Our course to avoid confusion in Asia with Holland America cruise

A CRUISE on Asia's scenic seas is a good antidote to hectic times exploring its cities, writes Alice Monfries.

Ms Zaandam Escape

SWALLOWING hard, I take a deep breath and step on to the road.

I'm at a clearly marked pedestrian crossing, but that means little in fast-paced Ho Chi Minh City.

I've been warned to walk confidently, not hesitating or stopping, because that is when accidents occur. With that advice in mind I push ahead, stepping into the path of countless oncoming speeding motorbikes.

Remarkably it seems to be working. The motorbikes weave around me as I continue nervously, wide-eyed, almost laughing in fear.

Then I see the bus. Not quite so confident to stride into the path of an oncoming bus, I stop. Mayhem ensues.

Motorbikes blare their horns and swerve, braking violently and the bus roars past, causing a shiver to rocket up my spine as I scurry to the refuge of the footpath.

With one motorbike for every two people in this Vietnamese city, there are at least four million whizzing around the streets.

We are on an Asia Explorer cruise with Holland America Line, touring the beautiful scenic beaches and fast-paced cities of South-East Asia.

Embarking at Singapore, the 14-day route takes in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China, ending in Hong Kong.

Saigon is a highlight. We use the day at shore to explore the busy, innovative city, admiring the cultural blends of Chinese, French and American influence, with modern skyscrapers set alongside traditional pagodas and local food street stalls.

We fit in a traditional water puppet performance and tour the Independence Palace, made famous when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through its front gates in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War, before retiring to our comfortable, refined ship, the MS Zaandam.

At 238m long, with 10 guest decks holding 1432 passengers, the mid-sized ship is designed to carry fewer guests than comparable ships while offering spacious public areas and well-sized staterooms.

Named after a town in Holland  - along with the rest of Holland America Line's fleet of 15 5-star ships  -  the Zaandam retains strong Dutch links in its decor and themes, but has a distinctly American feel.

The facilities are impressive, with four restaurants, two outdoor swimming pools, a full gym and fitness centre, day-spa and salon.

The four days spent travelling at sea are quickly filled with optional cooking classes, party planning sessions, computer and camera lessons, bingo, trivia or dancing lessons.

Plus with a movie theatre, casino, bars, duty-free shops, an internet cafe and library, and a relatively full itinerary of shore excursions, you can end up with a pretty full schedule over the two weeks at sea.

But with beaches as stunning and picturesque as those we visit in Koh Samui and Pattaya in Thailand, and Sihanoukville in Cambodia, there is more than enough time for relaxation.

Amid dips in the crystal blue water, we indulge in fresh coconut milk, Thai massages and tasty local Asian dishes.

Unfortunately, rough weather stops us from the much-anticipated visit to Nha Trang, Vietnam.

With high wind speeds and a 5m swell, the Zaandam's captain, Dutch-born Jan Smit, informs us he is forced to skip the port.

That means an extra day spent at sea, battling the rolling waves of the high seas, which keeps a few passengers in their cabins.

However, pulling into Halong Bay, our last stop before disembarking in Hong Kong, a tranquil mood sets in as passengers rush to the decks to take in the beauty.

Huge rock formations begin to appear through the mist. Their odd and varying shapes rise majestically up out of the still, glass water as the ship silently glides by, also passing dilapidated wooden fishing junks and rusting coal barges.

We board an old converted fishing junk and chug off through the haze to steal a closer glimpse of some of the 2000 magnificent limestone crags.

We also stop to explore one of the bay's remarkable caves. The limestone in this bay has endured 500 million years of formation.

Cameras snap madly, but it's difficult to capture the true awe of the natural beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Halong Bay translates to "the Bay of the Descending Dragon" and a magical aura sets in as we sail between the islands, rising out of the water like the humps of the mythical dragon's back.Local legend has it a fierce dragon once terrorised villagers before a brave warrior set out to slay it. Terrified, the beast fled to the sea, its swaying tail carving out the crevasses in the land.

The legend of Asia's answer to the Loch Ness Monster, known locally as Tarasque, adds to the magical beauty of the bay.

The entire experience is a stark contrast to the incessant honks and churning motorbikes that dominated our chaotic travels through the cities.

That is, until we reach the cave we are exploring, the Palace of Heaven.

Unfortunately, another huge cruise ship has docked in the bay that day and we are jolted back to reality as our junk slams hard into the side of another.

Wood splinters as our driver tries to squeeze the vessel between two others.

"This is what we call 'Hang on bay'," our tour guide says, only half joking.

After exploring the cave, we meander slowly back to the ship on the junk, passing colourful floating fishing villages which are a far cry from our plush staterooms, tended to three times times a day by our friendly room stewards Deden and Salmat.

Holland America Line's selling point is affordable luxury and the fleet's assets definitely include its attentive staff.

Speaking to fellow passengers, the vast majority silver-haired, a huge proportion are repeat passengers. They tell me it is the staff  - and of course the delectable food  - that keeps them coming back. 

-- The writer was a guest of Holland America Line.

Go2

- ASIA

Holland America Line's ship Volendam - a sister ship to Zaandam - will tour Asia in the next 12 months.

A 27-day cruise leaves from Sydney on November 24 through the Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Costs from $3198 a person for an interior stateroom.

The 17-day Far East Discovery cruise leaves from Hong Kong on December 21, taking in Vietnam, Cambodia, China and Thailand. Costs from $2402 a person.

The 14-day Far East Discovery leaves from Singapore on January 7, 2013. Costs from $2098 a person.

Ph 1300 987 322 or visit hollandamerica.com