Elliott World Cruise 2025

Monday, February 24, 2025 - Mahe, Seychelles Day 1 We spent another day in the beautiful paradise known as the Seychelles. Last night our ship made the quick transfer to the nearby island of Mahe , where we will be docked for two days.  Today is the end of one segment and the beginning of a new segment, so approximately 200 people disembarked and 200 new passengers embarked.  These days are always a bit chaotic for both crew and passengers as rooms are quickly readied for new occupants, supplies are loaded, ship is refueled, and preparations are made for crew to welcome newly arriving passengers. For those of us doing the entire world cruise it means saying goodbye to some friends and starting to make new friends.  When we left Praslin last might I had forgotten about the beauty with which we would be greeted when we arrived in Mahe.  I was just focused on the incredible landscapes we witnessed on Praslin.  I didn't remember what magnificent beauty awaited us on...

Sunday, February 23, 2025 - Praslin, Seychelles Many people who have visited this beautiful island are convinced that it MUST be similar to the Garden of Eden God created for Adam and Eve.  From the moment we stepped on land, this island paradise inspired our imagination and captured our hearts. This magnificent setting reminded us to revel in life's simple pleasures.  The huge granite boulders are scattered along the coast, standing majestically almost like sentries guarding the precious fine, white sand beaches. Praslin was first settled as a hideaway by pirates and Arab merchants.  The original name for the island, Isle de Palmes, bears testament to its reputation as home of the Vallee de Mai UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is the only place in the world where the famous Coco de Mer , the world's heaviest nut, grows abundantly in the wild.  Praslin's exotic palm forests shelter many rare species.  It is much quieter and less developed than its neighbor ...

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 - Male, Maldives Male is the densely populated capitol city of the Maldives, which is an island nation in the Indian Ocean.  Approximately 143,000 people live in Male, which is approximately one-third of the country's entire population  The Maldives is a quiet place, often ignored by the world's media.  There are small islands surrounding Male which boast of beaches which look like they are straight out of a travel magazine.  However, since the Maldives are located such a long distance from any other land mass, it remains an exclusive tourist destination.  Residents associate themselves more with Asia than Africa, although geographically they are closer to Africa. The Maldives is made up of 1,192 tiny islands, 200 of which are inhabited.  A majority of the islands have more of a desert landscape, with no substantial mountains or forests.  Since Male is mainly flat terrain there is a threat from rising ocean levels.  T...

Monday, February 17, 2025 - Colombo, Sri Lanka The sail into the Capitol city of Colombo was not very exiting.  The enormous port was filled with containers, giant cranes, moving equipment, and workers wearing hard hats and brightly colored vests.  The original harbor was built in the 14th century, and has undergone a number of expansions and updates since that time.  Since our ship docked at quite a long distance from the entrance to the port we were not allowed to walk so buses parked immediately outside our ship.  We were warned that the tuk-tuk drivers positioned at the edge of the port gate were often sharks who hike the price of rides for cruise ship passengers so it's a good idea to take one of the ship's tours, if possible, since there was no shuttle into town. Once we were on the bus and out of the port we discovered a fascinating city bustling with activity.  There were magnificent old colonial buildings mixed with modern new structures.  We pass...

Sunday, February 16, 2025 - Hambantota, Sri Lanka In the far south of Sri Lanka, Hambantota is a village with a colorful and storied traditional past and great promise for the future.  This gateway to Sri Lanka is rich in resources and since being devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, has put great emphasis on rebuilding and moving progressively into a central role in the development of the southern region of Sri Lanka.  The area has undergone a number of major development projects including the construction of a new seaport and international airport which was finished in 2013.  The local government's plan is to transform Hambantota into the second major hub of Sri Lanka after Colombo.   Although local government has lofty plans for massive growth in the infrastructure of Hambantota, their plans have not yet come to fruition.  Conference centers, stadiums, sports fields, and other massive structures sit idle and/or underutilized, yet loan repayments...