Relax with a Christmas break amongst the congenial company of fellow U3A members.  This is a small Christmas house party.  We will be staying in the modernized coaching inn, The Three Swans, which is centrally situated in the market town of Market Harborough, Leicestershire.   We have full board and the excellent cuisine is superbly presented.  A walking tour of this historic town is included.  For more details please contact Margaret Ward. 

HUNGARY, Budapest and Eger - 6 November 2007, from £719 for 8 days
Art, Culture and Wine Tasting

We depart from Heathrow and fly to Budapest. Our accommodation is at the historic Hotel Sissi in Budapest for four nights and three nights at the Hotel Flora in Eger, on half board for six days and B&B for one day.  Dinners will be in local restaurants and one on a cruise. Details are available from Beryl Strong. 

MOROCCO, Agadir – 14 January 2008, from £299 for 8 days
Cultural Visit to an Older Civilisation

We fly from Gatwick or Manchester, with a £15 flight supplement from Manchester.  Agadir, at the southern end of Morocco, is a typical mix of ancient and modern, with a 20th C city sprawling across the plains below the old Kasbah on the overlooking hills. There are ancient souks and royal palaces with the atmosphere of the 16th C. This tour is based on HB.  Please contact Mike Bakall for full details.

SOUTH AFRICA, The Garden Route - 14 February 2008 from £2269 for 14 days
African wildlife, wildflowers and mountain parks

We fly from Heathrow. This is a comprehensive tour of South Africa.  We will visit Soweto Township, Kruger National Park, and the Garden Route which runs along a scenic stretch of coastline beginning in Port Elizabeth and ending in Cape Town.  We will stay in 1st class hotels on a B&B basis, with 6 dinners and 3 lunches included.  An optional 4 day trip to the Victoria Falls is possible, £689.  Details can be obtained from Vivien Lawrence.

TUNISIA - 19 February 2008, from £779 for 11 days
History & Culture from Pre-History, through Punic, Roman, Fatamid & Islamic Times to Modern Day

We will depart from Gatwick and fly to Tunis.  This tour is three centred: Sousse, Tozeur on HB and Gammarth on FB.   Many visits and options will be included during the eleven day tour - enchanting oasis towns, the dramatic Sahara Desert and the ancient ruins of Tunis. There are two added options, seven nights in Sousse before the tour for an extra £179 and three extra nights in Gammarth for £119.  For full details please contact Dawn Zeffertt. 

CRETE, Agios Nikolaos - 1 April 2008, from £629/£876 for 8/15 days
History and Archaeology

We fly from Gatwick or some regional airports, to Crete, the largest and most southerly of the Greek Islands.  Inhabited from Neolithic times, the heart of the Minoan kingdom from 2800BC to 1450BC lies at Knossos.  We also consider the history of Spinalonga, a former leper colony on an island near Aghios Nikolaos, as well as some other ancient sites.   For full details please contact Dawn Zeffertt. 

TURKEY, Istanbul - 1 April 2008, from £689 for 5 days
Ottoman and Byzantine Architecture

We fly from Heathrow and stay two nights on HB, B&B for two nights plus two lunches in a superbly situated hotel overlooking the Sea of Marmara.  Included in the tour of Istanbul will be visits to the Suleymaniye Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, Chora Church and the Grand Bazaar.  Please contact Ron Gate for further details. 

AUSTRALIA, The Great Barrier Reef - 4 April 2008, from £3488 for 21 days
World Heritage Site, scenery and wildlife

We flying from Heathrow to Perth where we stay for 3 nights.  We then fly on to Cairns to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the rain forests.  From Cairns we visit Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru). After 4 days we fly to Adelaide to visit the Barrossa Valley, famous for the wineries.  From Adelaide we travel along the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne and Canberra before finishing in Sydney. There is an optional visit to Fiji available after Australia costing £299.  All breakfasts, 1 luncheon and 10 dinners. Further details from Vivien Lawrence.

SINAI  AND JORDAN -  9 April 2008, from £1195 for 10 days
Ancient Civilisations, Geology and History

We fly from Heathrow to Cairo, stay overnight then drive to St. Catherine’s in Sinai stopping at places of interest en route. Camel ride up Mt. Sinai to see the sunrise, visit the famous Monastery also full day visit to the turquoise mines at Serabit el Khadim. Continue to Dahab then Nuweiba with excursions to both the White & Coloured Canyons. Ferry to Jordan, visit Wadi Rum to see the sunset & two nights at Petra allowing a full day in the ancient city with time to climb to the Sanctuary and/or Monastery. Fly home from Amman. We stay with FB in comfortable 3*/4* hotels.   Contact Gina Pointing for more details.

NEPAL - 19 April 2008, from £1758 for 21 days
Mountains, Wildlife and Nepali Culture

THIS TOUR INVOLVES SERIOUS WALKING AND SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN ONLY BY THOSE WHO ARE FIT AND ACTIVE

We fly from Heathrow to Kathmandu where we stay in a good hotel on FB for some sightseeing of World Heritage sites.  We fly on to Lukla to start our ten day trek where we shall be staying in lodges on FB.  The walk will be fully escorted with Sherpas and porters and we shall see five of the world’s mountains that are above 26,000 ft, including Mt. Everest in an area that is completely clear from pollution.  A period will be allowed for acclimatisation.  The highest point of the tour is the summit of Gyoko Ri at 17,500 ft.  We return to Kathmandu and drive to Chitawan National Park to see birds, rhino, elephants and crocodiles and end with more time in Kathmandu for sightseeing and Nepali culture.  Full details are available from Tom Warren. 

UZBEKISTAN - 25 April 2008, from £998 for 12 days
Muslim  Architecture and  History along the Silk Road

We depart from Birmingham airport and stay on HB throughout the tour. We travel by coach along the Silk Road from Tashkent to Khiva. The Muslim architecture is splendid, the markets colourful and the people friendly.  Please contact Ron Gate for full details.

CANADA - 11 June 2008, from £1220 for 11 days
Rocky Mountain Geology

This is an escorted coach and train tour which begins with a flight to Calvary from Gatwick, then transferring directly to Banff, where we stay for two nights. We continue on to Jasper for two nights, via the Icefield Parkway.  In Jasper we board the Rocky Mountaineer train for our journey through the Rockies which includes two breakfasts and two lunches, staying overnight in Kamloops en route. We continue on to Vancouver where we stay for four nights. There are optional tours to Vancouver Island, Buchart Gardens in Vancouver and Whistler.  Full details are available from Vivien Lawrence. 

SICILY, Cefalù - 10 May 2008, from £459 for 8 days
History, Art and Architecture of the Island

Our flight to Cefalù is from Gatwick and will be based in a hotel on HB.   With remnants of civilisation from the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans to the Arabs, Normans, Austrians, Spanish, French and Italians, the island history is both confusing and fascinating. There is a wealth of architecture and associated art remains to support these periods.  Full details are available from Mike Bakall.

FRANCE, Brittany - 17 June 2008, from £450 for 8 days
History and Archaeology

We sail with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to St. Malo overnight and return to Portsmouth by overnight boat from Caen.  We travel down to Vannes for three nights, staying at the Hotel Mercure. En route we will visit Medieval and much older sites.  A visit to the standing stones of Carnac is planned.  These stones rival Stonehenge and are more impressive.  We also plan to visit Dinan, Josselin and Vitré, which are small walled towns richly endowed with medieval buildings, churches and fortresses.  Further details can be obtained from Mike Bakall. 

ITALY, The Marche Region - 15 July 2008, from £699 for 7 days
Old  Cities, History, Architecture and Optional Opera at Macerata 

Flights from Gatwick. We will be staying in Civitanova Marche on HB. The Marche is a little known region on the Adriatic Coast. Visits will be to Perugia, Gubbio and Fermo, as well as to the religious pilgrimage centres at Assisi, Loreto.     Local cities such as Ancona and Pescara will be visited.  There will be two nights at the opera in Macerata which will be the focus of our stay.  Further details can be obtained from Katie Butcher. 

PARIS – 6 August 2008; from £350 for 5 days
Fine Arts, Architecture and Music

This visit to Paris is aimed at art galleries and museums in both the public and the private sector.  We offer a visit to the Louvre, the Gare d’Orsay and the Rodin, plus such specialist collections as the Marmottan, the Nissim de Camondo and the Jaquemart-André.  We plan excursions to the outskirts of Paris for the Chateau de Chantilly and the Abbey de Chaalis to see more exotic collections.  We travel by Eurostar on 6 August 2008; from £350 for 5 days. Please contact Mike Bakall for further details.

SCOTLAND, Castle of Mey, Orkney and Shetland - 30 August 2008, from £607 for 7 days
Country Houses and Gardens, Ancient Monuments of Orkney and Shetland

The tour starts at Preston, Lancashire, where optional overnight accommodation can be arranged.  We then drive to Perth with a pick up at Edinburgh, Waverley Station at about 4pm for those who are travelling from London and Eastern England by train.  The next day we travel to Thurso for two nights, where we shall visit the Castle of Mey, the summer home of the late Queen Elizabeth.  The next day we shall cross to Orkney where we shall have a full day exploring the island with a guide, including a visit to Scara Brae, a Neolithic settlement and World Heritage site.  After dinner in a local restaurant we shall board a modern overnight ferry to Lerwick where we shall tour the main site of the main Shetland Island with a guide, including a visit to the Viking and Pictish village of Jarlshof.  We then return to the ferry for the overnight crossing to Aberdeen.  After disembarking we drive to Crathes Castle to visit the house and gardens before driving through Royal Deeside back to Perth for our last night.  All accommodation is HB.  Further details are available from Tom Warren. 

SCOTLAND - 9 September 2008, from £399 for 5 days
Highlights of Art and Architecture in the North

We depart by coach from London to York for an overnight stop at the 3* Holiday Inn. Members from the Midlands could join the tour at York. The following day we proceed to Glasgow, where we stay at the Corus Hotel on HB, stopping en route at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. In Glasgow we will visit various Charles Rennie Mackintosh buildings and The Burrell Collection.  In Edinburgh we will visit Stirling Castle, the National Gallery of Scotland and the new Scottish Parliament.  Full details from Mike Bakall. 

ECUADOR AND GALAPAGOS - 14 September 2008 from £3099 for 22 days   
Wildlife, Birds, Cotopaxi and Andean Culture

We depart from London for Quito. After a day in the capital, we will make for El Mindo, renowned for its number of rare birds, and then on to the famous market town of Otavalo, which is surrounded by mountains. We drive up the flanks of Cotopaxi the worlds highest volcano (5897m), followed by three nights in a lodge in the Amazon rain forest. We move on to Guayaquil taking an exciting train ride through the Devil’s Nose and fly on to Baltra on the Galapagos where we spend a week cruising round these enchanting islands. Full details are available from Vivien Lawrence.

NAMIBIA, North and South - 19 September 2008 from £2710 for 13 days
Geology, Wildlife, Conservation, Local Culture and Star Gazing

We depart from Gatwick for this ‘deluxe’ style camping holiday. There are five walk in tents for ten people on FB, all of which provides the opportunity to sleep in comfortable beds with private facilities under the stars. We will be camping on exclusive sites. Travel is by 4x4 Landcruiser with an expert guide. On the last night we camp near an observatory where an astronomer will guide us round the Southern sky.  Namibia’s dry, unpolluted air makes for fantastic stargazing an added attraction to the dramatic scenery and desert adapted wild life. First rate guiding throughout.   Further details from Gina Pointing.

ROMANIA  -  mid-September 2008, from £776 for 7 days
Painted Monasteries, Fortified Churches and Transylvanian Castles

We depart from Luton and stay on HB throughout.  The tour takes in the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina, the Fortified Churches of Transylvania, plus Peles Castle, Bran Castle and the Carpathian Mountains.  For further details please contact Ron Gate. 

HIDDEN UMBRIA  & ROME - 25 September 2008, from £599 for 6 days
History, Religion, Art and Architecture

Our flight is from Heathrow.  Every town and city in the region is a repository of Roman and older history, art and culture and some of the markers of Western Civilisation.  We shall be based in Spoleto on HB with one day B&B.  Visits are planned to Montefalco, Perugia, Gubbio and Orvieto with a brief guided tour of Rome.  We shall look at the art, architecture, religion and history from the Etruscans to the modern day. Food and wine will also play a part in understanding the region.  Further details from Kate Butcher. 

SLOVENIA AND CROATIA - 7 October 2008, from £749 for 11 days
Natural Beauty of the Lakes, Mountains, Forests, Stunning Coastline & History of the Area

We leave from Gatwick and fly to Ljubljana in Slovenia.  This is a three centre tour staying at Umag, Peroj near Pula and beside Lake Bled on HB.  We will take a quick look at Croatia’s      Istrian Penisula, visiting Umag, Perdj, Porec, Piran and the Roman remains at Pula.  Whilst in Slovenia time will be spent in Llubljana, Opatija and Lake Bled. Full details can be obtained from Dawn Zeffertt. 

RHODES -  8 October 2008, from £425 for 7 days 
Archaeology and History

Departures from Gatwick and other regional airports.   We stay in a good hotel in Rhodes on HB.  Rhodes is a beautiful island with a great history.  It was settled by the Minoans about 1500BC, then the Greeks after the collapse of the Minoan Thallocracy.  It was later variously conquered by the Persians, Romans, the Christian Crusaders, Turks and Italians.  Further details from Mike Bakall.

NEPAL, Himalaya and The Royal Chitwan National Park - 26 October 2008, from £1900 for 19 days
Mountains, Wildlife, Buddhism and Culture

YOU SHOULD BE REASONABLY FIT AND ACTIVE AS THERE IS SOME WALKING (NOT TREKKING) AND MANY STEPS UP AND DOWN. We fly from London takes to Kathmandu, where we stay for three nights. We move on to Dhulikhel for two nights and Daman for its spectacular mountain views. We visit the ancient sites of Swayambhu, Bouddhanath and Pashupatinath and the cities of Patha and Bhakthpur. Three nights will be spent in the Royal Chitwan National Park at the Temple Tiger on FB. Seven nights will be spent in Pokhara, which has wonderful views of Annapurna/ Machupuchare. There will be full sightseeing.  We return to Kathmandu for two more nights. Optional trek for four nights with FB during part of the tour.    Further details available from Vivien Lawrence.

MOROCCO, Mysterious Marrakech - 30 November 2008, from £569 for 5 days
Culture, Architecture and History

We fly from Gatwick.  We shall stay on HB with two lunches and two dinners.  Marrakech is slowly climbing into the 21st Century but most of North Africa still offers a taste of a different and much older culture than our own. For further details please contact Katie Butcher. 

MADEIRA - 8 December 2008, from £350 for 7 days
Local History, Garden, Walks and Culture

Departures from Gatwick and other regional airports. This is a winter break with local activities of an educational nature. There will be opportunities for concerts, art exhibitions and museum visits. This is a lovely island with an interesting history. We will stay at the Hotel Monumental Lido in Funchal on HB. Low single supplement.  For further details please contact Mike Bakall.

Katie Butcher, 8 The Newlands, Buckingham Close, Guildford, GU1 1TR (01483 573439)

Ron Gate, 12 Adswood Grove, Meols Brace, Shrewsbury, SY3 9QG. rongate@supanet.com01743 354829) 

Vivien Lawrence, Cove Cottage, Sharp Rock, Morthoe, Woolacome, Devon, EX34 7EA. vlawrence05@aol.com01271 870403)

Derek Robbins, 21 Schofield Road, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6FW. dandb7@dsl.pipex.com01572 757872)

Beryl Strong, Flat E54, Du Cane Court, Balham, London, SW17 7JL (020 8673 3170)

Tom Warren, 154 Lime Tree Avenue, Wymondham NR18 0TG. tfwarren@btinternet.com

Dawn Zeffertt, 125 Ruskin Park House, Champion Hill, Camberwell, London, SE5 8TL. dawnzeffertt@aol.com020 7733 0539)

Margaret Ward, 33 Masons Ryde, Pershore, WR10 1JG (01386 550042)

Gina Pointing, 39 Glynville Close, Wimbourne, Dorset, BH21 2SL ginapointing@yahoo.co.uk (01202 880362)