Malaysia, Singapore and the end of the trip

The end of the trip was a quiet affair. We did not bother doing anything in Port Kelang/Kuala Lumpur, as it was a long drive just to get into the city.

Port Kelang was a busy container port so we took in the views while preparing for our anniversary dinner on board.

Singapore was another lazy day, just relaxing before another anniversary dinner - on the right day this time.

Had a lovely meal at a 1 Star Michelin Italian restaurant, with an outrageously expensive wine list. We wisely opted for the menu paired with wines!

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Today we reached Colombo in Sri Lanka, our first visit here. Went on a short city tour, seeing some of the sights, but not enough time to do it justice.

After returning to the ship we had an excellent folkloric show of Sri Lankan dance and music - it was out-standing.

Muscat, Oman

Our last stop in the Middle East was Muscat, the capital of Oman. A very different feel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai - less polished but still a very wealthy country selling around 1 million barrels of oil per day.

Our first stop was at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world.

It was completely different to the one in Abu Dhabi and had a much nicer feel - more spiritual.

We also visited an old fort, which was the home of the dynasty before the current rulers of Oman took control in the 1740s.

Dubai - and back to Abu Dhabi

We arrived in Dubai - nearly 9 years after our last visit - and promptly drove back to Abu Dhabi to see the Louvre Museum, as it was closed on Monday.

The Burj Khalifa is still an impressive sight - more than twice the height of anything else around it! Certainly stands out.

The development in Dubai that was stalled in 2010 due to the GFC seems to have progressed well, with many more new buildings and the Metro system now fully functioning.

The Louvre Museum building is certainly worth the visit, even just to see the structure. It appears to be a flying saucer of steel latticework that has settled over the museum buildings and there seems to be no support, unless you look very closely.

The museum collection is interesting, but is no match for the building itself.

This funerary painting of a 2nd Century Roman Christian was probably the most remarkable item - the colours after 1800 years are so bright and vivid, giving a realism to the face that is almost photographic.

After returning to the ship we had a brilliant folkloric show - amazing dancing by the 2 guys below with lighted capes and swirling like dervishes.