Cruise in Southeast Asia: Exotic countries and feelings of home

Nobody has time when the traffic light on the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City turns green. Then Ho Kim Khanh accelerates on her motor scooter.

Khanh leads a small group of adventurous crusaders who ride Vespas through what was once Saigon, Vietnam. Just like the locals do every day.

“There are around three million mopeds in the city,” says Khanh. And that with around eight million people. Everything is transported on the mopeds: the family with several children, sleeping or awake. Huge cages. Packages with dozens of folded cardboard boxes. Anything you can think of can be accommodated on the scooters. Also the handful of tourists who found their way to Ho Chi Minh City from the industrial port in Phu My.

The port is two hours from the city center – not uncommon on this Southeast Asia cruise, which departs from Singapore and visits Ko Samui and Bangkok in Thailand via stops in Malaysia and Vietnam. “That’s because a ship our size can’t call at every port,” explains Ioannis Anastasiou, the captain of “Mein Schiff 5”. Tui Cruises.

Outside the hustle and bustle, inside home

It is a cruise of contrasts. Outside: lively life under the tropical sun in these four countries. Inside: everything as you know it from home. The cabins are tidy, the shopping arcade is called “Neuer Wall” and on days at sea the cruise director asks you not to reserve loungers early in the morning.

The bread in the buffet restaurant is whole grain, there is lard, jelly and fried potatoes, plus a butter machine and well-assorted sausage and cheese platters. Exotic countries and the well-known homeland, both combined in one journey.

In the hustle and bustle of the metropolis

Shore excursions take you directly into the hustle and bustle of the metropolises of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City or Bangkok. If you dare, go there on your own.

This is not a problem at most ports called. Taxi drivers are everywhere and offer not only transport to the centers for comparatively little Malaysian ringgit, Vietnamese dong or Thai baht, but also sometimes city or island tours to the most important sights.

It is important that both the driver and at least one of the passengers in the group speak English – and that the price for the tour is agreed before departure.

More cautious or inexperienced passengers can book a wide range of excursions on board: comfortably with the bus, which is usually waiting right at the pier. Or by bike, with which you are right in the middle.

Temple fatigue and busy markets

Temple fatigue can set in over time on the two-week cruise. Discovering the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore and the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur begin the journey. But as the travel time increases, the multitude of temples in Penang and Langkawi, in Ho Chi Minh City, on Ko Samui and in Bangkok are slowly perceived as a must-see. Temple seen, next stop please.

The bustling markets in the cities, meanwhile, are fascinating and exhausting at the same time. Each exotic piece of fruit such as the prickly rambutan, the hedgehog durian, the mangosteen that looks a bit like plums, the guava and the small banana trees are becoming more familiar by the day.

There are “shopping malls” everywhere – mostly for the big brands in the world and always cooled down to icy temperatures. But the real business is done in the markets. Here you can find everything in a small space and always stubborn salespeople.

Just a first impression of the variety

In three of the four countries visited, the British were colonial powers for a long time and, in addition to the often very well-preserved architecture, also left-hand traffic.

Only in Vietnam do you drive on the right and in Ho Chi Minh City you can see a Notre Dame Cathedral and the old Central Post Office designed by a certain Gustave Eiffel. The French came here in the 19th century and left their mark on the country, which is still socialist today. The Vietnam War, known locally as the American War, has its own museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

Southeast Asia travelers have to do their homework, says Jörg Müller, general manager on the ship. The countries do not open up as easily as those bordering the Mediterranean Sea or the chronically cheerful Caribbean.

“The four countries on this trip are so diverse that you can only get a first impression of them on the cruise,” says Müller. Nonetheless, no one needs to rummage through history books and travel guides in order to go ashore with plenty of information.

Tips from the lecturer on board

Lecturer Ernst Bahns has summarized history, stories and facts in clear presentations, which he shows on days at sea in the ship’s theater, which is often full. He has lived and worked in the regions for a long time – and is very familiar with the goals and customs in Asian countries.

The information and tips – such as how to get from side to side between scooters on Vietnamese roads – are appreciated by the approximately 2,500 passengers on board.

Because the countries on the Strait of Malacca, on the South China Sea and on the Gulf of Thailand are clocked very differently than you are used to from well-stocked Germany. In addition to the climate, this is a challenge for some crusaders, who enjoy the journey to this often foreign world – but seem happy when they have gone back up the gangway. Into the familiar world of ships, which is much less bustling.