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COMPETITION AN AMAZING TRIP TO THE USA’S DEEP SOUTH WORTH OVER £1,700 usic isn’t just an opportunity for people to let their hair down in the USA’S Deep South– it’s a way of life. Visitors will quickly discover that the streets of Memphis and Nashville st

out of the countless bars and clubs, while street performers treat the boulevard like a stage.

As well as experiencing the pulse of the city, pilgrims make a beeline to Memphis for its array of museums. The Stax Museum traces the history of American soul music, while the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum charts its namesakes’ origins in the city. Complete the triple and end your day where rock ‘n’ roll began with a wander around Sun Studio. Listen to historic session outtakes, glimpse memorabilia including Elvis’ microphone, and soak up the studio where Johnny Cash and BB King cut their teeth.

But no trip to Memphis is truly complete without paying homage to ‘The King’ himself in his former home, Graceland. Wander the mansion’s extravagant rooms as well as the singer’s lavish cars and custom-built private jets.

Your next stop is country music capital Nashville. After marking its 50th anniversary in 2017, the city’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum is still the place to go to really understand how entwined the genre is in the city’s fabric. Here, spy Carl Perkins’ actual blue suede shoes and Elvis’ gold Cadillac among the glittering array of memorabilia, instruments and costumes that make up the largest (and most comprehensive) horde of musical artefacts on the planet.

It’s not the only place that you can absorb ‘The King’s’ legacy. Historic RCA Studio B is one of the country’s most important studios, and where the likes of Elvis, Dolly Parton and the Everly Brothers recorded many hits. But the best way to pay tribute to the Nashville scene is in the here and now, with your last night spent at country music’s mecca: the Grand Ole Opry, a concert venue (whose nights were once broadcast live) that has thrilled crowds for almost a century.

However, visiting these music hubs without a guide is like listening to a song without the rest of the album. Travelling with the expertise of Cosmos offers that complete story, fuelled by a bounty of knowledge crafted from over 50 years’ experience of leading trips to the planet’s most captivating places. They do all the hard graft behind the scenes, simply leaving you free to grab your backstage pass and uncover the musical melting pot of culture that runs across the Deep South.

WIRDANA SPA AND VILLAS, GALLE While most associate tea with Sri Lanka, its most important export, historically, has always been cinnamon. This gorgeous boutique hotel is not only set in the midst of a fragrant former cinnamon plantation but has one of Sri Lanka’s finest spas and infinity pools. There is a definite touch of luxury here, and the villas even come with their own butler. We also love the property’s location, just a short walk from laid-back Pitiwella beach and around 10km from Galle. Further west, along the coast, take a riverboat safari through the mangroves of the Madu River to learn more about the cinnamon trade.