Contradiction is part of Hong Kong’s attraction. While the city buzzes with modern commerce, soaring skyscrapers and sophistication, it remains a place of ancient beliefs and intriguing local customs.
Your guide to Hong Kong.

Few cities balance old and new like Hong Kong. A city as fiercely modern as it is traditional, life here pulses with vigour and vitality while still honouring ancient customs and beliefs. Market traders hawk steaming dumplings on neon-lit streets. Sacred temples stand in the shadow of skyscrapers and luxury boutiques populate glossy shopping centres. Contradiction is all part of Hong Kong’s appeal, the city’s dynamic personality a complementary blend of Chinese and British influences. Heralded as one of the world’s foremost culinary, cultural and commercial capitals, a port call here provides myriad ways to satisfy your stomach, your senses and your suitcase.

Welcome to Vietnams culinary centre where there is plenty on the menu. The port of Phu My (pronounced “Foo Me”) is the gateway to Ho Chi Minh City and the seaside resort of Vung Tau.

Modern Singapore is a fascinating mélange of cultures. Browse the shop-houses of Little India, perfumed with fragrant spices and flowers. Have tea in Chinatown where medicine shops and calligraphers line the narrow streets. Meander through the world’s largest collection of orchids in the Botanic Garden, and walk through Raffles Landing, the old colonial district with its restored British-style buildings.

Modern Singapore is a fascinating mélange of cultures. Browse the shop-houses of Little India, perfumed with fragrant spices and flowers. Have tea in Chinatown where medicine shops and calligraphers line the narrow streets. Meander through the world’s largest collection of orchids in the Botanic Garden, and walk through Raffles Landing, the old colonial district with its restored British-style buildings.

Penang is an alluring combination of golden beaches and cultural gems. Along the north coast, Penang’s most famous beach is lined with luxury Asian hotels while Malay kampongs sprinkle across a countryside scented with cloves and nutmeg. Admire the giant reclining Buddha and the 1,000 gilded statues of Kek Lok Si Temple. See the elaborate clan house of the Chinese Khoo Kongsi. Ride a tram to the superb vistas atop Penang Hill. Or set out for the Temple of the Azure Cloud, a.k.a. the “Snake Temple”, where sacred pit vipers, half-drugged by incense, writhe around the columns and statues.

You’ll find beauty, beaches and la bonne vie in this former French Colony. It’s encircled with picturesque villages, volcanic peaks, aquamarine lagoons and a spectacular coral reef. The capital of Port Louis offers shopping bargains at the old-fashioned central market. Take a Land Rover to see deer, monkeys and rare birds at the 3,000 acre Domaine Les Pailles. Go bird watching at Casela Bird Park. Or set out on a catamaran to admire the sun-drenched beauty of the island, landing on dazzling white beaches and snorkelling amongst shoals brimming with kaleidoscopic fish.

Dubai is a place of fascinating contrasts, a distinctive blend of East and West, of old and new. You can venture across vast, dunes, climb rugged mountains, play on sandy beaches, explore dusty villages and shop in an ultra-modern mall – all in the same day. Since earliest times, Dubai has been known as “the city of merchants”, welcoming traders from distant lands with a tradition of courtesy and hospitality that still lives on today.

The “Mother City” has welcomed sailors since Portuguese navigators first rounded the Cape of Good Hope in the 15th century. Not only is it one of the most beautiful cities in the world – tucked into the arms of a broad bay, beneath Table Mountain – but it is also surrounded by wild beaches, rugged mountains and bucolic vineyards. On a fine day you can ride the cable car to the summit of massive, flat-topped Table Mountain, with majestic Cape Town at your feet and the Cape of Good Hope in the distance. Less than an hour away, you can go wine tasting at Stellenbosch, famous for its Cape Dutch architecture and fine estate wines.

The “Mother City” has welcomed sailors since Portuguese navigators first rounded the Cape of Good Hope in the 15th century. Not only is it one of the most beautiful cities in the world – tucked into the arms of a broad bay, beneath Table Mountain – but it is also surrounded by wild beaches, rugged mountains and bucolic vineyards. On a fine day you can ride the cable car to the summit of massive, flat-topped Table Mountain, with majestic Cape Town at your feet and the Cape of Good Hope in the distance. Less than an hour away, you can go wine tasting at Stellenbosch, famous for its Cape Dutch architecture and fine estate wines.

The “Diamond of Africa” is a country of stark beauty and contrasting landscapes. It is home to the world’s oldest desert, the world’s highest sand dunes, and a diversity of people that have created an intriguing blend of cultures and traditions. Tales of shipwrecks echo along the Skeleton Coast where you can visit the old world resort of Swakopmund and glimpse Spitzkoppe, a volcanic mountain known as Namibia’s Matterhorn. Discover the largest breeding colony in southern Africa at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve. Admire the scenic splendour of a vast lagoon sheltering 31 species of birds including thousands of flamingos. For a change of pace, go sightseeing from a donkey cart or kayak across a lagoon.

Let your senses sing. Dakar’s Marché Sandaga bustles and dazzles with brilliant, vibrant fabrics. Jazz and steel bands add the hypnotic rhythms along the broad boulevards.

Beloved for its beaches, Tenerife also offers a feast for the eyes. Either from the numerous galleries and museums or the incredibly panoramic cable car ascent of Mount Teide, there is so much to see.
Tenerife is soothing on the ears, too. Listen for the timple, a distinctive element of Canarian folk music, or perhaps catch a recital at the Auditorio, home to the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra.

Step aboard in Southampton & straight into that holiday feeling. No flights, no hassle. Just the excitement of the days ahead and the promise of memorable moment. So, relax and raise a toast as the UK drifts from sight. Before you know it, you’ll be watching your destination come into view. But where will it be ?