 |
 |
 |
 |
|
HIS EYES were dark pools staring at me
through a veil of bamboo. His movements were slow and graceful
a startling contrast to his four-hundred-pound frame. It is
not everyday one comes face to face with a silverback gorilla.
There are no bars. No cages. No signs or lights. Just you.
Just him. Beyond the clearing we were able to make out the
other members of his group. Two females hovered over a young
baby, cradled snugly within its mother’s arms as if she was
singing a lullaby. A young male swung lazily from the vines of
a giant hagenia tree before lying back on the ground for a
grooming with his female counterpart. It was just another day
in Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans on the border of Uganda
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and I was
merely a quiet observer watching a fraction of the world’s
remaining 650 mountain gorillas. CONTINUED |
| |
 |
|
|
 |
|
DID YOU
KNOW? Read on as we spill
some of the best-kept secrets from our
travel experts
across the globe. |
|
| |
 |
|
WINE WISDOM
You don’t have to be a local to
drink like one. South Australians are escaping the crowds of
Barossa Valley and opting for McLaren Vale.
Bursting with chic boutique winery estates, it is the latest
hot spot for sampling some of the world’s best tipples.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
LOCAL HIDEAWAY
Just 35 minutes by ferry from
Auckland, New Zealand, Waiheke Island is a
local kiwi’s hideaway. With award winning vineyards, olive
groves and pasture land, the small oasis boasts a small
village feel far from the bustle of city life. Try a few
nights at The Boatshed, an exclusive
island-style hotel with five designer suites, each with
private panoramic views of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
APPRECIATE ANGKOR
For the ultimate tour of Angkor
Wat, request guide Ly Sarith at the
Amansara Resort, a 50-year-old local
from Siem Riep who survived the Khmer Rouge and can speak on
the recent atrocities and ancient history of this sacred city.
|
| | |
 |
 |
|
If this is your first edition
of the Swain
Experience – Welcome! You will receive this newsletter every
quarter. If at any time you would like to be taken off the
list, please see the bottom of this email for
unsubscription information.
|
| |
 |
|
Q: There are
so many tours today, how do I choose the right one?
A:It is no
surprise that for many the word “tour” conjures up images of
people parading behind a local guide waving a yellow flag.
After all, in some countries this type of touring is preferred
and commonplace. However, much like selecting a pair of shoes,
choosing a tour is all about finding the right fit. What may
feel good to your neighbor may not be the right style or size
for you.
CONTINUED
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
 |
.gif) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
See below for travel advice from the
fascinating people around the world who make Swain Tours
distinctively unforgettable. |
|
TAMSYN
FRICKER
Cape Grace, South Africa
Sales
& Marketing Manager
Don’t Miss: “Bascule Bar offers
over 460 whiskies and single malts sourced globally - it is
considered the largest collection in the Southern Hemisphere –
as well as Vinotheque that can hold over 8000 bottles of wine.
Don’t miss the private whisky tastings as well as the wine
tasting with the Cape Grace sommelier.” |
|
TREVOR
WILSON
Stranraer Homestead, South
Australia
Aussie
Specialist
Don’t
Miss: “On a recent trip to Australia I stayed at
Stranraer Homestead on Kanagroo Island. Being a dog lover I
was delighted to be taken on a walk in the morning by the
family animal Tess. She led me around the property – a lovely
touch of home in a far away land.” |
|
ANNE
FERGUSSON
Giza, Egypt
Egypt Specialist, Swain
Tours
General Manager
Don’t Miss: “I love the luxurious
Mena House Oberi Hotel, a former hunting lodge that is
surrounded by more than 40 acres of private gardens
overlooking the Giza pyramids. I could not stop admiring the
carved wooden doors and Arabesque furniture framing the
already breathtaking views.” |
|
| |
 |
|
 |
 | |
|
|
|
