Australia & New Zealand Cruise: Sydney To Tokyo

Bali is the festive face of Indonesia, the jewel in its crown. “Island of the Gods” and “Morning of the World” are two of the names commonly used to describe this island, which is believed by its 2.7 million people to be on loan from the gods.

Profoundly influenced by its rich Hindu culture, Bali has 20,000 temples, 60 annual religious holidays, and 2,000 dance troupes. Hardly a day goes by without a celebration, a procession, or some other festivity.

Westernmost island of the Lesser Sundas, Bali is the most visited island in the Indonesian archipelago. It possesses the country’s most developed infrastructure. The island, which is 150 kilometers (93 miles) long, is known for its beaches some with crashing surf, others with placid waters framed by multicolored coral reefs. Bali’s interior is characterized by an east-west range of volcanoes (Mount Batur rises to 1,720 meters/5,643 feet and Mount Agung to 3,000 meters/9,842 feet) and deep north-south ravines where rice paddies fall away to emerald-green terraces. Bali is characterized by volcanic soil and tropical rainfall that make it an extraordinarily green and fertile land.

Bali alone of the Indonesian islands is predominantly Hindu, and that heritage is largely responsible for the island’s unique character. When the Hindu Javanese Majapahit Empire conquered Indonesia in the 14th century, their artistic and cultural influence profoundly changed Bali, although vestiges of the island’s indigenous culture survive in isolated villages. When Muslims prevailed in Java, the entire Hindu cultural body moved its customs and practices to the smaller island, where the prevailing animist traditions were incorporated into the religion. As a result, Hinduism in Bali has its own flavor, different from that of India.

Paradoxically, given its many blessings, Bali survived the incursions of colonizers and invaders that plagued the rest of Indonesia because it lacked what other islands possessed in abundance: spices, precious metals, and woods. Thus Bali’s culture flourished more or less undisturbed until 1908, when the Dutch took control.

Welcome to Brisbane, the capital of the Sunshine State and Australia’s third largest city. Brisbane is a booming city with over one million people and is the major international gateway to South East Queensland. Brisbane also provides access to the holiday destinations of the Gold Coast to the South and the Sunshine Coast to the North. Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city and the state capital of Queensland. Not so long ago, the rest of Australia considered it little more than an
overgrown country town, but it has shirked off this unwelcome reputation to become one of the country’s most progressive centres.

Beautiful Climate
The Sub-tropical climate promotes an easy going relaxed lifestyle with hot summers and warm clear winter sun.

Explore Brisbane
Brisbane offers a whole range of activities for the visitor. The South Bank Parklands has 16 hectares of fun and excitement: Tropical rainforests, beaches, wildlife habitats, restaurants, specialty shops , shows and even an English style pub. The Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum and the Maritime Museum are justifiably famous. Customs House provides a look back in Queensland’s history, as does Newstead House complete with period furnishings.
With its Sub-tropical ambience, Brisbane has many gardens and parks. See the Koalas at the Alma Park Zoo, the Australian Woolshed also has sheep shearing demonstrations and don’t miss the Lone Pine sanctuary, the famous City Gardens and Mt Coot-tha Gardens.

The Great Barrier Reef curves close to the coast and meets the rain forest at Cairns, the gateway to Australia’s “Deep North.” Explore the reef up close via catamaran, or choose from a host of excursions the lush tropical forests, picturesque towns and homesteads that surround the city. The nearby town of Kuranda has a butterfly farm and a great street market on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, N Australia, on an inlet of the Timor Sea. It is the chief port and administrative center for the sparsely settled tropical north coast. Called Palmerston until 1911, it was renamed for Charles Darwin, who discovered its site in 1839. It has been largely rebuilt since a devastating typhoon in 1974. Kakadu National Park is nearby.

No wonder they built a city here! The harbor. The cliffs. The duty-free shops (well, those came later). Referred to as the beautiful city in the World by many, Hong Kong has a lure all its own. Once you visit, you will want to return.

There is nothing like Hong Kong and the bustle of commerce, of enterprise, of fortunes being made. And there’s nothing like her duty-free shops and colorful markets to explore both on land and afloat in Victoria Harbour.

An intriguing blend of old China and the modern world, this venerable British Crown colony reverted to Chinese sovereignty on June 30, 1997. Lying at the southern area of Mainland China and the China Sea, it serves as a major sea port and access point to southern China. It is has ferry and plane service to Maccau and the many outlying islands,
many that offer excellent vacation opportunities.

Nagasaki’s many memorials are a constant and poignant reminder of the fateful day in 1945 that changed the course of history. However, Nagasaki has demonstrated its resilience throughout the years, rebounding to become a flourishing,international city.

In the late 16th century, Nagasaki traded with the Dutch, Spanish, and Portugese. The subsequent European and Christian influences are reflected in many of its churches, gardens, homes and museums.

Dotting Nagasaki’s coastline is an array of outlying islands – a particularly spectacular sight at sunset, when the islands are bathed in the sun’s golden hues.

Semarang, (se-mär´äng) city (1990 pop. 1,250,971), capital of Central Java prov., N Java, Indonesia, at the mouth of the Semarang R. An important port, it is one of Java’s major commercial centers. There are textile and shipbuilding industries, and tobacco, sugar, rubber, coffee, and kapok are exported.

Shanghai is China’s most cosmopolitan city (this due to the influence of the port, which brings a steady stream of international visitors). Many of the buildings are European in design, as is the layout of the wide boulevard known as the Bund. In the mornings, you will see the locals performing their tai-chi movements here. Be sure also to visit the Number One Department Store, your best bet for bargains in this region.

Behind the Bund you will find another Shanghai, this one filled with low houses, winding alleys and mysterious looking courtyards. It’s worth exploring if you have the time.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales, is Australia’s largest city, chief port, and main cultural and industrial center. Manufactures include ships, refined oil, chemicals, textiles, and automobiles. Sydney Harbour and Port Botany are the main ports. Founded as a penal colony in 1788, Sydney is Australia’s oldest settlement. Its population surged during the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s. Sydney replaced Melbourne as the nation’s largest population center after World War II. Landmarks include the Sydney Harbour Bridge (1932); the Gladesville Bridge (1964); the modernistic Sydney Opera House complex (1973); and the Centrepoint Tower (1981), Australia’s tallest building. The city has several universities and museums, including the National Gallery of Art and the Australia Museum.

It’s a city of contrast. Where else do you find demure kimono-clad girls next to slick Elvis impersonators than good old Yoyogi Park? But only on Sundays.

Tokyo will amaze you with its dual personality; its serenity and its brashness. A city of about 20 million people, it is one of the few metropolises where every train is on time. But try to avoid rush hour. You might get pummeled by a sweet old lady on her way to the Sumo matches at the Budokan Hall!

Visit Roppongi for a taste of modern night life; you can even catch a reggae show. And if you’re still awake after that, hop a train to the Tsukiji fish market at 5 a.m. to see one of the most spectacular fish bazaars on earth. Some tuna comes all the way from Montauk, NY. Now that’s a global marketplace!

When you’re ready for a little peace and quiet, you may visit the brilliant Asakusa Shrine, a prime example of Edo-period architecture. Here you may cleanse your spirit, or, of course, shop to your heart’s delight at many of the little stalls lining the small streets leading to the shrine. Otanoshimi ni! Perhaps the greatest urban sprawl in the world, the Tokyo metropolitan. Tokyo began as a tiny fishing village called Edo, and for more than four centuries was ruled by a series of
chieftains and military warlords. A castle was constructed in Edo in 1457, the year officially noted as the founding of the city, and by 1680 it had grown to a population of over a million people. The city received its modern name in 1868 when the Emperor Meihi moved his court to Edo. It now sprawls 55 miles (88.4km) east to west and 15 miles (24km) north to south and covers an area of 2,031 sq. km.

This area is home to some 20 million people. Famous for its extremes; the word’s most crowded trains, the world’s cleanest streets, the world’s most expensive melons, Tokyo nevertheless seems to be characterized by an overlying blandness. Since the 17th century, Tokyo has been divided up between “yamanote” (south and west) and “shitamachi” (north and east). Simply put, uptown has more to do, downtown more to see. Uptown has the high-rises, the nightlife and the
armies of navy-suited salarymen of the Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro business areas, while downtown has Tokyo’s oldest area, Asakusa, the city’s great museums and the imperial palace.