Dawn at Tikal

This is the epicenter of the ancient Mayan world, constructed about 740AD, and although it is hundreds of kilometres from the nearest city and has only two modest accommodation lodges within the park, it’s still surprising that so few people are about – perhaps 40 to observe the dawn, and only a few hundred dotted about the park during the day.

Stepping out of our plane into the brilliant Dominican Republic sunshine after a non-stop flight from Canada, we were very impressed by the low rise, thatched roof buildings of the Punta Cana International Airport. Even better, in spite of several planes unloading guests, the customs formalities were brisk and efficient.

Within a few hours’ drive, the topography shifts from coconut palm-fringed beaches dotting the southern coast, through open savannah plains that define popular safari destination Yala National Park, to the cool high-mountain tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya, then dense tropical jungles that house a multitude of monkeys, birds and Asian elephants.

According to the Berlitz Cruise Guide, Sea Cloud is “the most beautiful cruise-sail ship in the world…and one of the world’s best travel experiences.”