A thorough exploration of Northern Pakistan where three empires meet, with stops in Islamabad, Gilgit, Hunza, Khunjerab Pass, Skardu, Shigar, Khapulu & Lahore.

Accessing major sites and special, off-the-beaten path gems using China's efficient high-speed rail network ● Three major urban centres (Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai) well-spaced with lesser known, fascinating locations, many of them Unesco sites ● delicious authentic meals ● charming & comfortable accommodations ● expert guiding and leadership

Magnificent Taj Mahal ● Jain temples of Ranakpur ● Varanasi: 2,000 temples and shrines ● Morning boat ride on sacred Ganges ● Red Fort (Agra) ● Amber Palace (Jaipur) ● Temples at Khajuraho

'Experiential' Tokyo sightseeing ● Bullet Train to Hakone ● Hakone Outdoor Museum ● Historic Takayama ● Kyoto: Temples & shrines ● Hiroshima: Peace Memorial Park ● Nagasaki: feudal castles, samurai houses, Meiji-era villas

Seoul: city tour & the DMZ ● Welcome dinner at top of Namsan Seoul Tower ● Unique & beautiful Jeju Island Immersion in Korean culture, ancient & modern ● Hakone Outdoor Museum ● Kyoto: Temples & shrines ● Hiroshima: Peace Memorial Park

Guided game drives through Africa's best game parks ● Maasai Mara/Serengeti: endless plains ● Snows of Kilimanjaro from Kenya's Amboseli Park ● Ngorongoro Crater: natural wonder ● Great Rift Valley ● Exotic spice island of Zanzibar

Apricot dunes at sunrise ● Kaleidoscope of cultures ● Rugged Skeleton Coast ● Etosha: Africa's undiscovered wildlife gem ● The Okavango inland delta ● Thundering Victoria Falls

Tashkent Old City tour ● Khiva: World Heritage Site ● Ashgabat: City Tour ● Visiting all '5 Stans' ● Scenic Lake Issyk-Kul

Charming, historic Cartagena ● Lively Bogota ● Verdant Hills ● coffee plantations Unspoiled villages, friendly locals Cathedral of Salt ● Colonial treasures ● Partial Canal transit ● Parque Metropolitano & Amerindian Village ● Inter-oceanic Train journey ● Chiriqui Highlands & La Amistad Park ● Bocas del Toro: White sands & coral reefs