Sailing or Cruising...

If taking to the seas is not your thing, consider sharing this with someone you know, who'd love the insight and to experience amazing destinations that go along with being on a vessel of some description at sea or on a river...

I grew up with dad having a boat/s, so as a kid fishing and wake-boarding were experiences that brought much fun to our family activity.  Then as an adult, I took myself off on a week long holiday sailing on a 100ft square rigger the "Golden Plover" in the Whitsundays, having so much fun, I extended my stay to sail supplies to chartered yachts.  A few years later whilst traveling abroad I had a few spontaneous jaunts at sea, then back home it was another Whitsunday's sailing holiday completely different to my first and then an amazing sail around Tonga island hoping remote islands. These and other boating experiences have brought much joy and maybe hair-raising moments, but have given me memories I am glad for and fond of!

Here are a few ideas for 2017 that may just be what you're after...

Viking Cruises offer river and ocean cruises, being European owned the clientele is a mix of nationalities, the river cruises of course have the lesser passengers and all viking ships offer the same Scandinavian style and comfort interior. Earlybird offers until 31 October 2016 

Star Clippers is your tall ship cruising experience. Cruise the Caribbean or the Mediterranean seas or embark on their newest voyage around Indonesia. Cruise between May - October 2017 for savings.
Cruise around Croatia for 8 Days and save up to $600 per couple. Earlybird book + deposit by 31 Oct.

Luxury River Cruising in Myanmar (Burma) in November, 1st passenger $6482 + 2nd if FREE. Book now!

Uniworld River Cruises have been a favourite with our clients. To see the Netherlands and Belgium in spring when the flowers create a tapestry of colour. Book + Deposit before 31 October for 2017.

Orion Cruise zodiac landing in PNG

And then there's still, the small boat experiences in Fiji, the Kimberley,  PNG, India and other interesting destinations I have not mentioned.  To discuss your holiday further, simply contact us at Travel With A Difference and we look forward to assisting with your memorable holiday.

Star Clippers - Indonesia

our entertainment in Tonga!

neeeeext destination....that bucket list!

Its something most of us have experienced at some point in our life, where we sit and ponder and say “I really want to go there” or “…do that”. I know I have and so have clients I chat with. It’s the destination where we can experience, where we can pursue our favourite activity or adventure, it the thing that puts a fire in our belly.


Often it occurs more than once. It may be that childhood dream of wanting to see a city, the thrill of adrenalin, the cause to help others, a desire to learn a new language, to taste a new flavour of cuisine or culture or simply to have that change of climate. But I bet that whatever is on your dream list, bucket list, to do list, whatever you want to call it, there is more than just one destination or activity you’d like to experience. Hmmm….

Specials and updates pour in to my computer screen daily and yes, it is a moment in time, when I sit ponder and imagine. Then reality kicks in, the phone rings, I’m sitting at my desk. Regularly people ask me, where am I travelling to next and I reply “its endless….Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia… oh, to go back to Italy, France, Portugal and Morocco…to swim with whale sharks, to rent a villa with friends, to sail on a timber deck yacht in Croatia….ah, to be sharing the moment….”. I’m not sure, if others have as many desirable places to experience, but if I’m unable to experience them at this point in time, then the second best thing for me is to feature some of them on Travel With A Difference’s calendar. The Calendar has been created for the simple fact that, there are so many wonderful holiday experiences to be had.


Whether your desired bucket list holiday destination or experience is one purely for you to fulfil or one that can be shared with family or friends, it is worth putting on your calendar to do. It’s the joy of having experienced the dream destination that keeps us pondering on the next. Journeys on my calendar are selected or created with that point of ‘difference’, so they can be enjoyed by all. It may have set dates, but then again, the journey most likely can be tailored to suit you.

Once you’ve experienced your dream holiday, I’m sure you’ll return with a “neeeeext destination” only to be placing yet another on your bucket list to plot and plan. I see it time-after-time and all I can say is, we are lucky and fortunate. Enjoy…

sailing the maldives...

Operating a travel business and being a busy consultant, means a lot of time is spent sitting at the desk in front of the computer.  Daily on the computer screen, I see endless deals for romancing at resorts, volunteering holidays abroad, extensive car leasing, cruising the Caribbean to trekking in stunning locations, and that is without mentioning the airline deals.
This one came through and stopped me in my tracks. I thought wow. Sailing the Maldives. Imagine, sailing. You and a friend or a few of your friends, if you're not confident or experienced to sail alone, rent a crewed catamaran that provides you with a skipper and a cook to prepare your meals. Having just sailed around Tonga....I had to blink myself back to the reality of work!  
We all take some time during the year for a little getaway and I understand, people have different priorities to what they wish to do with their time and money or even their desired holiday destination.  But, if you love the ocean, escaping crowds - all it takes is a mate or three couples and you could be on yacht sailing turquoise blue waters and having an amazing experience.

To discuss your vessel options and best time to explore and sail the Maldives, give us call: 03-5254 1279

a sailing holiday in tonga...

Nuku'alofa market

Wow, "a holiday", that's how I felt when taking off with Virgin Australia to join friends in Tonga for eight days of sailing. Yes, I get to travel often, but it is for work which means meetings and resort inspections - a job I do love, otherwise I wouldn't do it.  But to take off on a holiday to be with friends to share the laughter, the days activities, a joyful "knock-off" aka gin&tonic at the end of the day and now the photos - is fabulous.

The flight itself to Tonga was intriguing, mostly Tongan's and by the chat, laughter and acknowledgements it would seem, they all new each other.

Tonga is made of three main groups of islands - Tongatapu/Eua, Ha'apai and Vava'u. My interest was to go to Vava'u (which has been said to be paradise) and swim with whales.  Whales sharks is what was on my list...I was told they are there, but it is mostly Humpback Whales that people experience when in Tonga.

exploring another island...

Sailing takes you where the wind takes you - well, maybe not that literally, but we did have to plan our days to the wind. We ended up spending the week sailing the Ha'apai group with no disappointment or regret - I didn't get to sail to Vava'u or swim with the whales.  But what I, we did get to experience was: Whale watching daily from either the catamaran whilst sailing or the zodiac as we explored the islands after anchoring.  Snorkelling over what seemed to be endless coral...you can only snorkel so far! Skurfing which become our morning activity. Drinking coconut juice straight from a coconut plucked from the island and amazing fresh fish caught from the ocean. Our days also entailed walking remote islands where we met a couple living ruggedly, to islands with no people but a few wild pigs.

My last day I departed early in the morning which took a bit of organising the day before in order to get me to the airport to catch this DC3 (below) back to Nuku'alofa, whilst my friends sailed on to Vava'u. They said I experienced the pick of what Tonga had to offer.  Vava'u is more touristy, it has more yachts and they sighted less whales. But there are a few whale watching/swimming companies there, so the whales are there.

Flying out of Ha'apai

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For all your holiday arrangements contact us at Travel With A Difference.