WONDERFUL SURPRISES
Experience something different on our well-chosen holidays
IS this the year to see something new on holiday? It certainly was for guests lucky enough to take an Antarctic cruise with Viking in January. They didn’t just have the chance to help the on-board expedition team carry out the first survey of the Diaz Rock area in nearly 40 years. Viking passengers were also on the spot for the discovery of a whole new colony of Chinstrap Penguins, soon to be detailed in a full scientific paper.
Being able to watch field researchers at work is one of the many unexpected extras you can find on today’s cruises, in warm waters as well as cold. New holiday experiences also await on land – and this issue of Check In aims to reveal the best of them.
NEW TOURS
Hot off the press, small group tours to America are selling particularly fast. On page 12 we speak to the man who puts Titan Travel’s latest itineraries together, including the Southwestern Trails holiday that’s got something special for fans of Oscar-winning Oppenheimer. It’s a stop in Los Altos, Texas where Robert Oppenheimer’s house still stands.
Fancy touring America under your own steam but with all the planning done for you? We showcase six new itineraries from Trailfinders on page 4. Ask about one of its classic campervan trips with everything from your flights, wheels and routes organised in advance. Or mix National Parks like Yosemite and Death Valley with cities like San Francisco and San Diego on Trailfinders’ Best of California self-drive.
GO EAST
On page 5 we focus on Japan as the perfect place to discover by train including, of course, the famous bullet train. The tours we describe have highlights like Mount Fuji, the bright lights of Tokyo and the temples of Kyoto.
They also include more new hotels and attractions than you might expect – as places built or refurbished for the postponed, spectator-free 2020 Olympics are only now receiving their first full season of guests. Join Great Rail Journeys or Rail Discoveries on a Japan rail tour and box-fresh facilities could be an added bonus right across the country.
GO NORTH
Northern Ireland is a surprise new entrant in global lists of must-see spots. But Belfast is right up there at No 2 in the latest National Geographic poll, as we reveal on page 12. As a long-time visitor I’m happy to see others catch up on the area’s attractions, not least as they’re easy to reach after a short and very minibreak-friendly flight.
Northern Europe also appeals, and recent guests say Hurtigruten’s Norwegian heritage makes it the cruise to choose for the Northern Lights, the midnight sun and the chance to see more than 100 fjords and 1,000 mountains on a single holiday.
Where else might I book for something new this year? There are the crowd-free cruises we feature on page 9. Finding ports that other itineraries overlook is a great way to conjure up some holiday magic. So I’d happily stroll through the tourist-free, Bougainvillea-filled streets of Syros on a five-star, Regent Seven Seas cruise across the Mediterranean.
SUNNY
I’d also look for lesser-known spots on a luxury river cruise. On page 10 we detail some quiet, Emerald Cruises itineraries that meander slowly along the sunny River Douro in Portugal. It’s a holiday I’d like to begin with a new Port wine cocktail class alongside one of Porto’s traditional port warehouses – and d then a vineyard tour and mosaic tile painting lesson on board.
And whether you’re on land, at sea, on the river or at 35,000 feet, added extras can make every holiday more memorable. Jet off on a short or medium-haul Tui plane and you can now pre-order a mini-bottle of fizz at your seat – plus a box of chocolate turtles to support Tui’s Turtle Aid charity. It’s one more way to make holidays better than ever.