River cruising is now for winter, spring and autumn, and not just for summer. It hasn't always been the case, such cruising in the past having largely been restricted to seasonal forays down the main European waterways, with the exception of the odd Nile trip and rare Amazon excursion.
However, river cruising is booming and the companies involved are becoming more adventurous as increasing numbers of travellers come to appreciate the intimacy and convenience of boat travel, and the often unparalleled ease of access to remote communities and cities it provides. As a result, the choice of river cruise destinations and itineraries is becoming increasingly diverse and exotic.
Furthermore, riverboats are finally catching up with their ocean-faring cousins in style, comfort and facilities, ranging from restored 19th-century, six-person dahabiyyas to modern, 250-passenger vessels complete with bathtubs and elevators.
From the Amazon to the Zambezi, here is my selection of the best, farther-flung river cruises:
MURRAY RIVER, AUSTRALIA
The Murray River ("Mighty Murray" to locals) is Australia's largest river, meandering some 1,500 miles across inland plains from the Australian Alps to the state of South Australia. You can follow the river through the Outback and past old riverside ports at a leisurely pace aboard the paddle-wheeler PS Murray Princess.
Cruise itineraries combine guided nature walks through the mallee scrub, red gum forests and dramatic gorges with small-boat safaris to lush lowlands with informal talks about the history of local villages and indigenous people.
- Captain Cook Cruises (01483 222093; www.captaincook.com.au) offers Murray River cruises throughout the year. Prices start from £395 per person for a three-night itinerary, £525 for a four-night cruise and £810 per person for the seven-night 'Total Murraylands' cruise.
MEKONG RIVER, VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA
The Mekong has been of vital cultural, political and ecological significance to south-east Asia for centuries. Rising in the Tibetan plateaus of China's Yunnan province, it negotiates the dense rainforest, open plains and rice fields, fishing villages and floating markets, ancient temples and shrines of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand en route to the South China Sea. Explore the rich sights and sounds of the lower Mekong Basin from the decks of an original ''Pandaw'' paddle steamer, calling at the former French colonial city of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Phnom Penh and the ancient Khmer capital, Angkor.
- Voyages Jules Verne (0845 166 7003; www.vjv.com) offers the 12 night 'Angkor Wat & the Mekong' itinerary from £1,895 per person, including flights, tours and accommodation.
HUDSON RIVER, US
A visit to New York shouldn't be restricted to the city alone – sailing on the Hudson River is a wonderful way to experience some of the highlights of picturesque New York State. A week-long Hudson River cruise takes you north from New York City to the historic United States Military Academy at West Point in the Catskills, the attractive city of Albany, past the grand mansions of "Millionaires Row" in Kingston, and to the charming riverside town of Sleepy Hollow before returning to the Big Apple.
- Frontier Travel (020 8776 8709; www.frontier-world.co.uk) offers a seven-night Hudson River Cruise, with a day tour of New York City, from £1,762 per person, excluding flights.
CHOBE RIVER, BOTSWANA
The Chobe River is the name given to the lower section of the Cuando River, which rises in the northern Angolan highlands, flows through the Kalahari into Botswana and then runs along the northern border of Chobe National Park before flowing into the Zambezi. Combine a traditional land safari with a three-night river cruise on the Chobe for an original way to experience the beauty and wildlife of Botswana, travelling aboard the traditional ''Ichobezi'' houseboat. Take out a small boat with a guide to go game viewing or fishing, or simply soak up the views from the top deck.
- Audley Travel (01993 838000; www.audleytravel.com) offers a 10-night safari in Botswana with three nights on the Ichobezi from £3,500 per person, including return flights, activities and full board.
NILE, EGYPT
A Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan is the ideal way to appreciate the rich legacy of one of the world's most ancient civilisations. Having taken in the highlights of Cairo and Luxor, the ruins of Memphis and the pyramids, sit back and watch the shores of the Nile slip past from the Mövenpick Radamis II. Using this comfortable river boat as a base, explore the East Bank, home to the temples of Luxor and Karnak, and the West Bank's mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Colossi of Memnon before sailing through the Nile lock at Esna to the High Dam at Aswan.
- Titan HiTours (0800 988 5823; www.titanhitours.co.uk) offers the 12-day 'Treasures and Pleasures' tour from £1,795 per person, including flights, VIP Home Departure Service (free pickup from your home), accommodation and tours.
DNEIPER RIVER, UKRAINE
Steeped in the diverse history and culture of the Vikings, Tartars and Cossacks, Ukraine offers visitors a unique mix of architecture and tradition. It is also home to the Dneiper, Europe's fourth-longest river (at nearly 1,500 miles), which rises in Russia and flows through Belarus before reaching Ukraine and emptying into the Black Sea. Formerly a key commercial artery between the northern and southern parts of Eastern Europe, the Dneiper is dotted with elegant, cosmopolitan cities such as Kiev, Odessa and Yalta, as well as picturesque fishing villages, lakes and ancient forests.
- Viking River Cruises (020 8780 7998; www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk) offers a 12-day 'Footsteps of the Cossacks' tour from £1,795 per person.
RAJANG RIVER, MALAYSIA
Until recently, the Rajang River in Borneo was the sole territory of locals, including the Iban tribes who retained their headhunting traditions until the Fifties. Following the introduction of the RV Orient Pandaw, the Rajang now offers adventurous travellers the opportunity to explore the dense, untouched rainforest that flanks the river and small communities that dot its shores.
An eight-night journey on board the Orient Pandaw forms part of Noble Caledonia's 20-day exploration of Malaysia, which incorporates visits to the vibrant cities of Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, and relaxing stays at the colonial station of the Cameron Highlands and beaches of Sabah.
- Noble Caledonia (020 7752 0000; www.noble-caledonia.co.uk) offers the 20-day 'Malaysia River Deep Mountain High' itinerary from £2,995 per person, including flights, accommodation and guides.
THE WATERWAYS OF RUSSIA
A river cruise is a fascinating way to travel between two of Russia greatest cities – Moscow and St Petersburg. The luxurious MS Tolstoy makes its way along the Russian waterways that link the two cities in both directions, providing passengers with the opportunity to stop at little known towns off the beaten track such as Uglich, Yaroslavl and Kizhi Island along the way. The ship follows various rivers, including the Svir River and Volga-Baltic Waterway, and crosses Lake Ladoga, Europe's largest lake.
- APTouring (0845 604 0792; www.aptouring.co.uk) offers the 13-day 'Russian Waterways' tour from £1,525 per person, excluding flights and port charges.
THE GANGES, INDIA
India boasts many remarkable rivers but the Ganges is regarded as the country's holiest waterway and arguably plays the most important cultural, economic and social role of any river in the world. To travel along this waterway from the heaving city of Kolkata (Calcutta) past pilgrimage sites, temples, mosques, palaces and elaborate gardens to the temples of Varanasi is to sample a wonderful slice of India. As you make your way slowly along an 800-mile-long stretch of the river aboard the classically designed, 28-cabin RV Bengal Pandaw, you can soak up the ever-changing views and vibrant atmosphere of the river and enjoy varied excursions.
- Noble Caledonia (020 7752 0000; www.noble-caledonia.co.uk) offers the 16-day 'Slowly on the Ganges' itinerary from £3,495 per person, including flights, accommodation and guides.
YUKON RIVER, CANADA
A journey along the Yukon River should be high on every intrepid traveller's "bucket list" (things to do before you die). More than half the river is located in Alaska, with most of the rest of it lying in Canada's eponymous Yukon Territory. Frontier Canada offers a unique eight-day river safari that covers 370 miles of wilderness in the Yukon. Travelling with an experienced guide, small groups follow the river from Whitehorse to Dawson City, making stops for wildlife viewing, hikes, canoe and fishing excursions. The journey includes a flight in a sea plane and a night in luxury tented accommodation at the remote Wilderness Outpost.
- Frontier Canada (020 8776 8709; www.frontier-canada.co.uk) offers the seven-night 'Great River Journey up the Yukon River' tour from £3,734 per person, including transfers, full board, guiding and equipment, but excluding flights. Book before December 31, 2009, to save £300 per couple.
BRAHMAPUTRA, INDIA
Another of India's remarkable rivers, the Brahmaputra cuts its way from the glaciers of south-western Tibet to the Bay of Bengal, traversing the beautiful plains and lush tea plantations of Assam. Having seen Calcutta, board a stylish river boat (RV Charaidew or Sukapha) for a week-long cruise along the Brahmaputra. Highlights of this varied itinerary include an elephant ride and jeep safari in the Kaziranga National Park, visits to riverside villages and Majuli, the world's largest river island and the site of fine Hindu monasteries, as well as the Gatoonga tea estate. The tour finishes with two days in Delhi.
- Bales Worldwide (0845 057 1819; www.balesworldwide.com) offers the 13-day Brahmaputra cruise from £3,195 per person, including flights, accommodation and guides.
YANGTZE, CHINA
China has captured the imagination of travellers for hundreds of years, with its ancient customs and dramatic landscapes, not least the world's third-longest river – the Yangtze. Today China retains many of its traditions and, despite its huge population, has vast areas of countryside that remain the picture of rural simplicity, and which provide a vivid contrast with modern cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Chongqing. Follow the Yangtze as it winds its way past the new and old faces of China, with the Three Gorges Dam en route.
- Viking River Cruises (020 8780 7998; www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk) offers the 13-day 'Imperial Jewels of China' tour from £2,635 per person.
THE AMAZON, PERU
Although it is the world's second-longest river, the Amazon is the largest river by volume, with a total flow greater than the next eight largest rivers combined – some parts are more than 120 miles wide during the wet season. It also boasts an unparalleled wealth of flora and fauna – the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve alone is home to more than 2,000 species of birds, 4,000 species of butterflies and countless monkeys, sloths, tarantulas, pink dolphins, land iguanas and caiman. Explore this extraordinary river from the traditional, seven-cabin MV Delfin, which offers various Amazon itineraries, with guided small boat trips, shore excursions and optional piranha fishing.
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