Ten of the best: off-the-beaten-track cruises
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Chimu Adventures
Dreaming of floating off on a cruise ship to somewhere really exotic and different? A cruise holiday is the best way to discover some of the world's most unusual and remote locations. We asked Liz Jarvis, editor of Cruise International magazine, to select ten of the best undiscovered cruise holidays. Who needs the Caribbean or the Med when you can set sail here?
Top ten off the beaten track cruise trips
- Burma<p> Burma (Myanmar) is the big travel story at the moment. From the temples at Bagon, known as the city of 1000 golden domes, to the shimmering ancient Shwedagon Pagoda, there's something to discover for every would-be Indiana Jones. <a href="http://www.voyagestoantiquity.com/" target="_blank">Voyages to Antiquity</a> has a two-week cruise in December with ports of call including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and the chance to spend three nights in Burma, from £2,695 per person, including flights.</p>
- Eastern Indonesia<p> For total escapism it would be hard to beat a cruise around the islands of Eastern Indonesia, where the only distractions are snorkelling with reef sharks and deserted beaches. <a href="http://tigerblue.info/" target="_blank">Tiger Blue</a> offers cruises to the Komodo islands (home to the dragons), Sumba-Flores, the Spice Islands of Banda and stunningly beautiful Ranja Ampat from $3290 per charter, based on a minimum of 7 sharing (remember to factor in flight costs). Ideal for getting away from it all with a group of friends or a very special family holiday.</p>
- Mekong River<p> Travelling up the Mekong, the longest river in Indochina, gives you the chance to experience Vietnam, including vibrant Ho Chi Minh city, and tranquil Cambodia, where you can see timeless scenes of rural life, floating villages and jungle. <a href="http://www.titantravel.co.uk/" target="_blank">Titan Travel</a> offers a 17-day voyage from £4,349 per person, including VIP Home Departure Service and scheduled flights, and two days dedicated to exploring Angkor Wat, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire.</p>
- Yangtze River<p> A cruise along the Yangtze is a fantastic way to explore 'hidden' China, with sights including sacred Buddhist mountain Mt.Jiu Hua, stunning Dongting Lake, Snow Jade Cave and the incredible Shibaozhai Temple. <a href="http://www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk" target="_blank">Viking River Cruises</a> offers a 17-day tour of China from Shanghai to Beijing, including an 11-day cruise along the Yangtze, from £2,995 per person, including flights.</p>
- Amazon<p> With its tropical rain forest, stilted villages and glimpses of tribal culture, a trip into the Amazonian wilderness is about as off the beaten track as you can get. You can explore the mightiest river on earth by river boat or an ocean cruise ship voyage. You'll need time to experience it properly, though. A 35-night Amazon Adventure cruise with <a href="http://www.fredolsencruises.com" target="_blank">Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines</a>, round-trip from Portsmouth, costs from £3,579, and includes a week exploring Brazil.</p>
- Galapagos Islands<p> Animal lovers will be in their element in the Galapagos, home to some of the world's rarest wildlife, including sea turtles, marine iguanas and giant tortoises. <a href="http://www.audleytravel.com/" target="_blank">Audley Travel</a> offers 11-day Galapagos cruises from £3,945 per person, based on two sharing, and including flights.</p>
- South Pacific<p> With its soft white sand, clear azure water and lush rainforests, the remote islands of the South Pacific are the very definition of totally tropical paradises. <a href="http://www.pocruises.com" target="_blank">P&O</a> has cruises from San Francisco to Auckland stopping at islands including Pago Pago in American Samoa, Nuku Alofa in Tonga (and you also cross the International Dateline) from £1,249 per person, based on two people sharing (not including flights).</p>
- Russia<p> Feeling inspired by the new Keira Knightley film Anna Karenina? A cruise is the ideal, hassle-fee way to visit Russia, and discover the extraordinary treasures of cities such as St Petersburg, including Catherine the Great's breathtaking white, blue and gold palace, as well as some of Europe's greatest art at the Hermitage Museum. <a href="http://www.pocruises.com" target="_blank">P&O</a> has 14 night Baltic cruises with ports of call including St Petersburg, Tallin and Kristiansand in Norway from £1,349 per person, based on two people travelling.</p>
- Antarctica<p> Want to discover the Frozen Planet yourself? There's no danger of running into crowds of holidaymakers in Antarctica, where no more than 100 passengers are allowed to go ashore in any one place at any one time. You'll see beautiful snow-covered landscapes and icebergs, lots of penguins and hopefully whales. <a href="http://www.chimuadventures.com/" target="_blank">Chimu Adventures</a> offers a 10 day or 11 day cruise from £3,115 per person, not excluding flights.</p>
- Panama Canal<p> If you're craving a real taste of adventure, a once-in-a-lifetime cruise through Central America from the Atantic to the Pacific along the Panama Canal is hard to beat. <a href="http://www.cunard.co.uk" target="_blank">Cunard</a> offers a 15-night Panama Canal Adventure in January 2013 from £2974 per person, including flights. Destinations include Puntarenas, Costa Rica and Manzanillo, Mexico, where you can go whale-watching.</p>
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