Song of Flower guests will have an opportunity to explore a hidden city that Sheherazade might have concocted for Arabian Nights. Join us on a complimentary ovemight tour of Sana'a, including a jet flight from Aden, an ovemight at the luxurious Sana'a Sheraton Hotel, all meals and a return flight to Hodeidah to rejoin the ship. Those on the Aqaba/Dubai October 27 cruise will leave the ship in Hodeidah and return to Aden.
The capital of Yemen is an enchanted place, more like a desert Shangri,La than a capital. It has fascinated and intrigued the outside world since biblical times, when the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon to relate tales of treasures hidden in Yemen's hills. Before the Islamic Period, the area around Sana'a was occupied by the Saba (Bilkis), Malrib, Ma'in and Himyarite kingdoms. UNESCO has designated Sana'a a World Heritage Site. Within the intact city walls lies a medieval city of unsurpassed charm. Souks sell silver wedding jewelry and ornately decorated Jambiyas, the ceremonial knife wom by Yemenese men. Soaring minarets and tall houses with crenellated rooftops punctuate the clear blue skyscape while serene gardens invite contemplation.
India. Step into a world of vibrant contrasts and subtle differences. Of deserts and monsoons, mountains and plains. Of dreamlike vistas, glowing red sandstone and cool white domes. Of all the fascinating countries in the world, there is none so vivid and so complex as India. And of all the works of man, there is none more beautiful or symbolic as India's Taj Mahal. It is said that you are not a world traveler until you have been to India, and you have not experienced perfect beauty until you have beheld the Tai. We invite you and other Song of Flower guests to experience India and her most prized treasures with our compliments on our exploration of Agra, the Taj Mahal, and the capital city of Old and New Delhi. The program is available as a pre- or post-cruise land tour (depending on your sailing) on voyages to or from Bombay, for guests participating in Radisson's Air/Sea Program. It includes air flights, transfers, hotel stays, excursions and meals.
Pre-Cruise Land Program April 15, 1997 November 17, 1997
Day One - Delhi
You and other guests are greeted at the airport and escorted to the deluxe Park Royal Hotel. The afternoon and evening are yours to unpack, relax, take a nap, swim in the pool or do as you please your first opportunity to experience India's warmth and hospitality.
Day Two - Delhi
Today is your first full day in India, and what marvels await! After breakfast, guests begin their exploration of Old and New Delhi. 'Old' and 'New' are misnomers, since Delhi has been moved or rebuilt at least eight times over the centuries. Today, guests will see the seven cities of Old Delhi, highlighted by visits to the Qutab Minar Tower; Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque; and the formidable Red Fort, behind whose walls lie exquisite palaces and pavilions designed by Shah Jahan, India's great architect-emperor. You will proceed to the eighth 'New' Delhi, the city designed by Sir Edward Lutyens to proclaim England's Imperial might to the world. The immense, neoclassical buildings of the Presidential Palace, India Gate, the Secretariat and Parliament are overwhelming in their proportions and grandiosity. Guests may return to the hotel or enjoy an optional shopping tour in Delhi's Central Cottage Handicraft Emporia and other intriguing bazaars.
Day Three - Agra/The Taj Mahal
In the morning, board the Shatabdi Express train for Agra, following the Royal Road of the Moghul Emperors. Agra was their capital during the 16th and I 7th centuries, and the great city of Akbar Kahn retains a dynastic aura today. Agra is the site of the largest military monument of Akbar, the Red Fort. Not to be confused with Delhi's Red Fort, this citadel is even larger - containing 500 buildings and palaces. Here, Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his power-hungry son, Aurangzeb. See where the Shah spent his days looking out at the distant dome of the Taj Mahal and the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz. Guests may visit the ruins of Fatehpur Sikri, a nine-square-mile city created by Akbar Kahn. And now in the glow of the afternoon sun, the Taj Mahal appears before you - the world's greatest monument to eternal love. Guests cannot help but be transfixed by the beauty of the Taj. The purity and symmetry of the dome and minarets are enhanced by a profusion of architectural adornments - fountains, reflecting ponds and gateways draw the eye to a composition of beauty that is perfect from any angle. Inside lie the tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz. As the setting sun turns the great curved dome from glistening white to gold and flame, the glory and romance of India will light your heart and fire your imagination. Return to Delhi and spend the night at the Park Royal Hotel.
Day Four - Delhi/Bombay
In the morning, board a flight for Bombay. After arrival and lunch enjoy a tour of India's most dynamic city. Bombay is both the financial and industrial capital of India. And more movies are made in Bombay than Hollywood - an average of one per day. Although Bombay is a most contemporary city, it also celebrates a glorious past as the capital of the Maratha and Gujarat Empires. Time permitting, your tour may include views of the Gateway of India, a grand monument of the British Raj, Hutatma Chowk (Flora Fountain), the Prince of Wales Museum, the Queen's Necklace (Marine Drive), Chowpatty Beach, Malabar Hill with its Victorian mansions and hanging gardens, the Towers of Silence and the Dagina, prior to boarding Song of Flower. You will be treated to an enthralling folkloric dance performance as you take leave of Bombav and its treasures.
Post-Cruise Land Program April 5, 1997 November 8, 1997
For those disembarking from Song of Flower in Bombay, we offer a complimentary land tour operating in reverse order of the pre-cruise tour outlined above. On October 28, 1996 (post-cruise) and November 9, 1996 (pre-cruise) Song of Flower offers the same sightseeing experience on tours which feature two nights in Delhi and one night in Agra. Cruise-only guests may purchase this Land Program for a supplemental charge.
Two modem states, Israel and Jordan, and two ancient cities, Jerusalem and Petra, are connected by a road through history. The road takes many tums and tells us many tales. For those who seek to know the past, it will reveal the backbone of our culture and the underpinnings of our judeoChristian heritage. Explore biblical sites buried for eons under city streets and uncover antiquities hidden for centuries in a desert wilderness. Join us on the road from Jerusalem to Petra in an amazing adventure, as we peel back layers of time to discover some of the greatest archaeological treasures ever found. This exclusive complimentary program is available as a pre- or postcruise land tour (depending on your sailing) on voyages to or from Aqaba, for guests participating in Radisson's Air/Sea Program. It includes all hotel stays, breakfasts, excursions and transfers.
Pre-Cruise Land Program October 28, 1996 May 7, 1997 October 27, 1997
Day One - Jerusalem
Arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport. Guests will be met at the airport and escorted to the Laromme Jerusalem Hotel, where you may spend the aftemoon and/or evening at leisure.
Day Two - Jerusalem
After breakfast, embark on a fascinating all-day tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, touching on the area's most important religious and archaeological sites. jerusalem's powerful spiritual aura is allenveloping and often fills visitors with emotion. As you follow the footsteps of King David, Jesus and Mohammed you will marvel at the continuity of history of the city that gave birth to Judaism and Christianity and witnessed the Ascension of Istam's Prophet into heaven. Your tour includes visits to the Mount of Olives, the Wailing Wall, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Jaffa Gate. After lunch, drive to Mt. Zion and Bethlehem and see the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. Retum to your hotel.
Day Three - Jerusalem/Petra
After breakfast, drive to historic Allenby Bridge (King Hussein Bridge) and cross into Jordan. Follow the King's Road over wind-scoured hills and rock-strewn valleys to Mount Nebo, said to be the place where Moses died after at last seeing the Promised Land. In sleepy Madaba, inspect intricate 6th-century Byzantine mosaics. Now die massive ruins of a Crusader castle come into view. Castle Kerak was built by Baldwin I to control trade routes to the East. Arriving in Petra, spend the night at the Grand View Hotel.
Day Four - Petra/Aqaba
After an early moming breakfast, begin your adventure to the site of one of the world's most phenomenal ruins. Appropriately, you will discover Petra just as explorer John Burckhardt did in 1822, riding at a gentle pace on horseback through winding clefts in the ochre-stained cliffs. Then, quite suddenly, a vision appears - huge ancient Roman temples, tombs, gates and halls, carved right out of cliffs hundreds of feet high. Petra was originally founded by the Nabateans, who traded with Egypt, and you can see some Pharaonic influences. But the fluted columns and carved broken pediments are pure Imperial Rome. One can only wonder why, after building such a city, it would be abandoned forever. After a buffet lunch, guests will walk out of Petra and board a motorcoach for transfer to Aqaba, for embarkation on Song of Flower.
Post-Cruise Land Program October 19, 1996 April 24,1997 October 18, 1997
For guests ending their cruise in Aqaba, we offer a complimentary land tour operating in reverse order of the pre,cruise tour listed above. Cruise-only guests may purchase this Land Program for a supplemental charge.
Full Day Program
We are pleased to present this optional day-long land tour of Burma's venerated spiritual capital to Song of Flower guests visiting Rangoon. Your tour includes air transportation between Rangoon and Pagan, tours of the pagodas and temples, and your return flight in the afternoon.
On the banks of the mighty Irrawaddy River, about 200 miles from Rangoon, lies one of the most extraordinary and extensive monuments to Buddhism - the temples and pagodas of Pagan. Once Burma's capital, the actual city of Pagan disappeared years ago, but its pagodas and temples live on, an eternal symbol of the Golden Age of Burma (11th- 13th centuries) and the Buddhist ideal of spiritual enlightenment and union with nature. Dotting the Pagan Plain are over 5,000 pagodas and temples, and each offers a unique vision. Among the many sites we will explore are the revered golden-domed Shwedagon Pagoda, the prototype for Burma's later stupas; Kubyaukkyi Temple, containing a sacred stone inscribed in Burtnan, Mon, Pali and Pyu; and Ananda Temple, built in the shape of a Greek Cross with the profile of a Himalayan mountain. One cannot leave Pagan without feeling touched by its over, whelming sense of sublime peace and serenity.
Please note: Rangoon calls on the sailings of Nov. 30, 1996, April 5, 1997 and Nov. 17, 1997, will not offer this Pagan excursion due to time limitations.
PRICE $395 per person
4-Night Program
This package is available with voyages to or from Hong Kong, with the exception of the December 21, 1997 and January 2, 1998 sailings. Participating guests aboard cruises originating in Hong Kong will enjoy the package prior to departure and the daily itinerary below will be reversed. Cruises ending in Hong Kong will follow the daily itinerary below. This optional 4-night program replaces the listed Hong Kong program included with cruise itineraries.
Day One
Disembark vessel, sightseeing transfer to the Regent Hotel, aftemoon at leisure.
Day Two
Early this moming guests will transfer to Hong Kong Airport for the flight to Beijing. Following a late moming arrival, we will check in at the Sh-,ingri-La Hotel. T'he aftemoon begins with a tour to the Forbidden City, home to the Imperial Palace and an abiding symbol of traditional China. Although the Imperial Palace is China's most imposing architectural masterpiece, it is characterized by simple lines and delicate decoration. Its construction is considered one of the great feats of human history, comparable to the Pyramids of Egypt. From the Forbidden City it is a short distance to Tiananmen Square, originally built in 165 1. Now the largest public square in the world, it is frequently host to ceremonial gatherings of more than a million people. Our tour will conclude late in the aftemoon at Beijing's Shangri-La Hotel.
Day Three
Following breakfast, guests will depart for the awe-inspiring Great Wall of China. The only man-made object visible from satellites in orbit, the wall reminds us of man's most remarkable accomplishments. The amount of stone used to construct the Wall could circle the earth and stand eight feet high. From the Great Wall, we will continue on to Chang Lin, a shrine where 13 of the 16 Ming emperors are buried. In the late aftemoon, we will return to our hotel in Beijing.
Day Four
After breakfast, we will depart for the Temple of Heaven. A masterpiece of 15th century architecture, the Temple of Heaven was built to the most advanced principles of mechanics and geometry available at the time. Our next stop will be at the Summer Palace in Beijing's Haiden district. The palace grounds are a vast park of nearly 700 acres including Kumming Lake which is used for boating and swimming in the summer and Skating during the winter. In the evening guests will enjoy an authentic Peking Duck dinner with cultural entertainment.
Day Five
This moming, guests will transfer to the airport for flights back to the U.S.
Prices
All meals and transportation are included.
Air/Sea Rate
$1,545.00 per person, double occupancy $1,745.00 single
Cruise Only Rate
$1,895.00 per person, double occupancy $2,295.00 single