Destinations
We work hard to get to know a destination so we can show you as it really is, today. Our local connections let you talk to influential people and experts in their field as well the ordinary person in the street. We think the essence of a place can be revealed as much by talking to a tea-maker in the village market as it can be by listening to experts or visiting cultural treasures. By looking at the ordinary as well as the remarkable with fresh eyes, we add to our own understanding.
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Comprising almost the entire southern half of South America, Argentina combines Latin vivacity with European sophistication. It is also a land of great diversity: from the vibrant and cosmopolitan capital Buenos Aires to Patagonia’s remote and stunning glacial landscape and the remarkable far south of Ushaia and Tierra del Fuego often referred to as the ‘End of the World’.
Costa Rica is a peaceful oasis crammed to the brim with spectacular coastlines, delicate cloud forests, dramatic mountains and volcanoes, and a startling array of bird life. Nicaragua is still someway off the tourist trail, a situation likely to change quickly once its beautiful colonial cities, vibrant Latin culture and gorgeous landscapes become widely known. You will also visit irrepressible Miami, with its Art Deco beach scenes and its love of the good life in the sun.
Cuba is an island like no other in the world, combining fabulous natural beauty with the vivaciousness, music and styles of its inhabitants, and of course its legendary history and politics. Its future is as precarious as Castro’s health as it lies on the brink of permanent change. Visit the iconic city of Havana, with its unkempt grandeur and infectious vivacity; drive to the stunning area of Vinales, with its distinctive landscapes and famous cigars; relax on a palm fringed beach sipping mojitos; wander through the living museum of historic Trinidad and explore the villages on central Cuba.
Ecuador is a land of rich contrasts with sweeping mountain ranges, virgin rainforest not to mention the unique Galapagos Islands. Experience the wonderful variety of Ecuador. Travel from the colonial charm of Quito to the Avenue of the Volcanoes and Cotopaxi National Park. Spend three fascinating days and nights aboard our private boat in the Amazon and meet some of its oldest inhabitants - the Waroas people. Explore the Andean Highlands and the scenic Chota Valley. The final leg of the tour takes in the Galapagos Islands with its fascinating wildlife and landscapes.
Few countries can match the heritage and antiquity of Ethiopia. Visit Axum site of the Queen of Sheba's palace, the astonishing 12th century rock-hewn churches of Labila, Gondar with its medieval castles and monasteries, the Blue Nile Falls at Bahar Dar and into the Rift Valley. Ethiopia is also a land of natural contrasts, from the rugged Simien Mountains to the Danakil Depression, at 120 meters below sea level one of the lowest dry land points on earth, not to mention the Great Rift Valley.
From the ancient lands of Tamil Nadu with its rich layers of cultures southern India holds much to seduce the visitor. Travel from Madras to the charming city of Mysore, famous for its silk, incense and palaces. Drive via an elephant sanctuary to Ooty, "Queen of the Hill Stations". Take the toy train through tea plantations to Calicut and the prestigious Ayurvedic Hospital. Travel by rain down the Malabar coast into gentle Kerala and Cochin. Cruise overnight on a converted rice barge to an Ayurvedic Resort.
Iran is a beautiful, gracious and cultured land which extends a famously warm welcome to travellers. It has not always been well served by the international media, which has created an image that bears little relation to the refined, friendly and pleasant country being discovered by more visitors each year.
Travel from the futuristic metropolis of Tokyo to the ancient capital of Kyoto visiting the industrial heartland of Nagoya en-route. Fly onto Hiroshima for insight into the after effects of the bomb, by speaking to a radiation survivor and visiting the Peace Park and Radiation Institute. Cruise around the inland sea before travelling into the Japanese Alps where you will stay in a traditional town.
The Republic of Namibia, formerly known as South West Africa boasts some of the world’s most dramatic scenery which includes the worlds’ second largest canyon, a veritable feast of big game wildlife and stunning national parks and reserves. It is also the world’s least densely populated country with on average a mere 2.5 people per square kilometer! Despite that it has 13 different ethnic groups. Remote, starkly beautiful and even now relatively unknown to the tourist trail Namibia represents one the world’s last frontiers.
The private houses and backstreets of Lima conceal some fascinating histories. The Island of the Sun on Lake Titicaca has a stunning setting, surrounded by the lake and beyond, the snow capped peaks of the Andes. Wander around Cuzco with its literal layers of history (the Spanish colonial buildings have Inca foundations). In the Sacred Valley come into contact with Inca culture ranging from temples and a fortress to a solar clock, as well as experimental agricultural terraces. The view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate one of the most dramatic offered by any site.
Visit two countries poised on the edge of permanent change as they join the international community. Romania is remarkable for its eclectic ethnic mix, its rustic painted villages a superb cultural heritage and excellent food and wine. Beautiful Bulgaria has a traditional rural heart containing medieval cities and exquisitely preserved towns, the Valley of the Roses and the best preserved Thracian tombs in the world.
Syria is a beautiful land with a gracious and cultured heart. Discover a Crusader castle, and magnificent Roman ruins. Hear the Lords Prayer recited in the language of Christ and visit fragrant, chaotic bazaars and cool fountain-filled courtyards. In Jordan, visit the Dead Sea, the rose city of Petra and the magical desert scenery at Wadi Rum. Throughout the tour talks of Lavinia Byrne will bring the past to life.
Istanbul’s history is as richly layered as one of its baklava pastries. The only city in the world that spans two continents, it is a bewitching dust-devil of cultures and influences. This city has flourished for thousands of years, from Roman times, as the great Byzantine capital of Constantinople, through the reign of the Ottoman Empire and beyond. Follow in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale into this fascinating city where you can step from Asia into Europe and back against a skyline studded with domes and slender haunting minarets. Here you will find a cuisine fit for sultans, vibrant bazaars, spectacular architecture, mesmerising coastline and warmly welcoming locals.
Mysterious land-locked Uzbekistan was the hub of ancient Central Asia and the Silk Road and contains some of the oldest towns in the world. Travel through the strange desert republic of Turkmenistan, which has witnessed many of the most powerful empires in history. A side trip into Tajikistan takes you to the ruins of an enigmatic city, which has stood untouched since it was abandoned by a forgotten civilisation more than a thousand years ago.
Venezuela is a land of epic proportions. Tropical coasts where forested mountains tumble into sparkling seas; beautiful colonial towns; thriving indigenous tribes within a short drive of skyscrapers; stark, spectacular Andean moors; the wildlife-dense Orinoco Delta; the dramatic Gran Sabana, the inspiration behind Conan Doyles’ The Lost World; and the crowning glory of Angel Falls, a silver braid of water falling nearly a kilometre to the earth.
Since opening its borders to tourism in the late 1980s, Vietnam has become an incredibly popular destination. Still, the country remains relatively unspoiled and holds many pleasant surprises for first-time visitors. The country possesses a unique historical legacy which is still in evidence today. From the Hindu-style Cham towers of central Vietnam to the Imperial Citadel in Hue (modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing) and the neo-classical French architecture of Hanoi. The Vietnamese people are some of the friendliest you are likely to encounter anywhere in Asia and their genuine smiles are an enduring memory for almost every visitor.