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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?

The Central American country of Honduras is bordered to the south by Nicaragua, to the west by Guatemala, and to the southwest by El Salvador. Yet its entire northern shoreline lies on the warm Caribbean Sea. It is off this northern coast where the Bay Islands lie – Roatan, Guanaja and Utila being the main ones. These picturesque islands have become the main tourist attraction of the country and offer hikes, waterfalls, gorgeous beaches, caves, and water sports such as kayaking and paddleboard. But they are best known for affordable scuba diving opportunities on lush coral reefs, famed for whale shark encounters. Cayos Cochinos also forms part of the Bay Islands but is more remote and less developed. Here you can escape the tourism hustle to enjoy a beautiful retreat. It is also known as the best dive spot in the country, with rare and big marine life encounters.

Waterfront in Roatan

In 2019, 2,000,000 tourists visited the country but the tourism industry accounts for only 2.3% of the GDP of Honduras and the country ranks relatively low in global popularity. On 10 March 2020 the first cases of COVID were confirmed. The government responded very quickly and closed all its borders on 15 March. It also suspended classes at all levels of education, ordered curfews, and, to assist those hardest hit by these measures, fixed prices for basic food items and medical supplies.

Our Honduras liveaboards are operational and offer diving at Roatan, Utila and Cayos Cochinos. These are the top dive locations in the country with beautiful coral reefs and sheer walls, spectacular wrecks, offshore sea mounts, and opportunities of whale shark encounters.

Hawaii is a series of volcanic mountain peaks rising up from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. They are an isolated archipelago yet relatively easy to get to from Asia, Australia, Canada, and USA, of which they are a recognized state. The islands have a laid back Polynesian charm and tropical climate. They are renowned for their natural beauty, with plenty of wild coastlines and beaches, dramatic mountain slopes with cascading waterfalls, lava flows, and lush forests. Famous attractions include Honolulu with its Diamond Head Crater and Waikiki Beach, Kilauea Volcano, Haleakala National Park, Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali Coast, and the Hana coastal road. Activities include some world class hiking trails, some of the biggest surf-able waves in the world, and superb aquatic attractions such as kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving at Kona. The Pacific waters that surround Hawaii are home to an astonishing number of endemic fish. Giant mantas, turtles, dolphins, and plenty of sharks inhabit the region, and humpback whales migrate here annually.

Diamond Head Crater, Honolulu

The tourism sector accounts for 20% of the local economy and welcomes over 10 million visitors annually. Yet all that came to a shuddering halt in early 2020 when the first cases of COVID-19 arrived. The first confirmed case occurred on 6 March yet it was thought that infected tourists were present as early as January of last year. The worst infected areas were Oahu and Lanai. State parks, bars and clubs were closed 17 March. A 14-day quarantine was soon imposed afterwards for international arrivals. Stay-at-home orders were also used until the end of April. Contact-tracing measures were implemented, and by May Hawaii reported the lowest rate of deaths per capita of all US states.

A staged re-opening began but a second waves of infections forced another lockdown until the end of September. Bars had again re-opened by March 2021, and the state began to impose entry to these establishments only upon proof of vaccination by June 2021. To date Hawaii has had 66,000 confirmed cases and 13,000 deaths. Although August 2021 has been the worst month of the pandemic by far in terms of case numbers, the state is still the safest place to be in the USA in terms of death rate. Vaccines began to arrive December 2020 and now over 55% of the population are fully vaccinated.

Our Hawaii liveaboard cruises along the Kona coast of Bog Island have been running as per normal since October 2020. This is the best place in Hawaii to explore underwater lava tubes, rugged pinnacles and archways, and to encounter the megafauna for which the islands are famous.