EXPLORER 94 Days in WORLD

Vancouver is a sophisticated coastal city located to the south of British Columbia, Canada. The city is linguistically and ethnically diverse as reflected in the fact that 52 percent of its inhabitants do not speak English as their first language. Ranked highly in worldwide ‘liveable city’ rankings for many years and being surrounded by nature’s scenery at its best, makes tourism its second largest industry. Read more about Vancouver, Canada

Named for the 5th daughter of England's King George III and Queen Charlotte, this rugged outpost provides a gateway into Alaska's outback. Read more about Point Sophia, USA

Wrangell (pop. 2400) is located on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, an island in the Alaska Panhandle. It lies just south of the estuary of the 610 km Stikine River that empties into the Eastern Passage separating Wrangell Island from the mainland. Read more about Wrangell, USA

Sitka, the fourth largest city by population in Alaska, is nestled on the west side of Baranof Island, and is thought to be the most beautiful of SE Alaska cities. The flora and fauna of Sitka and its surrounding area are notable attractions. Residents and visitors alike enjoy fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and simply experiencing all this dynamic town has to offer. Read more about Sitka, USA

Sitka, the fourth largest city by population in Alaska, is nestled on the west side of Baranof Island, and is thought to be the most beautiful of SE Alaska cities. The flora and fauna of Sitka and its surrounding area are notable attractions. Residents and visitors alike enjoy fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and simply experiencing all this dynamic town has to offer. Read more about Sitka, USA

Seward is the most often used cruise ship port for Anchorage, Alaska. (Whittier is used by Princess Cruises.) It lies at the head of a fjord that enters the Gulf of Alaska in the North Pacific Ocean. Seward is a two to four hour trip by car, bus or train from Anchorage. Read more about Anchorage (Seward), USA

The City of Kodiak is situated on the second largest island in the United States, SW of Anchorage in the Gulf of Alaska. Kodiak Island is famous for huge Kodiak brown bears, elk, Sitka deer (black tail), and mountain goats, all of which invite tourists to the Kodiak Archipelago. The magnificent green that the island turns during the summer is why Kodiak is affectionately called Alaska's Emerald Isle. Read more about Kodiak, USA

Boston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts, USA. Calling this quaint and delightful city the 'Athens of America' might seem a bit pretentious, but the city's 19th-century glory radiates through its grand architecture, and its world-renowned academic and cultural institutions. Disastrous 'urban renewal' projects in the 1950s provoked such a furious backlash that Boston now has some of the best preserved historic buildings and neighbourhoods in the country. Read more about Boston, USA

Actually the peaks of a submarine mountain range, the Aleutian Islands, part of the U.S. state of Alaska, are now part of the National Wildlife Refuge. They were set aside in 1980 as a 3.3-million-acre unit of the 4.9-million-acre Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Read more about Aleutian Islands, USA

Nome is a seaport used by freighters and cruise ships, located on the southern side of the Seward Peninsula in Norton Sound, Alaska, just 250km across from Siberian Russia. It was a small Inupiat Eskimo settlement until the discovery of gold in 1898 brought over 20,000 fortune seekers, but most left after 10 years, and today there are approximately 4000 residents with half being Native Americans. Interestingly, Nome is the finish line of the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race covering over 1680km across the wilderness from Anchorage. Read more about Nome, USA

Situated some 530km above the Arctic Circle, Barrow is the northernmost settlement in the USA, the largest Inupiat community in Alaska, and the administrative and commercial hub of Alaska's Far North. It is also one of the most distinctive places you'll likely ever visit. Sites on the National Register of Historic Places are the Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station in nearby Browerville, and the Birnirk Archaeological site approximately 3.5km north of the Barrow airfield. Read more about Barrow, USA

Situated some 530km above the Arctic Circle, Barrow is the northernmost settlement in the USA, the largest Inupiat community in Alaska, and the administrative and commercial hub of Alaska's Far North. It is also one of the most distinctive places you'll likely ever visit. Sites on the National Register of Historic Places are the Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station in nearby Browerville, and the Birnirk Archaeological site approximately 3.5km north of the Barrow airfield. Read more about Barrow, USA

Ulukhaktok (aka Ulukhaqtuuq, Holman) lies 460km north of the Arctic Circle on the west coast of Victoria Island, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The small hamlet has a population of around 500. Hunting, trapping, and fishing are major sources of income. Read more about Ulukhaktok, Canada

The Smoking Hills are dotted along a 30 km section of coastline on the east coast of Cape Bathurst in Canada’s NW Territories. The coast faces Franklin Bay, which in turn lies to the SE of the Beaufort Sea. The coastline, at 70 degrees north, is near the mouth of the Horton River. Read more about Smoking Hills, Canada

Ulukhaktok (aka Ulukhaqtuuq, Holman) lies 460km north of the Arctic Circle on the west coast of Victoria Island, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The small hamlet has a population of around 500. Hunting, trapping, and fishing are major sources of income. Read more about Ulukhaktok, Canada

Canada's northernmost coastal city and gateway to Alaska, Prince Rupert boasts one of the world's largest natural harbours, ice-free year round. Arriving into port by ship is breathtaking, as you pass hundreds of islands and make your way through narrow, mist-shrouded passageways. Because of its moderate climate and mists, it is not unusual to see several rainbows a day, including double and triple rainbows that span the entire horizon. Read more about Prince Rupert, Canada

Situated on the SE coast of Victoria Island - part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - Cambridge Bay is the largest stop for passenger and research vessels traversing the Arctic Ocean’s Northwest Passage. The area is the location of traditional hunting and fishing. Archaeological sites, such as the remains of a nearby Dorset culture stone-longhouse, are often found. Read more about Cambridge Bay, Canada

Gjoa Haven meaning "lots of fat", referring to the abundance of blubbery sea mammals in the nearby waters, is a hamlet in Nunavut, above the Arctic Circle. It is the only settlement on King William Island. The name Gjoa Haven was named after the ship of polar explorer Roal Amundsen. Read more about Gjoa Haven, Canada

The spectacular Prince Leopold Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary, which occupies the entire island, is located near the High Arctic Nunavut communities of Arctic Bay and Resolute in the Qikiqtaaluk region. At 31,000 hectares in size, this island sanctuary is a Key Migratory Bird Terrestrial Habitat site and classified as a Canadian Important Bird Area. It is the most important station for breeding marine birds in the Canadian Arctic, having larger numbers and a greater diversity of species than any other location. Read more about Prince Leopold Island, Canada

Beechey Island is located in the Wellington Channel of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut, Canada. It is separated from the southwest corner of Devon Island by Barrow Strait. The island is best known for being the place where members of Sir John Franklin’s party searched for the Northwest Passage in 1845-46. Read more about Beechey Island, Canada

Vancouver is a sophisticated coastal city located to the south of British Columbia, Canada. The city is linguistically and ethnically diverse as reflected in the fact that 52 percent of its inhabitants do not speak English as their first language. Ranked highly in worldwide ‘liveable city’ rankings for many years and being surrounded by nature’s scenery at its best, makes tourism its second largest industry. Read more about Vancouver, Canada

Dundas Harbour is an abandoned settlement on the southern coast of Devon Island, Canada’s 6th largest island. Dundas Harbour lies on the eastern shore of the harbour of the same name, and is situated 880 km north of the Arctic Circle. Croker Bay is immediately to the west. Read more about Dundas Harbour, Canada

Dundas Harbour is an abandoned settlement on the southern coast of Devon Island, Canada’s 6th largest island. Dundas Harbour lies on the eastern shore of the harbour of the same name, and is situated 880 km north of the Arctic Circle. Croker Bay is immediately to the west. Read more about Dundas Harbour, Canada

Pond Inlet is a small, modern, attractive Inuit community (population 1550) located on northern Baffin Island above the 72nd parallel. The town is particularly picturesque hamlet, surrounded by massive icecapped mountains, dozens of glaciers, ice floes and explorable ice caves. No wonder Pond Inlet is considered one of Canada's "jewels of the North". Read more about Pond Inlet, Canada

Ilulissat (the Kalaallisut word for "Icebergs"), the third largest settlement in Greenland, is located on its west coast 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. It is a most popular tourist destination in Greenland on account of its proximity to the picturesque Ilulissat Ice fjord 3km to the south, named a World Heritage Site in 2004. Giant icebergs calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier flow into Disco Bay thence David Strait, and ships have to navigate between these mountains of ice. Read more about Ilulissat, Greenland

Sisimiut is a town in central-western Greenland, located on the coast of Davis Strait, approximately 320 km north of Nuuk, and about 42km inside the Artic Circle (April 2017). It is the administrative center of the region and the second-largest town in Greenland. As the northernmost year-round ice-free port in the country, it is an important shipping hub for outlying settlements. Read more about Sisimiut, Greenland

Corner Brook is a bustling city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in Canada. The area was first surveyed by renowned explorer Captain James Cook, and the Captain James Cook Monument stands as testament to a proud chapter in his exploratory career. Other historical attractions include the Corner Brook Museum and Archive and the Railway Society of Newfoundland Historic Train Site. Read more about Corner Brook, Canada

Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, the Gateway to Atlantic Canada, is a lively and colourful combination of urban and rural living at its best. It is situated on the world’s second largest harbour, and the beautifully restored waterfront buildings recall the city's centuries-old maritime heritage, which is also cleverly explained at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, and the Halifax Citadel that explores the unique local heritage. Read more about Halifax, Canada

Sable Island is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, 300 km ESE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a thin crescent-shaped sandbar, 42 km long and with a maximum width of just over one kilometre. A brief attempt at French colonization at the end of the 16th C using convicts failed. Read more about Sable Island, Canada

The historic port town of Lunenburg is situated on a peninsula at the western side of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. Being proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 has ensured protection of the unique architecture and civic design that is the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America. It has won: the National Historic District winner of the Communities in Bloom; the most beautiful small town in Canada; the Prettiest Painted Place in Canada; the Port City of the Year; as well as several of the Society of American Travel Writers’ awards. Read more about Lunenburg, Canada

Belfast is a city and seaport in Maine located on Penobscot Bay. The area was once territory of the Penobscot tribe, which each summer visited the seashore to hunt for fish, shellfish and seafowl. In 1630, it became part of the Muscongus Patent, which granted rights for English trading posts with the Indians, especially for the lucrative fur trade. Read more about Belfast (Maine), USA

Provincetown is a small coastal resort town in the New England state of Massachusetts. It is located at the tip of Cape Cod, facing south to Cape Cod Bay. Its summer population increases from 3000 to 60,000 as a vacation destination for the LGBT community. Read more about Provincetown, USA

Boston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts, USA. Calling this quaint and delightful city the 'Athens of America' might seem a bit pretentious, but the city's 19th-century glory radiates through its grand architecture, and its world-renowned academic and cultural institutions. Disastrous 'urban renewal' projects in the 1950s provoked such a furious backlash that Boston now has some of the best preserved historic buildings and neighbourhoods in the country. Read more about Boston, USA

Miami, located on the Atlantic coast at the southern tip of Florida, where outdoor sports are open all seasons and dress is casual, is a melting pot of cultures. Miami and Miami Beach are in effect two distinctly different cities, as Miami Beach is almost exclusively tourist orientated, while Miami is a cosmopolitan city with a distinctly Latin American flavour. Don’t miss the South Beach section where fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and died that is one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in the world. Read more about Miami, USA

Belize City, the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize, is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. For those who spend some time at this small but somehow sprawling metropolis - rather than leave immediately to visit the northern cays - the city will reveal a distinguished history, and several superb sights. These include the Cayo District's caves and the Maya archaeological sites along the Macal and Belize rivers. Read more about Belize City, Belize

Trujillo is located on a bluff overlooking the Bay of Trujillo, on the Caribbean side of Honduras. The old Spanish fort, with its canons as well as the history of this colonial town, sits on the. An almost volcano-like mountain looms behind the city, making for a magnificent physical setting. Read more about Trujillo, Honduras

San Andrés and Providence is an archipelago of tropical islands in the Caribbean. They are located much closer to Nicaragua than to Colombia. San Andrés is the largest island. Read more about San Andres Island, Colombia

Isla de Maiz, or Corn Island, is a municipality 53 km east of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. It actually consists of two islands, Big Corn and Little Corn Island. The 10,500 inhabitants are an ethnic group of African origin, Spanish and English speaking, though English Creole is most spoken. Read more about Isla de Maiz, Nicaragua

Bocas del Toro Archipelago is situated in an isolated region on the coast of Panama in the Caribbean Sea, in the Bay of Chirqui. Located on Colón Island, it is the capital city of Bocas del Toro Province. The entire island group is a unique place with its lush tropical vegetation and fauna found only in this part of the world. Read more about Bocas del Toro, Panama

Cristóbal lies at the northern entrance to the Panama Canal. It is part of the province of Colón, a port city at the entrance to Limon Bay, at the Atlantic (Caribbean) entrance of the canal. (Interestingly, Cristóbal Colón is the Spanish translation for Christopher Columbus.) The port, Old Cristóbal, was first built by the Panama Railroad Company in the 1850s, and dredged material became landfill for the present Cristóbal. Read more about Cristobal, Panama

Gatun Lake is a large artificial lake situated in the Republic of Panama that forms a major part of the Panama Canal. The lake was created between 1907 and 1913 by the building of the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River. At the time it was created, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world, and the dam was the largest earthen dam. Read more about Gatun Lake, Panama

Manta is a major commercial and holiday resort centre and the second major port of Ecuador. It is possibly best known for the Playa (beach) Murciélago area of the Malecón, where not only is the seafood excellent, but also on offer is great music, beach aerobics, parties, and general night life ambience. Gathering momentum among tourists is the fact that this is the home of seeds of particular palms that are almost indistinguishable from ivory after they have been dried. Read more about Manta, Ecuador

Salaverry, known as "The City of Eternal Spring" because of its very sunny and pleasant year-round weather, is the port for Trujillo as well as the second largest city in Peru. It has numerous interesting archaeological sites of the Moche and Chimu civilizations, and has managed to retain much of its colonial flavour, as reflected in its historical city centre. Here are found not only the cathedral and city hall, but also numerous colonial mansions that have been preserved and are open to visitors. Read more about Salaverry (Trujillo), Peru

Lima, although a sprawling desert city, is the capital and largest city of Peru. The Historic centre of Lima is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial era. In particular, visit the Plaza Mayor with the 16th century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace. Read more about Lima (Callao), Peru

Pisco lies on the Pacific coast of Peru, 200 km south of the capital Lima. The small city is a gateway to the ruins of Machu Picchu, 500 km due east high in the Andes. Pisco is served by the port of San Martin which is 35 km out of town on the Paracas Peninsula. Read more about Pisco (San Martin), Peru

The seaside resort city of Arica in the north of Chile lies just 18 km south of the border with Peru. Known as the City of Eternal Spring - as it is sunny virtually every day of the year - it is located on the coast of the driest desert in the world. It has a great beach where visitors can enjoy the sun and take a swim. Read more about Arica, Chile

Iquique is a city in northern Chile, capital of Tarapacá Region, on the Pacific coast. It is located on a rocky peninsula in the rainless Atacama Desert with its unbelievable landscape that has a lagoon in the middle of the driest desert in the world, and overlooks the Pacific Ocean. You can find beautiful topography in the Isluga Volcano National Park, with high mountains and attractions like native flora, geysers, lagoons and rivers. Read more about Iquique, Chile

Coquimbo is a port city and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Tourism has recently started to develop, particularly as an access point for popular beach towns to the south, such as the fisherman’s cove of Guanaqueros, and Tongoy, with its famous 5km beach of white sand. Then there is La Serena, the capital of the region, with multiple attractions from architecture to beaches and shopping. Read more about Coquimbo, Chile

Santiago is the capital of Chile, 90 minutes drive from its port Valparaiso. Santiago has easy access both to ski slopes just 50 km to the Andes, and beaches 100 km to the Pacific. Chile's steady economic growth has transformed Santiago into one of Latin America's most modern metropolitan areas, with dozens of shopping centers and impressive high-rises. Read more about Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile

Castro, situated on the east coast of Chiloe Island, sits on a bluff above its sheltered estuary and is the capital of the Chiloe Archipelago, in Chile. Castro is famous for its brightly painted traditional wooden stilt houses, so the greatest single attraction is simply walking down the streets and around the central Plaza de Armas. With its well-kept park that is surrounded by many shops and restaurants, it presents a great opportunity to absorb the local culture. Read more about Castro, Chile

Puerto Natales is a city in the mainland Chilean Patagonia, located 247 km NW of Punta Arenas. It is the capital of both the commune of the same name and Ultima Esperanza Province in the southernmost part of Chile. Off shore to the west are islands and fjords and the Southern Andes rising to 1700m. Read more about Puerto Natales, Chile

Puerto Williams is a Chilean port and naval base located on Isla Navarino facing the Beagle Channel. It lies 46 km E of Ushuaia on the opposite N side of the Chanel. With a population of a little over 2,000, including both naval personnel and civilians, Puerto Williams claims to be the southernmost city in the world (based on definition of ‘city’; its population is 2900). Read more about Puerto Williams, Chile

Cape Horn, the most southerly of the great capes is located on Isla Hornos in the Hermite Islands group at the southern end of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of South America. It marks the northern edge of the Drake Passage that separates South America and Antarctica. For many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world. Read more about Cape Horn, Chile

Deception Island is an active volcano in the South Shetland Islands, off the Antarctic Peninsula, about 920 km south of Argentina. It is administered by the Antarctic Treaty System. The horse-shoe shaped island (diameter 12 km) has a large flooded caldera that opens to the sea through a narrow channel at Neptune’s Bellows, forming a natural sheltered harbour. Read more about Deception Island, Antarctica

Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city, is located on the Beagle Channel, where soaring mountains, ice-blue glaciers, and an historic lighthouse create an ideal backdrop. The capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, it was first settled by British missionaries. During the first half of the 20th C the major building of the city was a prison, built by the Argentinian government for repeat offenders and serious criminals, as the subpolar oceanic climate made escape difficult. Read more about Ushuaia, Argentina