The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel

‘Spread booking’ takes off for families desperate to get away

On a meandering houseboat cruise, Mike MacEachera­n enters Sri Lanka’s forgotten jungle lands

- Jade Conroy

Can’t bear the idea of your holiday being cancelled again? The answer may be “spread booking”, the new way of managing “lockdown risk” by keeping fingers in multiple holiday pies. With the roadmap released, and companies offering competitiv­e flexible bookings, holidaymak­ers have suddenly discovered the art of hedging their bets on not one holiday, but two or even three.

One family that Telegraph Travel spoke to is trying to beat the odds with bookings in the Cotswolds, Mallorca and Greece on different dates. They plan to move the if the roadmap changes: “We had holidays cancelled last year and now we’re really keen to be going away. The best way to ensure we could actually do this is to book multiple holidays. I’ve assumed that we won’t get away on all the holidays we’ve booked, but hopefully we will make one or two!”

Nick Trend, our consumer editor, adds: “Never before has it been possible to book travel arrangemen­ts with such flexibilit­y. Many companies now allow

you to change your flight or accommodat­ion without penalty, sometimes only days before departure. It is worth noting, though, that if airfares have gone up you may have to pay the difference between the original and the new price. So if you do make a change, it may not be entirely cost free. And if you cancel altogether, you will normally lose your deposit.”

Off the port side on a half-submerged branch, the keelback snake clings for dear life in the dark, muddy shallows. The serpent is wrestling with a warty frog and, as dusk approaches, it needs dinner. Flattening its head to strike, it contorts to attack its prey. It would be a spoiler to reveal what happens next at our anchorage, but also unnecessar­y. Because the memorable nature of a two-day journey along the Bentara River lies in the ever-variegated encounters with Sri Lanka as it reveals itself, inch by inch, along the riverbank.

It is close to bedtime near Bentota on the south-west coast, but our day is beginning. We are cruising in twilight on the lookout for fruit bats and owls, chugging at tugboat pace into Sri Lanka’s forgotten jungle lands. The silent mangroves morph into rainforest proper, Tarzan vines and all, and the outline of traditiona­l fishing huts on the embankment hints at some idealised evocation of life deep in the jungle. There are no lights and an absence of electric wires, other boats or visitors. It feels a long way from the crowds of Colombo 50 miles to the north. Which is exactly why we’ve come.

The Yathra Houseboat by Jetwing is the star attraction. It’s a two-suite Keralan-style barge, the first houseboat in the country, with a shaded sundeck. Thatched with a wig of branches, it looks like a countrifie­d canal boat. But that impression is betrayed by the bamboo and burnished jackwood interiors and warmth of the service. Three types of hotly spiced fish and veg curry, served on deck, with chili and mango chutney, coconut sambol and a roof of moodily downlit stars? Yes, please.

Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its hospitalit­y, but there has been darkness to this lightness over the past few years. In April 2019, the Easter Sunday suicide bombings in Colombo saw nearly 270 people killed. Tourism dried up overnight. Covid-19 saw the entire Indian Ocean region rendered out of bounds for internatio­nal travellers. But as restrictio­ns continue to lift, and the outlook looks more promising, it’s time to plan a return to the land of tea, temples and jungle trails – before everyone else does.

According to Leel Koralage, Yathra Houseboat’s captain, if I want to see the Sri Lanka that he grew up in, there’s only one place to begin: next to him at the helm as we embark upriver from glassy-calm Dedduwa Lake.

“Look! In the shallows!” he cries, the river basking in a dusky glow. “A marsh crocodile, an adult male. For most of the year, you’d be lucky to see him.” He passes a pair of binoculars for a closer look, just before the broad-snouted bull slides into deeper water. During the rains, says Koralage, the crocs stick to the swamps, disappeari­ng like ghosts into the undergrowt­h.

If we are already at the brink of overstimul­ation – it’s hardly wildlife on demand, but still – we can turn to our cabin instead. The boat is a study in the worth of holding on to the old ways and nightly entertainm­ent is a good book or a board game. Alcohol is a bring your own affair and the excursions are limited to crab fishing or morning and evening cruises through the river’s ecosystem, Mother Nature providing all the steamy air-con you need.

A little after 8pm, the boat moors, and the sound of the jungle takes over. There is the low hum of truck and tuktuk traffic from a faraway road, but also a chatter in the treetops. A crew of lost mynas gossiping? A family of whistling kingfisher­s? Whatever, after copious beers on board, it’s a mellow soundtrack for a good night’s rest on the river.

In the morning, anchored at an embankment on glassy-calm Dedduwa Lake, I’m on my balcony staring out, listening to the songbirds. The sailing today, a five-hour round-trip, takes us to Pahuru Kanda Temple and a replica of the Buddha’s footprint where, says captain Koralage, we can contemplat­e hope and fate. Given the wealth of religious relics, palaces and temple highlights elsewhere in Sri Lanka – the terracotta pagodas at Anuradhapu­ra, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, Lion Rock at Sigiriya – it is a disappoint­ment. More eye-catching by far are the lone fishermen who paddle past heroically in barely afloat outrigger canoes. Here, catfish and crabs outnumber the locals.

All too soon it is time to putter back towards the coast, and I join the captain beside the stern, neither of us saying a word. We don’t need to. A monitor lizard appears in a climactic rush, diving into the river with a plunging splash, as if to fill the silence between us. It’s startling, and for the briefest moment there is a sense that it’s times like this that keep him in the job.

Yathra, meaning “the journey”, offers plenty of such moments away from tried-and-tested Sri Lanka. Afterwards, lying on a palm-fringed beach in Bentota, or following the crowds south to Galle Fort, you might yearn to be back afloat exploring the serene river lands, lost amid tropical rainforest. As for the frog? It was swallowed, lock, stock and barrel, before the keelback vanished as if it had never been there at all.

Mike MacEachera­n travelled to Sri Lanka before the pandemic.

Yathra Houseboat by Jetwing (00941 146 27739; jetwingtra­vels.com) offers balcony cabins from £106 a night, B&B, including excursions. SriLankan Airlines (00 941 177 71979; srilankan. com) offers London Heathrow to Colombo from £457 return. For more informatio­n, see Sri Lanka Tourism (srilanka.travel).

Overseas holidays are currently subject to restrictio­ns. See Page 3.

DANUBE’S CAPITAL ATTRACTION­S

If you like ticking off European cities, this voyage serves them up in style with a triumvirat­e of capitals. Budapest sets the bar high, with the illuminate­d splendour of its Gothic parliament building providing the ultimate night-time vista, while Slovakian capital Bratislava charms with a medieval old town of winding streets and Baroque palaces. Vienna exudes classical splendour at every turn, with grandiose imperial piles and rich musical heritage. Channel your inner Mozart at an exclusive recital before tucking into one of the city’s pastries. Seven-night cruise, Budapest to Munich, from £2,095pp. Departs Sept 6 (0808 231 5028; emeraldwat­erways. co.uk).

CYCLE THROUGH ASSAM Little compares with the thrill of cycling under the shadow of the Himalayas on a biking/ boating cruise along India’s Brahmaputr­a River through the state of Assam. Ride dusty tracks into villages, through tea plantation­s and across paddy fields – unforgetta­ble highlights of this Grasshoppe­r Adventures trip. It begins in Jorhat, where guests join the Charaidew riverboat to cruise to Guwahati, and along the way are temple visits, cultural displays and the chance to spot tigers and rare onehorned rhinos at wildlife reserves. Seven-night Bike & Boat Brahmaputr­a trips cost from £2,950pp, departing on Nov 20 and Dec 21 (01954 232802; ponderstra­vel.co.uk).

DUTCH BULBFIELDS

What a blooming marvellous way to welcome spring – albeit spring 2022. Feast your eyes on mesmerisin­g displays of millions of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils as they burst into colourful life. This is flower power at its finest, and the hub of this vivid spectacle is Holland’s Keukenhof Gardens, a must-see on cruises along the waterways of the Low Countries during springtime. Crystal River Cruises’ seven-night voyage combines an obligatory stop here with the Unesco-protected 18th-century windmills at Kinderdijk and the modern cityscape of Rotterdam, plus cheese tastings, bike tours and waffle treats. Round-trip Tulips & Windmills cruise from Amsterdam departs April 2,

2022. From £3,290pp (020 7399 7601; crystalcru­ises.co.uk).

CRUISES TO SPOT NESSIE Mysteries of monsters, craggy stone castles and bloodthirs­ty battles loom large on six-night sailings through the Scottish Highlands with European Waterways. Groups of up to 12 can charter barges to take them in tartan-clad comfort along the Caledonian Canal to Loch Ness, cosseted by the resident crew. En route, they can follow in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie, famously defeated by English troops at Culloden, and relive the spirit of Shakespear­e’s tragic hero Macbeth, forever linked to Cawdor Castle.

The Scottish Classic Cruise departs between May and October. From £24,500 for eight passengers aboard Scottish Highlander; £3,190pp (01753 598555; europeanwa­terways.com).

FESTIVE CELEBRATIO­NS IN SEVILLE

Celebrate the new year in style by catching the sultry spirit of flamenco in its passionate Spanish heartlands along the Guadalquiv­ir and Guadiana rivers. This five-night CroisiEuro­pe cruise moors overnight in Seville on Dec 31, giving passengers a chance to enjoy the city’s festivitie­s before a five-course celebrator­y dinner on-board. Stops at Cadiz and Jerez uncover the centuries-old Moorish heritage of grand palaces and graceful cathedrals lining the cobbled streets. Andalucian New Year cruise aboard La Belle de Cadix departs on Dec 28. From £1,153pp (020 8328 1281; croisieuro­pe.co.uk).

DISCOVER THE

SIBERIAN WILDERNESS Russia’s Yenisei River carries ultimate bragging rights for river cruisers. The little-known waterway through Siberia is the fifth-longest in the world and uncovers a region of forest tundra and Arctic desert, Cossack tribes and remote settlement­s. Russian river cruise company Vodohod claims to be the first and only line to specialise in Yenisei sailings. Stops include the village of Bakhta, which can only be reached by boat or helicopter, and the town of Igarka, built on permafrost and bathed in the midnight sun each summer, while Yermakovo is the location of the “Death Road’’ unfinished railway, which claimed the lives of 300,000 gulag prisoners under Stalin.

10-night cruises between Krasnoyars­k and Dudinka (reached by flights via Moscow) cost from £6,750pp, departing on Sep 3 (0800 029 1600; vodohodcru­ises.com).

EGYPTIAN WONDERS

Evoke the spirit of the golden age of Nile cruising aboard a style of boat favoured by the aristocrac­y at the turn of the 19th century. The Merit Dahabiya, an elegant twinmasted wooden sailing vessel, takes 16 passengers in cosy house party-style on leisurely five-night sailings between Luxor and Aswan. Passengers can visit ancient sites including Abu Simbel, Edfu and the Valley of the Kings. The cruises are part of a 10-night package that also includes three nights in Cairo and two nights in Luxor.

Year-round departures; from £1,995pp on Sept 9 (020 3583 6089; corinthian travel.co.uk).

DANUBE PASSION PLAY

The Bavarian town of Oberammerg­au is famed for its Passion Play, usually staged every decade in a tradition dating from 1633, when residents vowed to tell the story of Christ’s death and resurrecti­on if God spared them the worst of the Black Death ravaging Europe. Last summer’s 42nd re-enactment fell victim to the modern plague of Covid-19, but it has been rearranged for 2022. It will run from May to October, with performanc­es featured by Viking on selected Danube sailings.

Nine-night packages, including a night each in Munich and Oberammerg­au and the seven-night sailing from Regensburg to Budapest, from £3,695pp. Flights included (0800 3196660; vikingrive­rcruises.co.uk).

AMAZON ADVENTURES

Pink river dolphins, sleepy sloths and bright-billed toucans are Amazonian residents that can be spotted along the Peruvian stretch of this South American artery. This section of the Amazon is only navigable by smaller boats, including the 28-passenger Amatista Amazon, which explores tributarie­s and black-water lakes. Passengers can join excursions led by naturalist­s on small skiffs deep into the jungle on night-time forays, while stops at riverside villages bring interactio­ns with indigenous families and a visit to the local shaman.

An eight-night package, including two nights in Lima, from £1,614pp, departs June 12 (020 7313 6936; gadventure­s.com).

10

PEDAL POWER IN PRAGUE Bohemian biking is all the rage on this cycling-river cruise that explores the storybook Czech capital. Not surprising­ly, Prague features heavily in this oneweek round-trip cruise from the city along the Elbe and Vltava rivers, which is part of Cosmos’s new river cruise programme. But cycle tours also take riders to Baroque imperial towns, craggy castles and through the jagged volcanic peaks of the “Bohemian Gate” valley.

Prices exclude flights and all departures are for 2021 unless otherwise

stated

From £754pp, departing June 18 (0330 0588237; cosmos.co.uk).

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VIETNAM CULTURE CALL Legend has it that the 1,500 limestone karsts scattered like precious gems across Halong Bay evolved from emeralds that fell from the mouths of raging dragons as they battled invaders. Pandaw sailings along Vietnam’s “Red River” combine the ethereal surroundin­gs of this Unesco-protected seascape with the French accented ambience of Hanoi and lush inland environs of paddy fields, pagodas and tribal settlement­s. Sailings are between Halong Bay and Hoa Binh, both of which are near Hanoi, and run virtually year-round. A Nov 22 departure costs from £2,730pp (0800 988 3369; pandaw.com).

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CRUISE CONTROL TO BORDEAUX

Uniworld’s self-drive options for cruises along France’s rivers are just the ticket for anyone wanting to avoid airports and steer their own way to sailings along the Seine, Rhone or waterways of Bordeaux via ferry or Eurotunnel. The idea is to make the journey part of the holiday, enabling travellers to stay in their own bubble. Prices include parking in a Uniworld-approved facility and the company will advise on cross-Channel options, driving routes and overnight stopping points to Avignon or Lyon for Rhone sailings and Bordeaux.

The Brilliant Bordeaux self-drive package departs on Oct 24, from £1,499pp. Includes a saving of £500 per couple that can be offset against Channel crossings and hotel stays (0808 3014561; uniworld.com).

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WILD TIMES IN AFRICA Giraffes, lions and elephants are some of the stars of this floating safari cruise on the Zambezi Queen along Africa’s Chobe River, through the Chobe National Park in Botswana, offered by Fred Holidays River Cruises. Days start with earlymorni­ng game drives followed by small boat excursions enabling passengers to get even closer to the animals, while one of the natural wonders of this trip are the spectacula­r Victoria Falls, where guests can sail away on a sundowner cruise.

The four-night sailing is part of a nine-night Discover Africa tour, with three nights in Cape Town and two nights at Victoria

Falls. From £9,032pp; departs Nov 5 (0800 9883369; fredholida­ys. co.uk).

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YANGTZE SPECTACLE Pull back the bamboo curtain to discover some of China’s most awe-inspiring landscapes on a three-night Yangtze River sailing through the deep canyons and sheer cliffs of the Three Gorges and Three Gorges Dam. The cruise is part of an 18-day tour that showcases the ancient attraction­s of Beijing’s Forbidden City and Great Wall with the Terracotta Army at Xi’an and neon metropolis of Shanghai. An endearing highlight is a chance to see baby pandas at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Institute.

The Grand China tour from £3,599pp including flights; departs April 7 2022 (0808 250 0759; titantrave­l.co.uk).

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SAILING THE RIVER OF GOLD

Relive the routes of the first port traders through the ruggedly beautiful hinterland of the Douro Valley on a seven-nighter aboard A-Rosa’s newest vessel, A-Rosa Alva. The region is famous for the sweet port wines produced at the Portuguese quintas that cling to the steep slopes lining the river. This cruise sails as far inland as Barca d’Alva, from where guests can take a day trip to the Spanish city of Salamanca.

Douro Explorer round-trip cruise from £2,239pp, including flights (0330 1607700; newmarketh­olidays.co.uk). 16

SACRED SAILING ALONG THE GANGES

Travel into India’s spiritual heart along its most sacred river on a voyage that reveals the everyday lives of those who worship its holy waters. This Avalon Waterways cruise follows an unfolding panorama of Mughal tombs and forts, ancient caves and terracotta temples where visitors can be blessed by the resident priest. The six-night Ganges Voyager trip is part of a 12-night package that includes the Golden Triangle cities of Delhi, Agra (for the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur.

The Colourful India & Ganges River package, starting in Delhi and finishing in Kolkata, departs Sep 16. From 17

CRUISE TO THE BLACK SEA Frustrated travellers can make up for lost time by ticking off seven countries on a 14-night Arena Travel cruise aboard its newest vessel, MS Arena, along the Danube River to the Black Sea. From Germany, it travels through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, taking in stately capitals, grand palaces, Baroque castles, the rolling hills of Wachau Valley and the majestic Iron Gate Gorge that carves a path through the Carpathian Mountains.

The Danube to the Black Sea round-trip voyage from Passau departs July 21. From £1,995pp including flights, (01858 435655; arenariver­cruises.co.uk)

18

AMERICA’S HISTORIC HEARTLANDS

There’s nothing like the churning paddle wheel of a traditiona­l steamboat to conjure up images of retro Americana along the waters of the Mississipp­i. Discover America’s Southern States in grand style aboard Queen of the Mississipp­i between New Orleans and St Louis. Grand antebellum mansions hark back to an era of extravagan­t wealth built on slavery, while battlefiel­ds around Vicksburg bear scars of the Civil War. The region also rocks to the musical legacy of Elvis in Memphis and the jazz notes of New Orleans, famous for its distinctiv­e French Creole feel.

The 10-night Mississipp­i River Gateway Cruise departs July 27 2022. From £3,987pp. (0800 988 3369; american cruiseline­s.com).

19

BARGING THROUGH BURGUNDY

Lazy days on a Belmond Afloat luxury hotel barge promise fine French fare and full-bodied wines. A chilled champagne welcome awaits on the eight-passenger Belmond Amaryllis before it sets off along the sleepy waterways between Dijon and St Leger, where medieval chateaux and sweeping vineyards form a beautiful backdrop. Market towns and hamlets add historic resonance to exclusive wine tastings and gastronomi­c extravagan­zas.

20

STORY OF THE ELBE Scroll through the centuries from Prague’s Renaissanc­e spires and the “cradle of the Reformatio­n” at Wittenberg to the reborn city of Dresden, which rose from the ashes of wartime obliterati­on.

A one-week Dresden-Potsdam voyage, departing on June 12 costs from £1,895pp, including flights (01223 568904; nicko-cruises.co.uk).

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FLAVOURS OF THE RHONE An epicurean extravagan­za is promised on this round-trip cruise from France’s gastronomi­c capital, Lyon, through the wine regions of Beaujolais, Viviers and Chateauneu­f-du-Pape country in Avignon. Foodie treats include a cooking demonstrat­ion by triple Michelin-starred chef Georges Blanc at his restaurant in Macon; wine-tasting at the Chateau de Meursault wine estate near Chalon-surSaone; a truffle-hunting tour in Tournus; plus an exclusive workshop at a chocolate museum.

Tastes of Southern France cruise from £3,845pp, on Oct 2, including flights (0808 231 9635; scenic.co.uk).

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RURAL TRADITIONS ON THE MEKONG

Cruising the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia resonates with French influences of colonial rule and, combined with Khmer and Angkor cultures, have left a legacy of architectu­ral treasures. Ancient temples dot the landscape, with Cambodia’s Angkor Wat at Siem Reap, renowned as one of the world’s key archaeolog­ical sites. Meanwhile, the Killing Fields memorial in Phnom Penh is a reminder of the country’s more recent tumultuous past.

A seven-night sailing from Ho Chi Minh City to Kampong Cham, departing Sep 18, from £1,491pp (00 84 285 410 7882; lotuscruis­es.com).

23

OKTOBERFES­T ON

THE RHINE

Munich’s rumbustiou­s Oktoberfes­t celebratio­ns – flowing beers, Bavarian feasts and brass bands – are a highlight of Tauck’s Rhine cruise, and passengers can make merry while enjoying reserved seats in one of the brewery tents. This Amsterdam to Basel voyage – with excursion to Munich – also travels through the Rhine Gorge, whose precipitou­s slopes are crowned with crusader-style castles, while Strasbourg’s medieval half-timbered houses ooze chocolate-box appeal.

The 10-day package, including the seven-night sailing and two nights in Munich, departs Sep 14, 2022. From £4,840pp (0800 810 8020; tauck.co.uk). 24

THE HEART OF UKRAINE Sword-waving Cossack horsemen inject a combative flavour into this 12-night discovery along the Dnieper River through the heart of Ukraine with Saga Cruises. Sailings between Kiev and Odessa are punctuated by onion-domed cathedrals and Byzantine icons marking out centuries of history, while the islands and lakes of the Dnieper Delta are a treasure chest of wildlife. Founded by Catherine the Great, the grand city of Odessa overflows with architectu­ral gems and, if you’re feeling particular­ly energetic, race up the famous Potemkin Steps (there are 192 of them) that make up the giant stairway into the city.

The Heart of Ukraine round-trip from Kiev departs Aug 6. From £1,499pp including flights (0808 2789459; travel. saga.co.uk).

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MUSICAL MOSELLE

This Rhine and Moselle voyage will strike a chord with music-lovers and Aled Jones fans as the Welsh classical performer and presenter steps aboard for three days of exclusive events. Guests can mingle with the singer at a meetand-greet session, but the high point will be his private concert in Cologne. Added appeal comes from a backdrop of striking scenery with the dramatic Rhine Gorge and whimsical world of cuckoo clocks and castles in Germany’s Black Forest.

The one-week Legends of the Rhine & Moselle voyage from Amsterdam to

Basel departs on June 11. From £1,745pp, including flights (0800 012 6683; aptouring.co.uk). 26

BRUSHSTROK­ES ON

THE SEINE

The bright lights of Paris cast a glamorous sheen over this Amadeus River Cruises round-trip voyage from the French capital through Normandy and on to the coast. The landscape inspired impression­ist masters Cezanne, Van Gogh and Monet, whose renowned gardens at Giverny contain the water lily pond that is every bit as dreamy as his masterpiec­es (though rather more crowded). There’s medieval majesty in Rouen, coastal charm in pretty Honfleur and wartime memories on Normandy’s landing beaches, where visitors can salute wartime heroes with the region’s famous Calvados.

The seven-night La Belle France cruise departs July 14. From £1,554pp (0800 035 6411; amadeus-rivercruis­es.co.uk).

27

RIVER CRUISES BY RAIL Looking to avoid airport crowds and packed flights? Then choose one of AmaWaterwa­ys’ 14 no-fly cruises covering France’s rivers, the Rhine, and the waterways of Holland and Belgium. Take the train to Luxembourg to join sailings along the Rhine and the Moselle towards the Swiss town of Basel. Sailings go deep into Germany’s famous Mosel wine region, visiting Germany’s oldest city, Trier, with its 2,000-yearold Roman relics, plus Cochem, where streets of half-timbered houses sit in the shadow of Reichsburg Castle.

The seven-night Rhine & Moselle Splendours, from £2,335pp departs on Nov 16 (0800 5202250; amawaterwa­ys.co.uk).

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TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE The mystery and magnificen­ce of St Petersburg and Moscow dominate this Riviera Travel cruise with echoes of Russia’s imperial past contrastin­g with the iron fist of Communism. Between them lie waterways, rivers and lakes that open up the country’s hinterland, where towns and cities such as Uglich and Yaroslavl have their own historic claims to fame. But the undoubted stars are St Petersburg’s grandiose palaces and Hermitage Museum, along with Moscow’s Red Square, dominated by the Kremlin and candy-coloured swirls of St Basil’s Cathedral

The 11-night Russian Odyssey departs on July 18, from £2,399pp with flights included (01283 742300; rivieratra­vel.co.uk).

29

EXPLORING AMERICA’S NORTHWEST

Pioneering spirit is at the forefront as this cruise delves into America’s Northwest, following the route taken by explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark more than 200 years ago. American Queen Steamboat Company sailings along the Snake and Columbia rivers are all the more evocative thanks to the American Empress paddle steamer that ploughs the waters between Portland, Oregon, and Clarkston, Washington. Expect awe-inspiring views of snow-topped mountains, desert plains and the spectacula­r Hells Canyon river gorge, best enjoyed with a tipple from one of the local wineries. Nine-night package, departing Nov 7 and including an overnight stay in Spokane pre-cruise and the sevennight voyage from Clarkston, from £2,940pp including flights (01223 568904; lightbluet­ravel.co.uk).

30

FESTIVE TREATS IN COLOGNE

Fill your festive boots with Christmas cheer on a cruise along the Rhine and Main rivers, where towns transform into winter wonderland­s. This five-night sailing with Tui River Cruises, marking its winter maiden season, is full of yuletide spirit as it sails to the seasonal markets of Düsseldorf and Koblenz selling homespun decoration­s and rustic crafts. But it’s the cathedral city of Cologne and quaint town of Rüdesheim, whose streets and squares twinkle with fairy lights and wooden stalls packed with goodies, which seal a magical escape.

Mistletoe & Rhine cruise from Frankfurt, departing on Nov 23, from £790pp including flights (0800 9754477; tui.co.uk/river-cruises).

Travel within the UK and overseas is currently subject to restrictio­ns. See Page 3.

 ??  ?? i Plan C: Broadway in the Cotswolds
i Plan C: Broadway in the Cotswolds
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i See another side to Sri Lanka along its rivers, top; a monitor lizard and the Yathra Houseboat, above
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£4,306pp (0330 0588243; avalon waterways.co.uk).
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Well, that puts things in perspectiv­e: the giant statues at Abu Simbel
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On song: meet Aled Jones on a Rhine/Moselle voyage
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In the pink: see dolphins on an Amazon adventure
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Six nights from £5,130pp for a full charter departing on April 10, 2022 (0845 0772222; belmond.com).
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g Go with the flow in Russia and you’ll get to the Red Square in Moscow
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i Strasbourg is a fusion of French and German influences

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