Bucket List Cruises: Asia

 

Asia has long been on my travel bucket list. But how do you begin to plan an itinerary that encompasses such a huge area?  One solution is cruising.  There are many options as far as cruise lines to sail with, length of sailing, and of course there are many ports of calls spread out between many countries. Let me share with you why an Asia cruise made my bucket-list.

 Southeast Asia is packed with ancient forts, historic cities, and towering temples. With the wide range of religions in Asia, (Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism & Islam to name a few), there’s impressive architecture all around. Temples and worship sites incorporate the influence of nature, even being carved as tunnels out of mountainsides. Most of Southeast Asia’s great temples were built by the 13th century! There are the pagodas of Bagan in Myanmar, the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and thousands of ancient temples and war relics in Vietnam.

 The food of Asia is among the top reasons for me looking to plan a visit here. Delicious food is all around and I want to taste it all, (whether I can identify it or not)! Malaysia curry, Vietnamese banquets, sticky rice in Laos, adobo in the Philippines, nasi goreng in Indonesia, and laksa in Singapore.  You can’t find such vibrant, colorful, flavorful and diverse food like this in any other part of the world. As for my husband, who is not an adventurous eater, he can eat the delicious meals served onboard the ship.

 Asia boasts some of the most incredible natural phenomena and in the world. Mount Fuji is the highest

volcano in Japan and one of the most beautiful natural attractions in Asia. I heard that in Viet Nam I should look for an excursion that drives through the rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay where you then board a traditional Junk sailing boat for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay! Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines is home to one of the longest underground rivers in the world, and what makes it really special is that the river flows directly into the sea. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to a diverse ecosystem featuring everything from crocodiles to cockatoos.

 Southeast Asia is a region with incredible natural parks and sanctuaries. I want to visit the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, where visitors can witness the majestic beasts in their natural habitat, I want to see orangutans at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Malaysia, and the monkeys in the forest of Padangtegal, Indonesia.

 People put places on their bucket list for many reasons. It may be the amazing food, the interesting culture, the landscape or the spirituality of the place. The thing about an Asia cruise is that it has all that and so much more, which is why it’s a bucket-list cruise for me.