Kuching, 10 August 2012 – About 150 tourists and crew arrived in Kuching this morning. MS ORION II cruise ship was en route to Pontianak, Indonesia.
The cruise ship belonging to Orion Expedition Cruises, Australia was on part of a 10-Night “Borneo-Rajahs, Riches & Rainforests” tour around South East Asia.
The voyage departed from Singapore, recently and among the scheduled tours taking place locally are trips to Bako National Park, Kuching city, Pontianak, Gunung Palung and Tanjung Puting – Camp Leakey, Benoa.
Mr Maurice Balang, Sarawak Tourism Board’s Regional Marketing Manager said, “We welcome back MV ORION II to Kuching and hope that her passengers will enjoy their visit to Kuching, one of the most important destination on the island of Borneo”.
MV ORION II's one hundred and fifty passengers and crew members were made up of various nationalities, the majority being Australians. The remaining were from the Netherlands, USA, New Zealand, France and Norway. The visitors visited key tourism spots in Kuching such as Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching City as well as Orang Utan rehabilitation centre in Semenggoh.
Upon disembarkation at the Sim Kheng Hong Port, the passengers were given a traditional welcome with traditional dance and bead garlanding courtesy of Sarawak Tourism Board.
This is the 9th cruise ship arrival to the state this year. Cruise ships contribute positively to the state's tourism arrivals, an outcome that benefit Sarawak's nature-based tourism industry.
Issued by:
Corporate Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM BOAD
T: +6 082-423600
F: +6 082-416700