jungle, it was once a bustling metropolis which sprawled over 1000km sq - at the time vastly outstripping any other settlement on the planet and over 700 years before London would reach the same size. However, the tough terrain led to the abandonment of the city and the lack of resources has meant that SE Asia has never risen to the heights of its Eastern counterparts. Despite this, Southeast Asia has commonly been of interest due to its importance as a trade region with large sea ports and items desirable to the Western world. Both the British and the French had large settlements in counties such as Burma, Singapore and Vietnam in the region, although the cases show that the positive effect of these colonisations is not consistent. China had become a huge nation for trade as part of the Silk Road, however as the 20th Century approached the country became more segregated from the rest of the world culminating in the communist regime run by Mao Zedong. For 30 years the communist party had China closed to the world and it was only in the 1980’s that Mao’s successor Deng Xiaoping began to open the nation to the world. In fact it has only been within the last 10 years that much tourism has been allowed out of China, something that has contributed consequently to the astronomical growth that the cruise sector is now experiencing. Japan has a stronger cruise history and notably major Japanese shipping company NYK have had a controlling stake in their own cruise line and, until recently, Crystal Cruises. Both Japan and much of South East Asia are renowned as key destinations for cruise and with the rise of China as a viable option we should expect much growth in the coming years.
Cuisine
The cuisine of East & Southeast Asia is based on a lot of regional cuisines but all share a common use of rice and noodles with soy or fish sauce as a staple seasoning. Unlike the curries of India the use of coconut milk is more common in curries of this region. Dominating cuisines are Thai which involves much use of different taste groups combining the very salty fish sauce with lemongrass and kaffir lime creating aromatic dishes, Chinese which includes staples such as soy (tofu ) and Bok Choi and switch from being dry and spicy inland to more varied curries and noodle dishes in the more affluent areas, and finally Japanese, which involves well known dishes such as Sushi and Sashimi. Around the coast Seafood is especially popular and of good quality – Japan particular consumes more seafood per capita than any other country in the world, unsurprisingly with their penchant for raw fish. Most dishes are steamed, boiled or stir fried in South East Asia or Japan while the Chinese tend to use braising and stewing as a more common method. Asian cuisine is well known in the UK, however it is worth noting that, as with Indian cuisine, these foods have been appropriated into our culture and the original dishes will be quite different.
www.cruiseexperts.org
EAST & SOUTH EAST ASIA While a staple region for many a world cruise, cruising in Asia is still a less common option for British guests, primarily due to the flight times involved with travelling from the UK. However with the rapid rise of cruise popularity amongst the local population of this region it is a place where cruise is only going to grow and the placement of some of the world’s newest and most popular ships, including those of lines such as Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity to name but a few, shows this. One common concern about itineraries here is the fact that distances between locations mean that cruises have historically been longer, however with current investment in the infrastructure and knowledge of the region the variety, versatility and flexibility of these itineraries should increase. With major shipping ports in the area such as Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as the beautiful retreats of the Thai islands and Kota Kinabalu & Penang in Malaysia, South East Asia has a wide range of different experiences to offer while still being able to offer ports with the infrastructure in place that allows for exploration. It is however worth noting that with many South & East Asian ports the distances between port and city can be quite lengthy. Both Port Kelang (Klang) for Kuala Lumpur and Laem Chabang for Bangkok require some travel to reach the city centre, albeit through the stunning countryside and culture that is on offer in the region. Many Asian itineraries are part of a world cruise, but across the year you will find that many niche and luxury lines offer fascinating island hopping itineraries in the area, while there are also a number of incredible river itineraries in the area along the Yangtze and the Mekong. Cruises to the region often start from Australia however, with the increased infrastructure you will now find more beginning on mainland Asia so this cruise region is sure to grow massively in the near future.
www.cruiseexperts.org
Key Ports
Hong Kong Shanghai, China Port Kelang (for Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia Laem Chabang (for Bangkok), Thailand Tokyo, Japan Singapore Manila, Philippines
Key Attractions Hong Kong Skyline Hong Kong Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur Wat Pho Bangkok Penang Island Malaysia Marina Bay Singapore Historical Centre of Ho Chi Minh City (from Phu My), Vietnam Bali Indonesia
Best Times to Go
Peak Season: November to March Shoulder Season: October & April
Key Information
Languages: Both South & East Asia are diverse areas so a universal language is not present. English is widely spoken at significantly varying levels but unless off the beaten track you should not have a problem.
Currencies: Key Currencies are Yuan
(China), Yen (Japan), Hong Kong Dollar (HK), Singapore Dollar (Singapore), Ringgit (Malaysia), Baht (Thailand). However, the most commonly accepted currency is USD, which will be recognised by many establishments.
Visa Required:
Most countries in the area are either Visa free or provide a Visa on arrival, something that will most often be arranged by your Cruise Line. China is visa free for guests in transit, however it does still require Visas for UK nationals if staying on in the country.
History
The regions of East & Southeast Asia are some of the longest occupied in the world and there is evidence of settlement in China and Mongolia as early as 40,000 BC. While cultures were developing fast in Europe, this was matched on the other side of the world as both Japan and China became formidable powers in the East, although with the strong Persian & Scythian powers separating them from the Western world these two sides of the world never clashed. China and Japan both developed as split nations fighting for power over each other with the Chinese Dynasties and the Japanese Shogunates as the ruling bodies. It was during this time that such magnificent luxuries such as Great Wall and Terracotta Army were constructed by powers looking to show their wealth and power in the fight to rule the land. While China unified in the 3rd Century AD, it would take until the 1600’s for the Edo period to begin and the unification of Japan to commence. In Southeast Asia development was less swift, although it is through these nations that many religions and cultures, notably Buddhism, spread into the further East. While much knowledge of the area has been lost, recent studies have revealed the vast size of some of the settlements in the area – particularly Angkor Wat. While it is now much in ruin and overrun by the jungle, it was once a bustling metropolis which sprawled over 1000km sq - at the time vastly outstripping any other settlement on the planet and over 700 years before London would reach the same size. However, the tough terrain led to the abandonment of the city and the lack of resources has meant that SE Asia has never risen to the heights of its Eastern counterparts. Despite this, Southeast Asia has commonly been of interest due to its importance as a trade region with large sea ports and items desirable to the Western world. Both the British and the French had large settlements in counties such as Burma, Singapore and Vietnam in the region, although the cases show that the positive effect of these colonisations is not consistent. China had become a huge nation for trade as part of the Silk Road, however as the 20th Century approached the country became more segregated from the rest of the world culminating in the communist regime run by Mao Zedong. For 30 years the communist party had China closed to the world and it was only in the 1980’s that Mao’s successor Deng Xiaoping began to open the nation to the world. In fact it has only been within the last 10 years that much tourism has been allowed out of China, something that has contributed consequently to the astronomical growth that the cruise sector is now experiencing. Japan has a stronger cruise history and notably major Japanese shipping company NYK have had a controlling stake in their own cruise line and, until recently, Crystal Cruises. Both Japan and much of South East Asia are renowned as key destinations for cruise and with the rise of China as a viable option we should expect much growth in the coming years.
Cuisine
The cuisine of East & Southeast Asia is based on a lot of regional cuisines but all share a common use of rice and noodles with soy or fish sauce as a staple seasoning. Unlike the curries of India the use of coconut milk is more common in curries of this region. Dominating cuisines are Thai which involves much use of different taste groups combining the very salty fish sauce with lemongrass and kaffir lime creating aromatic dishes, Chinese which includes staples such as soy (tofu ) and Bok Choi and switch from being dry and spicy inland to more varied curries and noodle dishes in the more affluent areas, and finally Japanese, which involves well known dishes such as Sushi and Sashimi. Around the coast Seafood is especially popular and of good quality – Japan particular consumes more seafood per capita than any other country in the world, unsurprisingly with their penchant for raw fish. Most dishes are steamed, boiled or stir fried in South East Asia or Japan while the Chinese tend to use braising and stewing as a more common method. Asian cuisine is well known in the UK, however it is worth noting that, as with Indian cuisine, these foods have been appropriated into our culture and the original dishes will be quite different.
www.cruiseexperts.org
