Islands, Cities and Volcanoes of Indonesia
From Bali to Singapore, set sail aboard Le Jacques-Cartier for a brand-new 15-day expedition cruise to the heart of fascinating Indonesia. Take a unique trip to discover the world’s largest archipelagic state, featuring ancient temples and modern cities, impenetrable jungle and majestic volcanoes, historic towns and chains of idyllic islands. And of course, there will be precious encounters with a diverse population.
You will reach Probolinggo, one of the access points to Mount Bromo. This active volcano in the Tengger mountains stands 2,329 metres tall in the middle of a protected nature reserve.
When your ship calls at Semarang, a cosmopolitan city with Chinese, Indo-Arab and European influences, you will visit the incredible site of Borobudur. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this monumental Buddhist temple compounds from the 8th and 9th centuries is an artistic marvel with over 500 Buddha statues.
Next, Le Jacques-Cartier will set a course for the south-western tip of Java. On the edge of the Sunda Strait, you will discover Ujung Kulon National Park. In addition to being a place of great natural beauty and of geological interest, notably for the study of island volcanoes, the park contains the largest remaining area of lowland rainforests on the island. It also includes the Krakatau Nature Reserve, and you will have the chance to observe the volcano during a unique sailing experience.
You will sail along the west coast of Sumatra and call at Bengkulu, a former trading centre of the British East India Company, before reaching the Mentawais, a group of heavenly islands edged with beaches of white sand and covered in jungle. You will stop at one of these deserted beaches to swim and explore the underwater environment with a mask and snorkel.
Further north, the Nias Archipelago is known for its unique megalithic culture and its spellbinding traditional music. The Simeulue archipelago, which includes the Banyak Islands, is a mix of atolls, cays and islets featuring numerous beaches of white sand, coral reefs, and clear, warm tropical waters. There, you will discover Pulau Asok, a lagoon ideal for free-diving, swimming and kayaking, thanks to its gently sloping, unspoiled beaches lined with coconut trees.
Next, your ship will round the northern tip of Sumatra via Banda Aceh. The city has been entirely rebuilt after being ravaged by the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami.
This fabulous odyssey continues as the glorious shoreline of West Malaysia slowly emerges before you. You will sail the Malacca Strait, the former strategic crossroads on the silk and spice roads, to discover the beautiful cities of Penang and Malacca, UNESCO World Heritage Sites with fascinating Asian, Portuguese and Dutch heritage.
In Singapore, city-State on the edges of the Orient, you will be seduced by the unique multicultural atmosphere of this “garden city”, home to wonderful botanical tropical gardens, UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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Spirited Singapore in Southeast Asia is the world’s only sovereign island city-state. The nation’s contemporary identity as a city-island hybrid stems from its colonial history as a British-controlled trading territory, founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Today, an amalgamation of multiracial influences give rise to Singapore’s diverse culture - primarily a fusion of Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western traditions. This rich multiculturalism is one of Singapore’s top selling points, drawing in visitors from all over the world who are keen to explore the island’s divergent neighbourhoods, from the colourful pagodas of Chinatown to the ornate temples of Little India. Singapore’s natural landscape is as varied as its culture, with stark contrasts between the luscious, tropical Singapore Botanic Garden and the perfectly sculpted, futuristic “Supertrees” of Gardens by the Bay. A quirky mishmash of old and new, Singapore is without a doubt one of Asia’s most unique and memorable islands with which travellers cannot help but fall in love along a Singapore cruise.
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