Travelling by boat is an excellent way to experience a destination. From cruising down the mighty Amazon River using local transport and lazy days spent on a houseboat on Australia’s Murray River, to taking the free Staten Island ferry for New York city views or exploring England’s network of canals, Andrew Marshall shares eight classic boat journeys from around the world.
Exploring the canals — ENGLAND
A network of canals crisscrosses England from the Pennines to Oxford, the Cheshire Plains to the Welsh hills, which all played a vital role in the industrial history of Britain. Hiring a canal boat to explore England’s peaceful inland waterways offers entry into a unique and fascinating world. Simplified controls make for easy handling and even if you are a novice, the trial run given before setting off independently should turn you from landlubber to a seasoned sailor in no time. One of the great pleasures of a canal boat trip is enjoying the friendly community spirit that prevails among canal folk. There’s never a shortage of invitations for cups of tea aboard another boat or for a few brews down the canal-side pubs. It’s a highly sociable life and a most agreeable way to travel.
Down the ‘Big Ditch’ — PANAMA
Known locally as the "Big Ditch" and extending 80km from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Caribbean Sea, the Panama Canal is truly one of the greatest engineering feats of all time. If you’ve ever fancied crossing a continent by boat, then this trip is for you. You may be surprised to discover that the canal is a system of locks, canals and lakes all linked together and, even more surprisingly, it traverses a region blessed with one of the richest biodiversities in the world. There’s a strong sense of excitement and completion when the final lock doors open, and the beautiful blue Caribbean Sea is seen for the first time. This is one of the world’s great boat journeys.
Take a slow boat from Mandalay — MYANMAR
Cutting a swathe through an ancient landscape of eroded mountains and flood plains, the greatest of all rivers in Indochina, the Irrawaddy, runs more than 2000km across Myanmar. Ancient and exotic cities with evocative names such as Mingun, Bagan and Mandalay stand on its banks. River travel plays an important role in the lives of the communities that populate its banks. For those who have only a few weeks to explore this amazing country, there are numerous day and overnight trips that can be taken in the small ferries that ply the river. The day-long run between Mandalay and the ancient ruins of Bagan is popular. Travellers with more time can make the weeklong boat journey between Mandalay and Pye, where you claim deck space for a night under the stars.
Meandering on the mighty Murray River — AUSTRALIA
Australia’s Murray River is a wonderful year-round getaway and there is only one way to truly experience its recuperative powers and that is by being on it. There’s a saying, "if you are in need of a month’s holiday but don’t have time — take a few days on a houseboat". Spend your days relaxing on board or moving on when you get the urge. Houseboats are a floating "home away from home" and come fully equipped with everything you need. They are also easy to manoeuvre and handle; in fact, driving a car is more complicated. If you are prone to seasickness, it is a pleasure to know that life on the Murray is "smooth sailing" all the way.
The Amazon River by hammock — PERU/BRAZIL
The mighty Amazon River is a highway for the endless stream of humanity that populates its furthest reaches, and the lifelines of the river communities are its boats. Laden with all types of cargo, from vehicles and livestock to farm machinery and boxes of groceries, the cargo boats are the public transport system of the world’s second-longest river. Provided you go deck class, you can journey from the headwaters to the ocean like the locals do. The best place to start looking for boats is down by the harbour in Iquitos, Peru. You may even get lucky and find a boat heading for the Colombian/Brazilian border leaving on the same day. The trip takes about three days on a good current. From Tabatinga in Brazil, boats take 4-6 days to Manaus, a city in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. From there it’s a further 4-5 days to Belem, the river mouth and the Atlantic Ocean. Bring your own hammock, plenty of snacks (as boat fare can be monotonous) and mosquito repellent if you plan to do rainforest side trips.
New York views on the Staten Island Ferry — UNITED STATES
Every Big Apple visitor wants to see the Statue of Liberty, but with boat tours of New York Harbour taking up a fair chunk of the travel budget, for a free alternative join commuters on the Staten Island Ferry to enjoy spectacular vistas of the Manhattan skyline and glimpses of Ellis Island, Governors Island and the Statue of Liberty. After leaving the southern tip of Manhattan’s financial district, the ferry takes about 25 minutes to make the 8km crossing to Staten Island, where most visitors simply hop back on for the return journey to experience more city skyscraper views that are even more dramatic.
Enjoy a boat trip on the West Norwegian Fjords — NORWAY
On the outskirts of Bergen, a beautiful city with a 15th-century waterfront on Norway’s west coast, is some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery — awe-inspiring, impossibly steep-sided fjords with their jutting fingers of sea that cut shimmering paths into the coastline. Two of these larger-than-life natural wonders, namely Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord (set 120 km from one another) are among the world’s longest, deepest and most scenically outstanding examples and were added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2005. Both feature narrow and sheer crystalline rock walls that rise up to 1400m from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500m below. Numerous waterfalls tumble into the sea from the forests above, while wooden huts and small farms dot the lower verdant slopes. To really appreciate Geirangerfjord, take Norway’s most spectacular scheduled public ferry route between Geiranger and Hellesylt, or for a taste of the fjords, book a "Norway in a Nutshell" boat tour from Bergen with Fjord Tours.
Lazy days on the Kerala Backwaters — INDIA
India’s southernmost state, Kerala, lies sandwiched between the Western Ghats mountains and the Arabian Sea — and a travel highlight is watching rural life unfold while you are floating along its famous backwaters; a languid maze-like tangle of lagoons, rivers and canals so narrow that coconut palms lean precariously out over the water on either side to form tunnels of tropical green. Constructed of dark lustrous jack wood, with planks stitched and caulked with coir in an age-old manner, old rice barges known as "kettuvallam" have been plying these intricate waterways for nearly a century. Today, many have been converted into traditional-style thatched houseboats complete with bedrooms, bathrooms and dining areas. The boats typically include the services of a captain and chef and it is possible to a take journeys ranging from a few hours to several days between the backwater cities of Kollam, Alappuzha and Kochi.
