32-day World cruise: southeast Asia & Indian ocean islands

Your voyage begins in Singapore. Singapore - the very name summons visions of the mysterious East. The commercial center of Southeast Asia, this island city-state of five million people is a metropolis of modern high-rise buildings, Chinese shop-houses with red-tiled roofs, sturdy Victorian buildings, Buddhist temples and Arab bazaars. Founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles of the fabled East India Company, the city is a melting pot of people and cultures. Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil are official languages. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are the major faiths. Singapore is an ever-fascinating island boasting colorful traditions, luxurious hotels and some of the finest duty-free shopping in the world. Lying just 85 miles north of the Equator at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the island was a haven for Malay pirates and Chinese and Arab traders.

Your ship calls at Malacca, Malaysia.

In 1786 Francis Light persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to cede Pulau Pinang - the "Isle of Betel nut" - to the English crown. Legend has it that Light persuaded his men to clear the overgrown island of Penang by firing a cannon filled with gold coins into the jungle as an incentive. The island was renamed Prince of Wales Island, and its major town was christened Georgetown after King George III. Whether the story is true or not, Penang quickly became a major trading port for tea, spices, china and cloth. Here European, Malaysian, Hindu, Arabic and Chinese cultures met, melded and flourished. Today George Town is a cosmopolitan city that has preserved its unique heritage and its exotic blend of cultures. George Town is perhaps the best-preserved city in Southeast Asia. It boasts a European-style esplanade and a wealth of temples, mosques and Chinese clan houses. Listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2008, this virgin paradise has no shortage of cultural sights and natural scenery.

Hailed as the "Pearl of the Andaman Sea," this island off Thailand's long southern coast boasts a colorful history. A crossroads for trade, Phuket has been a melting pot of Thai, Malay, Chinese and Western influences. Its importance over the past 500 years stemmed from the island's natural resources, which include tin, hardwoods and rubber. In the past half-century, Phuket has enjoyed wide popularity as one of the premier travel destinations in Southeast Asia. Travelers are drawn to the island's beaches, crystalline waters, and dramatic, forested hills.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your ship calls at Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Your ship calls at Male, Maldives.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Your ship calls at Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles.

Your ship calls at Praslin, Seychelles.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your ship calls at Zanzibar, Tanzania.

A second day in Zanzibar, Tanzania - time to explore at your own pace.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Your ship calls at Antsiranana, Madagascar.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Port Louis is the capital of the island of Mauritius. A volcanic island situated in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, Mauritius is lush and beautiful, with lovely mountain ranges, fine beaches, stunning coral reefs and picturesque villages.Mauritius amazingly remained uninhabited until the 16th century. Dutch, British and French traders came to the island, followed by slaves from Africa to work the plantations and then laborers from India. The flavor here remains predominantly French, as does the language, however, the present population is fifty percent Indian. Today, Mauritius is independent and the economy prospers due to exports of sugar and textiles, plus it caters to tourism.

Your ship calls at La Possession, Reunion.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

160 years after its discovery by Portugal's Bartholomew Diaz in 1488, the Cape of Good Hope was still a part of primeval Africa. Sailors on passing ships impatient to reach the East or return home to Europe would leave messages under inscribed "post office" stones for other ships to carry forward. In 1580, Sir Francis Drake sailed around the Cape. The ruggedness and breathtaking beauty of the peninsula caused him to write, "This Cape is a most stately thing, and the fairest Cape in the whole circumference of the earth." The Dutch East India Company, yielding to repeated petitions and recommendations from their ships' officers, decided to establish a post at Table Bay in 1652. A stronghold was established and subsequently was replaced by the existing Castle of Good Hope - Cape Town's first building.Cape Town continued to grow quickly under Simon van der Stel, who arrived as Governor in 1679. He turned vast regions into rich farmland, planted some 8,000 trees and designed and built the stateliest of the Cape's historic mansions, Groot Constantia (named after his wife, Constance). The British seized the Cape from Holland in 1806 and the subsequent discovery of diamonds and gold in the country spurred growth and immigration. Cape Town became a municipality in 1840 and a liberal constitution was granted to the Cape Colony in 1853. Today, the "Mother City" and the Western Cape are home to South Africa's parliament for half of the year (Parliament sits in Pretoria for the other half of the year) and much of its major industry.

Your voyage concludes in Cape Town, South Africa.