Destinations

Whitsundays

The Whitsunday Islands, which lie midway along the Queensland coast of Australia, are an archipelago of 74 tropical islands. They are bordered by the famous Great Barrier Reef, often called the eighth wonder of the world.

The bays of these uninhabited islands offer sheltered anchor, and the coral gardens provide an underwater wonderland for snorkelling and diving. This area is an idyllic watersports playground, whether your passion is fishing, sea kayaking or diving among the thousands of different species of fish and coral. Here you can rub shoulders with turtles and dolphins, and between July and September humpback whales pass through. Many of the islands have walking tracks with spectacular scenery and views.

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May to October is the dry season in the Pacific Islands and is the perfect time to visit, with lower humidity and cooling breezes. The sea temperature remains ideal for swimming and the reduced rainfall means fantastic visibility for snorkelling and diving - up to 60m. All of the islands have beautiful beaches and thriving coral reefs offering spectacular diving.

Sailing around the islands includes the opportunity for short trips and longer passages across open sea.

On land, the unique and ancient cultures of the islands still thrive today. Visitors can explore interiors and highlands by car, bike, on foot or on horseback.

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Rarotonga and the Cook Islands

The lush and rugged interior of Rarotonga makes it the ideal island for day hikes through rainforest. The island's reefs provide safe snorkelling and sheltered diving and the area is frequently visited by humpback whales between July and October.

The smaller Aitutaki Island is home to one of the most beautiful lagoons in the Pacific. The outer reef of the lagoon is dotted with beautiful islets offering sheltered snorkelling. The northern islands are a collection of low-lying coral atolls. These receive virtually no visitors, but aboard Charlatan you can join the few who have ventured into this unspoiled area.

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Fiji

Fiji offers a collection of sun-drenched islands with white sand and palm-lined beaches. Here international standard dive schools offer guided dives and certification courses. You can explore Fiji's highlands on foot, by mountain bike or four-wheel drive, and cruise the rivers on a bamboo raft, kayak or jet boat.

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Vanuatu

Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands, each with an individual character. The capital, Port Vila, on Efate Island, has a beautiful harbour and faded French atmosphere. Vanuatu offers diving on the world’s largest accessible World War 2 wreck off the island of Espiritu Santo. On Tanna Island you can venture out at night to visit the active Mt Yasur volcano.

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New Caledonia

In New Caledonia Melanesian culture meets French sophistication. The island is surrounded by the world’s second largest reef. The outer reef is home to a number of world-class dive sites and its marine sanctuaries offer superb snorkelling.

New Caledonia has some of the most diverse landscape on offer in the Pacific Islands. Its wild interior is home to isolated villages, which are only accessible by horseback.

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Tahiti

Tahiti and its islands, officially known as French Polynesia, are spread over four million square kilometres and consist of five archipelagos. Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia is located in Tahiti. The island has dense rainforests cloistering the mountain peaks of the interior. The flat coastal areas produce an abundance of tropical flowers, fruit and crops such as taro.

Shallow lagoons showcase numerous animals and flora accessible to novice divers, while underwater trenches hide wrecks, some of which can be safely explored. Tahiti’s richest diving spot is called the Saint Etienne Drops, where the barrier reef drops down towards the ocean floor offering a spectacle of gigantic vertical walls. At depths of 15 to 35 metres huge coral roses blossom in the clear water.

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Galapagos Islands

Located 1,000 Km. off Ecuador's Pacific coast, this fascinating archipelago is comprised of 13 large islands, six smaller ones and over 40 islets. Most are south of the Equator where several marine currents converge, creating a zoological, geological and botanical wonder.

The terrestrial and marine environments in Galapagos create a multiplicity of attractive and unique landscapes. Giant tortoise, marine and land iguanas and lava lizards constitute the most spectacular reptile group found anywhere.

The Galapagos experience offers world travelers a way to step back in time, to visit an isolated, relatively untouched place on earth

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The Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, and lies South East of North America, East of Central America and North West of South America. Popular destinations include Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, St Kitts and St Nevis and the Virgin Islands.

Visitors are drawn to the Caribbean for its clear blue seas, golden palm lined beaches and consistent warm weather. It is also famous for its welcoming people and laid back pace of life, making it an ideal destination for a relaxing vacation

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The Baltics

The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, and is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Europe, and the Danish islands.

The Baltic Sea countries include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

Broad plains, rolling hills, dense forests with marshland, many rivers and lakes: these are the main features of Lithuania, and also feature in other countries throughout the Baltics.

A wealth of history and culture to explore, including many medieval towns and historic buildings.

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The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. It covers an approximate area of 2.5 million km² (965,000 sq mi).

The Mediterranean was the most highly important route for merchants and travelers of ancient times, allowing for trade and cultural exchange between emergent peoples of the region — the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Semitic, Persian, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek, Levantine, and Roman cultures.

Today the possibilities for exploration are endless and the rewards are intoxicating. From the Greek Islands famous for their ancient culture, round the Italian coastline  to the playground of Cannes and Monaco, along the south of France to the beautiful coastline of Spain there are abundant possibilities and adventures.

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