Good morning!

A lot of what I do, apart from putting together really unique and customized packages for my clients, is to keep my finger on the pulse to see what’s hot and what’s not. I gather this from a multitude of sources including travel magazines, travel blogs, feedback from our ground operators and of course, clients. This allows us to stay ahead of the curb in putting exciting adventures together to places that haven’t become over-commercialized. This is the great thing about traveling, there is always something new and unique out there waiting to be discovered.

One of the things that’s coming up more on my radar these days is clients looking to do cruises. Being in Florida I’m used to seeing how massive this industry is as pale tourists arrive at our ports with their luggage and ideas of a tropical holiday. Within this type of traveler you have types of people, some who are looking for the cheapest cruise while others are looking to take this style of travel to different parts of the world.

Taking a cruise takes a lot of the travel worries out of the equation. I’m not sure whether these are becoming more popular or if the American market is looking for these experiences outside the normal cruising destinations like the Caribbean or Scandinavia.  The only thing is that these types of adventures are not cheap and they take a bit of time. That is why we see more retired people with disposable income looking for these types of trips.

Australia is a beautiful destination, but one of it’s appeals also works to its disadvantage, that is, how far away it is. This is precisely why an extended cruise works so well here. Weather you are a family or group of friends looking to charter a private yacht or a smaller cruising ship with up to 36 passengers, there is something for you.

In my mind I think there are two locations in Australia that offer top notch experiences.

The first is a cruise to the far North, in the Kimberley’s region. This remote area offers a wildly romantic and ruggedly beautiful glimpse into some pristine terrain with cascading waterfalls, stunning gorge country, tidal reefs and cultural glimpses with land excursions to see ancient cave art, helicopter tours over croc-infested rivers and more. These experiences can range from 7-days to 18-days with visits to countries other than Australia (like New Zealand, Bali, Papua New Guinea). The whole coastline of the Kimberleys is so remote and inaccessible that you really get a feel for what explorers would have encountered hundreds of years ago.

Another great experience can be found on the Great Barrier Reef, in particular, in the Whitsundays. The Whitsundays is more of a sail boating experience as your cruise around the many islands that are a part of the World Heritage area. Depending on your experience and comfort level you can hire just a bare bones ship, all the way to having a captain, cook and crew on board to allow you the freedom and comfort of just having to wake up every morning. Days consist of sailing from one stunning area to the next as you swim and snorkel among the reef fish and away from the tourist and day trippers.

For those who are interested in scuba diving, you can also do a live-aboard excursion from 3 to 7 nights aboard your vessel that will get you to some of the best dive spots in the world.

These exclusive modes of travel are not for your typical visitor. Generally speaking these kinds of trips are best for people coming back to Australia for their 2^nd or 3^rd time who have seen the main sights and want to find the real beauty and magic Australia has to offer. If this is something you are interested in please call our offices to speak with a representative who can tell you more about them. There is always something new to see and a different way to explore.

Happy travels,

Ian