Home > East Asia Like You’ve Never Experienced It

East Asia Like You’ve Never Experienced It

Reading time : 4 min

Haedong-Yonggungsa-Temple in Busian, South Korea. Photo by Tawatchai1990 via Adobe Stock

(Photo Credit: Tawatchai1990 via Adobe Stock)

Discovering East Asia with PONANT EXPLORATIONS will take you deep inside the richly layered cultures of the Far East. Our carefully designed, intimate voyages bring you face-to-face with the traditions, flavors, art forms, and human stories that define a culture. You’ll meet people who keep centuries-old customs alive, taste a cuisine with roots older than many nations, and walk streets where history and modern life converge. Join us and immerse yourself in a multi-hued kaleidoscope of cultural experiences.

From Japan’s historic village of Chiran, with its Samurai district and green tea plantations, to the waterfront markets and urban art scene of Busan, South Korea, our small-ship cruises to Japan and throughout East Asia give you access to remote locales while showcasing bigger cities through a culturally curious, educational lens. Here’s a glimpse of what awaits you in this spellbinding corner of the world.

PON250925We_Miyajima – Photo by Margot Sib via StudioPONANT

(Photo Credit: ©StudioPONANT Margot Sib)

An Endless Array of Temples That Serenade Your Soul

East Asia’s countless temples — sacred spaces awash in grace and harmony — transport you to another time. We deliver you to the most captivating ones. In Japan, the vermillion “Torii” of Miyajima rises from the sea in quiet majesty. On Iki Island, a cradle of Shintoism, over 150 shrines dot a sacred, untouched landscape. In Onomichi, more than 20 temples and shrines survived the Second World War, offering a rare glimpse of Japan’s enduring spiritual heritage in its purest form.

Sacred ceremonies still honor the gods of the Ryukyu Kingdom on Okinawa’s island of Iheyajima, and you can witness them firsthand during an “Eisa” drum performance. In Busan, the Haedong Yonggungsa temple rests dramatically on a rocky coast, waves breaking below its stone steps. This is a tiny sampling of the numerous temples you’ll visit during our East Asia itineraries, many of which are tucked away in less-visited locales.

(Photo Credit: ©StudioPONANT Thibault Garnier)

Taste the Region’s Story, One Bite at a Time

On our exploration cruises to Japan and throughout East Asia, you’ll quickly find that the cuisine is a masterclass in flavor, history, and artistry. The food culture here is one of the most welcoming—and tantalizing—in the world. Roam Osaka’s bustling Dotonburi district, for instance. Just follow the aroma of sizzling takoyaki, the beloved octopus dish, or sample kushikatsu skewers crisped to perfection. Or head to Naha, Okinawa’s lively Makishi Public Market known to locals as “Naha’s kitchen.” Here, you can taste fresh seafood seasoned with the island’s mouthwatering spices.

In the Taiwanese city of Keelung, the Miaokou Night Market glows with lantern light, its stalls offering everything from oyster omelets to pineapple cakes. And in Hong Kong, you can wander the Ladies Market from its dim sum steamers to its bakeries serving sweet egg tarts, or follow your nose to the Night Market on Temple Street, sampling a food culture shaped by centuries of trade. With PONANT EXPLORATIONS, you don’t just sample the food; you also connect with the people who prepare it and hear the stories behind every recipe.

(Photo Credit: ©StudioPONANT Thibault Garnier)

Walk Through History’s Front Door

It’s been said that every work of architecture tells a story. That is certainly true throughout East Asia. Take Japan’s Amakusa islands, where you’ll stand in villages shaped by a 17th-century Christian rebellion. At Toba’s Ise Shrine, venerated as the “soul of Japan,” you’ll witness Shinto’s most sacred traditions, centuries in the making. Explore the circa-1333 Himeji Castle—its white walls unfurling like a heron’s wings; it has served as a statehouse in peacetime and an edifice in wartime. Or wander the Edo-era streets of Mitarai, where wooden houses and stone steps overlook the Seto Inland Sea, echoing back to its glorious fishing-village days.

Other traditions are preserved in the simplest ways: ox-drawn carts and lion Shisa statues guard the red-tiled homes on Taketomi Island, the Ritsurin Garden graces Takamatsu, and the nine gardens of Koko-en fan out from Himeji Castle, where landscape design is elevated to high art. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you’ll visit memorials that stand as both a remembrance and a call to peace. And in Hong Kong, sleek skyscrapers rise beside Colonial-era architecture, creating one of the world’s most visually striking blends of cultural heritage and robust modernity.

Experience a Side of East Asia You Never Dreamed Existed

With PONANT EXPLORATIONS, you’ll immerse yourself in the mesmerizing beauty of East Asia—its temples, cuisine, architecture, and so much more. We work with local guides, historians, and artisans so you can experience each destination from the inside. Our luxury small ships bring you where the big vessels can’t go, and our carefully paced itineraries give you time to linger, taste, and connect.