REVIEW
LOCATION:
Hong Kong .
We embarked the Superstar Leo
in Hong Kong and sailed to Sanya, Danang, Hong Kong and Xiamen on a
6 day/ 5 night cruise. The cruise was a combination
of a 4day/3night and a 3day/2night cruise.
SHIP: Superstar Leo.
How we rate the 'Superstar Leo' out of 5. (5=
Best, 1=Worst.)
Cabins:5
Public
Areas:5
Food:5
Entertainment:4
Facilities:5
Itinerary:4
Recreational Activities:3
Service:5
Return
to Menu
COMMENT:
This
was our second cruise with Star Cruises of Asia. The ship 'Superstar Leo'
was built in 1998 and therefore all facilities were in very good
condition. The cruise out of Hong Kong was mainly aimed at the Asian
market so the majority of passengers were Asian with a few Europeans and other
Caucasians mixed in consisting of mainly expat Brits, Germans, Aussies and
Americans. The Ports of Call were interesting and still in an
under-developed state. The Cruise ship organised shore excursions to
various places of interest at each Port. The cruise was a combination of a
4day/3night cruise leaving Hong Kong on Sunday and returning on Wednesday and
then a 3day/2night cruise leaving Wednesday and returning Friday.
Casual catering was provided in the Raffles Buffet where one could
indulge in Asian, Indian and Western food. A La Carte dining was in the
Windows Restaurant and Gardens Restaurant. Specialty restaurants were the
'Shogun' for Japanese food, 'Maxim's' for French dining and 'Blue Lagoon' for 24
hour snacks.
SuperStar Leo in Hong Kong
Return
to Menu
ITINERARY:
The ship sailed from Hong Kong to Sanya City, Hainan Island Peoples Republic of China, Danang in Vietnam, back to Hong Kong and then Xiamen in Peoples Republic of China.
SANYA CITY, HAINAN
ISLAND
Sanya is an
important political, economic, cultural and foreign trade port in the southern
part of Hainan Island, China, and also a famous coastal tourist city filled with
tropical landscapes and local customs. Since Sanya is situated in the
southernmost part of China, she has been called "the remotest cape of the earth"
since ancient time.
The region of Sanya has a long history of human development. There
were discoveries of cultural relics of the Old Stone Age. Ancient Persian tombs
were found along the coast. Sanya region was called Ahuya Prefecture in
the western Han dynasty, later changed to Linzhen Prefecture in the Sui Dynasty,
Zhen Zhou in the Tang dynasty, Ya Zhou in the Song Dynasty, Ya County in 1920
and Sanya City in 1984.
Beach Resort - Yalong Bay |
Street scene downtown -Sanya City |
Sanya enjoys a mild tropical climate
with abundant sunshine, with colourful flowers in bloom throughout the
year. Reputed to be an excellent resort site, Sanya attracts thousands of
visitors all year round to its beach resorts. The legendary
'Deer turning its Head' statue in a park of the same name high on top of a
mountain overlooking the city.
The buses used for the
excursions were basic with aircon. Drinking water was supplied. Average
cost for tours was HK$300 per person.
Scenic spots and historical sites in Sanya include Tianya
Haijiao-- The Remotest Cape of the Earth, Yalong Bay, Dadong Sea
Scenic Spot, Sanya Bay, Haitang Bay...
Sunset over Sanya Bay
Marble carvings at Non Nouc Village |
 A marble carver at work |
On the day of our arrival it was raining and it rained all day. We visited the Non Nuoc Carving Village where we saw various types of marble carvings. China Beach was next on the tour but was disappointing because of the rain and lack of sun. We then headed for Hoi An Ancient Town and spent the next two hours walking in the rain to various locations because the streets are too narrow for the bus. It was fun but wet.
Afterwards we made our way to a Vietnamese restaurant where we had lunch
before boarding the bus for a tour of the Danang City Square and Han
Markets.. It reminded me of pictures of the tree-lined streets of Paris
that I have seen. A definite French influence there.
 Hoi An Ancient Village |
China Beach of TV Fame |
We also visited a silk worm factory where we saw silk cloth being made
using some very out dated equipment.
After that it was back to the
ship for our trip back to Hong Kong.
 The 'Peak' Tram in Hong Kong |
Aberdeen Harbour famous for its Floating Restaurants. |
Xiamen is in the southern part of Fujian Province. It is an economic
Special Region The population is 1,150,000. It has a
monsoon climate in the subtropical zone. The annual average temperature is
20.8oC. The annual precipitation is 1100mm and the black frost period can
last 364 days. The harbour is very wide and deep.
An inner harbour , Xiamen. |
Street scene, Xiamen |
The industry here is machinery, electronics, textile, clothing, food and chemical . The output of the electronic industry and cigarette industry are of first quality in China. Drink, leather goods, industrial arts, chemical fibre, electric appliances and instruments made here are well-known all over the country. In agriculture, there are grains, peanut, sugar cane, tea and fruits.
Xiamen Harbor is an important foreign trade harbor. It has ocean-going routes to other countries and places, such as Singapore, Japan, Macau, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou and so many other places.
Wanshi Mountain - Gulangyu Island is an important place of interest in China. South Putuo Temple is another famous place in Xiamen.
On our tour of the city we went to Tiger Brook Rock - an ancient Buddist monastry built by the hillside during the Ming Dynasty. We also visited a Tea Room where the art of Chinese Tea Making was demonstrated.
The new Convention Centre in Wanchai, Hong Kong |
Tiger Brook Rock Temple |
No trip to China is complete without a visit to see Panda Bears. These two above were located at the Ocean Park in Hong Kong.
Enjoy! 
See
Cruise Review of 'Superstar Gemini Cruise'1998.
See
also Cruise Review of P&O 'Fair Princess'1999.
Return
to Menu
Top
of page.
Contact me:
Last updated on :
Click here to bookmark our Website!
©2005 - 2009 Albert Kramer
Visitors since 19th Sept. 2006