With the recent turmoil in the world, and ever changing political landscapes, cruising on a private yacht is surely the safest way to travel. Not only that but it is the ideal way to see the most beautiful and fun coastlines of the world. A yacht brings both comfort and safety, privacy and freedom. There’s no better way to enjoy a holiday. This is one reason why the yachting industry is booming.
However, in this ever changing world, the safety of some locations is ever evolving. Even though a yacht charter is surely the safest way to enjoy your holiday, I have decided to rank which areas are likely the safest of the safe. I’ve scored the 10 safest places to cruise on your private yacht subjectively, according the following criteria: weather & seas, infrastructure & health care and lastly, violent crime.
The Top 10 Safest Places in the world to enjoy a yacht charter:
10. French West Indies
A beautiful part of the wider Caribbean cruising area, the centrally positioned French West Indies includes the likes of Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Isle de Saints. This corner of the Caribbean is as ‘classic Caribbean’ as anywhere because so you get the full package of near faultless beaches with white soft sand. It’s certainly not unknown to visiting superyachts, but there are still many a secluded cove to tuck up in and relax at anchor or jettison your gear and dive in for a swim. There are also unspoiled and authentic fishing villages on offer, lush inland rain forests, rugged peaks, exotic fruit & flowers and even hot springs. Natural beauty does not come at the expense of safety here as this part of the Caribbean is mostly know mostly for only petty crime and theft and the Caribbean somehow seems a long way removed from many of the current political problems of the world.
“This part of the world suddenly feels nicely isolated, and thus insulated, from the sometimes crazy problems emanating from globalisation and troubled world politics. It’s almost a taste of a simpler and more naive version of the world as it once was.”
Far flung sailing destinations can be an experience of a lifetime
9. Thailand
Thailand is the land of the smile, and it also has a fairly well-established yachting industry and infrastructure for South East Asia. In addition, there are some amazing areas to visit on you yacht like Puket, Krabi, Phang Nga Bay, Koh Phi Phi and Ko Lanta and the Similan Islands might be places that your yacht charter broker suggests you consider. There are not a huge number of luxury yachts permanently available in Thailand but there are always superyachts passing through on a world tour that you might like to consider renting.
The Bahamas offers superior ocean landscapes
8. Bahamas
The Bahamas always feels to me like a clean and fresh part of the Caribbean. It certainly doesn’t tend to be as overcrowded as some parts on the water. Safety is pretty good here in terms of crime and what a magnificent place to charter a yacht, especially a yacht with a shallow draft so you can get into all those special bays and beaches. If you like the water and like sea creatures this is the place to come.
Luxury yacht Hana in Italy
7. Italy
Italy is perennial, seemingly almost lost in time sometimes. Italy in the heart of the Mediterranean is also a yachting smorgasbord, offering both culture and natural beauty. Think picturesque bays, amazing food ideal temperature and great nightlife. Think Capri, Sardinia, Portofino. Italians generally have a strong culture and an even stronger sense of community, and in many ways it’s a connected community that makes a place safe. Italy is a yachting powerhouse in the middle of Europe and as yet this country hasn’t specifically been affected as much as many neighbouring countries by recent world events.
Sailing an Oyster 100 superyacht
6. Balearic Islands
Perhaps the most relaxed of the major Mediterranean yachting destinations, the Spanish Balearic Islands with great cities like Palma de Majorca have been the heart of sailing in Europe for many a year. Not only is there great sailing here but it’s a bit more low key than some of the other more glitzy Mediterranean hotspots. If you want to charter a sailing yacht, come here because there are plenty to choose from and the is more steady breeze than most other parts of the Mediterranean.
Tropical yacht charters are an evergreen delight
5. Fiji
Not only one of the most beautiful places on earth but also quite possibly one of the safest to visit on your charter yacht. The locals in this South Pacific cluster of magical islands are warm and friendly, with the biggest smiles of anywhere in the world. ‘Bulla Bulla’ is the local’s greeting and it comes with sincere friendliness. Like the rest of the South Pacific, Fiji does get cyclones during the cyclone season but if that time of the year is avoided the weather is nice and safe. Fiji has seen plenty of recent investment in infrastructure from new luxury resorts and marinas to roading. Moreover, despite being so wonderfully isolated, access to the first world countries of New Zealand and Australia is only a 3-4 or so hour flight away.
Heesen Yacht Galactica Star
4. Croatia
It wasn’t a very long time ago that Croatia was only a new and developing yachting location after years of debilitating war. Competing with the rest of the Mediterranean, there was a lot of ground for the country to make up in terms of attracting luxury holiday makers to this beautiful location with thousands of islands. Well Croatia succeeded in not only attracting superyacht clientele to their home but in flourishing as one of the most requested luxury charter destinations in the world. Debrovnick, Korcula, Havar, Split, Sibenik are some of the most well-known and respected hot spots, but there are many others dotted along this amazing coastline. Croatia offers friendly locals, wonderful nightlife and generally a secure and safe environment.
New Zealand is known for sailing and whales
3. New Zealand
The land of the long white cloud is very politically settled and safe and what’s more the locals are also known to be extremely friendly. This together with the fact the country is considered ‘First World’ with a modern first class heath system, means New Zealand is near the top of the safest yachting destinations. It has also seen a huge lift in general tourist numbers recently due to its many interesting and beautiful sights and its relative isolation and safety. While on a luxury yachting holiday you might visit the Bay Of Islands, the Coramandel and even the Marlborough Sounds (in the South), it’s also worthwhile to travel off the yacht inland to visit luxury destinations like Queenstown where you might rub shoulders with the world’s rich and famous. New Zealand has a world class superyacht maintenance infrastructure, so there are plenty of visiting superyachts to take advantage of. And if you like yacht racing like the Kiwis you could enter the Millennium Cup near Auckland.
Monaco means luxury yachting!
2. Monaco
Anyone who has been to Monaco for more than a day or two knows there is a lot more to the Principality than just fast cars, superyachts, and the rich and famous. The Monégasque locals look after each other well and they also look after their guests. Accordingly, security has always been taken very seriously here and it’s hard to imagine a better protected population in Europe. Of course Monaco has first class infrastructure and the weather is generally mild Mediterranean. Monaco has gone from strength to strength as both a destination for superyachts cruising in the Mediterranean and as a service area with its large marina and luxury yacht focused economy.
Benetti in the Caribbean
1. The BVIs
The British Virgin Islands is a Caribbean yacht charter powerhouse which is popular for many reasons. There are hundreds of successful charters enjoyed here every year. But it’s also relatively very safe. The amazing beaches, bays and climate go a long way but there is also good supporting infrastructure. Crime is moderate for this part of the world and the weather is typically very easy and consistence outside hurricane season. The Caribbean Islands generally score very well with their relative safety, with only some exceptions only as a minority. This part of the world suddenly feels nicely isolated, and thus insulated, from the sometimes crazy problems emanating from globalisation and troubled world politics. It’s almost a taste of a simpler and more naive version of the world as it once was. The BVIs give a yachtsman a smorgasbord of tropical Caribbean delights to explore, Tortola, Peter Island, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, to mention a few of the most famous.
Please get in touch with CharterWorld the leading luxury yacht charter expert, to experience the delights of a superior charter holiday. Here are some very happy people who have already.
