Asia is a destination that invites curiosity. In one day, a traveler may encounter the silence of a hillside temple, the scent of night market street food, and the futuristic glow of a skyline reflected on the water. It is a region where heritage and innovation live side by side, where every experience feels layered, storied, and alive. It is also a region that rewards time — time to absorb, taste, observe, and reflect.

Explora Journeys enters Asia with a philosophy built for this kind of travel. With sailings aboard EXPLORA III, the brand offers a refined and modern way to move through the region. Instead of rushing between flights, hotels, and transfers, guests settle into an elegant oceanfront suite that travels with them, creating continuity between destinations and allowing the sea itself to set the rhythm of the journey.

This is not traditional cruising. It is a new style of ocean travel — one that replaces speed with depth, logistics with ease, and sightseeing with meaningful cultural connection.

A Different Way to Move Through Asia

Explora Journeys is guided by the Ocean State of Mind, a belief that time at sea resets the senses and creates space for genuine presence. While Asia can be vibrant, energetic, and full of layered experiences, the ocean acts as a quiet interval between them — turning travel days into restorative moments instead of logistical exhaustion.

Guests settle into spacious oceanfront suites with private terraces, rather than navigating airports, repacking bags, or moving between hotels. The ship is designed more like a contemporary European boutique hotel than a traditional cruise vessel, with elegant lounges, curated dining spaces, and an atmosphere of ease rather than schedule-driven busyness.

Late departures and overnight stays are built into many Asia itineraries, allowing travelers to see destinations not only by day, but in the evening when the energy shifts, the lights rise, and the true rhythm of the city emerges.

Immersion That Feels Authentic

Explora Journeys designs destination experiences with intention, prioritizing cultural depth, local expertise, and smaller-scale encounters. Instead of large-group touring, guests have opportunities to connect through food, craft, stories, nature, architecture, wellness rituals, and everyday life.

A day ashore may include walking with a local storyteller through a historic district, tasting regional flavors with a culinary specialist, learning the meaning behind a traditional ceremony, or spending quiet time in a natural setting that holds cultural significance. These are not activities designed to “tick the box,” but pathways into understanding what shapes a place and the people who live there.

Explora Journeys does not simply move travelers across maps. It helps them form memories that feel rooted in the spirit of each destination.

A Taste of Asia: Itineraries Designed for Discovery

Explora Journeys’ Asia collection is shaped around depth, not distance. Rather than racing across borders, each journey has a narrative that reflects the character of the region being explored.

Japan: Season, Ritual, and Contrast

Some journeys focus entirely on Japan, giving travelers time to experience both its iconic cities and its quieter coastal towns. Sailings may include Tokyo’s futuristic energy, the cultural heart of Kyoto via Kobe, the seafood markets and artisan quarters of northern ports, or the spiritual rhythm of smaller island communities. Whether timed for cherry blossom, autumn foliage, or the contemplative winter season, these journeys allow Japan to be experienced through its natural cycles as much as its landmarks.

Korea and Japan Together

Other itineraries connect Korea and Japan, revealing two distinct but interconnected cultures. Travelers may experience the coastal beauty and culinary spirit of Busan, then cross the sea to explore Japan’s historic districts, tea traditions, or contemporary design culture. The contrast highlights how history, religion, and landscape shape daily life in different ways across the region.

Southeast Asia by Sea

Journeys through Southeast Asia bring together the layered history of Vietnam, the golden temples and river energy of Thailand, and the modern architecture and culinary innovation of Singapore. From the limestone silhouettes of Halong Bay to the night markets of Ho Chi Minh City to the cultural fusion of the Gulf of Siam, these sailings make it possible to experience multiple worlds in a single voyage — without the complications of internal flights or hotel transfers.

Grand Journeys Across Regions

For travelers who want to explore Asia in even greater depth, longer Grand Journeys link countries, climates, and cultures over multiple weeks. These extended sailings create a continuous narrative from Japan to Southeast Asia, or from Hong Kong through island chains and into the tropics. They are designed for those who want to experience a broader arc of Asian history, cuisine, geography, and soul — in one uninterrupted experience.

A Journey Balanced by Wellness

Well-being on board reflects both ocean influence and global inspiration. Guests may begin the morning with guided movement overlooking the open sea, unwind in heat and water experiences inspired by bathing cultures, or reset with therapies that blend modern techniques and natural elements.

Between vibrant days ashore, the ship becomes a place to restore and reconnect — whether in a quiet lounge, beside a pool facing the horizon, or in the sanctuary of a private terrace. The balance between stimulation and stillness is intentional, so guests can absorb everything Asia has to offer without feeling overwhelmed by it.

Itineraries Designed for Discovery

The Explora Journeys Asia collection spans a range of itineraries that reflect the diversity of the region — from the ancient capitals and seasonal beauty of Japan to the cultural mosaic of Korea and China, to the culinary and coastal landscapes of Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.

Some itineraries focus on a single country in depth, allowing time to explore cities and smaller ports with equal intention. Others connect multiple countries, designed for travelers who want to experience the contrasts of modern Asia, sacred Asia, and coastal Asia in one seamless journey. Longer Grand Journeys allow extended immersion across multiple regions and weeks.

No itinerary is built around how many ports can be added. Each is shaped around how fully a place can be experienced.

Why Explora Journeys Elevates the Experience

•  Generous time in port, including late departures and overnights
•  Smaller-scale cultural immersion designed with local partners
•  Spacious oceanfront suites with private terraces as standard
•  Inclusive dining, beverages, well-being, and enrichment experiences
•  Quiet, boutique-style ships with a refined residential atmosphere

A Final Reflection

Asia is not a destination to rush through. Its stories come through the steam of a dish, the quiet of a shrine, the glow of a harbor at night, or the rhythm of daily life in a market or coastal village. What makes it unforgettable is not how many places are seen, but how deeply they are felt.

Explora Journeys creates the conditions for that feeling — with time, intention, and the freedom to discover both the celebrated and the unexpected. 

In the right setting, travel does more than show the world. It changes the way we move through it.