Two maritime cities famed for their canals, Bangkok and Venice, are at their best on a new fly-cruise-and-stay holiday featuring a 16-night cruise on Royal Caribbean International’s Splendour of the Seas.
Called ‘Thai Lights, Venice Delights and Dubai Sights’, the latest holiday from Worldwide Cruise Centres includes one of Bangkok’s most picturesque annual festivals – Loy Krathong, when people gather around lakes, rivers and canals to pay respects to the water goddess by launching lotus-shaped rafts, decorated with candles, incense and flowers.
‘Thai Lights, Venice Delights and Dubai Sights’ lasts 20 nights. It includes a three-night stay in Bangkok during the festival, a night’s stay in Venice and airfares from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth to Venice (via Bangkok), returning from Dubai.
The cruise aboard Splendour of the Seas from Venice to Dubai visits Athens, Haifa in Israel and Ashdod, gateway to historic Jerusalem, before heading through the Suez Canal to Salalah in Oman, where perfumed frankincense trees line mountain valleys.
‘Thai Lights, Venice Delights and Dubai Sights’ costs from A$4999 per person twin share, valid at that rate until 30 May 2105 or until it sells out. The holiday begins on 23 November 2015 with a flight from Australia to Bangkok for three glorious nights to enjoy the Loy Krathong festival.
You’ll stay at the Ibis Bangkok Riverside hotel, with daily breakfast. This top location on the Chao Praya River offers ferry and Skytrain services just five minutes away and a free shuttle to the BTS station.
At the end of your Bangkok stay, jet on to Venice. Best-selling American novelist Truman Capote described his visit to Venice as “like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go”. You’ll stay in a three-star hotel with included breakfast before setting out at leisure to explore this great city of art treasures and magical charm.
Then, board the gracious Splendour of the Seas and set sail into the sparkling Mediterranean. All shipboard main meals, excluding specialty restaurants, are included. Your cabin offers amenities such as flat-screen television, new bathroom and completely remodeled interior, including new linens and furniture. Have a dip in the sun-drenched indoor/outdoor pool at the Solarium, try your hand at mini golf and rock climbing, or be pampered at the Vitality Spa.
Frist port of call is Piraeus, main port of Athens and one of the most important in the Mediterranean. Perhaps stroll Kastella, a hill strewn with beautiful houses that offers a majestic view of the Saronic Gulf, or visit the Greek capital’s famed archaeological museum. Maybe sip an ouzo accompanied by seafood snacks.
Haifa in Israel blends ancient temples, churches and mosques with modern shopping centres and cinemas – against white-sand beaches.
Ashdod, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, is one of the world’s most ancient cities, mentioned 13 times in the Bible. Now a well-planned modern metropolis, Ashdod is a welcoming combination of ancient history and cosmopolitan port life. You’ll be here for a day, so consider a trip to nearby Jerusalem.
The Suez Canal was the first saltwater passage between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea when it opened in 1869. You’ll cruise through this vital waterway and enjoy a few days at sea before arriving in Salalah, Oman, a surprisingly green, subtropical city reflecting the character of Oman’s former territories in East Africa.
Next stop, Dubai, shopping paradise and premier luxury travel destination. Where else on earth can you ski both in a shopping centre and out in the desert?
An overnight aboard ship here gives you time to shop and explore before winging your way back home to Australia.
To find your local Worldwide Cruise Centres agent go to: www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au
SOURCE Worldwide Cruise Centres