Ancient Civilisation & Exploration
Departs 20th March 2008, from London, for 32 nights.
Overview | Lecturers | Shore Excursions | Itinerary | Price | Deck Plans
Joining Black Watch in Singapore, we sail north through the Malacca Straits for Thailand and Phuket. After a day exploring we rejoin the ship and following two relaxed days cruising reach India, to travel by land to Kanchipuram - one of the seven sacred cities of India known as ‘The Golden City of a Thousand Temples’ and also famous as a centre for silk production.
Crossing the Indian Ocean we sail into the sheltered waters of the Red Sea and land at Safaga in Egypt. From here, across desert roads, we travel to Karnak and the Valley of the Kings - containing the tombs of no fewer than 62 Pharaohs. After rejoining the ship we sail for Sharm El Sheik and a day of tours of your own choosing.
Another day brings us to Aqaba, forever associated with legendary adventurer Lawrence of Arabia and where scenes for David Lean’s movie epic were shot at nearby Wadi Rum. We visit Petra, created by the Nabatean people here 2,000 years ago, and its most famous monument The Treasury. Familiar to another generation of cinema goers, its towering façade was featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. After a look around Petra, we visit Wadi Rum and travel out into the desert across a moon-like landscape to a Bedouin encampment.
After transiting the Suez Canal we dock at Port Said and travel by the desert road to Cairo, the largest city in Africa. Our tour takes in its ancient citadel, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and its collection dating back 4,000 years, the Sphinx and pyramids at Giza. We rejoin the ship in Alexandria, after over-nighting in the Egyptian capital. Crossing the Med. we land in Valletta, capital of Malta. Here we visit the Museum of Archaeology, whose exhibits date back to 5200 BC, and are housed in the Baroque Auberge de Provence, once the main residence of the Knights of the Order of St. John. A guided tour of this beautiful town follows. A day at sea brings us to Malaga. Sheltered by the slopes of the Torcal Mountains, Antequera is in the heart of Andalucia and a visit to this town is like journeying back through 5,000 years. The town has a profusion of burial mounds, dolmens, Roman baths, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains, Baroque bell towers and is dominated by a Moorish Castle. We visit the Menga Dolmen town museum, and the Collegiate of Santa Maria. Returning to the ship in time for dinner we sail for Dover and home.
