1 JORDAN & SAUDI ARABIA
Unique jaunt through the iconic Middle-East
Explore’s Journey Through Arabia tour is currently the only trip on the market that transports visitors overland from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea-hub of Jeddah, through desert and ancient cities, and then into Jordan.The route takes travellers through the some of the Middle East’s most fabled sights: exploring ancient the Nabataean cities of Hegra and Petra, camping out in the Wadi Rum desert while appreciating traditional Bedouin hospitality, and taking a boat trip to the 100 islands off Umluj, the ‘Maldives of Saudi Arabia’ – with marine life such as turtle and dugong – before finishing at the Dead Sea and Amman.
Who? Explore (01252 884709; explore.co.uk) When? 19 March, 7 May, 10 Sept, 8, 15, 29 Oct, 19 Nov, 23 Dec 2022 How long? 11 nights How much? £2,599pp (excluding int’l flights)
2 USA
Follow the Civil Rights trail
Some of the biggest milestones in the USA’s Civil Rights history may have began in seemingly inauspicious places – a bus, a high school, a bridge – but these spaces are now landmarks. On America As You Like It’s Journey to Freedom – Martin Luther King Tour, visitors will discover a living catalogue dedicated to the story of equality while travelling through the Southern states of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. As well as Civil Rights history, travellers will go on a musical journey through epicentres such as Memphis and Nashville. In between tracing some of the 20th century’s most momentous history and culture, visitors will get to enjoy a large slice of Southern hospitality along the way.
Who? America As You Like It (020 8742 8299; americaasyoulikeit.com) When? Flexible How long? 14 nights How much? From £1,730pp (including int’l flights)
3 ROMANIA
Bite into Central Europe’s biggest mystery
Latin America readers’ favourite – your three-time Tour Operator of the Year winner – and is now applying its formula to Europe. Its tour is the perfect introduction to little-visited Romania’s mysterious past. Journey to some of Central Europe’s most remarkable gothic castles, notably the Bran (Dracula’s) Castle and Peleș Castle; explore the mountain bear sanctuary that lies in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, then continue through Transylvania with visits to the traditional villages of Viscri and Biertan, as well as the richly diverse architecture of the medieval cities of Sighișoara and Sibiu.
