Next April, don’t miss this unforgettable opportunity to travel to some of Asia and the Middle East’s most intriguing destinations including Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India and Dubai, taking in a 3-night train trip aboard the iconic Eastern & Oriental Express, followed by a 15-night cruise onboard the spectacular Azamara Journey, not to mention stays at three of the world’s most luxurious hotels.
This epic itinerary from one of Australia’s leading cruise travel specialists commences in Bangkok on 5 April 2020 with 2 nights relaxing in the sublime comfort of COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, a stunning contemporary urban escape, home to award-winning Thai restaurant, nahm, located right in heart of the city. Spend the next 48 hours exploring the Thai capital’s sensational shopping and buzzing nightlife scene at your leisure before embarking the Eastern & Oriental Express on 7 April for a 3-night journey to Singapore.
From its sumptuous cabins, replete with cherry wood panelled walls, antique brass fittings and crisp white linen, to mouth-watering dishes prepared by internationally renowned chefs served by white-gloved waitstaff in its two Restaurant Cars, to the colonial style, teakwood Observation Car where you can observe the sights and sounds of South East Asia by day, and cocktails and entertainment after dark, the Eastern & Oriental Express offers up truly indulgent travel experience that harks back to the timeless elegance of yesteryear. Highlights en route include stopovers at Kanchanaburi for a chance to visit Thailand’s notorious River Kwai Bridge or the Thai-Burma Railway Museum, and the royal town of Kuala Kangsar in Malaysia’s Perak Province for a gentle stroll through villages and rice paddies or even a hill trek for the more adventurously inclined.
Arriving in Singapore on 10 April, spend a night at The Fullerton Hotel. With its stately Doric columns, cornices and coffered ceilings, this iconic hotel stands like a mighty fortress against a shining cityscape at the mouth of the Singapore River, its high-ceiling suites, Italian marble floors and a lobby museum melding ultra-luxury with the building’s revered history. Beyond the hotel, spend time exploring one of Asia’s most lively and ethnically diverse cities at your leisure. And make sure to leave a little extra room in your suitcase for the bargains you are bound to discover in the city’s many shopping malls and markets.
On 11 April say farewell to Singapore, as you embark the elegant Azamara Journey for a 15-night cruise to Dubai. One of just three ships in the Azamara Club Cruises fleet, the ship is billed as a luxurious boutique hotel at sea, and it’s an apt description. Superbly appointed and carrying fewer than 700 passengers, with a deck plan that is intimate but never crowded, the ship features everything modern voyagers are looking for. Elegant staterooms and suites offer up ocean views, sea breezes, and all the style and amenities of a boutique hotel, and many come with their own verandas – perfect for starting your day with fresh sea air and stunning views. Add in exceptional customer service, friendly and approachable, world-class dining options, relaxing spa experiences, and all-new entertainment offerings, and you’ll be hard pressed to leave the ship!
But that would mean denying yourself another hallmark of the Azamara Journey experience – its destination focus. Journey stops in a mix of standard and off-the-beaten path ports, including stopovers in Malaysia’s bustling Kuala Lumpur– a city packed with shopping malls, markets, and kiosks, not to mention sensational food and friendly locals; Hambantota on Sri Lanka’s south east coast, where you’ll find stunning national parks such as Yala National Park, a real-life Jungle Book; and the country’s capital, Colombo, where you can explore its historic winding streets, museums, parks, beautiful Buddhist temples and fine restaurants. From here, Journey sails north to the beautiful port of Cochin on India’s Malabar Coast where the scent of cardamom mingles with cloves and fishermen cast out massive 14th Century Chinese fishing nets, while the exciting, high-energy metropolis of Mumbai offers up a chance to visit the Elephanta Caves, sacred to the cult of Shiva, the Gandhi Museum and the elaborate Victorian-era House Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, before wrapping up your voyage with an overnight stay in the magnificent futuristic oasis of Dubai – plenty of time to explore the opulent City of Gold.
Disembarking on 26 April, spend your last 2 nights relaxing at the uber-luxurious Raffles Dubai. This towering 17-story pyramid-shaped hotel pays homage to Ancient Egypt and the Singaporean roots of the Raffles hotel brand. Enormous Arabian brass filigree pendant lights hang from the lobby’s distant ceiling, pinned in place by soaring hieroglyph-etched pillars, alongside sculptures paying tribute to pharaohs and Buddha, while sumptuously appointed rooms and suites marry modernity with traditional features including filigree lighting and delicate mashrabiya latticework. Make time to visit neighbouring attractions including ‘Old Dubai’, home to the Dubai Museum and the flamingo-filled Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, or take a 10-minute taxi ride to the herculean Dubai Mall and the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, before preparing for your flight home on 27 April 2020.
ecruising’s 23-night RAIL & SAIL: Eastern & Oriental Express, Sri Lanka and India journey departs from Bangkok on 5 April 2020 and is priced from $10,959* per person twin share including: return economy airfares; all accommodation, selected meals and a range of Off Train Excursions aboard The Eastern & Oriental Express; all dining and selected beverages aboard Azamara Journey; and all transfers in Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai.
*Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
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