Bangkok (Klong Tuey), Thailand

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand as well as one of the most important cities in Southeast Asia. It is the epitome of the country's kaleidoscopic blend of old and new. More than anywhere else, it is an expression of the Thais' respect for tradition coupled with a vibrant involvement in modern progress.

Located 26 miles upstream from the Gulf of Thailand on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok started out as a small agricultural community. It became the capital of Siam in 1782 when Chao Phraya Chakkri (Rama I), founder of the Chakkri Dynasty, moved his government from Thon Buri to Bangkok. He built the magnificent walled-in Grand Palace complex, which contains the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

During the reign of Rama IV (1851-1868), the first major secular construction projects were started. Because of its many canals that served as streets and commercial thoroughfares, Bangkok became known as the “Venice of the East”. However, in the past century, the city has undergone extensive development and many of the canals have been paved over. Houses perched on stilts can still be seen lining the banks of the remaining canals, which are also the site of colorful floating markets.

Bangkok is Thailand's economic center. The city's industries are based primarily on the products of the surrounding region. Processed rice and lumber are most important. Others include sugar, paper, textiles, cigarettes, soap, matches, metal and processed foods. In addition, tourism makes for a very important factor in the country’s economy.

Although Bangkok’s city skyline is punctuated by many modern buildings that reflect Western influence, its most distinctive features are still some 400 Buddhist temples, known as wats. They range from opulent, colorful structures to basic temple-monasteries.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, the “Pearl of Vietnam” was formerly known as Saigon, a name that is still applied to the city center. The official name change took place in 1976, following the reunification of the country. Located in the south of Vietnam on a giant bend in the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City is the country's largest city, with a population of nearly seven million people and over one million motorbikes. While Hanoi is the center of government, Ho Chi Minh City is the nation’s economic heart and most exciting city.

Long before traffic choked the city center, Saigon had already been christened the “Paris of Asia” for its wide boulevards lined with stately trees and magnificent French villas. For a moment one may feel transported back to the French era by the smells of coffee and baking bread, and by old Renaults sounding their horns in the bustling streets.

The city is divided into two major sections: the municipal district of Saigon and Cholon (China Town), where the entrepreneurial talent and private funds are concentrated. Cholon appears to be the most populated and, in general, the most vigorous part of Ho Chi Minh City. Visitors are fascinated by its bustle of activity and its numerous pagodas, reputed to be the finest in the city.

 

Kuala Lumpur, commonly known as “KL,” has developed around the Y-shaped junction of the two rivers, the Klang and Gombak. In the space of a century, the city grew from a trading post and tin mining shantytown into a colonial capital. By 1896, Kuala Lumpur had steadily developed into the capital of the New Federated Malay States. Today it is a cosmopolitan, modern business hub and the center of government. With a population of about two million, it is one of Southeast Asia's smallest capitals.

The rapidly growing business center of KL and its industrial satellites are gaining the lion's share of the country's manufacturing investment. Scores of stylish high-rise office blocks have gone up, contrasting sharply with the Victorian and Moghul-style buildings, the Art Deco central market and the Chinese shop-houses.

The 1,483-feet-high Petronas Twin Towers, symbols for the astounding growth that has taken place in Malaysia over the last two decades, surpassed the Sears Tower in Chicago as the world's tallest building, but will soon be superceded by the 1,670-feet Taipei 101 building in Taiwan.

Kuala Lumpur makes great efforts to create a new Malaysian architecture that will lend the city a more integrated look and a national identity. However, it is the unique blend of traditional Malay heritage, British colonial architecture, Chinese and Indian cultures that make KL such an interesting place to visit.

 

Singapore is a roughly diamond-shaped island at the end of the Malaysian peninsula. It occupies a strategic position for shipping on the shortest sea-route between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. The narrow Strait of Johor separates Singapore from Malaysia, but the two are linked by a causeway less than a mile long.

Concealed behind high-tech industries and high-rise buildings lives a society with an ingrained sense of conservative Confucian values. Beneath a slick veneer of westernized modernity beats a totally Asian heart. Strong beliefs center on extended families, filial piety, discipline, respect and Asian work ethics.

Singapore's name, meaning "Lion City," can be traced to the 13th century when, according to legend, the ruler of Palembang sought shelter on the island during a storm and thought he saw a lion. Today, the mythical Merlion, half-lion, half-fish, serves as the well-known emblem of the city.

Modern Singapore primarily owes its existence and prosperity to two men, both of them forceful characters and visionaries: Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and Lee Kuan Yew. Upon Raffles' arrival in 1819, he found a population of about 150, mostly pirates and fishermen, and a land blanketed in dense jungle. Within four years of its founding, Singapore grew into an international trading port. Raffles' influence in determining the direction of what is today one of the world's busiest port cities was invaluable, while Lee Kuan Yew is without doubt the “Father” of modern Singapore.

This thriving metropolis of three million people is one of the most densely populated places in the world. In addition to being an enormous retail outlet, Singapore is also the trade, transport, business and financial hub of the region. The reputation the city has for law and order is well deserved. A recent advertising campaign billed Singapore as "A Fine City." The double meaning may well reflect the fact that Singapore imposes harsh punishment on locals and visitors alike for violations of the law.

Singapore is a melting pot of nationalities; the majority of the population is of Chinese extraction, followed by Malay, Indian and a small Eurasian population. Officially, Malay is the national language, but English is the language of administration and commerce.

 

For more information on the Silversea Culinary and Wine collection please contact Michael Mastrocola in Carmel at: 831-659-0151    ~     800-304-6838 access code 00,

or email:  msmastrocola@sbcglobal.net   or escape@mmtravel.net