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This is a feature from Issue 15 of Charitable Traveller.
There’s only one way to experience the fabled, timeless Mekong River and that’s on it. Set sail on the only vessel to cruise this stretch of the Mekong, the Victoria Mekong (above), and you’ll travel in four-star comfort between the sumptuous greenery of Can Tho in Vietnam and the heart of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. With just 35 staterooms on board, all with private balconies for sundowners, as well as a spa, infinity pool, gym and impeccable eco-credentials, this is proper small-ship cruising.
Could there be anything more pleasurable than ambling through Portugal’s UNESCO-listed Douro Valley? It’s rich with as many stories as it is vineyards, and is ideal for combining leisurely walks with visits to port- and vinho verde producing vineyards. Thought to be home to vines for over 2,000 years, the Douro Valley was once one of the world’s most dominant trading powers and remains a lush, captivating country.
Have a sun-soaked week in balmy Mallorca without setting foot on a plane on this 10-night trip from Fred Holidays and Charitable Travel. Where the journey is as much a part of the holiday as the destination, travel by train from London St Pancras to Barcelona, changing in Paris, and spend 24 hours in the Catalonian capital before boarding an overnight ferry to Palma. Wake up refreshed on the largest island in the Balearics, ready for a week of sun-soaked fun.
Get under the skin of Finland on an eight-day tour of three of the country’s liveliest cities. Visit Helsinki, Tampere and Turku by train, and discover the important role these cities have had in the history of the country, as well as their modern-day significance. Turku, for example, is fast becoming a leading light in Nordic cuisine, Helsinki is full of cool and contemporary architecture and Tampere is home to Finland’s oldest operating public sauna.
An epic way to see an epic country, this 17-day tour stretches from coast to coast and starts and ends in Chicago. Spending some nights on board Amtrak trains (upgrade options are available) and others in city centre hotels, you’ll visit New Orleans, San Francisco, Denver and New York, and have time to explore California’s Pacific coast, Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and New Orleans’ French Quarter.
One of the finest pleasures in life is simply messing about on the river, and there are few finer rivers to mess about on than the River Baïse and its connecting Canal de Garonne in the Aquitaine region in southwest France. Meander through meadows, orchards and medieval villages filled with historic churches and château, and stop often to sample some of the greatest French gastronomy, including wild mushrooms, local cheeses, and Bordeaux and Chablis wines.
Where else can you spend one day elephant spotting, the next wine tasting, and the next hiking the highlands? On South Africa’s Garden Route, where the road wends its way through the Addo Elephant National Park, the Hermanus Wine Region and the Lesotho Highlands, and is crying out to be enjoyed at a slower pace. Starting in Durban, Intrepid’s tour takes 14 days to arrive in Cape Town, and on the way, you’ll be spending nights under canvas and the days simply taking it all in.
Slow down and take a look at the enchanting world beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea. On a seven-night liveaboard dive holiday exploring the lesser-known northeastern Caribbean around the islands of St Kitts, St Maarten and Saba, the highlight is Saba’s Marine Park. Five miles wide, it encircles the volcanic island and its offshore pinnacles, volcanic sand and abrupt topography are a feast for marine life. Over in St Kitts, you’ll find finger reefs and recent wrecks, while St Maarten is surrounded by colourful coral reefs.
We don’t use the word monumental lightly here but it feels justified to describe this 16-day tour that travels from the Great Wall of China to the soaring heights of Mt Fuji. Starting in Beijing, and seeing the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, you’ll then come face to face with the Terracotta Warriors, scale the Great Wall and visit Shanghai and Suzhou. Once in Japan, the highlights continue in Osaka, a moment of pause with the Buddhist monks at Kōyasan, then the reflection in Hiroshima and the sacred island of Miyajima. There’s then time to visit Kyoto, Lake Ashino-ko and the natural hot springs before finishing up in Tokyo.
It’s pedal power in the Peloponnese as you take in the greats of Greek myths and legends on a seven-night self-guided cycling tour around the peninsula. Follow in the tracks of Hera and Heracles and cycle through the astoundingly beautiful Arcadia region, with its thick pine forest and meadows, before reaching the coast and the first capital of Greece, Nafplio. Refuel on fresh seafood at tavernas that spill into the sea and ease aching muscles at carefully selected three- and four-star hotels.
Call us now on 020 3092 1288 or email [email protected] to plan and book these incredible experiences!
This is a feature from Issue 15 of Charitable Traveller.
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