My arrival at Banjul airport was met with eager porters to assist with my luggage in reward for a tip despite the 10 second walk to the air conditioned minibus. The transfer to the hotel was only 20 minutes so it did not take long to check-in at the Kairaba.

The Karaiba offers a relaxing stay with friendly staff. It has well kept gardens which you wander through to the pool and the beach. As well as the resident peacock, you can occasionally spot monkeys passing through. Breakfast was a daily dilemma of choice with their buffet of pastries, fresh fruit, cereal’s or on the spot cooked pancakes or omelettes.

Situated next to the Senegambia hotel, it was an easy stroll into “The Strip” where there were restaurants offering a mix of international and local dishes. Our first evening meal was at the Bistro and Grill House “Jo Jo’s” which offers a menu of steak or local fish. I did succumb to the recommended steak but there in after it was fish all the way: Butterfish, Ladyfish, Captain Fish and Barracuda.

October’s average temperature is 38 degrees centigrade and is the most humid month; even the locals were struggling. However during the winter months it is a much more comfortable 30 degrees. Our catamaran excursion to Dog Island was a pleasure with the sea breeze and a couple of dolphins to entertain us en-route. After a freshly prepared lunch there was the opportunity to relax in the plunge pool, go kayaking or fishing; The Gambia is perfect for deep sea fishing on organised trips.
As the country inhabits over 500 species of birds it receives a number of keen ornithologists, including Chris Packham. Vultures are a common sight and if you stay at the Senegambia you can see them fed daily at 11.30am. Day trips or longer stays at the Mandina Lodges in the Makasutu forest are a good idea for those wanting ample opportunity for bird spotting.

The Gambia is also of course a place to relax around the hotel pool or on one of the long stretches of sandy beaches. A local craft market in Kololi for souvenir shopping required a bit of bartering and produced an unexpected request for my sandals, this was a sad reminder that I was in a very poor country. Despite this however, they still offer a warm welcome to visitors and a safe hospitable stay.

With only three full days in Jordan we made the most of this time by first starting off with a relaxing float in the Dead Sea. A really strange feeling just floating without any effort, then coating ourselves in the local Dead Sea mud and allowing that to dry before washing off in the sea. Claims have been made that women end up looking 5 years younger – I am still checking the mirror!

Floating in the Dead Sea

Later that first day we took a trip up to the holy site of Mount Nebo, which is supposed to the burial site of Moses and Madaba, the city of mosaics. From Mount Nebo you have the fabulous views over the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea and over towards Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Madaba is famous for its hundreds of mosaics from the 5th to the 7th centuries and Byzantine period.

View from Mount Nebo towards Jerusalem & Bethlehem

Presumed burial site of Moses

Our first two nights stay was at the very comfortable Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea Hotel. Very attractively set amongst gardens and waterfalls and pools, right on the Dead Sea and just 40 mins from Amman, so a really great location. All rooms overlook the Dead Sea.

View over the Dead Sea towards the West Bank

Our second full day was travelling three hours by road to Petra the ‘rose red city’. Upon arriving in Petra I was somewhat taken aback that the entrance to the Al-Khzneh Treasury was opposite the Movenpick hotel, car park and local stalls – not quite the vision I was expecting but the treasure is to be found after an hour and a half walk through the siq, stopping periodically for another story from Talal our tour guide.

What an amazing site when you finally reach The Treasury. I will not give too much away for those that have yet to visit, it will spoil the surprise. This whole ancient city has been carved into the rock face by the Nabataeans in the 6th Century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is breathtaking!

Our last two nights was spent at the really lovely Kempinski Aqaba Hotel, which is a more contemporary and smaller hotel than that at the Dead Sea. A beach front location on the Red Sea with all rooms having sea view, so some great diving and snorkelling in the vicinity.

Kempinski Aqaba Hotel

The first half of our last day was spent meandering through the souk and streets of Aqaba. On the whole most of the shops were selling much the same – outdated fashion and household items but there are a few gems of artefact shops where you are offered some local tea whilst you are browsing. Such things as beautiful jewelled lamps, ornate mirrors and beautiful beaded jewellery, some made of camel bones and teeth! But some other fascinating pieces very old Bedouin jewellery, if your pocket stretches far enough!

Jewelled Lanterns

The second half of the day was to the Wadi Rum. This is about an hours drive from Aqaba into Jordans largest desert, also known as The Valley of the Moon, a desert virtually untouched by humanity. You are driven around in 4×4 open topped trucks being shown the 4000 year old rock drawings, the natural springs and just the magnificent views of this desert area. This is where T.E.Lawrence and Sarif Hussein bin Ali based themselves during the Arab revolt against the Turks and where you will also find the Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

4×4 vehicles take you around the Wadi Rum

Camels to take you through the site at Petra

The colours of the rocks and the sand are the most magnificent shade of crimson, changing to yellow and mauve as the sun sets. The local Bedouins will light a fire and make some tea for you as you watch the sun setting in this most peaceful and stunning place. You can either visit this as a half/full day trip or an overnight camp trip. Also a great place for hiking and climbing as some of the rocks reach heights of 1750 metres.

Our Bedouin drivers

What an end to our trip, but a taster of what can be seen in this wondrous country. So diverse, so interesting and so friendly.

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Sightseeing and adventure/exploring holiday

This experience started well with British Airways Club Class seats to Vancouver – always a welcome start to any trip, especially a 9 ½ hrs one!

Our week was to start with a 2 night’s stay in Vancouver at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel which I have to say is in a superb location right near the waterfront. It’s modern, contemporary and extremely comfortable with very spacious rooms and very spacious bathrooms.

During our two days here we had a city sightseeing tour by the hop on/hop off trolley bus which is such an excellent way to get your bearings and to see the key sights. One of the stop off points was the Vancouver Lookout, a spectacular 360degrees lookout from the city’s tallest building.

View from Vancouver Lookout

Another stop was to Granville Island which has to be a must during your stay in this wonderful city. A culinary and artisan area with every conceivable edible local produce plus artist’s studios, shops and galleries for all kinds of jewellery, pottery, fashion and art. Included in our excursion was a culinary tour by one of the chefs from a company based at Granville Island called Edible Canada which was really informative plus you get to sample the foods as you go around!

Culinary tour

The following day we took the short 15 minute walk from the hotel to the city’s Stanley Park for our cycle ride around the park. Although I have to say I decided to walk instead as my bike had a fixed wheel so to brake you had to peddle backward – far too complicated for me! The park has walking/cycling trails, miniature railway, totem poles and plenty of picnic areas and as many of the trails border the sea, the views are beautiful and it’s all on your doorstop in this beautiful city.

Vancouver is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean so a great way to get about on the lower part of the city around False Creek is by Aquabus. A $8 daily unlimited ticket provides excellent value and such a great way of getting around without clogging up the roads and bridges.

Aquabus

One of our evenings was a Fly’n’Dine experience – a 10-12 seater float plane to a waterfront restaurant over in Horseshoe Bay. This is such a great inclusion in any itinerary. Float planes are quite commonplace in Canada as there are so many inlets that access by boat or floatplane is the most sensible way to travel.

Fly’n’Dine experience

Vancouver Island

Our two days in Vancouver came to an end with a small 7 seater plane ride to Tofino on Vancouver Island. We stayed at Waters Edge Resort in Ucluelet which is situated in the south of the island by Pacific Rim National Park. A great self catering property especially for families that want the dining flexibility and to be amongst the natural surroundings for hiking, canoeing, fishing and wildlife viewings. This area has a wonderful hiking trail called Wild Pacific Trail which takes in the most amazing rugged coast and rainforest. It’s a 7 phase trail so you can just do small parts of it.

Our stay on this island included a bear viewing boating adventure from Jamie’s Whaling Station based in Tofino. We did in fact manage to see five bears in total including three cubs plus a colony of seals and a bald eagle which was all such delightful sights. The town itself is a fairly small town with some quite nice gift shops and cafes/restaurants and galleries and worth a visit.

Bear viewing boating adventure

During our stay on the island, we visited The Wickaninnish Inn, a Relais & Chateaux property, set on Chesterman Beach. A really lovely, comfortable property that blends into the landscape and certainly in tune with nature. This is a great place to stay during the ‘Storm watching’ season Nov-Feb
Another hiking trail was taken on Schooner Cove, just north of Long Beach. At just about one hour long, it really is worth it for the views you are rewarded with at Long Beach are certainly worth it.

Schooner Cove

Horseshoe Bay

Then it was time to move off this island from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay on the mainland by ferry, which took just under 2 hours. We then travelled by minibus for just over an hour up to Whistler where our final two nights were to be spent at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. This is located in Upper Whistler. A really comfortable hotel and in keeping with the Fairmont tradition, the most comfortable beds you will ever find!

Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Whistler is divided into two parts really as there are two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb but the distance between the two is just minutes away. Walking from the Fairmont Hotel to Whistler Village area is approx. 15 mins across the creek. The village contains numerous gift and sportswear shops as well as many eateries and bars. This is a place to come summer or winter for all kinds of activities ranging from zip lining through the tree canopies, to serious mountain biking and hiking. Obviously in winter months the skiing is outstanding with ski in and ski out facilities as well as glacier skiing up until July. As well as the ski lifts and cable cars up to the top of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, there is also a Peak 2 Peak cable car which travels across the two mountains – amazing views!

Taking the easy route

The end of our 6 days here culminated in a trip to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, where you get the opportunity of crossing the famous suspension bridge as well as experiencing the new Cliffwalk, which is a cantilevered traverse taking you out from the cliff face with a glass viewing floor!
A quick stop for a Skyride to Grouse Mountain before heading off to the airport for our flight home was great. Up at the top you can enjoy a lumberjack show, zip lining, paragliding and much more plus numerous dining options. Grouse Mountain is only a 20 minute drive from Vancouver, so very easy to include in your city stay.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

All in all this one week trip was an excellent combination for a relaxing, sightseeing and adventure/exploring holiday. Ideally done over a longer duration than this though!

• Vancouver is the most beautiful city with so much to offer and it is so attractive in so many ways.
• Vancouver Island is such a short distance away from Vancouver that not including it in your itinerary would be a shame. Ucluelet and Tofino are somewhere to gather your thoughts in the freshest of air and feel you are really back to nature.
• Then the mountains of Whistler and Grouse offering all types of activities completes the picture.

The people are so friendly and clearly very proud of their country; it is a really great place to visit at any time of the year too.
So my advice is to go there – add it to your ‘to do’ list now!

It was my first trip to Central America and I went with an open mind, wet weather gear, good walking boots, binoculars and a camera. They all came in very handy, especially as the unseasonal floods caused a national state of emergency whilst we were there. But this is travel after all so I did not let this affect my enjoyment during my stay there.

The small country is a mix of micro climates which we first encountered in the Los Angeles Cloud Forest. From San Jose, our gradual ascent through green hills and pastures brought us to the misty and atmospherical Villa Blanca sitting in a 2000 acre private nature reserve.

Los Angeles Cloud Forest

We stopped at Villa Blanca for a delicious lunch in “El Sendero” and watched a short film in their cinema about the reserve and how you can spend your time at the villa. Although horse riding and zip line canopy tours in the clouds sounded appealing, we had to move on to our overnights stay in Arenal.

From cloud forests to volcanoes, Arenal has the world’s third most active volcano. It erupted in July 1968 after being inactive for 500 years and lava flows can be seen from a particular side of the volcano on a clear day. Once we had checked into our hotel, we headed straight for the Ecotermales Hot Springs. Why not enjoy the natural resources after a long days travelling!

Our stay at the Lost Iguana hotel gave us a prime view of the volcano. Situated in lush vegetation there were also plenty of bird watching opportunities. The following morning’s excursion to the Hanging Bridges may not sound appealing to those with vertigo but the gentle walk up into the rainforest canopy was so gradual that even my displeasure of heights lessened. I kept my eyes peeled for any wildlife and I did spot a toucan, some leaf cutting ants and a rather large spider from a safe distance! The 2 hour walk gave a great opportunity for panoramic views and photographs.

Returning to San Jose the next day for a short flight with Nature Air meant we had an early departure from Arenal. With time to spare we could enjoy a drink in the café overlooking the runway before our 40 minute flight along the Caribbean coastline, palm tree plantations and Corcovado National Park. Flying via Drakes Bay, we landed at Puerto Jimenez airport where we were greeted with coconut juice and the 4×4’s to take us on the next leg of our journey into the jungle.

Possible the bumpiest yet most amusing car journey I have ever had, I was grateful for the 4×4’s so we did not have to get out and push through the mud and 2ft puddles. It was a pleasure to arrive an hour and a quarter later at Lapa Rios Eco Resort. The centre of their reception area has a staircase onto a platform perfect for nature spotting without binoculars. Howler monkeys swinging from the branches and very large iguanas poised on tree trunks were right in front of us. We eventually tore ourselves away to enjoy a lunch of gazpacho and yellow fin tuna whilst overlooking the jungle and a couple of active macaws.

Unfortunately we had to leave this eco friendly hideaway for our overnight stop fifteen minutes away. However, we were still in the jungle and the Bosque Del Cabo Lodge provided us with comfortable lodgings and good home-cooking.

As we had arrived at 5.30pm dusk was settling in so the torches were out in order to get to our lodgings. With various types of accommodation some cabinas were more open to the elements than others. The house I stayed in, Casa Miramar, was designed to blend in with the environment so the stone built property was open plan. After establishing the location of any local residents (a small scorpion and a black and green Dart frog) we returned to the main building for our evening meal followed by entertainment with folklore dancing.

Our wake-up call at approximately 4am by the Howler monkeys was handy to get us up for our 5am bird watching tour. We had hardly left the main building when the guide, Carlos, with his trained eye pointing out various types of birds. It was easy enough for the untrained eye to spot the White Faced moneys and Spider monkeys, a vulture, toucans and a quepos (shown below).

Guepos

After a very successful birdwatching/nature tour I returned for a sumptuous breakfast of banana pancakes. The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the nearby dark sandy beach, afternoon tea, happy hour and a buffet dinner.

The Howler monkeys early morning calls were echoing throughout the jungle as we got up for our early departure. We had a 7am flight from Puerto Jimenez to Quepos to catch and from there we were transferred to El Parador hotel for our final 3 nights stay.

We were to visit Manuel Antonio National Park but the National State of Emergency that had been declared unfortunately prevented us from the entering the park. In its 683 hectares, this bio-diverse area offers rainforest, beaches and coral reefs with an abundance of wildlife.

Manuel Antonio National Park

The small town of Manuel Antonio consisted of a few souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants. Although we had left the jungle there were plenty of Squirrel Monkeys to watch as well as our first sightings of the grey three-toed Sloth!

Manuel Antonio

The nose of a grounded bomber plane caught our attention just outside the centre of Manuel Antonio so after investigation we discovered that it was a restaurant with the fuselage converted into a bar. “El Avion” was our choice of restaurant for the evening where we enjoyed a lovely meal and I can highly recommend the Mahi Mahi.

With all the adventure activities that Costa Rica has to offer, my last day was spent “flying” above tree tops on a canopy tour. After donning our harness and helmet we had a safety chat from Louis aka “Funky Monkey” and set off for an hour and a half’s tour. We covered twelve zip lines including the longest wire at 450 metres. It was great fun and the scenery was fantastic.

Sadly the trip had to come to an end and we returned to San Jose for our flight home with Iberia via Madrid. So many experiences were had in such a short period of time and it was all thoroughly enjoyable, which is more than can be said for the food served by the airline!

Captain: Richard Hobbs. Ship’s gross tonnage : 30,277. Max. Pax : 702

This was our second cruise on Minerva II (following our cruise to Madagascar, etc. in 2004). Again we had cabin 602 – a very comfortable suite with a large balcony overlooking the prow of the ship.

Minerva II

Preceding the cruise we had 6 days in Costa Rica, ‘Forest in the Clouds’, also arranged by Swan Hellenic. We flew with Iberia (an experience never to be repeated) via Madrid and Guatemala City to San José,the capital, where we stayed overnight at the Hotel Real International. We had to get through dinner without any alcohol that night as there was a Presidential Election in progress and alcohol was banned. Costa Rica has been independent (from Spain) since 1821. It is a unique country, an unarmed democracy with free public education, a guaranteed minimum wage and child protection laws. Much of the economy is based on the production of coffee, bananas and pineapples but pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing and software development are becoming of increasing importance, as well as tourism. There are numerous gambling casinos and a national lottery.

Next day the group of about 80 people was divided in two with one half touring clockwise and the other half touring anticlockwise. We set off early but soon had a coffee stop which included inspecting the bushes which produced the beans, a stop to look at iguanas and lunch at Zarcero Park where we viewed avenues of splendid sculptured trees.

Zarcero Park

Finally we arrived at the Tabacan Hot Springs Resort Hotel. That evening the group went out for dinner on the side of the active Arenal volcano but, would you believe, we saw no volcanic action because of rain and clouds. On the following morning it was raining so hard that an early bird-watching trip was cancelled. At breakfast we were joined by a large group of coatis – a type of racoon, also known as Brazilian aardvarks, Mexican tejon, hog-nosed coons, pizotes and snookum bears – looking to be fed. After breakfast we walked to the hot springs and, even in the rain, it was wonderful to lie in the pools and the waterfalls. Finally, during lunch, we actually heard the volcano roar for the first time!

In the hotel environs we saw a lot of fascinating, colourful plants and flowers, including helicanias and ginger, some large iguanas and a praying mantis. Next day our coach took us eastwards through northern Costa Rica to the Sarapiqui Neotropical Centre at the Tirimbina Reserve. This is an archaeological park and botanical garden where we had lunch and did a guided rain forest walk which included crossing the longest cable suspension bridge in the country; a bit hair-raising it was.

Cable suspension bridge

In the Museum of Indigenous Cultures there were reproductions of implements, paintings, masks, clothing and musical instruments of the Votos who lived there around 1000 BC (even before the Mayas) including the foundations of a house, a whole house and the Medicine Man’s uniform (which wasn’t a white coat!) – and on the ceiling of the museum was hanging a Honduran white bat.

After all that we had two fairly restful days at the Sueno Azul Resort Hotel – a one-storey, ecology-minded complex. Immediately to the rear of our bedroom was a mass of luxuriant, verdant growth with a flock of anhinga birds (also known as darters, snakebirds or water turkeys) nesting in a nearby tree. We visited the Selva Biological Station, internationally renowned for its scientific and ecological research. We saw large yellow-domed spiders and their strange-looking webs – they fashion a large white cross which insects can easily see and try to avoid so they get caught in the web which is all around it. We also saw tiny, tiny poison dart frogs, spider monkeys, a butterfly enclosure and peccaries, small wild pigs – and the only pig native to the Americas.

Poison dart frog (about ½ in.long)

Next day we turned southwards, had a wonderful ride on the Rainforest Aerial Tramway, a walk in the Braulio Carrillo National Park, passed through San José and joined Minerva II at Caldera on the west or Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Rain forest

To give an idea of the abundance of exotic birds that were around, we saw anhinga (fresh water cormorants), other cormorants, groove-billed ani, brown booby, squirrel cuckoo, black-bellied whistling duck, cattle and snowy egret, lots of flycatchers, magnificent frigatebird, great-tailed grackle, crested guan, little blue, tricoloured, yellow-crested and yellow-crowned night heron, lots of humming birds, white ibis, northern jacana, tropical kingbird, green, belted, ringed and amazon kingfisher, great kiskadee, scarlet macaw, montezuna’s oropendola, osprey, orange-fronted parakeet, brown pelican (thousands of them all in a group), sanderling, spotted sandpiper, wood stork, mangrove and barn swallows, scarlet-rumped, blue-grey and summer tanager, keel-billed and chestnut-mandibled toucan, black-headed trogon (and other trogons, but, sadly, no quetzal), whimbrel, lineated woodpecker, grey-necked wood-rail, woodcreepers and black and turkey vultures.

The ship sailed after midnight and arrived early next day, further down the coast, at Puntarenas, once Costa Rica’s biggest port. We had a restful morning on board and after breakfast met up with Arnold and Anna Maran (remember medical school, Edinburgh, Italy, medical society and literary lunch talks) who were on their very first cruise – on our recommendation. In the afternoon we joined them on an excursion to the Guacalillo Estuary and cruised in a small boat through the mangroves, seeing masses of birds and a few crocodiles – and had a party with lots of wine and fresh coconut.

Next day was at sea, continuing southwards. We sunbathed, attended introductory talks from all the guest speakers, an artist and a Bridge tutor, a talk on ‘The Incredible Mangrove’ and the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party. Mangroves, by the way, are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal areas in the tropics and subtropics, producing forests or swamps. They tend to slow the flow of water and protect coastal areas from erosion and storm surges. However waterlogging also causes anaerobic bacteria to produce nitrogen gas and methane and so produce a pungent odour. On the other hand these conditions are good for algae, barnacles, sponges, oysters, crabs, shrimps and lobsters.

The following day we reached and transited the Panama Canal. A very interesting experience and our second time doing it – the previous time was on our return from New Zealand in 1966.

Panama canal

The canal was built from 1904 to 1914 at the cost of 5600 workers’ lives. A previous attempt to build a canal here in the early 16th century was abandoned after 21,900 workers had died (mainly due to disease). It is one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. Interestingly, going from the Pacific to the Atlantic involves travelling in a direction of east to west because of the way the isthmus folds back on itself at this point. It is about 48 miles long and takes just over 8 hours to transit. Our balcony at the front of the ship was a very good place to view the passing scenery and we held a drinks party there before lunch. We went to the after-dinner show that evening – the Steam Industry Steam Company doing ‘The Food of Love’. It was fairly good but I don’t think we attended any other shows till the Filipino crew did their stuff near the end of the voyage.

Now we were cruising northwards along the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica and arrived at Puerto Limon – the country’s largest port that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1991. There were lots of brightly-painted wooden houses giving the place an Afro-Caribbean flavour.

Puerto Limon – Costa Rica

We were transported to the Tortuguero canals – a unique and extensive system of natural and man-made waterways used for transportation and jungle exploration. We cruised for several hours in a specially-designed jungle boat. On the way back to Minerva we had a lesson on bananas (musa paradisiaca). These are the largest, tree-like, herbacious flowering plant (growing up to 25 feet) and produce spikes of yellow flowers that bear fruit in the form of long seedless berries, around 360 on each plant.

Tortuguero canals

That afternoon we visited the Aviarios Sloth Rescue Centre and got really up close to these fascinating mammals. The Centre rehabilitates orphaned, injured or ill sloths. Sloths are quiet, peaceful and efficient animals who spend about 18 hours a day sleeping in high trees in Central and South America. They descend for a loo session only once a week. While there we went in canoes through narrow channels between the mangroves.

Aviarios Sloth Centre”

During the next two days at sea the weather deteriorated, bringing clouds, winds and rough seas. We survived mainly by resting and on the second day attending talks on the Conquistadors, the Ancient Maya and Caribbean Reefs.

And so to Honduras, which also gained independence from Spain in 1821: we docked at Puerto Cortez for a 4-hour coach drive to Copan. This popular excursion involved 9 fully loaded coaches and all of them managed to arrive at a designated comfort stop at the same time – which took 2 hours to diminish the queue for the solitary loo. At the entrance to the site we were greeted by a troupe of colourful macaws who were fairly tame and probably part of the establishment. Copan is the site of excellent Mayan ruins. The Maya was a meso-American civilisation which occupied much of Central America from around 2000 BC right up to the arrival of the Spanish in the late 17th century AD. However many of the Mayan languages, culture and traditions still remain throughout the area. Copan was an agricultural settlement from about 1000 BC and grew into an important city. We saw good examples of stelae (carved stone slabs, taller than they are wide, erected for funeral or commemorative purposes), carved stone stairways, hieroglyphs and a ball court for playing a game, as well as the Acropolis and burial ground. We only had a couple of hours to tour this fascinating place before having lunch at a nearby hotel then setting off on the long journey back to the ship. The scenery was interesting, mainly fields of tobacco and grains, but the most memorable thing was the piles of litter in and around the towns and villages – either that was usual or the refuse collectors were on strike: we never did find out.

Stela (Carved stone slab)

Our arrival next morning at St. Thomas in Guatemala was greeted by a splendid band that included a giant xylophone played by 7 men using 18 hammers between them. We went on a bicycle tour of the town, which was very attractive. Guatemala seems to be recovering well from the many years of political turmoil, civil wars, corruption, criminality, intimidation, terrorism, assassinations, genocide and the machinations of the American-controlled United Fruit Company since its independence from Spain in 1821 right up to the end of the twentieth century.

Continuing northwards along the Atlantic coast of Central America the ship anchored off Belize City, the biggest city and one-time capital of Belize (formerly British Honduras – and english is still the official language). The tiny country was firstly part of the Mayan civilisation but was taken over by English and Scottish buccaneers around 1638. They continually resisted Spanish attempts to dislodge them. Slavery persisted there long after it was abolished by the British Empire in 1838. Britain claimed the right to administer the region in 1862 but granted independence in 1981. However Guatemala has always claimed ownership and border disputes still remain. In the morning we went ashore by tender for
a walk around and in the afternoon we went on a mini-cruise of about 45 minutes to a tiny desert island for snorkelling – along with Allyson Matthews, a GP from Lanark. I didn’t do too well with the snorkelling right from the moment I jumped off the boat into 20 feet of water and my breathing equipment filled up with water. On the way back the boat’s engine broke down and we were stranded for about an hour – but it was a very happy hour as it was decided we should drink all the large quantity of rum that was left, so it was rum punch alternating with rum and coke and everybody had a great time.

Next day was at sea with swimming and sunbathing, the Filipino Crew Show and talks on In Search of the Maya – Adventurers and Scholars and The Man Who Discovered Mexico – in preparation for arriving there at Progreso in the north of the Yacatan Peninsula.

We went by coach from there to Dzibilchaltun, one of the oldest and possibly one of the longest continually inhabited Mayan cities – from around 1500 BC till the Spanish conquest in the 1540’s AD. We saw the Temple of the Dolls (7 small dolls were excavated there), several pyramids, the amphitheatre and an amazingly accurate clock and calendar system devised by the Maya.

Dzibilchaltun

At one end of the site there was a beautiful area, called the Cenote Xlakah (in mayan this means Old Town Sink-hole), with a 45 meter deep freshwater pool, or sink hole, with trees providing shade all round. The hole probably communicates underground with the ocean.

The next day at sea was time for more sunbathing, talks on Joseph Conrad and The Mississippi Delta, a pre-lunch reunion drinks session for our group of about 30 who had been on the pre-cruise tour, the Captain’s Farewell Party and our tour group met up again for dinner.

New Orleans

And so… into New Orleans on the Mississippi delta, the largest city in the state of Louisiana, the birthplace of jazz and famous for its Mardi Gras – music, parades, picnics and excitement. New Orleans had recently been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and while we waited on the ship for passport control to finish their business we were treated to a very interesting talk on the subject from Ray Nagin, the major of the city. The extent of the damage became more apparent when we did a coach tour of the remains of the city – except, as you can imagine, the city centre and the posher areas were all spared and the poorer areas with frail wooden houses suffered most.

New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

We also visited a quaint cemetery, where, because of the extreme dampness underground – the ocean is on one side, Lake Pontchartrain is on the other and between is the Mississippi River, swamps and bayous, which are very slow-moving streams, lakes or marshes – dead bodies are stored above-ground and gradually, over the years, they drop into the earth or water and so make room for the next batch of bodies to be stored.

New Orleans cemetery

New Orleans was founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company and named after Philippe d’Orleans, Duke of Orleans, Regent of France and retains much of its French influence in its architecture, cuisine and atmosphere.

In the evening we took the shuttle-coach to the French Quarter, visited Bourbon Street, Basin Street, etc. and spent some time in Fitzners Bar listening to a fantastic jazz band and drinking horrible American beer. Afterwards we took a bicycle/rickshaw back to the ship.

And that was it. Next day we flew home after a 2-hour delay because our plane was held up by snow in Birmingham!

This was our first cruise on the Voyager, sister ship of the Mariner on which we’d cruised from Alaska to Vancouver in 2004. The two ships are very similar, having exactly the same tonnage and number of passengers but the Voyager is very slightly newer and has very slightly larger cabins (known in this 6-star class of ship as suites).

RSSC Voyager

Our cabin was on the top accommodations, 10th, deck just below the main recreation deck with swimming pool, pool grill, bar, observation lounge and La Veranda restaurant and also the sun deck and jogging track. We like this position.

The main recreational theme on this cruise was antiques, with presenters mainly from the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow but this was only of passing interest to us. We had much more interest in the ‘enrichment’ and art lectures and the art auctions, as well as lectures on computers and digital cameras.

We had flown out from Heathrow to Madeira via Lisbon 3 days in advance of the cruise, as we had never been to Madeira before. We stayed at the Hotel Palacio on the outskirts of the capital, Funchal. A friend of Merlith in NADFAS owned a villa on Madeira and she introduced us to a taxi-driver, Aldo, who took us on a day-tour of the island – which inland is very green and hilly. We stopped at several interesting high observation points, walked along 2 levadas (mini irrigation channels), had a drink at a bar, ice creams and lunch in Seixal.

Levada walking in Madeira

Next day we took a cable car from Funchal up to the highest point and were brought hurtling down the cobbled roads on a toboggan guided by 2 burly youths. Actually, we reckon we were cheated because from the place they dropped us off it was a very long, steep walk back to the centre of town – but it was certainly a new and exhilarating experience for us.

Tobogganing in Madeira

On the following day we joined the ship and set sail eastwards, arriving Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, at noon one day later. Lanzarote is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic about 125 kms off the coast of Africa. After lunch we took the shuttle coach to Puerto del Carmen. The landscape looked like the surface of the moon – grey and rocky – not surprising as the entire island is the result of volcanic spewing millions of years ago. Some say this is ruggedly attractive but we thought it was ruggedly dismal-looking. To add to this it was a Bank Holiday and the place where we were was deserted. Plant growth on the island is mainly lichens and there is reputedly some fauna, mainly in the form of bats and a few dromedaries have been introduced to keep them company – as well as a few small reptiles, birds and blind crabs.

Lanzarote

We walked around a small harbour and got an early shuttle back to the ship, glad that this stop was only for a few hours.

From 8am next day till 4pm the ship was in Agadir, the main Atlantic port of Morocco. Agadir’s main claim to fame is that it was devastated by an earthquake in 1960. The port was cluttered by small boats and there was an all-pervading smell of fish. This was an attraction for lots of ducks, herons and pink flamingos but we took a taxi with Maurice and Barbara (from Farnham) whom we’d just met and went to Inzegane further along the coast where we wandered around the shops and a weaving factory open to the street. The main impression we got when driving through Agadir itself was of traffic jams, huge, extensive hotels and lots of beaches.

Agadir

In the evening we had our first encounter with ‘The Mad Welshman’, singer and comedian Kenny Smiles, who did the after-dinner show and if was terrific fun.

Then we sailed on to another short day in Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco. We took the shuttle coach to United Nations Square in the busy centre of the city and wandered around among the street salesmen (mainly selling tea!), into the old medina and the Great Mosque.

Casablanca

That evening we enjoyed our first ever lecture from Sandra Bowern on the History and Culture of Spain. Sandra, who graduated in Fine Arts from Bradford University, is a presenter, researcher and travel writer. Her lectures are fantastic, often very moving and informative, as she incorporates hundreds of visual images, music and film clips into her presentations. We were very lucky to be able to attend all those on the cruise and on our future cruises on the Voyager.

Picasso Museum

We sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar to our next port of call, Malaga in Andalucia in southern Spain. Here we walked to the Picasso Museum and we bought a reproduction of a Picasso painting in a little shop opposite. Back on the ship we entertained Nigel and Tina Lewis and his mother Rhona to tea, a tour of the ship and a trivia quiz (which we won!). Nigel used to be a GP in Burnham but now lives and works near Malaga. His father, Bob, was also a GP in Burnham whom I got to know very well, as he was one of the Presidents of the Windsor Medical Society during the time that I was the Secretary. That evening we attended the Seven Seas Society cocktail party.

And on to Valencia, a very old Spanish city, for an afternoon stop: here we simply had a walk and a drink in the city centre.

In Barcelona, the second largest city in Spain, next we had a very exciting bicycle tour around the port and through the city centre, mainly exciting because of the heavy traffic and the many very narrow streets we had to negotiate. A recovery drink at the end was very welcome. Barcelona is a beautiful, vibrant city blessed with the architectural genius of Antonio Gaudi in the Cathedral de la Sagrada Familia, the Park Guell and many many other buildings as well as Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, and its very own Picasso Museum.

Bicycle tour in Barcelona

Next morning we docked at Bassin de la Joliette, near Marseilles Old Port where we had a walk around, lunch and drinks in 2 bars. One of the latter was in a very pleasant, quiet area and we sat across the street from the beautiful Eglise des Accouiles and the Daviel Building, named after Jacques Daviel, an oculist who performed the first cataract operation in 1745. The city of Marseilles is the oldest and the second largest in France. It is a major seaport and an important commercial and industrial centre. There was another fun evening show on the ship with Kenny Smiles.

Marseilles Old Port

And so on to Monte Carlo, Monaco, which has been called ‘a chic dream of perfection’. The Principality of Monaco is about the size of Hyde Park and Monte Carlo is one of its departments. About 20% of the Monaco’s landmass is land reclaimed from the sea. Again we restricted ourselves to walking around, thought about going in to the Casino but ended up having a drink in the café outside the elegant, decorative gaming house. In the afternoon I used an elevator and several long stairways to reach the Vieux Ville and the Royal Palace.

Monte Carlo

Next came Italy; Portofino and Livorno. Portofino on Liguria’s Italian riviera, is a pretty little port, built round a small decorative central square surrounded by traditional frescoed houses. Otherwise it is comprised of a few narrow cobbled streets, making up a lovely place designed for relaxation and elegant dining. After we had relaxed for a few minutes we took a bus along a spectacular winding coastal road to the neighbouring Santa Margherita and walked along the promenade. Livorno is a thriving commercial harbour used by cruise ships for access to Pisa and Florence. We restricted ourselves to a walk and visit to a street market – then back to the ship early to prepare for the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party and a salute from almost the entire crew assembled on the stage of the Constellation Theatre.

   
Portofino and Livorno

The following morning we arrived at Civitavecchia, after cruising for 2161 nautical miles, and flew home from Leonardo da Vinci Airport.

Djemaa El Fna

As dusk was approaching we found Djemaa El Fna Square buzzing with snake charmers, locals selling their wares and the smell of food stalls wafting through. We entered the narrow passageways of the souks passing vendors selling leather goods, gold jewellery, lanterns, ceramics and herbs which then opened up into a bigger marketplace of rugs and more of what we had already seen. By avoiding eye contact I avoided any hassle but as soon I showed any interest the banter and cheekiness commenced!

There are many cafes on the perimeter which have balconies from which you can overlook the square to people watch, enjoy a drink and avoid the snakes!

On our last day we took a short trip into the Atlas Mountains before our afternoon flight home. The one hour’s drive is interesting as you see the landscape changing quickly as you leave the city and climb up into the mountains. We visited Richard Branson’s beautiful and peaceful Kasbah Tamadot hotel. After a tour of the hotel we had the pleasure of their traditional cooked breakfast. Unfortunately time did not permit us to work up an appetite from one of the many walks in the mountains but seeing all the activities on offer means I will have to return in the future.

Atlas mountains

We returned to the airport with plenty of time to change back our dirhams and pass through a thorough security search. There are a couple of shops airside for last minute souvenir shopping and grab a snack instead of suffering Royal Air Maroc’s “food”.
Two nights was definitely not enough to really absorb what Marraskesh and the Atlas mountains have to offer but it was a very good insight. At some point I would like to return for longer and if I could stay at La Mamounia then even better.
N.B
I also had site inspections of the Riad Joya and Villa Des Orangers. The Riad is new and currently exclusive to Kirker. They have opted for the modern look to divert from most riads who reflect Morocco. However I found it bland and their themed rooms e.g. Africa, were so subtle it was difficult to see the theme.
The Villa Des Orangers has a discreet entrance and is a little tucked away haven. It has a pool and sun loungers around it and in their small gardens so places for you to relax in addition to your room. The food was delicious and friendly service. A good sized riad within the medina and can highly recommend it.

Sea Dream I

Cabin

Library & internet stations

Lots of water toys can be utilised from the marina, or use of mountain bikes ashore, play a round of golf on a simulator, or indulge in other diversions. Everything is included as you would imagine it would be as a valued guest.

Pool deck

Spa area

Gym

It doesn’t stop there, the guest experience extends to fully inclusive quality dining, and all beverages – alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Ever wished to sleep under the stars? Balinese dream beds can be made up for you on deck for a unique night of uninterrupted views of the sea and sky. Double sun loungers are also available during the day for relaxing and enjoying outdoor life. Outdoor life can continue with dining, films on deck, and visits to the iconic ‘The Top of The Yacht’ bar, probably my favourite bar at sea, and very difficult to drag yourself away from.

Balinese dream beds for sleeping under the stars

Double sun loungers

Along with a great spa, fitness room, swimming pool, and all those grown up’s toys, the relaxed atmosphere without formality, restaurant style dining, fabulous itineraries that can visit harbours beyond the reach of larger vessels, and a different approach to holidays at sea, it is not surprising that guests profiles are also different. Unashamedly exclusive, these holidays are ideal for discerning couples, both active and passive, who would enjoy a fine and relaxed yachting experience.

Top of the Yacht Bar

A la carte dining

Royal Crown

Embarkation was from near to Amsterdam Central station, and what a delightful vessel we embarked on. The Royal Crown, with a full capacity of only 88 guests, has that traditional charm that comes with mahogany wood, brass fittings and elegant furnishings, but surprisingly was only actually built in 1996, and then fully renovated in 2010. This has the pleasing result of providing the feel of traditional luxury, but also ensures you are benefiting from decent sized and comfortable cabins or even larger suites, plumbing that works, and all those mod cons today’s travellers come to expect from a luxury vessel like a spa and a fitness room.

Deck area

Suite

Cabin

Reception area

The food was great, and we mean really good. A revue that is delivered from the fortunate benefits of having been able to sail aboard, and compare, many luxury ships and river vessels. This was up there with the best.

Dining Room

Gym

The waterways on which we travelled provided some really interesting visits, from small harbour villages like Hoorn, where we all decamped down to the local pub, to sample local beer and atmosphere, to the Zuiderzee museum. This is a living museum set over an area containing reconstructed or rebuilt buildings, and typical Dutch settings from many eras. There are traditional crafts and ways of life being demonstrated. A must if you are in this part of the world, in the lovely town of Enkhuizen.

Hoorn

Enkhuizen

We marvelled at the construction of the reclaimed lands from the sea, Polders as they are known, where 2 million people now live on areas of land that were once sea. There are further areas in the planning. I will never forget a surreal journey across the water that used to be the sea, but is now part of Ijsselmeer lake. We travelled by coach on a road that seemed only a few feet off the water. Land was not in sight. It was as if we were driving across the North Sea.

A break with a difference, and highly recommended.

As I am the best big sister in the world (!), this year I agreed to take my younger sister to Paris as her birthday present. Of course the fact I had won a voucher to help cover the cost worked in some way to nurture the agreement! I booked through Kirker Holidays; 3 nights at the Hotel Victor Hugo in the 16th arrondissement – which to you and me is half way between the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. We also pre-booked private transfers and as standard Kirker Holidays provide a 1 hour river cruise and carnet of metro tickets to help you make the best of the city.

We travelled to Paris on Eurostar from Ashford on the well timed 09.55 service. Early enough to get to Paris for lunch and not too early we couldn’t get ourselves out of bed. At Ashford station I purchased a 4 day Paris Museum Pass (PMP) which proved to be the best decision of the weekend. Not only do you save by buying in Sterling but it means you do not have to find the specific locations that sell it on arrival or wait in line to buy tickets at each site. As my sister is still under 26, (and I am distinctly not) and an EU citizen she had the privilege of getting into most places for free by proving her age. This also meant fast tracking the queues which was also another advantage of the pass.

Our first stop, the Arc de Triomphe (accepts PMP) was a 10 minute walk from our hotel. There is an underground walkway from the Champs Elysees which allows you to get to the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle in one piece. Under no circumstances try to cross the road – you will not survive! We walked the 270 steps to the top of the Arch to get spectacular views in every direction of Paris – great to give you an idea of where everything is.

Arc de Triomphe

After making our way back down the spiral staircase we headed for the metro. The Paris Metro is really easy to use and you can get to most places from the station here. We headed for Chatelet les Halles, another hub. You exit into a shopping centre and then have to find your way out as there are numerous entrances. Fortunately Kirker provide you with excellent maps both for the roads and the underground. Once we escaped the shopping centre fuelled by ice cream we walked along the river and crossed to the Ile de la cite and visited Sainte Chapelle (accepts PMP). This site certainly has the Wow factor and you want to say it out loud despite the SILENCE sign just inside the door!!!

Day 2 and our plan was to visit Versailles. After meticulously studying the maps we walked from our hotel to the Trocadero (about 15mins) which is a great place to take photos of the Eiffel Tower. We then crossed the river and headed for the nearest metro to the Tower which is on the RER Line C and goes direct to Versailles. As the station for Versailles is outside of Paris you can not use a carnet ticket so in my best French I ordered ‘Deux aller retours’ – 2 return tickets. Which were around £5 each.

Eiffel Tower

Versailles was teeming with coach loads of people and on the inside was not as expansive as I expected. They have an efficient system of handing out audio guides in most languages which I think helped to pace the flow of people through the exhibition. The gardens had spring flowers but the main attraction of the fountains had not yet opened for the year. We were lucky to have beautiful sunshine so to make the most of it we headed back to town for our complimentary boat ride. We returned to the hotel just as the heavens opened.

Le Chateau de Versailles

Day 3 and today we made even better use of my PMP, first we toured Notre Dame whilst Mass was taking place, which was very atmospheric, and then a quick wander around the Crypt (accepts PMP) – old walls under the square outside Notre Dame marking original city buildings.

Notre Dame

Then on to the Conciergerie (accepts PMP) the old prison where Marie Antoinette ended up. After a quick baguette we then set about exploring the Louvre (accepts PMP) which is massive and packed to the brim with artefacts and paintings including the Mona Lisa.

Le Louvre

Mona Lisa

With tired and aching feet we headed back to our favourite restaurant Le Copernic near our hotel for a well earned meal (2 courses and soft drink around €25pp)

Our private transfer collected us on the last day from the hotel to take us back to the Gare du Nord for our Eurostar journey home. A 2 hour journey which was a well earned rest for our tired feet!
There is still so much to see and do in Paris so I am looking forward to returning again one day to tick off what we missed.