Big Dreams of Exotic Places for Fall

Dear Travellers,

Welcome to the month of March, the beginning of Spring. Yes, those first sprouts in your garden should be blooming not so awfully long from now!

For those of you with itchy feet, and eager to catch up on trips missed over the last few years, we have spectacular destinations to consider. Overseas travel is back with a vengeance – everyone is going somewhere and beginning to plan their fall trips too. Now is a wonderful time to seize the dream and jet off to some of the more exotic and rich locales around the world. Long plane trips to be sure – but such glorious wonders await at the other end of the world!

In this issue, we will take you on a safari to Tanzania to see if you can spot the Big 5 – lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, and buffalo. We’ll go to the fascinating Far East, the lands of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Our feature destination is the Middle East: Jordan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates with its luxuriant city of Dubai!

Let your imagination wander. All aboard for our thrilling March adventure!

Middle Eastern Magic: Explore Jordan, Oman & the UAE

Been everywhere, done that? The Middle East is one place that will still surprise you. It will mesmerize and enchant you with its warmth, vibrant colours, and millennia of rich history. When you travel through the great lands of Jordan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates you are in the cradle of civilization. The immense cultural wealth of these lands is astounding. Fall under the spell of its spiraling minarets, ancient rock-cut wonders, medieval bazaars, fresh delectable mezzes …and the melodic call of the imam. Not to mention futuristic cities like Dubai that defy description.

When you think of great desert lands like Jordan, the great David Lean film “Lawrence of Arabia” may come to mind. Remember Peter O Toole, “El Awrence” as his Arab servant boys called him, riding through the sand sea? Certainly, the real visual splendour of the film lies in its breathtaking desertscapes, which were filmed in Jordan. Many of the other middle eastern settings, interestingly, were shot in the Moorish city of Seville in Spain.

Record Breaking UAE
The United Arab Emirates is renowned across the world today, not only for the glamorous city of Dubai.

Here are a few records the UAE has set recently:

• The tallest freestanding structure in the world (the Burj Khalifa in Dubai: a total height of 829.8 metres (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) topping Taipei since 2010)
• World’s highest restaurant
• World’s tallest hotel (The Gevora: 75 floors rising above the clouds)
• World’s fastest roller coaster
• Largest tin of caviar
• The most people parachuting from a balloon simultaneously!

We don’t recommend a crowded parachute jump – or tinned caviar, but we do hope you will visit the UAE – hopefully with us!

If you are ready to immerse yourself in all the riches of the Middle East, we have a spectacular 17-day Middle East Explorer, United Arab Emirates, Jordan & Oman tour this coming November that beautifully curates this cradle of civilization – including Jordan’s Petra, the great city of Dubai, and the ancient land of Oman.

South East Asia Delights: Treasures and Temples of Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos

Do you dream of touring the exotic lands of the far east? In the past, far-flung destinations may have seemed out of reach for most travellers. Embark on an unforgettable adventure through three of the most colourful and storied cultures in South East Asia. The countries of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos all bear witness to their unique past – both tragic and triumphant.

In Vietnam, you’ll be exhilarated by the vibrant energy of the nation’s capital, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). This cosmopolitan city with its bustling markets, great cuisine and important monuments is a great place to start any tour. Vietnam’s other great city, Hanoi, is the cultural capital of the country where you can experience more of the traditional Vietnamese culture and history. Then, there is neighbouring Laos, called “the land of a million elephants” – a place of natural beauty. Laos is also the place leopards and cheetahs call home. With a tropical climate, this is a very lush country of jungles, wildlife, and forests. Finally, there is Cambodia with its fascinating history and culture, Phnom Penh’s heaving streets and the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat.

Here are four interesting facts about the breathtaking temples of Angkor – a UNESCO world heritage site in Cambodia.

1. ‘Angkor Wat’ loosely translates as ‘Temple City.’ So vast… and every year, new ones are identified.
2. It is the largest religious monument in the world – spanning 400 acres
3. It was built between 802 and 1220 CE over 35 years – using 1,000 elephants, 300,000 human labourers — and five million tons of sandstone!
4. Originally built for the Hindu religion, Angkor Wat became Buddhist in the late 13th century and is still used for worship today.

Love to join us on a life-changing adventure to South East Asia? Our 18-day Ancient Kingdoms of South East Asia tour departs November 7, 2023. With a group of adventurous travellers at your side, we will explore the wonders of these lands, from cosmopolitan cities to fish markets, lush jungles – and of course, the great Angkor Wat!

A Wildlife Adventure in Africa: Tantalizing Tanzania & Zanzibar

If you are passionate about nature and wildlife, a trip to Tanzania to go on safari should be top of your list. From the great migration and Mount Kilimanjaro to the Ngorongoro crater, the largest unbroken and unflooded volcano caldera in the world, it’s a sensory explosion. Then, there is also the colour and warmth of the Maasai people as well with their customary dress and “high jumping dance”. Did you know that right off the coast is beautiful Zanzibar island, a tropical oasis also rich with its own wildlife? Zanzibar is known worldwide for its white sands, turquoise waters, clove plantations…and medieval port with traditional Arab dhows in the harbour.

The Serengeti: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Safari Experience
On a Tanzania safari, you might witness vast herds of wildebeests along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and antelopes making their epic trek across the Serengeti in search of forage and water. Their journey peaks during the summer months –the great migration — when they move after calving on the Ndutu plains in the South across perilous crocodile-infested rivers to reach the fertile Maasai Mara in Kenya. This breathtaking spectacle is the largest gathering of wild animals in the world, acclaimed as a distinctive natural wonder. In November, you will still see a glimpse of this extravaganza as animals emerge to enjoy the moisture of this slightly wetter season. This is a much more temperate time to tour Tanzania. Tanzania and Zanzibar are lands rich with their own folklore too. If you would like to sample some of these wonderful stories, click here.

If the idea of an African safari in Tanzania followed by a heavenly trip to tropical Zanzibar sounds appealing, we have good news of course. You may wish to join our Safari in Tanzania and the island of Zanzibar tour departing October 31, 2023. We will travel in a comfortable 4X4 vehicle in search of the Big 5 – and then relax by the turquoise seas on a beautiful African island!

Happy Travels Wherever You Wander!

In closing, we want to wish you a very pleasant March. We hope you are all enjoying our Vol 3 – 2023 Fall Tours brochure with its exciting new itineraries like some mentioned in this newsletter.

As you return from your latest adventures, please feel free to share your travel photos with us on our website or social media using #SeniorDiscoveryTours, and be sure to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel!
Thank you for leaving us a Google Review and Facebook Review – we appreciate your feedback!

Here’s hoping for an early spring, whatever the groundhog said – and that you will be packing your bags soon for an adventure with us, somewhere wonderful.

Sincerely,

Danny Shay
President, Senior Discovery Tours

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Ready to travel? Let us save your seat!
Call to book 1.800.268.3492 or visit SeniorDiscoveryTours.ca

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CARP Members: Book your spot on any tours booked in 2023 and receive $100 off per person, per booking. Use promotion code: CARP at the time of booking. The discount must be applied at time of booking, is not valid on existing bookings, is not combinable with any other offer, and has no cash value.

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