Oz's Travels

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2023 Asian Odyssey - Score Card

This is long overdue, my 2023 Asian Odyssey Score Card. My cruise on the Azamara Quest was very enjoyable and good value.

My 2023 Asian Odyssey Score Card has been a long time in coming… I guess I need to get this out before my 2024 cruise starts. First up though was is my arrival in Singapore. Singapore Arrival My 2023 Asian Odyssey was the first non-working cruise or one that went somewhere, that I arrived in Singapore onboard a sea going vessel. We arrived at the Habourfront Cruise Terminal, which is…

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2023 Azamara Quest French Chef's Table

My final Chef's Table experience was the French Chef's Table, the wine pairing was French. This was the best of the three

The last table to be presented as a part of this cruise was the French Chef’s Table and it was paired with French wines, so should be interesting. The French Meal Continue reading 2023 Azamara Quest French Chef’s Table

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2023 Azamara Quest Asian Chef's Table

One of the experiences offered on Azamara Cruises is their Chef’s Table. Fairly simple the ship’s Executive Chef and his team cook dégustation dinners that focuses on a specific cuisine, tonight’s was the Asian Chef’s Table. The menu is paired with wines so you get a full gastronomic experience. The Chef’s Tables are not included in your fare so there is a top up needed, though this is pretty…

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Day 16 Ho Chi Minh City

Our departure from Ho Chi Minh City had us back tracking down the Mekong River, this time in daylight. An interesting trip of 50nm (90kms)

We departed Ho Chi Minh City at 12pm reversing our trek down the snake like Mekong River back to the South China Sea. This time the 50nm (90kms) would be in daylight so the view from my cabin’s balcony will be great. Before we left though we got to watch the locals do some drill practice on the wharf. Continue reading Day 16 Ho Chi Minh City

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Day 14 Ho Chi Minh City

Our last port of call before Singapore was Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon. A very hot day too hot to explore, so just chilled out.

After another relaxing day at sea and 480nm (888kms) we arrived in a very hot Ho Chi Minh City our last port of call and an overnight stay. As I am frequent visitor to Ho Chi Minh City for work so decided to chill for the day and overnight just enjoy a day and night doing nothing in the city. Arriving in Saigon is a bit of a task for the crew as the transit from the South China Sea is about 50nm…

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Day 13 Da Nang & Hoi An

Our first port of call in Vietnam was Da Nang. My tour for the day would include Hoi An with a visit to the market and a spot of cooking.

After a day at sea and 515nm (955kms) we arrived in Da Nang Vietnam. This was my first visit to Da Nang and was not to be a long one as my tour for the day was to be in Hoi An. In Hoi An I attended a Vietnamese cooking class… Can’t wait. We also had a visit to another food market! Another first for us, the Azamara Quest was the first cruise ship to arrive in Da Nang since Covid. Might explain…

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Day 11 - Hong Kong New Territories

Day 2 in Hong Kong included a bike tour of the New Territories and a sail away at the same time as the daily Hong Kong Light Show

After a great night at Wine Central it was time to meet our guide for the morning to go on a bike tour of Hong Kong’s New Territories. This would be my first time visiting the New Territories so was looking forward to it, as well as getting on a bike. The tour was organised by a couple, Jane and Kevin who were also on the cruise, can’t thank them enough for including me. New Territories The New…

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Day 10 - Hong Kong

Hong Kong was our next stop with a two day visit, gave me a chance to revisit Kowloon and to go to James Suckling's Wine Central

After another relaxing day at sea and 475nm (880kms) sailing from Keelung we arrived in Hong Kong, one of my favourite cities in the world, to visit. Hong Kong is a bit too busy, with compact accommodation that is way to close to each other for comfort. Hong Kong is another port where we stayed overnight so I took the opportunity to visit a few places I had not been to since the start of Covid.…

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Day 8 - Keelung and Taipei Taiwan Part 2

Visiting Taipei 101 and the art installations is a must and so is a visit to the Keelung Markets make sure you try the Aiju Jelly

This is the second part of my post on my visit to Keelung and Taipei in Taiwan, Part 1 is here. Taipei is definitely an interesting place, there is always something around to put a smile on your dial. Lunch After we left the Textile Market in Taipei it was time for lunch…. On the food side of things Judy is the expert and she had chosen a place that is known for its beef noodles. Continue…

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Day 8 - Keelung and Taipei Taiwan Part 1

Our next port of call was Keelung Taiwan, which is the port nearest to Taipei, a four market day plus a visit to the area around Taipei 101

After another enjoyable day at sea we arrived in Keelung, the port near Taipei. This leg of the cruise was 622nm (about 1150kms). As the tours offered by Azamara did not wow me I decided to book my own guide for the day through With Locals, it was definitely the right move. Continue reading Untitled

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Day 7 - At Sea - Food and Wine Pairing

During a sea day on Azamara a Food and Wine Pairing was one of the events, definitely had to give this a try. Worth the effort!

The next day after leaving Kagoshima was a sea day with a Food and Wine Pairing hosted by Silas, the Azamara Quest’s Chief Sommelier. It has been a while since I have participated a tasting of this sort, should be a bit of fun. The wines we would be tasting were the house wines on board, so I was not expecting any high ratings, but the addition of the pairings will keep it interesting. Continue…

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Day 6 - Aqualina

After departing Kagoshima Japan, it was time to have a quiet drink on the pool deck as I get ready for my dinner in Aqualina later. Forgot to add in my previous post that my Mojito is not the usual recipe, I prefer dark rum, preferably Ron Zacappa 23, which was not included in my drinks package so went with Bacardi 8. Which, IMHO, pairs well with citrus. Mohito time Continue reading Untitled

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Day 6 - Kagoshima - A Wander

Our last day in Kagoshima and Japan was a sunny one and during the Kagoshima Spring Festival of Daihanya which improved my last day in Japan.

We overnighted in Kagoshima which gave me the opportunity to look around the town. I was hoping to try the local delicacy of kurobuta pork, unfortunately the places that were renowned or even decent wouldn’t open until too late. Still lots of things to see. Continue reading Untitled

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Day 5 – Kagoshima Japan – Part 2 - Sakurajima

Sakurajima, just off of Kagoshima, is the most active volcano in Japan and is worth a visit. Enjoyed the view from the observation area.

After exploring the grounds of Sengan-en Gardens and the Satsuma Kiriko Glassworks we needed a ferry to cross over to Sakurajima. Ferries depart regularly and takes about 15 minutes, waiting in the queue for the bus to load took longer. A pleasant trip, thankfully it was a nice day so we had great views. Continue reading Untitled

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Day 5 - Kagoshima Japan - Part 1

Our first stop in Kagoshima was the Sengan-En gardens followed by the Satsuma Glassworks. It was great day for wandering through the gardens

Our 4th, if you include Tokyo, and last port in Japan was Kagoshima. We arrived in Kagoshima after an overnight sail of 262 nautical miles (485kms) from Kochi for our first overnight stay in a port. Arrival Continue reading Untitled

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Day 4 - Kōchi Japan

Kōchi Japan was our next port, today's itinerary included a visit to the Takagi Sake Brewery and Hirome-ichiba Market in Kōchi City

After sailing 113 nautical miles (209kms) from Osaka, we arrived Kōchi, Japan, for a day of sightseeing and Sake tasting. Kōchi is the Capital of the Kōchi Prefecture, and is located on the island of Shikoku. Continue reading Untitled

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Day 3 - Osaka Kyoto and Shinkansen

Day 3 was an enjoyable day in Osaka and Kyoto with a trip on the Shinkansen. It is also included a visit to the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum.

Day 3 of my Asian Odyssey was a busy one, firstly we docked in Osaka after sailing around 319 nautical miles, from there I took the train to Kyoto, followed by returning to Osaka on the Shinkansen. Osaka Arrival We docked in Osaka on time @ 07:30 at the Osaka Cruise Terminal Continue reading Untitled

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