SINGAPORE & PENANG FROM THE EAST INDIA COMPANY TO CUTTING EDGE CONTEMPORARY

JANUARY 21-26, 2021 TOUR LEADER: ROBERT VEEL

Overview In the last 20 years the island-nation of Singapore has transformed itself from a bustling commercial city into a vibrant cultural one – a leading Asian centre of art, music and design. It boasts remarkable museums and galleries, a vibrant music and theatre scene, and an energetic and outward-looking culture. In contrast George Town, on Penang Island in Malaysia, offers a remarkable historical window on a colony founded at the same time as Singapore. Our itinerary begins by examining Singapore’s place amongst its vibrant South-East Asian neighbours and its remarkable transition from trading outpost to one of the most advanced city-states in human history. We then turn our attention to the contemporary scene, surveying the world-class modern architecture dotted around the island and the outstanding cultural institutions – museums, galleries, orchestras – that are all part of a concentrated and carefully planned program of state patronage. We also visit sites associated with Singapore’s dramatic 20th-century history. We continue to the island of Penang in Malaysia, allowing us to step back in time and admire the colonial city of George Town, from where the British East India Company ruled and to which a diverse citizenry of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Indonesian backgrounds flocked. Although historically Penang became something of a backwater, today it boasts an unrivalled legacy of colonial and Peranakan culture and architecture, recognised in George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage status. Five-star accommodation is provided at the Fullerton Hotel, converted from the colonial-era post office, and a short walk from many of the venues we visit. In George Town, we stay in heritage rooms at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, designed by the Sarkie Brothers, of Raffles fame. Fine dining is also a feature of this short itinerary with three excellent restaurants selected.

Your tour leader Robert Veel has a BA and M.Ed from the University of Sydney, where he taught for many years before co-founding Academy Travel in 2004.

Robert is a cultural historian with over 20 years’ experience leading tours to Italy, South East Asia, the USA, Scandinavia and Turkey. He has a strong personal interest in the visual arts, architecture and music, and has designed and led more than 50 tours for Academy

Travel. Closer to home, Robert designed and led the first offering of Academy Travel’s tours to Singapore, Tasmania and New Zealand. He has travelled to Singapore and Penang many times and led our 2019 and 2020 Singapore tours.

“Robert’s thoughtfulness and patience were wonderful, not to mention his knowledge on history, art & architecture, is so inspiring!!! Academy are very generous, the meals out were such fun, and their high standards make for a very memorable experience.”

– Feedback from a tour participant on Singapore January 2020.

SINGAPORE & PENANG Tour dates: January 21-26, 2021

Tour leader: Robert Veel

Tour Price: $4,520 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $1,360 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $1,000 per person

Recommended airline: Singapore Airlines

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Singapore (3 nights), George Town (2 nights)

Date published: May 15, 2020

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jamal@academytravel.com.au

Tour Highlights

HENDERSON WAVES This eye-catching above-ground bridge provides a tree canopy-level walkway through the Southern Ridges, creating a nine-kilometre-long green space to the west of the city centre. It is one of a number of innovative sites visited on our contemporary architecture excursion, which also includes buildings by Sir Norman Foster, I.M. Pei, Moshie Safdie and Dame Zaha Hadid.

ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS MUSEUM Ranked among the top 10 museums in Asia, Singapore’s Asian Civilizations Museum takes visitors on a journey through the diverse cultures and civilizations from which the ethnic groups of Singapore trace their ancestry – China, Southeast Asia, the subcontinent and West Asia. Highlights of the museum include a large haul of Chinese Tang Dynasty ceramics found in a shipwreck off the Malaysian coastline and a textiles gallery.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF SINGAPORE Opened in 2015, the National Gallery of Singapore is recognised as a world-class ‘adaptive reuse’ of colonial-era, classical-style buildings. The former Supreme Court and municipal buildings have been joined together within a contemporary shell created by the French architectural firm Studio Milou. The Gallery has a beautifully displayed historical collection, housed in the former courtrooms.

MARINA ONE Christoph Ingenhoven’s complex of four office and residential towers was completed in 2017. Its centrepiece is a remarkable tropical garden connecting the four buildings. The sweeping curves of this ‘forest in the city’ provide a welcome retreat from the heat and noise of the surrounding city, complete with waterfalls, layered terraces, bird life and a water course.

KHOO KONGSI, PENANG Since at least the 15th century Chinese merchants have ventured to the ‘southern seas’ to seek their fortunes. In such terra incognita, family ties and the maintenance of culture through ancestor worship became even more important than they were on the mainland. The Khoo Kongsi is a clan citadel on the waterfront of George Town, one of more than a dozen run by prominent Straits Chinese families.

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L, D, and (C) for canapés.

Begin the tour relaxed

We strongly recommend arriving in Singapore one or two days before the tour begins, as there is much to see and do that is not on the itinerary. Please contact us to extend your accommodation and for a list of attractions.

Thursday January 21 Arrive Singapore

Many day flights from Australia arrive in the late afternoon. At 6.00pm we meet in the hotel reception and head to a nearby venue for welcome drinks and canapés. (C)

Friday January 22 Singapore in its south-east Asian context

We begin our program with the Asian Civilisations Museum, housed in the historic Empress Building close to our hotel. The museum’s beautiful displays survey the decorative arts of various South East Asian cultures, much of it collected and donated by Singaporean patrons. A highlight is a beautifully displayed 8th-century Tang Dynasty shipwreck, an outstanding piece of maritime archaeology. We then head to the nearby National Gallery of Singapore, opened in 2016 and a spectacular ‘adaptive reuse’ of the colonial-era City Hall and Supreme Court buildings. A local guide shows us the south-east Asian collection, the best in the region and featuring works ranging from the colonial era to the Vietnam War and beyond. We then have lunch at the National Kitchen restaurant inside the museum, featuring a tasting menu which showcases Singapore’s ‘Peranakan’ cuisine. After lunch we visit the National Gallery’s current rooftop installation, before heading back to the hotel. This evening there is the option of enjoying fine views over sunset drinks atop the UOB building, adjacent to our hotel. (B, L)

Tour start & finish time

The tour starts at 6.30pm on Thursday January 21, in the lobby of the Fullerton Hotel, Singapore.

The tour ends at approximately 6.00pm on Tuesday January 26, at Penang Airport.

Images left: a terracotta head of a bodhisattva, 4th-5th centuries CE, from the Greater Gandharan Region, now held at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum; the National Gallery’s current rooftop installation is a roof garden art project with plants from reclamation sites; and the iconic Marina Bay Sands along the skyline of Singapore, which has changed dramatically, with commercial and public buildings created by some of the world’s leading architects

Saturday January 23 Colonial Singapore and its communities

This morning there is an optional early morning visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, carved out of a remaining section of Malay forest not far from the city centre. The gardens have played an important role in botanical research and house a renowned orchid garden. After returning to our hotel for breakfast we visit the Kampong Glam district, which since the earliest days has housed Singapore’s Muslim community, whose origins span the Middle East, central Asia and neighbouring Malaysia. The streetscapes are among the best preserved in Singapore from the colonial period, and we visit the main mosque complex and the small but informative Malay Cultural Centre. We also take a brief look at neighbouring Little India with its temples and covered markets. We then explore the layout of the British colonial settlement by coach before ending the morning at Raffles. Recently re-opened after an extensive renovation, the hotel has come to epitomise the British period in Singapore. We enjoy lunch at the Alain Ducasse casual dining restaurant at Raffles. This afternoon there is the option of returning to the National Gallery to view the excellent collection of Singaporean art or a major visiting international exhibition. Tonight has been set aside to enjoy a performance by the excellent Singapore Symphony Orchestra at their concert hall in the Esplanade Theatres. (B, L)

Performance details Venue: Concert Hall, Esplanade Theatres Performers: Singapore Symphony Orchestra Program: to be announced October 2020

Sunday January 24 Contemporary architecture and World War II

This morning is dedicated to a survey of Singapore’s remarkable contemporary architecture. In the last 15 years the skyline of Singapore has changed dramatically, with beautiful commercial and public buildings created by some of the world’s leading architects. For early risers there is a pre-breakfast excursion to Mount Faber Park, with views across to Daniel Libeskind’s soaring Reflections complex before crossing Henderson Waves, a walkway suspended 36 metres above parkland and forest. We return to our hotel via German architect Ole Scheeren’s Interlace building, awarded Building of the Year at the 2015 World Architecture Festival. After breakfast and check out, our investigation continues with the inspiring 2017 Marina One complex and Sir Norman Foster’s Supreme Court building. In the afternoon we visit Fort Canning Park to tour the Fort Canning Bunker. It is here in February 1942 that the Allies surrendered to the Japanese. The complex includes a telephone exchange, signals and operations rooms, sleeping quarters and a cipher room for coding and decoding messages. It was used from 1936 right up to the Fall of Singapore. Our visit to Singapore wraps up with cocktails at the striking neo-Deco Atlas Bar in the lobby of the eccentric Parkview building, after

Above: Singapore’s Botanic Gardens - the only tropical garden honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage site; and the Kampong Glam district has an eclectic blend of history, culture and trendy lifestyle scene Below: the Marina One complex, a ‘forest in the city’

which we travel to Singapore Airport for our short flight to Penang, arriving at approximately 8.30pm. We transfer to the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in George Town. (B)

Monday, January 25 Explore George Town

After breakfast, we take a walking tour of the colonial architecture of the UNESCO World Heritage areas of George Town, the first British settlement in South East Asia, established by Francis Light for the British East India Company. Notable buildings include the Town Hall, Supreme Court, Fort Cornwallis and St George’s Anglican Church. Our walk continues along Armenian St where we can see many fine examples of George Town’s famous street art, and experience Chinese and Peranakan cultures at the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and Peranakan House Museum. This afternoon we drive along the scenic north coast to the beaches of Batu Ferringhi and explore the 500 species of plants at the tropical spice garden. We return to our hotel for canapés and cocktails before a dinner of classic Nyonya dishes in a restored Anglo-Chinese terrace. (B, D)

Tuesday January 26 Clan jetties and Penang Hill

This morning we travel by trishaw to a series of waterfront piers known as the clan jetties. These villages float on stilts above the water and have existed since the 19th century. Today they still house the descendants of Chinese immigrants, with each jetty forming a village, complete with its own temple and is named after a single family. After check out, we head to the beautifully restored Suffolk House, an 1800’s Georgian mansion that served as the home of successive British governors. Our final destination is Penang Hill, the highest point on the island, which affords lovely views across the island and to the mountains on Langkawi. We continue to the airport and check in for the flight to Singapore with onward connections to Australia. (B)

Hotels

The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

The Fullerton Hotel was commissioned in 1919 as part of the British colony’s centennial celebrations. The neo-classical style building was opened in 1924 and housed the General Post Office, the Exchange, the Singapore Club, the Marine Department and the Import and Export Department. Today it is a five-star hotel and is perfectly located within walking distance of the major galleries and museums which form the core of our itinerary. The hotel has bars and restaurants, an outdoor pool, fitness centre and spa.

The Eastern and Oriental Hotel, George Town

The E&O was built and managed by the Armenian Sarkie Brothers, who also created Singapore’s famous Raffles Hotel. Located on the seafront, the hotel’s heritage wing features atmospheric timber-built suites. There are fine public areas and the historic precincts of George Town are at the hotel’s doorstep.

Tour Price The tour price is $4,520 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $1,360 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price

Five nights’ accommodation in five-star heritage hotels All breakfasts, and other meals as indicated in the

itinerary, including drinks All land travel by private coach and taxi Entry to all sites mentioned in the itinerary All tipping for group meals and activities Local guides and services of experienced tour leader

throughout

Not included

International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Singapore Airlines which offer several daily flights from most Australian cities. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jamal@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour Singapore and Penang have a tropical climate, 24-32 degrees and humid year-round. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring an umbrella and comfortable walking shoes. All indoor sites are well air-conditioned, so a light jacket may also be handy.

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

GRADE ONE

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you instead to consider carefully your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade One tour is appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility. You should be able to comfortably participate in up to three hours of physical activity per day on most days, including walking at an easy pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, climbing stairs and standing in galleries. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 2-3 kilometres at a moderate to slow pace with

only short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums negotiate stairs and bridges get on and off a coach, ferry or boat with steep stairs

unassisted move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You may have to miss certain activities and may not get the full value of the tour. Before submitting your booking form, please contact Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.

Images opposite page: inside George Town’s Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as The Blue Mansion; the Tan jetty boardwalk at Penang’s clan jetties; and the view over George Town from Penang Hill

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Booking form Terms & Conditions

DEPOSITSA deposit is required to confirm your booking on a tour. Please refer to the specific tour for the deposit amount required. This deposit is used to pay for hotels, performance tickets and other land arrangements to be made on your behalf. This deposit is non-refundable.TOUR PRICESPrices quoted in our itineraries,brochures, advertising and/or on our website are based on exchange rates at the time of publication. Prices may be subject to change due to significant currency fluctuations up until final payment is received. We will advise you at the earliest opportunity in the event of a price variation. You will have the option of accepting the amended prices or withdrawing from the tour and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, less an administration fee.PAYMENTYour final payment is due 75 days before the tour start date. Failure to make your final payment by the due date may result in the cancellation of your booking and loss of any payments made to date. Payment by cheque, direct deposit, American Express, MasterCard and Visa is accepted. A service charge applies to final payments made by credit card.CHANGES BY USWhile we will use our best endeavours to operate all tours as advertised, by entering into this contract you acknowledge and accept that it may prove necessary or advisable to vary or modify a tour or its contents due to prevailing local conditions. We reserve the right at any time to cancel or change any of the facilities, services or prices described in the brochure (including flights, transport, accommodation or other arrangements) and to substitute alternative arrangements of comparable monetary value without compensation. If a service or facility becomes unavailable due to circumstances beyond our control (‘force majeure’) and no alternative arrangement of comparable monetary value is available, we will attempt to substitute the best alternative available and/or will refund you for any cost saving. FORCE MAJEURE‘Force majeure’ includes any event which Academy Travel or its suppliers could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid (e.g. advice against travel from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, epidemics, pandemic, health risks, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions, technical or maintenance problems with transport, changes imposed by cancellation or rescheduling of flights by

an airline or main charterer, the alteration of airline or aircraft type). CANCELLATION BY YOUIf you decide to cancel your tour booking the following charges apply, based on the day we receive written notification:> More than 75 days before departure:

Forfeit of all deposits paid*†

> 75-31 days before departure:50% of total amount due for tour*

> 30 days or less before departure: 100% of total amount due for tour*

*You may also be liable to pay anycancellation charges imposed bythird parties for flights and additionalaccommodation and services.† $1,000 per person of your deposit may be credited to another Academy Travel tour departing within 12 months of the original tour you booked.CANCELLATION BY USAcademy Travel reserves the right to cancel a tour for any reason (including failure to reach minimum tour participant numbers). Except for force majeure (as outlined above) or your failure to pay the final balance, we will make a final decision to proceed or cancel a tour no less than 60 days before departure. If you have paid in full, we will credit or refund all monies paid, excluding an administration fee and any payment made for travel insurance. No other compensation will be paid in the event of cancellation by Academy Travel. The refund of monies paid for tour costs will be the full extent of our liability. Airlines may impose up to 100% cancellation charges. CREDITS AND REFUNDSAcademy Travel will always attempt to provide a cash refund of all amounts paid but, depending upon the specific circumstances, which are outside our control, you acknowledge that any credit or refund may take the form of a substitution of a similar tour at a later date, or a credit voucher for a tour with Academy Travel at a later date.UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers. TRAVEL INSURANCE Academy Travel requires all participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. We offer a comprehensive policy with a reputable insurer if required. PASSPORT AND VISAA valid passport is required for all international travel. Usually this will require that your passport will not expire until at least six months after your planned

return to your country of residence. Some countries require a visa to be issued before you depart your country of residence. We will advise you of all passport and visa requirements, but it is your responsibility to be in possession of a valid passport, to obtain all necessary visas, inoculations and preventative medicines as may be required for the duration of the tour. Information about these matters is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of Academy Travel. PARTICIPATION IN TOURSAll tours require a moderate level of physical fitness and mobility. Each tour itinerary specifies a level of physical fitness required. You are required to read these requirements and acknowledge them at the time you make a booking. We reserve the right to refuse admission to the tour for any reason before commencement of the tour. Further, if after the tour has begun it becomes apparent that you are unfit or unsuitable to travel on the tour, we reserve the right to require you to withdraw from the tour at the earliest opportunity to do so. No refund will be provided. It is also a requirement that you do not cause any significant disruption to the tour or the tour group, and we may require you to withdraw from the tour at any time if your participation causes significant disruption for other guests or the tour group or there is any safety issue as a result of your ongoing participation in the tour.ILLNESS OR DISABILITYAnyone suffering from illness or disability or undergoing treatment for a medical condition must declare the true nature of that condition at the time of booking and make arrangements for the provision of any medication or other treatment which may be required during the tour. Failure to make such disclosure will constitute a breach of these booking conditions and result in such persons being excluded from the tour in which case all monies paid will be forfeited.THE LIMITS OF OUR LIABILITIESWe accept responsibility for all ingredients of your tour, except those to which the principle of force majeure prevails, as set out herein. Our obligations and responsibilities are limited to those to which international conventions apply in respect of air, sea or rail carriers, including the Warsaw Convention and its various updates.Academy Travel advises it may vary its terms and conditions from time to time. Updated terms and conditions will be published on our website. Please contact us if you would like to check if terms and conditions have changed.Version 21.1 - Updated Apr 2020.

ACADEMY TRAVEL TAILORED SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS Email: info@academytravel.com.au academytravel.com.au

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Booking form Submission

Academy Travel, GPO Box 5057, Sydney NSW 2001 Phone: + 61 2 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) ACADEMY TRAVEL

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ACADEMY TRAVEL TAILORED SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS Email: info@academytravel.com.au academytravel.com.au

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