52-Day World Cruise Liner - South Pacific & Indian Ocean

The largest city in the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi also gives its name to the largest of the United Arab Emirates. Created after the British pulled out of the Persian Gulf in 1971, the Emirates consist of seven sheikdoms formerly known as the Trucial States. During the 3rd millennium BC, the climate of this area was more temperate than today’s and a flourishing Bronze Age culture developed on Abu Dhabi’s coast and in the desert oasis are of AlAin/Buraimi. The remains of this ancient civilization have fascinated archaeologists since their discovery in 1960. Today you may imitate modern-day dwellers of the desert by going for an exciting desert safari in a specially-equipped 4WD vehicle.

When the early colonists began building Adelaide they built with stone, constructing a solid, dignified city that is civilised and calm in a way that no other Australian state capital can match. The solidity goes further than architecture, for Adelaide was once regarded as a city of wowsers and was renowned chiefly for its disproportionately large number
of churches. But there is no denying that the city has a superb setting-the centre is surrounded by green parkland, and the metropolitan area is bound by the hills of the Mt Lofty Ranges and the waters of Gulf St Vincent.

Accommodations
Ranging from camping grounds to up-market hotels but whatever your budget make sure you book well ahead if you intend to be in town during the Adelaide Arts Festival. Most hostels are in the south-eastern corner of the city centre; Hindley St in the city has mid-range options, North Terrace has the top-end hotels. Adelaide is famous for its focus on food and wine and has more restaurants per head of population than any other city in Australia. Its huge variety of cuisines and wide range of local wines make dining a culinary adventure. Rundle St, Hindley St and North Terrace are the main food centres.

Environment
The streets of Adelaide’s central business district follow a grid pattern which makes it very easy for visitors to find their way around. Victoria Square sits in the centre of the grid. The River Torrens separates the city centre from North Adelaide, and a green belt of parkland surrounds both areas. Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate with maximum temperatures averaging 28 degrees centigrade between November and March. In winter, temperatures can fall below 10 degrees.

Attractions
The South Australian Museum, which has a huge whale skeleton in the front window, is one of Adelaide’s landmarks. The museum has a good collection of Aboriginal artifacts, including an Aboriginal Dreamtime exhibition. Looking uncannily like a squared-off version of the Sydney Opera House, the Festival Centre is the home of the Adelaide Festival. Inside, there is a variety of performance spaces and galleries, and there are free rock concerts in the outside amphitheatre on Sundays
during summer. One of the most pleasant aspects of the Festival Centre is its riverside setting; people picnic on the grass out the front and paddleboats can be hired nearby. Tandanya is an Aboriginal cultural institute containing galleries, arts and crafts workshops, performance spaces, a cafe and a gift shop. On Friday nights there are performances of plays and traditional music in the cafe. The East End Market is the place to head for alternative clothes and jewelry. The Orange Lane Market is Adelaide’s answer to Petticoat Lane, with Indian fabrics, second-hand clothes, tarot readings, antiques and even massages on offer. Glenelg is one of the most popular of the beaches which stretch in a long chain south of Adelaide. It is also one of the oldest parts of Adelaide, so there are a number of places of historic interest. A vintage tram runs from Victoria Square in the city centre to Glenelg Beach, taking about 30 minutes.

The capital of Western Samoa on the northern coast of Upolo Island in the Southern
Pacific.

A city of stunning natural beauty, Auckland blends the best of the modern cosmopolitan world with that of a Polynesian paradise. Nestled between two beautiful harbors, this marine playground offers breathtaking views and more than 1,000 bays and beaches. Shop the colorful Victorian Park Market or the charming boutiques of Parnell Village. Explore museums brimming with artifacts of the Maori culture. Or enjoy the natural splandor of the city, from English-style rose gardens to extinct volcanic sites. Popular landmarks are One Tree Hill and Mount Eden.

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.

Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka means “Resplendent Land,” an apt description for this beautiful island. Its capital, Colombo, has been a major trading port for centuries, and the island itself was colonized first by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British. Yet despite splendid examples of colonial architecture, Sri Lanka has always remained Oriental in spirit, with colorful bazaars, dancing elephants, graceful women in saris, and many Buddhist shrines and temples. Sri Lanka is located 31 miles off the southern tip of India, with Colombo located on the western coast.

Dubai is the Arabian Peninsula’s most cosmopolitan city-and the second largest of the seven United Arab Emirates. Unlike other Gulf statess, Dubai’s thriving economy is fueled not by oil, but by trade, which may explain its laissez-faire attitude. And if you like to shop this is THE PLACE, especially if you’re in search of electronics, gold, antiques and carpets. The souks in Dubai and nearby Sharjah vary from tiny stalls to covered malls. Don’t forget to haggle-it’s expected. More pastimes in Dubai are a dhow excursion on the tidal creek which winds through the city, a game of golf on the only real grass links in the Emirates, a tour of Sharjah, an evening safari inot the desert for a barbeque and traditional dancing and a thrilling demonstration of theancient Arabic art of falconing.

Panoramic views of twisting Otago Harbour await you in Dunedin, a Victoria enclave in the South Pacific. Steeped in history, the city has maintained the Scottish character of its founders, and has a rugged shoreline to match. The tranquility of the past is everywhere, from the oft mist-draped tower of Larnach Castle to the ancient English oaks of Glenfalloch Garden. The undulating volcanic landscape provides sanctuary to colonies of yellow-eyed penguin and royal albatross, the world’s largest sea bird.

Wacky architecture, cultural contrast, call it what you will: In “KL,” as this town is widely known, it is not unusual to, say, see a modern skyscraper situated next door to a centuries-old shophouse. It’s one of the things that make Kuala Lumpur unique.

Superficially, KL may appear to be a modern Asian city of gleaming skyscrapers, but it retains much of the character and local colour which has been so effectively wiped out in cities such as Singapore. It has plenty of colonial buildings in its centre, a vibrant Chinatown with street vendors and night markets, and a bustling Little India.

The real heart of KL is Merdeka Square, the site of the city’s parades and celebrations and home to a 95m (312ft) high flagpole. In colonial days, Malaysia’s administrators used the square for cricket matches, but it was also here that Malaysia’s independence was declared in 1957. On the eastern side of the square is the moorish Sultan Abdul Samed
Building, topped by a 43m (141ft) high clocktower. KL’s magnificent railway station is built in a similar moorish style, with its full quota of minarets, cupolas, towers and arches, and may be construed as a delightful example of British colonial humour. The Petronas Towers building is less decorative but impossible to miss. It’s almost half a km (1640ft) high and is one of the tallest structures in the world.

The picturesque, striped onion-domed Masjid Jame (Friday mosque) is set in a grove of palm trees overlooking Merdeka Square and is neatly reflected in the new mirror-glass office building nearby. Just south of Jami Masjid are the teeming streets of KL’s Chinatown – a crowded, colourful area with the usual melange of signs, shops activity and noise. At night the central section is closed to traffic and becomes a brightly lit, frantic night market.

Budget hotels and hostels can be found in Chinatown and Jalan Pudu Lama. Mid-range hotels are concentrated in Chinatown and on Jalan Bukit Bintang. The night market in Chinatown is the most interesting place to eat in the evening.

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the U.S., ranking second only to that of New York in size. The city, which attracts thousands of tourists yearly, is noted for its parks; for many and varied museums; for its enormous Music Center and Convention Center; for the fossil-rich La Brea Tar Pits; for its ethnic communities; for its climate and beaches; and for its educational institutions, including the Univ. of Southern California and the Univ. of California at Los Angeles. The 1932 and 1984 summer Olympics were held in the city.

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.