Today, cruise vacations encompass much more than the well-trodden Mediterranean or Caribbean haunts, venturing as far afield as the North and South Poles and even the Amazon Rainforest.
One of the great things about traveling by boat is its potential to open up a wide variety of remote and inaccessible destinations, even areas with little to no tourist infrastructure.
From Addo National Park, the third-largest national park in South Africa, to the Norwegian Arctic Circle, we look at some of the most intriguing and unusual places that visitors can reach via an expedition cruise.
1. Addo National Park – South Africa
While many South African game parks are home to the ‘big five’—rhinos, lions, elephants, leopards, and buffalo—at Addo Elephant Park, encounters are virtually guaranteed. In addition, the reserve is considered malaria free.
Addo National Park is the most diverse game park in the world and South Africa’s third-largest national park. It encompasses 126,000 acres of bush and has five biomes, as well as an offshore marine reserve where great white sharks and southern right whales can be spotted. Located in a region famed for its stunning natural beauty, Addo National Park is a vast, biodiverse conservation area that is dotted with citrus trees and abundant in flora and fauna.
2. Yaeyama Islands – Japan
We tend to associate Japan with Mount Fuji, cherry blossom trees, and neon-lit megacities, but there is much more to the Land of the Rising Sun. The southern reaches of the Japanese archipelago are an altogether different experience. There you will find a string of subtropical islands boasting powder-white sand and crystal-clear waters ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Ishigaki is Yaeyama Islands’ main island. It has pristine beaches and ample snorkeling and diving opportunities, enabling visitors to explore the stunning coral reefs that lie just offshore. Dive tours are available locally for individuals of all experience levels. Guests can board a boat for Manta Point, where divers are treated to the unforgettable spectacle of vast numbers of manta rays, or Kabira Bay, a shallow natural cove perfect for snorkeling. Meanwhile, Ishigaki’s rivers invite visitors to penetrate deep into the jungle by kayak. Alternatively, the island is home to Mount Omoto, the highest mountain in Okinawa prefecture, which has numerous hiking trails through its hilly interior.
3. Jeju Island – South Korea
Lying just off the coast of South Korea, Jeju Island is a popular holiday spot that attracts mainly Korean, Chinese, and Japanese visitors. Although its main attraction is the island’s beach resorts, Jeju’s volcano-carved caves and lava tubes enthrall and entertain adventure seekers. With more and more cruise lines featuring the island on their itineraries, today Jeju Island is more accessible than ever before.
4. Suez Canal – Egypt
The history of the 100-mile-long Suez Canal stretches back thousands of years. The Egyptian Pharoah Senusret III reportedly commissioned an early canal connecting the Nile River and the Red Sea around 1850 BCE. Interestingly, the French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi’s concept for the Statue of Liberty was originally intended to serve as a lighthouse here, guiding ships into the mouth of the canal.
Serving as a gateway for international trade for centuries, the Suez Canal allows cruise-goers to explore several Middle Eastern countries while passing through one of the most famous stretches of water in the world. Tourists can take in Oman’s stunning landscapes, Dubai’s modern architecture, and Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
5. Amazon River – South America
For tourists seeking adventure, the world’s longest river boasts some spectacular scenery and exciting encounters, allowing them to experience the local culture, kayak, swim with dolphins, or even fish for piranha.
Boat tours and river cruise ships are the ideal way to sail the Amazon, as these vessels can easily navigate the water and are less prone to disturbing wildlife. Meanwhile, experienced guides can point out wildlife on land that less experienced tourists may not be able to see.
6. The Arctic and Antarctica
Some cruise lines offer a tip-to-tail expanse of the world, starting from Norway and ending in Antarctica. Viking Cruises takes guests by Scotland and Ireland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Rio de Janeiro. After taking in Argentina, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands, the cruise makes its onward journey to Antarctica before returning to Ushuaia, Argentina. Boasting balconies and luxurious cabins, Viking Cruises maintains an in-house team of scientists to fill guests in on the sights they encounter along the way.
Presenting the opportunity to sail to the ends of the Earth, the cruise follows in the footsteps of famed polar explorers like Edmund Hillary, Ernest Shackleton, and Roald Amundsen, enabling passengers to observe incredible migratory wildlife in its natural habitat.
David Geithner 