Oceania Cities, Countryside
The ultimate travel choice
When the journey matters as much as the destination, Captain’s Choice is the ultimate way to explore the world.
In partnership
When the journey matters as much as the destination, Captain’s Choice is the ultimate way to explore the world.
There will be a moment, when you’re surrounded by softly flickering candles decorating palatial grounds, that you’ll feel like you’ve been swept into the pages of a fairytale. There are wreathes of fragrant flowers, colourful paper lanterns, and statues of Hindu deities like Ganesh and Shiva. There’s music and dance, and the aroma of incense on the breeze. The setting has been created especially for you and your 57 companions, travelling around India just in time to catch Diwali, the country’s festival of lights. And because you’re here with Captain’s Choice, you’re seeing the wonders of the subcontinent in supreme style.
India is vast. Seeing it all, from northern Delhi to southern Kochi, could take weeks – months even – if you’re travelling by commercial airline. But if you’re exploring in a business class private jet, you can not only take in the country’s most spectacular and diverse sights and attractions, but do so in comfort and minus the crowds, which means you’ll arrive at your destination refreshed and ready for adventure. This is your mode of transport on the Captain’s Choice ‘Spirit & Colours of India’ itinerary, a 15-day exploration wrapped in exclusive experiences.
In addition to the Diwali celebrations, you’ll enjoy a private Aarti ceremony on the banks of the Ganges, India’s sacred river, flowing through Varanasi. You’ll cruise to Dashashwamedh Ghat, where drummers will serenade you as the last of the day disappears. In Jaipur, you’ll see the ‘Pink City’ from every angle, including a hot-air balloon. And in Kerala, the birthplace of Ayurveda, you’ll have the chance to try a treatment, then learn the secrets of South Indian cuisine at a cooking demonstration. Of course, no visit to India would be complete without a behind-the-scenes tour of the Taj Mahal, emperor Sha Jahan’s dazzling marble love letter to his wife. You’ll be joined by a professional photographer, who will point out the best vantage spots to capture the monument at different times of the day.
It doesn’t matter which Captain’s Choice small-group itinerary you choose, every aspect of your trip is considered and included, from your luxurious transportation to meals and hotels. In India, you check in to some of the world’s finest accommodations – think, palace hotels in the middle of a lake, or lavish spa resorts.
On the ‘African Adventures by Private Jet and Rovos Rail’ journey, you’ll be ensconced in an opulent safari lodge and then be rocked on the rails of the grand Pride of Africa sleeper train. You’ll also board a helicopter for a sky high view of Victoria Falls – a ‘pinch me’ moment possibly only rivalled by the rumble of thousands of wildebeest during their annual migration (you’ll have a front-row seat) or trekking through Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to witness mountain gorillas in the wild.
And on ‘A Journey of Gods’, you’ll drift down Egypt’s most famous river in the comfort of the Sanctuary Nile Adventurer, glimpsing pyramids and historic temples while you cruise. While you cruise and when step ashore, meet Egyptologists… then savour an exclusive dinner in front of the Temple of Ramses III in Luxor.
Indeed, every Captain’s Choice itinerary is finely curated with exceptional culinary experiences. Back in India, your Diwali celebrations culminate with a lavish gala dinner at the Oberoi Rajvilas resort. While visiting Tuscany, you’ll be invited to a private wine tasting and lunch, then whip up a storm at an Italian cooking class. In Istanbul, you’ll visit the store where Turkish delight was invented, and enjoy a tasting paired with strong Turkish coffee.
These are the kind of experiences that most other travellers do not even know exist, and will likely never have the opportunity to try. But you will, thanks to your exceptionally knowledgeable Captain’s Choice team, on call around the clock to reveal the rare and remote, and prepare the exclusive.
On every journey you’ll be accompanied by a Tour Manager and a Tour Doctor, to ensure you travel safely and comfortably whether you’re in a private jet or safari jeep, or on a cruise, train or coach – on many itineraries you’ll also have the chance to stretch your legs and hike along awe-inspiring trails.
Many of those trails are in international, as Captain’s Choice ventures to all seven continents. But there are also domestic offerings, including the ‘Weekend in the Outback by Private Plane’. This itinerary is a whirlwind of country Australian sights, dropping in on Broken Hill, Coober Pedy and Birdsville, and soaring over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and Marree Man, the scale and scope of which can only be comprehended from the air. That’s three states in two days, with an uncountable number of highlights at every turn.
Because travel should always be exceptional, and it should change the way you see the world.
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