River cruising is the most comfortable and tranquil way to explore the ancient and medieval world, specifically for 50 and above aged travelers. Unlike ocean cruising, river cruises offer smaller ships and carries 100 to 150 travelers, which means no queue for meals, a more relaxed and casual travel, and more personal attention from staff. Almost every day the ship ties up right in middle of a magnificent town rich in history and culture. Traveler can walk to a café or shops or markets or go for a guided city tour. The convenience of only having to unpack once, knowing where you will be dining each evening, regardless of what city you visit that day, and the onboard entertainment activities are all enticing features for river cruising.
River cruises are very well accessible for people with mobility problem as they can enjoy the view from the deck as the ship drifts down river. Many river cruise lines offer discount to travelers above 55 years of age, if tour is booked at least 6-7 months in advance. Most river cruises are 7 to 10 days long and offers full board facilities with all meals and drinks, sometime wine included in the price.
Here are some of the river cruises famous for travel through international boundaries, spectacular natural landscape and charming ancient cities -
The Danube, Europe's most popular river for cruising is a great way to experience spectacular cities like Vienna, Munich, Prague and Budapest at a leisurely pace. Danube river originates in the Black Forest of Germany and flows along the border of more than 10 countries - Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria for almost 2,000 miles. Its role as a trade route dating back to the medieval times led to the development of culturally unique and historically rich towns and cities all along the river banks.
The cruise itinerary is generally of 2 days to one week with options to cruise the Danube round-trip from Passau in Germany, on the Austrian border; or one-way between Regensburg and Budapest; or between Vienna or Budapest to Nuremberg. The longer cruises give you an opportunity, to visit Bratislava in Slovakia, which has a delightful Old Town, and Belgrade in Serbia, one of the oldest capital cities in Europe. You can even extend your trip on land to spend more time at Munich and Prague. Before boarding the cruise plan 2 additional days at Budapest which is called Pearl of Danube or Paris of East for its unexpected elegance, hidden courtyards, remarkable markets, and tales of a tumultuous history.
Cruising the Danube river sitting on the open top deck on a warm sunny day and gliding through the river side landscapes of old- country villages, fairy-tale-esque castles, medieval fortresses, Baroque monasteries is really an unforgettable expereince.
Mekong river used to be inaccessible for long time due to presence of many waterfalls and rapids through-out its journey from Tibet to Vietnam, a 1200 km flow through six nations— China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. A thread that connects Indochina's diverse cultures, has opened to travelers over the past ten years after centuries of exploration. While the Lower Mekong River will introduce you to the cultural contrasts of bustling Vietnam & tranquil Cambodia, Upper Mekong River through Laos is famous for misty mountains and picturesque landscape of Thailand and Laos.
The 7 nights Lower Mekong River excursion on a custom-built colonial-era teakwood cruise embarks from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and takes a rural scenic route towards Temples of Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. There is a stopover at Kampong Cham, a Cambodian riverside town in a laidback atmosphere, riverside bars and interesting colonial architecture. Excursions takes you to the 13th-century temple of Wat Nokor.
You can extend your tour to Upper Mekong River and visit the Forgotten City, Luang Prabang, the former royal and spiritual capital of Laos. Luang Prabang earned an UNESCO World Heritage status for more than 40 spectacular temples with swooping roofs, inlaid-gold doors and stupendous Buddhas.
While the Makong river cruise offers a leisurely paced tour, still you need to be physically fit to climb in and out of basic local panga boats for daily excursions along the Mekong's tributaries and to rural shore points.
No-one needs to tell you the reason why an Amazon river cruise should top in your list. For millennia, the Amazon has been reluctant to reveal its secrets to outsiders. The spine-tingling stories of anaconda and piranha, the possibility that the rainforest still harbors lost tribes or plants capable of curing cancer, and mystique mythical spirits such as El Chullachaqui, a dwarf-like guardian of the forest, have attracted many explorers to invade Amazon for centuries. Today, the Amazon, world's second-longest river, offers an excellent opportunity to explore the region of amazing biodiversity across Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.
You can board an Amazon river cruise from Brazilian ports of Manaus and Belém and venture hundreds of miles further upriver to Iquitos, Peru. But Brazil being always associated with Amazon, cruises from Brazil are expensive. Instead you can try cruise from Equador or Peru through western area of the rain forest that remains largely untouched and reveals the beauty of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. In the cruise, the naturalists guide explains the impossibly rich ecosystem and remarkable way of life of the ribereños—the Amazon's river people. Colorful birds like macaws and toucans, together with mammals including agile spider monkeys, creates a beautiful rain forest cacophony with their cries. The guide introduces you to an elusive wildlife, from slithering anacondas, razor-tooth piranhas, playful pink dolphins, and lazy sloths.
Amazon receives rain for more than 260 days in a year. So you can only avoid heavy rainy season, therefore travel between May to October. If you take a cruise from Peru, plan to extend your trip by couple of days more to visit world famous Unisco Heritage site Machu Pichu and Enhaced Galapagos Islands.
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