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USAWorld cruise holidays pose the ultimate travel feat – tens of countries and countless bucket list experiences. Here are just some of the amazing things you can see and do on a round the world cruise.
World cruise holidays pose the ultimate travel feat – tens of countries and countless bucket list experiences. Here are just some of the amazing things you can see and do on a round the world cruise.
In Malaysia, your around the world cruise will call at the colourful and vibrant tropical island state of Penang, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the country – and Britain’s first colony in Malaysia.
One of the most multicultural spots on the planet, here British Colonial buildings, Chinese temples, mosques and Sino-European shophouses all rub shoulders with one another. Indeed Penang’s capital, George Town, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its “unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.”
One of Penang’s claims to fame is the Second Penang Bridge. At 24km it’s one of the longest bridges in the world and the second longest in Southeast Asia. The dual-carriageway toll bridge – also known as the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge – connects Batu Kawan on the mainland to Batu Maung on the island in just 20 minutes.
For more superlatives in Penang, there’s the world’s highest rope course challenge atop Penang’s tallest building.
Get your fill of picture postcard-perfect sun, sea and sand in the Seychelles – although there’s plenty more the gorgeous Indian Ocean archipelago has to offer.
On Victoria on the island of Mahé where the jellyfish tree (Medusagyne oppositifolia) can be found; the critically endangered plant species is endemic to the island.
For easy access to nature during your stay, head to the Victoria Botanical Gardens where there are more than 280 plant species, from endemics to ornamentals. Highlights include the endemic coco-de-mer which produces the largest seed in the plant kingdom! The palm tree was once believed to grow in the depths of the sea.
To explore the island inland, visit Morne Seychellois National Park, west of Victoria and covering roughly 20 percent of the landmass. The park – which features lots of easy-to-follow hiking trails – is made up of a mixture of mangroves, lush tropical jungles and mist forest on the most elevated mountains.
Keep your eyes peeled for the world’s tiniest and rarest sooglossid frog, tiger chameleons, Seychelles wolf snakes and Seychelles house snakes.
In Mombasa, Kenya, why not make the most of the extended stay with an optional overnight trip to the Tsavo National Park?
The biggest national park in the country at 22,000 km² (13,671 miles), it is one of the world’s largest game sanctuaries so you’re guaranteed good wildlife viewing.
Tsavo National Park is known for its vast herds of dust–red elephants but all of the Big Five are present. Other larger mammals include rhinos, buffalos, lions (the park is known for its maneless lions in particular), leopards, hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, lesser Kudus and gerenuks while bird life comprises 500 recorded species.
There’s oodles of wilderness appeal here; among nature’s greatest hits are the magnificent Mzima Springs, where limpid water gushes through volcanic rock, and the 300-kilometre-long Yatta Plateau, the longest lava flow in the world.
In you call into Durban why not go shopping at Durban’s Gateway Theatre of Shopping? Or check out Moses Mabhida Stadium, the city’s main venue for athletic and music events where the tallest swing in the world can be found, mounted 262ft in the stadium’s arch.
If you’d rather keep your feet on the ground then hit the beach or try your hand at surfing on your world cruise stop-off. Don’t leave without munching on a bunny chow – a half loaf of bread that has been hollowed out and filled with curry – a unique trademark of Indian food in South Africa.
Over in Cape Town you can hardly miss iconic Table Mountain. Be sure to ascend to the top, whether by hiking or cable car, for jaw-dropping views.
Nearby, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, home to more than 7,000 plant species, is considered one of the world’s greatest botanical displays. Explore a fragrance garden, a medicinal garden, a Protea garden, a braille trail and a cycad amphitheatre.
The beaches are great in Cape Town, too, while the V&A Waterfront (a harbourside area featuring shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and museums as well as buskers) makes for an entertaining afternoon. Be sure to sample South Africa’s excellent wine!
Tristan da Cunha is a remote island you can bet your bottom dollar most people you meet will never have had the luck to visit! Tristan da Cunha can only be visited by ship and its nearest neighbour is 2,000 miles away.
The active volcanic island hosts plenty of rare wildlife, and, according to its website, 237 British citizens.
Be sure to invest in a stamp at the post office – they’re both uncommon and very popular with collectors. Fun fact, Tristan da Cunha didn’t have stamps at all until 1952, and islanders had to rely on the good will of visiting ships until their petition was successful.
Wildlife credentials here are seriously impressive, including all manner of whales (southern right whales, fin whales, humpback whales and sperm whales) and sharks (seven-gill sharks, blue sharks and shortfin mako sharks).
You’ll also find dolphins, albatrosses, elephant seals, 200,000 rockhopper penguins [pictured], 300,000 sub-Antarctic fur seals and more than five million shearwaters.
Yes, there’s no denying world cruises take you on the adventure of a lifetime. Maybe free up some phone storage in advance – you’ll want to take plenty of photos to remember it all!
