Introduction by John Julius Norwich

Voyages to Antiquity: From the Mediterranean to The Far East

The Mediterranean is a vast expanse, with countless ports and cities, towns and villages; no similar area in the world can boast a tenth of what it has to offer. And we think you'll agree that the voyages outlined in our 2012 brochure will prove every bit as fascinating and tempting as their predecessors.

Space doesn't allow me to describe all these in the detail I should have liked; I thought, therefore, that it might be a good idea simply to zoom in on a number of the individual places we shall be visiting, and say, very briefly, why - to me at least - they have always been so special. One of them is Malta, because anyone who has not been there cannot begin to imagine the beauty and magnificence of Grand Harbour. Just the sight of it from Valletta is unforgettable; to sail into it, preferably in the early morning, is one of the great experiences of travel.

Then there is Palermo, another one of those magically beautiful anchorages, ringed by hills in what is called the Conca d'Oro, the Golden Shell, the dome of the Cathedral and the great square tower of King Roger's Royal Palace rearing up from the city behind. Or there is the still largely unspoilt beauty of Patmos - perhaps the loveliest of all the islands of the Aegean - with its magnificent monastery marking the spot where St John wrote the Book of Revelation.

So much for ports of arrival; it's also worth saying a word or two, I think, about the places one cruises past. One of these, for sheer fascination, comfortably takes the prize: this is of course Mount Athos, the Holy Mountain with its twenty main monasteries and innumerable monkish settlements and hermitages, prohibited to anything female certainly since the tenth century and very probably before. A good many of the monasteries are visible from the coast; most spectacular of all is that of Simopetra, rocketing still further skyward from the summit of its mountain, looking gloriously insecure in spite of having endured the Mediterranean storms for several centuries already.

The above are just a few old favourites, chosen almost at random; I could have talked just as happily about Taormina, or Delos or Corfu. And so, I'm sure, could you. The one, vital, thing we have to remember is what a miracle the Mediterranean is, and how unbelievably lucky we are to be able to enjoy it.

The Far East – to state the excruciatingly obvious – is not a bit like the Mediterranean; and it involves, inevitably, a rather different style of cruising.

The distances are longer, for one thing, so rather more time must be spent at sea; on the other hand, many of our clients are getting to know the dear old Med rather well by now, and will welcome the far more exotic destinations that now lie within our reach.

All too many of these, I confess to my shame, I have never visited myself; Kota Kinabalu, Nha Trang, Pare Pare, Ujung Pandang and several others remain mysteries to me.

Among those I know – and leaving aside the two great miracles of the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat, which everyone should see before they die – I have especially happy memories of Yangon (which I used to call Rangoon) and the hours I have spent, fascinated, in its great Shwedagong temple; of Penang – where a whole trainload of us were driven round the island in a fleet of vintage cars; of Bali where, high in the mountains, I enjoyed one of the best lunches I have ever eaten; and of the ravishing little synagogue of Cochin.

So – if you don't already know the Far East like the back of your hand – answer its call. Get yourself plenty of reading material – I warmly recommend an e-book, which can be constantly replenished at will – and make sure that it includes the short stories of Somerset Maugham.

VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY will do the rest. Bon voyage! 

	The Middle Sea, one of John Julius Norwich's remarkable books about the Eastern and Central Mediterranean, alongside A History of Venice and Byzantium, The Early Centuries, has inspired our outstanding itineraries to the Mediterranean.
Photo © Ellen Warner