Amazing Boat Journeys

From the seafaring Polynesians to the Chinese Age of Discovery, travel by water shaped the world. That same spirit of exploration compels Lonely Planet writers today to travel by cargo freighter and fishing vessel to the world's most remote islands; to hop onto mailboats in the Bahamas; or to experience life on a historic sail-powered windjammer.

These journeys are eclectic and wide-ranging, from the wonder of a glass-bottomed boat ride through Florida springs to the ease of a thatch-roofed kettuvallam exploring Kerala's famed backwaters. Old-fashioned paddlesteamers ply the length of the Mississippi in the style of the 1800s, and cruise ships on the Yangtze feature enthusiastic karaoke in Mandarin. Off-the-beaten-path cruises include Antarctica and Papua New Guinea.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from a weeks-long journey over open seas is the charm of seeing a city from the water, whether crossing Victoria Harbour via Hong Kong's classic Star Ferry, viewing the banks of London from the Thames, or traversing Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River.

Each trip includes authoritative commentary, awe-inspiring photography, and details of life on board the vessel, similar routes, and how to make the trip happen.

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