The fresh sea air, the wind in your hair, and the miles of blue ocean stretching out before you. In a way, cruises are the perfect vacation. Unpack once, settle in, and be transported from one amazing destination to the next.

With all the excitement of being welcomed aboard, it can be difficult to figure out how to maintain your usual fitness routine while sailing the high seas. But staying active during your travels is important, not only for keeping up your fitness, but for ensuring you feel physically and mentally at your best so that you can make the most of every precious second of your trip.

Just how do you get exercise on a cruise? Here are some tips from the experts.

Do cruises have gyms? Yes!

Working up a sweat on a ship can be an experience like no other. How often can you take in breathtaking views of mountains or snug harbor towns while working out on the elliptical machine? If you’re seeking ways to get in your workout, the onboard gym facilities are one of the best places to start. Many are situated on upper decks and offer stunning panoramic views from floor-to-ceiling windows. According to Brian Kelly, better known as travel and loyalty program expert “The Points Guy,” most cruise ships have fitness facilities that are free to use. Going during peak dining times or just before dinner can help avoid the crowds, notes Cruise Critic, while things are likely to be the busiest during mornings and on sea days.

Most cruise ship gyms will include standard pieces of exercise equipment such as treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, resistance machines, and free weights. There will typically also be space for group classes.

Cruise ship fitness classes

Many cruises will have time set aside for group classes, running the gamut from yoga to Pilates to Zumba to Spinning to tai chi. (Be aware that you may need to sign up in advance for certain more popular classes.) Dance classes are another popular option, with lessons on salsa, hip-hop, swing, cha-cha, waltz, and more being offered throughout the trip. (The rocking and rolling of the ship when the seas are rougher can make balance a bit trickier, so be ready to steady yourself or skip the classes on choppier days.) These can be a fun way to both stay active and try something new — you may even find you want to continue taking these types of classes once you’re back on dry land!

Open deck activities

The gym isn’t the only place to burn calories while under way. In fact, the ship itself can offer many options for working in physical activity. Many ships have open air tracks where you can accumulate some miles walking or jogging while breathing in the salty air. Basketball courts, rock-climbing walls, mini-golf, table tennis, and other similar facilities may also be available, offering additional opportunities to be active.

Taking the stairs as you explore the decks is another option for getting your blood pumping while you investigate what the ship has to offer. According to medical journalist and yoga instructor Rob Dinsmoor, “If you have a pedometer or fitness watch or any kind of walking or running app, you can keep track of your mileage. Strolling the deck also helps keep claustrophobia at bay.”

Using your cabin or a quieter area of the ship to practice yoga or calisthenics (strength-training exercises that use your own body weight, such as pushups, pullups, lunges, or planks) is another option Dinsmoor suggests, along with bringing a jump rope for aerobic activity.

Dive into a workout in the cruise ship pool

Cruise ships typically have a pool on the top, or “Lido,” deck, where revelers can take in the sun and sea while taking a dip. While these locations can often be crowded, visiting the pool facilities during port days or mealtimes can sometimes yield more space to move around and possibly swim some laps.

Active cruise ship excursions

It’s a port day! If you’ve been looking for unique ways to work in your exercise while on vacation, active cruise ship excursions can offer a perfect opportunity. A lower-intensity option could include taking in a historic town on a group walking tour. For the more adventurous, activities such as bike tours, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and scuba diving can provide a way to get your blood pumping and get a taste of the local sights. (And remember, if your travel companions prefer something a bit lower-key, there’s no reason you can’t go your separate ways for a while at the port and reunite at dinnertime with stories to share about your day.)

Staying motivated to exercise on a cruise

There are plenty of great ideas for getting in your workout while cruising, but actually doing them is where the rubber meets the road. To stay motivated, try setting a daily exercise goal or getting into an activity routine early in your vacation. As mentioned earlier, using a pedometer or fitness tracking watch or app can also help keep you inspired to lace up your walking shoes each day. Working out with a buddy — either someone you’re traveling with or a new friend you’ve made on the ship — can also help to keep you committed to your vacation exercise routine.

Mealtime considerations

Cruises are known for their indulgent meals and around-the-clock buffets. While vacation is a time to treat yourself, balance is key. Choosing healthy options at meals and avoiding endless grazing can help ensure you maintain your weight, feel good, and are well-fueled for all the fun activities you have planned. Requesting half portions, skipping courses, avoiding sauces and dressings, and limiting eating to actual mealtimes are some of the approaches suggested by Cruise Critic.

Happy sailing

On cruises, as in life, moderation is key. Be sure to balance indulgence with restraint and activity with relaxation. And above all, have a wonderful cruise. Anchors aweigh!

Whether you’re a seasoned globetrotter or embarking on your first long-haul flight, choosing the right outfit is key to a comfortable and stylish journey. In 2023, travellers are looking for a perfect blend of comfort and fashion, and these nine travel outfit ideas will have you looking and feeling your best during extended flights.

1. The Classic Travel Ensemble

• A pair of well-fitted, stretchy jeans or leggings.
• A loose-fitting blouse or top.
• A cosy cardigan or oversized sweater.
• Slip-on sneakers for convenience at security checks.

2. Athleisure Aesthetic

• High-quality athleisure leggings.
• A breathable, moisture-wicking sports top.
• A lightweight, zip-up hoodie.
• Supportive sneakers with memory foam insoles.

3. Casual Chic Look

• Relaxed-fit, wide-legged pants or culottes.
• A stylish graphic tee.
• A tailored blazer for a touch of sophistication.
• Slip-on mules for easy shoe removal during the flight.

4. Bohemian Comfort

• Flowy, wide-legged palazzo pants or shorts.
• An airy, oversized boho blouse.
• A shawl or kimono for added flair.
• Comfortable, strappy sandals for a relaxed feel.

5. Cozy Layers for Warmth

• Leggings or skinny jeans.
• A thermal long-sleeve top.
• A plush, oversized scarf.
• Ankle boots for a fashionable touch.

6. Denim Delight

• Your favourite pair of well-worn jeans or leggings.
• A soft, oversized sweater.
• A denim jacket for added warmth.
• Slip-on shoes or stylish sneakers.

7. Minimalist Elegance

• Tailored black or neutral-coloured pants.
• A sleek, lightweight turtleneck.
• A structured coat or trench.
• Classic ballet flats or loafers.

8. Travel Maxi Dress

• A comfortable, wrinkle-resistant maxi dress.
• A lightweight, long cardigan.
• A wide-brimmed hat for sun protection.
• Comfortable sandals or slip-on shoes.

9. Dressy Comfort

• Relaxed-fit, wide-legged trousers.
• A silky, loose-fitting blouse.
• A tailored blazer for added sophistication.
• Slip-on loafers or stylish flats.

Remember to layer your clothing for varying cabin temperatures, and don’t forget to pack essential travel accessories like a neck pillow, eye mask, and earplugs for a more pleasant journey.

These travel outfit ideas for 2023 combine comfort, practicality, and style to ensure you arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and looking great. Safe travels!

Cooler than cool cities like Sydney and Melbourne, sublime surfing beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, the Red Centre and the Outback – Australia’s diverse charms make for a trip like no other

Australia has considerable urban energy and an increasingly great food and drink scene, but where it excels is the happy go lucky outdoor lifestyle. It’s a place for public barbecues by the beach and watching surfers ride the waves.

It’s also a country that embraces nature, with extensive reef systems, coastal reserves and a vast network of forested national parks. Kangaroos hang out in campgrounds, koalas sleep in trees along walking trails and dolphins frolic in the bays.

Australia also excels in epic. Endless blue skies stretch over rumpled outback scenes – and hugely rewarding road trips lace through seemingly untouched landscapes.

Current travel restrictions and entry requirements

Visitors to Australia need a visa. For the vast majority of people coming from the UK, this will be the sub-class 651 eVisitor, which is free and can be completed online.

Most Covid restrictions have been ditched. There is no need to test or show proof of vaccination before entry. However, masks on inbound flights are still mandatory, and you will still have to isolate if you test positive for Covid while in Australia. The rules in each state are slightly different.

Best time to go

Weather-wise, the best time to visit varies massively by geography. Aim for May to October in the tropical north, and the opposite in the south. Spring (September to November) is a sweet spot with less rain than autumn. Prices and crowds ramp up in January, the main school holiday period. It can also be excruciatingly hot at this time.

New Year’s Eve in Sydney is popular and truly memorable but violently expensive for accommodation. Other events to throw yourself into include the Melbourne Cup horse race (in early November), Adelaide Festival (March) and Anzac Day (25 April).

Top cities and regions

Sydney

Indisputably one of the greatest cities on earth, Sydney offers natural beauty around the harbour, a legion of envy-inducing beaches along the coast, plus hip urban energy in inner suburbs such as Surry Hills and Chippendale. It genuinely works as a beach holiday destination and a city break, with big ticket activities such as climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge offset by cost-free days in oceanside rock pools. The Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley wine region are within day-trip distance.

Melbourne

With an emphasis on culture rather than looks, Melbourne crams in the galleries, museums and arts venues. But the real joy comes from the laneway culture, where specialist bars and globe-spanning restaurants cram together in small alleys, surrounded by world class street art. The Victorian capital is also the launchpad for the coastal scenery-packed Great Ocean Road and penguin-watching on Phillip Island.

Cairns

One of several gateways for snorkelling and diving cruises to the Great Barrier Reef’s aquatic wonderland, Cairns has the bonus of being surrounded by World Heritage-listed rainforest. Reef trips can be mixed in with tasting tropical produce in the Atherton Tableland, Aboriginal-guided tours in the Daintree Rainforest and a panoply of adrenalin activities.

The Red Centre

The 6.2 mile walk around Uluru, with its strange bulges, caves and Indigenous cultural sites, is the quintessential outback experience. What most visitors don’t realise, however, is that there’s a wealth of other experiences on the Red Centre menu. Dot painting workshops, dune-top dinners, helicopter flights and camel rides are among the options at Uluru – and that’s before you factor in side trips to the smoothed rock domes of Kata Tjuta and the craggy gorge-side hikes at Kings Canyon.

Perth and the South West

The South West is a perfect Australia for beginners. Perth offers Indian Ocean beaches, a buzzy bar and restaurant scene, plus cutesy encounters with inquisitive quokkas on Rottnest Island.

A short road trip around the southwestern corner from the western Australian capital, meanwhile, brings premium quality wine-tasting in Margaret River, glorious surf beaches, whale-watching cruises from Dunsborough, tall forests and easily explorable caves.

Best under the radar destinations

The Ningaloo Reef
On the remote, outback-flanked west coast, the Ningaloo is best known for its whale shark swims. Watching the biggest fish on earth swim past is genuinely exhilarating. At different times of the year, there’s also the chance to swim with humpback whales and manta rays.

But the Ningaloo’s understated glory is in how close it runs to the shore. A short swim from white sand beaches such as Osprey Bay brings you among the waving coral and colourful fish shoals. At Turquoise Bay, you can drift snorkel, letting the current take you across the reef from one end of the beach to the other.

The Top End
The severely underrated Northern Territory capital, Darwin, offers a curious mix of outback outpost attitude, Asian culture and bohemian quirk. It’s the hub for exploring the Top End’s majestic national parks. Litchfield National Park brings giant termite mounds, picture-perfect waterfalls and natural swimming holes. Nitmiluk hosts cruises and kayak trips through the soaring sandstone walls of Katherine Gorge. Meanwhile, the biggest of them all, Kakadu National Park, brings crocodile-watching cruises, ancient Aboriginal rock art and epic views over sweeping green floodplains.

McLaren Vale
In truth, there’s a fabulously indulgent time to be had in any of the wine regions near Adelaide. The Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills are world class wine-tasting and dining destinations.

But the McLaren Vale, aside from being arguably the best place in Australia for those big, beefy Australian Shirazes, has the advantage of being next to the hugely undersold, dune-backed beaches of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Some of these, such as the highly photogenic Sellicks Beach, are so big you can drive a 4WD vehicle along them.

Then, a short ferry hop from Cape Jervis at the end of the peninsula, there’s koala, echidna and sea lion-dotted Kangaroo Island, one of Australia’s great wildlife havens.

Best things to do

Wine tasting
It’s a bold claim, but Australia does wine-tasting better than anywhere else in the world. Many winery cellar doors offer free tastings, several have excellent restaurants, and staff are usually happy to switch between easy-going sipping sessions and nerdy note-taking, depending on guests’ preferences.

Most regions have operators offering full or half-day wine tours, often with visits to cheese and chocolate factories thrown in. Convenient regions include the Hunter Valley near Sydney, Barossa Valley near Adelaide, Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne and Swan Valley near Perth.

Marine encounters
Australia’s massive array of aquatic experiences goes well beyond the Great Barrier Reef. Dozens of places offer dolphin-watching cruises with some, such as those in Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne or Bunbury near Perth, allowing guests to swim with the wild dolphins.

Whale-watching is big around the country, too, with Hervey Bay in Queensland and Eden in New South Wales notable hotspots.

You can also snorkel with weedy sea dragons in Port Phillip Bay, kayak with dolphins in Byron Bay, NSW, and swim with sea lions in Baird Bay, South Australia.

Aboriginal cultural experiences
Indigenous cultural tours explaining the local Aboriginal perspective on the local landscape, history and wildlife are growing in both number and quality. Tourism Australia has collated 185 top Aboriginal experiences around the country, including guided walks, art workshops and bush food tastings.

Getting around

Distances between the big cities are huge, and most travel between them on (relatively cheap) domestic flights.

Self-driving is an attractive, freedom-boosting way to see the country. Distances are longer, but fuel is cheaper than in the UK. Highways are well-maintained and traffic stress-reducing low outside of the big cities.

Long distance train services run by NSW Trainlink and Queensland Rail Travel are perfunctory, fairly slow and miss out the most appealing coastal towns. Coach services such as Greyhound tend to have better stops and handy multi-destination passes, but you need to plan around the timetables.

How to get there

Quickest: The only direct flight to Australia is Qantas’ service from Heathrow to Perth. This takes 16 hours and 45 minutes.

Cheapest: Otherwise, expect to change planes somewhere. The likes of Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways offer regional departures from outside London, and no single airline is reliably cheapest. Much depends on which airline has a promotional offer at the time. Minimum one-stop flight times are 19 hours and 20 minutes with Qatar Airways to Perth, and 22 hours and 30 minutes with Singapore Airlines to Sydney.

Money saving tip

Australia’s best things – wildlife encounters and beaches – are usually free. Budget-friendly cabin accommodation in coastal holiday parks often combines both. Generally aimed at Aussie families travelling by caravan, these parks usually provide a few relatively spacious, kitchen-equipped, multi-bedroom units, occasionally with kangaroos hopping outside.

Explore the transformative power of solo travel through practical tips for a successful journey. Learn to navigate new environments independently, creating enriching experiences that foster self-discovery and growth.

While travelling with family surely provides priceless experiences, have you ever considered the numerous benefits of travelling alone? Solo travel has grown in popularity in recent years, providing individuals with a unique and life-changing experience. It gives visitors the freedom to be completely self-sufficient, participate in unplanned adventures, and become completely immersed in the present. As a result, if you’ve ever wanted to experience the world on your terms and create unique memories, solo travel may be the best option for you. This article delves into the world of solo travel and provides crucial guidance for a voyage that promises excitement, profound self-discovery, and personal growth.

Solo travel teaches essential skills in getting comfortable in one’s own company, dining alone, and making independent decisions free of extraneous influences. As a result, there is less need for compromise and a greater proclivity for innovative thinking. It compels one to reflect, understanding the value of their time and cherishing these times with genuine regard.

Stepping Out of Comfort Zone

Travelling alone forces us out of our comfort zones and into unfamiliar environments. It allows us to experience new adventures, introduces us to different cultures, and challenges us to face unknown situations. Hence, adaptability and confidence are fostered by welcoming the new.

Expect the Unexpected

Travelling alone has revealed a deep sense of self-discovery: a willingness to seize every chance. It introduces you to new things and reignites your excitement for the unknown. When one is alone, boundaries and inhibitions fall away, making it possible to welcome the unexpected without reservation.

New Connections

Solo travel might seem like a journey into loneliness, but it’s a quest to discover boundless connections in the most surprising places. It’s about encountering new people, engaging in conversations with locals, and joining group activities with newly met companions. These interactions sparkle like stars in the vast sky of solitude, illuminating the journey with shared experiences and unexpected friendships.

Reflect on Your Life

Each step on your journey of self-discovery marks a lasting imprint in the sands of time, providing a moment to pause and contemplate your adventures. It’s a chance to delve into introspection, examining your values, goals, and deep-seated aspirations. In this reflective space, you can reawaken dormant dreams and envision the paths to turning them into reality.

Embrace Independence

Solo adventures, in essence, are the furnace in which self-sufficiency and independence are created. People are forced to be resourceful in this setting. They discover the priceless pearls of self-reliance as they don the hats of navigator, decision-maker, and problem-solver, increasing their confidence and unleashing the innate sparks of creativity.

Confront Fears

In the realm of solitary experiences, individuals are summoned to confront the shadowy figures of their fears. These apprehensions, whether they stem from a dread of the unknown, the potential for failure, or the spectre of isolation, resemble mythological dragons that stand guard before a treasure — that of profound self-discovery. Overcoming these fears sparks a transformative process, an alchemy that forges newfound resilience and inner strength.

Problem-Solving

Through this epic self-discovery quest, people learn problem-solving, patience, flexibility, and invention. They learn to think quickly, to be calm, to think critically, and to act quickly, moulding their future with brilliance and mastery of new challenges.

Unearthing the Flames of Passion

Solo adventures allow individuals to explore their passions and hobbies, such as photography, surfing, yoga, or other activities, rekindling their deepest desires and serving as a self-discovery symphony, ensuring personal fulfilment without the burden of group choice.

Cultural Odyssey

A solo journey provides a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in a cultural voyage, tasting local delicacies and listening to traditional rhythms, connecting with the people who live in these locations, and learning more about their tales and customs.

Solo travel is thus a transformational furnace, creating self-awareness and unwavering confidence. They invite us to explore the unknown, seek refuge in isolation, and face life’s challenges. Each step unravels the tapestry of our personalities, luring us to embark on an astonishing journey to self-realization.