276 318
TRAVEL
276
May15
establish a presence in Southeast Asia.
Smaller ships occasionally venture north to
Myanmar, and from the port of Yangon, two-
day inland excursions visit the spectacular
temples and monuments of Bagan.
Natural beauty:
Craggy limestone
formations, cliffs and caves frame arcs of
white-sand beach in and around Thailand’s
gorgeous Phi Phi Islands; the snorkelling
is good here too. The jungles of Langkawi
harbour picturesque waterfalls and
lots of birdlife, from hornbills to eagles,
kingfishers and herons, as well as long-
tailed macaques.
Accessibility:
Most of the main attractions
on the western cruise itineraries, from
beaches to temples to fortresses, are within
a half-hour of the cruise ship docks.
Drawbacks
Reckless jet skiers:
In Thailand especially,
watch out for fearless jet-skiers and
paragliders who encroach on swimming
areas.
Culture void:
While there are a few temples
and religious monuments, they can’t
compare to what you’ll find in Bangkok
and are nowhere as old as those you’ll see
in Vietnam.
Sample cruise
Last year, my family and I cruised aboard
the 1,928-passenger Italian-built
Costa
Victoria
on a round-trip from Singapore.
The recently refurbished ship sports fresh
new furnishings while retaining classic
features such as generous amounts of
wooden deck and furniture, oversized
portholes and a traditional barrel-style
funnel. The
Victoria
has some European
touches too, from its mostly Italian officers
to tile mosaics and excellent breads and
pastries. Not all the food gets applause,
mind you (lukewarm pink hot dogs at
lunch, for example), but the meals in
the Club Magnifico specialty restaurant
(US$33.50) were excellent, especially
the porcini soup and the grilled salmon
with couscous and spinach. At dinner in
the main restaurant, we fought over the
addictive breadsticks, which are baked