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The Maldives, Lanka and the west coast of India have, thanks to the arrival of long haul charter flights, become favourites amongst UK based holidaymakers in the last 15 years. Mauritius and the Seychelles have also been identified by the British as luxurious tropical destinations in which to escape the European winter.
Cruising in the region is still in its early stages, although African Safari, on its Royal Star, has been operating in the area for many years.
The calm seas and the welcoming, friendly ambience of its island and mainland ports are helping to make the Indian Ocean, for many, a preferred cruise region.
Warm weather, with most rainfall occurring in the evenings in the form of short showers, makes this an amenable region for year round cruising, although the monsoon season on India’s west coast is best avoided. The Maldives, Goa and Kerala receive similar weather patterns to each other with humidity and rainfall at its highest between May and October.
Hindu festivals are popular throughout the region, with colourful processions, ornately decorated elephants and flag-lined streets.
Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists seem to live happily alongside each other in all the Indian Ocean states and the locals partake in all of the festivities, irrespective of their religion.
The Maldives consists of about 1,200 islands, 300 miles off the coast of southern India. Most are uninhabited and many are occupied by just one bare-foot luxury hotel. No island is more than two metres above sea level and so most shore activity takes place near the ocean and on smaller vessels skirting the coral reefs.
Dolphin watching and short sea trips are popular throughout the region, as is diving and snorkelling. In Mauritius, underwater scooters are also a popular attraction just a few miles north of the cruise terminal of Port Louis.
The stricken Costa Allegra – which has been stranded at sea for three days – has finally docked in the Seychelles. The ship ran into difficulties on Monday when a fire in the engine room destroyed the power supply, forcing it to be towed to port. Passengers have been without air-conditioning or hot food and have been surviving on supplies and essential items being flown in by helicopter. Many passengers have been sleeping on deck to keep … [Read more...]
A second Costa Cruises ship has run into difficulty in as many months with more than 1,000 people on board and drifting without power in the Indian Ocean following a fire. The Costa Allegra is adrift more than 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles, near Alphonse Island, the BBC reports. The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which ran aground off the Italian coast in January, killing 32 people. The investigation into the … [Read more...]
Baby elephants, armoured rhinos and sailing down the river: cruise and safari combined make for an unforgettable Indian experience in Assam as we cruised the the Brahmaputra River with the Assam Bengal Navigation Company. … [Read more...]
Cruise International join an island-studded cruise from the Seychelles to India aboard Silversea's luxurious Silver Wind - it really is the perfect getaway. … [Read more...]
The Maldives, Lanka and the west coast of India have, thanks to the arrival of long haul charter flights, become favourites amongst UK based holidaymakers in the last 15 years. Mauritius and the Seychelles have also been identified by the British as luxurious tropical destinations in which to escape the European winter. … [Read more...]
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