ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, MAINE, USA
As summer ends and autumn begins, nature lovers in the USA head to New England to watch spectacular fall foliage displays during this peak leaf-changing season.
Over a period of about six weeks, the leaves on the trees change from vibrant greens to lush oranges, golds and reds, offering visitors the chance to enjoy some wonderful vistas.
One of the best ways to enjoy Mother Nature’s annual transformation masterpiece is on a visit to the almost 50,000-acre Acadia National Park, situated half way along the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbour. Here, visitors are encouraged to enjoy a 27-mile loop on the Acadia National Park & Carriage Ride to enjoy the wonderful sight of autumn in its fall glory, offering some amazing photo opportunities. For an Instagram shot that’ll be the envy of your friends, stop off at the summit of Cadillac Mountain for jaw-dropping views. As well as enjoying a carriage ride, you can also hike and cycle in this wonderful natural park.
The best weeks to see the trees and plants in their peak autumnal colours are the last week in September and the first two to three weeks of October, so try and book your cruise to coincide with these dates if possible.
You can visit Acadia National Park on NCL’s Canada & New England cruise in October 2025. Trips here also feature on 2025 itineraries on Celebrity and Oceania cruises too.
Acadia is the country’s easternmost national park, and is one of the first places in the US to see sunrise each day
+ Turn to page 58 for more beautiful nature spots
NAOSHIMA ART ISLAND, JAPAN
At the sprightly age of 95, Yayoi Kusama is Japan’s most famous living artist whose legacy ensures sell-out shows around the world. Of course, her iconic spotty canvases look great on gallery walls but nothing can prepare you for the wow factor of seeing her giant yellow pumpkin on Japan’s Naoshima Art Island. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Seto Inland Sea, this 2.5-metre-wide, fibre-glass installation glistens in the sun, beckoning visitors to touch and feel its curves.
Hidden among almost 3,000 mostly uninhabited islands in the Seto Inland Sea region, you’ll find a cluster of Art islands filled with original sculpture, galleries and installations by renowned Japanese artists, sculptors and architects. These incredible openair galleries include the islands of Teshima, Inujima and Ogijima, but the most famous isle of the lot is Naoshima, where the first permanent artwork of the project was installed in 1989.
The entire island is a walkable canvas of public installations and dramatic buildings designed by leading architects including Tadao Ando. But of course, it’s Yayoi Kusama’s extraordinary spotted pumpkin that really draws the crowds here. If you’re lucky enough to be sailing to Osaka, don’t miss the chance to visit this extraordinary art island.
You can visit Naoshima Art Island on Ponant’s Treasures of Japan by Sea cruise in April 2025. Trips here also feature on Silversea and Lindblad Expeditions cruises.
+ Turn to page 65 for more cultural cruises
CARIBBEAN COOL
Sleeping under the stars, caviar and champagne in the surf and the chance to visit some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful islands in style – luxury cruising doesn’t get better than this
WORDS SARA MACEFIELD
Stirring brie y from my slumber, I’m momentarily confused to see the moon dangling from the sky above me like a giant silver lantern, casting a lustrous glow over the surrounding sea.
A light tropical breeze utters across the open deck and I wonder if this is a dream, but then I remember that we’re sleeping alfresco under the stars.
It’s one of boutique line SeaDream Yacht Club’s signature experiences, and as our ship’s sailing through the toasty embrace of the Caribbean, we’d jumped at the chance to spend the night on plush sunbeds in prime position on the ship’s prow.
A double bed has been made up with a quilt and pillows and it feels so comfortable my husband
and I soon drift o to sleep to the rhythmic soundtrack of lapping waves, though I don’t really expect to make it through to morning.
Another couple who tried this a few nights before were driven inside by strong winds and a tropical rain shower in the early hours, but we’re luckier, sleeping until dawn.
We pad across the deck to watch mesmerised as our ship, SeaDream 1, approaches Montserrat, the island’s shadowy outline perfectly illuminated by the sun’s dawn crimson rays.
Later that morning, we go ashore on the British territory to see rst-hand the devastation wrought by the active Soufriere Hills volcano and are driven into the exclusion zone to explore former capital Plymouth, the so-called Pompeii of the Caribbean, which has been destroyed by pyroclastic ows.
Opening spread: Soper’s Hole Marina on the shore of the British Virgin Islands’ Tortola Top: St Thomas’ sandy beaches Middle row, left to right: Foxy, the face of Jost Van Dyke’s popular beach bar; drinks at Soggy Dollar Bar; enjoy a BVI bar
crawl Bottom: The plush day beds on SeaDream 1’s deck Opposite: The lush azure vista across Jost Van Dyke’s White Bay
We’re moored off the isle of Jost Van Dyke, more specifically White Bay, home to BVI’s Soggy Dollar Bar, where the island’s signature Painkiller cocktail is said to have been invented
Add to this a memorable stop in Šibenik for a hike around Krka National Park’s lush landscapes and rushing waterfalls