A 22-year-old Bermudian has experienced history at its best – by getting out of the classroom and onto a real battlefield.

Kyle James travelled to almost a dozen countries from August to December last year and visited a Vietnam War site, an Olympic Stadium and the home of the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

"In Vietnam we really got to experience a piece of history, with the Vietnam War not so long ago. I got to go to where the bomb shells hit," said Mr. James about the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network used by Vietnamese soldiers at the height of the war.

Mr. James visited the sites as part of the Semester at Sea programme, which conducts traditional college courses on board the cruise ship, the MV Explorer.

The Temple University student is one of a handful of Bermudians to have recently taken part in the programme.

While at sea, students must go to classes as normal, but as the ship docks they get a chance to explore the country they are in – from Bahamas to Namibia, Japan and Costa Rica.

They get to have fun, while learning in a totally unique setting, Mr. James said.

In addition to the underground tunnels, he visited the Olympic Stadium in Beijing, where US swimmer Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, and met Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a man hugely influential in the apartheid movement, while in South Africa.

"It was an opportunity of a lifetime. A programme where you were able to see so many different countries that represent so many different cultures, in such a small period of time," he said.

The group was also close to witnessing the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which happened just days after they left the country. Mr. James, an international business major, said he would spend hours doing research about each country.

"When I found out about something I would just read more, dig in to learn more about it," he added.

"You really needed to know what you wanted to do. If not you would waste time while you were in the country, rather than actually experiencing it."

As much as the students learnt on the trip, they also had fun – from riding a four-wheeler in the sand dunes in Namibia to diving with Great White sharks in South Africa.

There were also many rewarding moments where students got to give back to the communities they visited.

From working with Habitat for Humanity, a charity helping to build homes for the poor, to volunteering at the Mother Teresa Foundation in India, the experiences opened Mr. James' eyes.

"The opportunity to help people is rewarding in itself. I remember giving this one kid a Snickers bar.

"(The boy) was just off in the corner looking at it. They had never seen a candy bar before to know to take off the plastic wrapper.

"I was like 'wow, these people really don't have anything'."

Though the experience was "life-changing" for Mr. James, there were also some unpleasant moments.

He recalls being stuck on the cruise ship for days, sometimes even weeks at a time, when the weather was bad and the boat was rocky.

He also remembered how a fellow student lost his life after being struck by a drunk driver in Hong Kong.

"Even though we are on this great trip, great programme, great experience, we had to realise we are not invincible.

"The world around you continues and you just have to be careful. But I think we became more street travellers as the time went on," he said.

The course, which costs about $20,000, is expensive but very worthwhile, explained Mr. James.

"It was a lot of money for one semester, but when you look at the value, it makes the programme still seem so advantageous. Some places I would have never visited in my life."

He now admits he has caught the travel bug and plans to return to Japan in the near future.

"Travelling in itself, when you actually get to experience the true core of the country, not its beaches, not its shopping, but its true essence, is really impacting."

Those interested in more information about the Semester at Sea programme are encouraged to visit www.semesteratsea.org.