The Ultimate Bucket-List Experience
Budapest > Johannesburg > Kruger National Park > Pretoria > Cape Town > Singapore
VANCOUVER
CALGARY EDINBURGH
LONDON
BUDAPEST
ROME
ISTANBUL
Atlantic
Ocean
DELHI
MUMBAI
SINGAPORE
Indian
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
JOHANNESBURG
CAPE TOWN
KEY
1
1
Nights stay
Nights onboard train
International flights (not included)
Discover Customisable Segments of This Journey!
Grand Circle of the
Canadian Rockies
Maharajas Express
The Indian Splendour
Venice Simplon-
Orient-Express
from Paris to Venice, Florence & Rome
Vancouver > Kamloops > Banff >
Lake Louise > Jasper > Vancouver
9 DAY ITINERARY:
• Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff
in SilverLeaf class
• One-way VIA Rail® from Jasper to Vancouver
on the Canadian®
• 7 nights' hotel accommodation; 1 night onboard
VIA Rail
• Sightseeing tour of Banff National Park
and Lake Louise
• Admission to the Banff Gondola
• Sightseeing tour of the Icefields Parkway
• 5 meals (2 breakfasts, 3 lunches)
Delhi > Mumbai
11 DAY ITINERARY:
• 6 nights aboard the Maharajas Express
in a Deluxe cabin
• Onboard accommodation includes:
all food and local beverages and all
off-board excursions
• 4 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast
• Private guided tours in Delhi and Mumbai
• Marvel at the breathtaking Taj Mahal
• Keep your eyes peeled for Tigers at
Ranthambore National Park
• Private transfers throughout
Paris > Venice > Florence > Rome
10 DAY ITINERARY:
• 8 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast
• 1 night aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-
Express in a private Twin Cabin
• Skip-the-Line Eiffel Tower and Louvre
Museum tickets
• 2 Day Paris hop-on hop-off pass and
Scenic River Cruise
• Small group tour of Vatican Museums,
San Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum,
and Roman Forum in Rome
• Small group tour of the Doges Palace
and the Golden Basilica in Venice
• Private gondola ride in Venice
• Small group tour of Accademia Gallery
in Florence
• Small group walking tour and Uffizi Gallery
priority access in Florence
• Rome to the UK airfare
Call 020 3780 2222 or visit railbookers.co.uk to view all of our holidays and to access our
travel agent toolbox with downloadable resources to help you promote what’
s booking right now!
THE GOLDEN AGE OF TRAVEL
RAFFLES SINGAPORE
Raffl es Singapore, named after British
diplomat Sir Stamford Raffl es, is synonymous
with style, sophistication and luxury.
From its opening in 1887, through to the
most recent renovation in 2019 which
further enhanced its old-world charm and
appeal, it’s been a magnet for the glamorous
and adventurous traveller.
Thanks to the stories shared by some of its
most legendary guests from Elizabeth Taylor
and Noel Coward to Rudyard Kipling,
the Long Bar and Singapore Sling have
become famous the world over.
If you are lucky enough, you can meet and
chat with resident historian Leslie Danker
who has been at Raffl es for more than
50 years and holds many of its stories
and legends!
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Now Raffl es sits at the heart of the vibrant
business quarter of Singapore and since
undergoing renovation, has new bars,
restaurants and courtyards, further cementing
its reputation as not only a hotel, but a place to
meet and socialise. As you would expect, the
suites are simply stunning. Guests have a variety
to choose from, but all refl ect modern tastes
mixed perfectly with timeless elegance which
maintains the distinctive colonial style beautifully.
To soak up your Singapore Sling, you have a
plethora of amazing dining options including
Cantonese and Chinese delicacies from
renowned chef Jereme Leung, to experiencing
the depths of fl avour a pure wood-fi re creates
in Butcher’s Block, a truly fabulous live cooking
experience. As you would expect, there are
few places in the world where Afternoon Tea is
not only a tradition, but an event. Served in the
Grand Lobby where the high skylights give it
amazing natural light, you can take your seat as
generations have before you and revel in the
opulence of it all.
Raffl es has worked hard (and succeeds) to
bridge its past and future, seamlessly blending
the 19th and 21st centuries. Little else sums up
the golden age of travel more than this colonial
style treasure situated in the middle of such a
modern city.
LUXURY MATTERS 2024 | 103
G A R Y
REVIEWS...
Silversea Cruises - The Silver Shadow
Quebec City to New York, 12 nights
Back in the day when an agent had clients
in the market for an ultra-luxury cruise,
in many cases the ‘go to’ cruise line for the
agent was Silversea. They delivered a quality
on board and ashore experience, thus
ensuring strong brand loyalty from clients
and lucrative repeat business for the agent.
A number of agents decided to specialise
in the luxury cruise market working with
Silversea and were well rewarded for their
initiative. Agents were substantially aided in
their efforts by working with their local fi eld
sales manager who supported with training,
client events, ship visits and fam trips.
Since then the luxury cruise market has
expanded greatly with a number of new
entrants and very innovative ships and
products - the competition for business in
this market sector has never been higher.
I recently booked a Silversea cruise to
celebrate a birthday. I had been on many of
their ship visits and enjoyed the brief taste of
their excellent product so I was delighted to
fi nally sail with them.
The Silver Shadow is 24 years old (you would
never know) and will shortly go into dry dock
for three weeks for cosmetic and technical
work including hardware. It has been the
ship of choice of Silversea to operate world
cruises and she has amassed a huge loyal
following. We had dinner on board with an
American couple who have spent over 600
nights on Silversea and Shadow was their
favourite ship - high praise indeed!
The cruise line is dedicated to offering
innovation and fi rst class attention to detail –
it is a luxury outpost at sea, allowing guests
to see the world in style and comfort with a
great ambience. The service is, as you would
expect, highly personal. A devoted, discreet
on board team sees to that.
108 | LUXURY MATTERS 2024
Nothing was too much trouble. The Hotel
Director told me about the great lengths
they go to make the ship a happy working
environment for all 302 crew – happy staff
always equals happy passengers.
On day four all passengers received a survey
asking what we thought so far and seeking
suggestions on how to make the cruise
better. I was hard pressed to be honest,
however, I managed to come up with a
couple of ideas. Within 24 hours, the Food
and Beverage Manager contacted me and
asked to meet and discuss!
THE SILVERSEA DINING EXPERIENCE
Always a signifi cant factor for clients
choosing a cruise - as I fully expected, the
quality of the venues and cuisine choices on
board Silver Shadow was fantastic. The main
restaurant was open for breakfast and dinner
and in the evening it was open seating for
dinner and you could choose to dine as a
couple or with other passengers. The
La Terraza offered a quality buffet breakfast
and lunch service. In the evening this was
converted into an authentic Italian restaurant,
with the menu changed every few days.
A favourite of ours was The Grill. Located
around the swimming pool, offering
breakfast and lunch, in the evening this is
converted into an outdoor restaurant. Clear
shutters came down, there was overhead
heating and blankets were provided just in
case it got cold. There was the opportunity
to cook your own steak on the supplied
extremely hot stones. I really enjoyed this
and of course, you can’t blame anyone but
yourself if it’s not cooked to perfection!
They have also created a new area close
to reception - known as the Atrium. This
operated as a bar, café, serving drinks, light
snacks, and afternoon tea, from 6am to late.
It was a real social hub of the ship.
JUST LOOK AT WHAT IS ALL INCLUDED
- COMPARE TO A LAND BASED
PREMIUM PRODUCT
• All Ocean View suite accommodation
with luxury bathroom amenities
• Plush bathrobes
• Pillow menu
• Premium alcoholic beverages in-suite
- choose what you want and it’s
constantly replenished
• Wi-Fi
• Gratuities
• Tours (1 x port per day)
• Ship to local town centre shuttle transfers
• Multiple restaurants
• Full in-suite dining service with a
great menu
• Every suite has butler service and
comes with a welcome on board
bottle of champagne
Value for money will always be a signifi cant
motivator for clients. The value proposition
of a Silversea cruise is hugely compelling,
offering as it does an all-inclusive, ultra
luxury lifestyle combined with superb
personalised service and the special
benefi t of visiting some of the world’s most
fascinating cities, resorts and destinations.
The luxury travel market is expected to see
annual growth of 8% through to 2026 and
agents looking to cash in on this should
look at the bottom line when offering
clients ideas.
A Silversea cruise offers outstanding value
and in many cases, with little difference in
cost between an ultra luxury cruise and a
premium product.
LUXURY MATTERS 2024 | 109
BEHIND-THE-SCENES AT LUXURY RAINFOREST
RESORT, THE DATAI LANGKAWI
The luxury Malaysian rainforest resort, The Datai Langkawi, has
appeared on the sixth series of the BBC Studios documentary,
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby.
The programme, known for taking a look
behind-the-scenes at some of the world’s
most extraordinary hotels, saw presenters
Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder join the
team at The Datai Langkawi to learn about
what it takes to run an upscale resort in the
jungle and how it integrates sustainability and
conservation into all aspects of its business
operations and guest experiences, as well
about the wider work it supports through its
private trust, The Datai Pledge.
One of the world’s most stunning resorts,
The Datai Langkawi, is situated on the
northwest tip of the island of Langkawi in
Malaysia. Located in an ancient rainforest
rich in wildlife and overlooking the, Datai
Bay, awarded by National Geographic
one of the Top 10 Beaches worldwide, all
121 rooms, villas, and suites, including the
fi ve-bedroom The Datai Estate Villa, offer
breathtaking views of the surrounding nature.
110 | LUXURY MATTERS 2024
Elevated among treetops, set in the very
heart of the rainforest, and located directly
on the coastline, restaurants include the
award-winning The Gulai House,
The Pavilion, The Dining Room, and
The Beach Club.
Facilities include The Nature Centre, an
educational facility and home to resident
naturalists and marine biologists, The Spa,
three pools, a fi tness centre as well as one
of the most scenic golf courses in the world
designed by golf legend Ernie Els, The Els
Club Teluk Datai.
The presenters also heard stories from the
resort team, who deliver the Malaysian
hospitality that is so deeply embedded in
the country's culture and characterised by
friendliness, warmth, and kindness.
LUXURY MATTERS 2024 | 111
DO EVERYTHING DO EVERYTHING
WITH STYLE WITH STYLE