Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda

The Bahamas is an archipelago of over 700 islands and 2,400 cays scattered across 250,000 square kilometres of the western Atlantic — yet only 30 are inhabited. Nassau on New Providence is the bustling, colourful capital, with excellent duty-free shopping, vibrant junkanoo culture and easy access to Paradise Island and the spectacular Atlantis resort complex. But the Bahamas’s true appeal lies in the outer islands — the ‘Out Islands’ or Exumas — where some of the world’s most extraordinary natural phenomena await: swimming pigs at Pig Beach, nurse sharks at Compass Cay and the famous Thunderball Grotto caves. The Exumas are widely considered to have the most impossibly clear and turquoise water on earth.

Bermuda is a very different proposition — a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic, more temperate than tropical, with pastel-coloured cottages, pink sand beaches and an English-influenced culture combined with American accessibility. It’s a sophisticated destination for golfers, sailors and those seeking a quieter, more refined island experience. The pink sand beaches of Horseshoe Bay are among the most photographed in the Atlantic world.

The Caribbean itself offers further variety — from the Dutch-influenced ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) off the South American coast to the French West Indies of Martinique and Guadeloupe, where Creole cuisine, rum distilleries and dramatic volcanic landscapes create an experience unlike the typical English-speaking Caribbean. Bonaire is widely considered the world’s finest shore-diving destination, with marine parks that protect extraordinary coral formations.

This entire region is best visited from December to April during the dry season, offering reliable sunshine and calm seas.