Phuket to Singapore

A vision glides out of the mists, the tall foremast bearing five ghostly white square sails echoes the symmetry of a Buddhist pagoda. Offshore, a myriad of islands stand on end in the sea, rocky sentinels that look as if they were dropped down by a giant hand. A throaty temple gong sounds through the swirling mists, greeting Star Clipper as she slowly makes her way into the harbor.

This is the beginning of your journey to the ends of the earth in Thailand's Andaman Sea, a voyage into the mysteries and marvels of a far-eastern land little known to the western world. Visit a hidden corner of the Orient that adventurous travelers treasure for its unspoiled beaches and dream-like natural beauty. The little ports and scores of islands dotting the Andaman Sea along the west coasts of Thailand and Malaysia have long been stopping places for traders from India, Indonesia, China, Burma, Arabia and Europe. Here, indigenous peoples traded for goods they could not obtain locally.

So it's not surprising to see temples that look Chinese and wooden fishing boats that could be Portuguese. The people are friendly and their smiles are genuine, perhaps because they haven't had to cope with crowds of tourists. The clarity of the water and the variety of coral and marine life are amazing. What's more amazing is that many of these beautiful islancIs and their surrounding waters are designated national parks, preserved forever to explore and enjoy. When you walk along a palm-fringed beach, the only footprints you see might be yours and a sandpiper's. For diving and snorkeling, or just curling your toes in warm sand, this is paradise found.

After exploring the pristine beauty of the Andaman Sea, select sailings continue along the western coast of Malaysia to Malacca, known as the "City of Dreams" and also the oldest city in Malaysia, before reaching cosmopolitan and very immaculate Singapore.

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Phuket, Thailand
Phuket, Thailand's largest island, lies in the Andaman Sea and is joined to the mainland by a causeway. The landscape is one of lush green hills, coconut groves and rubber plantations, with a coastline dotted with a dozen spectacular beaches. Phuket is a holiday paradise with the lively area of Patong providing the up-beat resort life with its many shops, restaurants and bars, leaving the rest of the island to show off her natural beauty and unspoiled culture.

Day 2 - Similan Islands, Thailand
The Similan Islands, or Nine Islands as they are also known because of their number, nestle in the Andaman Sea to the north of Phuket and are world-renowned among diving enthusiasts for underwater sightseeing. Accessible only by sea, the Similan Islands are stunningly beautiful with scenes straight out of your dreams of a tropical paradise.

Day 3 - Phang Nga/Ko Hong, Thailand
The sheer-sided sea mountains that rise vertically out of Phang Nga Bay form some of Thailand's most spectacular scenery. The islands in this region feature wonderful white sandy beaches and superb coral reefs. Ko Hong. ("hong meaning room"), part of the Ko Hong archipelago is so named because of its large intemallagoon. One of the prettiest bays in the area, huge monolithic rocks provide shade all day long on a beautiful white silica sand beach.

Day 4 - Ko Adang, Thailand
The Butang Group of islands is about as far south as you can go on the western coast of Thailand. Protected by the Ko Tarutao National Park, this 61-island archipelago is only a stone's throw from the Malaysian border and way, way off the radar screen of tourist groups. The only habitations on Ko Adang are the Park offices and since there aren't many visitors, the pristine beaches and deserted coves are all yours.

Day 5 - Penang, Malaysia
"The Pearl of the Orient" lies off the north-western coast of Malaysia and is linked to the mainland by one of the longest bridges in the world. The capital, Georgetown, bears the stamp of a mixture of foreign influences and boasts a 65 story skyscraper called the Komtar, a complex of department

Day 6 - At sea

Day 7 - Malacca, Malaysia
Malacca. The Spice Trade. The two are inseparably associated. From the time of the early Renaissance explorers onward, it was the control of the Malaccan Straits that dictated who would own the most precious treasures of the Orient, its spices. The Portuguese, the Dutch and the British ruled Malacca at one time or another. Explore opulent private mansions built in the distinctive Peranakan colonial style and filled with priceless Chinese antiques.

Day 8 - Singapore
Singapore is a city dedicated to business. The spires of its skyscrapers look like a big bar graph pointing to the sky. It is incredibly clean and crime is Virtually unknown. But amid this obsessive neatness is a madly chaotic welter of peoples and cultures, drawn to Singapore in pursuit of the almighty Singapore dollar. Get a taste of colonial Singapore at Raffles, where the Singapore Sling was invented, Emerald Hill with its charming pavilioned pre-war homes, the Victorian botanic garden and the green lawns of the Padang Cricket Club. And lest you forget, be sure to visit Orchard Road for non-stop shopping.

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