Catch a piranha, dance a polka or dine in Provence
River travel can show you the world. And here’s where to go
AMAZING AMAZON
The Amazonian jungle, teeming with wildlife, is best explored by boat. From your luxurious base – Delfin III for just 44 passengers – you’ll set out in skiffs with naturalists on tributaries of the mighty Amazon in Peru. See sloths, toucans and howler monkeys in the tree tops, watch out for rare pink dolphins, and go fishing for piranhas. On nocturnal walks, you’ll look for bats and boa constrictors. This cruise is a great highlight of tours departing in September and October this year, that also take in Cusco, the capital of the Incas high in the Andes, the Sacred Valley and legendary ‘lost city’ Machu Picchu. avaloncruises.co.uk
RHINE AND DINE
Amsterdam is just the beginning. On this eight-day cruise along the Rhine, you’ll spend three days in the Dutch hotspot, also taking in stops in Haarlem, Cologne, Bonn, Koblenz and Frankfurt. You’ll enjoy nights out on the town, dine on local specialties and get your fix of famous artworks, incredible scenery, history and culture. Whatever your travel personality, this cruise is sure to please. ubyuniworld.com
OMAN, WHAT AN ADVENTURE!
Immerse yourself in the diversity of Arabia on this exploration of one of the world’s most incredible regions. After meeting the ship in Aqaba – your gateway to the ‘Lost City’ of Petra – you’ll sail to Oman to experience Bedouin culture, marvel at palaces and forts, and venture into breathtaking fjords; visit Doha for stunning skylines; and discover a mix of modern and historic architectural wonders in vibrant Abu Dhabi. Departs September 20. fredolsencruises.com
CYCLE THROUGH FRANCE
Cycling on the banks of the Saône at Mâcon and a guided hike through vineyards around Tournon on the Rhône are great ways to work off the calories you’ll consume on a Sensations Of Southern France cruise between Marseilles and Lyons. There will be wine, olive and cheese tastings, a sumptuous Provencal dinner cooked by a local chef on board and a meal in a typical bouchon Lyonnais, one of the traditional old restaurants in Lyons, France’s capital of gastronomy. Eight-day cruises depart until October. emeraldwaterways.co.uk
STEAM AND STOOPWAFELS
A glass of fizz in the elaborate
Royal Waiting Room in Budapest before taking your seats in vintage carriages pulled by the Grand Empress steam train is the start of an excursion that will take you to Godollo Palace. In 14th Century Namedy Castle in Germany, you’ll be served a banquet and be entertained by a pianist. Baroque Liechtenstein Palace in Vienna is the setting for a private cocktail party and recital by the Mozart Boys’ Choir. And you can shake a leg dancing the polka in a Bavarian beer haus. These are some of the adventures ashore on a two-week Magnificent Europe cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. On board you can learn German and watch a baker make traditional Dutch stoopwafels. Departures are from March to December 2019. aptouring.co.uk
LOST CORNERS OF LAOS
A new boat will ply the lesser-visited reaches of the Mekong river in Laos from November this year. RV Sabei Pandaw has 12 cabins and lots of gleaming brass and teak. It’s nippy enough to navigate the rapids and gorges through the mountains. Sailing from the old French colonial capital Vientiane for 10 nights, you’ll cross Laos and dip into Thailand and Burma, visit the carved wood monasteries of Luang Prabang and call at remote tribal villages. pandaw.com
FALLING FOR NIAGARA
Sailing through the wild and green Thousand Islands, sweet treats from a sugar shack on a maple farm and feeling the spray from Niagara Falls on your face are all on the itinerary of a cruise aboard MS Jacques Cartier, which made its debut in Canada this year. The ship for just 68 passengers sails the St Lawrence River and Lake Ontario on voyages from Quebec to Toronto. The 10-day cruises also visit Montreal and Ottawa. Departures until October this year, and from June to October 2019. croisieurope.co.uk
IN TUNE WITH RAVEL
Cruise from Basel to Vienna in the lap of luxury aboard river yacht Crystal Ravel. Spacious cabins feature walk-in wardrobes, enormous flat-screen TVs, Nespresso machines and attentive butlers anticipating your every whim. There are four restaurants, a spa and high-tech gym, all for just 106 passengers. Ashore, the two-week Majestic Europe cruise on the Rhine and Danube will take you to Strasbourg, seat of the European Parliament: Rudesheim, home of quirky Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum; Medieval Miltenberg and Nuremberg, most famous for the rallies and war trials of the 1930s and 1940s but your guide will reveal its more ancient history, too. Or borrow a bike to explore on your own. crystalcruises.co.uk