Interesting Islands

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Big ones, small ones, dry ones,

wet ones, busy ones, lonely

ones. Islands come in all shapes

and sizes, from a humble rock

in the ocean to mini continents bursting

with diversity. They almost always present

a unique culture or ecosystem that can

often set them apart from their closest

neighbours. Many islands, even tiny ones,

have animal and plant species not seen

anywhere else on the planet.

Islands are popular destinations for cruise

vessels large and small. Often the only way to

visit these fascinating places is by sea, making

them exclusive and sought after, and the ever-

increasing popularity of cruising is opening

up many of them to tourists.

We’ve put together a Top 10 with a

difference and dug deep into the world’s

cruise itineraries to find great island

destinations you may never have heard of or

considered as a cruise destination. There are

bound to be some surprises!

ISLANDDreamsWORDS: RODeRick eiMe

Interesting Islands

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Yangtze River

Malta

Sicily is one the best

Mediterranean island

destinations, even if you don’t

consider it a gastronomic attraction. You’ll

enjoy fabulous food with lashings of rich

history and culture against a stunning

natural backdrop. Strolling through any of

the local food and produce markets is an

experience in itself as you are confronted

with beautifully presented fish, fruit,

vegetables and even packaged delights.

Sicilians love their food and wine and you’ll

find their passion translates into the many

restaurants, cafés and bars.

Acclaimed food and wine author, Sally

Hammond, author of Just a Little Italian,

explains why she loves Sicily.

“Sicily has been over-run and colonised

by many nations over its long history.

Ancient Greeks and

Romans, Goths, Vikings,

Turks, Spanish and

North Africans have all

had a hand in the mixing

pot which now constitutes

Sicilian cuisine.

“So in western Sicily you’ll see

signs announcing couscous is being served

that day, in the south, it’s almond granita

(a flaky ice) and a sort of brioche for

breakfast, and some of the best chocolate,

while everywhere there are food markets

that would be at home in the Middle East.

“In the countryside expect to see

prickly pear laden with red fruit on the

roadside and olive and orange groves.

Sicily is a fragrant, colourful, absolutely

delicious island.”

Palermo and Messina are the popular

ports, but cruises also stop at Catania. Well

serviced by all the major cruise lines such

as MSC, Costa Cruises and NCL.

NATIVE CULTUREshortlist: Trobriand Islands (PNG), Hokkaido (Japan), San Blas Islands (Panama)

The islands (note plural) of Papua

New Guinea deliver some of the most

fascinating and hypnotic cultural and

indigenous experiences anywhere on our

planet. From the wild and mysterious Huli

wig men, mud men and duk duks, the tribal

diversity and sheer visual spectacular of

Papua New Guinea is sometimes matched,

but never surpassed.

Just to the north of the eastern-most

tip of the mainland, into the Solomon Sea,

are the Trobriand Islands, a fabled land

of sorcery, black magic and entrancing

damsels to rival the Tahitians. And binding

the many outer islands together is the

ancient and secret art of kula.

Medang-based Melanesian

anthropologist, Dr Nancy Sullivan,

explains:

“Kula is nothing if not a game of

influence. And, just as women will

achieve reputations for being alluring and

influential, men gain renown for their skill

at kula. Indeed, in a matrilineal society,

where land and titles are reckoned through

the mothers and sisters of a family, and

where men work for their nieces and

nephews rather than their own children,

it is kula that makes men famous. They

gain status in life and live through history

by their achievements at kula. And with

the valuables they have worked so hard to

win – but which must eventually be traded

away – men will decorate their sons and

daughters for ceremonial occasions. In

this way, while bequeathing them nothing,

they give them the gift of adornment and

beauty, and in so doing provide that very

important edge in the competitive art of

persuasion.”

Nancy regularly travels as a guest

lecturer aboard Coral Princess and Aurora

Expeditions journeys to PNG. See also

Orion Expeditions and North Star Cruises

for more great itineraries.

The tiny island of

Malta is tantalisingly

placed amid the

dense archaeological

wonders of the eastern

Mediterranean. Surrounded by

the rich and complex Roman, Greek,

Egyptian, Phoenician and Arabian

histories, Malta maintains a set of

impossibly ancient ruins that appear

not to relate directly to any of the

encompassing cultures. Among

the most fascinating of these is the

Hypogeum in Paola.

Inscribed onto the UNESCO

World Heritage list in 1980, the

Malta National Museum of

Archaeology describes the site,

albeit dryly, thus;

“The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

is a unique structural masterpiece

carved in the living rock. The

monument seems to have served

primarily as a cemetery over a

period spanning several generations.

The origins of the monument are

unclear, but pottery fragments dating

to the Zebbug phase suggest that

the site may have become a cemetery

by around 4000BC. The Hypogeum

remained in use till about 2500BC.”

The Hypogeum is but a gateway

to many more sites on this historically

rich island. Don’t go past the Knights

Fortifications around the harbours,

the catacomb complexes, Mdina (Città

Vecchia), Qawra/Dwejra or the Victoria

Lines Fortifications. Furthermore, Malta

can legitimately claim to possess the

planet’s oldest still-standing buildings.

Local resident Paul Zammit compares

the ruins to Stonehenge, saying “the

megalithic temples situated on the

Maltese archipelago are older, much

more grandiose, more instructive

(less fantasy is involved in their

interpretation) and must-see-to-believe

relics than the mere Stonehenge in

many people’s opinion apart from

mine!”

Malta is well serviced by the major

cruise lines. See Costa Cruises, MSC

Cruises, Cunard and P&O.

Malta

CLASSIC HISTORYshortlist: Cyprus, Malta, Sicily

FOOD & WINEshortlist: Sicily, Tasmania, North Island (NZ)

Sicily

TriobriandIslands

The balmy island

republic of Vanuatu

has been on the

list of tropical

paradises

since forever

and especially

since James A

Michener made the

whole place famous in

Tales of the South Pacific.

Although it may not have the wartime

shipwrecks of PNG, the Solomons or

Micronesia, Vanuatu and Hideaway

Island in particular has allowed many

regular cruise passengers the opportunity

to sample some of the best diving and

snorkelling anywhere in the world.

Graham Selleck of Frog Dive, Sydney

has travelled the world in search great

diving spots and needed no prompting

when asked his favourite.

“There are few places around the

world where you can get off a cruise

ship, large or small, and be diving

among really beautiful coral and

underwater marine species so close to

port. The added advantage is that even

folks who can’t scuba still have a great

time just snorkelling in the marine

reserve where the water is so clear

and clean it’s amazing. Novice scuba

divers can have an easy dive in warm

water with plenty to see and there are

even ‘first timer’ lessons available too

with the fully endorsed PADI Scuba

Experience.”

P&O is a regular visitor to Port Vila.

Be sure to get your name down for the

Hideaway Island excursion early, it’s

bound to be popular.

SNORKELLING & DIVING shortlist: Lizard Island (Qld), Hideaway Island (Vanuatu), Galapagos

#1

Sicily

#2

HideawayIsland

#4

#3

Triobriand Islands

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The enormous flocks of King Penguins on South Georgia are one of theworld’s wildlife highlights

The incurably romantic Caribbean

island of Cuba is one of the last true

Communist redoubts of the 21st century

and has captured the imaginations of

artists, poets and musicians for as long as

we can remember.

Cuba is almost always in the news.

The legendary revolutionary, Fidel

Castro Ruz, who turns 82 this year, is

clearly on a short countdown until his

ultimate term expires.

The resilience of the Cuban

revolutionary government has created a

nation that almost stands still in a time

of cold war. With his imminent

passing, and especially

since the withdrawal of

Soviet aid, Cuba will

inevitably be drawn

into the broader world

economic community.

Cuba’s attraction as

a tourist destination is

due in part because of the

world’s curiosity with this

stubborn regime. But Cuba, in

its own right, is a vibrant and

exciting destination blessed with

idyllic beaches and fascinating

early Spanish history dating back to

Columbus. More recent figures like Ernest

Hemingway, Desi Arnaz, Celia Cruz and

Gloria Estefan reinforce the romance and

passion of the island. Cuba’s rich musical

heritage has reached world popularity with

musicians such as the Buena Vista Social

Club and the Afro-Cuban All Stars.

Glenn A Baker, popular music

historian and social commentator

says “There is a constant, inescapable

sensuality to the entire Cuban experience.

For all the crumbling decay, the tarnished

and faded glamour, and the shortages

and sacrifices of a country whose

economy virtually collapsed when the

Soviets cut off the drip-feed more than a

decade ago, there is nothing dormant or

moribund about the place.

“Take Latin vibrancy and pride, wind

it up a few notches with classic Cuban

machismo, stir well with history, intrigue

and uncertainty, garnish with a siege

mentality, serve warm with Spanish

style and you have the very core of

the Caribbean, its only truly essential

destination.”

It’s still tough for Americans to

visit, but all that will shortly change.

Visit Cuba now – before the revolution.

Cruise lines Fred.Olsen, Hapag-Lloyd

and Voyages of Discovery are among the

lines that visit Cuba.

The impossibly remote island of South Georgia is now a regular inclusion on the more comprehen-sive Antarctic itineraries, bringing eco-tourists from around the world to visit the abandoned whaling stations and outrageously overpopulated wildlife sites.

A honey pot for naturalists, the

once-threatened seal and penguin

populations have more than bounced

back thanks to rigorous conservation

policies and an abundant marine food

source.

Dubbed “Survival Island” by Sir

Richard Attenborough, he says of

South Georgia: “The sub-Antarctic

island of South Georgia is the

only island suitable for breeding

for thousands of miles in the

Southern Ocean. Each spring,

animals as disparate as the elephant

and fur seals, king and macaroni

penguins, albatross, and giant

petrels visit the island to reproduce.”

And do they ever!

The hundreds of thousands of

noisy king penguins on Salisbury

Plain, the raucous, boisterous herds

of fur seals or the poetic, sublime

choreography of the Wandering

Albatross’s mating dance will leave

you changed forever and a with a deep

appreciation for the delicate balance of

nature.

You’ll find the better Antarctic

operators visit this island just once or

twice each season. Look for itineraries

from Adventure Associates,

Peregrine, or Aurora.

WILDLIFEshortlist: South Georgia, Galapagos, Madagascar

ROMANCEshortlist: Bora Bora, Cuba, Hawaii

Cuba

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SouthGeorgia

#5

Cuba

#6

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South Georgia

DRAMATIC SCENERYshortlist: South Island (NZ), Réunion, Tasmania

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE shortlist: Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, Ibiza, Whitsunday Islands (Qld)

MYSTERYshortlist: Malta, Easter Island, Wrangel Island

Reunion

Characterised by an

aggressive, active Characterised

by an aggressive, active volcanic

landscape, Réunion is the

Hawaii of the Indian Ocean with

towering, thickly wooded peaks

and a couple of decent beaches.

Almost overlooked by its better-

publicised Indian Ocean neighbours,

Mauritius and Madagascar,

Réunion is small enough to be

romantic and civilised enough to

offer a comfortable, European-

style experience. After all, it is part

of France, yet with a sultry and

tropical Creole flavour.

Réunion’s interesting,

predominantly French colonial

history serves as a fascinating

counterpoint to the jaw-dropping

terrain on this 2500 square

kilometre island. A ‘must-do’ among

the serious trekking community, it

is mentioned in the same breath as

the Himalayas and New Zealand,

with the three ‘cirques’ (natural

amphitheatres) providing stunning

venues for energetic strolls. The

Cirque de Salazie, the Cirque de Cilaos

and the Cirque de Mafate each evolved

from the original Piton des Neiges

volcano (3000m) that formed the island.

There is also fascinating hiking around

the active Piton de la Fournaise, a shield

volcano on the eastern end that rises

above than 2631 metres.

Most of the population is arranged

around the coastal perimeter, but three

tiny villages form superb little micro-

destinations on their own; Cilaos,

Salazie and La Nouvelle (in the Cirque

de Mafate), which is only accessible

only by foot or helicopter.

There are around 30 cruise visits

to the island annually with P&O, MSC

and Silversea the

most regular.

The main

port is

Pointe

des

Galets.

Let’s face it, parties and cruise

ships go hand in hand, but where

can you get some sophisticated

nightlife ashore without hordes of

inebriated yahoos?

The Caribbean is alive with party

atmosphere catering to all types of cruisers.

But for classy, grown-up fun it’s hard to

go past the island of Saint Martin, divided

almost equally between France and the

Netherlands, where you can combine all

your favourite daytime shore activities and

dining with a round-the-clock, laissez-faire

party scene.

Laced with casinos, nightclubs and

resorts, adults have the luxury of choice

from mild to wild. Live music, like the

whole Caribbean, is an essential part of

life after dark. Check out the hotspots: the

News Music Café, Greenhouse, Indiana

Beach, Amnesia and Cheri’s Café.

Local knowledge says the Dutch of

Sint Maarten have the better nightclubs,

while the French have better restaurants.

You be the judge.

Like any good Caribbean island, there

is carnival. Curiously the French and

Dutch sides celebrate different dates

with the Dutch just after Easter and the

French almost all of February with one

event or another – so this little island

really goes off.

Most cruise ships will visit Sint Maarten,

docking at the popular port of Philipsburg.

Stuck for starters? Try the St Maarten Party

Bus aka The Macarena Choo Choo.

Cruise Lines: Carnival, Celebrity and

Royal Caribbean visit regularly.

Many people were introduced to

the enigmatic stone Moai of Easter

Island (Rapa Nui) via the outrageous

extraterrestrial claims made by Erich

von Daniken in his controversial book

and documentary, Chariots of the Gods,

where he suggested the great idols were

constructed by aliens.

That theory is all but debunked, but as

the truth behind the statues was revealed,

the real mystery was just as engaging.

How could an entire population, once

thriving and healthy, destroy themselves

so comprehensively? How did such a

remote and under-resourced community

construct these enormous carvings and

then transport them overland to all corners

of the island?

To visit Easter Island is to view not only

an enduring archaeological mystery but an

anthropological one as well. The famous

20th century explorer, Thor Heyerdahl,

proposed that the population arrived from

South America and even floated the raft,

Kon-Tiki, there to prove his theories. But,

thanks to modern DNA, the few remaining

indigenous Rapa Nui are undoubtably

Polynesian.

With just basic infrastructure and a

relaxed, even lazy lifestyle, Easter Island

is a fascinating landing. Minibus tours,

Ibiza

walking, horse-riding or 4WD hire

is the best way to explore. Be sure to

visit the excellent little museum and as

many Moai sites as possible.

Easter Island’s incredible remoteness

makes a shipboard visit there unusual and

is most often part of a round-the-world

itinerary. Start with Princess and Seven

Seas.

Surprisingly, there are several almost

unbelievably remote islands that still attract

the occasion visit by cruise

ship and tiny (98 sq km) Tristan

da Cunha is one. Its volcanic

peak, rising to just over

2000m, is 2800 kilometres

from the nearest mainland

(South Africa) and there is

even a sign identifying it

as the most remote island in

the world.

The tiny community

of 270 shares just eight

surnames and has only recently

been granted a postcode by

Britain, to whom the islanders owe

their allegiance. All residents live

in the capital: Edinburgh of the

Seven Seas.

The island’s message to

intending visitors is: “There are

no package tours for independent

travellers, no hotels, no airport,

no holiday reps, no nightclubs,

no restaurants, no jet skis nor

safe sea swimming. Nevertheless,

Tristan da Cunha is one of the world’s

most sought-after destinations for

travellers determined to find a special

place.” There you have it.

In the last few years, the island has

received visits from Professor Molchanov,

MV Corinthian II, MV National

Geographic Endeavour and the sailing

vessel, Europa. Needless to say, you need

to book well ahead.

Easter Island

Reunion

#7

Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, Ibiza

#8

Easter Island

#9

Tristan da Cunha

#10

Tristan da Cunha

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MOST REMOTEshortlist: Pitcairn Island, Tristan da Cunha, Marquesas

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