Singapore to Hong Kong

Advanced, airy and elevated, Singapore is a spectacular, futuristic vision of utopian city life. A healthy population of almost six million call it home, but this is a city designed with space to breathe, and gorgeous outdoor parks, massive indoor greenhouses and beautiful recreational spaces spread between the City of Gardens' skyscrapers and soaring structures. Once a quiet fishing village, now a glistening island city-state and an international beacon of science, education and technology. View less Singapore is almost intimidatingly clean - and the hyper-efficient public transport system whips residents and visitors across the city's neighbourhoods in a heartbeat. Glorious fountains and audacious skyscrapers loom up - nodding to traditional feng shui beliefs - and putting on dazzling illuminated displays after dark. The lush green botanical gardens are a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering 52 hectares and decorated with impressive colourful orchids. Or breathe in more of the freshest air by heading up to wander the canopy strung bridges of MacRitchie Reservoir Park. Head for the iconic Marina Bay - a landmark of the city crowned by three interconnected towers, which watch out over island sprinkled waters. Jaunt between Little India and the atmospheric Chinatown in minutes, where beautiful temples - like the Chinese Thian Hock Keng Temple and Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple add rich cultural intrigue. Singapore's cuisine is a mouthwatering fusion of its Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay influences, taking and enhancing the best of each. Enjoy dishes in towering restaurants, or toast the glowing skyline with the city's eponymous gin-soaked cocktail - a Singapore Sling.

Advanced, airy and elevated, Singapore is a spectacular, futuristic vision of utopian city life. A healthy population of almost six million call it home, but this is a city designed with space to breathe, and gorgeous outdoor parks, massive indoor greenhouses and beautiful recreational spaces spread between the City of Gardens' skyscrapers and soaring structures. Once a quiet fishing village, now a glistening island city-state and an international beacon of science, education and technology. View less Singapore is almost intimidatingly clean - and the hyper-efficient public transport system whips residents and visitors across the city's neighbourhoods in a heartbeat. Glorious fountains and audacious skyscrapers loom up - nodding to traditional feng shui beliefs - and putting on dazzling illuminated displays after dark. The lush green botanical gardens are a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering 52 hectares and decorated with impressive colourful orchids. Or breathe in more of the freshest air by heading up to wander the canopy strung bridges of MacRitchie Reservoir Park. Head for the iconic Marina Bay - a landmark of the city crowned by three interconnected towers, which watch out over island sprinkled waters. Jaunt between Little India and the atmospheric Chinatown in minutes, where beautiful temples - like the Chinese Thian Hock Keng Temple and Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple add rich cultural intrigue. Singapore's cuisine is a mouthwatering fusion of its Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay influences, taking and enhancing the best of each. Enjoy dishes in towering restaurants, or toast the glowing skyline with the city's eponymous gin-soaked cocktail - a Singapore Sling.

You will be charmed by Brunei’s many beautiful markets, incredible museums and unspoiled nature. Within the capital, Muara, you will find breathtaking landmarks. The Sultan’s lavish residence is not to be missed, as it has achieved legendary status as the largest palace in the world and features a unique blend of contemporary and traditional Islamic architecture. But there is nothing traditional — or expected — in this small country in Southeast Asia. Be prepared to be surprised at every turn.

Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, is a relatively new town; the original one was destroyed during World War II. Strung out along the coast with jungle-clad hills as a backdrop, Kota Kinabalu, or KK for short, is home to a population of about 300,000. It was known as Jesselton before the war. The state of Sabah occupies the northern part of Borneo and is about the size of Ireland. After World War II, the British declared Sabah a Crown Colony. In 1963, Sabah gained her independence and joined the Federation of Malaysia. The old seafarer's name for Sabah was “Land Below the Wind,” referring to the state's location just below the typhoon belt. Kota Kinabalu's deep-water harbor gave the town strategic significance, evoking a Japanese invasion in 1942 and heavy bombing by the Allies. Following the war, the capital was moved from Sandakan to Jesselton and renamed Kota Kinabalu after the mountain. The pride of Sabah is Mount Kinabalu. With 13,431 feet, this is the highest mountain in Malaysia and a spectacular sight. For centuries, the Dusuns, Sabah's largest ethnic group, regarded the mountain as the final resting place of their departed. High priests still perform annual rites to appease the spirits.

Home to a New Wonder of the World - the amazing underground river that flows close by - Palawan’s capital promises a relentless assault of natural glory. Founded by the Spanish in 1872, Puerto Princesa is one of the Philippines’s largest centres - but the Green City is also one of the country's most spacious and lush. Whether it’s the innovative environmental credentials, or the dense vegetation clinging to scenic limestone cliffs nearby, Puerto Princesa welcomes you to a rich, green, and astonishingly beautiful corner of the world. View less The underground river of glowing emerald water slices into the limestone rock and runs through inky darkness for five miles, amid dark stalactites and elaborate natural rock sculptures. A subterranean wonder, sail into the cave in a canoe to witness this UNESCO World Heritage Site firsthand and explore a gaping interior, where bats flutter overhead. The scenery is just as impressive above the earth, with tropical beaches and rainforest-cloaked waterfalls nearby. Travel between attractive bays and islands, alive with diverse flora, as well as monkeys and monitor lizards wandering freely. Island hop the stunning sandy isles that pepper the turquoise water of Honda Bay, to investigate characterful idylls that beg to be snorkelled, surrounded by seawater stocked with starfish. Puerto Princesa itself is dotted with cultural and historical sites - including the harrowing World War II history of Plaza Cuartel. Where a massacre of American soldiers took place. Elsewhere, you can visit the thought-provoking Iwahig Prison and Penal Colony - which aims to reform prisoners through farming and agricultural practices. Head for the Baywalk to try some local foods, and to soak up the palm-lined waterfront atmosphere.

Spoken of with awed reverence in scuba-diving circles, Coron's dramatic rock protrusions, which jut from emerald seas and glorious sweeps of sand, make it a destination that you can't help but dive into. The perfect base for an adventure holiday, Coron's exquisite setting means you'll face taxing choices on a daily basis - to spend the day relaxing on the soft sand, or to pound through the jungle on horseback? Whether you choose relaxation or all-out-action, you're sure to fall head over heels for Coron's beauty.

Boracay is a small island in the central Philippines. It's known for its resorts and beaches. Along the west coast, White Beach is backed by palm trees, bars and restaurants. On the east coast, strong winds make Bulabog Beach a hub for water sports. Nearby, the observation deck on Mount Luho offers panoramic views over the island. Offshore, coral reefs and shipwrecks are home to diverse marine life.

Discover the capital of the Philippines, Pearl of the Orient Sea. Your MSC Cruise will take you to the world of Manila. Overlooking the South China Sea, the city is located on the island of Luzón, the largest of the archipelago. Twelve million people live in this colourful yet chaotic metropolis. Its origins can be traced back to the sixteenth century, when May Nilad, a Muslim colony, arose on the banks of the Pasig River. Following the arrival of the Americans in 1898, the town grew to become one of the most important cities in Asia. Today Manila is an economic and cultural hub, and ‒ like many big cities ‒ has to deal with overcrowding, crime and poverty. Here past and present coexist seamlessly. An excursion will take you to Fort Santiago, an ancient Spanish fortress in the citadel of Intramuros, built in 1571. In 1945, it was almost completely razed to the ground in the battle of Manila. Today it is an historical park and a place of prayer, in memory of the Filipino victims during the Japanese occupation in the Second World War. Tagaytay City is about 37 miles from Manila and can be visited with an excursion. It's not what you might imagine when you think of a Philippine town: forget the traffic of Manila and enjoy the wonderful greenery and peace of this town, dominated by the massive Taal Volcano – the second most active in the Philippines – with its green crater lake. Immerse yourself in the history of Corregidor: you can take an excursion to the last bastion of the allied Filipino and U.S. forces during the Second World War. Corregidor was conquered by the Japanese in 1942 and then liberated by the Americans in 1944.

Adorned with huge public artworks and thrumming night markets, Kaohsiung is the perfect introduction to energetic Taiwan. The busy harbour of the country's third-biggest city fuelled rapid growth here, and while it's vast in scale, Kaohsiung has wide and airy boulevards - interspersed with parks where fountains fire water high into the sky. Filled with cultural splendour – you can visit soaring temples lit by softly glowing lanterns, and taste exotic street foods as you fall for this city, which is dissected by the Love River. View less The vividly coloured Dragon and Tiger Pagodas soar into the sky above the blooming flowers of Lotus Lake, promising visitors good luck – on the proviso that they enter through the dragon's mouth and leave via the tiger. The good fortune kicks in instantly, as you emerge to see the zigzagging path that leads to the Pei Chi Pavilion. Rows of long fishing rods lean out over the walls of Cijin Island, while the fruits of the ocean are served up amid a sensory overload of neon lights, and swells of people, in Liuhe night market. Try sea snails and lobster, before cooling off from Taiwan's heat with some shaved ice - flavoured with a sweet banana kick. Central Park is a green and spacious escape in the heart of Kaohsiung, while primates scamper through the airy forested mountain trails of Shou-Shan Mountain behind the city. Elsewhere, you can take the short hop out of the city to Fo Guang Shan Monastery, where a troupe of eight pagodas will lead you on the walk up to the humungous buddha which glints on top of the striking temple.

A spectacular cityscape As you will discover during your MSC Grand Voyages cruise, Hong Kong Island is the heart of the whole territory, its administrative and business centre and site of some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Development is concentrated along the island’s north shore, a 6km-long strip of financial, commercial and entertainment districts overlooking Victoria Harbour. At its core, Central sprouts an astounding array of high-tech towers, edged to the west by Sheung Wan’s smaller-scale and traditional Chinese businesses. Behind this the land climbs steeply to The Peak, wherever you get them from, vistas are stupendous, down over the island’s intensely crowded north shore, across the busy harbour to a lower-rise, unspectacular Kowloon and the green peaks of the New Territories. Man Mo Temple is one of the oldest in Hong Kong, waiting to be value on an MSC Grand Voyages cruise excursion. It dates to the 1840s and was originally founded as a charitable institution; the central atrium beyond is hung with great spiral incense coils suspended from the ceiling, filling the interior with eye-watering, aromatic smoke. Back along the harbour and moving east through Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, the emphasis shifts from finance to wining, dining and shopping. The south side of Hong Kong Island straggles into the sea in a series of dangling peninsulas and islets. The attractions here are separate towns such as Aberdeen and Stanley, with a flavour of their own, and also beaches, the best of which fronts the little outpost of Shek O. East of the Aberdeen expressway, Causeway Bay forms a knot of lively, seething streets packed with restaurants, accommodation and shopping plazas, its eastern part is dominated by Victoria Park, an extensive, open space containing shady paths, swimming pools and other sport facilities.

A spectacular cityscape As you will discover during your MSC Grand Voyages cruise, Hong Kong Island is the heart of the whole territory, its administrative and business centre and site of some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Development is concentrated along the island’s north shore, a 6km-long strip of financial, commercial and entertainment districts overlooking Victoria Harbour. At its core, Central sprouts an astounding array of high-tech towers, edged to the west by Sheung Wan’s smaller-scale and traditional Chinese businesses. Behind this the land climbs steeply to The Peak, wherever you get them from, vistas are stupendous, down over the island’s intensely crowded north shore, across the busy harbour to a lower-rise, unspectacular Kowloon and the green peaks of the New Territories. Man Mo Temple is one of the oldest in Hong Kong, waiting to be value on an MSC Grand Voyages cruise excursion. It dates to the 1840s and was originally founded as a charitable institution; the central atrium beyond is hung with great spiral incense coils suspended from the ceiling, filling the interior with eye-watering, aromatic smoke. Back along the harbour and moving east through Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, the emphasis shifts from finance to wining, dining and shopping. The south side of Hong Kong Island straggles into the sea in a series of dangling peninsulas and islets. The attractions here are separate towns such as Aberdeen and Stanley, with a flavour of their own, and also beaches, the best of which fronts the little outpost of Shek O. East of the Aberdeen expressway, Causeway Bay forms a knot of lively, seething streets packed with restaurants, accommodation and shopping plazas, its eastern part is dominated by Victoria Park, an extensive, open space containing shady paths, swimming pools and other sport facilities.