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Explore the wonders of Ancient Egypt as you marvel at pyramids, discover temples, stroll through medieval streets, bustle in bazaars and cruise down the majestic River Nile. Your own private Egyptologist will be on hand to unravel all the mysteries of classical Egypt as you follow in archaeologist Howard Carter’s footsteps and peek inside Tutankhamun’s final resting place in the Valley of the Kings.

Holiday Length: 10 days

Days 1 to 3: Cairo

You will be met at at Cairo International Airport and take you to Fairmont Nile City, a centrally located hotel with views of the mighty river, the bustling city and the pyramids of Giza.

On day 2  you will plunge straight into the ancient world with a trip to Sakkara. Here there are hundreds of tombs and among the 14 pyramids is the oldest stone structure in the world: the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Having served your appetiser today’s main course is some of the most iconic monuments in the world. At the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids the ancient stonemasons’ feat of engineering will leave you speechless.

On day 3 a trip to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities will reveal the ancient mummies and opulent burial treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb. You can explore the maze of medieval alleys in Cairo’s Old Town and visit Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, home to hundreds of tightly packed stalls selling a huge array of goods.

Day 4: Cairo to Luxor

Hop on a plane to Luxor and myriad more ancient wonders await you. The Sanctuary Sun Boat IV will transport you down the meandering Nile, past treasures and temples and ethereal landscapes. This will be your home for the next seven nights.

Day 5: The Nile is the perfect vantage point from which to appreciate the wonders of this ancient land. The banks of the river have set the scene for daily life for thousands of years, and today it can seem as though nothing has changed. Dendera is home to the Ptolemaic Temple of Hathor, complete with underground passages and pillars covered in inscriptions. Later, enjoy dinner on board, accompanied by traditional Egyptian dance. Note, this day may be done overland if water levels are low.

Day 6 & 7:  Luxor – Kom Ombo – Aswan

The Sun Boat IV will head south today, past the city of Esna, with its ancient Temple of Khnum. You’ll reach the Temple of Horus at Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-headed god. After a day’s sightseeing, head back to the cool environs of the cruiser at Kom Ombo, for a delicious Egyptian supper.

Today you’ll head for Aswan and the Temple of Philae on Agilkia Island. The temple didn’t start life here – it was moved when the Aswan Dam was constructed across the Nile, flooding its original home. Watching the sun set over the Nile from the deck of the Sun Boat IV has to be the perfect way to round off the day.

Day 8 & 9: Aswan – Kom Ombo

You get the chance to explore beautiful, ancient Aswan today. Right on the river, this city has been a place of strategic importance since antiquity. Today you can peruse its vibrant souks and take shade under the palm trees. Catch a single-sail felucca and visit some of the small islands around here, which are home to some important ruins.

We head back up the river and the Temple Kom Ombo now, home of 300 mummified crocodiles dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god. When you return to the Sun Boat IV this evening, take your time relaxing and getting ready for dinner – an Egyptian banquet awaits.

Day 10: Nom Ombo – Luxor

We’re coming to the end of the trip, but there’s still much to see and do. Your Egyptologist will guide you through the Temple of Karnak. After lunch, you’ll visit the Valley of the Kings, where Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered nearly 100 years ago. Over at the Valley of the Queens is the resting place of the female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.

Day 11: Luxor – UK

After breakfast, you’ll be transported to the airport so you can catch your flight back to the UK.

Best time to go: September to May

Price: From £2,325pp

The price shown is a guide – based on two people sharing and generally includes economy flights. Your holiday will be tailor-made to suit you and there are many factors that can influence the price, such as standard of accommodation, class of flight and time of year. Please do provide us with your chosen dates and we can provide a more accurate cost – 01428 658777

NB: Gemma took a very similar trip in October 2017.  She stayed 2 nights in Cairo at the Four Seasons First Residence followed by 3 nights cruise on the Sun Boat IV – a shorter itinerary to above.  This itinerary would be from £1,775pp

Following on from the hugely successful Haslemere Easter Bunny Trail, the 50 business that took part are now embarking on Phase 2 of the initiative.

From Easter weekend until the end of April 2017, every purchase made in any one of the 50 participating shops in Haslemere will be entered into the ‘Spend & Win’ competition.  All you have to do is fill in your name and telephone number at the participating outlet, for your opportunity to win (this data is not retained).

Every one of the 50 participating shops has donated a prize for the lucky winner.  Within the ‘hamper’ of goodies the winner will find items including champagne, a giant rugby ball, 2 train tickets to London, a lunch, travel products for your holiday, dog food, beer glasses, and a besom broom….to name but a few.

Its very simple to enter.  Just keeping shopping in your local participating Haslemere shops and businesses.  The more you shop the greater the chance of winning!

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Haslemere Travel along with 49 other local businesses are joining together to promote the Haslemere Bunny Trail.

From Brook to Beacon Hill the bunnies will live in the shops and busniesses until Easter when they will find new homes with the winners of the trail.

Collect your trail form from the Haslemere Educational Museum or one of the participating businesses, then set to discover what the bunnies are eating, wearing, sitting on or with.

The fifty bunnies will then be awarded to those with the best answers, and three of the bunnies will have a real pearl on their necklace!

There is also a large fluffy bunny looking for a good home, so do join in the fun, but please take great care of your surroundings as you go!

Haslemere Travel is delighted to announce that Gemma Antrobus, owner of leading, independent Surrey travel agent, has been awarded a prestigious international travel award at a glittering gala dinner in Deauville, France (February 27^th).

In a vote by luxury hotels from around the world, Gemma and the agency have been awarded the title of “Most Creative Designer 2017” of travel experiences.

Presented at the annual luxury travel industry organisation Traveller Made awards in Deauville, beating agencies from as far afield as France, Brazil, India and Switzerland.

The selection criteria demanded the winner should be renowned for their “imaginative, knowledgeable, curious, inventive, ingenious and inspirational” ideas for travel experiences for their clients.

“Haslemere Travel has won many national awards in the past and has prided itself on being one of the top leisure travel designers the UK.  It has always been our ambition to receive an international accolade and to be credited as ‘Most Creative’ is beyond our expectation.  The entire team at Haslemere Travel spend countless hours ensuring that every detail of our clients travel itineraries is perfected to their individual needs and we are traveling continuously to ensure we have up to date knowledge of the newest and hottest properties and destinations,” said Gemma Antrobus, owner, Haslemere Travel.

The agency also received the top designation for luxury travel, one of only five in the UK to be awarded “1^st Grand Designer” and the ONLY agency outside London to be chosen for this honour.

The accolade of “1^st Grand Designer” is the highest accolade achievable in this leading luxury travel organization – with only 101 agencies worldwide recognized as such among a membership of 1,000 fully vetted and selected luxury travel agencies worldwide, from countries as diverse as the USA, Russia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and mainland Europe.

Monitoring of Haslemere Travel’s performance was carried out over a 12-month period. The agency is now entitled to use an official seal (above), which is recognized globally as a sign of excellence.

“Above all, the 1^st Grand Designer accolade is excellent news for all our loyal clients, as it now ensures that they will be at the top of the list for any VIP benefits at partner luxury hotels worldwide – such as premium upgrades, complimentary amenities, early check-ins, late check outs and resort credits, ensuring we can truly provide the best travel experience possible.”

At the age of only 37, Gemma bought Haslemere Travel in 2015, having previously been Managing Director since 2008. Based in the historic town of Haslemere, Surrey, the agency consists of a hugely successful retail shop and a division of home based Elite Consultants, launched in 2012, based across the UK. It has consistently won major industry awards for its customer service.

Traveller Made is a global network community of luxury travel designers, dedicated to providing unique and exclusive bespoke journeys to travellers looking for different and original experiences and requiring skilled and knowledgeable advisors who are fully committed to servicing their needs.

To discuss your next travel adventure with the team at Haslemere Travel please call: +44 1428 658777

Haslemere Travel is delighted to announce that the agency has been chosen to join the exclusive ‘Pen Club’ by The Peninsula Hotel Group.

Membership of the ‘Pen Club’ is by invitation only and currently has less than 20 preferred travel agency members in the UK.  Only the most exclusive agencies around the world are invited to join.

Member agencies gain preferential treatment for their valued clients including the following benefits:

• Room upgrade to the next category, upon arrival**
• Flexible check-in and check-out times
• Full daily set breakfast for 2 people
• Complimentary long distance phone calls via VOIP in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Paris
• Upgraded welcome in-room amenities
• Complimentary 30 minute extension on any 50 minute body or facial treatment***
• Unlimited in-room wireless internet access
• Preferential availability and priority waitlisting in ‘sold out’ situations

The team at Haslemere Travel are looking forward to using these benefits for their clients when next booking stay at Peninsula Hotels.

The Peninsula Hotel Group has hotels in:

• Hong Kong
• Shanghai
• Beijing
• Tokyo
• New York
• Chicago
• Beverley Hills
• Paris
• Bangkok
• Manila

For further details or to discuss your stay at any one of the Peninsula Hotels please call 01428 658777 or email [email protected]

We are delighted to announce the launch of our annual Haslemere Literary Luncheon to be held on Monday, March 21^st this year at the historic, newly refurbished Georgian Hotel, Haslemere, Surrey. The inaugural, highly entertaining speaker will be author, restaurateur and TV cookery judge Prue Leith CBE.

Prue will be speaking about her many interests – food, business, education and writing, which have led to a varied career – as well as her latest novel, The Food of Love: Laura’s Story, which is released in paperback in March.

The event will include the opportunity to meet Prue and purchase copies of her books for signing, as well as a delicious 2-course luncheon at the Georgian Hotel.

Tickets for the event on March 21st, which begins at 12pm and will end at 3pm, are £30 each. The price includes a welcome drink, a 2-course luncheon, a donation to the local, award-winning Haslemere Educational Museum and a goodie bag. Numbers are limited, so early booking is advised.

“Prue Leith is a fascinating woman, with a varied and successful career in several fields and I am assured she is very amusing too, so I think our guests will be in for a treat.”

ABOUT PRUE – Prue Leith, 74, started in catering with Leith’s Good Food, followed by Leith’s Restaurant, which won a Michelin Star, and Leith’s School of Food and Wine. The group employed 500 people when she sold it in the 1990s. She has been a food columnist for the Daily Mail, Sunday Express, the Guardian and the Daily Mirror; has written 12 cookbooks, her autobiography, Relish and six novels, the latest of which, The Food of Love: Laura’s Story has already been ‘optioned’ by a TV production company.She is currently a judge on the popular ‘Great British Menu’ BBC2 TV series, the latest of which is currently being filmed and is due to be shown later this year

She has been deeply involved in food in education, starting and chairing the charity Focus on Food, which promotes cooking in the curriculum, and the Hoxton Apprentice – a not-for-profit restaurant training the most disadvantaged long-term unemployed young people. She was the Chair of the School Food Trust, which was largely responsible for the improvement in school food. She is Patron of the Prue Leith Chef’s Academy in her native South Africa.

She has also been active in general education, chairing Ashridge Management College, 3E’s Enterprises (an education company turning round failing schools and managing academies) and the RSA (Royal Society of Arts).

Prue has been a non-executive director of British Rail, Safeway, Halifax, Woolworths, Omega and Whitbread, and is currently on the board of Belmond (formerly Orient-Express Hotels) and is also a director of two start up internet companies, one delivering recipe packs of ingredients to encourage home-cooking, and one an on-line publishing company.

She received the CBE in 2010, Veuve Clicquot Business-Woman of the Year in 1990, and holds 13 honorary degrees or Fellowships from UK universities.

She is currently writing a family saga of three novels, with the development of food from wartime rationing to organics and telly chefs as the background.

Photo caption: Prue Leith [credit: Colin Thomas]

Harriet Felger:
“Our honeymoon is booked! Thank you so much to Katy Brown and Elite Travel Consultants for doing EVERYTHING!!! Wish it was sooner!!”

Chris & Helen Sudall:
“My wife and I had the holiday of a lifetime thanks to you.  Our honeymoon around the Guianas was more than we hoped for. The accommodation and trips you selected were perfect. Having spoken to others on our travels and looked into it since I don’t think could be improved upon. We felt we were getting the best sights and service the whole way. Thanks Katy, we will definitely be using you again.”

Claire Mays:
“We were on a tight budget for our family holiday, but Katy found us a wonderful deal in a child friendly hotel that ticked all the boxes.”

Rebecca Onions:
“Thanks very much to Katy for sorting out all the accommodation for a girls weekend away and a friends wedding – she was very enthusiastic, managed to get us all really good discounts and upgrades with early bird bookings and took the stress out of the whole process. I myself and my friends will be using her a lot going forward”.

Michelle Curtis:
“Katy has recently booked a family trip to Antigua for us which we are very much looking forward to. The trip caters for three generations including two toddlers and Katy is well equipped to deal with any special requests particularly with respect to the family aspects of the trip. Katy also has great contacts at the resort so we have no doubt that our every need will be met in April when we travel.  We will definitely take Katy up on her offer to organise the finer details the trip including dining, trips and babysitting nearer the time. Our booking experience was efficient and organised and we now can’t wait to travel!”

Caroline McConnon:
“Katy was an absolutely fantastic help in sourcing, advising and booking our holiday for us to Tenerife.  As a working mother of 2 young children, I didn’t have the time to start researching holiday destinations. Katy was just the person I needed, she understood exactly what we wanted from our holiday and she came up with several options for us to choose from all fitting our criteria and budget.  I would use Katy again without hesitation for any trip and can’t recommend her highly enough.”

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation.  Susie visited teh Dominican republic and sampled some family-friendly hotels, whilst also having the chance to try out an exhilirating zipwire ride

I flew to this beautiful island in the Caribbean to visit several hotels In Punta Cana and test excursions, such as Baravo splash (speedboats along the coast to a snorkelling platform); an outback safari to see the plantations and wildlife, as well as the two-hour zipwire experience (a very professional set up with 12 lines, culminating with a 1000m line to the finish. Amazing views of the very lush countryside.)

Dreams Palm Beach in Punta Cana is a spacious property with three pools and a great beach. All hotels in this group have a teen activity centre and explorer clubs (three to 12 year-olds).  Dreams Punta Cana was very popular with families, with a pirate ship into a pool and facilities for teenagers (such as a bucking bronco and archery).

Secrets Sanctuary is a gated development in the Dominican republic, with a championship golf course, marina and restaurants. This is definitely for those that want five-star service with low-key entertainment. The hotel is for adults only, so ideal for couples and honeymooners, with a choice of bars and restaurants. The Love Bar is designed like a chapel and is great for weddings or blessings. The all-inclusive food was excellent, with silver service.

My final hotel was Zoetry Agua, which is quiet and luxurious. Sited at the end of the Punta Cana resort, you are able to walk for three hours along the beach. It also has a bounty of Endless Privileges  (all inclusive), no check-in or check-out time, and luxurious suites with complimentary massage. The hotel prides it self on its culinary and spa experiences – a place to completely unwind in a tropical location.  The food is excellent and the management organise activities (e.g.cigar rolling or cocktail making), and, if children are in residence, will offer to babysit to give parents a night off. Heaven!

Susie’s Top Tips

• Best time to go: UK winter (summer is hot and humid with rain
• Ideal destination for: Couples, families
• Favourite food: Tortillas & tequilas
• Hotel to watch: Zoetry
• Must do: Snorkelling, day trip to capital Santo Domingo, zipwiring