Issuu

Autumn Edition 2026

TRAVEL INSPIRATION FROM KUONI

ROCK THE KASBAH Meet the many sides of magnificent Morocco TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE Road trips with more freedom built in WILD THING Animal encounters that belong on your wish list

Looking back at my own travels, it’s often the things I didn’t plan that I remember most. I once heard it put rather neatly: add something surprising to a holiday and you have an adventure. It’s a thought that came back to me reading this edition of Roam, particularly our wildlife feature. Few things prove the point better than safari, where the moments you can’t plan are often the ones you remember the most. India is a country I’ve been fortunate enough to explore, and one whose wildlife is, in my view, often overlooked. The chance to encounter a tiger in one of its national parks is a thrill that’s hard to match. There’s plenty more to discover in these pages. We know the Indian Ocean well, but there’s far more to it than flying in, finding a beautiful beach and staying put. This issue looks at two-island Maldives trips, island-hopping in the Seychelles and Mauritius with a detour to little-known Rodrigues.

We also take the road less travelled through British Columbia and introduce our new Morocco collection. Having visited Morocco myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I was struck by how much there is to experience, from the energy of its cities to the mountains and the stillness of the desert. A great trip doesn’t always have to take you somewhere completely new. Sometimes changing the route, travelling a little further or seeing a familiar place from a different angle can be just as exciting. I hope this issue gives you a few new ideas for wherever your travels take you next.

Ben Boesch Managing Director

Award-winning holidays

Welcome

Ready to roam

WHAT’S INSIDE 04 Wanderlist

32 The Luxe List

08 Wild Thing

the scenic 36 Take route

Ten reasons to try something new on your next trip.

Where to go when wildlife is top of your wish list.

14 Souk Searching How to see more sides of Morocco in one trip.

20 Just back from…

Fresh travel tales and tips from our globe-trotting experts.

24 Uncharted territory

Voyages to some of the world’s wildest corners.

TOP New ways to combine Morocco’s cities, coast and countryside. Page 14

Seven standout stays to put on your radar.

Epic road trips that put the journey firmly in the spotlight.

42 Canada, off script

Take the lesser-travelled roads through British Columbia and Alberta.

meet 44 Paradise, Paradise

Two destinations, one glorious Indian Ocean adventure.

28 More to Sea

Hop, sail and stay your way around the Caribbean.

BOTTOM Closer to nature. Holidays shaped by remarkable wildlife encounters. Page 8

Incredible destinations, unforgettable holidays. Created with care, delivered with flair.

We’ll tap into our love for creating holiday magic, to give you the wow you’re looking for within your budget.

Book with complete flexibility whether by phone, online or in store.

ATOL protection, ABTA membership and 24/7 support – enjoy every moment knowing you’re in safe hands.

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From safari tracks to cellar doors, bamboo rafts to bread ovens, our Wanderlist is back with a fresh batch of adventures. Here are 10 reasons to wander further, follow the fun and get gloriously stuck in. Consider this your 2027 Wanderlist.

W A E N H D T E 01

DIVINE INTERVENTION The difference between a good itinerary and a great one? Never treat the journey as merely the journey. On the road from Kanchanaburi to Hua Hin, watch boats jostle for position at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market or see Maeklong Railway Market spring into action as a train squeezes through the stalls. Once in Hua Hin, keep exploring with an optional trip to Phetchaburi, taking in King Rama IV’s hilltop summer palace and Khao Luang Cave, where 170 golden Buddhas sit beneath stalactites, lit by daylight from above. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Find it on our Central Thailand Explorer itinerary, for anyone who’d rather travel by road than internal flight.

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Wanderlist

Places on our radar

FLOUR POWER Learn the serious business of breadmaking in Matera. We’ll book you in with the experts: sleeves up, flour everywhere, kneading and shaping the old-fashioned way alongside people who could do it with their eyes shut. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Make breadmaking part of your sevennight Italian road trip, stopping at La Chiusa di Chietri to sleep beneath the pointy roof of a traditional stone trullo.

ER LIS T 03

INTO THE HAJAR Behind Muscat, Oman’s Al Hajar Mountains turn the natural drama up to maximum. Come spring, Damask roses appear by the thousand across Jabal Akhdar, perfuming entire rocky terraces. Don’t just photograph them. Wander the terraces, chat to growers and taste the rosewater that Oman puts in practically everything: coffee, sweets, perfume, skincare. Come autumn, the mountains change again. This time, pomegranates. Great ruby-red globes hanging in the trees, picked by hand and piled high at roadside stalls. Seasonal eating doesn’t get much more literal.

FRESH FROM THE OVEN, OCEAN & FIELD Before going big in the Rockies, go local in British Columbia. One way to eat brilliantly here is at counter level, meeting the makers, bakers, fishermen and cheesemakers who feed the city. Granville Island is 37 waterfront acres of old industrial Vancouver market. Just-caught, just-baked, just-smoked brilliance everywhere. Go with someone who knows everyone. We’ll book you the guide who sniffs out what landed this morning, what came out of the oven ten minutes ago and which counter deserves you first. It feels like an adventure without requiring much adventuring. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Do the Rockies Rail Trip and include this in your Vancouver leg: waterfront city life before the wilderness.

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Twin the mountains of Oman with Muscat and add souks, sea and dhows to your adventure.

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ROME: JUNIOR EDITION

BAMBOO WITH A VIEW Micro-adventures are trending. Especially on a long-haul beach holiday, where one completely different experience can put you straight into what makes a place extraordinary. Better yet, you won’t sacrifice a beach day. Give us an afternoon and we’ll give you the jungle. First, onto a bamboo raft, level with the river, while your guide steers you beneath a canopy of tropical green. Then on foot into Phang Nga’s rainforest, with a waterfall waiting. Satisfyingly wild and gentle. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Add Bamboo River Rafting and Waterfall Trek to our Thailand Beaches & Jungle trip, which already includes three days at Elephant Hills.

Bring the stones to life. The gladiators to the arena. And the kids to Rome. The new rule for family holidays? Less looking, more doing. This one’s for the seven-to-11s. A 90-minute experience following fictional Flavius Attilius into the world of the Colosseum: the games, the crowds and the entertainment. Do it before visiting the Colosseum. Technically a history lesson but they’ll never know. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Stay steps from the Colosseum at FH55 Grand Hotel Palatino.

TWENTY CELLAR DOORS LATER The world drinks around 85 glasses of New Zealand wine every second. That’s reason enough to drink it where it grows. One of our favourite spots? Renwick, in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, where you’ll barely cycle five minutes without somebody handing you a glass. It’s easy to explore, with 20 cellar doors within eight kilometres and the local Bike & Sip route squeezes nine wineries into six kilometres. This is wine country at its most unstuffy: famous names, little producers, sunshine and scenery. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Follow the vines on our New Zealand Grape Escape trip.

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Wanderlist

Places on our radar

FIVE WILD NIGHTS You arrive in Zululand having relatively normal interests; the next minute, you’re enormously invested in rhino footprints and briefly fascinated by dung. One of the many show-stealing bits? Cruising across Lake Jozini with hippos bobbing nearby and, if the safari gods are feeling generous, an elephant or two swimming past. This is safari country with history beneath its tyres. It’s been protecting its wilderness for well over a century and is also where the southern white rhino, frighteningly close to extinction, staged a conservation comeback. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Stay at Ghost Mountain Inn on our KwaZulu-Natal Zululand Safari, with time to put down the binoculars for the spa and pool.

COURTSIDE, STATESIDE We’ll book your tickets for Major League Baseball, NBA basketball or NHL ice hockey. Think hot dogs, giant scoreboards, kiss cams, mascots and cheerleaders. For serious sports fans? It’s an amazing chance to see the players, rivalries and legendary arenas you’ve followed for years, live. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Put game night on the itinerary in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston.

WHITE LANES, LATE NIGHTS Paros is being tipped as the new Mykonos, but it’s also a place to find real Greek island life. Sun-baked olive groves, little chapels and cats asleep in doorways and exactly why it’s new to us this year. The glam bit? Naoussa. A little fishing harbour that goes all candlelit restaurants, fabulous outfits, dancing on chairs and absolutely nobody going home early. You can be lost in ancient Greece before lunch and knee-deep in a great night out by dinner. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Go full Greek island-hopping fantasy. Mykonos, Paros, Santorini in one holiday. We’ll take care of planning the ferries and hotels.

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Few moments on holiday match the thrill of a wildlife sighting. Sometimes it’s the headline act – a tiger on the track ahead or a manta ray beneath your fins. But sometimes it’s the off-script encounter you never saw coming. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite places to watch the wild world do what it does best: surprise you.

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STRIPE HYPE

On safari in India A Bengal tiger might top the wildlife bill in India, but there’s far more to see here than stripes. Safari through Pench, Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna, where sal forests and open meadows shelter sloth bears, wild dogs, jackals, gray langur monkeys and prolific birdlife. Move across the map and India keeps switching up the sightings, from rhinos and elephants to lions, red pandas and snow leopards. There are some brilliant conservation comeback stories here too. Safari credentials? India has them in spades. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Our In Search of the Bengal Tiger trip combines four national parks with the colour, culture and full-throttle pace of Mumbai and Delhi.

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Animal Instinct

Wild thing

ONLY IN AUSTRALIA Meet the locals

Australia’s wildlife trail gets seriously good out west. On Rottnest, quokkas grin from the scrub, while off Ningaloo the ocean brings out the heavyweights: whale sharks and humpbacks. Then head south to Kangaroo Island for koalas in the gums, kangaroos in rust-coloured bushland and sea lions stretched along the sand. It’s a route starring an unmistakably Aussie cast, with a different backdrop at every stop. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Our Australia’s Ultimate Wildlife Safari links Rottnest, Ningaloo and Kangaroo Island, with a Barossa breather for vineyard views and a few well-earned swirls of Shiraz.

NATIVE STARS Go in search of quokkas, whale sharks, koalas and sea lions on this Australian wildlife route.

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Wild thing

Animal Instinct

Manta Rays

Big blue encounters in the Maldives

Botswana after dark

DEEP IMPACT

South Ari Atoll is where the Maldives swaps postcard pretty for full-blown marine action. You don’t need to be a seasoned diver to get close to it either. House reefs are busy with iridescent fish, turtles and rays, while boat trips head further out for manta rays, dolphins and deeper-water dive sites. If the stars align, a whale-shark excursion could put you alongside a true ocean giant. And South Ari is only one corner of it. Across the Maldives, paradise gets even more interesting below the surface. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Our South Ari Twin Centre pairs two contrasting island stays with some of the Maldives’ best odds for spotting whale sharks.

BIG CAT WATCH

At Sediba sa Rona, the best wildlife watching starts before you’ve even left camp. Right on the Khwai River, the camp sits where floodplain, woodland and water meet, and the wildlife list runs from buffalo and hyena to wild dogs, lions and leopards. Head out by 4x4 for daytime drama, switch to a night drive once the sun drops, or take to the water by mokoro and pole through papyruslined channels. This is big-cat country for sure, but the real thrill is never quite knowing what will wander into view next. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Stay at Sediba sa Rona for river views straight from your deck, days out on safari, nocturnal adventures and a frontrow seat to life along the Khwai.

LET’S TALK TRAVEL Come and chat to us at your local Kuoni store.

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Animal Instinct

Wild thing

Pygmy elephants, Borneo

Slender Loris, Sri Lanka

Borneo from the water

Wildlife wins in Sri Lanka

RIVER DEEP

Want to see a different side of Borneo? Head for the Kinabatangan, a lesserknown safari headliner where the rainforest crowds the riverbanks and the wildlife comes thick and fast. Monkeys bounce through the branches, hornbills sweep overhead and crocodiles idle in the shallows, while soft-footed pygmy elephants can wander right down to the water’s edge. You can spot orangutans here too, or head deeper in for a closer look at life in the canopy. Swap treetops for tropical shores at Gaya Island Resort in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, where coral gardens fringe five forested islands. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Our Kinabatangan River Safari is a twonight add-on that fits neatly into a wider Borneo trip, with dawn and dusk river cruises and a stay at Hornbill Lodge, where the jungle soundtrack carries on after dark.

ISLAND INSTINCTS

Sri Lanka might be bite-sized, but the wildlife is anything but. At Minneriya National Park, the dry season marks The Gathering, when hundreds of elephants converge on the shrinking reservoir to graze. And that’s just one stop. Wilpattu is home to sloth bears and crocodiles, rainforest trails in Sigiriya and Sinharaja have their own smaller stars, from slender lorises to tiny frogs, and Yala serves up big-cat territory by the sea. The beauty of safari here is how much you can pack into one island, without spending half the holiday getting from park to park. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Our Wild Sri Lanka trip combines four national parks with standout stays chosen for their wildlife-rich locations. Then swap safari tracks for a Maldivian sandbank.

HERD MENTALITY Don’t miss The Gathering, when hundreds of elephants come together around Minneriya’s reservoir.

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Animal Instinct

Wild thing

GAME CHANGER The Waterberg, South Africa Meet the Waterberg, a new addition to our South Africa collection and an under-the-radar Big Five escape. The draw is simple: serious game viewing, small private lodges and acres of space, all within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where conservation and community go hand in hand. Think treehouse hideaways, waterholes outside the lodge and game drives with far fewer people around. Better still, it’s malaria-free and an easy hop from Jo’burg. MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Pair the Waterberg with Mauritius and trade bushveld mornings for lagoon swims and fresh seafood by the shore. Or carry on to Zanzibar for spice markets and dhow sails at sunset.

Welgevonden Game Reserve, Waterberg

SAFARI SECRET The Waterberg is an under-the-radar Big Five escape within easy reach of Johannesburg.

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Morocco magic

Souk searching

Marrakech

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Morocco magic

Souk searching

Morocco has long earned its place on the travel map. Now it’s back on ours, with new stays and multi-centres running from riad rooftops to Atlas trails, desert camps and beachside boltholes. With this much variety within reach, why choose just one backdrop? Here’s how to see more of Morocco in one trip.

MARRAKECH TWIN CENTRE: Two tempos, one city Stay a few nights in the heart of the medina. Get your bearings on a Highlights of the Medina walking tour and bed down at Riad La Clé D’Or for a bona fide old-city experience. Next, make for an oasisstyle resort outside the city, with gardens, long blue pools and the Atlas Mountains on the horizon. It’s Marrakech in two very different moods: high-energy first, hideaway second.

Medina, Marrekech

SPICE, SUMMITS & SEA: WELCOME TO MOROCCO Morocco, a cultural crossroads shaped by its North African roots and its Atlantic and Mediterranean shores, has serious bucket-list credentials. Ancient cities, mountain villages, desert camps, surf towns and vineyards can all slot into the same trip, with surprisingly short hops between them.

landscapes for stargazing or west to blue-shuttered ports and wave-heavy beaches. Further north, Fes, Rabat and Casablanca bring their own city energy, with old quarters, grand avenues and galleries side by side. That’s the joy of a holiday here – you can dial the pace up or down as you go.

Marrakech is the gateway most people know best, and it’s full throttle from the off. Scooters buzz past tiled courtyards, spices rise in bright pyramids, smoke curls from street-food grills and rooftop terraces serve mint tea above the medina muddle. Marrakech makes a brilliant city break, but the road out is just as tempting. A short transfer takes you to the pine-scented foothills of the Atlas Mountains, on to Agafay’s lunar

And the food? Amazing. Arab and Mediterranean flavours all get a seat at the table. Have a tagine served beneath the orange trees of a riad courtyard, tuck into pastilla under the palms and save room for honey-soaked pastries fresh from the bakery. By the coast, seafood comes straight off the boats and Oualidia is oyster country. And a wildcard? Wine. Around 60% of Morocco’s wine is produced in the

Meknes region, including vin gris, a pale, dry rosé that’s something of a local signature. You notice the warmth in the people too, from a riad host pressing another helping on you to someone steering you through the tangle of old-city lanes. And yes, absolutely make time for a hammam. After a day of souks, sightseeing and sensory overload, steam, black soap and a vigorous scrub hit the reset button nicely. Want to see just how much you can fit into one Morocco trip? Here are the stops we can work into a multi-centre. →

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS Around 60% of Morocco’s wine is produced in the Meknes region.

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Morocco magic

Souk searching

ATLAS BOUND The answer to Marrakech’s heat? Up you go. Within a couple of hours, the High Atlas opens up into terraced slopes, green valleys and small Amazigh villages, with the peaks looming ahead. Ourika Valley is one of the easiest ways in. The valley is a green ribbon of orchards, streams and terraced hills, with red-earth paths winding between them. Follow the paths towards Setti Fatma and its seven waterfalls or spend time with local communities. It’s close enough to visit for the day, but staying overnight is where the magic really starts.

Walking is a big part of the Atlas experience, so lace up and take your pick: easy village paths, valley hikes or full-on mountain trekking. Venture towards Imlil and Toubkal National Park, where Mount Toubkal climbs to 4,167 metres, the highest peak in North Africa. Kasbahs are another reason to spend a night or two here. Once built as fortified homes, these mountain hideaways now make spectacular bases for exploring the Atlas. Kasbah Bab Ourika sits high above the valley with gardens supplying the kitchen and a Beldi spa. Kasbah Tamadot is the big-name showstopper. with Berber tents, hammam treatments,

local experiences and three MICHELIN Keys. And after a morning on the trails, you’ll have earned lunch. Kasbah Angour has a knockout pool and a restaurant making the most of its mountain setting, with seasonal produce grown in its gardens, including figs and pomegranates. When you’ve had enough of the trails, switch things up. Saddle up for a horse ride, take to the mountain roads by bike or try rafting through the valleys. Follow your nose to a saffron farm or see traditional Amazigh crafts including handwoven rugs, pottery and jewellery being made.

MARRAKECH & ATLAS MOUNTAINS: Heat to highlands Begin in Marrakech, then head into the Atlas for hikes, village visits and days out in the foothills. Make the hotel part of the adventure with a stay in a characterful kasbah, where you can step from breakfast into the gardens and straight onto the trails. Keep going to the coast for the Morocco hattrick: city, mountains and sea.

Ourika Valley

PEAK SLEEP Stay a night or two in the Atlas and explore the mountains from a characterful kasbah.

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LUXURY MARRAKECH & COAST: Red city, blue coast Pair a Marrakech riad-style stay with La Sultana Oualidia on the lagoon. See more of the country in between, with a Highlights of the Medina walking tour and a luxury Atlas day trip topped off with a gourmet lunch. Go behind the scenes in Oualidia, with a sustainability tour of the bay and a peek at the hotel’s own green credentials.

Oualidia

COASTAL MOROCCO If sea air is part of your holiday maths, look west. Essaouira has bohemian charm in spades: blue fishing boats bob in the harbour, white-and-blue buildings fill the walled old town and the Atlantic breeze sets the scene for surfing and kitesurfing. Climb the ramparts where Game of Thrones fans will recognise Astapor, then drop down to the fishing port for sardines or squid hot off the grill. Further south, Oualidia centres on a glassy lagoon, fringed by oyster beds and shallows busy with birdlife. La Sultana Oualidia makes a lovely base, with wine-and-oyster tastings, salt-marsh bike rides and golden-hour cruises. Taghazout turns the volume back up. This former fishing village is now one of Morocco’s best-known surf spots, with breaks including Anchor Point and Killer

Point, plus seven kilometres of beach backed by argan forests. Surf by day, yoga when you’re done, then swap the board for a lounger at The View Agadir, with beach and wellness time on tap. Agadir is Morocco’s classic beachresort pick – and there’s a reason it’s been a favourite for decades. A long sweep of golden sand fronts the city, while El Had souk packs in more than 6,000 shops. Take the cable car up to Agadir Oufella, the old kasbah above the bay, then come back down for warm bread dunked into amlou by the water. Most of these coastal spots are only a few hours from Marrakech, making a city-and-sea twin-centre an easy combo. Our Luxury Marrakech and Coast holiday puts the contrast front and centre, pairing two distinct La Sultana addresse. →

ON LOCATION Game of Thrones fans might recognise Essaouira’s ramparts as Astapor.

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MARRAKECH, DESERT & BEACH: Spice stalls to stargazing Start in Marrakech, weaving through Djemaa el-Fna, bargaining in the souqs and cooling off among the cobalt walls and palms of Jardin Majorelle. Spend a night in Agafay, with dinner at camp, stars overhead and breakfast with the desert outside your tent. Finish in Agadir, moving from desert camp life to golden sand and beach days.

Marrakech

CITY CONTRASTS The further north you go, the more Morocco’s cityscape shifts. Fes, Rabat and Casablanca make a brilliant threecity contrast: centuries-old quarters, cliffside kasbahs, Art Deco façades, Roman ruins and the odd glass of vin gris along the way. Fes gets under your skin fast. Its ancient heart is a maze of tiled madrasas, workshops and narrow lanes where losing your bearings is half the fun. Follow a guide through Fes el-Bali, stop at the famous tanneries, where a sprig of mint helps with the smell, then retreat to Palais Amani, a 21-room riad in a former family home,

with a courtyard garden and rooftop views across the old city. Beyond Fes itself, day trips take you to Meknes, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and nearby vineyards. Rabat, Morocco’s capital, feels noticeably more laid-back. Wander through the cobalt-painted Kasbah of the Oudayas and stop for tea beforevheading to Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum. See more of the capital on our electric tricycle tour, then check into The View Rabat in smart Hay Riad for rooftop drinks, spa time and Italian small plates at Chichetti.

Casablanca has a more metropolitan swagger. Art Deco façades line broad boulevards, the Corniche traces the edge of the city and the Hassan II Mosque is the architectural heavyweight, complete with a retractable roof. Its old quarter is smaller and easier to navigate than Fes or Marrakech. At Marché Central, choose your seafood from the stalls and have a local restaurants cook it to order. Our Cities & Medinas of Morocco holiday is our city-hopping route through Fes, Rabat and Casablanca, with guided old-city tours, vineyard stops and a Rabat food tour thrown in.

CITY SPIN Explore the Moroccan capital on three wheels with an electric tricycle tour.

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Souk searching

DESERT NIGHTS Forget the long trek to the Sahara. Just 30–45 minutes from Marrakech, Agafay opens out into sun-baked hills and desert camps, and suddenly the city feels very far away. The real reason to make a night of it? After dark, the low light pollution is a stargazer’s dream.

you in Bedouin-style tents with private bathrooms and terraces, where you can watch the sunrise spread across Agafay before breakfast. The camp serves delicious Moroccan food, with dishes such as beef tagine with almonds and prunes among the specialities.

There’s plenty to do before the sun goes down. Hike through the desert hills, get stuck into a Moroccan cooking class, kick up dust by quad or buggy, or saddle up for a horse ride.

Émeraude is the smaller-scale stay; The White Camel goes all-in on razzle-dazzle, with private lodges, some with their own pools, plus spa time and fine dining. Yoga, hiking and stargazing are all on the menu too, if you can tear yourself away from an argan oil massage or steam hammam.

Then there’s the best bit: waking up here. Émeraude Luxury Camp puts

Morocco magic

Tents & Tagines

BEST TIME TO VISIT MOROCCO: Plan your trip Spring and autumn are the sweet spots, with comfortable temperatures for city exploring, Atlas hikes and days out in Agafay. For winter warmth, the coast is your best bet. Agadir and Taghazout stay sunny and mild, while Essaouira is a good shoulder-season pick too. Surfers head to Taghazout between October and April, when the bigger swells roll in. Marrakech and Agafay really heat up in summer, so desert trips tend to move later in the day, while Oualidia and Agadir are in peak holiday mode.

Agafay desert

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Read our expert’s Marrakech guide, packed with tips, favourite finds and what not to miss.

LIGHTS OUT Agafay’s low light pollution makes it a dream for stargazing.

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Back from the latest round of adventures, our experts share the moments they loved, the places that surprised them and the tips worth knowing.

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Postcards

Seen it, loved it

MORE TO FALL FOR HELEN AUSTIN, Africa Product Manager “I’d always thought of Victoria Falls as a stopover. Having been there, I’d absolutely treat it as a destination in its own right. My biggest takeaway? I wish I’d stayed longer. The falls are spectacular, of course, especially from March to May when they’re at full force, but spending time on the Zambezi River was what really blew me away. It’s rich in wildlife, with hippos, crocodiles, elephants and a riot of birdlife along the banks. I did both sunrise and sunset cruises, and sunrise wins for me. The river was so peaceful, like a millpond, and we had it almost to ourselves.

There’s so much more to do once you start looking beyond the falls. Browse Victoria Falls town and its markets, head out on safari, ride the Bamba Tram or try the Flying Fox across the gorge. And if you pick one big-ticket activity? Make it a helicopter ride. Seeing the falls and Zambezi from above was one of the biggest wow moments of the trip.” MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Our 7-night Rivers and Rainbows itinerary builds in plenty of time to do the many activities around Victoria Falls before heading out on safari in Chobe National Park.

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Seen it, loved it

Postcards

UP, UP AND AWAY HANNAH COX, Assistant Manager at Kuoni Bluewater “If you want a holiday with plenty of contrast, Istanbul and Cappadocia are a dream team. We took on the ‘city of two continents’ first, weaving between grand mosques and packed bazaars, hopping on ferries across the Bosphorus and watching the skyline slide past in a jumble of domes, minarets and waterfront mansions. Cappadocia was every bit as extraordinary as I’d hoped: an otherworldly pocket of the country dotted with honeycombed hills and cave dwellings. We stayed in Uçhisar, high above Pigeon Valley, wandering between quirky shops and cafés, walking the trails and exploring Göreme.

The hot-air balloon flight absolutely lived up to the Instagram hype. Before sunrise, around 150 balloons drifted over vineyards and volcanic ridges, filling the sky with bright bursts of colour. It was quiet, surreal and completely mesmerising – easily the moment that topped our trip.” MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Our five-night Istanbul & Cappadocia trip includes the bucket-list balloon flight. We stayed at Argos in Cappadocia – no two rooms are the same, the service is incredible and the cave spa is one of the biggest in Turkey.

Read more of Hannah’s Cappadocia highs and highlights

READY WHEN YOU ARE When you’re ready to turn holiday ideas into plans, call us on 0808 278 6061.

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Postcards

Seen it, loved it

GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM BEKKI TURNER, Personal Travel Expert at Kuoni Manchester “One of the things I loved about Vietnam was how different each place felt. Hanoi was my favourite city. It has this great mix of French colonial buildings, amazing street food and so much energy. Train Street was a highlight too. Tiny cafés sit right beside the tracks, and it’s where I discovered the salt coffee I still dream about – don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! Hoi An was another standout and genuinely one of the prettiest places I’ve visited. The Old Town is filled with cobbled streets and colourful lanterns, and it’s somewhere I’d put on any Vietnam itinerary. And definitely don’t miss Halong Bay. I did a two-day cruise aboard the Au Co and everything from the food to the cabins was exceptional. Even the 6am wake-up for Tai Chi was worth it. Watching the sun come up over Halong Bay, with the water completely still, is something I’ll never forget.” MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Travel Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City to Halong Bay, mixing big-name cities with quieter corners, a luxury rail journey and time on the coast.

ALL ABOARD Don’t miss The Vietage, one of Vietnam’s standout rail experiences.

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Epic Coasts

Some holidays are about where you stay. These are about how far you can go. Our expedition cruise & stay collection spans Antarctica, Alaskan fjords and pinprick South Pacific isles – but we’re not stopping at the gangway. We’ll help you make the days either side count too, with cities, rainforest adventures or beach time that make the whole trip work harder. Here’s how to pick the route and play the rest.

THE COASTAL EXPRESS This is a voyage plugged into everyday Norwegian life. Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express connects Bergen to Kirkenes through a string of ports and towns. Fjords pinched between mountains, fishing villages slip past the windows and the Arctic Circle lies ahead. The crew have spent years sailing these waters, so the commentary comes with stories, local detail and insights you’d never pick up from a map. THE BIG MOMENTS • Sail deep into Geirangerfjord • Cross the Arctic Circle into Norway’s far north

• Stand high above the Barents Sea at North Cape MAKE IT EPIC Hop off in one port for an expedition-led adventure, then rejoin the ship further along the coast. STAY LONGER Bookend the voyage with colourful Bergen and Copenhagen for Scandi food, harbour-side mooching and a spin through Tivoli Gardens.

CAMP COOL Spend a night under Antarctic skies with an optional camp-out on the ice.

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Expedition cruising

HIGHLIGHTS OF ANTARCTICA

Antarctica isn’t the place for cruise-lite. HX Expeditions has spent over 130 years venturing into the planet’s more remote reaches, and that know-how shows. Your ship becomes a floating base camp, with expedition experts and Zodiacs ready to zip you out among icebergs, penguins and whales. Back on board, there are hot tubs, three restaurants, plus drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities all wrapped in. Off-grid? Completely. Off-comfort? Far from it.

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Seventh Heaven

THE BIG MOMENTS • Zodiac landings on the Antarctic Peninsula • Hands-on Citizen Science projects • Hot tubs overlooking the frozen wilds MAKE IT EPIC Push the boat out with an Antarctic camp-out or kayak through glassy polar waters. STAY LONGER Kick off in Buenos Aires for tango and city nights, then finish on an estancia with saddle time, ranch days and fire-cooked feasts.

Rails & Sails

JOURNEY THROUGH THE CLOUDS & ALASKA CRUISE This adventure puts the scenery in widescreen. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Jasper to Vancouver in a glass-domed carriage, then swap rails for a seven-night Holland America cruise among fjords and frontier towns. Sailing Alaska since 1947, the line has long-standing ties to these waters and coastal communities. Keep watch for bears, whales, otters and eagles from rail, deck and shore. THE BIG MOMENTS • Ride the Rocky Mountaineer west • Cruise through Glacier Bay • Gold Rush history in Skagway MAKE IT EPIC Upgrade to GoldLeaf Service on the Rocky Mountaineer for glass-domed coaches and elevated dining. STAY LONGER Work in a few extra nights in Banff and Jasper for lakeside trails and scenic stops on the Icefields Parkway.

Caption

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Expedition cruising

CIRCLE OF ICE & FIRE Mother Nature is well and truly on her A-game in Iceland. Circle the island with HX Expeditions past volcanoes, waterfalls, deep fjords and tiny fishing towns, keeping watch for puffins and whales as you go. Expedition boats get you closer, while the team on board unpacks the science and stories behind Iceland’s wildest corners.

Lava Land

THE BIG MOMENTS • See Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods • Spot puffins around Bakkagerði • Cross the Arctic Circle MAKE IT EPIC Get hands-on with Citizen Science, expert briefings and photography tips from the team on board. STAY LONGER Add a few days in Reykjavík before you sail for hot-spring dips and Old Harbour wanders, then finish in Selfoss with the Golden Circle on your doorstep.

Iceland

City To Sea

AMAZON ADVENTURES TO CARIBBEAN CHARMS Start among Rio de Janeiro’s samba and Sugarloaf views, then sail the Amazon with Explora Journeys, slipping into tributaries by small boat and seeing the Meeting of the Waters, where two rivers run side by side in different colours. From there, islandhop through the Caribbean. On board, expect seriously good dining, spa time and sharp service. THE BIG MOMENTS • Amazon tributary small boat trips • Watch two rivers run side by side at the Meeting of the Waters • Island-hop across the Caribbean MAKE IT EPIC Add a few days in Búzios before the cruise for some boutique browsing. STAY LONGER Linger longer in Rio, then end with all-inclusive fun in the Dominican Republic.

PUFFIN PATROL Summer is a great time to spot puffins around Iceland’s coast.

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Expedition cruising

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ISLAND CULTURES & CORALS Small-ship cruising with Seabourn gives this route room to roam, taking in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia with Zodiacs and tenders getting you closer to reefs, villages and far-flung shores. Back on board, it’s a strong inclusions game, with gourmet dining, premium drinks and expert-led experiences all part of the package. You even cross the International Date Line along the way. THE BIG MOMENTS • Zodiac hops into remote island communities • Mask-on moments across the reefs • Beach landings on tiny South Pacific islands MAKE IT EPIC Take your pick from optional hikes, island tours, drift snorkelling or kayaking with Seabourn’s expedition experts. STAY LONGER Finish in Bora Bora with an overwater bungalow stay, lagoon dips and sunset Mai Tais.

Colo Suva Forest Reserve, Suva, Fiji

Lagoon Life

Tahiti, Bora Bora, Rangiroa and Moorea - French Polynesia

ISLAND OVERTIME Top off the adventure in Bora Bora with an overwater stay and sunset Mai Tais.

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Cruise, coast and carry on exploring. These island-hopping holidays prove the best trips rarely stop at just one shore.

Barbados

IT BEGINS WITH HELLO Tell us what’s on your holiday wish list. Call 0808 278 6061 and let’s talk.

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More to sea

Shore thing

Dominica

Caviar in the Surf ® St Kitts

Some of the Caribbean’s most alluring islands keep a lower profile. So how do you seek out the ones that sit beyond the usual circuit? We’ve found just the ticket. This seven-night Seabourn voyage strings together tucked-away harbours and lesserknown coastal corners. For Caribbean island-hopping with serious style, Seabourn knows how to deliver. Think smaller, yacht-like ships, spacious suites, top-tier dining and service that quickly gets personal. Unpack once, wake somewhere new each morning and let the ship take care of the miles between islands, including ports that bigger ships can’t get to. SMALL SHIP, BIG DIFFERENCE The luxury on Seabourn Ovation shows up in the details. With around 600 guests on board, there’s none of that mega-ship feel. Every suite has a private veranda, and all dining is included, even the speciality restaurants. Then there’s Seabourn Square, the ship’s unofficial living

room. Drop in for a flat white, swing by for gelato after dinner and don’t be surprised when the crew remembers your usual. ISLANDS, UNLOCKED Once you start hopping, the contrast is half the fun. Saint Lucia serves up Piton views, snorkelling and catamaran sails. Barbados has powder-soft beaches and rum to sample. Guadeloupe brings Creole flavour, and Dominica is all jungle-clad peaks, steaming springs, waterfall trails and rivers cutting through thick rainforest. Seabourn’s longer stays in port let you make more of each stop, whether that’s on an organised experience or under your own steam.

Then comes one of Seabourn’s more gloriously over-the-top signature moments: Caviar in the Surf® on Carambola Beach in St Kitts. Uniformed staff wade into turquoise shallows with Champagne and caviar served from a surfboard bar. Understated? Not remotely. Fun? Very.

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Want the full island roll call? Scan here to see the sailing.

SURF’S UP Seabourn serves Champagne and caviar from a surfboard bar in the shallows of St Kitts.

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Shore thing

More to sea

TOP TIPS MELISSA SCARLETT Product Manager

PICK YOUR COAST

Where you stay in Barbados makes a difference. Go west for calm seas and luxury hotels, south for a livelier base with plenty of bars and restaurants, or east for a wilder, more awayfrom-it-all feel. DINE YOUR WAY

Self-catering gives you the freedom to eat where and when you fancy. Try different restaurants, follow word-ofmouth tips and leave room for those places you only discover once you’re there. RUM WITH IT

In the birthplace of rum, it pays to dig a little deeper than the cocktail menu. Visit a distillery, join a tasting or call into a neighbourhood rum shop and order yours with a chaser like the locals do.

Barbados

MAKE TIME FOR BARBADOS Barbados deserves far more than a quick airport-to-port transfer. Having explored the island first-hand, Melissa knows the magic starts when you give it a few days and venture beyond the beach. DOUBLE YOUR HOLIDAY I love cruising because you get to wake up somewhere new every day and see several islands in one trip. But I’d never rush straight through Barbados just because the ship is waiting. Stay a little longer before or after and you get the best of both. It’s essentially two holidays in one: the adventure of a cruise combined with the relaxation and authenticity of a longer island stay.

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Tempted by Barbados? Take a look.

BEACH OUT, BRANCH OUT There’s no denying the pull of the west coast, but make time to see another side of Barbados. Getting around is easy, so hire a car or hop on a ZR van, one of the island’s music-playing route taxis. You’ll pass brightly painted

chattel houses and little rum shops along the way before reaching the rugged scenery of the east coast. Make sure you sample some Bajan favourites too. Grab a fish cutter, try the macaroni pie and save an evening for the likes of Harbour Lights or Oistins Fish Fry, where seafood sizzles on the grill to a soundtrack of soca and reggae. PUT FIVE ON IT For me, five nights is the sweet spot for a Barbados stay alongside your cruise. It’s long enough to shake off that feeling of being in transit and really settle into island life, with beach days, rum-shack lunches, sunset dinners and the chance to explore further afield. If time is tight, I’d still add at least two or three nights. And if you have to choose between staying before or after your cruise, go before. You’ve got that extra buffer for your flight, plus a few days to relax before you set sail.

FRY-DAY NIGHT Head to Oistins for grilled fish, music and a lively slice of Bajan nightlife.

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More to sea

Shore thing

ISLAND-HOPPING HOTLIST 1. Italy: Ischia & Sorrento

2. Thailand: Krabi, Koh Yao Yai & Phuket

3. Indonesia: Bali, Gili Meno & Lombok

4. Greece: Mykonos, Paros & Santorini

JEMMA ABELL, Customer Support, Expert Hub “If you’re thinking of a week in Sorrento, I’d split it with Ischia. They’re only a couple of hours apart by boat yet feel so different. I’d only known Ischia for its spa hotels, then found lovely little towns and hardly any crowds. From Sorrento, you’re well placed for exploring Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. And while you’re on Ischia, hike Mount Epomeo for the views, then order a Rucolino, a moreish lemon and herb digestif.”

YAZZ RAJ, Far East expert “I love Bali, but if you’re travelling all that way, I’d definitely see more of Indonesia than one island. We’ve built some brilliant experiences into our Indonesian Island Hopper, so you’ll explore Bali’s temples by vintage VW, cycle around car-free Gili Meno and snorkel for turtles, then head into Lombok’s rice fields and craft villages beneath Mount Rinjani. The islands are close neighbours too, which makes fitting all three into 12 nights much easier than you might think.”

NATALIE HINMAN, Personal Travel Expert, Kuoni Cribbs Causeway “For a beach-first adventure in Southeast Asia, our Thailand Island Hopper trip gives you more than one side of the south. Start among Krabi’s limestone cliffs, mangroves and knockout beaches, before slowing things down on sleepy Koh Yao Yai. Then finish in Phuket, swapping between temple visits, night-market wanders and dips in the Andaman Sea. My Phuket must-do is the Elephant Care experience, following jungle trails and canopy walkways to spot elephants roaming freely.”

HANNAH PERL, Product Executive “If you fancy island-hopping around Greece, Mykonos, Paros and Santorini make a winning trio. You go from Mykonos’s whitewashed lanes and beach clubs to Paros’s sandy beaches and little fishing villages. In Naoussa, I loved winding through the narrow streets before stopping for a drink by the harbour. The ferry journeys are a highlight too, especially the approach to Santorini, with its volcanic cliffs rising straight out of the sea. Talk about saving a showstopper for last.”

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THE

Seen, stayed and selected by our experts: seven special new additions with a real sense of place.

Heritance Aarah

The luxe list

Stay in style

Location, location, location? That’s only the start. Say hello to our latest hotel head-turners.

SALT of Palmar

POOL-VILLA LIVING, 1,000 FEET UP Barbados is famous for its beaches, but head inland and the landscape changes quickly. At Apes Hill, 1,000 feet above sea level in St James, three- and fourbedroom pool villas give you space and privacy, with green hills, gullies and walking trails all around. Golf is a major draw, with an 18-hole championship course, a family-friendly nine-hole parthree course and PGA coaching, while padel, tennis, yoga and hiking broaden the appeal. You’re still well connected to the west coast, too. Holetown, a lively hub for restaurants, shops and beaches, is just over 10 minutes away, and a complimentary shuttle runs to the guests-only beach club in Speightstown. Villa freedom, serious golf and west-coast beach days, all in one stay. THE WILD CARD IN YOUR THAILAND TRIP This is one of the standout stays on our 10-night Soul of Southern Thailand journey, between Phang Nga and the beaches of Khao Lak. Head inland to Khao Sok National Park, then cross Cheow Lan Lake by longtail boat to 360 Issara Floating Resort, surrounded by jungle-clad limestone cliffs. Wake to mist on the water, kayak from the resort,

swim in the lake and head out by boat to look for wildlife. From here you can trek trails, visit Pa Ka Rang Cave and take golden hour cruises across the lake. The full board keeps things easy, with meals and scheduled boat transfers taken care of, while air-conditioned rooms mean you can go properly remote without roughing it. CITY BREAK. JUNGLE SETTING. Capella gives Singapore a resort-style twist. Set in 30 acres of rainforest on Sentosa, it blends heritage buildings with contemporary architecture, spacious rooms and villas with private plunge pools. There’s also a destination spa, several restaurants and acres of greenery to come back to between sightseeing. Central Singapore is just over 10 minutes away by car, while a complimentary shuttle runs to Resorts World Sentosa, home to Universal Studios Singapore. And this isn’t a hotel that keeps Singapore at arm’s length. You can head to Tiong Bahru wet market with a chef, explore local art and heritage, then return to the pools and nearby beach. Whether it’s a city stay, resort stay or first stop on a bigger Asia trip, Capella handles all three rather neatly. →

LET’S TALK TRAVEL Come and chat to us at your local Kuoni store.

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Stay in style

The luxe list

FIVE STARS BY DAY. A MILLION BY NIGHT. Gennadi Grand Resort is a contemporary seafront resort in South Rhodes, with low-rise buildings, pale stone, landscaped grounds and pools woven through the hotel. There’s a beach, a strong wellness focus and an All Inclusive option covering a broad choice of dining across the resort’s eight restaurants and four bars. After dark, things get more unusual: free weekly astronomy sessions use telescopes to pick out constellations, planets and other celestial sights in the Rhodian sky. By day, you can learn to make melekouni, the island’s honeyand-sesame sweet, or try ceramic painting. Lindos makes for an easy day out, while nearby Gennadi village is a good option for a taverna dinner. THE MALDIVES, WITHOUT THE MENTAL MATHS. The holiday starts with a 40-minute seaplane flight from Malé, soaring over reefs and tiny islands before you touch down in Raa Atoll. Heritance Aarah then makes Premium All Inclusive earn its name, with cooking classes, cocktail masterclasses, guided housereef snorkelling, a Maldivian Village

SALT of Palmar

experience and roaming carts serving ice cream, sweets and cocktails, alongside seven restaurants and five bars. Villas range from beach to overwater, with two-bedroom family options and private pools. Butler service gives you a go-to person throughout your stay, smoothing out the day-to-day details. Our insider move? Don’t automatically default to overwater. Families may find the beach villas, with sand straight outside and plenty of space, an even better fit. MAURITIUS, BEYOND THE BEACH Mauritius does spectacular beaches brilliantly. SALT of Palmar gives you even more to talk about. This adultsonly boutique hotel has just 59 rooms on the east coast, with bold colour, ocean views and food that puts local farmers, fishermen and growers centre stage. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are à la carte, with everything cooked from scratch, while the bakery turns out fresh breads, pastries, tropical jams and barista coffee. Then get out and explore: cycle locally, meet Mauritians through skill-sharing experiences or use the hotel’s own island guide to find places you might otherwise miss. Back at base, there’s kayaking,

360 Issara Floating Resort

paddleboarding, guided snorkelling, yoga and a beach right outside. Smallscale, big flavour and plenty of Mauritius beyond your sunlounger. OLD SOUL, ISLAND STYLE Montpelier has been doing its own thing on Nevis for 60 years and that’s a big part of the appeal. Set 750 feet up in the foothills of Nevis Peak, this boutique hideaway spreads through 60 acres of tropical gardens, with a big mosaic pool, private verandas and recently refreshed rooms that bring brighter Caribbean colour to the old sugar-estate setting. You may spot hummingbirds over breakfast or monkeys in the trees before you’ve even thought about the beach. Food is a serious draw too: our experts who’ve stayed here rate it among the best on Nevis, with poolside lunches, open-air dinners and private tasting menus inside a 300-year-old sugar mill. When you do fancy the sea, the hotel’s secluded beach is around 15 minutes away. This is small-scale Caribbean luxury with history and personality.

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: More expert-picked standout stays.

NIGHT LIGHTS Gennadi Grand hosts free weekly astronomy sessions under the Rhodian sky.

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Fancy a road trip? We’ll help shape the route around what you want to see, the pace you prefer, and the kind of places you want to stay, then sort the practical details, whether you’re self-driving or travelling with an expert driver-guide.

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Road trip ready

The scenic route

A great road trip isn’t just about where you stop. It’s everything you see, taste and discover along the way. Personal Travel Manager Lauren Abbott shares her favourite routes for adventures on four wheels.

BIG LANDSCAPES, MADE FOR ROAD-TRIPPING Essential Namibia Self-Drive

Stops: Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Etosha, Otjiwarongo Duration: 11 nights Namibia is famous for vast, cameracommanding landscapes, big-name wildlife and long open roads, making it a great choice for an adventurous selfdrive. This 11-night loop covers a lot of ground, and the scenery changes with it. From Windhoek, drive south into the Namib to climb Sossusvlei’s rust-red dunes and see the skeletal trees of Deadvlei. Then head for Swakopmund, where you can cross the sand by 4x4 or take in this extraordinary corner from a hot-air balloon. Further north, Damaraland turns wilder and more rugged, with ancient rock art and elephants roaming its arid valleys. Continue to Etosha’s salt pans, where wildlife congregates around the waterholes, before one last nature fix at Okonjima. You’ll encounter some rougher roads along the way, with longer stays giving you time to get out and explore. Prefer the passenger seat? We can arrange a privately guided version of a similar route instead. →

Namibia, Southern Africa

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Road trip ready

Take the scenic route

“

“Seeing a destination by road gives you a different perspective, with the freedom to experience far more than its best-known sights.”

Ella, Sri Lanka

SRI LANKA, WITH INSIDER INSIGHT Ultimate Sri Lanka

Stops: Negombo, Anuradhapura, Passikudah, Ella, Yala, Tangalle Duration: 14 nights Sri Lanka is a small island with an impressive variety of landscapes and experiences, so staying in one place would mean missing much of what makes it special. This 14-night journey takes you from ancient Anuradhapura and four nights on the beaches of Passikudah to the cooler tea country around Ella, then south to Yala and Tangalle. A private chauffeur-guide

handles the road sections, sharing local knowledge and giving you flexibility for worthwhile stops, while one memorable stretch swaps the car for the scenic train into Ella. Superb accommodation adds another tempting layer to the trip, especially the newly opened Uga Ghiri in Ella and Uga Prava in Tangalle. And if you want a few days of pure downtime afterwards, the Maldives is only around a 90-minute flight from Colombo.

ITALY CLASSICS, AT YOUR PACE

Perugia, Siena & Florence Stops: Perugia, Tuscan countryside, Siena, Florence Duration: 7 nights

Fly into Perugia, pick up your hire car, then set off through Umbria before crossing into Tuscany and finishing in Florence. The driving is easy to handle, leaving plenty of time for hill towns, vineyard roads, long lunches and the stops you hadn’t planned for. We can build in stays that suit your style, from a historic city hotel to a countryside retreat, and tailor the pace around you. Your trip includes a guided truffle hunt in the Tuscan hills. It’s a deliciously handson way to connect with the landscape, meet local experts and discover one of the region’s most prized ingredients. Then Siena and Florence bring the art, architecture and history. Want more time in Tuscany or an extra night in Florence? We can shape that too.

DOUBLE ACT Follow Sri Lanka with the Maldives for wildlife, culture and castaway beaches in one trip.

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Road trip ready

Take the scenic route

Whitsundays, Australia

Perugia, Italy

It’s a brilliant first taste of central Italy, with the classics covered and enough freedom to make the road between them every bit as memorable as the places themselves.

SEE RAJASTHAN BEYOND THE HEADLINES Magical Rajasthan

Stops: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mumbai Duration: 11 nights This isn’t a self-drive, and exploring Rajasthan is all the better for it. With a private car and driver, you can watch north-west India unfold around you, ask questions as you go, and arrive in each

Jaipur, India

place with more context than you’d get from simply joining the dots. Travel from Delhi to Agra, then west through Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur before finishing in Mumbai. You’ll see the Taj Mahal at sunrise, explore Jaipur’s palaces and bazaars, wander the Blue City of Jodhpur, and slow things down beside the lakes of Udaipur. You can also make the journey more personal, with options including a dawn tour of Delhi, a Jaipur tour following the journey of a flower, street photography, cooking with a local family, artisan visits, or a truck painting experience in Jodhpur. The hotels are characterful and the landmarks are extraordinary. The insights you pick up as you travel make the whole experience richer.

QUEENSLAND, FROM ROAD TO REEF Queensland Pacific Coast Way Self-Drive

Stops: Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, K’gari, Rockhampton, Whitsundays, Townsville, Mission Beach, Port Douglas, Cairns, Singapore Duration: 17 nights Start in Brisbane, then drive north through Queensland for around 1,200 miles, finishing in Tropical North Queensland before a Singapore stopover on the way home. It’s a brilliantly straightforward route to follow, but the scenery keeps changing: surf beaches and the Sunshine Coast, K’gari, the world’s largest sand island, →

GO OFF-ROAD Add a guided 4WD adventure to explore K’gari’s sandy tracks and freshwater lakes.

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Road trip ready

Take the scenic route

TOP TIPS FOR ROAD-TRIPPING RIGHT HEATHER FLANAGAN Conent Editor

MAKE THE PLAYLIST PART OF THE PLAN

“Country through Tennessee, blues into Mississippi, Italian classics through Tuscany. A good soundtrack can take you straight back there, long after the trip’s over.” DON’T HIRE IT BEFORE YOU NEED IT

“Spending your first few nights exploring a city? Pick up your hire car when you’re ready to hit the road. You won’t be paying for it to sit in a hotel car park, and you can skip the city driving too.”

YOUR SAFARI, YOUR OWN VEHICLE Tanzania Explorer: Serengeti Safari & Beyond

STOP WHERE EVERYONE ELSE DRIVES THROUGH

“Some of the most memorable nights can be in the smaller places between the big names, whether that’s a farm stay, desert lodge or tiny wine town.”

Stops: Arusha, Tarangire, Karatu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Duration: 8 nights Barrier Reef, Australia

BUILD IN SOME ‘NO CAR’ DAYS

“Park up for a day or two and explore on foot, by bike, boat or train. A road trip doesn’t have to mean being on the road every day.”

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Ready to hit the road? Scan for road-trip inspiration for every season.

with its sandy tracks and freshwater lakes, the Whitsundays, then palmfringed coast and rainforest as you near Port Douglas and Cairns. Longer stays are planned around the places where you’ll want more time, while Rockhampton, Townsville and Mission Beach break up the bigger drives. Talk to us about an optional guided 4WD trip across K’gari, the best ways to explore the Whitsunday islands and rainforest or adding a few extra nights wherever you want to slow down. It’s a welltrodden Australian road trip for good reason, but with plenty of room to make your version feel much more your own.

Northern Tanzania is home to some of Africa’s most famous safari landscapes and this journey links three of the greats: elephant-rich Tarangire, the wide-open Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. This is a small group safari, but we can also arrange it privately, with your own safari vehicle and more flexibility over the pace of the day, where you stop and how long you linger over a wildlife sighting. We have hand-picked the accommodation and experiences, while your guide brings the landscape and wildlife to life on the road. There’s more than game viewing too, with a tuktuk tour through a farming community, a stay on a working farm and a stop at Olduvai Gorge. And sunrise balloon safaris over Tarangire or the Serengeti give you another perspective altogether.

HIGH POINT Add a sunrise balloon safari for a bird’s-eye view of the Serengeti or Tarangire.

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Take the scenic route

Road trip ready

New Orleans

SOUNDTRACKS OF THE SOUTH Music Roots Road Trip

Stops: Nashville, Florence, Tupelo & Oxford, Memphis, Greenwood, Natchez, New Orleans Duration: 12 nights This self-drive follows the music south, starting with honky-tonks and country legends in Nashville before rolling through Alabama and Mississippi to Memphis and New Orleans. The Natchez Trace Parkway is one of the prettiest drives of the trip, while the

stops along the way read like a playlist of American music history: Muscle Shoals, Tupelo, Sun Studio, Stax, Beale Street and the Mississippi Delta. There’s plenty to tuck into between stops too, from fiery Nashville hot chicken to Memphis barbecue. Add a Nashville Attraction Pass to the itinerary and save a late night for live music in the French Quarter once you reach New Orleans. Consider this your backstage pass to the American South. n

IT BEGINS WITH HELLO Tell us what’s on your holiday wish list. Call 0808 278 6061 and let’s talk.

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Chester Lake, Kananaskis Country

Go off-script in British Columbia and Alberta, and a less familiar side comes into view. Mountains melting into prairie landscapes. Vineyards rolling towards desert hills. Lakeside towns sit between the Selkirk, Monashee, Clark and Purcell ranges. This is western Canada with more miles, fewer crowds and plenty of reasons to pull over. Tempted to take the longer road? Here are the regions to explore and three itineraries that put the overlooked corners firmly in the frame.

Keep the Canadian Rockies, change the route The big names are famous for a reason. Lake Louise really is that blue and the Rockies line the road with one knockout view after another. But the insider trick isn’t what you cut, it’s what you add. Stay overnight on the Icefields Parkway at Glacier View Lodge and, once the sightseeing coaches roll on, you’re still there beside the Columbia Icefield. Or base yourself in Canmore for mountain views and easy access to the Rockies, away from the busiest parts of Banff. Mountains meet prairie in Southern Alberta South of Calgary, the Rockies tumble into ranch land and open grassland. Walk the Bear’s Hump Trail, cruise Upper Waterton Lake or detour through Crowsnest Pass to see the boulder field left by Frank Slide. Then there’s Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, an unforgettable name for a UNESCOlisted site with thousands of years of Plains Buffalo culture behind it.

food, voyageur canoe trips, archery and a wildlife park home to white bison, elk and heritage horses. Waterfalls, mountain towns and glassy lakes More than 40 waterfalls cut through the forests and volcanic canyons of Wells Gray Provincial Park. Further south, raft the Kicking Horse River near Golden, hike around Revelstoke or Fernie, then wander Nelson’s colourful heritage streets with Kootenay Lake beyond. Wine country, but make it wild In the Okanagan, vines tumble towards long lakes, with farm stands, waterside restaurants and cycling between tastings. Head south and pine-covered hills turn to dry grassland and scrub, bringing different wines with them. In Osoyoos, the Indigenous-run Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre shares Syilx Okanagan culture and the surrounding desert ecosystem through exhibits, trails and guided experiences.

Badlands and big skies Around Drumheller, prairie gives way to striped rock, dusty gullies and sculpted hoodoos. This is Alberta with a Jurassic twist, where you can join a guided excavation and see why palaeontologists keep coming back. Further north, Métis Crossing brings another side of Alberta into focus, with Indigenous-inspired

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY: Read the full article here for when to visit and three trip ideas that take you off the beaten track.

Helmcken Falls Kettle Valley Rail Trail

Paradise, Paired

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean sounds like one place. It isn’t. Not even remotely. Sri Lanka has elephants. The Maldives is where the ocean steals the show. The question isn’t which to choose. It’s which to pair.

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Indian Ocean

Paradise, Paired

Better Together

Home can wait Constance Halaveli & Ananea Madivaru The Maldives says choose an island. We say, why on earth would you? For many of us, the Maldives is The Holiday. Capital letters. Considerable expectations. The perfect island. Perfect beach. Perfect villa suspended over a lagoon. Start researching and you’ll realise the whole place has acquired a rather fabulous problem: too many excellent options. Castaway fantasy sounds marvellous. Until you wonder what you’ll actually do by day five. Six restaurants and a Champagne bar sound even better. Until you remember you came for the luxury of nothing happening at all. All-inclusive means no decisions. Bliss. À la carte means endless choice. Also bliss. Sand beneath your toes or stilts beneath your villa? Choosing one inevitably means wondering about the other. The answer, it turns out, is pretty simple. Do two islands in one holiday. First, Constance Halaveli, newly refurbished yet still the classic Maldives fantasy. Tiny island, long jetty. Thatched water villas and ocean at the bottom of a ladder. Reef on your doorstep and an overwater spa. Fine dining and that rather exciting wine collection of more than 22,000 bottles. Stay until you surrender to island time, then swap. It’s only a five-minute speedboat ride over to Ananea Madivaru but stylistically, you might as well have crossed an ocean. It’s new, glossy and rather outgoing. There are nine restaurants and Dine Around freedom. DJs and saxophones after dark and yoga when daylight returns. Doing nothing is an option but so is doing everything.

ISLAND STYLE Constance has standout stays across the Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius and Rodrigues.

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Paradise, Paired

Indian Ocean

The never-ending whale shark season Outrigger and LUX* South Ari South Ari is for people who consider dry swimwear a waste of time. This is the Maldives in full water baby mode: hair gets salty, decks get hot, towels never quite dry and no one has any idea where their shoes are. Reefs fizz with jewel-bright fish and mantas glide through the blue. Divers disappear down reef walls and snorkellers get big thrills too, with manta rays, reef sharks and, for the lucky few, whale sharks. First, the reset. Outrigger Maafushivaru is tiny, tropical and convincing on the whole castaway business. Just 81 villas across an island barely three and a half football pitches long. Small enough to feel marooned, indulgent enough for five restaurants and a spa. Even the watersports come included: paddleboarding, snorkelling, kayaking. And if it’s still too crowded for you, borrow their private desert island for the day. Then it’s ten minutes by speedboat to LUX*, where gloriously marooned turns cool and sporty. The Maldives bit hasn’t gone anywhere. The castaway credentials remain firmly intact. LUX* just gives paradise a busier diary: floating yoga, all-day barista coffee, an impressive what-next list, latenight beach-club drinks and dinner somewhere different nightly. We pair them so you get more than one kind of wonderful. CAST AWAY Spend the day on Outrigger Maafushivaru’s private desert island.

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Indian Ocean

Paradise, Paired

The edge-of-the-map Mauritius & Rodrigues What if halfway through your luxury holiday, you fancy a completely different luxury holiday? We spend an awful lot of time being told to choose adventure or luxury. Gated resort or delightfully off-radar. Doing everything or doing nothing. Except sometimes paradise comes in two completely different versions, conveniently next door. Start with Constance Prince Maurice: a lush Mauritian peninsula with suites on stilts and a floating seafood restaurant. This is five-star forty winks territory. You golf, spa and take your cocktails on a candlelit jetty. And when you fancy leaving the pool or beach, book a private chauffeur and guide to take you to Mauritius’ markets, mountains, waterfalls and tea plantations. Then fly 90 minutes east and watch Mauritius fall away. Rodrigues feels a long way from everywhere else – and distinctly its own. Fewer than 45,000 people live here. Life moves to the rhythm of wind and waves. At Constance Tekoma – the same glorious hotel family as Prince Maurice – salt hangs in the air and the ocean practically knocks on your bedroom door. A different universe. Ride bicycles, snorkel reefs, follow the beat of goatskin drums and climb into pirogues. Then duck underground into limestone caves where tropical sunshine suddenly becomes cool stone and echoes. And when you emerge blinking into the light, you think: now this feels like travelling.

STEP INSIDE Come and talk travel with us at your local Kuoni store.

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Paradise, Paired

Indian Ocean

Off-road to overwater villa Sri Lanka & the Maldives You’ve flown all this way. Why choose between jungle and jetty? Controversial, perhaps, but the Maldives can wait. For a few nights, anyway. This is the holiday that gives you safari and then sand. Two Indian Ocean destinations, less than two hours apart by plane and gloriously different in almost every other way. Sri Lanka bursts through the door with tuk-tuks, temple bells and train whistles. There’s cinnamon, woodsmoke and curry leaves in the air; ancient kingdoms, cloud forest and cups of Ceylon tea along the way. Then comes one of those rare journeys where nobody asks ‘are we nearly there yet?’ Nose pressed to glass, the train ride to Nuwara Eliya is all waterfalls at your window and mountains overhead. And then safari. Yes, safari. Elephants, buffalo, leopard and sambar deer. No Africa required. Romantic for two. Completely thrilling for small people and teenagers alike. And just as you start craving waves beneath your villa, the Maldives appears. Romance, family, diving, castaway: paradise is highly personal. Luckily this destination is our heartland and we’ll know exactly which island has your name on it. One rather neat option is Heritance Aarah. It comes with a lovely bit of continuity as a Sri Lankan hotel brand. 40 minutes by seaplane from Malé, you arrive in Raa Atoll to overwater restaurants, paddleboards, snorkelling gear in your room and a butler on hand.

GO YOUR OWN WAY We can arrange a private chauffeur-guide for your Sri Lanka adventure.

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Indian Ocean

Paradise, Paired

Coasting along Mauritius east & north Same island. Two coasts. Sneakily feels like two holidays. The trick is Attitude: beautifully designed hotels with pools, spas, good food and beautiful Mauritian sea. First, the east coast. Sunrise Attitude sits opposite Belle Mare beach, where trade winds ruffle the palms and sails skim the water. The breeze is nature’s air-con, and sunrise (set the alarm once, we insist) is all pink sky and Indian Ocean in motion. Behind all that blue, sugarcane fields roll inland; out front, boats skim towards Île aux Cerfs. But you needn’t go anywhere. Sunrise Attitude brings Mauritius to you, with complimentary pottery with local artists and silent dancing on the beach at sunset. Join in when you fancy it. Pool when you don’t. Then we’re heading north. The wind drops, the lagoon settles and Grand Baie brings nightlife, restaurants and thatched-roof cocktail bars. Try chilli cakes, boulettes and Victoria pineapple drenched in tamarind. There’s the red-roofed church at Cap Malheureux and a run of beaches, with Mont Choisy supplying the dreamy beach to visit. At Lagoon Attitude, the lagoon isn’t just for looking at. Paddle, kayak, windsurf, study its plankton under a microscope and then explore it on a glass-bottom boat with a marine biologist.

IN DEEP Explore Lagoon Attitude’s waters on a glass-bottom boat with a marine biologist.

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Paradise, Paired

Indian Ocean

Glow with the flow Kuramathi & Kandolhu When more meets less, the magic happens. There’s busy doing nothing: 10 restaurants, watersports, tennis, pools and 1.8km of island to mooch around. Then there’s properly doing nothing: 30 villas, five stars, rose-infused massages and dinner delivered to your private deck. We say do both together: Kuramathi in Rasdhoo Atoll first, then Kandolhu in North Ari Atoll. Start at Kuramathi. A big, beachy island where fresh fish hits the grill, tandoors smoke, Thai spices fly and French date nights happen somewhere over the Indian Ocean. Select All Inclusive turns the à la cartes into nine great reasons not to eat from the same menu twice. Two-bedroom beach houses feel like the best family holiday ever: tiny sandy feet running through the door, cards after sunset and stories from scuba lessons before movie night begins. Then Kuramathi turns its attention to honeymooners. Pool villas, couples’ spa rooms and a grown-ups-only Champagne Loft. Then, half an hour by speedboat across to a very small island indeed. This is Kandolhu. Barely 200 metres from one end of paradise to the other, it’s all white sand, jungle and coral. There are just 30 villas but, somehow, five à la carte restaurants. You’re more likely to bump into a butterflyfish than another guest. And the house reef starts straight from shore. The island’s wonderfully pared back but its wine list isn’t. Ultimate Inclusions covers handpicked wines and sparkling wines, with a selection chilling in your villa. Kuramathi spoils you with more. Kandolhu spoils you with less. Turns out, the best kind of Maldives person is the one who gets to do both.

FULL FLAVOUR Kuramathi and Kandolhu make a delicious island pairing for food lovers.

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Perfect pairings Intro + 5 single pages Xxxxx

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There’s nothing quite like having a holiday to look forward to. The ideas. The planning. The excitement. A holiday starts long before you leave. And that’s our favourite place to start. Bring us the mood board, the wish list or the half-formed plan. We’ll join the dots, from just-right hotels to the one-off experiences that make the whole trip sing.

Intro alias molupta tustios doloresti quiaest, eosant rerfera Then comes the fun of making tendis uod qui none endes es sint ut que molorestiur as adit it official: booking it. Dates in the diary. Countdown on. And we’ll vit, tem nisit atquod qui nonem quam reperuptur? be with you all the way, looking after the details right through to welcome home.

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kuoni.co.uk | 0808 278 6061 | Kuoni Stores | Travel Agents | Personal Travel Managers

kuoni.co.uk

kuoni.co.uk | 0808 278 6061 | Kuoni stores | Travel agents | Personal Travel Managers