Life on the ocean wave

STAN CULLIMORE is wowed by a fantastic two-week cruise from Bangkok to Hong Kong

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NEVER saw myself going on cruises, I didn’t think I was that way inclined. And yet, there I was, less than one year after my very first ever Viking cruise, setting off on my third. The first two were fab and this third one looked even better.

An amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip starting in Bangkok, Thailand, sailing round the coast to Hong Kong via Cambodia and Vietnam. It was to be an epic journey aboard the good ship Viking Venus, taking in some of the prettiest bits of South East Asia. The only question is, will it live up to the hype?

Obviously, Bangkok is a long haul flight away, several hours ahead of the UK, which means a holiday out there involves overcoming a bit of jet lag. However, those bright bunnies at Viking have come up with a clever way round this issue. You can pre-extend your cruise. Which simply means you fly out a couple of days before you meet your ship and get to spend some quality time in Bangkok while your body clock gets attuned to the new time zone. We did exactly that, staying at the Shangri La Hotel, which was a real humdinger of a place. Swanky, posh, the sort of upmarket establishment where guys in pith helmets welcome you at the door. Inside, there’s an air of overwhelming elegance throughout, while outside there's an amazing pool to keep you smiling.

My room was stunning, the perfect place to relax and unwind, with far reaching views of the city and river below. After a couple of days sightseeing (Viking organise excursions with guides while you're there) I felt as if I’d already had the best mini-break ever. And that was before we'd even seen our ship. Turns out, the best was yet to come.