Europe is jam-packed with iconic destinations to visit but it can also be bursting at the seams with tourists.
If you’re heading there and want somewhere quiet to explore before you tackle the busier tourist hotspots, look no further than these crowd-free places to visit in Europe.
Read More“Travel is one of the best things you can do to truly appreciate life. It broadens your mind, immerses you in the wonders of the world, and offers experiences that enrich the rest of your days. But how do you ensure you travel sustainably?
It can seem daunting, but it is easy to make sustainable travel choices that minimize your impact on the environment.”
Find out more in my latest article for Seven Seas Media.
Read MoreCrafting SEO copy for my clients’ landing pages is one of the things I love most about being a digital marketer. In my latest work for Scubago, I’ve been exploring two very different and exciting dive destinations: Jersey in the Channel Islands and Muscat in Oman.
Grab your sense of adventure and find out more here.
Cruising Alaska
Alaska is world-class cruising destination with striking landscapes, lush green forests and abundant wildlife. But when is the best time to visit?
It depends on what you want to see. Find out more in my guide to cruising Alaska.
May & September: Ideal for cheap travel deals & fewer mosquitos
Spring: Snow-capped mountains and fresh green foliage
September: Immerse in vivid Fall colours
Mid-summer: The best time for warmth
May & June: Good for wildlife watching ashore
June & July: Best for bear watching
Alaska cruising
You can go Alaskan fishing during any month of Alaska's cruise season.
Prince of Wales Island has sport salmon fishing during summer.
Don't miss Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world!
Alaska cruise
The Inside Passage is ideal for photography
There is an almost-endless list of Alaska cruise destinations to visit. Highlights include the following:
Alaska glacier
The impressive Hubbard Glacier
The Glacier Bay National Park is not to be missed. Unsurprisingly, it's full of glaciers and offers dramatic landscapes.
It's a great place to cruise to enjoy sea kayaking, visiting remote villages and admiring every shape of glacier imaginable.
April to June are the best months to cruise the Glacier Bay National Park for low rainfall.
Alaska cruise Tracy Arm
Tracy Arm is ideal for whale watching in summer
Another popular Alaska cruise choice, Tracy Arm is a narrow fjord over 30 miles long.
It's home to some of Alaska's largest glaciers and offers waterfalls, eagles, whales and seals.
Visit Tracy Arm during summer to spot humpback whales and orcas.
Alaska cruise orca
With over 2600 islands to explore, you'll be spoilt for choice during your Alaska cruise.
Join an Alaska Islands cruise and you'll visit some of the best-known islands.
It's a great destination for photographing plunging fjords, porpoises, whales and numerous birds.
Make sure you visit Baranof Island to bathe in the blissfully-warm hot springs.
Visit the Alaska Islands in April and May to spot grey whales or June to September to see minke whales.
Alaska cruise Juneau
Make time to explore Juneau
Read my full article for Cruise Hive about the best time to cruise Alaska to discover these other top Alaska cruising highlights:
The salmon capital of the world.
The world's largest collection of standing totem poles.
Why you need to visit Juneau.
Australia scuba diving is synonymous with the Great Barrier Reef, but go west and you'll discover peaceful dive sites, epic marine life and an abundance of sunshine all year.
Whilst the Great Barrier Reef is undoubtedly one of Australia's best scuba diving destinations, the diving scene in Western Australia is as good if not better.
Here's why you need to go Western Australia scuba diving:
Go Western Australia scuba diving from March to June and you can swim with whale sharks in their hundreds.
The stunning Ningaloo Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hosts these spotty giants each year, as well as over 500 species of fish and hundreds of corals.
You don't need to be a diver to get in the water with the whale sharks either.
whale shark
If there's one place to go diving in Western Australia above all others, it has to be Rowley Shoals.
The pristine Rowley Shoals Marine Park lies 300km from Broome and is remote by anyone's standards.
Consisting of 3 coral atolls perched on the edge of a continental shelf, the shoals host abundant reef and pelagic life.
You can spot sailfish and humpback whales on the outer reef or spend your days enjoying fast-paced drift dives through flourishing reef channels.
Fewer than 200 people get to dive Rowley Shoals each year. Make sure you're one of them.
coral reef
As well as whale sharks, Ningaloo Reef also hosts a variety of large marine life thanks to the reef being part of a migration route.
Dive Ningaloo Reef and you can enjoy encounters with the marine life highlights:
Mantas (all year, peaking May to Oct)
Dolphins (all year)
Turtles (all year, nesting from Nov to Jan)
You can also spot dugong. Dive Ningaloo Reef in March to May for the chance to see impressive mass coral spawning.
Western Australia scuba diving
For a real treat, visit Ningaloo Reef from July to November and swim with huge humpback whales.
The reef hosts tens of thousands of humpbacks each year and it is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with them.
humpback whale western Australia
Read my Dives News Wire article about scuba diving Western Australia to find out more about these other highlights:
Small-group catamaran liveaboard safaris.
World-class diving away from the crowds.
“Travelling on your own is a great way to meet people and there are a number of liveaboards with single cabins just perfect for your next vacation. These liveaboards offer safaris at some of the best dive destinations around the world and have a variety of onboard facilities to choose from. Here are our top liveaboards for single travellers.”
Find out more in my latest article: Best Scuba Diving Liveaboards for Single Travellers
“There’s nothing like a dive with ripping current; coral whizzing by, a frenzy of fish and little critters trying to hide from the current. Drift diving really is one of the most exhilarating types of diving on offer. There are some great liveaboard diving destinations where you can dive in and enjoy the ride.”
Find out more in my latest article for Scubadivermag: 6 Unbeatable Drift Diving Destinations
“Sea turtles are amazing creatures, found around the world in tropical and subtropical waters. They play a vital role in marine ecosystem health and have been in the ocean for more than 100 million years.They are an understandably popular dive and photography choice and you can swim with them at a variety of top liveaboard diving destinations.”
Read my latest article: 5 Great Places to Dive with Sea Turtles
There is something special about joining a small liveaboard for a more intimate dive safari. You can enjoy a more personalised service, smaller dive groups, and the chance to book the whole boat easily or get to know your fellow travellers better. There is often more flexibility in dive schedules and a slower-pace of life to enjoy as you sail from island to island.Here are my top choices of small liveaboards around the world.
Escape the Diving Crowds: 6 Small Liveaboards for Intimate Scuba Safaris
“Night diving is a special treat – you enter a secret world and the beam of your torch reveals strange and wonderful behaviour. The reef is a very different place than during the day – invertebrates more active, sharks predate on sleeping reef fish, morays leave their crevices to hunt. Here is a round-up of some of my favourite night dives.”
Read my latest article for DIVE Magazine UK: Top 5 Night Dives
