Departing from Plymouth in 1778, Cook and his 100-strong crew embarked on the trip of a lifetime that would have even today’s jet-setters jealous.
- Madeira, Portugal – This tiny island off the coast of Portugal, rising out of the Atlantic’s waves, was the first stop of the Endeavour. The iconic harbour of the Islands capital, Funchal, with its dazzling firework displays and botanical gardens will be sure to keep you entertained. The island is also famed for its Wineries and for sports fans, the CR7 Museum is a must see!
- Rio De Janeiro, Brazil – Cook used Rio De Janeiro as a supply stop, but travellers today will take in the sights of Copacabana Beach, Christ the Redeemer and shimmy to some Samba Music. Revellers will also marvel at the views from Sugarloaf Mountain, or party the days and nights away in Rio’s carnival atmosphere. One thing’s for certain, Rio is a far cry from the days of Captain Cook!
- Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina – When Cook ventured ashore at Tierra Del Fuego, he described the locals as, ‘the most miserable group of people on the planet’. Tierra Del Fuego truly could be ‘The End of the World’. But nowadays, travellers are blown away by the staggering scenery offered at the gateway to Antarctica. The snowy mountains and glaciers are timeless or visit Ushuaia’s busy port and take a boat trip to penguin isle!
- Tahiti, French Polynesia – Just the thought of Tahiti brings images of palm trees and sandy beaches. In fact, when it was time for Cook’s voyage to leave the island, two of his crew attempted to desert, due to falling for local women and it’s easy to understand why as the Polynesian hospitality and staggering natural scenery will make you fall in love with this little piece of paradise in the Pacific.
- New Zealand – When Cook first arrived on the coast of New Zealand, he was greeted with the Maori people and the Haka! Nowadays, the traditional war dance can be experienced by watching the world famous All Blacks rugby team. New Zealand is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, and it’s not hard to understand why. The ultra-modern city of Auckland, the beautiful 15,000-km coastline, and of course, the scenery and landscape that made Lord of the Rings possible! From marvelling at the breath-taking scenery to swimming in geothermal rivers, there’s so many things to see and do, it’s easy to appreciate why Cook spent months sailing the coastline all those years ago!
- Australia – When Cook landed at Stingray, New Holland, as the land Down Under was known back in 1770, he can’t have known that just 250 years later, the area would be home to Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and some of the most amazing beaches on the planet. If year-round BBQ weather and surfing is your bag.
- Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia’s capital was the port where the Cook’s ship, the Endeavour, received repairs after damaging itself on the Great Barrier Reef. Back then, it was part of the Dutch East Indies, but now, it could be one of the most multicultural spots on the planet! Javanese? Arabic? Malay? European? You name it, there is some part of the culture in Jakarta! Visit the old town for a taste of what Cook experienced when he sailed to this former Dutch Colony.
- Cape Town, South Africa – Cook’s final stop on his epic voyage, Cape Town, sits on the Cape of Good Hope. Dramatic cliffs, table top mountain and Robin Island, the Prison that held Nelson Mandela for 25 years are tourist hotspots for visiting holiday makers. Cape Town can truly be seen as one of Africa’s jewels, and no true around the world voyage can be completed without seeing this incredible city.
An unintentional trend-setter, Captain Cook was one of the first known travellers to embark on multi-city adventures, a concept that has seen a 177 per cent increase in popularity with British holiday makers in recent years.
Multiple destination bookings, more than one direct flight in a single itinerary, is an increasing trend, with over a million bookings made in the last three years. According to new data, Mancunians are the most adventurous when it comes to multi-city escapades, recording a 24 per cent increase in bookings in 2018.
Travellers from London are also partial to visiting more than one city on their jollies, as multi-city bookings from London have also experienced a surge of 190 per cent in 2018.
Alison Couper, flight booking website Kiwi.com said: “As we mark this special anniversary, it’s a reminder to us all of what a pioneer Captain Cook was. Even after all these years, it’s amazing to see that the appetite is still there to explore new worlds by travellers today.”
Kiwi.com have launched the innovative new multi-city, Nomad, which allows users to automatically combine flights from nearly 700 airlines into a single itinerary in a process called “virtual interlining”.
This survey was courtesy of flight booking website, Kiwi.com.
