CRUISES: Southeast Asia the Easy Way – Cruising on Silver Seas

Story and photography by
Nancy & Eric Anderson 

 

Some destinations come easy. Fly into Amsterdam. It’s all there: airport, railway station, town center, city attractions, seaport. Sail into Glacier Bay: the Alaskan wonderland is all around you; cruise into the caldera at Santorini and before the ship drops anchor you’re looking up at the glories of Greece.

Not so in South East Asia. Independent travelers may have difficulty finding charm in faraway places where anything of interest lies at least an hour inland from civilization. Once into the interior of countries like Cambodia and Vietnam, they may find language a problem and guides not knowing their interests. A land tour with an experienced operator is one option but cruising this region by ship makes more sense if you choose an upscale line like Silversea (877-760-9052 www.silversea.com )for the experienced guides it employs, the shore excursions it’s developed and, at the end of the day, its air conditioned comforts.

Those on-board comforts are the essence of Silversea. It’s not an inexpensive cruise line; there are cheaper cruises but Silversea doesn’t ding you with hidden charges and you can find great early shopper rates on the internet. The cuisine is possibly the best in cruising with three separate dining rooms. The shipboard service is immaculate with no tipping required, and there are no charges for alcohol either as wine at your table or as liquor in your cabin minibars. What makes Silversea different is its understated elegance and tranquility. These are not ships whose ambiance is disturbed by kids on Spring Break although the night-time shows would delight all ages, and the day-time lectures on subjects as diverse as the Vietnam War, population migration and trends in the wine industry were fascinating.

Most Americans know little of South East Asia despite Vietnam, America’s longest war. The countries are truly foreign to many Westerners but Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia are convenient for cruise ships and Bangkok and Singapore make intriguing stay-overs at either end of the Silversea South East Pacific cruise

Cambodia’s cities are a cacophony of honking trucks and spluttering motor cycles whereas the countryside looks Medieval except for the ubiquitous Buddhist temples with their saffron-cloaked monks -- themselves seemingly old-world -- but the pristine beaches with their ocean-front restaurants are spectacular. Cambodia is desperately poor but its delightful children wave at the American “long noses” and shout, “Cool!” to those visiting their schools. Their charm may be the lasting memory the cruise passengers carry back home. The children are not looking for gifts just some attention and perhaps a little respect to be shown to their country. The villagers are modest and rather sweet. They offer smiles constantly to their visitors. Their pleasure at meeting strangers elevates them above their poverty and remind us that others have written that Americans need to be aware that not everyone in the world wants an American passport and that many nations may be more content than we are in the United States

Vietnam comes as a surprise, a green land of wide rivers dominated by Ho Chi Minh City and in turn the statue of Ho Chi Minh dominates the town square. The locals prefer the term Saigon, the old name, just one way they show their wish to be Westernized. Here the traffic dissonance of Cambodian cities seem library-quiet in comparison. One of every two inhabitants of Saigon has a motor bike apparently all on the road at once, buzzing everywhere, the women in pollution masks over entire faces and gloves to their shoulders to prevent more tanning because, sadly, they want to look white and more Western.

Saigon is now a circus of enthusiastic peoples all wanting a piece of democracy’s pie. The cheerful rickshaw cab drivers will cheaply take you all over town – they surely want your business. The energy in this city is spectacular.

Surprises? The Saigon post office nicer and run better than many in America. Notre Dame’s magnificent Catholic cathedral flourishing in a land of Animism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Brides in wedding gowns posing for photographs in advance of their wedding. A war museum showing downed US Air Force fighter aircraft as trophies.

A war memorial rises above the Kuala Lumpur landscape also. The National Monument commemorates those who fell in Malaysia's long struggle for freedom. It was cast in Italy, erected in 1966 and designed by the same American sculptor Felix de Weldon who created our own Iwo  

Jima Monument. Kuala Lumpur is only a quick visit but an enticing appetizer for delights that lie ahead in Singapore. Be prepared to spend a few more days in that bustling city. If you don’t you’ll regret it. Luxuries worth seeking include staying at the famed Singapore Pan Pacific Hotel http://www.panpacific.com/singapore for its marvelous service and great location. Another charm would be traveling home with Singapore Airlines www.singaporeair.com. If you are very lucky and your usual American airline co-shares with Singapore Airlines it would be worthwhile changing your return flight to get one that actually has the most comfortable flights and the best flight attendants over the Pacific Ocean. On most international flights, economy if you choose the right airline equals or surpasses domestic business class.