Audley Travel continues to expand its offering across all programmes, with more new destinations,  experiences and accommodation options available, as well as a selection of new sample itineraries to inspire tailor-made trips. 

New destination – re-introducing Turkey

After a break of three years, Audley Travel has re-introduced Turkey to its portfolio for tailor-made trips.

Clients will enjoy time in Istanbul touring centuries-old monuments such as the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, before sipping Turkish coffee in the city's Spice Market. Out of the city, clients can taste some of the region's finest wine with tours of vineyards and olive groves in the hillside village of Şirince. Audley's specialists recommend a trip to Greco-Roman Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the Mediterranean and venturing to Cappadocia in the heart of the country. Here, visitors explore a landscape of conical rock formations and hillside caves, hiking to hidden monasteries before spending the night in a hotel carved out of the rock.

A few days on the idyllic Turquoise Coast makes for a relaxing end to a trip, swimming in the warm waters.

As an example, a 14-day trips costs from £4,320 per person (based on two sharing) and includes flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions. For more information visit www.audleytravel.com/turkey or 01993 838460. Images are here.

New itineraries

As with all of Audley's sample itineraries, these are suggestions for clients to use as a starting point for their bespoke trip. An Audley specialist uses his/her first-hand expertise of the destination to design each client a unique trip, based on their interests, budget and tastes.

Myanmar – Community and conservation 

Audley Travel's new 'Community and conservation in Myanmar (Burma)' itinerary is ideal for clients wanting to understand the diversity of Myanmar, whilst giving back to the communities and local people.

The trip starts in the old capital of Yangon, where clients take a new tour visiting a local NGO that produces goods from recycled plastic, eat lunch in a training restaurant for local people, shop in a fair trade marketplace and visit a local enterprise that teaches sewing and weaving skills to disadvantaged women.

Clients then visit Loikaw to experience Myanmar's varied tribal culture.

At Inle Lake they join local hosts at a cooking school. Each participant is given a list of Myanmar phrases and tasked with acquiring ingredients for a meal from local residents and bartering at the market before learning to make traditional dishes.

From Bagan, clients experience traditional village life along the Ayeyarwady river, taking environmentally friendly modes of transport (such as cycling) where possible. As well as exploring Bagan's thousands of temples, clients try the traditional craft of using bamboo strips to make lacquered products. From Mandalay, clients travel to a fishing village for lunch, a lesson in how to cast a fishing net and an overnight stay.

To complement the responsible tourism ethos of the itinerary, clients are given reusable water bottles with refill stations provided throughout.

A 16-day tailor-made trip costs from £4,245 per person (based on two sharing) and includes all flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions. More information is available at www.audleytravel.com/myanmar or 01993 838105. Images are here

India – celebrating the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth

'In the footsteps of Gandhi' was developed to celebrate 150 years since Gandhi's birth. The 16 day  trip follows his life and political career around India from Calcutta to Delhi and includes a mix of new Gandhi-specific excursions (including discussing Gandhi's philosophies with a university professor in Calcutta) together with Audley favourites such as seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise. The suggested itinerary shows clients the best of each destination and will ensure they return home with a full understanding of the cultural significance of Gandhi's journey through India.

A 16-day tailor-made trip costs from £5,270 per person (based on two sharing) and includes all flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions. More information is available at www.audleytravel.com/india or 01993 838330. Images are here. 

Costa Rica – exploring lesser-known parts on a self-drive itinerary

This self-drive trip is perfect for adventurous travellers. It starts with a night in San José before driving to the verdant Tenorio region in the north of the country. Highlights here include a hike through Tenorio National Park visiting Rio Celeste, one of Costa Rica's hidden gems. Next, clients drive to the Monteverde Cloudforest, an extremely bio-diverse environment offering excellent birdwatching, intriguing flora, adrenaline-fuelled canopy walkways and zip-line tours. The next stop is south, on the Pacific coast. Here clients visit Marino Ballena National Park, one of the most biologically diverse areas in Costa Rica boasting coral reef, rainforest and beach habitats. The final stop is the wild and beautiful Osa Peninsula (home to the highest concentration of wildlife in Costa Rica) - scarlet macaws are frequently seen in this area and birdwatching tours in search of honeycreepers, tanagers and the spectacular white-crested coquette can be arranged.

A 13-day tailor-made trip costs from £3,400 per person (based on two sharing) and includes all flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions as well as car hire. More information is available at www.audleytravel.com/costa-rica or 01993 838665. Images are here.

New Zealand – new luxury itineraries and experiences

New itineraries - Audley has expanded its offering in New Zealand, with the introduction of some sample itineraries designed for clients who want to explore the islands in luxury.

The operator's luxury offering in New Zealand isn't about opulence, instead the itineraries showcase the country's luxury wilderness lodges which perfectly balance many indulgent touches with immersive, one-off experiences.

The carefully selected wilderness lodges recommended for clients are found in quiet and unspoiled areas of the country and clients enjoy the warmth and hospitality of personal service together with farm-to-table food whilst savouring the luxury of being the only people standing in the middle of a mountain range or on a clifftop or beach looking out to sea.

New experience - Audley's Fiordland Heli Lunch experience is a private charter flight from Queenstown over Mount Aspiring and Milford Sound. The helicopter lands on the West Coast for the guide to catch some cray fish. The flight then continues to Fiordland Lodge to cook the fish and enjoy lunch with stunning views over Lake Te Anau, before flying back to Queenstown.

The Fiordland Heli Lunch excursion can be included on Audley Travel's tailor-made luxury New Zealand itineraries. For example, a  brand-new luxury fishing itinerary trip has just been launched which includes Stonefly Lodge near the Abel Tasman (one of the top lodges for fishing), Mount Cook Lakeside Retreat for kayaking on Mueller Glacier, The Lindis and Blanket Bay for fly fishing.

The 12-day itinerary costs from £18,931 per person (based on two sharing) and includes flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions. More information is available at www.audleytravel.com/new-zealand or 01993 838820. Images are here.

New accommodation

Linyanti Expeditions, Botswana

Linyanti Expeditions is a brand-new camp located in the private Linyanti Concession in Botswana's Linyanti Wetlands, which Audley is delighted to offer to clients. It is small, with an authentic safari experience and well-planned activities. It has just six tents, all comfortably furnished with a bucket al fresco shower.  A unique feature of the accommodation is the 'star suite', a mesh-enclosed gazebo extension where beds are placed for a night under a blanket of stars.

The Linyanti Concession has seasonal floodwaters which attract big herds of elephant, buffalo and other grazers as well as birds. Game drives and traditional mokoro (canoe) trips are available at the camp, but the main focus is on guided walks to explore the wilds of the area with responsible tourism at the forefront of the camp's ethos.

A stay at Linyanti Expeditions can be included on Audley Travel's tailor-made Botswana itineraries. For example, an 11-day trip costs from £6,480 per person (based on two sharing). This includes three nights at Linyanti Expeditions as well as three nights on safari in the Okavango Delta and time at Victoria Falls. Price includes all flights, transfers, accommodation on a fully inclusive basis and safari activities. More information is available at www.audleytravel.com/botswana or 01993 838530. Images are here.

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Notes to editors

About Audley Travel

Audley Travel offers tailor-made trips to over 80 countries across the world. Each trip is designed by a destination specialist who knows the country in great detail, having lived there or explored it many times. Each trip is designed specifically for a client, based on their tastes, interests and budget but with a common commitment to quality and to showing clients the highlights of a destination in a different light, and introducing them to places and experiences that others might miss. For more information on all of Audley's tailor-made trips, please visit www.audleytravel.com