Voyages of a lifetime

Feb 7, 2012 9:58:19 PM

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The romance of long ocean and river voyages of history holds powerful sway over the dreams of many world travellers. But there’s no need to relegate the great voyage to the realm of books and dreams – many can still be done today in classic style.

The following ocean and river voyages rank among the most iconic and memorable travel experiences on or off water. So put on your best Poirot accent, and brush up on your Huck Finn river lingo, and climb aboard for the voyages of a lifetime.

1. The Nile

Sailing boat or time machine? The world’s longest river feels like it’s the oldest, and to board a vessel on the Nile is to peel back millennia and slow down to river speed as ancient temples, oxcarts and palm trees – unaltered since Pharaohs ruled the roost – pass by.

Essential experiences:

Docking at Luxor for Ancient Egypt’s finest: the colossal columns of Karnak, Luxor Temple (best seen lit up after dark) and the Valley of the Kings.
Quaffing cocktails on the veranda of Aswan’s grand Old Cataract Hotel.
Entering the tombs of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, relocated in the 1960s to avoid being covered by the waters of Lake Nasser.
Seeing the ‘smoking water’ of 45m-high Tis Issat (Blue Nile Falls) in Ethiopia.

2. The Northwest Passage

Sail through the most legendary shipping route on Earth, following in the wake of a host of Victorian-era explorers seeking the ocean’s holy grail: safe boat passage across the frozen top of North America to the riches of Asia.

Essential experiences:

Wandering through the Northwest Passage Park and Interpretive Centre at Gjoa Haven, in Nunavut.
Stopping in at Beechey Island, a national historic site east of Cornwallis Island, where the Franklin expedition wintered before vanishing forever – traces of the men and their unsuccessful rescuers remain.
Viewing the remains of Roald Amundsen’s schooner Maud in the harbour of Cambridge Bay, where Northwest Passage explorers often took shelter.

3. Norway’s fjords

Scoured and gouged by ancient glaciers, Norway’s fjords are a veritable wonderland. These deep, sea-drowned valleys, scissored by impossibly rugged terrain, were recently voted by National Geographic Traveler magazine as the world’s best travel destination.

Essential experiences:

Staring gobsmacked at the imposing cliffs of Geirangerfjord.
Taking the thrilling Flåmsbana railway trip between Hardangervidda and Flåm.
Appreciating art nouveau architecture in charming Ålesund.
Thrilling to the delights of Bergen, a beautiful, charming city, with a World Heritage-listed neighbourhood, Bryggen, and buzzing harbour, ringed by seven hills and seven fjords.

4. Down the Mississippi to New Orleans

The Mississippi: America’s most important river. It gave birth to the blues, Huckleberry Finn, Budweiser and much more. It witnessed the Civil War and the end of slavery. Follow it all the way down to New Orleans and bid it farewell as it leaves, seeping out into the Gulf of Mexico.

Essential experiences:

Visiting the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal to bone up on your Huck Finn knowledge, and finding the places he transposed into his famous novel.
Exploring Memphis’ Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum to learn about the transportation of slaves down the river to freedom.
Making a pilgrimage to Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, and getting a dose of the blues in Clarksdale.
Savouring river cuisine: slow-burning tamales and melt-off-the-bone ribs in Clarksdale; chilli tamales and steaks in Greenville; and the full gamut of Cajun and Creole cuisine in New Orleans.

5. The River Ganges

Glacial teardrops gather into streams, cascading into navigable white water and eventually smoothing into a serene mocha river that cleanses sins, transports souls and irrigates productive farmland. It is the Mother Ganga, India’s most sacred river.

Essential experiences:

Trekking from Gangotri Temple to Gaumukh, the terminus for the hulking Gangotri Glacier, the source of the Ganges.
Meditating the ashrams of yoga-mecca Rishikesh, where the Fab Four got their Eastern fix in the 1960s.
Snapping photos and absorbing the devotional spirit of India in the overlooked city of Haridwar.
Exploring the tumbledown ghats on foot or by boat in Varanasi, as the pilgrims bathe in the holy river.

6. The Amazon River

The Amazon: Physically, it’s immense and mythically it’s the very same. A riverine Amazon journey never fails to evoke overlapping imagery: exotic, dense rain forest; indigenous tribes; abundant wildlife; enveloping mystery; sometimes even menace.

Essential experiences:

Canoeing through a flooded forest.
Dozing in a hammock on a slow boat to nowhere.
Listening to the song of a thousand birds and the eerie cry of howler monkeys.
Stopping at a riverside town and hiking through the lush rainforest.

7. Mekong River

One of the world’s longest rivers, to follow it is to experience the great cultural and geographical diversity of a continent, to absorb its many refractions of Buddhism and to meet rural Asia at her most picturesque, almost always bathed in natural, mystical beauty.

Essential experiences:

Wandering along the headwaters in the unforgettable Tibetan Plateau where cultures collide in the shadow of the Himalayas.
Exploring China’s mystical and enchanting Yunnan Province, dotted with limestone peaks and carved with deep river gorges.
Being seduced by the saffron-robed monks, shady streets, colonial buildings, handicrafts and patisseries of charming and delicious, Luang Prabang.
Exploring the vast, colourful water world that is the Mekong Delta.

8. The Yangtze by slow boat

A cruise down China’s Yangtze, the world’s third-longest river, is one of the most memorable water-borne journeys on earth. When the river threads through the Three Gorges, flowing between rock formations and stunning cliffs, it’s nothing less than magical.

Essential experiences:

Watching the Three Gorges peek into view through a shroud of mist.
Changing boats at Wushan for the Little Three Gorges.
Enjoying the ancient town of Fèngjié overlooking Qutang Gorge, the entrance point to White King Town.
Taking it easy as the boat slowly wends its way.

Need more inspiration to fill up that travel bucket list? You’ll never run dry with Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences, also available for iPad.

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Comments

24 July 2011 8:18PM shivya Report this comment
I've done the Ganges & the Mekong, and Norway's fjords are calling out to me ever since I can remember. Hope I can make it there soon.
~Shivya http://theshootingstar.wordpress.com
9 August 2011 1:42PM lonelybunny Report this comment
I'm all for the Egypt and the Amazon!
9 August 2011 2:55PM rizalenio Report this comment
The Mekong River is written on my bucket list. Hope to visit that place soon.
http://rizalenio.blogspot.com
9 August 2011 3:01PM svblackwind Report this comment
If you are interested in joining a true ocean going voyage join the Black Wind on its upcoming voyage:
'From the edge to the centre of the world'
The next voyage will be December 2011, from La Paz - the capital of Baja California in Mexico, (Western Mexico - The edge of the world) to Istanbul (once known as Constantinople)- the capital of Turkey and the point where East meets West (and very much the centre of the world).
It will cover several Central American countries including Costa Rica, a transit through The Panama Canal, The Caribbean, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. It will be an adventure so you should be able to make the tea/coffee, fry an egg, sleep at sea, and laugh...
The full voyage will probably take around 6 - 8 months, and their will be spaces for short periods on board, but priority will be given to those who wish to complete the whole voyage.
Visit us at http://www.svblackwind.com or on our blog at http://svblackwind.blogspot.com
9 August 2011 8:56PM ewaterwaysnews Report this comment
Great article - we wish more people took to the water to travel/explore!
The Amazon is an incredible river...and the strangest sight are the pink dolphins which the article didn't mention..they look naked when they pop up out of the water!
Visit us for more info on seeing pink river dolphins at http://www.ewaterways.com
9 August 2011 9:13PM madeleinemh Report this comment
Brilliant article! Check www.cruisingshow.com for The Telegraph CRUISE Shows if you are interested in cruising and what to find out more. Glasgow and Birmingham shows in October.
9 August 2011 9:30PM jcrane66 Report this comment
Where is a cruise along the Niger River in a parnasse? Nothing unexpected on this list. Ho-hum...
10 August 2011 5:45AM smallshipcruiser Report this comment
Great article and thanks for LP's attention to small ship cruising. Once you try a small ship you'll never go back. Check out LP's top pick for Alaska small ship cruises http://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com. Award winning adventure cruises to Alaska, Amazon, Antarctica, Asia and more.
10 August 2011 7:14AM kathrynfk Report this comment
I think rounding Cape Horn and/or going through Beagle Channel in Tierra del Fuego should have made the list.... One of my favourite trips.
10 August 2011 12:09PM seemgreene Report this comment
Your choices are all nice trips, but “Voyage of a Lifetime” in every case, I doubt it ! The Norwegian Fjords, for instance, are lovely, but for a truly outstanding experience, include the ultra-historic Orkney Islands, and try plowing through pack-ice to Svalbard. Another “Voyage of a Lifetime,” outdone by no other, is a trip to Antarctica, beautiful, fascinating, surprising and unique in countless ways. Linking Galapagos with ancient Peru ranks easily with the voyages you’ve chosen. But the ultimate “Voyage of a Lifetime,” the perfect voyage, is a trip through French Polynesia on the M/V “Paul Gauguin.” No room to describe it. Just go !
11 August 2011 7:47AM paddyleblanc Report this comment
Nile: Yes. Amazon: Yes, but tough going. Ganges: Yes. Mekong: Yes. Yangtze by slow boat? To see whats left of the 3 gorges while being surrounded by 1,345 drunk, singing Chinese tourists? Go for it if you like but 'taking it easy' is hard work on that trip
13 August 2011 1:24AM thees Report this comment
Agree on the last one, we did the Yangtze river on a Chinese cruise boat in 2009, and it was a hellish experience. There is very little to see, the river is very polluted and full of rubbish, and together with what feels like 2 million Chinese on a small boat, it is not something I would recommend!