ESCORTED TOURS TOUR & CRUISE COMBOS DESTINATIONS
land and cruise tour for our UK market. Now that we’ve added Chengdu, we can visit the panda-breeding sanctuary to provide a better panda experience for our guests. “The river cruise portion is popular because it provides a relaxed environment and guests only need to unpack once, and there are daily excursions and onboard activities to keep our guests entertained.” Book it: The Wonders of China & Yangtze River leads in at £3,449 including UK transfers, flights, most meals and guided sightseeing.
gocollette.com
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INSIDE PASSAGE AND ALASKA Alaska is prime cruising territory, but while many tours
pair an Inside Passage sailing with Canadian highlights like the Rocky Mountaineer, Alaska has just as much to offer on land as its neighbour. There’s plenty to see from the
water: spot the whales, seals, dolphins and playful Dall’s porpoises native to Alaska’s chilly waters; retrace the trading routes of early American settlers; and admire the epic coastal scenery from the comfort of a ship. But head a few hours inland and the six million acres of Denali National Park – home of North America’s highest peak – await, where the local ‘big five’ are grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves and Dall sheep. Farther north, second city Fairbanks provides
a window on Alaska’s pioneering past, founded on an early 20th century gold rush. Cox & Kings also offers an optional flight across the Arctic Circle here, plus a visit to small town North Pole and a cruise along the Chena River in a traditional sternwheeler. Book it: Cox & Kings’ 14-day Alaskan Adventure includes a seven-night Holland America Line cruise from Vancouver, with excursions to Ketchikan, Juneau and Glacier Bay National Park, then guided sightseeing through Seward, Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks. Prices start at £2,795 excluding flights.
coxandkings.co.uk
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PATAGONIA In this vast region, tour-cruise combos come into their own
– driving through its wild, desolate landscapes is the best way to get a feel for Patagonia’s scale, but no visit would be complete without retracing Darwin’s steps along the channels that lead from Atlantic to Pacific Ocean. Travel 2’s Journey Through
Patagonia does just that, with time in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego National Park and a journey on the Train to the End of the World, before passengers embark on a three-night cruise. Latin America purchasing manager
Justine Egan says: “Stella Australis’s first-class expedition ships navigate their way between two of the world’s southernmost cities, Punta Arenas in Chile and Ushuaia in Argentina. Accompanied by expert guides, sail through the Beagle Channel and Strait of Magellan, through breathtaking scenery of fjords, glaciers, snow- capped peaks and icebergs. Zodiac excursions offer the opportunity to see wildlife including dolphins, sea lions, elephant seals, whales and penguins.” The tour’s final act is impressive too, visiting Torres del Paine National Park and the Perito Moreno Glacier. Book it: Travel 2’s 13-day Journey through Patagonia starts at £4,599, including flights to Buenos Aires, accommodation, sightseeing and transfers, in April 2016.
travel2.com
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travelweekly.co.uk 12 November 2015
ASK THE EXPERT
Angela Waite, sales and commercial manager, APT “Agents selling cruise-tours should highlight that you can cover such a lot in the one break. While there are often alluring sights inland, a cruise- tour allows you to combine exploring the city with time to relax and take in the scenery from the comfort of your balcony suite or sun deck. We find cruise-and-tour combinations are a great way to introduce clients who like touring holidays to the convenience of cruising. Our
cruise-and-tours in destinations such as Canada, Vietnam and Cambodia are selling incredibly well for 2016.”
TOP: Alaska
LEFT: Patagonia
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