Thailand and Malay Peninsula: Bankok, Phuket and Singapore

February 18–28, 2009

The unspoiled isles of the Andaman Sea are known for their stilted fishing villages and old city streets lined with temples and colonial mansions that recall Asia’s early spice trade. Join us as we visit the monuments of Bangkok and retrace the course of ancient Chinese junks, Portuguese galleons, and Javanese paying, sailing from the legendary island of Phuket to Singapore. We’ll travel aboard the four-star S.Y. Star Clipper, a four-masted barkentine that evokes the great ocean voyages of the 19^th century. Cruising the shipping lanes of the old spice trade, we’ll see traditional Thai fishermen proudly maintaining the ways of their forefathers, as we enjoy the soaring limestone cliffs that rise from the seas.

We’ll visit the uninhabited Similan Islands, a world of rainforests, sandy beaches, and pristine waters filled with exotic fish and coral. And in the historic ports of Malacca and Penang, we’ll discover rare pockets of “Old Asia” where the aromas of grilled satays and sweet Nyonya curries waft through the streets as colorful rickshaws rush past. There will be time to tour Chinese shophouses, Hindu shrines, and colonial fort that remind us of the days when merchants traveled to these shores in search of the riches of the East.

Price: $2,995 plus airfare

A pre-trip program to Bangkok and Angkor Wat, and post-trip program to Singapore are available.

See the brochure for more information, or contact Gail Briggs at gbriggs@wesleyan.edu or call (860) 685-3979.