Back in March, the wife and I were lucky enough to travel on a 26 day cruise with Fred Olsen on the Black Watch, an experience that we will treasure forever. I really did wonder if the cruise length was too long and how much additional weight I would gain, but it was excellent with so many contrasts and unpredicted events.

We flew into Singapore 3 days before the Black Watch set sail, and although I had visited before many years ago, things did not seem to have changed significantly. I opted to stay in my favourite location, Clarke Quay where the Merlion still commands the river, full of bumboats, a multitude of restaurants on the Quayside and just a wonderful area to sit and watch the world go by.

I thought we would do something different rather than the usual Raffles, Orchard Road etc so with the little time we had, we headed off to the Singapore zoo to have breakfast with the Orang Utans. Really good fun and the zoo was cleverly designed so that the animals were free to roam, but you were able to get up really close. As you walked around large lizards and geckos lined the footpaths, totally oblivious to the visitors.

Back to the hotel and then off again that evening for a look around Chinatown, and the night markets, followed by a trishaw ride and a bumboat cruise up to the mouth of the Singapore river.An evening full of colour and a really vibrant atmosphere.

We still had another day to fill so opted to get the monorail over to Sentosa where I remembered seeing the spectacular musical fountain show but things had however changed there . Universal Studios was now in full swing so we had to test the rides and filmsets which were as good as any you will find in Florida or California . The “Rapids Ride” was very much an experience , very sedate to start with but then you stopped in a dark cave wondering what was going to happen and then suddenly the boat was shot 150 ft in the air to link with a much faster flowing river as the finale – Brilliant !!!

So we set sail from Singapore to Port Klang (near Kuala Lumpur ) and had a great day looking around the capital . The Petronas Towers were an absolute must with the link to Formula One and again the markets, and shops all had that vibrant far eastern appeal. Interesting to contrast this with Singapore in case anyone decides to fly with Malaysian and build this in as a stopover maybe en route to Australia or New Zealand .

Off again and this time we arrive in Phuket, Thailand and then off to Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island by speedboat, where they filmed the finale of “The Man with the Golden Gun”. Really magnificent scenery and reminded me very much of Halong Bay in Vietnam.

No time to lose “Moneypenny “, and set sail for Sri Lanka for two ports, Hambantota and Colombo where the wife wanted a taste of safari life . We were not disappointed at all and Fred organised a great excursion out to the Yala National Park where we spotted a wide range of wildlife and birds. Sadly though we did not spot the illusive leopard , but maybe next time !!!

Onward in Colombo we were off to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage with interesting coach journeys en route . Driving in Sri Lanka seems to rely on blasting the horn as often as possible and overtaking on blind bends but it all adds to the excitement of the day out !!!

Time to calm down and we arrive in Uligamu and Utheemu in the Maldives , real paradises . Pure white fine sand beaches , crystal clear blue ocean and a large cold beer within easy reach –What more could you want !!! –Personally I would struggle to stay for more than a week without some really good books as you could cover the whole island in an hour or so. However if you just want to get away from it all and can afford the high accommodation costs, the Maldives would be an ideal choice.

Now this is where things were starting to happen on the pirate front as on the beach we noticed a couple of pretty fit chaps who were relaxing but we had not seen before on board. Strange we thought and then headed to get the tender back to the ship. We later found out that these were ex professional marines who were armed and contracted specifically for this sector of the cruise. We were also confused when our barman was no longer wearing his waistcoat and tie, but had donned a camouflage jacket and trousers and was part of the 24 hour look out team along with many other of his colleagues. Having watched the Tom Hanks movie “Captain Phillips” and coupled with our knowledge of “Dads Army” it was clear what was happening !!!!!

From the Maldives, the Black Watch sailed north to Salalah , in Oman and Fred was already getting the security in place whilst we were ashore !!!We had a superb day excursion in Oman in a 4 X 4 travelling through the old fishing village of Taqah and then heading up to the plateau, high up in the Qara mountain range for a BBQ. Really awesome views and unlike Dubai this was the Middle East before commercialisation and overpowering skyscrapers and I have to say I was well impressed.

On returning to the ship clearly much had been going on in our absence – Lethal razor wire had been erected around the ship, a number of scan jet water cannons were installed and huge warning signs in Somali were draped over the port and starboard sides. We were also to travel in convoy protected by a multinational force of naval warships !! In addition everyone had to attend a “Safe Haven” drill in case of any suspected pirate encounter which was very efficiently organised and passengers would be sealed off in the centre sections of the ship. Captain Mainwaring and his team were ready for action !!!

With preparations all in place the Black Watch left Salalah, cruising for 4 days though the Gulf of Aden past the Somali coastline, Djibouti, then sailing up the Red Sea past Ethiopia, and the Sudan and eventually arriving into Safaga, Egypt. – And guess what, absolutely no sign of trouble from the Somali Pirates but the precautions were nevertheless all there – A real experience !!!

Safaga gave us the opportunity to visit the Temple at Luxor which was really impressive albeit baking hot !! It was good to cool off on a felucca lunch cruise on the Nile before heading to the Valley of the Kings. Again so, so interesting and in my view a real contrast from the pyramids in Cairo.

Our next stop was due to be in Sharm el-Sheikh followed by Alexandria but due to terrorism incidents whilst we were there, it was decided to abort these ports, sail through the Suez Canal and dock in Heraklion, Crete. The town was just a short walk from the dock so shopping, excellent seafood and a few glasses of raki were the order of the day !!!

Sadly our final stop was in Valetta, Malta and then to catch the flight home. Those 26 days had gone so quickly but a definite experience, one that we both will never forget, from start to finish.

I could not fault Fred Olsen in any way on the food, their staff and organisation and if you think you would like to sample cruising they have an extremely varied programme both in Europe and Worldwide on both the ocean and river. Their ships are on the smaller, more homely style and do cater for the more “ mature passenger” so do not expect a 2700 ton vessel with 16 decks and a climbing wall !! You simply must give them a try.

As for me, I am heading off with them to South Africa this time and I look forward to it being as successful and enjoyable as this last adventure !!!.

06 Feb, 2024
After careful consideration we decided to take our two children aged 6 and 9 to the Fjords for a week in May on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. Firstly, we sailed from Southampton and the embarkation was seamless.
By Eagle Travel 24 Dec, 2020
For the last part of my South African Adventure I headed to Franschoek – approximately an hour’s drive from Cape Town and in the heart of the Cape Winelands, for 24 hours of warmth and relaxation before our flight back … Continue reading → The post Fabulous Franschhoek appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 24 Aug, 2020
After spending a fantastic few days in Cape Town, I headed to the next destination on my South African Adventure; the Mala Mala Game reserve. A 2-hour flight from Cape Town we touched down at Skukuza Airport – a tiny … Continue reading → The post 48 hours in Mala Mala appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 23 Jan, 2020
With a miserable UK forecast, 3 friends and I decided on a last-minute trip at the beginning of October. We quickly settled on Malaga – just 2 hours away, as the destination for our 48-hour getaway!       Often … Continue reading → The post Malaga – 48 hours of sunshine! appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 09 Dec, 2019
From time immemorial, the shores of Japan have been the first part of Asia to be awakened by the morning sun. Each day this country, consisting of four main islands in the Pacific, would emerge again from darkness into light.  … Continue reading → The post The Land of The Rising Sun appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 09 Dec, 2019
One of the many privileges of my long career in travel is to explore new River and Ocean-going ships, which is why I was excited to cruise the Danube aboard the beautiful AmaMagna in November. Launched in May 2019 she … Continue reading → The post Cruising the Romantic Danube appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 09 Dec, 2019
Sorrento is a popular Italian holiday destination with many people going for a week-long duration, but we found it a great place for a short break. We chose a 4 night stay at the Hotel La Vue D’Or which due … Continue reading → The post Short break in Sorrento appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 09 Dec, 2019
January, as you know, is cold over here, so along with “her indoors” we decided that it would be a great idea to find some sun and to also relive our enjoyment of wildlife. It meant combining a land safari … Continue reading → The post Awesome African Wildlife Adventure appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 06 Dec, 2019
Thailand had always been somewhere myself and my nieces had wanted to go, so using my experience I designed a great itinerary for us all! We flew with Thai Airways to Bangkok, an excellent airline and I would highly recommend … Continue reading → The post Enticing Thailand! appeared first on Eagle Travel.
By Eagle Travel 06 Dec, 2019
Australia is one of those destinations that is on most people’s travel wish list, including that of my 10-year-old Daughter. I’ve been lucky enough to visit this spectacular country that has so much to offer. We started our journey with … Continue reading → The post Amazing Australia! appeared first on Eagle Travel.
More Posts
Share by: