Cultural Cruises

The cruise started in Amsterdam and I joined it with friends I had made during the previous week when we had been together looking at art in The Netherlands. The boat was superb and the meals all excellent. our tour guides were excellent and the lecturer, Dr Katy Hamilton was knowledgeable, engaging and fun. I have run out of superlatives to describe the holiday.

We traveled by BA to Athens for a couple of nights in a comfortable, central hotel and the joined the MS Caledonian Sky. The Captain introduced his staff to us. The service and food were excellent and the staff mainly spoke good English which was helpful. The sites were amazing and exceeded my expectations. The Martin Randall team organised the ship’s tour organiser to accompany me on the trips to help me navigate difficult paths. This was very helpful. I loved Ephesus and the other sites, including Mycenae, Syros, Heraklion, and Delos. I loved the archaeological museums and bought the guides to the main sites as well as postcards to send to friends and family. The other participants were good company and I hope to keep in touch with a small group. The journey home went smoothly. Thank you, Martin Randall Travel!

This tour went beyond our expectations. We enjoyed an interesting yet relaxing Pandaw cruise on the Mekong review for the first week and then spent another 6 nights in Siem Reap visiting the Khmer archaeological sights and temples. We had an erudite and enthusiastic lecturer, Freddie Matthews who gave a total of 6 lectures on Buddhism and the Khmer civilisation in Cambodia. The tour was managed very well by Emilie with just the right amount of information and gentle reminders. Martin Randall Tour really exceeded its normal high standards for this tour. We had a very generous drinks package for the Mekong cruise which meant that we can be sipping cocktails and wine whilst watching the sunset on the Mekong or some cultural shows (Cambodian musical instruments, Apsara dances, puppet shows) every evening before dinner. We were also taken by specially arranged sightseeing coach in Phnom Penh (instead of the included package by Pandaw Cruise) and lunch at a very good French restaurant (Khmer La Poste). In Siem Reap, we had an APSARA National Authority archaeologist who accompanied our group for the first 4 days of temple visits who provided illuminating insights into the temples from an archaeological aspect. We were also given an opportunity to attend a talk by an expert on the conservation of the stones of Angkor Wat and even to climb the scaffolds to observe at close proximity how the figure carvings are preserved using specially formulated gel. What a privilege!! Besides visiting at least 10 temples and archaeological sites (some about 3 hours coach ride away from Siem Reap), we were treated to a gondola ride on the moat surrounding Angkor Thom to watch the sunset whilst being served champagne & canapes. To top it all, on the last night a spectacular private gala dinner at the Thommanon Temple was arranged, complete with lightshows and Apsara dancers.

Called 'Music along the Seine' it consisted to a boat going up and down the river. Coaches provided to get to concert venues and sites of interest. We have travelled with Martin Randall Travel over the years and have found them to be outstanding for quality and attention to detail. Northing left to chance and their representatives unfailingly helpful.