11 Days Cairns, Darwin, Bali, Singapore
13/12/2015 - 23/12/2015
Day 22 - 13 Dec 2015
Superstar Virgo docked alongside Cairns at 4pm today. We took a walk around city and booked our package tour of Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from one of the many tour agents nearby. The combination tour package cost us A$112 per person, which is much cheaper than what is offered by the cruise ship. However, we need to take a 20 minutes walk to Cairns Central Station to board the train the next morning.
We then walked back to the ship for our dinner at Genting Palace before walking to the Cairns Night Market. Along the way we watched the carolers from various churches singing. We ended the night watching the fireworks that began at about 8:45pm at the esplanade.
Our cruise ship approaching Cairns
Superstar Virgo docked at Cairns Cruise Terminal
Dinner at Genting Palace was a Chinese set dinner
The Carolers were in town since Christmas is approaching
Various teams from the Churches in Cairns are performing tonight
Part of the huge crowd watching the carolers singing. Many come with their chairs and sleeping mats
Christmas tree at the esplanade
Cairns night market which sells mainly local handicrafts and food stuff
One of many handicraft shops at the Cairns night market
Fire works display at the esplanade
Day 23 - 14 Dec 2015
After breakfast at the Mediterranean Buffet Restaurant we walked for about 20 minutes to the Cairns Central Station to board the Kuranda Scenic Railway. The Kuranda Scenic Rail journey takes one and a half hours to complete and includes an English commentary on the history of the region and the railway
The Kuranda Scenic Railway is one of the most unique rail journeys in Australia, steeped firmly in Australian Pioneer history. Rising from sea level to 328m, the journey to Kuranda winds its way through World Heritage protected tropical rainforest, past beautiful and spectacular waterfalls and into the awesome Barron Gorge. Only minutes away from Barron Falls the train journey comes to an end at beautiful Kuranda Station.
Waiting to board our carriage at the Cairns Central Station
The carriage we travel in dates back to the early 1900s. Each carriage is made from Silky Oak timber.
The Horseshoe Bend is a 180 degree bend with a 100.58m radius curve and begins the steep climb from Freshwater Valley to Kuranda.
Stoney Creek Waterfall
The Stoney Creek Falls bridge is the most outstanding feature of the railway line. The iron lattice construction was completed in mid 1890s and stands on three trestle piers. The bridge has a tight 80.46m radius
The Bayon Falls Station is a 10 minute stop to disembark and view the falls from the lookout platform. 329 meters above sea level the Bayon Fall drops 265 meters.
View of the Bayon Falls from the lookout platform.
Kuranda Station is one of the earliest stations to be built in Australia using precast concrete construction and is the oldest remaining examples of its type in Queensland. It is surrounded by tropical gardens and is one of only 9 stations in Queensland with a fully operational hand lever signal cabin.
From the Kuranda Station we took a 10 minute walk to Kuranda Village. Kuranda has a network of interlinked walks which provide access through the village and its surrounding environment, including the Baron Gorge National Park
Kuranda is well known as the Village in the Rainforest and has been attracting visitors for well over a century. Initially people came to admire the mighty Barron Falls, while artisans were attracted to the region's natural beauty and decided to call it home, creating a vibrant arts and craft culture.
Aborigine blowing his didgeridoo
Locally made aboriginal arts and crafts and souvenirs in Kuranda Village
Beautiful hand crafted souvenirs
Handicraft centre where I had my German sausage for lunch
Walkway down to the Kuranda Railway Station where we arrived in the morning.
After spending two hours in the Kuranda Village we proceed to take the Skyway Rainforest Cableway from Kuranda Terminal down to Smithfield Terminal. The whole experience takes up to 1 1/2 hours to complete and includes spending 20 minutes at each of the mid-stations. The Skyrail is a unique rainforest experience taking you on an unforgettable journey through Australia’s World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforests
Spanning 7.5km, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway traverses the McAlister Range, through the Barron Gorge National Park, taking guests on an amazing journey between its Smithfield and Kuranda Terminals
The gondolas glide just metres above the rainforest canopy in Skyrail’s comfortable six-person gondola cabins, which provide spectacular and uninterrupted views of the rainforest, tropical Cairns, the Coral Sea and the lush Cairns Highlands.
Rainforest trails at the Barron Falls Station
The Bayon Falls as seen from the gondola
The Bayon Falls can also be viewed from three lookouts along the easy rainforest walks
View of tropical rainforest from the gondola.
The Skyrail is reputed to be he World’s Most Beautiful Rainforest Experience
Boardwalk near Marlin Marina
SuperstarVirgo waiting to welcome us back at the Cruise Liner Terminal
On the way back to the cruise ship we found these two stone turtles
This evening we watched the Hot! Hot! Hot! show at the Lido Theater featuring the Brazilian Dancers.
The 60's Theme Party at the Grand Piazza
Day 24 - 15 Dec 2015
We are sailing on the high seas today on the way to Darwin. We joined some of the activities planned by the cruise staff.
Lili joined the ABC line dancing with cruise staff in the morning
Lunch today was at the Pavilion Chinese Restaurant
Lili attended some of the art and craft making sessions like 3D Christmas Tree, Beads Bracelet making and paper dolls making at the Activity Centre
Christmas caroling with Pianist Raz, Alijah and the entertainment crew
Before our dinner we watched the Singing Sensations from the Philippines and Australia. They sang some of the hits from divas like Whitney Houston, Donna Summers, Tina Turner, Beyoncé and Madonna among others.
After their performance we were invited to have our photos taken with them
We had our dinner again at the Pavilion Chinese Restaurant
Lili then joined the Cha Cha Line Dancing with cruise staff at the Piazza
The Miss Universe Bingo session at the Grand Piazza. Some of the male entertainment cruise staff dressed up as females to sell the Bingo tickets.
With Goldie the Assistant Cruise Director from the Philippines
Day 25 - 16 Dec 2015
We continued sailing on the high seas towards Darwin today. Expected to arrive Darwin at 9am tomorrow.
This morning during my morning walk on Deck 7 I saw the maintenance staff painting the side wall of the deck. While cruising, maintenance and beautification works will be carried out by the crew.
Some of the beautiful murals that have been painted on Deck 7 of the ship
This morning we joined the Cardio Kickboxing exercise in the gym. It was a solid one hour of high energy workout conducted by the gym instructor.
We had our lunch at Genting Palace Restaurant today
Christmas caroling with pianist Raz, Alijah and the crew in the afternoon
Before our dinner we watch the Dance Music Awards show.
Our dinner was at Pavilion Chinese Restaurant.
After dinner we listened to the Sound Clippers Band performing at the Grand Piazza.
Christmas Party with Goldie
Day 26 - 17 Dec 2015
We arrived at Darwin at 9am in the morning. The ship will birth here until 5:30pm before sailing again. We have at lease 7 hours to join a local tour and explore the town on our own.
The ship sailing into the Darwin Port.
Upon arrival at the port we took a 10 minutes walk to the city and Central Business District. We booked a tour from the tourist information centre to the Crocodylus Park and Zoo, which is Darwin's Premier Tourist Attraction.
The main attraction are the crocodiles but there are many other animals in the park and zoo. Other animals include Emus, Tigers, Dingoes, Kangaroos, Meerkats, Baboons, Wolves, Birds, Ostriches, Turtles, Cockatoos, and Wallabies. There is a pair of while lions in the zoo.
One of the staff putting fruits onto the tree for the peacocks to eat.
This pool is full of young crocodiles
Trying to catch a metallic crocodile
First time touching a real crocodile
Crocodiles meat are sold at the kiosk gift shop beside crocodile meat burger. However, we don't have the guts to try.
The entrance to the park
The shuttle van that pick us back to the cruise ship.
After the tour we spend about two hours in the city and did some shopping at Coles and Woolworth Supermarkets. We bought some honey and nuts.
Entrance to the city square.
The ruins of the old town hall
Main entrance of the old town hall
During our walk back to the Darwin Waterfront we passed by the Civic Square. Behind us is the Christ Church Cathedral.
One of the aboriginal art piece.
At the Darwin Waterfront which is next to the Cruise Terminal
Walking along the board walk to the cruise ship
The honey in the bag was so heavy that I have to make a few stops before reaching the cruise ship.
We took our dinner at the Genting Palace Restaurant
After dinner it was show time again by Chan who impersonate the singer Cher.
It is time to say goodbye to Australia. The guests and crew had a Goodbye Australian Party tonight.
Party time to bid goodbye to Australia
Day 27 - 18 Dec 2015
Sailing on the high seas to Bali, our last destination before returning to Singapore. This morning I woke up at 5:30am to watch the sun rise. Unfortunately it was blocked by dark clouds. Subscribed for the 6 hour Internet access and spent most of the morning and early afternoon in the library checking and replying mails and surfing for news in Malaysia
Lili joined the morning dance with the crew staff.
We attended a Thai Massage demonstration in the morning.
Tonight is the 4th Gala Dinner that we attended. This time we choose the Western dinner at Genting Palace.
Part of our Gala Dinner menu.
The crew performing during the Gala Dinner
Gala Showcase : Viva Latina at the Grand Piazza
Neon Party with the crew
Day 28 - 19 Dec 2015
Today we continued our journey on the high seas to Bali. The sea was rough causing dizziness at times. Due to the dizziness we have no appetite for dinner tonight. We ate only fruits as we worry we may throw out.
We learned how to play mahjong today by joining the Mahjong Fun Lesson with the cruise staff. It was quite easy to pick up after a few rounds of the game.
I also took part in the golf putting challenge at the sports deck and won a gold medal because there was no one else competing with me!. Evening was spent exercising in the gym.
We attended the Music Journey with the Cruise Director Keith who rendered a medley of Mandarin and Cantonese songs.
At night we watched the Guest Talent Show where some of the guests perform with the singers and dancers.
Day 29 - 20 Dec 2015
We arrived at Bali at 7am this morning. As the ship has to anchor quite a distance from the port we have to take the tender boat to the Benoa port, which is a 25 minutes journey.
We were welcome by a group of Balinese dancers and musicians on arrival.
We, together with five other HK travelers rented a Suzuki MPV for USD11 each for the whole day. We were very ambitious in wanting to cover many places is a day but due to time constraint we had to take the advice of the driver to cover only some of the places that we intended to go.
Our first stop on the way to Ubud is the Batik Tohpati Village where we saw a demonstration of batik painting and weaving.
Tohpati Village is just about 1 hour drive from Kuta, and famous for Bali's hand Batik and traditional hand Weaving Center. Batik is a traditional form of painting fabric. They painstakingly use dots and lines from wax to decorate the cloth. It is very impressive to witness their process of making batik. Batik is derived from the Javanese language, Its derived from the word of “Amba” means write and “Titik” means dot.
Tohpati Village is just about 1 hour drive from Kuta, and famous for Bali's hand Batik and traditional hand Weaving Center. Batik is a traditional form of painting fabric. They painstakingly use dots and lines from wax to decorate the cloth. It is very impressive to witness their process of making batik. Batik is derived from the Javanese language, Its derived from the word of “Amba” means write and “Titik” means dot.
Next stop is a silver ware making factory in Celuk Village.
Celuk Village is the famous village in Bali as a tourist destination. The local people here are very good in making jewelry from silver and gold. Their style are unique and mostly are of local design.
From here we proceed to the Batuan Temple.
Main gate of Batuan Temple
Batuan Temple is
a beautiful Hindu temple set in the middle of Batuan Village strategically
located beside of the main road from Denpasar to
Ubud.
It is a local village temple and a part of three major temples in a village
that is called Tri Khayangan. Batuan Temple is beautifully designed with
Balinese architecture and antique Balinese ornaments décor entire temple
building including the entrance gate
The main temple
Our next destination is the Tegalalng Rice Terrace
Tegalalang Rice Terrace is one of the famous tourist sites in Bali. Situated in Tegalalang Village north of Ubud Bali it is featured by the amazing rice terraces set on the cliff.
We had our lunch in one of the many restaurants that serve the Bebek Itik (deep fried duck) which is famous in Ubud.
Our five friends from HK that we met on board the cruise chip. They are taking the 49 days cruise starting and ending in HK.
The restaurant is next to a rice field.
After lunch we dropped by a wood carving factory to view some of the most intricate wood carvings. Unfortunately no photography is allowed other than this picture at the entrance.
The dog is so lifelike. You can even feel the furs.
Our next stop is the Ubud Royal Palace.
The Ubud Royal Palace, officially known as Puri Saren Agung, is a historical building complex situated in Ubud, Gianyar Regency of Bali. The palace is the official residence of the royal family of Ubud.
Open stage of Ubud Palace
From the Ubud Royal Palace we walked to the nearby Ubud Art Market which is famous for its local handicrafts.
Our next destination is the famous Tanah Lot Temple which is an hour drive from Ubud. We barely made it before the closing time at 6pm. Our driver managed to avoid the peak hour traffic jam by using the small village roads.
The entrance to Tanah Lot Temple
Tanah Lot Temple during high tide in the evening.
Tanah Lot Temple is a Hindu temple set on the big rock and encircled by the seawater. During high tide, the temple will look adrift on the water. However when low tide, this temple is easily reached on foot. This moment is usually used by the Balinese Hindus to come to the temple for praying because they cannot reach the temple during high tide.
Tanah Lot Beach with Batu Bolong Temple in he background
Sunset in Tanah Lot
Day 30 - 21 Dec 2015
Today we are sailing on the high seas to Johor Baru. This evening is also our 5th and last Gala Dinner on board before we disembark at Singapore.
Gala Showcase 1st Session
The Captain introducing the senior staff before the Gala Dinner
Our 5th and last Gala Dinner on board
Part of Gala Dinner menu.
Gala Showcase 2nd Session
With the Major Impact singers from the Philippines
The 80's Theme Night Party with the crew
Day 31 - 22 Dec 2015
Continuing with sailing on the high seas. Arriving in Johor Baru at 8am tomorrow. Tonight will be our last night on board Superstar Virgo.
Woke up at 5:15am this morning to see the sun rise but unfortunately it was blocked by dark clouds again. Throughout the 32 days cruise I was not able to watch a single sun rise. Only managed to see the sun set on a few occasions
The weekly consumption of food on board Superstar Virgo. Can't imagine we consumed so much!
Lili joined the morning dance with the cruise staff
Watching the Chinese Tea serving demonstration at the Grand Piazza
Most of my time today was spent reading in the library.
In the afternoon we watched the Superstar Virgo Crew Show Extravaganza
The crew doing their dance routine
Photo taking with the Superstar Virgo "Stars"
Christmas Caroling with Pianist Raz, Alijah and crew
Our last dinner together with our Hong Kong friends
Tonight we will be crossing the Equator again and there is a celebration on board.
Crossing the Equator - King Neptune's Celebration
Our crossing the equator line certificate
Day 32 - 23 Dec 2015
We arrived at Puteri Harbour in Johor at 8am this morning. We did not go for the onshore excursion. Since I can get Internet on my handphone today I spent the whole morning checking and replying my mails and surf the Internet for news back home.
Having my last morning exercise in the gym
Lili joined the line dancing with the cruise staff in the morning
Later she joined the Peacock Dance with the cruise staff Crystal
Our departure from Puteri Harbour for Singapore was delayed for an hour because three Chinese guests came back to the ship late. We were scheduled to arrive at Marina Bay Cruise Centre at 5pm but the arrival has been delayed to 6:30pm. This caused a lot of anxiety among some Malaysians who have to catch their connecting bus back to Malaysia. Fortunately we are staying back in Singapore for three more nights to spend our Christmas here.
Approaching Marina Bay Cruise Centre for our disembarkation
Marina Bay Cruise Centre with Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Singapore Eye at the background
Due to the delay in arrival in Singapore we were provided with dinner at the last minute. Originally we do not have dinner when we disembark at 5pm.
Our last dinner at Genting Palace Restaurant. We had to rush through our dinner to get ready form disembarkation
It was a very memorable cruise of a lifetime for us. Before we join the cruise we were wondering how are we going to endure the 32 days journey at sea. Will we be bored or sea sick?. But time really flies. We do not feel bored at all as there are so many activities that we can be involved in daily. The daily Star Navigator has programs from 6am till 1 to 2 am the next day. There are a lot of free time for us to just relax, reflect or just do nothing!
During the 32 days cruise we have made many friends with fellow travelers and cruise staff. We got to know some of the cruise staff better due to our meeting with them everyday for the past one month. We appreciated very much the service of the housekeeping staff, the restaurants staff and the entertainment staff. It was a tearful farewell for some of the entertainment staff when they bid us goodbye as we depart from the ship. We hope to see them again during other cruise.
We disembarked from Superstar Virgo and continued our stay in Singapore for the next three nights.
We disembarked from Superstar Virgo and continued our stay in Singapore for the next three nights.
No comments:
Post a Comment