Volcanoes, Temples & Island Jewels

Benoa opens the whole of Bali to you. Watch the sun drop behind the sea-cliff temple of Uluwatu as barefoot dancers stamp out the hypnotic Kecak fire ritual, or rise early for the mirror-calm Tegallalang rice terraces above Ubud. Wander incense-scented temple gates, browse the silver workshops of Celuk, and feast on crackling babi guling. Back aboard by evening, you sidestep the resort crowds who never see Bali empty. The Island of the Gods, on your schedule.

The gateway to one of Indonesia's most photographed landscapes, Mount Bromo's smoking crater rises from a sea of volcanic sand inside the vast Tengger Caldera, best seen at dawn from the Penanjakan viewpoint as the sun clears the surrounding peaks. The Tenggerese people who farm this harsh volcanic soil still hold an annual offering ceremony, Yadnya Kasada, throwing produce into the crater itself. A four-wheel-drive sunrise excursion here is one of the most dramatic short trips in all of Indonesia.

Semarang is your gateway to Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument on Earth: a mountain of grey volcanic stone crowned with bell-shaped stupas, best met at sunrise as mist lifts off the Kedu plain and 500 serene Buddhas emerge from the haze. Pair it with the soaring Hindu spires of Prambanan, then stroll Semarang's Dutch colonial Old Town and its candy-pink Blenduk church. It's a long, rewarding day inland, and you return to your own suite rather than a hotel.

Semarang is your gateway to Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument on Earth: a mountain of grey volcanic stone crowned with bell-shaped stupas, best met at sunrise as mist lifts off the Kedu plain and 500 serene Buddhas emerge from the haze. Pair it with the soaring Hindu spires of Prambanan, then stroll Semarang's Dutch colonial Old Town and its candy-pink Blenduk church. It's a long, rewarding day inland, and you return to your own suite rather than a hotel.

A cluster of twenty-seven small islands scattered across the Java Sea, protected as a national marine park and rewarding anyone who makes the crossing with some of the clearest water and healthiest coral in the region. Frigatebirds and terns wheel over largely uninhabited islets, while mangrove channels on the main island shelter smaller reef fish nurseries. Deliberately low-key and difficult to reach, which is precisely why the reef here has stayed so intact.

Granite boulders the size of houses tumble straight into turquoise water along Belitung's coastline, a landscape made famous well beyond Indonesia by the bestselling novel and film Laskar Pelangi, both set on this small tin-mining island. A relaxed, unhurried dining scene built around fresh seafood and Chinese-Indonesian influences reflects the island's long tin-trading history. Some of the clearest, calmest snorkeling in western Indonesia lies a short boat ride from any of its beaches. An island still, remarkably, ahead of the crowds.

Granite boulders, the same striking formations that made neighboring Belitung famous, line this quieter beach on Bangka Island, long overshadowed by its more photogenic neighbor. Bangka's centuries-old tin-mining wealth built a genuinely distinct Chinese-Indonesian Peranakan food culture, still on full display in the island's markets and kitchens. A handful of beachfront spas take advantage of the island's calm, clear water. Belitung's scenery, without Belitung's crowds.

Begin where garden-city futurism meets old Asia. Marvel at the Supertrees and misty Cloud Forest of Gardens by the Bay, raise a Singapore Sling at Raffles' Long Bar, then graze Maxwell hawker center for chili crab and Hainanese chicken rice. Being small, SeaDream berths right on Marina Bay, a front-row seat the mega-ships can't claim, and an overnight lets you watch the light show glitter long after the crowds have thinned.

Begin where garden-city futurism meets old Asia. Marvel at the Supertrees and misty Cloud Forest of Gardens by the Bay, raise a Singapore Sling at Raffles' Long Bar, then graze Maxwell hawker center for chili crab and Hainanese chicken rice. Being small, SeaDream berths right on Marina Bay, a front-row seat the mega-ships can't claim, and an overnight lets you watch the light show glitter long after the crowds have thinned.

Samui greets you with swaying coconut palms and the serene golden gaze of the Big Buddha above the bay. Laze on Chaweng's fine sand, browse Fisherman's Village at Bophut where old teak shophouses become a Friday walking street, or retreat to a hilltop spa for a traditional Thai massage. Chase jungle waterfalls inland, then let SeaDream's marina turn the warm Gulf into your private playground.

Samui greets you with swaying coconut palms and the serene golden gaze of the Big Buddha above the bay. Laze on Chaweng's fine sand, browse Fisherman's Village at Bophut where old teak shophouses become a Friday walking street, or retreat to a hilltop spa for a traditional Thai massage. Chase jungle waterfalls inland, then let SeaDream's marina turn the warm Gulf into your private playground.

Forty-two emerald islands rise sheer from the Gulf of Thailand, and there is no pier here, only anchorages that SeaDream III was built for. Kayak from the swim platform to the hidden Emerald Lagoon, climb to the panoramic viewpoint that inspired the novel The Beach, then snorkel turquoise shallows and picnic on a sandbar all your own. A day of raw natural drama, reachable only by those who arrive by sea. Swimming and non-motorized craft only here; motorized watersports need the local authority's permission. Discover with SeaDream.

A tiny island that built its entire reputation on diving, some of the cheapest PADI certification anywhere in the world drew a generation of backpackers here, and the reefs that made it famous are still genuinely excellent. Sail Rock, a submerged pinnacle a short boat ride offshore, remains one of the Gulf of Thailand's best dive sites for spotting whale sharks in season. A laid-back, castaway atmosphere persists even as the island has grown more comfortable. Thailand's diving capital, in miniature.

From the port, plunge into the glorious chaos of the City of Angels. Watch dawn gild the spires of the Grand Palace and the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, then trade tuk-tuks for a long-tail boat threading the khlongs to the flower and fruit markets. As day falls, a rooftop bar and a private table of som tam, massaman and mango sticky rice await. With overnights aboard, you savor Bangkok's cool evenings without ever repacking a bag.