Far East & Asia river cruising 81
“Not only do our itineraries take in major cultural highlights; we get into the heart of the destinations by experiencing local village life”
NEIL BARCLAY, HEAD OF SALES, VIKING RIVER CRUISES
into the region, determined to capture their own share of insatiable public demand. Now all the main names such as Viking, APT,
Uniworld and Avalon Waterways cruise the Lower Mekong across the delta through Vietnam and Cambodia. But there are still new names appearing, such
as CroisiEurope which gained an instant foothold earlier this year after buying the Mekong River Cruise Company and its four colonial-style vessels. CroisiEurope now plans to expand its Asian fl eet by building another two vessels. Boutique river cruise line Aqua Expeditions, which operates two vessels on the Amazon River, launched Aqua Mekong last month offering a similar standard of luxury and attention to detail
on three, four and seven-night sailings. Viking River Cruises Head of Sales Neil Barclay said the line was originally encouraged to add Mekong sailings following the popularity of its Yangtze River cruises in China. “The routes have proved popular with people who enjoy river cruising and are looking for us to unlock new areas,” he explained. “Not only do our itineraries take in major cultural highlights; we get into the heart of the destinations by experiencing local village life. For instance, in Yueyang in China, we work with a school that we sponsor.”
The Upper Mekong, which runs through Laos
and is notoriously diffi cult to navigate, has only previously been promoted by Mekong River Cruises, represented in the UK by Perl River Cruises. However, from November 2015 it will be joined by Pandaw which will offer sailings between Laos capital Vientiane and Unesco World Heritage site Luang Prabang. Another area starting to make its mark is
India, with the growing awareness and popularity of sailings along the Brahmaputra and Ganges waterways. APT has unveiled a new India programme for 2015 with a 16-day tour, featuring a one-week Ganges sailing on a round-trip route from Kolkata to Murshidabad. It will be followed by Uniworld, sold in the UK
Main picture: Heading home with the wheat harvest and, right, Wat Arun in Thailand's capital Bangkok. Above: Luang Prabang in Laos
exclusively by Titan Travel, which is to introduce seven-night sailings along the Ganges from January 2016 on new 56-passenger all-suite Ganges Voyager II, as part of a 12-night India package.
sellingtravel.co.uk
APT HAS A 15-NIGHT SPIRIT OF INDIA TOUR THAT INCLUDES A ONE-
WEEK GANGES SAILING. COSTS FROM £5,995PP, DEPARTING FEBRUARY 18, 2015. FLIGHTS, EXCURSIONS AND
DRINKS WITH MEALS ARE INCLUDED. 0800 012 6686;
aptouring.co.uk
Pandaw is to introduce one-week Brahmaputra sailings through the Indian region of Assam from next March. Perl River Cruises director Stuart Perl, who was
one of the fi rst UK companies to promote sailings along the Brahmaputra after linking up with Indian company Far Horizon Tours, felt awareness was growing among customers and the trade. “Consumers are starting to realise that a river cruise offers opportunities to experience areas that have previously been off the tourist map, while travel agents are becoming more confi dent of selling the product due to training, familiarisation trips and the region’s increased profi le,” he explained. Viking’s Neil Barclay also stressed that such sailings were perfect for attracting new to cruise customers as well as existing cruisers, adding: “Agents are encouraged to use these as a way to entice previous river cruisers back to explore new routes and take in destinations further afi eld.” •
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