Top 8 Luxury Tour Operators In India - News Track English
Top 8 Luxury Tour Operators In India - News Track English |
Top 8 Luxury Tour Operators In India - News Track English Posted: 22 Jul 2019 12:00 AM PDT What Could More be Asked On Vacation If You can also Enjoy The Luxury In Food, Stay And Commuting !? There are many tour operators in India who wished to provide a luxurious experience to their guest. But, Are they really reliable? How do I know which is Best? How to choose the best luxury tour operator in India? What is the list of the best luxury tour operator in India and what are the best luxury packages provided by them? These are a few questions that are answered in this article. Which, How, Why for Best Tour Operator? There are several tour operators claiming to provide the best services to their guests, but the real reluctance about the propaganda is,?Are they able to deliver what they promise to do?? Not sure! There is no set parameter to ensure the credibility of the tour operator, but with my 8 years of experience in writing blogs about traveling company, I summoned up a list of top tour operators in India for a luxury trip. But first ? Who are Tour Operators?? According to us, the excelling tour operator should possess the following features and should deliver them to give the best services to their guest: ? They should be flexible and can plan a tailor-made itinerary. ? They should have professional staff to assist throughout the journey. ? They should be able to understand the guest expectation and purport of visiting India and accordingly plan the entire trip. ? They should not hesitate in going that extra mile to give their guests complete satisfaction. ? They should be affordable and cost-effective. ? If the tour operator is native then he can show some of the best-hidden places of the region. ? The tour operator aligned with best hotels of the country is an efficient way to have a luxurious stay at cheap cost ? The reviews from guests should be considered as winning bounty points for the travel agency. ? The discounts and offers prevailing on a particular traveling site should also be considered while choosing the best travelling agency for your luxurious trip to India. The vacations have new meaning now. Apart from exploring new places, the vacationers take 2,4,5,6,10 days or sometimes even a month off to escape from the daily chaotic life and rejuvenate the lost sheen in relationships or in the excitement in relaxing and comfortable ambiance. All those tour operators who had identified such needs of vacationers are an edge over their competition. Now coming to another important factor of the list, ?INDIA?. Why you Choose India for Holiday Destination? The popular place India is again a no miss destination for vacationers with some vivid options of adventurous yet relaxing sports, meditation, exploring the rich heritage culture or even spending romantic days on your honeymoon. The seventh-largest country is also tourist place attracting lots of small and big groups, solo travelers, senior citizens. Families and friends from all around the globe. The recent tourist reports also indicate that there will be a substantial increase in the numbers of visitors coming to this country from the world and majorly from USA, UK, Australia. Another reason why India is becoming famous is because of the luxury and grandness this country has to offer. Being not so expensive country, a gala stay can be enjoyed in this country at every nook with your own tailored made itinerary to be followed during the holiday. There are many tours and travel companies or operators that arrange such luxurious tour for their guest. Here we are listing down top 10 luxury tour operator with their best selling packages which are not only unique but also complete value for money providing all the necessary itinerary with some special bounty points to their guest looking for a LUXURY tour. The list of Top Luxury Tour Operators of India 1) LuxuryTour Operator: >Leisure India Holiday LIH Leisure India Holiday LIH Leisure India holiday is one such prominent Travelling company of India that specializes in crafting tailor-made holidays for their guest in a most comfortable, elegant and glorious manner. This is at the top of the list and we called them as the Best Tour operators for luxury tours in india. Listed below some of their popular luxury tour packages India. Package 1- Royal Maharaja Experience Tour ? Destination- Mumbai ? Udaipur ? Jodhpur ? Samode ? Jaipur ? Agra ? New Delhi ? Days- 13 Days- 12 Nights Package 2- Luxury Oberoi Hotels Ranthambore Wildlife Tour Package Destination-New Delhi ? Agra ? Ranthambore ? Delhi ? Days- 08 Days- 07 Nights Package 3-Luxury Golden Triangle Tour Package ? Destination- New Delhi ? Agra ? Jaipur ? Delhi ? Days- 21 nights Package 4- Elite Golden Triangle with Goa Beach Luxury Tour Package ? Destination-New Delhi ? Agra ? Jaipur ? Goa ? Delhi ? Days- 09 Days- 08 Nights Package 5- Exclusive Oberoi Hotels Golden Triangle Luxury Tour Package ? Destination-New Delhi ? Agra ? Jaipur ? Delhi> ? Days- 07 Days- 06 Nights 2) Luxury Tour operator - Luxoindia LuxoIndia is a storehouse of fabulous and luxurious experiences. The tour company make efforts in giving their best to the guest and giving life to their dreams in the most affordable manner.They specialize in organising the trip through luxury trains. Palace on Wheels ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights> ? Destination: Delhi - Jaipur - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Chittorgarh - Sawai Madhopur - Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra Maharajas Express Heritage of India ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights ? Destination: Mumbai - Ajanta - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Bikaner - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Agra - Delhi Maharajas Express Treasure of India ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights ? Destination: Mumbai - Ajanta - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Bikaner - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Agra - Delhi Maharajas Express Gems of India ? Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights? Destination: Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Delhi Maharajas? Express The Indian Panorama ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights? Destination: Delhi - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - Gwalior - Orchha - Khajuraho - Varanasi - Lucknow - Delhi Deccan Odyssey Maharashtra Splendor ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights Deccan Odyssey Maharashtra Wild Trail ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights ? Destination: Mumbai - Ellora caves - Aurangabad - Pench - Tadoba - Ajanta - Nashik - Mumbai Deccan Odyssey Hidden Treasures of Gujarat ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights ? Destination: Mumbai - Vadodara - Palitana - Sasan Gir - Somnath - Little Rann of Kutch - Modhera - Patan - Nashik - Mumbai Jewels of the Deccan ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights ? Destination: Mumbai- Badami - Aihole - Pattadakal - Hampi - Bijapur - Hyderabad - Mumbai Deccan Odyssey Indian Sojourn ? Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights ? Destination: Mumbai - Vadodara - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Agra - Sawai Madhopur - Jaipur - Delhi 3) Luxury Tour operator - Swan tours Another popular tour operator organise travel tours.covering both Domestic and international levels.They strive to give committed and dream travelling experience to their guest with an experienced and enthusiastic team member. Luxury tour in India Top Packages: North India Luxury Tour ? 06 Nights / 07 Days ? Places Covered - Delhi » Jaipur » Agra 4) LuxuryTour Operator - Scott dunn Exceptional Travels The tour operators work on every detail on their guest expectation to let them enjoy their holidays at best and giving them that edge over their competitors. Luxury tour in India Top packages They run a single tour that is for luxury India tour 5) Luxury Tour Operator : Abercrombie & Kent Abercrombie & Kent is running various tours on all seven continents to give the most luxurious experience to their guest.there Luxury India tour is also popular among globetrotters. Luxury tour in India Top packages 1.Wildlife & the Golden Triangle10 days 2.Signature India & the Taj Mahal 2019 14 days 3.Signature India & the Riches of Rajasthan 2019 12 days 4.Tailor Made India: The Taj Mahal & Beyond 11 days 5.Tailor Made India: Hidden Gems of Rajasthan & Punjab 15 days 6.Tailor Made India: Mysteries of the South 14 days 6) Luxury Tour Operator : Kensington travels The tour operators organize a luxurious trip to build enriching and extraordinary experience with award-winning heed and 24/7 assistance to their guest. Luxury tour in India Top packages India Tours 2019 - 2020 - India Explorer with Taj Hotels ? 10 days 7) Luxury Tour Operator : Bespoke India Holidays Bespoke Holidays is a part of Erudite Travel Consultants LLP ? a family-owned travel firm that specializes in providing customized travel experiences to clients traveling to India. Luxury tour in India Top packages ? Private Luxury India Tours ? Luxury Golden Triangle Tours 8) Luxury Tour Operator: Flamingo Transworld The award-winning travel planner is one of the largest tour operators in India assisting globe trotters to discover the world's most amazing destinations. Luxury tour in India Top packages Malabar Circuit What to expect from a luxury tour in India? Luxury is a state of mind, but in tourism, luxury means freedom, comfortability, highest quality, best days and being where you want to be and do whatever you hope to do while your holidays. |
30 alternative holiday destinations for 2021 I Times Expert Traveller - The Times Posted: 04 Feb 2021 09:21 AM PST Discover far-flung islands, go whale watching, or witness grizzly bears roaming in the wild and shake up your travel plans with our incredible holiday destinations 1. AustralasiaWith even the quickest flights Down Undertaking 17 hours each way, and with such a huge area to explore, Australia and New Zealand offer the best excuse for an extended vacation. While Australia's mind-boggling distances might have less-environmentally-conscious travellers making a beeline to the nearest airport, Sydney on the east coast, Perth on the west, Darwin to the north, and Adelaide down south, are all connected by epic train journeys. The Ghan train runs from the Northern Territory (brimming with aboriginal culture and Outback landscapes), through Australia's Red Centre (allowing visits to spectacular Uluru and Kings Canyon), to the vineyards of South Australia. Meanwhile, the Indian Pacific covers 2,704 miles of rail track on its way from wild Western Australia (offering unspoiled reefs and one-of-a-kind wildlife experiences) to sophisticated Sydney. Boasting views of the iconic Blue Mountains en route, and 70 hours of unforgettable Australiana, this is the ultimate in slow travel experiences. We love...2. IndiaThe Golden Triangle is the archetypal introduction to the highlights of northern India, its name referencing the trio of cities that make up its three corners: New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. Covering some of the most iconic sights of India and the country's quintessential colour and culture, the classic Golden Triangle overland tour includes India's bustling, hectic capital, rolling hills dotted with holy cows, and rustic farmland stretching for miles in every direction. Expect ocular exhaustion in vibrant Jaipur, known as the Pink City, after the entire town was painted terracotta pink to welcome Prince Albert in 1876. Its ornate architectural wonders are still salmon-coloured to this day, and its streets are packed with painted prophets and kaleidoscopic shoppers whose vivid saris compete with colourful mountains of spices, ruby-red chilies, and eye-popping market wares. The big-ticket sight is, of course, the majestic Taj Mahal. The 17th century, ivory-white mausoleum — commissioned by the grief-stricken emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal — is truly a wonder of the world. Includes all accommodation in comfortable hotels3. The MekongTravelling overland around southeast Asia can be a daunting task for many tourists, not to mention a crowded, hot, sticky endeavour. The perfect way to explore the region — while still avoiding multiple flights — is by taking a Mekong River cruise. As the third-longest river in Asia, the Mekong forms a natural highway for watercraft, flowing 2,703 miles from the Tibetan Plateau, through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, with the majority of Mekong River cruises plying the waters of the Lower Mekong and those latter countries. Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam offer doubtless highlights, however, taking in the colonial architecture and blissful Buddhist vibes of Luang Prabang in Laos; the intricate relief sculptures that beautify the walls of the largest religious building on Earth, Angkor Wat, in Cambodia; and the vast subterranean network that constitutes Vietnam's wartime Cu Chi Tunnels, among countless other unmissable sights. Best of all, after days spent in the blazing sunshine exploring markets, historic sites, and temples strewn across viridescent vistas, you can retreat to the comfort of your luxury, air-conditioned vessel for your onward journey. Enjoy gourmet dinners, verdurous river views, and the comfort of your cabin before waking up to find you've already arrived at your next destination. Includes return flights and' four-star accommodation4. The Norwegian fjordsEtched deep into northern Europe's mountainous terrain, Norway's Unesco-recognised fjords were carved by glaciers during the Ice Age, leaving narrow, steep-sided sea inlets that offer an altogether different type of cruise experience. Dramatic landscapes of precipitous granite, vertiginous waterfalls, blinding-blue waters, verdant farmlands, and pristine snow, make for some of the most celebrated scenery in all of Europe. In summer, visitors can marvel at the midnight sun, or cruise beneath the northern lights by winter. Seven-night tour including bed and breakfast5. UzbekistanThe Silk Road's romance is imbued in Uzbekistan's world-class architecture and with new visa-free entry, the country is flourishing as an alternative summer holiday destination. There's plenty to see, with highlights including Tashkent, rich with museums and Soviet edifices and Samarkand, the gilded former capital of the fearsome Tamerlane, where the Registan's blue-tiled mosques are an ancient wonder of the world. Further west along the Silk Road is Bukhara and its nebulous calamine-hued lanes that colour-match the desert. Meanwhile, Khiva's 1500 years-old Islamic architecture is so well-preserved it could easily be the backdrop of a blockbuster. A small group, 11-day tour with everything included6. AlaskaWhether sailing close to breaching humpback whales or spotting grizzly bears on a national park walking holiday, Alaska is a pristine celebration of our natural world. With daily direct flights from London to Seattle – the gateway to Alaska – this remote region is fast becoming a popular destination. Feel truly alive cruising the Inner Passage during summer via wildwood islands and glassy inlets choked with glacial ice. Or, in winter, sense the freedom of uncrowded skiing piste or be mesmerised by an appearance of the elusive Northern Lights. 7. Costa RicaThe recent dedication of a 29th national park at Miravalles Volcano reinforces Costa Rica's reputation as the world's number one eco-paradise. It parades an exotic menagerie of everything from resplendent quetzal birds to red-eyed tree frogs. High on any bucket list should be the volcanic bubbling geysers and hot springs of Poas, while the parrots and macaws of Corcovado rainforest make for Costa Rica's best walking holiday. Dry season from December to April offers a warm winter sun escape to white-sand beaches. 15-day escorted tour including all flights and accommodation8. LaplandLapland isn't just a one-trick pony of children arriving on a day trip each December to see Santa and his little helpers. There's an all-year-round adult version too, to this snowy Arctic realm draped across Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Daylight may be scarce in winter but around Ivalo in Finland you can strap on cross-country skis or skates to explore crisp pine forests and frozen lakes as the Northern Lights dance across the inky-black night sky. In summer, during the sunshine, the forests and tundra are flush with wild berries and reindeers – the perfect time to hike world-class trails like Swedish Lapland's Kungsleden. Eight-day Lapland holiday including a stay in a glass-roofed aurora cabin9. BorneoBorneo is the world's third-largest island and the diversity of wildlife is matched only by the history and culture of the people. You'll find orangutans and pygmy elephants, enjoy the sandy beaches of Kota Kinabalu, pause for thought at the monuments to Allied prisoners of the Second World War…our adventurous journey covers a lot of ground but delivers an expert view of Borneo and its people. Wildlife tourism here adds value to this colossal island's forests that are under increasing pressure from deforestation. Experience the feel-good factor supporting Sabah's spectacular Danum Valley, which safeguards 130 million-year-old rainforest where orangutan and proboscis-monkeys dwell – best seen during the drier months between March to December. Get active and dive in the world-class Sipadan island's vibrant corals or tackle the daunting Mount Kinabalu (4095m). 10. GeorgiaGeorgia divides people. Many know nothing at all about this hidden gem of the Caucasus; those that do rate it as one of the top spots in the world. The mountain scenery is magnificent, the heritage fascinating, but it's something else: The warmth of the welcome, matched only by the excellence of the wine – this is one of the world's oldest wine-producing countries after all. It's a bit of a mystery how Georgia isn't higher on everybody's bucket list – it's pretty much got everything. Not least, a legacy of wine production stretching back 8,000 years and chiselled mountain scenery sprinkled by ancient Unesco-listed heritage, reflecting one of Christendom's oldest countries. Start in Tbilisi. Its cobbled streets knit together a Persian and Russian fusion of ancient fortresses and basilica. Here, you might try Georgia's famous Saperavi wine or khinkali dumplings on cosmopolitan Rustaveli Avenue. From Tbilisi head to the Black Sea waters of Batumi or take day trips into the wild Caucasus Mountains to the likes of the photogenic 6th-century Jarvi monastery. This option is also available as a private tour11. JordanCaressed by warm desert winds, the Middle East's securest and friendliest holiday destination is a five-hour flight from London. Naturally, the mighty Rose city of Petra grabs top billing – hewn from inside a canyon by the Nabateans, and first referred to in 312BC. Less known is Jordan's wild nature and opportunities to hike, with the forested canyons and mountainous jebels of the 650km-long Jordan Trail make for a testing walking holiday. Elsewhere, laze on the freakishly saline Dead Sea, 400metres below sea-level. Explore Wadi Rum's Bedouin culture in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, and marvel at a multicolored aquarium of tropical fishes and corals diving in the Red Sea at Aqaba. 12-day escorted tour including flights and accommodation12. MontenegroLess than a three-hour flight from London, Europe's new kid on the block is well within city break range. Its USP is a delightful juxtaposition of Balkans history and a sunny Adriatic coast ideal for winter sun. Mingle with the beautiful people at Porto Montenegro and Budva – both lively beach holiday hubs boasting wealthy marinas and watersports. Kotor, meanwhile, is so enriched with medieval masterpieces and Venetian palaces it offers a welcome alternative to overcrowded Venice. Inland, sense the transcendental calm of Montenegro's iconic Black Lake amid dramatic alpine scenery and feel giddy peering into the mighty Tara Canyon from one of Europe's highest arched bridges. Take a look at the best hotels in Kotor 13. IcelandCombining the awe-inspiring scenery of Iceland with the magnificent wildlife that can be found just off-shore, a whale watching tour in Iceland is a feast of incredible sights. Go off the beaten track and marvel at the snow-capped VÃknafjöll mountains, take a dip in geothermal pools, tour Dimmuborgir's lava pillars, and admire Europe's most powerful waterfall in Dettifoss. On whale-watching cruises you'll have the chance to spot orcas, sperm whales, minkes and blue whales – as well as white-beaked dolphins – under the midnight sun. Keep your eyes on the sky, too, to catch a glimpse of a white-tailed eagle or the many other bird species that visit this incredible island pocked with fishing villages and natural beauty. Reward any sightings with soaking in the milky-blue waters of the Blue Lagoon. Includes direct flights and plenty of activities14. CanadaExplore some of Northern America's most dramatic landscapes with a trip to Canada. Make time to see Banff National Park before hopping onboard the Rocky Mountaineer train which weaves its way through beautiful mountain passes, serene lake shores and dramatic river canyons. Eight-night tour with two days on the Rocky Mountaineer15. SingaporeSingapore has certainly got a touch of the space age about it: buildings shaped like chunky armadillos, blossoming flowers, giant surfboards, and energy-efficient office blocks towering over old Neo-Classical neighbourhoods. One degree north of the equator, it's Edenic in its own way, with families of sea otters frolicking in lakes and yellow-plumed cockatiels adorning the two million trees planted in the last 45 years. The city looks best at 'blue' hour, just after sunset, when tropical light melts from pink to peach to lilac and indigo as a forest of neon and LED flickers into life. We love this hotel in Singapore 16. BrazilWhile showier sibling Rio is a 'city field' beach resort, São Paulo is a true metropolis, thrumming with swanky fashion ateliers, art galleries, swish cocktail bars, pumping night clubs and the kind of hotels that grace coffee-table books. Spend a day wandering around the Museu de Arte de São Paulo for Manets and Modiglianis you never knew existed or Choque Cultural for cutting-edge street art. Eat a Japanese-Brazilian barbecue at the restaurant of the moment Charco, then soak up Caipirinhas in 'starchitect' designed bars in the Jardins neighbourhoods. Later, swing your hips in the samba clubs of Madalena – rootsy, wood-floored O do Borogodo whirls after midnight. Beaches? São Paulo has some Brazil's best: try tiny Ubatuba or Ilhabela Island, each three hours' drive away. Includes stays in Brazil, Chile and Argentina17. BosniaThe Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, distils an affordable, walkable weekend. Often overlooked in favour of Croatia's fancy coastline, this dinky and affordable capital is a bewitching jumble of cobbled alleyways, Turkish bazaars and pavement coffee shops. By night, it thrums with music and chatter from jazz clubs, hookah lounges and lively cafés serving thick, foaming Bosnian coffee until the early hours. The cable car to the top of Mount Trebevic is another must-do, for sweeping views over the city's red-tiled rooftops, domed Orthodox churches and stately mosque minarets. 18. SloveniaLjubljana, with its leafy centre and eco-credentials, is one of Europe's quirkiest – and best value – city breaks. It's somewhere The Grand Budapest Hotel director Wes Anderson might've created: pocket-size, whimsically eccentric, its cobbled lanes lined with Baroque houses the colours of fondant fancies. Even though you're here for a lazy long weekend, you'll be walking everywhere in the compact centre, often on cobbles, so bring comfy shoes. Base yourself at the Antiq Palace hotel for riverside strolls along the willow-fringed north bank. Peruse the handmade shoes at Boutique Vodeb (boutique vodeb.si), then loop back along the opposite bank before browsing the market at Vodnikov Trg square. Here you'll find silver-haired farmers at stalls piled with harvest bounty and struklji filo parcels oozing cottage cheese on sale at the Open Kitchen Market. Take a look at the best hotels in Slovenia 19. Lombok, IndonesiaUnlike Bali, there are no built-up resorts and hustling hawkers here, just lush rainforest trails, scattered waterfalls and a dramatic, Jurassic-looking coastline. The two islands may both have a Kuta Beach, but Bali's is packed with bars, malls and chain hotels, while Lombok's is a windswept zig-zag of milk-white sand meeting palmy forest. Inland, there are fewer overpriced spas and more authentic villages –hike to them along forest trails for glimpses of the Indian Ocean. And don't miss a trip to the trio of car-free treasure isles a 10-minute speedboat away: the Gili Islands, sandy circles sprinkled with chic boutique hotels and low-key beach bars. Take a look at the best hotels in Lombok 20. Rishikesh, IndiaAs 'the yoga capital of the world' Rishikesh has long attracted hippies and Hindus (who believe a dip in the Ganges here takes you a step closer to enlightenment). Now, it's turned five-star, with a new Tag and Roseate hotels and high-end yoga retreats. When the Beatles bedded down at an ashram in Rishikesh in the '60s, a whole hemisphere was let in on a spiritual secret. Long revered in India as a pilgrimage site and the birthplace of yoga, it's home to the earliest recorded ashram, and yogis believe meditation and a dip in the Ganges here help fast track you to enlightenment. Rishikesh is where you'll see India's holy river at its purest accessible point, with fast-flowing waters below forested peaks. Finish up a Golden Triangle tour in Delhi, then hop on an hour-long flight to Dehradun. Take a look at the best hotels in Rishikesh 21. Loire Valley, FranceAlready done the Côte d'Azur and Provence? Get your next France fix in the Loire Valley, at a historic royal retreat southwest of Paris. Not only are there sensational new digs at the Château du Grand-Luc, which has hosted Mozart, Voltaire and Rousseau, but also (come spring) a new modern art museum for Fontevraud-l'Abbaye and, from March, health retreats at the Châteaux de la Motte Henry. Take a look at the best hotels in the Loire Valley 22. Sri LankaOvernight, this ravishingly beautiful island went from topping lists of the World's Best Destinations to an FCO danger spot, following the Easter 2019 bombings. Yet its natural splendour still beckons: wild beaches; blue whales at sea, leopards in national parks; and those misty tea plantations Now the DCO has lifted its ban, new indie hotels are cropping up. And, if you fast, you can still get the place to yourself. We love...23. South KoreaThanks to the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics, Japan's seeing a huge influx of tourists – yet South Korea packs the same cherry blossom, ornate temples and glitzy cities without the crowds. Wondering how to do it? Fly into Seoul and allow at least two days to explore it: the capital city combines rambling royal palaces, trendy shopping districts and neon-fronted karaoke bars. A high-speed train network will get you to almost everywhere else: to mountain-ringed Gyeongju, Korea's Kyoto, full of ancient temples, royal tombs and palace ruins, to Andong, with its straw-thatched villages; and to seaside Busan, home to powdery beaches and ultra-fresh seafood. Got more time? Add the volcanic Jeju Island on to your itinerary – it's a rugged yet-resorty postcard pin-up in the south. Take a look at the best hotels on Jeju Island 24. CambodiaTravelling in Cambodia used to be dusty-bus-ride hell. No longer – thanks to flights into more Cambodian airports from other SE hubs. Train will now run through the heart of the country, too, making it easier to get around. And it's still the best-value destination in Southeast Asia. Head to the Cardamom Mountains to spot wild gibbons and elephants around new tented camps, then take a train to Kampot for hills speckled with Buddha caves, and onwards to frenetic Phnom Penh, to wander around the Royal Palace and visit the sobering Killing Fields. It's a 40-minute plane hop from there to Angkor Wat: stay at the gorgeous Avani Foreign Correspondents Club or the renovated Raffles. 25. RussiaSpanning two continents — from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait — Russia is the world's largest country, so there's far too much of it to cram into a single visit. Newcomers to this enormously varied destination should, therefore, focus first on its multifaceted cultural capital, St Petersburg. In the last hundred years, Russia's second city has been renamed both Petrograd and then Leningrad before returning to its original moniker by popular vote, and it is, perhaps, the ideological and political shifts that these repeat baptisms imply that make St Petersburg (simply 'Peter' to the locals) such a fascinating slice of Russian life. With a stunning architectural mix of Western European and Russian styles, riddled with picturesque canals and waterways, the Venice of the North offers baroque royal palaces, neoclassical cathedrals, and the Hermitage — an art gallery boasting one of the world's most significant collections. There's a dizzying array of things to cram into each day, so you might be glad of the 19 hours of daylight come June and July. Seven-day tour including travel on a high-speed train26. JapanIn timeless Japan, modern neon-lit cities sync seamlessly with verdant mountainous countryside, bursting with hot springs and steeped in ancient history and culture. Similarly, the time-honoured national practice of hanami (flower viewing) is as popular with selfie-snapping tourists today as it was with the Japanese back in the eighth century, and the country's world-famous cherry blossom season still sees locals picnicking and partying under these ephemeral blooms by day and night. Beginning on the southerly island of Okinawa in early February, these breath-taking blossoms gradually head north until Hokkaido is in full flower come the end of May. Peak season is late March when Tokyo, Kyoto and most of the main island is in bloom. 18-day tour including flights, accommodation and most meals27. South AfricaWith so much to do and see in South Africa — from Big Five safaris to world-class wine tasting tours, and from stunning city breaks to summer holiday sun and sea — it can be difficult to know where to base yourself. Why not then spend some of your trip on a luxury hotel on wheels? From the pretty, purple city of Pretoria, with its streets lined with violet-blooming jacaranda trees, the Blue Train travels either north to Limpopo Province — home to the legendary Kruger National Park — or nearly 1,000 miles south to cosmopolitan Cape Town. It's one of the world's most luxurious rail journeys and an essential trip for fans of slow travel who want to see South Africa's rich culture and landscape roll past gold-tinted windows, like royalty and presidents past. 15-day tour including Johannesburg, Kruger Park and Cape Town28. SwitzerlandWhile we're on the subject of epic train journeys, the Glacier Express offers a non-stop, eight-hour train ride from the elegant resort of St. Moritz to the alpine village of Zermatt, through some of Switzerland's most show-stopping scenery. Known also for its glacial pace, this is reputedly the world's slowest express train, but you'll be glad to linger a little longer on this historic route, as it takes in breathtaking views of the Rhine Gorge (AKA 'The Swiss Grand Canyon') and the towering Matterhorn while rolling across vertiginous viaducts and spiralling tunnels that look like the twisted train-set imaginings of an eccentric child genius. We love...29. The Scottish HighlandsThe UK is no slouch when it comes to great train journeys either, and the Jacobite steam locomotive — which runs 41-mile day trips along the West Highland Line, between Fort William and Mallaig — must cover the world's best-known railway track. Seen by millions in the Harry Potter films, this is the actual route taken by the iconic Hogwart's Express, with highlights including the real-world wonders of Loch Eil; the blue waters and white sandy beaches that fringe the chocolate-box village of Arisaig; and the now-world-famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, seen on screen in four Potter movies. So — whether you're Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, or Gryffindor — children, big kids, and muggles alike will be spellbound by Scotland's stunning scenery. Four-day trip including three nights at a four-star castle30. AntarcticaSetting foot ashore in the Antarctic for the first time is an incredible experience: so familiar, yet so far below the southern boundaries of most tourist maps. Antarctica is the only continent on Earth with no native population and — free from an evolutionary history of human predation — gentoo penguins use investigative beaks to tug at travellers' trouser legs; colonies of chinstrap penguins huddle, unperturbed by tourists; and languid elephant seals roll in the surf. Cute Weddell seals make eyes at visitors, oblivious to potential human danger, even as they laze among the Brobdingnagian whale-bone vertebrae that lie strewn around the abandoned remains of 1920s whaling stations. With rules in place to limit tourist footfall, this ultimate alternative holiday destination is perfect for travellers that prefer small group excursions and offers one of the planet's most exclusive experiences. |
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