Tall Ship Cruises in the Far EastCruises aboard the Star Clipper from Phuket, Thailand, to Malaysia and Singapore up to March 2010Romantic adventures in the tall ship tradition - an authentic sailing experience where the traditions of the past are matched by the comforts and amenities of the present. More about life on board the Star Clippers fleet In the soft hour of dawn, a faint breeze brushes the surface of a glassy sea... A vision glides out of the mists, the tall foremast bearing five ghostly white square sails echoes the symmetry of a Buddhist pagoda. Offshore, myriad islands stand on end in the sea, rocky sentinels that look as if they were dropped down by a giant hand. The temple gong sounds through the swirling mists, greeting Star Flyer as she slowly makes her way into the harbour. 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. We’ll take you to a hidden corner of the Orient that adventurous travellers 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 totally genuine, perhaps because they haven’t had to cope with crowds of tourists. The warm shallow waters support a fishing culture that still uses the old ways to harvest the bounty of the sea. The clarity of the water and the variety of corals and marine life are amazing. What’s more amazing is that many of these beautiful islands 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 or a sandpiper’s. For diving and snorkelling, or just curling your toes in warm sand, this is paradise found. Go to: More about the Star Clipper |
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