Eastern Sights and Delights 2

Surf & Turf Steakhouse

As its name suggests, this à la carte eatery specialises in the likes of marbled steaks and meaty lobster tails. You’ve also got other meat and fish options, as well as plenty to satisfy a vegetarian palate. This is one of the ship's speciality restaurants, so there's a charge to dine here – plus, we recommend you make a reservation in advance.

47°

Marella Discovery 2’s main eatery is a big, stylish venue, finished in the colours of the sand and the sea. Daytime meals here come with a side-order of sea views, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, and a grand double staircase leads up to a separate eatery.

The Mighty Mekong Delta

You’ll leave the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind today, as you head out on a tour of the Mekong Delta. This place is a maze of rivers, swamps and tiny islands, where floating markets and villages are the norm. It’s known as Vietnam’s rice bowl, since it produces over half of the country’s grain. Boats are king around here, so you’ll hit the water in a traditional sampan. As you glide along, you’ll pass villages built along the river’s edge, as well as locals going about their daily business. You’ll stop off on Thoi Son Island, where you can tour a family-run coconut candy factory and a local bee farm. At the latter, you can meet the bees and sample the honey they produce, along with exotic jackfruit and dragon fruit. You’ll stop for lunch here, too, before returning to the ship.

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Ho Chi Minh City Highlights

You’ll tick off all the Ho Chi Minh City rites of passage today. After lunch, you’ll start a coach tour of downtown, which checks off the colonial-style Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral. You’ll also get to snap photos of the Reunification Palace – where the Vietnam War ended in 1975, when north Vietnamese troops captured Saigon. You’ll get to delve even deeper into the country’s past at the Museum of Vietnamese History, which houses artefacts spanning from the prehistoric period to the 19th-century Nguyen dynasty. While you’re here, you’ll watch a traditional water puppet show – expect to see puppet people, dragons and fairies dance across a stage of water. Then it’s off to take in more culture in Chinatown. You’ll make a pit stop at Thien Hau Pagoda – a pretty, Buddhist temple dedicated to Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. And then it’s on to a lacquer workshop, where souvenir-shopping is top of the agenda.

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Surf & Turf Steakhouse

As its name suggests, this à la carte eatery specialises in the likes of marbled steaks and meaty lobster tails. You’ve also got other meat and fish options, as well as plenty to satisfy a vegetarian palate. This is one of the ship's speciality restaurants, so there's a charge to dine here – plus, we recommend you make a reservation in advance.

47°

Marella Discovery 2’s main eatery is a big, stylish venue, finished in the colours of the sand and the sea. Daytime meals here come with a side-order of sea views, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, and a grand double staircase leads up to a separate eatery.

Snapshot of Singapore

This tour is an easy introduction to Singapore’s best bits. First, you’ll drive through Little India – a bite-sized version of India squeezed into a district. As you’d expect, it’s got temples, markets and colourful street decorations galore. Next, you’ll pass through the Colonial District, which is sprinkled with reminders of Singapore’s time under British rule. One of its most famous landmarks is the grand, whitewashed Raffles Hotel, where the city-state’s national cocktail – the Singapore Sling – was originally created in 1915. After, you’ll get to see Singapore’s natural side with a visit to the Gardens by the Bay. You can crane your neck and peer up at the magnificent supertrees, or stroll along the aerial walkway for a close-up view of the futuristic gardens. And the view is even more impressive at your last stop. You’ll look out over Singapore and Sentosa Island from the top of Mount Faber.

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Singapore by land, air and sea

You’ll see Singapore from every angle on this tour. On land, you’ll visit the UNESCO-ticked Botanic Gardens. This huge, 74-hectare site is divided into different areas, including a rainforest, a lake and a healing garden filled with medicinal plants. Then you’ll hit the water for a boat ride, this unique vessel once carried cargo between ships and the riverside quays, but now carries passengers along Singapore’s historic waterfront. You’ll see Clarke Quay, where brightly painted bars and restaurants have taken up residence in once-abandoned warehouses. And you can marvel at Singapore’s old-meets-new skyline, where colonial-era buildings rub shoulders with 21st-century high-rises. Then you’ll take to the skies on the Singapore Flyer. The observation wheel trumps the London Eye at a whopping 165 meters tall, so you’ll be eye-to-eye with some of Singapore’s skyscrapers. And you can take in the 360° views of the cityscape from your air-conditioned glass capsule.

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Historic Malacca

Malacca’s nicknamed ‘The Historic State’, and this tour reels off a bunch of the region’s most iconic sights. To kick things off, you’ll drive through the city to the aptly named Dutch Square. The colonial architecture here’s a deep shade of red, and a windmill and bright flowerbeds are a nod to the former European settlers. Next, you’ll learn about a different set of predecessors at the ornate Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum – which tells the story of Chinese-Malay ancestors. Pay a visit to the Cheng Hoon Teng temple – the oldest temple in the country – in Malacca’s old town. Things wrap up with a final dose of culture, courtesy of the Villa Sentosa – a living museum which offers a snapshot of how a Malay family lives. Once you’ve had a good nose around, you’ll head back to the port.

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Scenic Malacca by road and river

Age-old architecture’s the starting point for this trip, as you pay a visit to Malacca’s berry-red Dutch Square. Pose for pictures in front of the colonial ring of buildings, and bag a souvenir or two from the surrounding shops. Next, you’ll take to the water on a boat trip along the Malacca River. Hop off a little way along, and you’ll have a chance to visit one of the city’s highest points – the Menara Taming Sari. When you reach the top of this needle-like tower, you’ll have panoramic views across the rooftops. Back at ground level, you’ll make a stop at the ruins of A Famosa – an ancient fort built by the Portuguese. And we’ve saved the best for last – a chance to see the modern Malacca Straits Mosque. When the tide comes in, this orange-domed structure looks like it’s floating on the surface of the water.

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Cable car mountain ride

The main attraction on this trip is Langkawi’s mountain-scaling cable car. To start the day, though, you’ll spend time at the Rice Garden Museum. View the traditional tools that are used to tend paddies, and learn about the island’s history of rice cultivation. Next, you’ll visit the Oriental Village – an entertainment and shopping complex that’s themed like a local settlement. It shares the same postcode as the cable car’s base station, so you won’t have to walk far to start your ascent. Take a seat in one of the gondolas, and you’re ready to begin the steep climb up Machinchang Mountain. The sweeping panoramas are only bettered by the views from the top, so remember to pack your camera. You’ll be able to see the tree-blanketed hills melt into the Strait of Malacca from up here, and when you’re back at ground level, there’s a wedge of free time to grab a bite at the Oriental Village.

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Experience of Langkawi

From soaring statues to tapping trees, this trip takes in an armful of Langkawi’s best bits. You’ll start with a visit to Dataran Lang – or Eagle Square in plainer terms. This star-shaped platform juts out into Kuah Bay, with a 40-foot statue of a flapping eagle perched on top. The whole thing’s a nod to Langkawi’s name, which is an old Malay mixture of the words helang and kawi – which mean eagle and reddish-brown. Next, you’ll head to a museum that’s packed with thousands of gifts and awards that were heaped on Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister. Things get rural after this, as you visit a rubber plantation on the outskirts of the town. Watch as incisions are made in the bark of rubber trees, and latex is extracted in a process known as ‘tapping’. Last up, you’ll pop to Atma Alam – an art village where pretty batik fabrics are designed and printed.

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Heights & Sights of Penang

For the best views of Penang Island, you won’t do better than this tour. You’ll start by boarding a coach that’s bound for the foot of Penang Hill, where the oldest funicular railway in south east Asia ferries visitors to the panoramic peak. From the top, you’ll have widescreen views across the surrounding countryside. Snap pictures from one of the walkways or observation platforms, or explore the surrounding gardens. After the return journey in a glass-sided railway car, there’s still time to fit in another sightseeing stop. Kek Lok Si is one of the largest Buddhist temples in Malaysia, and your guide will take you on a tour of the ornate halls and colourful grounds. Once you’re done, your driver will shuttle you back to the port.

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Buddha, Spices & Batik

Penang’s most impressive manmade sites are coupled with natural beauties on this tour. Gaze at one of the world’s largest reclining Buddha statues at Wat Chaiyamangkalaram – it’s the temple’s major showpiece and stretches out for more than 100 feet. Head to the north coast of Penang Island, and you’ll have a guided walk around the Tropical Spice Garden. The pretty grounds at this eco-tourism spot are packed with exotic plants and wildlife. Find your favourite patterns and colours at a traditional batik factory, and soak up the views as you take the coastal road back to the port. On the way, you’ll make a stop at the historic living heritage community at Chew Jetty – a cluster of wooden houses built on stilts. There’s also time to snap a picture or two of the 18th-century garrison in George Town, Fort Cornwallis.

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Phang Nga Bay Discovery

Pack a camera for this trip – some of the panoramas have to be seen to be believed. You’ll board a boat at Royal Phuket Marina, before setting off for the island-dotted waters of Phang Nga Bay. The green-capped karsts look like semi-submerged mountain peaks, and you’ll pass the cave-lined edges of Hong Island and Panak Island on your journey. You’ll coast past Khao Phing Kan – a beach-brushed spot that’s better known as James Bond Island, after Sir Roger Moore filmed a handful of 007 beach scenes here. Snorkelling and sunbathing are on the cards when you drop anchor at Kai Nui Island, and you’ll sail across to Rang Yai Island for a barbecue lunch beside the beach. After a final tanning stint on the sand, you’ll head back to Phuket.

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Panoramic Phuket

You’ll get picked up at the port in the morning, and your driver will make a beeline for one of Phuket’s top attractions to kick things off. The Wat Chalong temple’s one of the grandest and most-visited religious sites on the island, and you’ll have free time to look around the impressive interiors. Next, you’ll get to see how one of Phuket’s signature products is made at a cashew factory. Spend time exploring the cultural melting pot of neighbourhoods in Phuket’s old town, then hop onto the bus for a panoramic drive back to the port. On the way, you’ll pass the Heroines Monument – an homage to two of the city’s bravest ancestors – the sprawling Mukarrom Mosque Bangtao, and the picturesque beaches of Surin and Kamala.

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Surf & Turf Steakhouse

As its name suggests, this à la carte eatery specialises in the likes of marbled steaks and meaty lobster tails. You’ve also got other meat and fish options, as well as plenty to satisfy a vegetarian palate. This is one of the ship's speciality restaurants, so there's a charge to dine here – plus, we recommend you make a reservation in advance.

47°

Marella Discovery 2’s main eatery is a big, stylish venue, finished in the colours of the sand and the sea. Daytime meals here come with a side-order of sea views, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, and a grand double staircase leads up to a separate eatery.

Flavours of Colombo

On this trip, you can enjoy a tour of Colombo’s highlights, followed by a buffet lunch featuring traditional Sri Lankan dishes. Like many capital cities, Colombo is a patchwork of modern skyscrapers and age-old monuments. As your coach weaves through the Fort and Pettah neighbourhoods, you’ll see colonial buildings like the Town Hall and the Old Parliament, interspersed with colourful markets and green gardens. You can hop out at Asokaramaya Temple to take a closer look – this Buddhist shrine is teeming with brightly coloured statues. You’ll also have the chance to spend a few rupees on local crafts, before tucking into a buffet lunch. The menu includes dishes like seafood salad, Singapore noodles with chicken, and freshly caught fish

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The history of Colombo

This tour gives you a glimpse of Sri Lanka’s past and present, thanks to Colombo’s varied architecture. Newly-built skyscrapers rub shoulders with colonial relics – you’ll start your day with a drive-by of the whitewashed Clock Tower, the grand Old Parliament, and the tranquil Gangaramaya Temple. The Cinnamon Gardens and Independence Square are on the list, too. But the highlight is Sri Subramaniya Kovil. Covered with statues of Hindu deities, this intricate temple’s the most impressive in the city. After your tour of Colombo’s busy streets, find out more about its history at the National Museum. Open since 1877, this treasure trove’s home to ancient art and sculptures, as well as weapons and paintings from Colonial times. Round off the morning with refreshments at the Taj Samudra Hotel.

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