Austria’s Wachau Valley brims with bucolic appeal

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Wachau Valley - Austria, Vienna
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,...

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After a meteoric rise, has Myanmar lost its sheen?

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Temples silhouetted against the sunset in Bagan
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...

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Why you should book a solo river cruise

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AmaWaterways - River Cruise Excursion
Cruising on your own, especially if you’re a first-timer, can be an intimidating idea. It really doesn’t need to be, though, especially on a river cruise. Of course, some travellers are perfectly comfortable on their own and will treat their cruise as a peaceful retreat. Others, though, are looking for a safe, friendly and sociable...

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MS Loire Princesse: Innovation in the Loire Valley

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Cruising on France’s longest river has traditionally been the preserve of flat-bottomed wooden boats known as toue sablières which were once deployed to transport goods along the Loire and its tributaries. Recently, cabin cruisers and small hotel barges have offered the opportunity to explore the Loire Valley with its spectacular châteaux. Due to sandbanks and...

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Avalon Waterways: Immersive river cruises on innovative ships

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Avalon Waterways - Seine River Cruise
Avalon Waterways is one of the big players in river cruising, with a fleet that spans the rivers of Europe, southeast Asia and the Amazon. Its river cruises are aimed mainly at English-speaking guests from North America, Australia and the UK and prices include everything from wine with meals to shore excursions, crew gratuities, Wi-Fi,...

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Contemporary luxury on Scenic river cruises

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A gourmet steak dish in a restaurant on-board a Scenic river cruise ship
Scenic’s roots go back to 1986, when entrepreneur Glen Moroney started offering coach tours in Australia. Rapid expansion led to a global travel company that specialised in touring holidays worldwide and in 2008, branched out into European river cruising. Scenic’s smart, contemporary ‘Space Ships’ made an impact from the beginning, offering an unprecedented array of...

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Crystal river cruises are rewriting the rulebook

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The Blue restaurant on-board Crystal Mozart
Luxury line Crystal Cruises made its debut on Europe’s rivers a couple of years ago when it acquired and refitted Crystal Mozart, the ship winning much approval for its beautiful interiors and gourmet food. Mozart, though, was an older ship. Now, Crystal is building four riverboats to its own specification. The first two, Crystal Mahler...

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