Journey To The Amazon

The port of Fuerte Amador sits at the southern edge of Panama City, near the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The shining skyscrapers of the Panamanian capital are a testament to the city's status as a key financial centre, while the tiny Casco Viejo is home to pretty colonial streets, hip hotels and happening bars. If you find the city's chaotic traffic offputting, you may prefer an excursion to the canal's Gatún Lake in search of wildlife including capuchin monkeys and sloths.

The tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, located just off the coast of Venezuela, lies outside of the hurricane belt, meaning it enjoys a largely dry climate, and boasts some of the best beaches in the region, if not the world.

Trinidad’s main industries are oil and gas rather than tourism, and this is reflected in Port of Spain’s skyscrapers and urban sprawl, quite a contrast with other Caribbean capitals. It's a bustling melting pot famed for its boisterous carnival, but beyond the city limits lies a beautiful island of waterfalls, rainforests and colourful birdlife.

Manaus is a remarkable place, a sweltering, steamy city in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest. Situated near the confluence of the Rio Negro and Amazon rivers, surrounded by thick jungle, the city is a major port in spite of its location some 1,000 miles from the sea.

The tiny village of Boca da Valéria, with its picturesque little church and wooden stilt houses, is home to a remote indigenous community, at the point where the Valéria and Amazon rivers meet. The villagers are used to welcoming cruise ship visitors, but stepping ashore here is still a memorable experience.

The laid back riverside village of Alter do Chão is sometimes known as the ‘Caribbean of the Amazon’ thanks to its white sand beaches, clear waters and chilled out vibe. Beyond the beach the main activities are exploring the surrounding rainforest and shopping for local handicrafts.

Browse the markets of charming St George’s, fragrant with the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg, and you’ll soon understand why Grenada is known as the ‘isle of spice’. This is one of the Caribbean’s most enchanting islands, fringed by gorgeous beaches and largely unsullied by mass market tourism.

The gabled houses of Willemstad lend an undeniably Dutch feel to the capital of little Curaçao, with a splash of Caribbean colour thrown in. The island itself is not your typical lush tropical paradise - the landscape is characterised instead by thorny shrubs and cacti - but there are some fantastic beaches and quaint little villages.

The port of Fuerte Amador sits at the southern edge of Panama City, near the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The shining skyscrapers of the Panamanian capital are a testament to the city’s status as a key financial centre, while the tiny Casco Viejo is home to pretty colonial streets, hip hotels and happening bars.