If you’re like us, you’re probably lusting for an adventure that takes you to dreamy landscapes and pristine white, sandy beaches. With all this new-found free time on our hands, we thought we should share our travel bucket list.

The Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsundays, and the Great Barrier Reef, is one of the most pristine dive destinations in the world - with spectacular coral formations, hundreds of species of fish, turtles, manta rays and even visiting dolphins and whales.

The Weather in the Whitsundays is great all year round. During Summer, it is hot weather with the air temperature around 30°C. During the winter, the weather is warm with air temperature being around 23°C. The water temperature is generally the same year-round with 25°C. It is possible to dive all year round in the Whitsundays.

• The Wet season runs from January to March with heavy rain short episodes

• The Minke Whales season runs from June to August.

• The humpback whales season is from June to November.

• The Coral Spawning occurs in October and November

The best scuba diving season on the Great Barrier Reef runs from mid-August to mid-December with excellent conditions.

The water temperature on the Great Barrier Reef usually ranges from 24°C to 29°C and around 25°C on the local dive sites.

The current is generally gentle on the local dive sites but can be strong if you dive on the Great Barrier Reef.

The visibility on the local dive sites is good and ranges from 8 to 30 meters. However, if you take a Liveaboard dive trip to the Great Barrier Reef you can expect very good to excellent visibility up to 50 meters.

The depth ranges from 5 to 30 meters but most of the dive sites are suitable for beginner divers and don’t go below 20 meters deep.

Malta

The history of Malta is a long and colourful one dating back to the dawn of civilisation.

The Maltese Islands went through a golden Neolithic period, the remains of which include the mysterious temples dedicated to the goddess of fertility. Later on, the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Byzantines, all left their traces on the Islands.

In 60 A.D. St. Paul was shipwrecked on the island while on his way to Rome and brought Christianity to Malta.

The Arabs conquered the islands in 870 A.D. and left an important mark on the language of the Maltese. Until 1530 Malta was an extension of Sicily: The Normans, the Aragonese and other conquerors who ruled over Sicily also governed the Maltese Islands. It was Charles V who bequeathed Malta to the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem who ruled over Malta from 1530 to 1798. Following the Great Siege of 1565, the Knights took Malta through a new golden age, making it a key player in the cultural scene of 17th and 18th century Europe. The artistic and cultural lives of the Maltese Islands were injected with the presence of artists such as Caravaggio, Mattia Preti and Favray who were commissioned by the Knights to embellish churches, palaces and auberges.

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte took over Malta from the Knights on his way to Egypt. The French presence on the islands was short lived, as the English, who were requested by the Maltese to help them against the French, blockaded the islands in 1800.

British rule in Malta lasted until 1964 when Malta became independent. The Maltese adopted the British system of public administration, education and legislation.

Modern Malta became a Republic in 1974. The foreign military bases on the island closed down permanently in 1979. Malta joined the European Union in May 2004 and the Eurozone in January of 2008.

Nosy Be, Madagascar

A large number of tiny inhabitant islands with pristine vegetation and unpolluted waters make Madagascar a paradise for sailors. A skipper, a cook and in some cases an additional sailor. You certainly do not need more to explore Madagascar's fabulous coastline. Here we would like to present to you the most beautiful sailing spots:

Most sailing cruisers depart from Nosy Be and may include the islands of Radama, the little known Nosy Mamoko, three times forgotten by cartographers or Kisimany where, each year, a sailing boat from Zanzibar comes for a supply of shark oil, depending on the duration.

The classical route of 4 or 5 days will lead to the north of Nosy Be and include a visit of Nosy Iranja (two Islands, in fact, connected by a white sandbank of 1 km surrounded by two lagoons), Nosy Sakatia, just off Nosy Be in the north-west, relatively untouched by tourism, where there are no roads, only footpaths, Nosy Komba, which is probably the most visited of the islands around Nosy Be: the day trip to visit the lemur reserve at Ampangorina is one of the most popular excursions from the “big island”. Further, these sailing cruises also tend to include the Mitsio Islands, approximately 35 km north of Nosy, a wild and unpredictable archipelago with quite pristine coral reefs.

Visitors attracted by this certainly smooth and pleasant way to discover the islands' world of Madagascar can opt for different kids of vessels, from traditional veil dugouts (with or without motor) and catamarans of all sizes. Normally accommodation is either onboard (for the most expensive vessels) or at a camping place on solitary white beaches.

Seychelles

Seychelles is a living museum of natural history and a sanctuary for some of the rarest species of flora & fauna on earth. With almost 50% of its limited landmass set aside as national parks and reserves, Seychelles prides itself on its record for far sighted conservation policies that have resulted in an enviable degree of protection for the environment and the varied ecosystems it supports. 

Nowhere else on earth will you find unique endemic specimens such as the fabulous Coco-de-mer, the largest seed in the world, the jellyfish tree, with only eight surviving examples, Seychelles’ paradise flycatcher and Seychelles warbler.

Seychelles is also home to two U.N.E.S.C.O World Heritage Sites: Aldabra, the world’s largest raised coral atoll and Praslin’sVallée de Mai, once believed to be the original site of the Garden of Eden.

From the smallest frog to the heaviest land tortoise and the only flightless bird of the Indian Ocean, Seychelles nurtures an amazing array of endemic species within surrounds of exceptional natural beauty.

Turkey

Gulet charter really can be whatever you want it to be. It’s the perfect opportunity to dream up the most outstanding holiday imaginable. Then leave it to the team at Zephyria to make the dream come true.

Whether your interests are ancient history or photography, water-sports or shopping, or if all you want to do is bask in the sun, sea and savour delicious cuisine while cruising from one astoundingly beautiful bay to another, Zephyria makes it all happen, so you experience the definitive insiders’ Turkey from the best yachts and in the best-secluded locations.

Food for body & soul

The cuisine is one of the highlights of all holidays, and dining onboard a private charter yacht is no exception. In fact, food tastes even better al fresco on the deck overlooking the dazzling Aegean waters or under the stars at night. Our menus are prepared from carefully sourced, local & seasonal produce featuring fresh fish and seafood, grills barbecued on deck as well as a feast of irresistible Turkish Meze and salads. Zephyria’s team regularly sample our chefs’ creations ensuring that dining remains absolutely stellar. We cater for special dietary requirements too so please let us know your preferences in advance.

Discover your inner archaeologist

Yacht charters in the areas we cruise trace centuries of the history of many tribes and civilisations. Along these ancient trading routes, cultures from the Carian, Lycian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods have left their legacies on both the landscape and seascape, above and underwater, and you can really see and feel it. There are literally hundreds of atmospheric ancient ruined sites, rock tombs and sunken cities to explore, some excavated and some left wild, overgrown and untouched. Highlights include the epic Knidos, Caunos, Xanthos, Letoon, Patara and Pinara, as well as the magnificent city of Ephesus.

Bringing you & your tribe together

Gulet yacht charter holidays are for everyone, all ages, and all interests, families, friends and couples. Often we have 3 or even 4 generations on board for big family holidays, and it works like a dream. Children are warmly welcomed on our Gulets which are spacious and designed with a large aft deck creating a safe space for them to be, and to be seen. For fun, our crew often lead activities for the kids like fishing, snorkelling and paddle boarding. Our chefs are skilled at balancing child-friendly meals with the more refined gourmet tastes of adults making everyone happy. So while there are spaces, safety and entertainment for the smaller ones, there’s room for the bigger ones to dip in and out as they like too.

On land inspiration

To punctuate your seaborne journey, stop to experience the sights and sounds of life on land too. Explore pretty fishing villages, quiet beaches, waterfront tavernas, or retreat inland for some magical hikes into the olive-grove hills, amongst ancient ruins, orchards and farmland. Colourful markets sell textiles and local produce in every town and village, alongside artisans’ studios offering unique handmade pieces. Larger towns like Marmaris and Bodrum are buzzing with high-end shopping, yachting lifestyle, art galleries, smart restaurants and nightlife. Turkey is truly a dinners and shoppers paradise. The most famously sought after items are silk carpets and kilims, leather, gold and silver, and spices.

Unwind & reset find the balance

When we rest, our energy is restored. Its time to take a break and find the balance read those books that have been waiting, eat good food every day- prepared by someone else, and immerse yourself in nature with swimming, water-sports and countryside hiking as you wish. There’s no better place to unwind and get perspective than on the sea, with the sun, salty water and relaxed hospitality of the Mediterranean and southern Aegean region setting the scene. Share an unforgettable time cruising in Turkey with your friends or family and remind your self of that precious stress-free you.