A night in Singapore gave us the chance to relax in a nice hotel, indulge in a fabulous Nonya meal at Blue Ginger restaurant then have a great night's sleep before heading out the next morning for some city sightseeing & shopping.
In the afternoon we boarded the grand old liner QE2 to sail from Singapore to Colombo, Sri Lanka
. A few days at sea to experience all the facilities - wonderful meals in the Princess Grill, lots of traditional shipboard activities offered both indoors & out. I was taking part in a Seminar at Sea focusing on lots of travel product information & cruise training in particular, so it was a great opportunity to participate while sailing aboard one of the world's legendary cruise ships.
We had amazingly calm & sultry conditions for most of the crossing, with the sea glassy, flat & no breeze at all.
On arrival into port we were certainly the centre of attention - on the seaward side we were surrounded by gunboats & frogmen for security, while on the wharf there were elephants & dancers to greet us!
The central city area of Colombo had a distinctly Indian feel - chaotic traffic, colourful temples & saris. After a short city tour we headed out to the beach area & enjoyed a pleasant meal overlooking the sea, with all the local seafood specialties showcased. Back in town we spent some time at a local shopping complex where there were lots of local handicrafts on offer.
Back to the hotel to rest up until our late night departure back to Sydney with a connection again through Singapore.
QE2 Singapore to Sri Lanka trip notes
Thursday, March 13, 2003
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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2025-02-12