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The Sultanate of Oman is a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to the north and Yemen to the west. The Arabian Sea and the Gulf Oman run along its coastline and it has a strong maritime history. It is a country rich in natural beauty and culture. It is budget- and family friendly, and a very safe tourist destination.

A Musandam dhow, Oman

In the north of Oman, you can witness expansive landscapes of undulating, golden sand. Elsewhere, the barren landscape is punctuated by picturesque wadis – green corridors of flowing water that run through canyons, forming gushing waterfalls with emerald and turquoise pools surrounded by date palms. Another iconic spot is the Bimmah Sinkhole, a natural 90m deep blue hole with crystalline water, ideal for daring cliff jumps.

Due to the strict and delayed entry regulations, our Oman liveaboard safaris have been suspended until 27 August 2022. The opportunity was taken to put the yacht in dry dock for extensive renovations and improvements. Once operations resume, Oman scuba divers will have the choice of exploring the Daymaniyat Islands off the coast of Muscat, or the Hallaniyat Islands in southern Oman. The seas are full of life, with whale sharks, humpback and sperm whales, dolphins, manta and mobule rays, sharks, turtles, mola mola, king mackerel, tuna, as well as moray eels, angelfish, stingrays, lobster and crayfish, and nudibranchs. More than 1,000 different types of fish and shellfish are home in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. Strict fishing conditions and large marine parks ensure that this valuable treasure remains well protected.

A small and little known country in the Horn of Africa, south of Eritrea and north of Somalia, Djibouti is a land of natural treasures. There are plateaus and plains along the foothills of volcanoes, even a couple of protected forests, where you can see wildlife such as gazelles, monkeys, an enormous variety of birds, and this is also where you can see nomadic people grazing their goats and camels along the edges of lakes. Not much lives in Lake Assal though, since it is a salt lake and the second lowest land depression on Earth. The scenery around the world are breathtaking, so much so that this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tadjoura is one of the oldest towns in East Africa and lies on the Gulf of Tadjoura – known as one of the best places in the world to snorkel and dive with whale sharks. Djibouti City is the hub of the country and is a melting pot of culture. Here you can enjoy creature comforts and explore a city in grand transformation.

The port of Djibouti City

In 2020, all thoughts of growth had to be shelved due to the arrival of COVID. Djibouti is the home to several military bases of some of the world’s superpowers, and it was through these bases that COVID first arrived in March 2020 – from Spain and the USA. The situation developed rapidl;y and by April, Djibouti had the highest outbreak in Africa, leading to emergency funding from the World Bank and the provision of medical equipment by the WHO. This was despite the government suspending all commercial flights on 18 March, closing schools and places of worship, and moving the country in to lockdown until May 2020, when measures wer slowly relaxed in stages. As cases dropped even further, flights to and from the international airport resumed on 18 July 2020.

Djibouti is served by flights with Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air Djibouti, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Fly Dubai and Kenya Airways. We hope you get the chance to travel to and enjoy this remote corner of Africa very soon.

The eastern half of the island of Hispaniola, shared with Haiti, to the east of Cuba, the Dominican Republic is the Caribbean’s most popular tourist vacation destination. Over 6 million tourists normally arrive annually to visit its beaches, explore its mountains and lakes, and absorb its colonial splendor. Tourism accounts for over 11.5% of its GDP and is key to the local economy.

Paraíso, Barahona, Dominican Republic

The tourism industry was abruptly halted on 1 March 2020, when the first known case of COVID was confirmed. The first death was recorded on 16 March. A state of emergency was declared the next day, all schools were suspended, and national borders were closed 19 March. Night time curfews of up to 13 hours per day were imposed, which were protested by many in Santo Domingo. However, its strict protocols and strong public healthcare sector appeared to have to desired result, and the Dominican Republic re-opened its international airports on 1 July 2020. The tourist sector report latest hotel occupancy at 85%, clearly demonstrating that there is tourism life after COVID.

Other marine creatures you could see are dwarf sperm whales, Atlantic sailfish, and various dolphin species – bottlenose, spinner, Risso’s and Fraser’s. Water temperature is 78-80°F / 25-27°C. A 3 mm wetsuit is recommended.

The collection of Caribbean islands known as the Turks and Caicos are a beautiful holiday destination. Providenciales (known locally as ‘Provo’) is the most developed island in the country. Here you can find the picturesque, aquamarine lagoon of Chalk Sound, dotted with numerous green-topped rocky islets which you can explore by kayak or paddleboard. Also on Providenciales is the beach of Grace Bay is renowned as one of the best in the world, and the rugged coastline of East Caicos and Middle Caicos make for some spectacular natural scenery along hiking trails. The 24 km of underground caverns known as Conch Bar Caves on Middle Caicos is one of the largest cave systems in the Caribbean. Grand Turk Island is a very popular port of call for large cruise ships, where guests may choose to visit the capital CockBurn Town, the national museum, or play with stingrays at Gibbs Cay.

Scuba diving is the major attraction of the Turks and Caicos. Lying next to Bahamas, on the edge of the Gulf Stream, the islands are perfectly situated to have plenty of pelagic visitors. This means the dive sites plenty of underwater action, with big schools of fish and plenty of big sharks. In fact, along with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands are known as the shark capital of the Caribbean, French Cay is the place to be to see something special, such as hammerheads, bull and tiger sharks, lemon, and nurse sharks. Providenciales and West Caicos have some of the best walls in the Caribbean, and here you can see dolphins, whale sharks, eagle and manta rays, as well as whales.

Accommodation on Turks and Cacos

Our liveaboard cruises in the islands of the Turks and Caicos have been operating since July 2020, making them one of the most popular choices for intrepid scuba divers. These tours operate all year round apart from February and March (when the yachs move to the Dominican Republic to snorkel with the humpback whales at Silver Bank). Why not take advantage of the COVID-related special offers, fly in and check out this shark diver’s paradise?