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ESCORTED TOURS ISLAND-HOPPING DESTINATIONS


Sailing adds an air of glamour to any adventure: whether hopping onto a swish mega-yacht for a week-long liveaboard or clambering onto a catamaran for a day trip, the romance of setting sail for destinations unknown still resonates. Yet that glamour won’t last long if things go wrong. If guests turn up to the marina to find the captain hasn’t arrived or their chosen boat is looking less-than-seaworthy, the idea of skimming the waves might not seem so appealing. That’s where an escorted tour can help, taking the guesswork out of planning an inter-island adventure. Forget checking ferry timetables or having to work out the route from one island to another: with a group tour, travellers can leave the logistics to someone else and concentrate on enjoying themselves, often with guided sightseeing at each stop to get a sense of each island’s individual character. There are countless archipelagos


worthy of an island tour. Here we look at a handful of the best to see what the fuss is about.


flock straight to the shores of Tenerife or Gran Canaria are missing out on the rich variety these Spanish islands offer. Sure, there’s sun and sea, and all but the busiest itineraries feature time on the beach, but an escorted tour could open


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CANARY ISLANDS They’re best known as a package holiday haven, but sun-seekers who


travellers’ eyes to how much else there is to do. On Tenerife, the otherworldly landscape of Mount Teide National Park offers ample hiking opportunities, as well as charming villages such as Renaissance- style La Orotava, and the black-sand beach of El Roque. Oft-overlooked La Gomera has a different vibe, with historic capital San Sebastian – where Christopher Columbus stayed en route to the new world – and rolling, hilly landscapes. But that scenery pales in comparison to the panoramas from the volcanic Bandama Crater in Gran Canaria, which offers views in every direction across the island. Book it: Travelsphere’s 10-day Canary Island Hopping trip starts at £999, available April to November, with Gatwick flights, nine nights’ half-board accommodation in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and excursions including a day in La Gomera. travelsphere.co.uk


2 HAWAII


As soon as they hear ‘aloha’ and put on a floral lei, visitors will


find themselves easing into the breezy surfer-dude vibe of this American archipelago. Starting in Oahu, since most international flights arrive in capital Honolulu, highlights include colourful villages and pineapple plantations, rugged cliffs and knockout views at Pali Lookout, and a poignant visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial.


But getting a handle on Hawaii


isn’t about ticking off sights. Big Island is home to black-sand beaches, the world’s most active volcano and a buoyant population of manta rays, but you’ll get more of a feel for the local lifestyle by sipping locally- grown coffee in west-coast town Kailua-Kona. Likewise, Maui boasts an impressive volcano, and Kauai the colourful Waimea Canyon, but the long, white-sand beaches and homely farming estates offer more of an insight into the islanders’ everyday lives. Book it: Trafalgar offers a 13-day Hawaii Four Island Adventure from £2,983, including B&B, internal flights, some other meals, city tours and transfers. International flights not included. trafalgar.com


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MALTA It’s easy to think of Malta as just one island, since the majority of hotels and


tourist hotspots are clustered on its largest isle. Yet little sister Gozo and the even more diminutive Comino offer a totally different experience. Malta itself is hardly busy by


most standards, but Gozo’s rural landscapes and tiny, secluded beaches seem positively empty by comparison, and with an ancient citadel, vast salt pans and temples that pre-date the Pyramids, there’s no shortage of things to see. With just four permanent inhabitants, Comino is an even quieter affair, mostly frequented by swimmers and divers keen to see the clear waters of the Blue


Lagoon. There is a hotel on the island, but the majority of tours visit as a day trip from Valletta. Book it: Saga’s 10-night Islands of Antiquity tour visits Malta, Gozo and Comino, priced from £799 including breakfast, dinner and some lunches, plus flights, porterage and guided excursions. travel.saga.co.uk


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MALDIVES The Indian Ocean is a good destination for small-group sailing, as


passengers can hop off the back of the boat to swim or snorkel, looking out for colourful coral reefs and more than 700 species of tropical fish. The traditional dhoni vessel is the best option here. It can avoid the islands dominated by luxury hotels and instead pull up in quiet bays or alongside the tiny islets which characterise this archipelago. With just a handful of passengers – G Adventures limits groups to eight, though they average six – a laidback vibe is guaranteed. Routes are flexible, but typically G Adventures heads south from Malé to the uninhabited islands of Ambara and Fenboa Finolhu, before crossing to Meemu Atoll for a taste of Maldivian island life, and onward to Dhiggaru to catch a performance of local folk music boduberu, meaning ‘big drum’. Book it: G Adventures’ seven-day Maldives Dhoni Cruise costs from £979 full-board, including transfers from Malé. Flights extra. gadventures.co.uk


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