Oman to Iceland – New Luxe Trips Take Personalization a Step Further

Over the course of the next 6 months, Audley Travel will be adding Oman, Greece, Iceland, and Croatia to their already robust portfolio of destinations to explore.

Choosing which destinations to launch is always an exciting task and one that requires careful consideration. This year’s additions come from carefully listening to what clients are asking for and staying up to date on what popular travel destinations are emerging.

The following are highlights of some of the offerings within each of Audley’s new destinations:

Greece

Explore Meteora at sunset by e-bike: Sunset at Meteora is very popular with tourists visiting the area; the stillness and peacefulness against the changing tones of the sky is very moving. A great way to stay as much away from the crowds as possible is to take part in an e-bike tour with guide Vasilis or his wife Jenny. Your journey takes you through the area to various monasteries where Vasilis or Jenny will explain the history of each location and provide glimpses into the daily life of the monks who live there today. You’ll end with a grand view and (hopefully) a stunning sunset.
Santorini private boat tour: Enjoy a full day out on the water on a private boat excursion around the island. Enjoy time for both cruising and stops for swimming, you’ll see spectacular views of the towns overlooking the caldera and swim past unique rock formations in clear, turquoise water. Dinner is served on board before your captain finds the perfect spot to anchor, so you can watch the iconic Santorini sunset from the water. The views of the sun glittering gold on the water before dipping below the horizon are remarkable.
Athens food walking tour: Greek cuisine is well-known around the world and the most diverse range of food can be found in Athens. Explore the heart of Athens while also sampling your way through a range of flavors. Begin in the Syntagma Square area where you’ll stroll the nearby streets and lanes before reaching your first stop of the day at a historical bakery where you can choose from a variety of tasty Greek pies. Walk past Byzantine and Greek Orthodox churches until you reach Athens’s Central Market, try local cheeses and cold cut vendors along with an ouzo or tsipouro to wash it down. Walk through Psirri to stroll through an area of famous artists where you’ll see some interesting street art and design. Your next stop is at a local souvlaki restaurant in the popular Monastiraki Square, where you can enjoy a tasty souvlaki with the meat of your choice. The final leg of your tour is in Saint Irene’s Square where you’ll enjoy a sweet Greek dessert of loukoumades, a type of fried donuts with honey.

Croatia

In addition to Croatia Audley will be able to include short stopovers in the city of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, day trips or overnights in Montenegro including the luxurious Aman property, Sveti Stefan, as well as daytrips to Mostar and Pocitelj in Bosnia and Herzegovnia.

Trogir historic walking tour and prepared lunch/wine with a chef: Start your day with a tour of Trogir’s market where a local chef will talk you through the range of produce and fish on offer and buy you ingredients for your lunch. You then enjoy a walking tour of the historic medieval town before rejoining the host in a quiet hillside house outside of the city for a 5 course meal cooked in front of you and paired with local wines by an expert sommelier.
Private boat tour of Hvar and Pakleni Islands: You’ll be picked up from your hotel and brought to the pier where you’ll join your private captain for the day to explore the Adriatic Coast. During the day you can visit several towns of Hvar and the Pakleni Islands. Your captain will provide snacks, refreshments and snorkeling equipment while you explore the numerous isolated bays and beaches, making stops for swimming, lunch or just to relax on your own spot of pebble stone beach away from the crowds.
Walking tour of Dubrovnik’s City Walls and Old Town (can be Game of Thrones focused as well): You’ll explore the marble streets of Dubrovnik’s Old Town with your own private guide who will detail the city’s storied history. Learn how the 25 meter high walls have managed to protect the city from the 12th century on, including the most recent events during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. If you are particularly interested in Game of Thrones we have partnered with a guide who worked on the show and offers amazing insight into the production and shooting locations from the show. The tour can then be tailored to focus on the parts of town which were used extensively in the show’s creation, as the setting of King’s Landing. (These tours are not official Game of Thrones tours and are not licensed, approved, or endorsed by Home Box Office, Inc., the owner of the trade marks for Game of Thrones.)

Oman

Getting up close with turtles – Ras Al jinz: Three hours southeast of Muscat, the turtle reserve at Ras Al Jinz perches at the easternmost extremity of the country. It’s dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the four species of sea turtles that nest on Oman’s beaches. A stay here helps support the reserve’s efforts and gives you a chance to see these ponderous but lovely creatures in their own habitat. The very best time to see turtles is in July and August — when the heat is at its peak — but even in the spring and autumn you’re likely to spot some. Enjoy night time walks with the hopes of watching the turtles laying their eggs or even hatchlings making their way to the warm waters.

Nizwa — a traditional livestock market, a massive fort and silversmiths: Ninety minutes’ drive inland from Muscat, Nizwa is a fort city surrounded by a palm oasis near the foot of the Western Hajar Mountains. One of Oman’s oldest cities, it was once the country’s capital and a vital hub of Islamic learning for centuries, home to fractious leaders during the 1950s civil war. Your day will include a visit to the Nizwa Fort which looms over the city, historically and geographically. Though its foundations date to the 12th century, most of the sprawling fort was built in the 17th century. The sprawling fort is ringed by massive, blank-faced walls, but the most notable aspect is the high tower topped by scalloped crenellations. If you make the ten-story climb to the top, you’ll get sweeping views of the green swathes of date palms and russet mountains that surround the town. In the shadow of the fort, the Nizwa souq is one of the oldest in Oman. Though it’s located in a recently built arcade, it’s still a traditional market crammed with tiny stalls that primarily sell fruits, vegetables and meat, though there’s also a lively trade in silver goods. Omani’s smiths are world-renowned for their skills, and the city’s artisans specialize in khanjars — traditional curved daggers with intricate handles. On Fridays your tour will include a visit to the livestock market. Starting before sunrise, sellers from around the area bring in their animals by foot or truck, and by midmorning, it’s jam-packed with white-robed men, skittish goats, cranky cows and the occasional camel.

Wahiba Sands — sunset and stargazing in a vast desert: Enjoy a visit to the Wahiba Sands, the desert is home to a surprisingly diverse ecosystem that includes 150 species of plants and 200 species of mammals, birds, and reptiles, as well as several thousand Bedouin people. There are a few ways to experience the desert, which is a four-hour drive from the capital. We suggest the 1,000 Nights Desert Camp which boasts hot showers, a swimming pool, well-appointed tents and catered buffet dinner. The black wool tents, with striped fabric walls and comfortable beds, are a pleasant compromise between an authentic Bedouin experience and a decent night’s sleep. Once it is fully night you will enjoy a dinner next to a crackling fire. While you eat admire the high, black vault of the sky, dense with glittering stars.

Iceland

Super jeep tour on Eyjafjallajökull: This is an exciting day exploring Eyjafjallajökull glacier, journeying across the snow and ice in an enormous super Jeep. Your local driver will skillfully maneuver the Jeep up this infamous volcano, traversing seemingly unpassable rocks, rivers, steep ice and deep snow with relative ease. Views are spectacular and can include the nearby Westmann Islands, as well as Hetla volcano and the mountains of Þórsmörk (or ‘Thor’s Valley).
Snorkeling with whales: This experience takes place either early in the morning or in the evening, to ensure that there are no boats in the vicinity and you have the whales to yourselves. On your way out to the best location to find the whales you’ll learn all about these majestic creatures from your knowledgeable marine guide, before spending an hour or so in the water with the whales themselves. Back at the base, you have the opportunity of relaxing in the hot tub with a local beer.
Culinary coastline tour: This is a unique chance to explore the beautiful Eyjafjörður coastline of snow-capped mountains, inlets and black sand beaches, while learning about Icelandic cuisine and visiting several local producers. You’ll spend time at Iceland’s first microbrewery to learn about their history and production process while sampling the beer, taste freshly caught cod on the island of Hrísey, then try Iceland’s most famous dish - salted cod – at a local processing plant.