Alluring European tours
RECENTLY packages to the United Kingdom and Ireland have been doing rather well.
With the increasing interest for the country that brought the world The Great British Bake Off and James Bond, Golden Tourworld Travel (M) Sdn Bhd (GTT) has a 12D/10N trip that covers Ireland and Britain, flying via Emirates.
Beginning at Dublin, visit the Guinness Storehouse, which was built in 1904 and well known for manufacturing Guinness beer till 1988.
Then drop by the Giant Causeway where interlocking basalt columns was the result of an ancient volcanic eruption, before heading for Scotland for Glasgow and Edinburgh.
In England, visit the spectacular Lake District in Cumbria, where you can take a cruise on Lake Windermere and ride the iconic Haverthwaite Steam Rail, while in York, head to the Selby Abbey, one of the largest parish churches in Britain.
York is also a medieval city that is well preserved and has a thriving art scene.
Football enthusiasts will undoubtedly be interested in the visit to Manchester to see the Manchester United Museum and a guided tour of Old Trafford Stadium. Another interesting destination for football fans would be Liverpool, where there may be a chance to see a kick-off.
Music fans should head to the Beatles Story Museum – the world’s largest permanent exhibition purely devoted to the lives and times of that iconic rock group.
In Wales, Cardiff Castle spans about 2,000 years of the city’s illustrious history and is currently the fairytale home for the Marquess of Bute.
From Wales, cross the border again to England where you will visit Bath and the Roman Baths Museum, then to the enigmatic Stonehenge.
Here you get to savour the most quintessentially English pastime – the English tea.
Then at Swindon, shop to your heart’s content at the Bicester Village shopping outlet in Oxford then a visit to Royal Windsor Castle.
Another GTT recommendation is the 10D/8N trip to Switzerland, available April to October next year, flying via Emirates.
Some of the highlights include the lovely town of Evian-les Bains on the edge of Lake Geneva in the French Alps.
The town won an award for the best resort in France in the World Travel Awards. It is famous for its spring water, which brand is sold worldwide.
Take a pleasure cruise boat excursion on the largest lake in Switzerland and France, Lake Geneva where eye-catching vistas await between Montreux and Lausanne, with the Alps as a backdrop and the vineyards of the Lavaux can be seen on the northern shores.
At Gruyeres, see the town where the cheese of the same name came from and learn the process of cheesemaking, and tasting.
Also, chocolate lovers can visit Swiss’ Cailler-Nestle Chocolate Factory, where the process of making chocolates and other chocolate-related products are revealed.
Visit the car-free Zermatt, a Swiss mountain village and also a world-class resort.
Excursion to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise – the highest sightseeing point in Europe accessible by cableway.
At Zurich, you have the chance to shop for watches, which are what Switzerland is famous for.
From there, branch off to Bern, capital of Switzerland, and Interlaken, which is famous for its rugged mountainous scenery.
The other noteworthy package is a must for Italian cuisine aficionados – as this 10D/7N trip via Qatar Airways – teases your tastebuds and lets you follow in the footsteps of your favourite TV travel and food guides as you traverse under the Tuscan skies in Italy.
Start off with visits to the Basilica di San Francesco, the Duomo di San Rufino, the Basilica di Santa Chiara (St Claire).
Then hunt for truffles at Assisi using dogs trained to sniff out these fungi and also savour these “black diamonds” in the food in Umbria.
Tour the beautiful countryside of Tuscany in Siena, San Gimignano and enjoy a spa hotel there, while in Modena, drop by the 4 Madonna Caseificio Dell’Emilia Cheese Factory for the process of making parmigiano reggiano cheese.
Then of course there is retail therapy also at the Serraville Designer Outlet, the largest in Europe.
Along this trip you will have the chance to savour different wines, cheeses and local fares, which makes this a unique trip.
GTT will be at the MATTA Fair at PWTC, Kuala Lumpur this Sept 7-9 in Hall 2, booths 2025-2029 and 2165-2204.
■ For details call the general line at 03-2118 7288, visit www.gtt.com.my or e-mail enquiry@gtt.com.my