A fascinating insight into the religions of Indonesia on a Voyages to Antiquity cruise in south-east Asia

Toraja Land, Indonesia, where the local people worship animals and plants

• The second in a series of guest blogs by Zoe Bromley-Fox, Land Programmes Manager of cruise line Voyages to Antiquity. The line’s one ship, Aegean Odyssey, returns to south-east Asia this winter for the first time since the winter of 2012-13. Zoe looks forward to the forthcoming visit by recalling highlights of the journey two years ago.

Indonesia is certainly a land full of mystery and intriguing ancient customs. One of the excursions that Voyages to Antiquity includes in the Southern Sulawesi area gives passengers a somewhat other-wordly experience. I will never forget one of the Indonesian bar waitresses staring at me fearfully wide-eyed as we headed off with the passengers to visit Toraja Land where the people practise a form of animism known as Aluk To Dolo.

The belief that animals, plants and inanimate objects possess a spiritual element is so fundamental to this region that many indigenous languages don’t even have a word for it. Operated from the slightly closer port of Palopo this season, but still with a scenic drive through the mountainous countryside, it also provides a fascinating insight into daily life as you pass through numerous rural villages.

From a more archaeological perspective, the UNESCO tongue-twister site of Borobudur on the island of Java is equally as captivating and compared in brilliance to the Parthenon by Arnold Toynbee. We visit the complex from the port of Semarang, and I also remember that the police escort service that cleared the Javanese roads to ensure the coaches arrived in good time was probably as impressive as the temple complex itself!

For details of Voyages to Antiquity’s cruises visiting Indonesia this winter, see here. Fares from £3,495 pp.

Click here to read Zoe's blog in full, with details of Aegean Odyssey's voyages and the excursions available.

The UNESCO-listed Borobodur on the Indonesian island of Java

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Seabourn's Winter Wonders

Small-ship luxury cruise line Seabourn is offering some great value cruises this winter, with 7-day voyages from just £1,299 per person - perfect for exploring some of the great historic civilizations of Western culture, away from the maddening summer crowds, and some of the Caribbean’s hottest destinations.

Take your pick from this wonderful little selection:

7-day Mediterranean Wonders

Departure Date: Nov 10

Route: Civitavecchia (Rome) to Piraeus (Athens)

Ports of Call: Naples, Messina, Crotone, Corfu, Corinth Canal and Mykonos, with prices from £1,299 per person.

10-day Indonesian Odyssey

Departure Date: Dec 11

Route: Singapore to Benoa (Denpasar), Bali

Ports of Call: Semarang, Java, Indonesia; Surabaya, Indonesia; Probolinggo, Java, Indonesia; Celukan Bawang, Bali, Indonesia and Lembar, Indonesia, with prices from £2,099pp.

11-day Caribbean Harbors

Departure Date: Dec 10

Route: Fort Lauderdale, round-trip

Ports of Call: Grand Turk, Prickly Pear Island, BVI; Antigua; St. Martin; St. John (Cruz Bay), USVI; San Juan, Puerto Rico, with prices from £2,199pp.

All prices are per person and based on two people sharing a suite, fully inclusive of all tips and gratuities, fine dining, open bars and fully-stocked mini bar.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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New Brochure from Swan Hellenic

By guest blogger Steve Newman

The winter 2011-2012 season brochures are going on sale now and Swan Hellenic’s latest features cruises throughout northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Black Sea, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Following particularly successful sales for Far East cruises this year, the cruise line will return to the region in late 2011 with ports of call throughout India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and the Philippines , including a return to Yangon in Myanmar.

New ports, all accessible only by smaller ships like Swan Hellenic's Minerva, featured in the brochure across Europe, Asia and Middle East include the wildlife conservation reserve of Sir Bani Yas island in the United Arab Emirates, the Vietnamese coastal city of Qui Nhon, and the French fishing town of Port Vendres close to the Spanish border. The 320-guest ship (above) is also small enough to transit the Corinth Canal in Greece, the Kiel Canal in Germany, the Yangon River in Myanmar and the Saigon River in Vietnam.

One of the highlights is an insight into the tribes, religions and cultures of Indonesia and South East Asia, with a 22-day ‘East of Java’ cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong and ports of call that Semarang in Java, Bali, Lombok, Komodo, Sandakan in Malaysia for a visit to an orangutan sanctuary, and Manila in the Philippines, before arriving in Hong Kong. Prices are from £3,345 per person for a 22-day fly-cruise in January 2012.

Brochures can also be viewed online at www.swanhellenic.com/2012brochure.

Swan Hellenic will be exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17. and at London's Olympia on March 26-27 2011.

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