Mark was in India in October last year and spent a week exploring the sights of the famous 'Golden Triangle' of the North, and a few days discovering the charms of laid-back Kerala in the South. Here's why it was his somewhat unexpected top trip of 2016 . . . . Exploring India's Historic North I visited two sides of India in October in two different ways, combined in to one trip. The first part of my trip was a group tour of the classic sights of the 'Golden Triangle ' - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur - which was arranged by our friends at G Adventures, who run amazing escorted tours with an adventurous streak. I then said goodbye to my group of fellow G Adventurers and headed to Kerala to spend a few days exploring the beaches, backwaters and history of this charming area, in the company of the fabulous folks at Kerala Travel Centre. Being an independent company ourselves we love working with other independent companies around the world. In all honesty ...

In recent years, Vietnam has established itself as a popular holiday destination in the Far East. Mark explores the sights and sounds. Vietnam is a destination that combines incredible scenery and a varied history with vibrant cities, great food and exceptionally friendly people. This is a country of contrasts, and none more apparent than that of its two main cities, the elegant and charming capital Hanoi and the vibrant southern powerhouse Saigon. Both are well worth a few days to explore, and Vietnam's geography makes it easy to start your journey in one and finish in the other. Hanoi's French influence is apparent in its elegant buildings and tree-lined avenues – the Old Quarter is a fascinating place to wander through. The pretty Hoan Kiem Lake is a good place from which to get your bearings, with the photogenic Rising Sun Bridge crossing the water. Close by, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum is most popular with Vietnamese visitors, who come to see Uncle Ho's fin...

As Escape Worldwide celebrates its 11th birthday, the team take a look back at some of their favourite destinations. Karen Stewart recalls a trip to northern India, when the story of the  Taj Mahal  brought a tear to her eye. There are some places in the world that you feel you know even if you haven't been, and the Taj Mahal is one of them – it's such an iconic building that everyone knows what it looks like, but when you actually visit you're really blown away by just how beautiful this place actually is. I was part-way through a trip to see the highlights of northern India when I visited the Taj Mahal – it was my first trip to India and a real eye-opener to this fantastically diverse country. I began with a few days in Delhi, which acts as the main gateway to northern India and is a good place to get started, before moving on to Jaipur, which I have to say was my favourite part – there's something about the atm...

We're celebrating our 10th birthday at Escape Worldwide , and looking back at 10 years of globetrotting in the name of bringing you great holidays - at least that's our excuse! We're having a look at our personal top 10 favourite travel experiences of the last 10 years. Karen watches bathtime for baby elephants! "Sri Lanka has to be one of my favourite countries – I’ve visited a few times now, and on each occasion I see new places and a different side to the Island. There’s so much to take in, so it’s hard to say where my favourite location would be, but I think I’d put the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage top of my list! It’s quite easy to get to from the coast, too, so even if you visit Sri Lanka on a beach holiday rather than a tour, try to get here. Karen gets up close Personally, I think Sri Lanka lends itself exceptionally well to a bit of touring, spending a few days in the main areas - the North has loads of historical interest, centered around...

Hi, Introducing http://www.escortedtouring.co.uk/ - new from Escape Worldwide! Our newest website brings you the best escorted tours around the world, from the Americas to the Far East, with everything from historic and cultural tours to wildlife safaris. All itineraries are accompanied by a guide - some meet you in the UK - and most are flexible enough to include a beach stay or other areas afterwards. Here's a few of our favourites . . . Grand Indochina Tour Accompanied from the UK, this tour combines the best of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, a truly fascinating part of the world. 15 nights from £3445 per person DOWNLOAD DETAILS INDOCHINA TOURS ___________________________ Ceylon Tour (Sri lanka) Our most popular tour of Sri Lanka takes in Kandy, the historical north and the beautiful south, with flexible beach options. 14 nights from £1199 per person DOWNLOAD DETAILS SRI LANKA TOURS ___________________________ Cheetah Safari A superb 7-...

Hi fellow travellers, Why not check out our latest touring holiday ideas: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Oct09c2.html Cuba is simply an amazing place and our Comprehensive Cuba Tour is a great way of seeing pretty much all that this great country has to offer. We also have a number of shorter tours if 14 nights is to long for you, check out http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/cuba/destin/tour.shtml Tanzania is a fantastic place for a safari, I know I was there a month ago! You truly get memories of a lifetime and on this trip I got to see 2 of the elusive Leopard…..amazing! Check more of our great East African safaris: http://www.safariescapes.co.uk Where ever you decide to go, happy travelling! Darren Escape Worldwide http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk

Hi all, We have some great holiday offers to Pattaya in Thailand, Cairo in Egypt and a great tour of Vietnam this week. Check them out: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Sep09b2.html I was fortunate enough to go to Vietnam last year and it is a truly amazing place. The people are so open and friendly, which is surprising considering their checkered history. The food is great and there is so much to see and do. I loved Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), it's a mad place with motorcycles all over the place and it is a true challenge just to cross the road! Cairo is another great place and when I came up to the Pyramids at Giza was pleasantly surprise to see that they didn't disappoint ! Happy travelling! Darren