DESTINATION

EUROPE

A GRAND TOUR

Most of us could never emulate The Grand Tour of history's wealthy Englishmen, who explored Europe's cultural riches for months, even years. On mad quests to experience those endless artistic and heritage wonders, I've rushed for trains, planes, buses and ferries, waited in hours-long queues, packed and unpacked, again and again.

Until I boarded Viking's Grand European Tour, a 15-day river cruise between Budapest and Amsterdam. Starting at around $6000 per person almost all-inclusive, it balances the competing desires of experiences and ease. Unpack once and watch those wonders seemingly come to you – including 10 Unesco World Heritage sites.

Among them are the historic hearts of Vienna and Budapest – where my journey began with a glass of fiery Hungarian palinka on the boat's rooftop deck, the city's brilliantly lit fairytale spires gliding by to the joyous sound of Strauss' Blue Danube waltz. From venerable buildings including Cologne's cathedral and Kinderdijk's windmills, to the picturesque landscapes of Wachau Valley vineyards and the castle-lined Upper Middle Rhine, it's a glorious parade.

Unlike mass-market ocean cruises' thousands, fewer than 200 passengers travel on Viking's river-going boats. Understated Scandi decor, excellent a-la-carte meals, and a culturally driven programme of on-board presentations and guided port tours add to the sense of affordable luxury.

I was mildly aggrieved about having to return to the boat mid-sunset, with the charming medieval town of Bamberg drenched in vivid, rapidly evolving hues. That's the Grand European Tour's only drawback: you can never linger long because another wonder always beckons.
- Patricia Maunder

vikingcruises.com

A CINDERELLA STORY

If you want to experience a real Cinderella moment, a horse-drawn carriage arrival at one of Vienna's magnificent balls, dressed to the nines, fits the bill.

I danced the night away at the 62nd Coffee-house Owner's Ball at beautiful Hofburg Palace, the former imperial home of the Habsburgs, along with 3600 guests from 18 nations.

There are 450 balls hosted in Vienna each season, from the elegant and traditional to rollicking carnival parties.

The quirkiest? The chimney sweeps ball and the hip-hop ball, where the dress code is formal with sneakers.

It is not surprising the Viennese love their music – Mozart, Mahler, Haydn and Johann Strauss II – the king of the Viennese waltz, were all born there.

After a morning waltz lesson with the debonair Thomas Schafer-Elmayer, head of Vienna's legendary Elmayer Dance School, founded in 1919, I hoped I wouldn't step on too many toes.

But maybe I needed a second lesson as I was twirled around by "taxi" dancers- students who are paid to dance with you and don't put a foot wrong.

Anyone can go to a ball - you can buy a general admission ticket and wander around all night or opt for a table.

Ball attire can be hired - for women it's floor-length evening gowns and for men, a tuxedo.

At 5am, lights are dimmed and the last waltz played, then it's another Austrian tradition - a wursti at the Bitzinger sausage stand on the way home – just magical.
- Sue Wallace
wien.info/en

FURTHER OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

A remote island filled with glaciers, volcanoes and unsealed roads might sound familiar, but Iceland has plenty to offer the adventurous Kiwi.

Iceland sits astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are being pushed apart. At Thingvellir National Park this creates dramatic fissures in the Earth's crust that contain incredibly clear glacial water. It makes for a very special scuba-diving experience.

The best way to get around is by self-driving. The classic route is a day-trip from Reykjavik that takes in Thingvellir, Geysir geothermal park (from which we get the word geyser) and the striking Gulfoss waterfall.

But this "Golden Circle" is packed with tourists, so I'd recommend spending at least seven days circumnavigating the island on Route 1. You can branch off into the Westfjords Way of the sparsely populated northwest, and the new Diamond Circle that takes in the whale-watching capital of Husavik.

Because it is so far north, Iceland has long summer days and long winter nights. It's also smack-bang in the middle of the Northern Lights belt, so if you are there with clear skies you are almost guaranteed to see them. April and October have a good balance of dark enough nights and good enough weather.

Beyond the landscape, there's fantastic hospitality and history. The recently-opened Retreat at the Blue Lagoon is one of the best hotels I've stayed in.
- Ash Bhardwaj

Discover The World organise bespoke self-guided tours of Iceland with local expertise. discover-the-world.com

THE LEGEND LIVES ON

The legendary journey on the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul invokes all the glamour of a bygone era.

The first direct run from Paris to Istanbul took place in 1889. Then as now, the gleaming blue and gold carriages, accompanied by personal stewards in smart uniforms, await at the Gare de l'Est. The train stopped running to Istanbul in 1977, but once a year the original trip, as described in Agatha Christie's famous novel, Murder on the Orient Express, is reinstated on August 20. Dress up for the occasion as my fellow passengers and I did - this is not a trip that allows for flip flops or backpacks. Settled into my elegant private compartment, I enjoyed a drink in the bar car, listening to the pianist at the baby grand piano surrounded by Art Deco splendour. All meals are prepared by a French chef.

A journey full of nostalgia, fascinating landscapes and utter luxury.
- Inka Piegsa

belmond.com/trains/europe/venice-simplon-orient-express

ROADS TO RELAXATION

Roman soldiers used to bathe in Tuscany's thermal springs but you don't need to be a battle-weary warrior to appreciate the spa country on the drive from Rome to Florence. Green fields carpet countryside crowned with charming hill towns, and tiny laneways hold the promise of exciting adventures to come (especially if you are driving a motorhome).

Surprisingly, southern Tuscany receives few international travellers compared to the towns further north, despite the fact it's only a two-hour drive from Rome. Spa hotels and facilities abound but it's more fun to join the locals at a natural thermal spring. We strip down to our swimmers and leave our clothes in a pile near the base of the thermal waterfall at Le Cascate del Mulino where Italians of all ages come to luxuriate in the healing waters.

Slipping into one of the pools and sitting back to rest our heads against rocks worn smooth over hundreds of years, the splash of the warm waterfall provides a peaceful soundtrack for this naturally beautiful Italian spa experience. We base ourselves in Pitigliano, with its labyrinth of winding streets and hidden wine bars and restaurants, and tour the Orsini Fortress, which sits on a prime defensive position above the nearby town of Sorano.

From here, it takes about two hours to drive to Florence so there is no need to rush. When searching for the perfect Tuscan driving holiday, look for the things that make visiting this part of Italy so special. Fascinating history, friendly locals, excellent food and wine, and loads of character. One of the few things you won't find in this part of Tuscany is crowds.
- Tiana Templeman

visittuscany.com/en

A VERY DIFFERENT VIEW

Hidden behind the sun-drenched beaches of the South of France is another world – medieval walled cities with dramatic stories, disappearing rivers within deep gorges, atmospheric Roman antiquities, oyster farms and vineyards. Winding through this incredible area steeped in history and legend is the stunning 17th-century Canal du Midi, stretching from Toulouse to the inland sea of Etang du Thau, near the Mediterranean.

We were guests on EuroWaterways luxury hotel barge, Anjodi. With just eight passengers, private guided tours, constant gourmet food and wine, it was extremely relaxing. Moored up in a different secluded spot each day, early morning towpath strolls were an air-filled feast of fragrance, while sharing greetings with occasional dog walkers.

Gliding along the canal offers an opportunity to see a very different view of France. Cicadas chirp constantly under the translucent blue skies, and we felt as though we had stepped in one of Impressionist Henri Matisse paintings as the barge passed through lines of plane trees.

Travelling through the world's first canal tunnel at Malpas, or down the magnificent staircase of locks at Fonseranes was an unforgettable adventure. We watched brilliant hued flamingos and gleaming white egrets amid the marshes, saw the mountains of the Massif Centrale rising high in the distance and strolled through the narrow cobbled streets of Carcassone. At Minervois in the Black Mountains, the horrors of the Cathar crusade became reality, and in Narbonne voices from the past led us through the dark labyrinthine corridors of the Roman Horreum.
- Angela Youngman

europeanwaterways.com

BILLIONAIRE LIFESTYLE FOR BEGINNERS

Spending a week on a fully-crewed superyacht – you might think it's something only billionaires can do, but you'd be wrong. In Croatia next year, the company Goolets will begin hiring out the newly refurbished 23-person, 48m, luxury yacht Freedom at prices that start from $8100 per person. While the price isn't cheap, the trips are ideal for groups of families and friends who want an unforgettable post-lockdown reunion or for travellers who want to retain some sense of their protective bubble on their first foray back into the wider world.

When you charter Freedom, you control the itinerary. You can travel anywhere from Umag in the north to Cavtat in the south. During my time on Freedom, we squiggled a course along the Dalmatian Coast. You can make unmatchable memories here. I'd recommend visiting Stupe, a pocket-sized island that's home to a single cocktail bar and only accessible by boats like Freedom. Order the locally-made Ostreum fizz – the bottles have barnacles on because they're matured beneath the sea. I'd also suggest seeing Stiniva on Vis. Rocks draw around this beach like half-drawn curtains, hiding it from view. Freedom can anchor mere metres from the concealed entrance, so you can swim straight into the cove.

You don't need to get off Freedom to enjoy it, though. The yacht has a cinema, a top-deck Jacuzzi, and a dining room where private chefs act like genies, granting culinary wishes. If your group likes seafood, request a platter of rare Mali Ston oysters – they're a Dalmatian delicacy.
- Sarah Holt
goolets.net/yacht-rentals/freedom-croatia

NORTH AMERICA

NO FILTER NECESSARY

Mexico's Caribbean Coast has become one of the hottest destinations on the planet. Americans and Europeans come here in their droves each year to the warm beaches and white sands of Mexico's idyllic Riviera Maya. The beaches are whiter and the waters – somewhere between a blue and a green turquoise – are as translucent as the gem itself. No filter needed.

Dazzling white-sand stretches unravel right the way along the coast, from buzzing Cancun in the north, down to laid-back Tulum, then south to the Belize border.

If Cancun is Mexico's Miami, then Playa del Carmen is its Gold Coast, complete with its own 5th avenue. A visit to the Frida Kahlo museum in Carmen del Playa is an experience that alone is worth the trip to Mexico. 

Off Cancun itself is the beautiful resort island of Cozumel while further north on the northern coast of Mexico lies Merida and the town of Chocola, where you'll find Chable, a stunning five-star jungle resort built on the site of an old cacao plantation.

Less than an hour south of Playa del Carmen and 90 minutes south of Cancun, lies Tulum, an expensive strip of bohemian resorts set on turquoise waters, with blinding white sand, photogenic ruins, yoga and gourmet food.

Once a retreat for bohemian types, word of mouth and social media - particularly Instagram - turned Tulum into a hot destination, its boho rustic eco-chic style meshing seamlessly with a hipster vibe.

Tulum's coastal beach strip, known as the hotel zone, is one long stretch of trendy restaurants, organic clothing boutiques and very expensive lush eco-resorts with not one high rise in sight. Mexican to the core, they use bejuco timbers, driftwoods and natural stuccos, displaying the best of this typically Tulum style of Mexican architecture and design.

Tulum is a fascinating blend of environment-embracing hotels with Indian sweat lodges and shamanic culture amidst a jungle filled with ancient ruins and pristine cenotes. These cool limestone sinkholes are ideal for swimming and rope-swinging, and are sprinkled throughout the area, including the spectacular nearby jungle reserve, Sian Kaan.

The Mayans and Aztecs left behind a staggering 14,000-plus historical sites and this part of Mexico lays claim to some of the best, including the fabulous ruins of ancient Mayan temples at Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum.

As I sit on the driftwood deck of the modestly priced all-white eco-chic Coco Tulum, a waiter brings me a margarita and a bowl of guacamole and chips with fresh tomato salsa. I raise a glass to my new favourite destination.
- Karan Halabi

visitmexico.com/en

REALLY WILD

How do you say "Thanks, it's really great to be here" in Husky?

As welcomes go, it's hard to beat the soundtrack of excited hellos from the sled dogs at Alaska's Winterlake Lodge, especially after a low-level floatplane ride from Anchorage revealing the huge state's extreme scenery. For almost an hour, at an altitude of just 3000m, glaciers, snowcapped mountains, and meandering braided rivers all roll past cinematically. Come back in winter, and Danger and his canine buddies could be traversing Alaska's famed Iditarod Trail, but during Alaskan summers bathed in northern sunshine, active and adventurous excursions for visitors to Winterlake include fly-fishing, river rafting, bear viewing and kayaking, while the lodge's agile Robinson R-44 helicopter transports guests high above the swirling ice-field of the Trimble Glacier.

Approaching Within the Wild's second Alaskan lodge is even more spectacular. Tucked into a serrated and forested coastline of fiords and coves, Tutka Bay's welcome mat is a huge wooden deck with a long jetty stretching into the bay. Echoing Winterlake, the ambience at Tutka Bay Lodge is equally inspirational, with locavore cookery classes segueing to wine and craft beer tasting sessions of the best of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Balance is provided by checking out seals and sea otters while kayaking to the nearby Herring Islands, private massage sessions, and relaxing in a hot tub surrounded by some of the clearest night skies on the planet.

It's all compelling evidence that Alaska is a special destination, even for Kiwis well-versed in the lakes and alpine wonders of our own South Island.
- Brett Atkinson

Within the Wild's Winterlake Lodge and Tutka Bay Lodge are both included in World Journeys' Alaska Unique Lodge Experience. worldjourneys.co.nz