Encore, Gems of the Spice Route ex Benoa to Dubai

Details

28 Night Cruise sailing from Benoa to Dubai onboard Seabourn Encore.

28 Night Cruise sailing from Benoa to Dubai onboard Seabourn Encore.

Seabourn Encore is as strikingly beautiful and as excitingly innovative as any Seabourn has ever debuted. She crowns a fleet that is already the newest, most modern and most acclaimed in the ultra-luxury segment. Modeled on the award-winning trio of ships introduced with Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Encore represents another welcome stage in the evolution of small-ship cruising, which Seabourn pioneered and has consistently expanded and enriched.

Highlights of this cruise:

Benoa (Denpasar), Bali, Indonesia
Located on the southeastern coast of Bali is the small village of Tanjung Benoa. Still considered a fishing village, Benoa has developed over the past 20 years into a major player in the tourism sector. The calm waters and the beautiful white sand beaches have made Benoa the prime water sport area of Bali. Being a peninsula that is only accessible from one direction, Tanjung Benoa is still relatively quiet with a more relaxed feeling.

Komodo Island, Indonesia
This island national park isn’t the only place the large (up to 10-foot) monitor lizards known as “Komodo Dragons” live. But they are protected here, and flourish as they have in the region for millions of years. Follow your guide and listen carefully to his instructions, because despite their torpid appearance, these giants can really move when they want to, and they apparently aren’t picky about what sort of prey they pursue.

Surabaya, Indonesia
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million (5.6 million in the metropolitan area), and the capital of the province of East Java. Shoppers will enjoy the extensive shopping centers and boutiques throughout the city. Others may wish to take in Bonbin Surabaya, one of the largest zoos in Southeast Asia. Other points of interest include the Grand Mosque of Surabaya (the largest mosque in East Java), the Mpu Tantular Museum of Javanese culture, and the Submarine Monument, also known as Monumen Kapal Selam. City sightseeing buses with English-speaking tour guides are available at the House of Sampoerna museum.

Singapore
Founded as a British trading colony in 1819, Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963. Two years later, it became an independent island-state, developing into one of the world's most prosperous countries. With ultra-modern skyscrapers combined with a medley of Chinese, Indian and Malay influences, Singapore is a dynamic city rich in contrast and color, exhibiting a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture.

Phuket
Phuket, nestled in the balmy Andaman Sea waters, lies 536 miles south of Bangkok. Initially, Phuket derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colorful history. Located on a major trade route between India and China, Phuket was frequently mentioned in foreign trader's ship logs. Blessed with a natural heritage of stunning white-sand beaches, sapphire blue seas, exotic marine life and lushly forested hillsides, Phuket is one of Southeast Asia's most popular destinations.

Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka. A name that calls to mind the exotic and mysterious. This is a land of jungles inhabited by leopards and elephants, wondrous ruins of the great civilizations of ages past, and a modern city, Colombo, where western technology is superimposed on the passion of a traditional Asian metropolis. Originally known as Ceylon, the island became famous for producing the world's finest teas. Bright fragrant spices, sparkling sapphires, and the colorful trappings of a variety of ceremonies and religious festivals make this a most rewarding destination. Today, Colombo is a bustling mix of diverse races and religions, and contrasts of old and new. The tangible history of the city is a unique mix of relics from its Portuguese, Dutch and English settlements, blended with Indian influences throughout.

Mumbai
Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) is a captivating city, known for its striking contrasts. The fastest growing, most affluent and industrialized city in India, Mumbai represents the ever-changing face of today's India: the old coupled with the dynamic new. This vibrant city is a kaleidoscopic mixture of intriguing people and incredible places, where within a block or two you can find modern skyscrapers, ornate Victorian buildings, and bustling bazaars.

Muscat
Oman, "The Pearl of Mystic Arabia," is one of the oldest civilizations on the Arabian Peninsula. Wedged between the Arabian Gulf and the Western Al Hajar Mountains, Muscat boasts an ancient history and rich Islamic heritage, evident in its prominent landmarks such as forts, castles, towers and mosques. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development, leading to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society.

Dubai
The United Arab Emirates is strategically located at the crossroads of East and West, and the traditional trading routes from Asia and the Far East to Europe and further afield are even more significant today than they were hundreds of years ago. Nestled at the very heart of the Islamic world, the country is unique in its embrace of the Western world. Here you can see the contrasts of the nomadic Bedouin people, and the opulence and splendor of the Sheiks, set against a backdrop of Western lifestyles.