Hamburg to Rio De Janeiro

Absorb the rich historic atmosphere of Germany's greatest port city. The heritage of the Hanseatic League is evident once more in theis great seafaring crossroads, much of which has been carefully restored to its pre-war glory. Hamburg is a place where anything can - and frequently does - happen, like giving the world its first glimpse of The Beatles.

The Dutch city never fails to captivate with its rings of canals and charming gabled houses. Grand art museums, quirky boutiques and flower markets are all likely to beguile you too. Few have proved so adept at controlling the water in and around their borders as the Dutch, and nowhere proves this more than Amsterdam. Here canals create a swirl of arcs around the heart of this city. When they were built in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries the purpose was to funnel the water from the marshland around and create usable strips of land in between.

Step aboard in Southampton & straight into that holiday feeling. No flights, no hassle. Just the excitement of the days ahead and the promise of memorable moment. So, relax and raise a toast as the UK drifts from sight. Before you know it, you'll be watching your destination come into view. But where will it be ?

The 180 or so islands that make up Bermuda create a welcoming stepping-stone in the Atlantic. Its capital, Hamilton, is a vision of pastel houses to match the famous pink beaches. Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory that was first settled by the English in the early 1600s.

Explore the “Venice of America”, with its lacework of over 165 miles of canals and yachts as huge as the mansions they're moored at. Stroll along the tree-lined Las Olas, and wander into its upscale boutiques and wonderful restaurants. Enjoy the shops and cafés of Riverwalk, close to the Arts and Science District.

Forming a British Overseas Territory, this archipelago consists of around 40 low-lying islands southeast of the Bahamas. Grand Turk is the second most populated, even at scarcely seven square miles. The oldest known residents were the Arawak-speaking Taino people, and it is believed they traded salt which formed naturally when the sea water entered shallow inland ponds and evaporated in the sun. Indeed British colonists from Bermuda arrived in the late seventeenth century to collect the salt, and they modified the system. There’s still plenty of evidence of the low stone walls used to compartment off the salt pans across the islands, not least at the Salt House museum next to Town Salina.

Barbados is one of the most well known and beautiful islands in the eastern Caribbean. It is part of the British Commonwealth and is named after the Bearded Fig Tree, which was once found in abundance. Barbados is an island where relaxation and adventure go hand in hand. White sandy beaches stretch for miles while snorkelling and sailing are some of the world-class water sports on offer. A cruise to Barbados starts with a walk around Bridgetown, the capital city, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The city has a charming combination of colonial buildings and Caribbean vibrancy. Make sure you visit St Nicholas Abbey, a historic plantation house and one of three Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere.

On the north shore of Brazil’s ‘shoulder,’ Fortaleza is a pleasant palm-lined city and the capital of the Céara state. It looks out into the Atlantic from a long stretch of beautiful, sandy coast. The first European settlers here were Dutch, and they built the five-pointed, star-shaped Fort Shoonenborch in 1649 after defeat at the hands of local people and the Portuguese. In 1654, the Dutch left and the fort was renamed Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assunção; the area around it was to grow into Brazil’s fifth largest city. The citadel itself still remains, its low-rise whitewashed walls adorned with cannons and palm-trees.

Host of the world’s largest carnival, Salvador is dubbed the Brazilian capital of happiness. It’s a fine example of the country’s rich cultural history, beautiful architecture and adventurous cuisine. Originally the capital of Brazil until 1763 when Rio de Janeiro was given the title, it is now the third most populous city in the country. Founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers, Salvador soon became an important sea port, especially for the trade of sugar and slaves.

The beachy resort of Armação dos Búzios, or simply Búzios, is set on an ocean peninsula east of Rio de Janeiro, and is famed as a premium and stylish holiday destination for beach and surf fans alike. Ferradura beach sits in a calm horseshoe bay, offering watersports, while Geribá is a popular surfing site. Among the resort’s village streets, visit cobbled Rua das Pedras for dining and nightlife.

Rio will command your non-stop attention from the moment you set foot on its shores – or the golden sands of Copacabana or Ipanema for that matter. Climb Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car, then try out your salsa steps as night falls. Rio is an amazing experience – a city everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Rio will command your non-stop attention from the moment you set foot on its shores – or the golden sands of Copacabana or Ipanema for that matter. Climb Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car, then try out your salsa steps as night falls. Rio is an amazing experience – a city everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.