Luxury Worldwide Tours

Top Ten Activities on Hamilton Island, Australia

HAMILTON ISLAND is a beautiful year round resort found in the heart of the Whitsundays - the group of 74 tropical islands - more or less untouched - in the Coral Sea between the Australian Queensland coast and the Great Barrier Reef. Hamilton is the largest of the inhabited islands, 5 kms north to south and 3.5 kms east to west, and is easily reached by a range of direct Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Qantas Link flights from Sydney, Cairns, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Over 70% of Hamilton Island remains in its original natural state, offering unspoilt beaches and pristine nature trails. Cars are prohibited on this 5kms x 3.5kms island, so guests get around in golf buggies or by foot.

Big savings on worldwide escorted tours for selected departures in 2008!

One of our tour operators, luxury holidays specialist Bales Worldwide, is offering many discounts on their worldwide escorted tours throughout 2008. If you fancy a Galapagos Island cruise or exploring the glaciers of Southern Patagonia in Chile, and you've always wanted to do it style, now is the time to book.

I have highlighted some of the tours which I feel are the best value or most exciting, offering great discounts of up to £216 per person and fabulous single supplement savings.

Rocky Mountaineer Rail and the Canadian Rockies

Voted the ‘Worlds Leading Travel Experience by Train’ at the World Travel Awards in 2005 and 2006, the spectacular trip through the Canadian Rockies onboard the Rocky Mountaineer is an unforgettable experience, and is world-renowned as a classic tour.

On the Rocky, you can travel the vast Canadian World Heritage wilderness through western Canada and the Rockies, by way of the famous Kicking Horse and Yellowhead rail routes. Follow these historic trails, constructed over 100 years ago, via Fraser Valley and Kamloops (with an overnight stop) onto Banff or Jasper.

Gone is the guide with halitosis - breaking the stereotypes of escorted tours

What's your impression of an escorted tour? Hundreds of people cramped on a coach, whistle-stop tours of destinations with 5 minutes at each attraction, no time to take a snap (never mind a pee), and geeky guides with bad breath who bore the pants off you?

If so, then you've either been on the wrong tours (and they have moved onwards somewhat from days of old), or you've never tried one. With such a huge range of updated, upmarket and premium tour companies catering for all kinds of people - and many with strict stipulations on the maximum numbers for one tour - you'll find that if the match is right for you, then you could end up being addicted to this way of holidaying.

'Explorations' small group tours launched by Collette Worldwide Holidays

Created specifically for those who wish to travel in a smaller group setting, Explorations by Collette Worldwide Holidays is a new way to experience an escorted tour. Launched from May 2008, it differs from Collette's regular tours in the following that there are a maximum of 16-24 passengers, the holidays offer unique and individual accommodations, dining experiences give new meaning to ‘local flavour’, and there is a chance to learn more about the destinations through authentic experiences.

What makes Explorations particularly special is that it combines the benefits of group travel with the freedom to pursue individual experiences, offering you the best of both worlds.

Experience a 4* short break in Toronto from only £285 per person!

If you've never been to Canada, now is the time for a taster of this fantastic and friendly country. 3 night breaks for a 4* Toronto experience, staying in the Delta Chelsea Hotel, can be had from only £285 per person. Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, this hotel is just a short stroll from the city’s best theatre, shopping and sight-seeing attractions. With over 80 different cultures and numerous activities, Toronto is a popular holiday destination for many - and Canada anyway is just amazing.

14 nights in 5* luxury in Sri Lanka from only £955!

This is rather an amazing deal: 14 nights in glorious Sri Lanka, staying in one of the most luxurious five star beach resorts in South Asia, the Taj Exotica, and from only £955 per person!

Sri Lanka is the perfect sanctuary for a luxurious holiday on Asia's most exotic island, known for thousands of years as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, and the Taj Exotica is uniquely located on a large headland overlooking the Indian Ocean. This 162 deluxe room hotel is situated on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka along the golden mile beach at Bentota, and all rooms at the Taj Exotica enjoy the sea or garden views, providing vistas of the magnificent Indian Ocean or the lush vegetation of the hotel's beautiful tropical gardens.

Featured destination: California

The golden beaches and rocky shores of California stretch for more than 1,200 miles, so it is little wonder that this US state is known as the Golden State, made even more so by the fact that it revels in golden weather for most of the year. From the deserts, beaches, cities and mountains within the 12 regions of California, any visitor is spoilt for choice - in fact, you can be truly dazzled by what there is to see and do here.

The Rocco Forte Suite Experience for the ultimate in luxury

On 1 May, the luxurious Rocco Forte Collection launched The Rocco Forte Suite Experience, an exclusive service designed to give guests the ultimate in luxury and attendance to their needs. Already amongst the biggest and best in Europe, the luxurious suites in The Rocco Forte Collection will now offer a new range of services, including:

* A complimentary packing and unpacking service, whereby a specially-trained member of staff will hang and arrange each item upon arrival and carefully repack upon departure. Also included is complimentary pressing of the garments on arrival.

European art treasures tours

For those who are particularly fond of exploring the art treasures of Europe, luxury holiday specialist Cox & Kings can offer the opportunity to visit some fascinating sites in the company of like-minded people, under the guidance of expert lecturers, on their art treasure tours.

All of the tours have been designed with an emphasis on the art, history and culture of the destinations visited and the essence of the Art Treasures Tours is to deepen your understanding of the places you visit. These holidays are especially good value for money, with a high degree of personal and attentive service.