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Joe in the hot tub on our way into Halong Bay – the last two hours of our cruise into Halong Bay we were told was scenic cruising Suddenly…the captain announced we were entering scenic cruising into Halong Bay. It may have been true, but the fog/haze was plentiful and Continue Reading

Da Nang is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Han River and is one of Vietnam’s most important port cities. As one of the country’s five direct-controlled municipalities, it falls under the Continue Reading

We took a private tour on day two in Ho Chi Minh City that allowed for us to have direct interaction with our driver and guide and customize the things we were interested in doing without the on/off of a large tour bus. This was important because of the crowded Continue Reading

Our slow and steady arrival into Ho Chi Minh City on the Saigon River. Several hours to the city port via the river Saigon was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976. Many locals still use the name Saigon as they claim it is just easier to say. With Continue Reading

Our welcome band Coron is the third-largest island in the Calamian Islands in northern Palawan in the Philippines. The island is part of the larger municipality of the same name. It is the largest town on Busuanga island. Coron is about 170 nautical miles southwest of Manila and is known Continue Reading

Manila, known as the “Pearl of the Orient”, is a densely populated (15 million people) bayside city on the island of Luzon which mixes Spanish colonial architecture with modern skyscrapers. The city was founded by the Spanish at the end of the 16th century, then conquered by the USA at Continue Reading

Since leaving Pare Pare we have been three days at sea. The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo Continue Reading

The view of the shoreline from our tour bus From Bali we traveled through the Java Sea an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian Islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to Continue Reading

Arrival in Bali Located on the southeastern coast of Bali is the small village of Tanjung Benoa. Still considered a fishing village, Benoa has developed over the past 20 years into a major player in the tourism sector. It is home to both the cruise terminal and the International airport Continue Reading

Cruise Terminal Welcome Bali and Lombok are often called, “sister islands,” with Lombok taking the role of the shy and beautiful younger sister, overshadowed by her glamourous older sister. Padangbai Harbor provides the sea link between the two. Lombak has a rich and diverse culture, which blends  the traditions of Continue Reading