Diamond Princess - December 26, 2023

One of Asia's great success stories, this island republic has merged diverse cultures into a dynamic and thriving nation. Clean, modern and full of green gardens, its neighborhoods reflect the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arab and European backgrounds of its past. After sampling the legendary shopping, retire to Raffles Hotel's famous bar and toast Maugham, Kipling and Noel Coward with a Singapore Sling.

Lai Chau Province, in the far west, shares borders with China in the north and Laos in the west. Dien Bien Phu is situated almost at the border with Laos on an immense gorge 20 km long and 3 km wide. It is in Dien Bien Phu that the Vietnamese fought the decisive battle on May 7, 1954 that brought French colonial rule to an end.

Laem Chabang is a modern harbor complex that serves Bangdok, Thailand's capital. The gentle Thai people have raised folk dance to high art, created a unique cuisine and built a capital city of fluted spires and golden domes. High on the list of "must see" sights are the Floating Market, Royal Palace, Reclining Buddha, Golden Buddha, and Temple of the Dawn.

Koh Samui is Thailand's third largest island. Surrounded by 80 smaller islands, this natural beauty has been relatively undiscovered until recent years. Rumor claims that in 1971 the first tourists to set foot on Koh Samui were hippies who arrived by way of a coconut boat from Bangkok. While Koh Samui still exports up to 2 million coconuts to Bangkok every month, recent urban developments include a no-frills airport and an ostentatious Reggae bar.

One of Asia's great success stories, this island republic has merged diverse cultures into a dynamic and thriving nation. Clean, modern and full of green gardens, its neighborhoods reflect the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arab and European backgrounds of its past. After sampling the legendary shopping, retire to Raffles Hotel's famous bar and toast Maugham, Kipling and Noel Coward with a Singapore Sling.