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CRUISE SHIPS
275
May15
These shorter cruises are mostly less
than a week and typically sail round-
trip from Singapore, north through the
Strait of Malacca, and along the western
coastline of Malaysia and Thailand.
Star Cruises, Royal Caribbean and
Costa Cruises are the big players in
these parts, though a few other cruise
lines, including SeaDream, Crystal and
Silversea, do longer itineraries here,
going as far north as Myanmar.
What’s great about the western
itineraries is that the main attractions are
fairly close to the ship docks. In Penang,
the charming island’s historical sites
are close by and easily accessible via
cycle rickshaw, bus, taxi or on foot. It’s
the same story for the beaches: the best
ones are less than a 30-minute drive
from cruise docks. Even for Melaka and
Port Kelang (the access point for Kuala
Lumpur), which are further away from
the main attractions, it’s still no more
than an hour.
Highlights
Beaches:
The wide, white-sand beaches
of Malaysia’s Langkawi, especially Kok
and Cenang beaches on the west
coast, are arguably some of the best in
Southeast Asia. Phuket’s strips of sand,
such as Patong, are bustling, fun places,
though they tend to be narrow and
buzzing with jet-skiers who carelessly
zip close to swimmers.
Culture:
In Penang, the Khoo Kongsi
Chinese clan house and the hilltop Kek
Lok Si temple complex are close by and
worthwhile; same for Phuket’s gilded
Wat Chalong monastery. Malacca’s
main site is the 16th-century Porta
de Santiago fortress, built by the
Portuguese, the first Europeans to