Condé Nast Traveler Exclusive Editor’s Tips For Adventures Ashore

We are excited about our new exclusive collaboration with Condé Nast Traveler that brings you itineraries curated by the magazine’s dedicated editors. The editors also have handpicked their favorite ports on select 2025 and 2026 itineraries and are sharing insider knowledge of what to see, eat and experience, allowing you to make the most of every minute ashore.

Wonderfully insightful, Condé Nast Traveler Exclusive Editor’s Tips range from adventurous activities to amazing culture-rich travel experiences to local food and drink that are a must-try… and more. So, let’s dive into a sampling of Condé Nast Traveler recommendations for some of the recreational adventures you can experience ashore on your next Curated by Condé Nast Traveler with Oceania Cruises sailing.

We’ll be spotlighting more Condé Nast Traveler Editor’s Tips, so be sure to check back!

Condé Nast Traveler-Recommended Adventures Ashore

1. Hike to 10,000 Buddhas Monastery
   Palms & Pagodas: Riviera, March 10, 2025

   Port: Hong Kong, China
   Sha Tin, a residential neighborhood about 20 minutes northeast of the city, is home to a quirky cultural site. Ask your driver to drop you at the end of Sheung Wo Che Road by the rickety metal fence, where a cement path weaves through a bamboo grove. When you reach a steep staircase, head up, up, up to reach the temple grounds adorned with more than 12,000 miniature gold Buddhas. There’s also temples, pagodas and great views.

2. Chase Waterfalls During a Hindu Purification Ceremony
   Extravagant Far East: Regatta, June 3, 2025

   Port: Bali (Benoa), Indonesia
   Bali’s waterfalls are legendary, and so are its omnipresent temples. The best of both can be found a 90-minute drive north of Ubud at the otherworldly and little-known temple Pura Taman Pecampuhan Sala, studded with unique shrines, intricately carved sculptures and misty natural falls. For a small donation, a local guide leads adventurous, sarong-clad visitors through a very wet and very beautiful melukat purification ceremony, which involves ritualistic washing, meditation and wish making.

3. Go Birding at an Architectural Marvel
   Extravagant Far East: Regatta, June 3, 2025
   Enclaves of Indochina: Sirena, February 21, 2026

   Port: Singapore, Singapore
   A 30-minute walk from Singapore Cruise Centre is Henderson Waves – the country’s highest pedestrian bridge at 120 feet above ground. Here, you can observe wildlife like tropical songbirds and long-tailed macaques, and enjoy sweeping views of the island. In the evenings, the entire platform is illuminated in soft LED lighting. Panoramas aside, the bridge itself is an architectural stunner, with voluptuous curves made of native Balau wood, and plenty of shaded spots to rest and admire the landscape.

4. Swim with Reef Sharks
   Outback & Island Pearls: Regatta, June 23, 2025
   Tahitian Legends: Regatta, August 16, August 26 & September 5, 2025

   Port: Papeete (Tahiti), French Polynesia
   After an easy 45-minute ferry to the verdant island of Moorea, take a boat tour with Voila Moorea, a family-run tour operator with a small sailing catamaran, Taboo. With just eight guests, you can sail the lagoon, snorkel with reef sharks and stingrays (of which there are many), and explore the underwater volcanic stone tiki sculptures by local artist Tihoti Guy.

5. Trek Mount Aksla
   Scottish & Nordic Voyager: Marina, June 30, 2025

   Port: Ålesund, Norway
   Mount Aksla can be reached via taxi, a sightseeing train or a 418-step climb from the town park, Byparken – all of which will reward you with incredible views of the city center and surrounding fjord. Even if you manage to climb only halfway on foot, the views of the surrounding emerald-green mountains and islands dotting the horizon are still spectacular. But it’s worth making it to the observation deck on top to reward yourself with a local pancake-like treat called sveler. On the return, you can take the easy Vannspringdalen hike back to the city center.

6. Take a Plunge in Les Piscines Naturelles
   Vibrant Voyage to Rio: Vista, January 6, 2026

   Port: Gustavia, St. Barts
   St. Bart’s natural pools aren’t the easiest to reach – or find. You’ll want to enlist the help of Carole Pernelle, a hiking guide who can navigate the 30-minute coastal trek at Petit Cul-de-Sac on the eastern edge of the island (these pools are just for admiring from afar, though) or Grand Fond’s swimmable series of pools dubbed the “Washing Machine.” Since the path isn’t clearly defined, and urchins abound, sneakers or water shoes are a must.

7. Tango for Two in Almagro
   Palms to Penguins: Marina, January 22, 2026

   Port: Buenos Aires, Argentina
   Tango is like oxygen in this city, but it can be hard to know where to start breathing it. The Almagro neighborhood is the place. Get your footwork fancy down in a group class at La Catedral Milonga, a dance hall with a live DJ. Traveling solo? Book a tango taxi, or dance partner paid by the hour, with whom to try a few rounds on the dance floor, then wind down at El Boliche de Roberto, a “bar notable” frequented by musicians whose mournful melodies always pack out this tiny, authentic spot.

8. An Evening Amid the Dunes – Sandboarding & Camel Ride
   Sunny Sands & Chic Strands: Vista, May 13, 2026

   Port: Dubai, UAE
   For all its man-made wonders, Dubai is still a city that rose from the desert – and the dunes are mere minutes from Dubai’s skyscrapers. While there is no shortage of tours that take visitors dune bashing, we’re partial to the more sophisticated sunset experience at Nara Camp, 45 minutes from the port. Take a camel out for a spin, try your hand at archery and sandboarding, and watch a thrilling fire show before settling in for a three-course dinner with global flair.

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