French luxury line Ponant has lined up a series of new cruises to Asia in 2021 taking in magnificent UNESCO world heritage sites and idyllic islands from India, Sri Lanka, Japan to the Philippines.

The line’s Asian itinerary includes a 13-day epic crossing of the Bay of Bengal on board Le Laperouse from 10 to 22 February 2021 where passengers can explore the wonders of Sri Lanka and India before cruising the former silk and spice routes in Thailand and Malaysia.

Le Laperouse will depart Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo and make her way to Galle where passengers can discover the Portuguese and Dutch heritage. She will visit Trincomalee, home to another two UNESCO world heritage sites of Polonnaruwa and Dambulla. She then heads north to Chennai, formerly known as Madras and visit the ancient temple of Kapaleshwara built in the 7th century and the holy cities of Kanchipuram and Mamallapuram.

She will then cross the Gulf of Bengal and drop anchor in Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay National Park, famous for its karstic islets landscape.

She will cruise the Malacca Strait and discover Penang and disembarking in Port Klang, the gateway to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

The line is also offering a 13-day cruise on board Le Laperouse from Port Klang, visiting Malaysia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from 22 February to 6 March 2021. Guests will be able to delve in the rich history, culture and traditions of four Southeast Asia countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The cruise will also call at the stunning islands of Ko Samui and Ko Kood in the Gulf of Thailand with fine sandy beaches, coconut trees, turquoise sea and tropical rainforest. The ship will spend overnights in Singapore, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City.

Passengers who prefer to cruise to Asia next year, Le Soleal is offering an immersion in Japanese culture sailing from Osaka to Maizuru from 30 May to 7 June 2020.

The cruise will visit three, top UNESCO world heritage sites including Itsukushima Shrine in Japan, Halong Bay in Vietnam and Kokomo National Park in Indonesia.

For more information visit au.ponant.com or call 1300 737 178