First up, exciting news from a trusted partner, AmaWaterways, who have built a reputation for quality on the European rivers. We love this family owned company for offering reliable and friendly service in great comfort, so we were very excited at their news about a totally new addition to their programme.
In partnership with Metropolitan Touring, South America's leading tour operator, AmaWaterways is finalising the details of a new river cruise experience in Colombia, where they will be the first luxury river cruise line to sail the Magdalena River, known as the 'River of a Thousand Rhythms'.
Race to your atlas and search out Colombia in the top left hand corner of South America, with an extensive stretch of Pacific coast to the west, and Caribbean to the north. The Magdalena flows northwards to meet the Caribbean close to the lovely city of Cartagena. The programme will start in December 2023, and will combine unique experiences on shore with time on board the new custom-built, all-suite, ecofriendly river cruise ship.
The rich biodiversity and culture of Colombia, joined with great wildlife and welcoming people, will create a very special holiday experience. Two seven-night itineraries will combine with fascinating pre- and post-cruise land programmes for active, exciting and authentic experiences.
Further south, another of our favourite river cruise companies, Aqua Expeditions, has introduced a new vessel on the upper Amazon, the lovely Aqua Nera. Founder Francesco Galli Zugaro has built a ship very similar to his little gem on the Mekong (Aqua Mekong) and in fact she comes from the same yard in Ho Chi Minh City, which she left earlier in the year to make the 12,350-nautical mile journey to the Amazon.
With 20 stylish suites, she will operate three-, four- and seven-night journeys out of Iquitos exploring the mythical Amazon rainforest and local Peruvian culture. The décor reflects the region, with beautiful dark woods mirroring the black water lagoons of the Peruvian Amazon, alongside vibrant flashes of colour using indigenous textile patterns and locally sourced fabrics and dyes. Whizz ashore or up intriguing tributaries in speedy skiffs, explore backwaters by kayak and swim where safe in the silent waters.
If North America is more your style, Viking's new ship, the appropriately named Viking Mississippi, will cruise 2,350 miles down the United States, from Minnesota's Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. A series of different cruise itineraries will immerse you in American history and culture. Highlights to choose from include the French Quarter in New Orleans, Cajun heritage in Baton Rouge, Civil War history at Vicksburg National Military Park, Memphis and Graceland, Mark Twain's boyhood home, the Norwegian cultural experience at Vesterheim and the intricate locks and dams of the Upper Mississippi.
Adventurous travellers choose river cruises to enable them to explore further afield without spending hours on the road, packing, unpacking, and relying on a tourist infrastructure that doesn't always meet your standards, so speak with your expert cruise consultants at Mundy Cruising about these and other far flung river cruise experiences including the Nile, the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Mekong.
