As the cruise scene in Asia hots up, Sally Macmillan discovers some enticing trips that are both scenic and serene, offering bustling cities and sacred sites.
Savvy Aussie travellers are fast discovering that you don’t have to fly for 24 hours – or more – or spend your lifetime’s savings to enjoy a cruise in one of the world’s most scenic, historical and culturally diverse regions. Asia is perfectly placed for coastal cruising.
Whether you’re looking for a short break or an itinerary that takes in several countries, cruising in Asia offers an exciting mix of sophisticated cities, sacred sites, tropical resorts and exotic cuisines. And if a relaxing holiday with a spot of shopping is more your cup of green tea, you can do that, too.
Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Yokohama (the port for Tokyo), are Asia’s major cruise hubs and more mainstream cruise lines are now placing ships in these ports for weeks or months at a time. Joining segments of world voyages is another way to go, but you have to factor in flights that work with both embarkation and disembarkation ports.
Japan
The cherry blossom season, roughly from March to May, is the most popular time to visit. APT has a fabulous 13-night cruise next April that sails around the coast of Honshu, Japan’s “mainland” island, from Tokyo to Osaka. It also spends a couple of days in South Korea, an incredibly scenic country where serene Buddhist temples are as revered as futuristic city attractions.
MS Caledonian Sky will call at 14 fascinating ports. Highlights of the voyage range from feudal castles and old samurai houses to exquisite formal gardens, traditional tea ceremonies and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Visiting Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park is an emotional reminder of the devastation wrought by atomic bombs in World War II.
This story is from the May 2017 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2017 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
