Around the world 2024

2024 | AROUND THE WORLD IN 180 DAYS | 43 Valley of the Kings, available from Safaga TIGERS & THE PINK CITY 3 NIGHTS | 4 MAY 2024 COCHIN to MUMBAI Revel in the contrast of exploring the pink-hued city of Jaipur and then travelling into the wilds of Ranthambore National Park to view indigenous species. First painted pink in 1876 as a sign of hospitality, Jaipur still delights with architectural treasures such as Amber Fort and its royal observatory, both extraordinary UNESCOWorld Heritage sites. Safari-style game drives through Ranthambore’s jungles and gorges present wonders of a different stripe as you may observe Bengal tigers, sloth bears and sambar, India’s largest native deer. AJANTA & ELLORA CAVES 3 NIGHTS | 5 MAY 2024 MANGALORE to MUMBAI Explore two UNESCOWorld Heritage site cave complexes, both hand-cut from solid rock to create religious sanctuaries. The 2nd-century-BC Ajanta Caves contain arguably the world’s most important Buddhist wall paintings. The colours are still vibrant, thanks to an infrared restoration process that removed centuries of grime. The Ellora Caves are noteworthy because their stone sanctuaries are devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, a clear illustration of ancient India’s religious tolerance. The enormous, heavily ornamented Kailasa temple there was carved from a single block of stone. Amber Fort, available from Cochin LUXOR & THE PYRAMIDS 1 NIGHT | 24 MAY 2024 SAFAGA If the temples and tombs in the Valley of the Kings aren’t enough to bedazzle your inner Egyptologist, the treasures awaiting in Cairo will be the tipping point. See monumental Luxor Temple, another temple that the only female pharaoh built and the Colossi of Memnon that stands sentinel over the valley’s sprawling necropolis. Priceless relics found in the tombs are displayed in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx make quite the finale. THE JEWELS OF LUXOR 1 NIGHT | 24 MAY 2024 SAFAGA Explore a litany of fabled tombs in ancient Egypt’s royal burial grounds, beginning with the Karnak and Luxor temples, which a two-mile avenue lined with small sphinxes once connected. King Tut’s tomb still remains the most famous, as it held fabulous riches when excavated. His mummy is displayed there in a climate-controlled glass box. Queen Nefertari’s tomb nearby is renowned for its colourful wall paintings that have defied the ravages of time. Cruising the Nile in a traditional dahabeya boat allows time to reflect on the sights. Ranthambore’s jungles, available from Cochin