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Bahamas

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  Nassau is located on New Providence Island and is part of the many islands that make up the Bahamas. It is also one of the Caribbean’s busiest cruise destinations. It’s a lively hub for cruise ships, offering visitors a mix of history, beautiful beaches, local food, shopping and excursions, all within easy reach of the cruise port. However, I can only really speak from my own experience, as I’ve only visited Nassau a couple of times, back in the early 2000s, and each visit was on a cruise, so my time in port was quite limited. Stepping off the cruise ship, you’re immediately surrounded by colourful Caribbean architecture, with brightly coloured colonial-style buildings and plenty of little shops and stalls selling souvenirs and local crafts. The Bahamas has a unique food culture, with plenty of flavours and dishes to discover, particularly if you enjoy fish and seafood. One of the local specialities is conch, and I was very keen to try it, as I had never tasted it before. I wasn’...
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St Lucia

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    St. Lucia St. Lucia is a popular stop for many cruise ships, and I was lucky enough to visit several times during 2005 and 2006. Rising from the warm waters of the eastern Caribbean, St. Lucia is one of the volcanic islands of the Lesser Antilles, lying between Martinique to the north and St. Vincent to the south. It is the largest of the Windward Islands and, for me, one of the most naturally beautiful places we visited during those cruises. The island seems to have everything: dense rainforest, steep green mountains, waterfalls, beautiful beaches and a landscape shaped by its volcanic past. The Pitons The first sight that really captures your attention is the Pitons. These two dramatic volcanic peaks rise almost vertically from the southwestern coast near Soufrière. The Pitons are one of St. Lucia's most recognisable landmarks and are part of the UNESCO World Heritage. I saw them from several different viewpoints, but seeing them from the sea was particul...
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Victoria, Canada

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    Victoria I was lucky enough to visit Victoria on a couple of different occasions in 2006, each time for just a day. It was never long enough to truly explore everything the city had to offer, but it was certainly enough to appreciate its charm. Victoria is one of those places that seems to make an immediate impression. Elegant, beautifully maintained and surrounded by water and mountains, it is an incredibly welcoming city, and even a single day there can leave a lasting memory. Nestled on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is the capital of British Columbia. It is a city where its colonial past sits comfortably alongside a vibrant modern culture and an extraordinary natural setting. There is an almost unmistakable British character to parts of the city, from its historic architecture and gardens to the graceful buildings surrounding the Inner Harbour. Victoria is often nicknamed the “City of Gardens,” a fitting description given its abundance of parks...
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Panama Canal

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 The Panama Canal The Panama Canal is one of the world’s most remarkable engineering feats. Carved through the narrow Isthmus of Panama, the 82-kilometre artificial waterway connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, transforming global trade and travel by providing a shortcut between the two oceans and eliminating thousands of miles from many sea voyages. Yet the significance of the canal is about far more than the distance saved. At either end, an extraordinary system of locks raises and lowers ships, while beyond them lie the vast waters of Gatún Lake, narrow channels and dense, jungle-clad landscapes filled with wildlife. To travel through the canal is to experience an extraordinary combination of human engineering and tropical wilderness, a place where enormous ships are lifted and lowered through a series of locks while the jungle presses close to the waterway. Some ships make the full transit, which takes the ship across the entire canal, from the Atlantic to the Pacific or i...
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