Royal Heights Tours, Egypt, Greek Islands, Peru, Ecuador, India, Brazil, South America, Kenya, Galapagos, Scotland, Turkey

NEW Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia -	23 Days	Depart 11/08/2012	Return 11/30/2012
Vietnam is long, thin and mountainous so we fly some sections of our route so we can cover more areas of the country. However, we travel overland by our own air-conditioned coach on several sections. This allows us to see more of the countryside. Due to the poor road conditions in Laos and Cambodia, we fly to and between the sites in these countries. Where possible, we try to spend more than one night in an area. Most of our hotels on this tour are of an excellent, Western 4 star standard. Our tour captures some of the highlights of this beautiful region of the world: we spend two nights on a house boat in Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the coast is dotted with limestone pinnacles rising vertically from the azure-blue sea We board an overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai in the mountainous north-west of Vietnam where we learn about the local tribal peoples. No visit to Cambodia would be complete without a visit to Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world. This architectural masterpiece was built in the 12th Century and covers an area of about 210 hectares. {Please note it is also possible to take sections of this tour: Vietnam only, Vietnam & Cambodia, Vietnam & Laos}


Croatia & the Balkans - Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo & Serbia	23 Days	Depart 09/10/2012	Return 10/02/2012
Please note: the Adriatic Cruise it is SOLD OUT- Dec 16] Join Company President Norman Bruce for this special tour of the former Yugoslavia and Albania. Although many of these 'new' countries only declared independence in the 1990's they are very ancient indeed! We trace their deeply-rooted ancestry from prehistory through the Greek & Roman occupations and their roles in various medieval Christian and Muslim empires and kingdoms to Tito's 'non- aligned' Communist state & the modern independent countries. This is a region united by history but diverse in religion, language and cultural traditions. Here we find some of Europe’s smallest countries sustained by passionate nationalisms. We also find beautiful mountain scenery, isolated monasteries, stunning coastal scenery along the cobalt-blue Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea and charming walled towns with their cobbled lanes & plazas.


Cuba: Culture, Heritage & Music - Havana, Bay of Pigs, Trinidad, Santiago	10 Days	Depart 01/07/2013	Return 01/16/2013
JANUARY 7- 16 2013 THIS IS NOT A BEACH HOLIDAY! The largest Caribbean island, Cuba offers breathtaking mountains and coastal scenery, fascinating history and rich musical culture. The real Cuba is a country caught in a time warp, theoretically Marxist, a supposedly - Communist country in the middle of the Americas, Havana was once one of the world's most fashionable cities. We witness the impact Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Ernest Hemingway have had on this remarkable little Island and the pressures for change pushing in on the country in the 21st Century... See our slide show of Cuba - follow this link


Eastern France - Provence, Burgundy Alsace & Champagne	21 Days	Depart 05/12/2012	Return 06/01/2012
France is basically a rural country with very few large cities. Outside of Paris, only Lyons and Marseilles have populations of more than one million. It is also a country built primarily of stone, and each area (called a department) is very diverse. Observe the differences in architecture and different colours of the stonework in each area, and enjoy the specialities of cooking in each part of the country. [Escorted by Maggie Rodgers]


Greek Islands - Paros, Mykonos, Delos, Naxos, Santorini & Crete	16 Days	Depart 05/07/2013	Return 05/22/2013
On our relaxing tour of the Greek Islands we spend 3 or 4 nights on each island, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the islands lifestyle and culture.- an experience not possible on a cruise ship. We travel between the islands by large, sea-going ferries, as the locals do. During our 4 nights on the little-visited island of Paros, we tour this lovely rural island and visit the islands of Mykonos, Delos and Naxos. We enjoy 3 nights on the picture-perfect island of Santorini, including a guided tour of 4,000 year old Akrotiri and a boat trip to two tiny volcanic islands. On Greece’s largest island, Crete, we spend 4 days travelling the gorgeous mountains and coasts. We explore charming towns such as Rythimnon and Hania and take guided tours of Knossos and Phaistos, sites from Europe’s oldest civilization-the Minoans. In Athens we enjoy a guided tour of the city that is the “soul of Western civilization”. See our slide show of the Greek Islands - follow this link


Iceland -	11 Days	Depart 06/12/2012	Return 06/22/2012
JUNE 12- 22 2012- Group limited to a maximum of 24 people. Join Company President Norman Bruce as we explore Iceland, the land of fire & ice. Our tour navigates around the island and we visit Iceland’s famous natural wonders, including Geysir [after which all other geysirs around the world are named], Vatnajökull [Europe’s largest glacier], many majestic waterfalls and the iceberg-filled lagoon of Jokulsarlon. We also learn about the traditions of this isolated Viking-dominated society, including their Icelandic sagas. Travelling in our own coach we are able to experience the remote vastness of rural Iceland, which contrasts so strongly with the dynamic city of Reykjavik - where 60% of Iceland’s 319,368 people. Set almost on the Arctic Circle, in summer Iceland has almost 24 hour daylight and wonderful birdlife. This is one of the best places in the world for seabird spotting. See the slide show of our Iceland tour - follow this link


India: South & North - House boat in Kerla, Delhi, Varanasi, Jaipur, Bombay, Taj Mahal, Goa, Khajuraho	25 Days	Depart 02/02/2013	Return 02/26/2013
[+optional Pre tour-tour extension to Sri Lanka & Post tour extension to Nepal] We visit some of the lesser-known UNESCO world heritage sites of South India as well as the famous highlights of the North. We fly most sections of our route so we can explore more areas of the country. However, we travel overland by our own air-conditioned coach on some sections. This allows us to see more of the countryside and typical villages. Hotels on this tour are mainly of an excellent, Western 4 and 5 star standard. We also stay in a former palatial home that has been turned into a hotel. We also spend one night on our air-conditioned houseboats exploring the waterways of Kerla. No visit of Inda would be complete with out a visit to the World Famous Taj Mahal! See our slide show of India - follow this link


Kenya - African Safari & the Coast of Indian Ocean	21 Days	Depart 10/06/2012	Return 10/26/2012
OCTOBER 6-26 2012 This is the trip of a lifetime! Kenya is the ultimate safari destination. and the 'jewel of East Africa'. Over the years ,we have designed our tour to maximize our time in the best game parks Kenya has to offer. Our safari highlights the Masai Mara, Samburu, Amboseli and Tsavo [among others!] and finishes in Mombassa on the Indian Ocean Coast. We stay in First Class lodges and travel in special safari vehicles with only 6 people per vehicle for the best game viewing & photography experience. See the slide show of our latest Kenya tour - follow this link


Northern Italy - To Italy with Love!	17 Days	Depart 08/23/2012	Return 09/08/2012
[Our May 17- June 2 2012 departure has 2 spaces left!] TUSCANNY, UMBRIA, THE LAKE DISTRICT & VENICE: On our relaxing tour of north central and north eastern Italy we spend 2 or 3 nights at each hotel (except our first night), allowing us to immerse ourselves in the lifestyle and culture of the small towns and art centres we visit. Our focus is on the picture-perfect hill towns of Tuscany where we learn about the food and wines of the region, as well as visiting the great art centres of Florence and Sienna. We learn about the rich history of the area – from the ancient Etruscans through Roman emperors and Popes to the Renaissance. We also enjoy the dramatic scenery of Lake Garda near Verona and end in the unique island city of Venice. We stay mainly in historic hotels that reflect the charm of the small towns we stay in. This tour can be extended with 2 days in Rome and The Vatican before our main tour begins, for those who have not been to Rome before. See details at the end of our tour itinerary. SPECIAL NOTE; IT IS OUR VERY GREAT PLEASURE TO OFFER A TRIP FOR TWO ON THIS DEPARTURE TO THE CONTEST WINNERS OF THE KNOWLEGE NETWORK CONTEST 'TO ITALY WITH LOVE' [Contest opens February 3 & runs till March 12 2012 . . . click here for details] Click here to see the Italian programming January 24- March 11 2012 on Knowledge


Peru, Ecuador & Galapagos Islands - Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Amazon & Galapagos Islands	22 Days	Depart 11/09/2012	Return 11/30/2012
[Please note there are only 5 spaces left on the Galapagos Cruise section as of Sept 20 2011]+ optional pre-tour extension to view the world famous Nazca Lines Peru's extraordinary cultural and archaeological heritage complements its biological richness. Home to the most advanced pre-Columbian civilizations in the New World-most notably the Inca,these cultures have left behind an incredible legacy. View the pre-Incan Nazca lines from an airplane [optional tour] walk among the varied fortresses and temples in central Peru and visit the spectacular mountain-top citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We also explore the Amazon Basin in Ecuador around the Napo River before we head out to our 5 Day/ 4 night cruise around the Galapagos islands. Our cruise ship holds a maximum of 16 people allowing you to get 'up close' to these diverse islands. See our slide show of Peru - follow this link See our slide show of Ecuador - follow this link SPECIAL NOTE: Galagaogos Cruise section limited to 16 particiapnts


Scotland -	17 Days	Depart 08/26/2012	Return 09/12/2012
We visit the very best of Scotland—from the lesser-known south-west, the beautiful borderlands, the highlands and west coast. See Scotland's famous rural castles, folk museums, lovely seaside resorts, amazing heritage villages, fabulous gardens where you would least expect them, sites of movies, TV series and novels, and stay in baronial castles. Limited to 28 participants [escorted by Maggie Rodgers]


SLIDE SHOWS FEBRUARY, 8, 9,13 & 16 -	Days
Please join company President Norman Bruce February 7, 8, 9,13 & 16 for a slide show of our upcoming destinations : Our slide shows are FREE & we welcome a canned good donation for the local food bank. Our slide shows will feature: Northern Italy, Iceland, Croatia & the Balkans, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia, Peru & Ecuador, India, Kenya, Cuba and a peek at some new tours…. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7 Vancouver BC Time: 1-3;00 PM Park Inn Suites 898 West Broadway White Rock BC Time: 7-9 PM Pacific Inn Resort 1160 King George Blvd. WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8; North Vancouver BC Time: 1-3PM Lonsdale Quay Hotel 123 Carrie Cates Crt THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9 Parksville BC Time; 1-3 pm Quality Resort Bayside 240 Dogwood Street Nanaimo BC Time: 7-9 PM Best Western Dorchester Hotel 70 Church St MONDAY FEBRUARY 13th Sidney BC Time 1-3 pm Mary Winspear Center 2243 Beacon Avenue THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16th Victoria BC Time: 7-9PM Comfort Hotel and Conference Centre 3020 Blanshard Street