Avalon Waterways' Poetry II on the Rhone River in Lyon. Photo / Supplied
Avalon Waterways' Poetry II on the Rhone River in Lyon. Photo / Supplied
River cruising is one of those romantic, fairy-tale holidays I'd heard so much about before experiencing it myself.
According to those who had gone before, I would be lounging in my luxury bed or kicking back in the bar, looking out over sparkling water, Aperol spritz in hand as castles, hilltop villages and vineyards drifted by. Can't fault that as a concept.
What I don't think I understood properly before boarding Avalon's Poetry II from Arles to Lyon was the sheer choice of included "off-ship" activities. And that, while relaxing would definitely be part of the cruise, I would also have so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences that were nothing to do with the vessel itself.
If you're thinking about travelling this stunning route up the Rhone, I would seriously recommend a cruise including at least some of these incredible excursions.
While docked in Arles, one of the included options was a visit to a covered limestone quarry with a kind of "light and sound show". The Cruise Director looked like he was really struggling to find words to describe just how impressive it was. His angst was enough to tip my decision and I'm so glad it did, as it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I understand why it was difficult to adequately describe the magnitude of this multimedia extravaganza - where giant projections of the familiar tableaus of Van Gogh blended and morphed seamlessly on 14-metre-high Flintstone-esque slabs of rock to a soundtrack ranging from opera to jazz to haunting ballads. There's not much that renders me speechless but this gobsmacked me, and seemingly everyone else in this space who were in the same mesmerised stupor.
Exploring Arles is one of the highlights on Avalon Waterways' river cruise on the Rhone in France. Photo / Supplied
Valrhona Chocolate Factory Tour
While this might not be a bucket-list activity for everyone, I totally felt like a certain Roald Dahl character clutching my golden ticket on the excursion to Valrhona Chocolate. I have always loved this well-known French chocolate house and could not believe one of our Rhone river port stops was Tain l'Hermitage, now referred to as the City of Chocolate since Valrhona opened its doors to the public in 2006.
We did a fascinating tasting, made our own bespoke chocolate bars and explored the interactive museum like excited kids. It's probably better not to talk about the amount of free sampling I did - resistance in the face of their 70 per cent Guanaja was futile.
While most days I only did the included excursions in the morning, when we docked in Lyon, I chose the optional afternoon tour as well. Both were outstanding. The morning activity was a foodie tour of lovely Lyon. By the end, I could see why famed food critic Curnonsky dubbed this city the world capital of gastronomy back in 1935, and why it has proudly treasured that accolade and built on it over the decades to come.
We tried all the local specialities with our lovely guide - praline, sausages, quenelles and cheese - but the most fun part was getting from street to street via "Les Traboules".
These secret passages (more than 300 in total, although not all accessible now) were mainly constructed in the 19th century for silk traders to transport their wares in difficult weather. Pushing open secret doors and winding through passages into courtyards to emerge in a totally different street was childlike joy at its best.
The optional afternoon tour was called "Rooftops of Lyon" and while it included a lot of gorgeous viewpoints, the most stunning had to be the roof of Lyon's Basilica. To our fortune, Avalon seemed to be the lucky company that had a relationship with the only guide who had special access to the very top.
We climbed higher and higher through the church to see different vantage points of the glittering mosaic-lined interior, finally popping up at the pinnacle for sweeping views of the whole of Lyon. Absolutely unforgettable.
Kayaking on the Rhone River is one of the recommended excursions on Avalon Waterways' river cruise from Arles to Lyon. Photo / Supplied
Kayaking the Gorges de l'Ardeche
After all the chocolate eating and incredible food on the ship, it felt good to jump in a kayak and paddle our way through a section of the Gorges de l'Ardeche. The canyons, rivers, gorges and rock formations were breathtaking and it was so much fun watching how French people holiday - in groups with gorgeous picnics, dogs, kayaks and inflatables.
It was certainly a bit busier than any river I've kayaked in New Zealand but we enjoyed the challenge of navigating the rapids with multiple other boats in the spectacular canyons of this Rhone tributary.
Other excursions
Even the more traditional city tours around places like Avignon were great; a particularly amusing one was a late-night "ghost tour" of beautiful Viviers. Sometimes the options were all just too good so it was interesting to chat to others afterwards and find out how their excursions played out.
It sounded like e-biking through small French villages in the Gard was outrageously charming; learning to paint like Van Gogh was a riot (this was in Arles, where the infamous ear incident actually occurred); visiting the pink-hued salt flats of the Camargue was magical and wine tasting in the dark in an underground cave was another once-in a-lifetimer.
I almost feel like I could come back, do the same cruise, choosing all different options and have an equally good time.
An eight-day Avalon Waterways' Active & Discovery on the Rhone cruise from Lyon to Arles is priced from $4355pp. Flights from New Zealand are additional. avalonwaterways.co.nz
