It’s not long after 7am and in the gathering light of a crisp autumnal morning Vienna’s elegant streets are deliciously deserted and devoid of the usual tourist hordes. Even locals are few and far between. Exploring the Austrian capital as it starts to wake up gives me a privileged feeling of peeking behind the scenes,...
As my leg muscles start to scream in protest at the seemingly never-ending spiral stone staircase, I’m forced to admit that I can’t keep up with my fellow passengers on this river cruise tour. Most of them have long since leapt past me like springy young gazelles as we make the arduous ascent of Vienna’s...
Austria’s Wachau Valley is an unexpected star of Danube cruises, its pastoral charms making it one of the highlights of sailings heading westwards towards Germany. Yet for the uninitiated, this peaceful panoramic region is generally overshadowed by the glories of the historic cities sitting along the Danube’s banks, with the trio of high-profile capitals, Vienna,...
When Myanmar finally emerged from decades of isolationism and oppressive military rule, its potential gleamed like a precious jewel in Asia’s tourism crown. This former British colony, previously known as Burma, had long been a tantalising prize. Immortalised in Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, Mandalay, and George Orwell’s celebrated novel, Burmese Days, it had lain virtually...
It is impossible to resist the seductive spell that Paris casts so beguilingly over visitors. This is a city that stands apart in fulsome Gallic style, confident of its reputation as one of the world’s most romantic and beautiful metropolises – and it does not disappoint. Oscar Wilde's resting place - Pere Lachaise For travellers taking...
Ho Chi Minh City is the pulsating heart of Vietnam; a frenetic and chaotic metropolis that injects excitement into sailings along the Mekong River which generally include a pre or post-cruise stay in the city. Sitting on the banks of the Saigon River, from which it originally took its name, this city crackles with energy...
Sleek, stylish and perfectly proportioned for the narrow locks and low bridges of the Rhône and Saône rivers, Emerald Liberté has brought its own distinctive style to this corner of southern France. As one of the newest vessels in the fleet of Emerald Waterways (having launched in April 2017), the 138-passenger Emerald Liberté perfectly reflects...
This informative and in-depth guide offers not only a fascinating overview of the world’s most incredible regions,
but also some of their most exciting ports and cities as well as all the amazing things you can do there.
To help you get the very best out of these destinations, we've assembled a selection of exclusive
tailor-made offers in each region, which include voyages on the world's best cruise ships as well
as stays in a selection of hand-picked hotels.