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Rail luxury
Operating under the banner 'Voyages of a Lifetime by Private Train', GW Travel has several interesting rail excursions on its books, including the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, which offers a distinctly upmarket version of the classic trans-Siberian experience. Whereas passengers on this route once had to take care of their daily ablutions in shared, plugless sinks, GW promises 'everything from power showers and under-floor heating to a DVD/CD player, LCD screen and individual air conditioning'. Priced accordingly, a 15-day trip from Moscow (right) to Vladivostok in Gold Class, with all meals and sightseeing along the way, costs US$19,195/US$13,595 per person in single/twin accommodation. Other trips on offer include: a 34-day Cape Town to Cairo journey on the Pride of Africa train, a private jet and a five-star Nile cruiser; and a 21-day Silk Road journey from Moscow through Central Asia to Beijing. An itinerary from Hong Kong to Shanghai via the Three Gorges has been announced for next year. For more details, visit www.gwtravel.co.uk.
Behind the wheel
Overland bus trips, of the variety made popular in the 1960s by flower-powered outfits such as London's Magic Bus, are making a comeback as eco-friendly, low-carbon-emission alternatives to air travel. Last year, Ozbus (www.oz-bus.com) launched a London-to-Sydney trip that passes through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Southeast Asia. This year, it's added a seven-week 'hippy trail' overland route from Istanbul to Kathmandu. The trip costs GBP2,450 (HK$37,950) and the first departure will be on September 14. Britain-based operator Butterfly Bus, meanwhile, is planning to launch a service between London and Urumqi, in northwestern China, with one-way tickets priced at GBP795 for the 16-day ride. This price doesn't include accommodation or food. Anyone brave enough to sign up for the first outing, which leaves on September 6 from London, can find details at www.butterflybus.co.uk. Before committing to an extensive overland bus trip, potential passengers might consider reading up on the various pitfalls and pleasures ahead in Magic Bus: On the Hippie Trail from Istanbul to India by Rory MacLean. It's available on Amazon.co.uk for GBP6.99.
Fit for a queen
Victoria Hotels & Resorts is running a 13-day Indochina Explorer tour that begins in northwest Vietnam and finishes in Cambodia at Siem Reap. The trip starts in Hanoi, from where the private Victoria Express train (below) runs up to the colonial hill station of Sapa. After a couple of nights there, it's back to Hanoi for a flight down to Danang and two nights at the Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa before flying to Ho Chi Minh City for a few days in the south at the group's Can Tho Resort and Chau Doc Hotel. From there, a speedboat connects to Phnom Penh, from where guests fly to Siem Reap (below) for two nights at the Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa. This package includes accommodation with breakfast and land transport, but not the three domestic flights, and will be priced at US$1,437 per person, twin-share, until the end of September. The single supplement is US$849. For a full itinerary and reservations, visit www.victoriahotels-asia.com.
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