Travelling on water is a truly magical way to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of the diverse region spanning across South-East Asia. Whether cruising along the sea, rivers or lakes, your floating journey will have you drifting through mystical villages, and ancient temples, meeting real-life dragons and eating the world’s tastiest hawker food, or finding a place to lie on the soft white sand of a remote island that feels like it is at the edge of the world. From booming cities to untouched nature reserves, a cruise is an unforgettable experience.
Here are our favourite five favourite ports of call.
1. Kahayan River, Borneo.
Central Kalimantan Province at Indonesia Borneo Island is a wealth of ecological and cultural treasures that survive deep within the rainforest jungle of Indonesia ’s largest island. The Kahayan river, or Great Dyak, is the largest river in Central Kalimantan where the dense jungle and wide terrain of wetlands have traditionally kept the region isolated from all but the adventurous travelers, and along the upper reaches of the rivers, you can discover the rich Dayak Culture. The indigenous Dayak settlements along the Rivers of Kalimantan is an ideal way to experience the incredible culture, where village elders practice traditional medicine and mark their status with intricate body tattoos and remarkably heavy ear adornments. Enjoy and incredible diversity of exotic flora and wildlife from black orchids to fresh water dolphins and navigate down the Rungan River in the unspoilt jungles aboard a traditional Kalimantan barge and watch orangutans bathe in the Rungan River near Bapallas Island.
2. Irrawaddy River, Myanmar
Journey down stream to the peaceful ancient city of Bagan on the banks of the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, one of the region’s most important historical and archaeological sites. There is an extraordinary timeless quality to Burma’s (Myanmar’s) Irrawaddy River, also known as the Ayeyarwady. The Irrawaddy bisects Burma, rising among Himalayan glaciers and flowing freely for 1,348 miles across a wide alluvial plain into the Indian Ocean. Bagan is an area of about 104 square kilometres, with more than 2220 Buddhist temples, monasteries and pagodas built by megalomaniac kings from the ninth century onwards. This World Heritage Site is one of Asia’s most impressive and draws many comparisons to Angkor Wat. To grasp the scale of this medieval capital, it’s worth taking to the air on a dawn balloon flight.
3. Komodo Island, Indonesia
Komodo Island is like a scene from Jurassic Park, complete with towering green mountains and giant, prehistoric-looking reptiles. This is an island of rugged volcanic hills, savannah and lush forests that was first declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in order to protect the habitat of the Komodo Dragon, the world’s largest lizard. These prehistoric creatures are both intimidating and hypnotic, growing as long as three metres and weighing as much as 70 kilograms. Seeing them in the wild is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Komodo’s marine life in the surrounding waters is also vast and impressive. Diving in this enchanting world showcases some of the most exotic ocean environments on earth.
4. Palawan, the Philippines
Palawan is a hidden piece of paradise and despite being voted “Best Island in the World” by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2015, this tropical island isn’t as crowded as many of the popular isles in Thailand or Indonesia (yet). Described as “the last frontier,” Palawan has artifacts that date back 50,000 years. Picture dramatic limestone cliffs, lush greenery, quaint fishing towns and white sand – all surrounded by azure waters teeming with marine life. Incredible (and rare) wildlife can be found on the island, from purple crabs and Philippine mouse-deer to Philippine pangolin and beautiful butterflies. Palawan also has some of the best spots to scuba dive in the world — barracuda-filled shipwrecks, for example, line the bottom of Coron Bay. Try a boating cruise of Palawan’s subterranean river (which UNESCO calls “one of the most unique”in the world) or take a bangka boat to travel between the islands.
5. Mekong River, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
The Mekong River is one of the world’s great river systems, flowing 4,909 km through six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The Mekong River Basin’s biodiversity is immense, even in comparison with other parts of tropical Asia. The Mekong delta is the breadbasket of Vietnam, where agriculture and activity abound on the land and sea in the form of fisheries, banana plantations and rice paddies. There are bustling markets in the towns and boats selling fresh produce on the river. In more remote places such as cruising in Laos and Cambodia, you can experience UNESCO world heritage sites such as Vat Phou, while you take in the spectacular scenery of the surrounding mountain ranges and enjoy a unique opportunity to learn more about life and nature along the legendary Mekong River.