Maldives, the beautiful tropical nation sits amidst the Indian Ocean like a beautiful jewel. With its 26 oval shaped atolls and more than a thousand picturesque islands, this nation is simply a paradise for travellers looking for an island break. Maldives has been one of the go-to destinations for romantic couple and honeymooners because of its awe-inspiring beauty, incredible white sand beaches and crystalline blue waters. The incredible blue lagoons and the extensive coral reefs that this nation has in store making it one of the most popular island destinations in the whole world. However, with more than a thousand islands to choose from, it can be an issue to figure out which island to visit during your trip to this beautiful nation. To help you make a decision, here are the top three islands which you must check out during your dream holiday in the Maldives.

Male Island

If you want a vacation full of luxury and romance, the Male is the island for you. Being the capital of Maldives, Male is one of the most important islands in the Maldives. Although there are not many sightseeing options in Male and it is quite crowded, still the urban life and level of luxury that Male offers simply make it one of the must-visit islands in the Maldives. The island boasts a lot of upscale restaurants and cafes, awesome nightlife and a ton of shopping options to keep you busy. Among the major attractions in Male, Grand Friday Mosque, Malé Fish Market, Malé’s National Museum and Tsunami Monument are a few which you must visit while you are here.

Baros Island

Baros Island provides you with all the peace and serenity which Male cannot provide you. If you want to get away from the crowd and spend a day only with your loved one or by yourself, then Baros Island is the place where you would want to be. The island boasts of some of the most beautiful sun-drenched beaches and boutique resorts, and it is famous among the travellers for its beautiful corals. You can stay at one of the beautiful water villas and enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean from the comfort of your own home. There are a handful of luxury restaurants and bars in the vicinity for you to enjoy some gourmet meals. You can dip your feet in the clear cyan waters and unwind, spend a relaxing day or engage yourself in some watersports while you are here.

Halaveli Island

If you are visiting Maldives with your family and kids, then Halaveli Island can be the best choice for you. Surrounded by the ocean from all sides, Halaveli offers you and your family the perfect combination of isolation and fun. The island is home to the Constance Halaveli Resort, which is quite popular among its visitors for its 57 water villas. There are a lot of things that you enjoy with your family in this beautiful island. Enjoy a relaxing swim through the turquoise water, take a long walk along the sandy beaches or enjoy the colourful marine life while you spend your time on this island.

Luxury cruises have always been the go-to way if someone wants to enjoy a vacation full of luxury and ultimate comfort. Although cruise vacations used to be disregarded by intrepid travellers as ‘shallow’ and ‘not culturally rich enough’ in the past, that idea about cruise trips is changing. With the changing travel industry, cruise trips have also evolved to cater to the more serious travellers’ needs as well. Nowadays, cruise vacations also give you the unique cultural experiences that travellers seek from all their endeavours. From organising guided excursions at the shore to lending bikes for you to explore less travelled paths to taking you to remote, unknown destinations, you’ll get to experience all of these when you go on a Fred Olsen cruise or most of the other cruise lines. Here are the top four reasons why you should consider a luxury cruise vacation during your next vacation.

Uncompromised luxury

A cruise vacation is truly the ultimate form of a luxurious vacation that you can experience. The luxury cruise ships have all the amenities and the services a top-end hotel can offer you. The cabins of these cruise ships are fitted with luxurious furniture and modern fixtures to make sure that your stay on the ship is comfortable. You will get to enjoy gourmet delicacies prepared onboard by professional chefs, and sip on your favourite beverages as you enjoy the view of the ocean. From live entertainment shows to high-end bars, everything is present on the ship itself so that you can enjoy your holiday without compromising on luxury.

Unparalleled level of service

The crew of these cruise ships are specially trained to take care of every little thing that you need. The level of personalized service that you get to enjoy on a cruise ship is truly an unparalleled experience. From the moment you set foot on your vessel, all your needs will be taken care of by the friendly service staff and the crew of your cruise ship.

Hassle free vacation

A cruise vacation is the ultimate relaxing vacation that you will ever get to enjoy in your life. Apart from the luxury of service, cruise vacations take away one of the biggest hurdles of enjoying a relaxed vacation, and that is the planning. After you book the tickets for your cruise ride, you will not have to worry about anything else. Your itinerary, excursions, accommodation, food – everything else will be taken care of. This will make sure you get to relax and enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

Meet like-minded people

Cruise trips are a great way to meet new, like-minded people during your vacation. Most of the people who go for cruise vacations have already reached a certain place in their lives. You can be sure to find a lot of people having similar drives and interests as you when you go on a cruise vacation. That is why it is a great way to make new friends and new connections with people while enjoying your vacation.

Cruise trips have always been the go-to option for the luxury tourists who want to enjoy a long relaxing break while travelling through the ocean and discovering new places. However, most of the intrepid travellers used to look down on cruise trips because of the mainstream experience they used to provide. But w with the ever-evolving travel industry, the idea of cruise trips also has changed a lot. Nowadays, the cruise trips provide some of the most culturally rich and unique travel experiences while being completely hassle-free. Also, cruise liners are also coming up with shorter cruise trips ranging anywhere from a night to a week long. These short cruise trips are great for enjoying a short vacation, and if you have a few days at your disposal, here a few reasons why you must unwind on a mini cruise during that break.

A truly hassle-free experience

If you only have a few days at your hand to take a break from the hustle and bustle of your work life, you wouldn’t want to spend any of that precious time planning and preparing for that trip, right? Planning a vacation isn’t easy. You have to decide where to go, what to see, where to stay, what to eat and so on and so forth. With a mini cruise trip, all of those problems just vanish from your life. You just need to pick your cruise and book the tickets, and everything else will be taken care of. From guided tours to must-see destinations, to fixing up the itinerary – you will not have to worry about any of these things. This ensures that you get to enjoy your short vacation to the fullest, and don’t miss out on any of the precious time you have for yourself.

A vacation full of luxury

Cruise trips are known to be luxurious, and these mini cruises won’t disappoint you. You will get to have one of the most luxurious vacation experience you have ever had if you opt for a mini cruise during your short vacation. From luxurious cabins to gourmet meals served onboard, from on house beverages to onboard entertainment – everything will be present on your cruise ship to keep you entertained during your vacation.

Get pampered by world class service

The service crew of these cruise ships are specially trained to help you in every way possible. The polite service crew will always be there to take care of all of your needs. So you won’t have to worry about anything during your short break and relax to your heart’s content.

Luxury on a budget

Although these mini cruises do not compromise on the luxury and the comfortable experience, still they are much more budget friendly than longer cruises. So it is a really great way of experiencing the luxury of a cruise ship without breaking the bank. Also as all the meals, accommodations, guided tour etc. are included in the price of the cruise ticket itself, it gives you a much greater value for money.

Travelling around the world and exploring new places is a passion that many people possess. There is something truly meaningful about experiencing a new destination in its true glory and have all the authentic cultural, natural, historic experiences those destinations have in store. However, to truly enjoy the beauty and the scale of a destination, sometimes seeing the location from the ground simply is not enough. There are a lot of locations around the world which have to be seen from a bird’s eyes’ point of view to truly enjoy the sheer scale of the location. Sometimes an aerial view just provides a unique view of the destination which you couldn’t be able to see otherwise. That is why a helicopter tour of New York or Las Vegas has become extremely popular. Here are four reasons why even you should opt for a helicopter tour during your next vacation.

Helicopter tours are not as expensive as you think

Although helicopter tours provide a truly unique experience, they are not that expensive as you might think they would be. Copter rides once used to be an experience which only the rich could enjoy. However, with the evolving travel industry, these unique rides became really popular among the travellers. Due to the increasing demand, many tour operators started conducting shared helicopter tours which brought the price of these tours down by a lot. So now you can have this unique experience without breaking the bank, which makes a compelling reason for booking a helicopter tour.

Visit exclusive locations and have unique experiences

Helicopter tours offer you the opportunity of having some of the most unique experiences by visiting some of the most exclusive locations which you couldn’t have visited otherwise. Like if you take a helicopter tour at Las Vegas, you will get to have the experience of getting down at the very bottom of the Grand Canyon, explore the areas and have a gourmet lunch by the river. Or in New York, you will get to see the coveted skyline of New York from a completely new angle, which gives a clear view of the whole skyline. These unique experiences make going for a helicopter tour much more interesting.

Make your holiday memorable

No matter how cheap helicopter tours become, it is not something one gets to experience all the time. A helicopter tour will surely be one of the major highlights of your vacation. And if you are travelling with your family or your lover, sharing this unique experience together will surely be a memorable experience your lifetime, which you will cherish forever.

Incredible photographic opportunities

If you are an aspiring photographer or even a hobbyist, you will just fall in love with the experience of a helicopter tour. Helicopter tours give you the opportunity of seeing the ever known attractions from a completely new angle or take you up close to places which you otherwise couldn’t have gone. This ensures you get the opportunity of clicking some truly unique and stunning photographs which will surely make you proud.

For wine enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like heading out to sample some great bottles across the world. Because the way a wine tastes is impacted by the soil and climate in which the grapes are grown, wines from different regions will taste very differently. For people who want to taste extraordinary wines right from the vine, traveling is necessary. If you are planning on visiting vineyards across the world, we have some suggestion to make your experience an even more positive one.

Turn to Smaller Vineyards

It can be tempting to stick to the larger brands, but you will get a much better sense of what wine-making is like if you visit smaller vineyards. You can get a look at what the process is like and to speak to the people who actually do the work. In huge vineyards, this is much more difficult to do, so if your goal is not only to sample wine but also to learn about the process, you might be better off in one of the smaller locations.

Ask Questions

It can be intimidating to walk into someone’s vineyard and ask questions, but most people are more than happy to answer them. They are wine enthusiasts who want to share their love for the process with you, so the more question you ask, the better. As in a classroom, you will be able to learn much better if you are asking questions.

Hire a Driver

Even the small mouthfuls of a tasting can add up, especially if you are doing a tour in the morning. If you are touring a certain countryside, like Italy or South Africa, where a lot of wines are made, you should hire a driver, since the locations will not be very close together and you will need to drive after each tasting. Many hotels, like the Marriott Protea Stellenbosch, are more than happy to arrange drivers for you so that you can enjoy your experience without worry.

Go Early

This is especially important in areas that are more touristy. One of the best things about visiting vineyards is getting to talk to the people in charge. When there are a lot of people, this can become more difficult to do. On weekends, go visit vineyards early, so that you can get the full experience of a working vineyard.

Do Not Drink Everything

It is important to know that you do not have to drink everything in your glass. You can spit it out into the spit buckets that all tasting rooms have. You do not want the alcohol to affect you, especially if you have a long day of tasting ahead of you. Being even slightly tipsy can affect your taste-buds and can make it more difficult to get the full scope of a glass of wine.

All of these tips can help make your experience traveling and tasting different vineyards much easier. You should always rise early to visit vineyards to avoid lots of people, and you should take the time to hire a driver so that you do not risk driving while even mildly intoxicated. There is nothing quite like visiting different vineyards around the world, so if you are a wine enthusiast, it is definitely something to consider.