THE WORLD BY WATER

Here at Bales, we have recently noticed an increase in demand for more exclusive, private holidays, allowing real escapism. Many travellers want to get away from large, crowded cruise boats, sometimes moored up in rows and restricting views. Bales are delighted to offer you some more peaceful, intimate boat journeys, sailing through mesmerising landscapes.

Back to nature in a mokoro

Game viewing is not just about 4 wheel drives. The mokoro, a dugout canoe made from a single tree, is the perfect craft for negotiating the shallow waters of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Trails devoid of vegetation are created by herds of wild animals during the dry season, but when the rain has fallen, the channels fill and the mokoros silently glide through, propelled by a single boatman and a long pole. The Delta is undoubtedly the jewel in Botswana’s crown, where you can witness roaming herds of elephant and antelope, zebra and buffalo, as well as lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah, plus a staggering abundance of birdlife.

Sailing in Style

After intense days of wildlife exploration on the Galapagos Islands, yacht La Pinta provides a haven of relaxation and tranquility with tastefully appointed accomodations and all the facilities for a stylish yet informal ambience. A full week discovery trip to the islands aboard La Pinta allows encounters with unique fauna, like the famous giant Galapagos tortoises, land and marine iguanas, penguins, flamingoes, blue footed bobbies and the famous Darwin’s finches.

Classic beauty on a wooden junk

Vietnam’s Halong Bay is one of the world’s natural wonders, and features more than a thousand limestone karsts and islands. Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. Exploring the unique delights aboard Halong Ginger, a traditional wooden junk, truly encapsulates the magic and beauty of this spectacular region. This custom built vessel combines classic features with modern convenience, with ten well appointed en suite cabins and a massage room.

Backwaters by a luxuriously converted rice boat

Board your private houseboat for an unforgettable journey through the palm fringed landscapes of Kerala, where the locals and the river enjoy an almost symbiotic existence and where life on the water continues as it has for genrarations. Bamboo roofs, mat floors combine perfectly with airconditoned, en suite cabins to present an unforgettable experience.

Hark back to a bygone era of elegance on a dahabbiya

And of course, we had to mention the Bales collection of dahabiiyyas! These beautifully appointed vessels recapture the lost days of Nile sailing and offer a unique experience, as you journey past the sites of ancient antiquity in the graceful style of the late years of the 19th century.