World Cruise Segment – Sydney to Dubai

Welcome to Brisbane, the capital of the Sunshine State and Australia’s third largest city. Brisbane is a booming city with over one million people and is the major international gateway to South East Queensland. Brisbane also provides access to the holiday destinations of the Gold Coast to the South and the Sunshine Coast to the North. Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city and the state capital of Queensland. Not so long ago, the rest of Australia considered it little more than an
overgrown country town, but it has shirked off this unwelcome reputation to become one of the country’s most progressive centres.

Beautiful Climate
The Sub-tropical climate promotes an easy going relaxed lifestyle with hot summers and warm clear winter sun.

Explore Brisbane
Brisbane offers a whole range of activities for the visitor. The South Bank Parklands has 16 hectares of fun and excitement: Tropical rainforests, beaches, wildlife habitats, restaurants, specialty shops , shows and even an English style pub. The Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum and the Maritime Museum are justifiably famous. Customs House provides a look back in Queensland’s history, as does Newstead House complete with period furnishings.
With its Sub-tropical ambience, Brisbane has many gardens and parks. See the Koalas at the Alma Park Zoo, the Australian Woolshed also has sheep shearing demonstrations and don’t miss the Lone Pine sanctuary, the famous City Gardens and Mt Coot-tha Gardens.

Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka means “Resplendent Land,” an apt description for this beautiful island. Its capital, Colombo, has been a major trading port for centuries, and the island itself was colonized first by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British. Yet despite splendid examples of colonial architecture, Sri Lanka has always remained Oriental in spirit, with colorful bazaars, dancing elephants, graceful women in saris, and many Buddhist shrines and temples. Sri Lanka is located 31 miles off the southern tip of India, with Colombo located on the western coast.

Dubai is the Arabian Peninsula’s most cosmopolitan city-and the second largest of the seven United Arab Emirates. Unlike other Gulf statess, Dubai’s thriving economy is fueled not by oil, but by trade, which may explain its laissez-faire attitude. And if you like to shop this is THE PLACE, especially if you’re in search of electronics, gold, antiques and carpets. The souks in Dubai and nearby Sharjah vary from tiny stalls to covered malls. Don’t forget to haggle-it’s expected. More pastimes in Dubai are a dhow excursion on the tidal creek which winds through the city, a game of golf on the only real grass links in the Emirates, a tour of Sharjah, an evening safari inot the desert for a barbeque and traditional dancing and a thrilling demonstration of theancient Arabic art of falconing.

Muscat (mùs´kàt´) or Maskat, city (1993 pop. 329,842), capital of Oman, SE Arabia, on the Gulf of Oman. It has a fine harbor, dominated by two 15th-16th-centtury Portuguese forts, and exports dates, fish, and mother-of-pearl. Portugal held it from 1508 to 1648, and Persian princes until 1741, when it became Oman’s capital.

Singapore, officially Republic of Singapore, republic (1995 est. pop. 2,890,000), c.240 sq mi (620 sq km), SE Asia, S of the Malay Peninsula, comprising Singapore Island and about 60 islets. There is no administrative distinction between the country and Singapore city, where the government and port is located. Singapore Island is largely low-lying and has a tropical climate. It is almost entirely urbanized and densely populated; there is a remnant rain forest in the Bukit Timah reserve. Singapore is one of the world’s great commercial centers, and its citizens enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Asia. Its port, at Keppel Harbor, is one of the world’s largest and busiest. The economy is supported primarily by manufacturing, service industries, and trade; shipbuilding is also important. Agriculture plays a minor role, and the country imports most of its food. The population is mainly Chinese; Malays and Indians constitute large minorities. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity are the major religions. Malay, Chinese, Tamil, and English are the official languages.

On Cape Breton Island, it is not uncommon to find Gaelic spoken and to hear the plaintive call of bagpipes. For it is here that the Scots found a land that most resembled their own beautiful home. Follow the winding Cabot Trail around the coast of Cape Breton, one of the most dramatic drives in North America. On Bras d’Or lake, you may spot one of the 250 pairs of bald eagles nesting in the treetops. Visit the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, where the inventor spent his summers. Explore the star-shaped French fortress of Louisbourg, conquered by the British in 1760. Or sample the rugged life of the coal miner at the Miner’s Museum.