Singapore, an island city-state off southern Malaysia, is a global financial centre with a tropical climate and multicultural population. Founded as a British trading colony in 1819, since independence it has become one of the world's most prosperous countries and boasts the world's busiest port. Combining the skyscrapers and subways of a modern, affluent city with a medley of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences and a tropical climate, with tasty food, good shopping and a vibrant night-life scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover or springboard into the region. Singapore is often referred to as the Lion City, the Garden City and the Red Dot, and is the world's only sovereign island city-state. "Easiest place to do business" (World Bank) for ten consecutive years, most "Technology-ready" nation (EIU), top "International meetings city" (UIA), city with "Best investment potential" (BERI), 2nd-most competitive country (WEF), 3rd-largestforeign exchange centre, 4th-largest financial centre, 3rd-largest oil refining and trading centre and one of the top two busiest container ports since the 1990s.

Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million, and the capital of the province of East Java. It is located on the northern shore of eastern Java at the mouth of the Mas River and along the edge of the Madura Strait. To Indonesians, it is known as "the city of heroes" due to the importance of the Battle of Surabaya in galvanising Indonesian and international support for Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution. The city's tree-lined streets, street parks and renovated pavements will impress those newly arrived from other cities in the archipelago, though in general the city's attractions tend to be more apparent to those who make it their home rather than to short-term visitors.

Benoa, on the Indonesian island of Bali, is a cruise port located closely to popular places like Nusa Dua, Sanur, Kuta and Denpasar.  

Semarang is a city on the north coast of the island of Java, Indonesia. It is the capital of the province of Central Java. A major port during the Dutch colonial era, and still an important port today, the city has a dominant Javanese population. Semarang is a bustling mid-sized city with a population of 1.5 million. More a business than tourism destination, it nevertheless has its own charm with contrasting modern mid-rises, Dutch colonial architecture, Chinatown, and small "kampong" jutting against each other.