Da Nang is Vietnam's central coast hub for visiting yachts — a modern marina on the Han River, international airport, comprehensive provisioning, and the extraordinary Hoi An Ancient Town just 30 km away make it the most practically complete stop between the north and south of the country.

Hoi An is Vietnam's most beautiful and historically rich coastal destination — a glowing UNESCO Old Town, extraordinary food culture, and the nearby Cham Islands marine reserve make it unmissable for yachts cruising the Vietnamese coast. Best approached as a short-stay destination from Da Nang.

Chuuk Lagoon is the greatest wreck diving destination on Earth — over 60 Japanese WWII ships rest on the lagoon floor, now draped in coral and teeming with life. For the sailor-diver it is an unmissable pilgrimage, combining the drama of Pacific history with world-class diving in an enormous and beautiful natural lagoon.

Palau is the jewel of Micronesia — a UNESCO-listed archipelago of jungle-topped limestone islands, world-class diving, and the extraordinary Jellyfish Lake. For the sailing visitor it offers sheltered anchorages in the Rock Islands, excellent facilities at Malakal, and an underwater world that ranks among the finest on the planet.

Pohnpei is the green heart of Micronesia — a mist-shrouded volcanic island of extraordinary beauty, home to the mysterious UNESCO-listed stone city of Nan Madol, world-class surf at Palikir Pass, and a warm kava culture. One of the most rewarding and least-visited high islands in the entire Pacific.

Guam is the trans-Pacific sailor's essential western Pacific waypoint — a US territory with full American port facilities, excellent provisioning, and straightforward customs at Apra Harbor. Its Chamorro culture, WWII history, and position at the crossroads of the Pacific make it far more than a fuel stop.

Thursday Island is the essential Torres Strait waypoint for every yacht transiting between the Coral Sea and the Indian Ocean — an international port of entry, outward clearance point, and the last Australian fuelling stop before PNG or Indonesia. The transit through the strait demands careful planning of tidal currents and reef navigation, but rewards passage-makers with a unique community steeped in pearling history and one of the great milestones of any world circumnavigation.

Cairns is the essential northern Queensland passage port — a full international port of entry with good marina facilities, comprehensive provisioning, and direct Great Barrier Reef access. Critical staging point for Torres Strait transits, Coral Sea passages to PNG and the Pacific, and the last major refit stop for northbound passages into tropical Asia.

Sydney Harbour is Australia's sailing heartland — an iconic, world-class cruising ground with superb marina facilities, excellent provisioning and refit services, and the Opera House–Harbour Bridge backdrop making it one of the most spectacular harbours on earth. A must-visit passage port and a destination in its own right.

Port Douglas is the charming, upmarket alternative to Cairns for visiting cruisers — a small tropical resort town with good marina facilities, direct access to the Outer Great Barrier Reef at Agincourt Ribbon Reef, the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest at the back door, and the Low Isles anchorage just 15 nm offshore. An excellent overnight stop on the Cape York Peninsula coastal passage.