Unbound 8

Unbound

Cambridge Alumni Travel

Edition 8 / 2016

Welcome to Unbound, featuring Cambridge Alumni Travel programme trips for 2016. This edition features two spectacular new trips. You can stargaze in northern Chile with renowned astronomer Professor Roger Davies or take a road trip with palaeontologist Professor Paul Barrett, looking for prehistoric life in the deserts, canyons and parks of America’s West.

On page 16, take a peek into the photo albums of Cambridge alumni travellers, or share trip scholar Rosamond McKitterick’s travel memories on page 4.

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Contents Key

Africa 6 Magical Madagascar Ancient Ethiopia

Trip activity

Europe 10 – 11 Walking Istanbul Britain’s secret war Jewels of the Dodecanese Treasures of Turkey Medieval Loire

Art

Archaeology and ancient history

Food and wine

History and architecture

Wildlife

Scientific

Geology

Photography

Music

Trip type

Europe 7 Opera in Vienna The Baltic countries History of medicine

Americas 12 USA: Walking with dinosaurs Chile: Astronomy capital of the world

City break

River cruise

Sailing tour

Cruise

Luxury hotel

Train

Activity rating: low

Activity rating: medium

Activity rating: high

Asia 13 Walks in South China Exploring Burma

Europe 8 – 9 Albania In Flanders Fields Art treasures of St Petersburg Journey through Istria and Friuli

Asia 14 – 15 A journey through Central Asia A geological trek in Nepal Magnificent Mekong Spectacular Ceylon

Full details of how to contact the operators, find out more about the trips and how to book can be found on page 19

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Unbound / Edition 8 / 2016

Meet the scholars Rosamond McKitterick 1971 Begins PhD in History, Clare Hall 1974 Research Fellow Newnham College 1979 University Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer, Reader, Professor (personal Chair) 1990 LittD 1999 Professor of Medieval History, University of Cambridge and Vice-Master, Sidney Sussex College.

What is it about the Loire that inspires you?

It is a river in the heart of France that flows though a quite remarkable array of historical sites, from the Roman period to the present day.

Talk us through what it is like on these tours It is basically like a prolonged lunch or dinner party while cruising through mostly beautiful landscape with a completely different way of life on a river or canal unfolding before us.

Dinner is the important event each evening and usually I give a short talk over drinks.

Everyone involved is prepared to be sociable, to swap knowledge but in a very relaxed and amiable manner, so that people travelling on their own never feel as if they are on their own but simply part of this undemandingly friendly and civilised group.

The fact that everyone has time in Cambridge or Oxford in common acts as a very effective common element, and the wonderfully diverse experience and range of occupations among the alumni who come, however small the group, is remarkable. Everyone is interesting and good company.

Do you have a funniest trip memory?

Not so much funny as very pleasurable, on one trip to Provence visiting Orange. Our minibus driver suddenly became quite vivacious and loquacious as we stopped to look at the Roman triumphal arch in Orange and he told us all about it with enormous pride and pleasure.

What is the best thing for you about going on these trips?

Seeing a number of very interesting and often beautiful places in excellent company. The alumni on the trip quickly become friends and it is a very pleasant way to spend a week.

Being on a barge and seeing the landscape is very special and the whole group together with the crew somehow creates its own special chemistry. I enjoy meeting the alumni and introducing them to the sites and their historical and cultural context.

What do you think a trip scholar adds to a trip?

Information and the enhancement of knowledge about the places we visit so that it is not just a superficial journey through standard ‘places

of interest’ but a proper but not too intense study tour. We do after all enjoy the cruising, the excellent food and wine and the lively conversations about all manner of other things as well.

What do you think the alumni on the trip get out of the trip scholar’s involvement?

I hope the alumni have an enjoyable and interesting trip with lovely weather, food, drink and company but have learnt something more about a region that they have not known before, seen places they might never otherwise have visited, had a few pleasant surprises and left with a fuller appreciation of its history (even if only select bits of it).

What is your dream trip scholar destination (ie with you being the trip scholar)?

I should love to go down the north-east coast of the Adriatic: Trieste, Aquileia, Cividale, Venice and then on to Ravenna.

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www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/travel

Dr Mark Baldwin (St Catharine’s 1962) One of Britain’s most experienced speakers on WWII intelligence

Professor Paul Barrett (Trinity 1990) Head of Vertebrates and Anthropology, Palaeobiology Division, Natural History Museum London

Professor Rosamond McKitterick (Clare Hall 1971) Professor of Medieval History and Director of Research, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge

Professor Roger Davies (Churchill 1975) Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics, University of Oxford

Dr Maria Misra Associate Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford

Dr Alphonso Moreno Tutorial Fellow in Ancient History, Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford

Dr Peter Morgan (Selwyn 1969) Islamic Cultural Historian

Dr Jacke Phillips Department of Art History and Archaeology, SOAS and Former Assistant Director of the Aksum Archaeological Project for the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge

Terry Richardson Terry Richardson has a university background in Ancient History and Classical Civilisation. He is author of the Rough Guide: Turkey, and also the Rough Guide to Istanbul

Dr Peter Sarris Reader in Roman, Medieval and Byzantine History, University of Cambridge

Professor Mike Searle Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford

Neil Taylor (King’s 1967) Leading expert on the former communist world

Dr Michael Downes (King’s 1987) Director of Music at the University of St Andrews

Zara Fleming Cultural historian specialising in Buddhist cultures and traditions

Dr Matt Friedman Associate Professor of Palaeobiology, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford

Gillian Gloyer Author of the Bradt Travel Guide to Albania, now in its fifth edition

Dr Jamie Greenbuam Visiting Fellow at Peking National University where he is researching the early Northern State of Yan

Professor Charles Higham (St Catharine’s 1959) Archaeological Research Professor at the University of Otago, New Zealand

Professor Geoff Horrocks (Downing 1969) Professor of Comparative Philology, University of Cambridge and Fellow of St John’s College

Nigel Jones Historian, journalist and broadcaster who has published widely on topics ranging from the Tower of London to the Valkyrie Plot to assassinate Hitler. He is also a co-founder of Historical Trips.

Professor Helen King Professor of Classical Studies at The Open University

Dr Luca Leoncini Art historian specialising in 15th-century Italian painting

Professor Alexei Leporc Curator of Western European Art at the Hermitage Museum

Current Cambridge academic or alumnus/a

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Africa

Magical Madagascar

Ancient Ethiopia

Evolution and zoology of a Gondwanaland island

Aksum, Lalibela and the Meskel Festival

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27 Aug — 09 Sep 2016

£3,090*

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24 Sep — 07 Oct 2016

Dr Matt Friedman

Dr Jacke Philips

Temple World templeworld.com

Temple World templeworld.com

£2,895*

Discover the magical island of Madagascar, uninhabited by man until just 2000 years ago, and witness what happens when a large isolated island is left to evolve without large predators for 165 million years. Eighty per cent of Madagascar’s species are endemic and a host of protected reserves and rainforests contain amazingly diverse wildlife, from impish ring-tailed lemurs and dancing sifakas to brightly coloured chameleons, frogs and butterflies. Highlights include:

Explore Ethiopia’s monasteries, rock-hewn churches and dramatic mountain scenery on a fascinating journey through this ancient land.

Accompanied by archaeologist Dr Jacke Phillips, former Assistant Director of the Aksum Archaeological Project, gain unique insights into the great Aksumite Empire, the earliest Christian kingdom in the world and once the most powerful state between the Roman Empire and Persia. Highlights include:

• The chance to look for some of the 33 species of lemurs, a primate found in the wild only in Madagascar • Extraordinary bird spotting opportunities with 115 endemic species and over 70 species of singing birds and parrots • Discovering Madagascar’s varied habitats including tropical rainforests, deciduous dry forests and spiny deserts

It’s also a treasure trove for palaeontologists, with a remarkable fossil record. Bird lovers will find a superb array, with the beautiful crested coua to be found amongst the six endemic families of birds.

Madagascar also boasts superb unspoiled white sand beaches, with a large barrier reef and hundreds of off-shore islands.

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Per person sharing, not including flights to Madagascar.

Optional flights from London from £850 including taxes.

Single supplement £560.

The chance to learn about the fascinating empire of Aksum with one of its excavators The vibrant 1,600-year-old Meskel festival, with magnificently robed priests and huge bonfires topped with Meskel daisies The incredible rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, place of pilgrimage for almost 1000 years

Go in search of the gelada baboon in the stunning Simien mountains before travelling to Gondar to discover its fascinating castles. Also see the semimonolithic churches carved into cliffsides in scenic Tigray and at Bahir Dar, visit the legendary source of the Blue Nile.

Per person sharing, not including flights to Ethiopia.

Optional flights from London from £550 including taxes.

Single supplement £390.

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www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/travel

Europe

Opera in Vienna

The Baltic countries

History of medicine

Mozart, Strauss, Verdi

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

Florence, Bologna and Padua in the age of humanism

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26 Apr — 01 May 2016

£2,960*

£3,560*

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12 Sep — 18 Sep 2016

£2,370*

Neil Taylor

Professor Helen King and Dr Luca Leoncini

Martin Randall Travel martinrandall.com

Martin Randall Travel martinrandall.com

Martin Randall Travel martinrandall.com

Performances at the Staatsoper, the Volksoper and the Theater an der Wien Daily talks by a musicologist, and a programme of walks and visits in the city

Begin with Lucio Silla (Mozart) at the historic Theater an der Wien. See two performances, Un Ballo in maschera (Verdi) and Don Giovanni (Mozart), at the Staatsoper where the supremely skilled Vienna Philharmonic is in residence.

The Volksoper guards the flame of the Viennese tradition of operetta; it has been refreshed in the last decade by staging a range of opera with adventurous directors and conductors.

Here, see Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.

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03 Jul — 16 Jul 2016

Dr Michael Downes

Enjoy a programme of exceptional music in Vienna, the most important city in the history of western music, and one that continues to nurture an active cultural life of a high level of excellence.

Highlights include: •

•

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Per person, inclusive of flights, accommodation, 4 operas and all visits.

Single supplement £290. Price without flights £2,720.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: three countries with diverse languages, histories and cultural identities. Highlights include:

With Professor Helen King and Dr Luca Leoncini visit some of the best scientific museums and works of art in Italy. Highlights include:

• An extensive legacy from German, Polish, Russian and Swedish occupations • Focus is history, politics and general culture

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Begin in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. Visits include the Toompea Palace and City Museum. Drive to Lahemaa National Park, with charming manor houses, to Tartu, the cultural capital of Estonia, and to Lake Peipsi. Riga, Latvia’s capital, has an intriguing mix of architecture and boasts a market that was formerly Europe’s largest. See one of the most splendid palaces in the Russian Empire before continuing to Lithuania to visit Kaunas, a diverse historic town, and Pazaislis with its magnificent Baroque nunnery and pilgrimage church. In Vilnius, a buzzing Central European metropolis, see among others the Gates of Dawn, newly restored Grand Duke’s Palace and an eclectic private collection of art and maps. *

Per person inclusive of flights, accommodation and all visits. Single supplement £410.

Italy’s oldest university towns, Bologna and Padua, where Vesalius and Galileo lectured Historic anatomical theatres and the best scientific museums in Italy

Begin in Florence, with a good range of historical medical institutions including the Museo Galileo, which covers scientific studies from the Medici through to current theory. Visit the Natural History Museum, the oldest scientific museum in Europe, and the Museo del Bigallo, a 14thcentury orphanotropium. Art historical highlights include the polychromatic marble cathedral and Michelangelo’s David. See Pisa’s botanical gardens and the Campo dei Miracoli. Explore Bologna and Padua, Italy’s two oldest university towns, where Vesalius and Galileo lectured, and in both visit historic anatomical theatres. In Padua see also Giotto’s fresco cycle in the Arena chapel, one of the landmarks in the history of art. *

Per person, inclusive of flights and accommodation. Single supplement £400.

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Europe

Albania

In Flanders Fields

The Story of Illyria

Poets and soldiers of the Great War

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13 May — 21 May 2016

£2,475*

Nigel Jones

Andante Travels andantetravels.com

Historical Trips historicaltrips.com

The discovery of 2000 years of largely untouched archaeological heritage A tour of the World Heritage Site of Butrint Special permission to enter Tirana’s fine Archaeological Museum

Journey through the ancient coastal city of Butrint, said to have been founded by refugees from the Trojan wars, to the attractive medieval town of Berat, where Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques jostle for space along the narrow streets. Trace the many civilisations who have left their mark on these lands: Greeks, Romans, Bulgars, Byzantines, Ottomans and more. Discover Byzantine churches, Ottoman mosques, mountain landscapes and receive unique access to some of Albania’s finest sites and museums. *

22 Sep — 26 Sep 2016

Gillian Gloyer

Travel from the shores of the Adriatic into the Albanian mountains.

This is a country like no other in Europe and remains very much off the mainstream tourist trail. Caught between Greece and Rome, this was once home to classical cities which vied for the splendour of their neighbours. There is a wonderful sense of discovery about Albanian archaeology: pristine ruins stand untouched, in splendid isolation, often amid beautiful and dramatic landscapes. Highlights include: •

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Per person based on sharing a room, including flights from London.

Single supplement £195.

£1,395*

Chart the course of the war through the everyday reality of life in the trenches and the greater story of this battle for Europe. Travel from Ypres to the Somme, in the footsteps of the poets and soldiers who chronicled real life amidst the horror of war. Highlights include: • • •

Travel along the trench lines of Europe Visit the exact sites where poets penned their immortal lines The great battlefields of the Somme, Arras, Ypres and Passchendaele

Visit the battlefields alongside expert guide Nigel Jones and hear the stories of those who fought, and too often died, on the Western Front.

Visit Vimy Ridge, the scene of bitter fighting during the Battle of Arras in 1917; and find humanity amidst the devastation during a visit to Ploegsteert Wood, the site of the brief Christmas Truce of 1914.

The popular imagination of the First World War is most vividly chronicled not by historians, but by its poets. Beyond the brilliance of their verse, the lives of Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and so many others have become an enduring symbol of the conflict itself.

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Per person based on sharing a room, including Club Class ferry to Calais. Single supplement £125.

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www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/travel

Art treasures of St Petersburg

Journey through Istria and Friuli

Legacy of the tsars

The borders, the patriarchate and the karst

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03 Mar — 08 Mar 2016

£2,160*

Dr Peter Sarris

Distant Horizons distanthorizons.co.uk

Distant Horizons distanthorizons.co.uk

Two visits to the Hermitage to view its unrivalled collection of European and Russian art A chance to attend a ballet or opera performance in some of Europe’s grandest theatres A visit to the newly-opened Fabergé Museum in the beautifully restored Shuvalov Palace

The journey can be extended to include a visit to Moscow.

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07 May — 13 May 2016

Professor Alexei Leporc

The beautiful city of St Petersburg, often known as the Venice of the North, was founded by Peter the Great to demonstrate his wish that Russia was a major power with its roots firmly fixed in Europe. Explore this grandest of cities with its elegant buildings and unsurpassed palaces, located both in the city and the surrounding countryside.

The visit has been specially planned for early March when the snow makes everything picturesque and the city looks magnificent. The city’s marvellous theatres are open, the vodka and furs come out and the insides of the buildings are kept cosy and warm. Perhaps as importantly, one can enjoy the city’s wonderful architecture and superb museums without the crowds later in the year. Highlights include: •

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Per person sharing, includes international flights from London.

Single room supplement £320.

£1,890*

The history of both Istria and Friuli is so rich and intricate that it is no wonder these two provinces command a special status within their own mother countries. For millennia, the peoples from all corners of Europe lived, traded and fought in this narrow passage between the Alps and the Adriatic. It became a coveted trade route and today charms with small, off-the-beaten-track natural and cultural wonders.

In Istria, all the layers of its incredible cultural and natural history are still visible – from the dinosaur footprints, amazing karst geology and castellieri (hilltop fortifications) to Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Habsburg monuments. Highlights include: • •

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The great Roman Amphitheatre in Pula The Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, an outstanding example of early Christian Architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Site Picturesque Cividale, perched on karst cliffs above the river Natissone

Like Istria, Friuli also showcases a cultural and historical mix – Roman, Byzantine and Venetian juxtaposed with the spirit of the Habsburg “mitteleuropa”. The journey will explore its three seats of power: Aquileia, Cividale, and Udine, renowned for its beautiful Venetian piazza and architecture by Palladio. *

Per person sharing, includes international flights from London.

Single room supplement £320.

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Europe

Walking Istanbul

Britain’s secret war

Byways of the Bosphorus

Enigma, Colossus, and the SOE

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17 Oct — 23 Oct 2016

£2,135*

02 Sep — 05 Sep 2016

Terry Richardson

Dr Mark Baldwin

Andante Travels andantetravels.com

ACE Cultural Tours aceculturaltours.co.uk

Escape the crowds around Istanbul’s major monuments and discover the hidden corners and vibrant street life of the city. Walk in the shadow of the 5th-century Theodosian Walls through back streets and alleyways; past mosques, churches, market gardens and local bazaars. Alongside the expert guidance this tour offers, travellers will also have the chance to sample the city’s many delights. Highlights include: • A walk along the mighty Theodosian Walls • A visit to the newly restored Mihrimah Sultan Camii • A walk from the aqueduct of Valens to the Golden Horn Encounter a sublime selection of mosques and churches along the way including the grand Suleymaniye Mosque complex; move on to the Mihrimah Camii, set on the old city’s highest hill and discover Zoodochus Pege, a 19th-century Greek Orthodox church built over older Byzantine foundations.

The magnificent walls of Theodosius protected Constantinople for over 1000 years. Enter the old city through the Mevlana Gate and follow the walls from Topkapi to the Golden Horn. The tour ends as you wind your way down to the end of the Land Walls - completing the circuit begun on the first day. *

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Per person based on sharing a room, including flights from London.

Single supplement £465.

£570*

Unravel the stratagems dreamt up by British Intelligence during World War II by examining the history of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in the company of leading military intelligence expert Dr Mark Baldwin.

At Bletchley Park fathom the mysteries of ‘Station X’ and tour RAF Tempsford, the home of ‘Moon’ Squadrons 138 and 161,which specialised in secret night-time missions flying SOE personnel and essential supplies into occupied Europe. Our visit includes a special private viewing of Gibraltar Barn, the agents’ final dispatch point, which now contains memorials to RAF crews and SOE personnel. Highlights include: •

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Trip Scholar Dr Mark Baldwin who will give a special demonstration of his own Enigma machine Bletchley Park with its rebuilt Colossus, the world’s first semi-programmable computer RAF Tempsford, perhaps the most secret airfield of WWII

Further highlights include the important wireless intercept units, or ‘Y’ stations, of Chicksands, with its Military Intelligence Museum, and Beaumanor Hall, as well as Milton Bryan, a purpose-built WWII recording studio where ‘Black Propaganda’ programmes were recorded.

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Including breakfast, dinner, and two lunches. Single supplement £90.

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www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/travel

Jewels of the Dodecanese

Treasures of Turkey

Medieval Loire

Cruising the Greek isles by classic yacht

Anatolian civilisations from Neolithic Çatalhöyük to Ottoman Istanbul

A barge cruise on the Canal Latéral à la Loire

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27 Jun — 04 Jul 2016

£2,295*

03 Sep — 17 Sep 2016

£2,490*

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8 Sep — 14 Sep 2016

£2,550*

Professor Geoff Horrocks

Dr Alphonso Moreno

Professor Rosamond McKitterick

Temple World templeworld.com

Temple World templeworld.com

Temple World templeworld.com

The islands of the Dodecanese run like a necklace around the Aegean coast of Asia Minor. Known in Ottoman times as the privileged isles and with a long classical history before that, one can imagine Homeric heroes charting their course through these lovely waters. Cruise from Kos, famed island of Hippocrates to the wealthy island of Rhodes, with its imposing crusader palace. Delightful islands in-between include Tilos, Symi and Nisyros, where the volcano is said to house the legendary giant Polivotis. Highlights include: • •

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Romantic Symi, with its beautiful harbour UNESCO World Heritage listed medieval walled town of Rhodes Congenial companions and superb fresh Mediterranean food

Trace the extraordinary civilisations of the Anatolian peninsula through its greatest architectural remains, including Ҫatalhöyuk, dating to 7500BC. Through conquests and invasions, follow the timeline from Hittites, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks to the Ottoman sack of Istanbul. Highlights include: •

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Hittite sites of Hattusas, sanctuary of Yazılıkaya and palace city of Alaca Hüyük Otherworldly landscape of Göreme Valley in Cappadocia with its Byzantine Churches World’s oldest and best preserved Neolithic site at the proto-city of Çatalhöyük

Accommodation is aboard the Lycian Queen, a new gulet built to a traditional design.

Supremely comfortable, each cabin has proper beds an en-suite WC and on deck there is plenty of space to dine, lounge and sunbathe.

Find evocative remains of Roman occupation at Aphrodisias, Ephesus, and the spa city of Hierapolis (modern Pammukkale). Visit Hellenistic cities such as Priene, and Konya, birthplace of the mystical Sufi order. And of course explore glittering Istanbul, prized by Greeks, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Barbarians, Crusaders and Ottomans alike.

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Per person sharing, not including flights to and from Turkey. Optional flights from London from £210 including taxes.

Per person sharing, not including flights to Turkey. Optional flights from London from £200. Single supplement £440.

Join medieval historian Professor Rosamond McKitterick on an exciting new barge itinerary cruising through the picturesque villages and vineyards of the Upper Loire. Cruise the Canal Latéral à la Loire aboard stylish new hotel barge, Deborah, featuring just 12 cabins with picture windows and private en-suite facilities.

Starting at Briare, cross the Upper Loire on the famous aqueduct. Highlights include: •

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The Château de la Chapelle d’Angillon, an 11-century Romanesque château Visits to the thousand-year-old vineyards of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé The UNESCO World Heritage Cluniac priory church of Sainte-Croix-Notre-Dame

Also stunning are the floral gardens of Apremont-sur-Allier, one of France’s most beautiful villages. End in romantic Nevers with its maze of medieval houses, imposing Ducal Palace and 12th-century church of Saint Etienne. *

Per person sharing, not including transport to Paris. Optional Eurostar tickets from £85 return. Single supplement £1500.

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Americas

USA: Walking with dinosaurs

Chile: Astronomy capital of the world

Palaeontology, geology and wildlife of the Wild West

Giant telescopes, cosmology, galaxies and black holes

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26 May — 09 Jun 2016

£3,950*

28 Mar — 07 Apr 2016

Professor Paul Barrett

Professor Roger Davies

Temple World templeworld.com

Temple World templeworld.com

A once-in-a-lifetime chance to join palaeontologist Professor Paul Barrett on a road-trip looking for prehistoric life in the deserts, canyons and parks of America’s West. Discover the incredible array of creatures which roamed the continent before our arrival, searching for dinosaur trackways and fossils. Learn about the geological forces which created the incredible landscape we see today, preserving their remains.

Highlights include: •

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Discovering Late Triassic remains at the Petrified Forest in the Painted Desert, Arizona Searching for dinosaur trackways and fossil bones A behind-the-scenes tour at Dinosaur National Monument, where 1500 embedded Jurassic dinosaur bones can be seen

£4,950*

Ever since Copernicus claimed the Earth was not the centre of the universe, man has endeavoured to understand our place in space and time and to answer fundamental questions such as ‘How big is the universe?’ and ‘When and how did it begin?’. Join astronomer Professor Roger Davies as he attempts to answer some of these ancient questions on an exploration of Northern Chile, one of the best places on earth to view the heavens, and home to some of the finest and largest telescopes ever built. Highlights include: •

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Visiting two of the world’s most cutting-edge observatories and learning of their discoveries Stargazing in some of the clearest night skies in the world Opportunity to extend the tour in Patagonia, the Lake District and Torres del Paine

From the Grand Canyon to the geysers and wild bears at Yellowstone, the tour follows scenic roads such as Route 66. Visits include Arches National Park and Monument Valley, where the Navajo guides will explain their culture. Also explore lesser known gems such as Fossil Butte, where delicate 50 million year old fossil fish are found in the mountain ridges, before ending with the majestic mountain scenery and wildlife of the Teton Mountains and Yellowstone National Park.

Featuring visits to two of the world’s most famous observatories, Gemini and ESO’s Paranal, the tour also includes the vibrant city of Santiago and the desert oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, known for its unearthly moon valley and gurgling geysers as well as for superb stargazing in clear, dark skies.

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Per person sharing, not including flights to the USA. Optional flights from London around £800 including taxes. Single supplement £1,150.

Per person sharing, not including flights to Chile.

Optional flights to Santiago from £800. Single supplement £600.

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www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/travel

Asia

Walks in South China

Exploring Burma

Into the kingdom of the clouds

The art and culture of the Golden Land

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26 Apr — 10 May 2016

£3,560*

Zara Fleming

Distant Horizons distanthorizons.co.uk

Distant Horizons distanthorizons.co.uk

Learning more of the matriachal clans of the Bai, Naxi and Yi tribes who reside around the sacred Jade Dragon Snow Mountain The Tibetan world of Shangri-la at Zhongdian Walking down the famous Tiger Leaping gorge, one of the world’s deepest ravines

The journey begins in the landlocked rural backwaters of China’s Guizhou province, which has been isolated throughout history.

Continue into the Himalayan foothills of northern Yunnan Province, home to some of China’s most diverse variations in flora, fauna and ethnicity. Enjoy walks in the beautiful countryside that surrounds the ancient towns of Dali and Lijiang. Discover the colourful bustling markets left over from the Southern Silk Route, as the rolling terraced hills give way to the jagged snow-capped peaks of Shangri-La. *

10 Feb — 25 Feb 2016

Dr Jamie Greenbuam

Explore the beautiful mountainous regions of Southern China, home to many of China’s 56 ethnic minority groups. This unique journey involves a series of walks (between five and seven hours per day) through this fascinating region. Spring is the best time to visit the region as the waterfilled rice terraces resemble glistening mirrors and much of the Yunnan’s spectacular flora is in full bloom. Highlights include: •

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Per person sharing, includes domestic and international flights from London. Single Supplement £620.

£3,580*

The ancient land of Burma is one of the most beautiful and fascinating countries in Asia. Burma is the last of the truly magical destinations of the Orient, a glimpse of old Asia and the most devoutly Buddhist nation on earth. This unique journey will take in the country’s major sites as well as its rarely visited rural backwaters. Highlights include: • •

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Two nights on Inle Lake high up amid the Shan Mountain A long boat trip deep into the Kayay state recently opened to foreign visitors for first time A trip from the hill station of Kalaw to explore the sacred Buddhist caves at Pindaya and the surrounding hill tribe cultures

Begin the journey in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and explore this curiously Victorian city with its wide boulevards and majestic colonial facades. The city is dominated by the huge golden stupa of the Shwedagon Pagoda – Burma’s spiritual centre. It is a fascinating experience to visit the pagoda at dusk when thousands of pilgrims throng to this holiest of shrines.

Cruise along the mighty Irrawaddy River to the many shrines and pagodas of Sagaing. Nearby is the ancient capital of Bagan - a true wonder of the ancient world with hundreds of huge pagodas soaring towards the sky.

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Per person sharing, includes all international and domestic flights.

Single Room Supplement £680.

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Asia

A journey through central Asia

A geological trek in Nepal

The Golden Road from Samarkand

Journey to Annapurna Base Camp

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12 May — 26 May 2016

£3,230*

02 May — 17 May 2016

Dr Peter Morgan

Professor Mike Searle

Distant Horizons distanthorizons.co.uk

Distant Horizons distanthorizons.co.uk

Few landmarks have tantalised the minds of travellers more than the legendary cities of central Asia. Originally caravanserais on the golden trade route across Asia, they developed into thriving centres of commerce and culture. Under the medieval warriors Genghis Khan and then Tamerlane and their descendants they assumed inimitable power and splendour producing some of Asia’s most beautiful art and architecture. Highlights include: •

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The Registan, described by Lord Curzon as the noblest square in the world Crossing the great Karakum Desert dotted with spring flowers The Chor-Bakr a monumental necropolis near Bukhara

£2,800*

The Annapurna Base camp trek from Pokhara along the Modi River into the Annapurna sanctuary is one of the finest in the Himalayas. This is also a spectacular region whose history and culture are steeped in ancient traditions and customs. Geologically, the route will traverse the Greater Himalayan sequence of metamorphic rocks into the base of the Tethyan Himalayan in the Annapurna sanctuary. Highlights include: • •

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Sunrise over the Kali Gandaki, the world’s greatest valley The best spring trekking season when rhododendrons and flowers are in bloom A trek up the steep gorge of the Modi River which drains all the southern flanks of the Annapurna range

The journey begins in Samarkand, a remarkable city of soaring minarets and domes of glistening turquoise and cobalt blue. Divine Bukhara has some of the most important monuments in the Islamic World. Cross the Oxus River and visit the ancient citadel of Merv which in medieval times was the second-most important city in Asia Minor after Bagdad.

The journey ends in Khiva where it is still possible to experience the timelessness of a central Asian caravan town.

Professor Searle is one of the most experienced field geologists of our time; he will use his personal accounts of extreme mountaineering and research in the region to explain more about the geological processes that formed these impressive peaks. The 10-day trek does not require special technical abilities and will involve about five – eight hours of walking per day. Accommodation is in very simple mountain lodges and the party will ascend to about 4000 metres in altitude.

*

*

Per person sharing, includes all domestic and international flights from London. Single room supplement £340.

Per person sharing, includes international and domestic flights from London. Single room supplement £280.

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www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/travel

Magnificent Mekong

Spectacular Ceylon

Cruise from Siem Reap to Saigon

Sri Lanka’s ancient cities, colonial history and wonderful wildlife

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31 Oct — 14 Nov 2016

£3,690*

Dr Maria Misra

Temple World templeworld.com

Temple World templeworld.com

Three nights in Siem Reap with a full exploration of Angkor Mekong life such as remote stilted villages, floating markets and faded colonial outposts Exploring Tonle Sap Lake, Phnom Penh and Saigon

The tour starts with two full days to discover the vast temple complex at Angkor, from romantic Ta Prohm, half-covered in jungle, to Angkor Wat itself. Commencing the seven-night scenic journey along the Mekong, travel aboard Tioum Tiou, a 10-cabin river cruiser. Its unique shallow draft allows passengers to get close to rural life along the banks. See villages on stilts, gleaming paddy fields and spectacular pagodas as well as Phnom Penh, the charming pearl of Asia with its tree-lined boulevards and royal palace. In Vietnam, the river becomes a fertile delta of rice paddies and lush fruit orchards, where sampans jostle for trade at lively floating markets. End with a two-night stay in Saigon with its French colonial heritage and the poignant Cu Chi Tunnels. *

11 Jun — 24 Jun 2016

Professor Charles Higham

Accompanied by a world expert on the origins of the Angkor civilisation, this inspiring journey by land and river offers unique insights into the fascinating history and culture of Cambodia and Vietnam. Highlights include: • •

•

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Per person, not including flights to Cambodia and back from Vietnam. Optional flights from London from £560 including taxes.

Single supplement £1400.

£2,995*

Explore the tea estates, colonial forts, archaeological treasures and fantastic wildlife of this stunning beach-fringed island. From the colonial tea plantations at Nuwara Eliya and the city of Galle with its 17th-century Dutch fort to the excitement of a leopard safari at Yala National Park, the tour is marked by delightful contrasts. Highlights include: •

• •

Learning the colonial, political and religious history of Sri Lanka from Asian specialist Dr Misra Searching for superb wildlife at Yala National Park Staying in historic or unique properties, including iconic Geoffrey Bawa-designed hotels

Sri Lanka is also known for its rich Buddhist culture and history – seen particularly at Dambulla where cave temples contain ancient Buddhist artwork and in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, place of legend and pilgrimage. And in the cultural triangle, discover Sri Lanka’s sacred ancient cities such as Sigiriya rock fortress where pilgrims enter through lion’s paws, Polonnaruwa with its incredible 14m-reclining Buddha carved out of stone and Anuradhapura, now believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. *

Per person sharing, not including flights to and from Sri Lanka.

Optional flights from London from £550 including taxes.

Single supplement £670.

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Alumni Experience Peter Greaves (Jesus 1952) ACE Cultural Tours, Across the front line, September 2014

All in all the trip of a lifetime.

Rob Pilsworth (Wolfson 1975) Hurtigruten, Northern Lights, February 2015

Although challenging, it was a remarkably well planned holiday with the opportunity to meet others from a similar background.

Roger (Trinity Hall 1958 ) and Lisa Backhouse (Newnham 1959) Distant Horizons, Ancient Routes of the Caucasus, September 2014

Day-trips and lectures were the highlight of the trip — we would visit the rainforest in the day and then have a lecture on what we had seen in the evening.

Dr John Armstrong (Pembroke 1963) and Mrs Penny Armstrong TempleWorld, Madagascar, August 2014

Unbound / Edition 8 / 2016

An absorbing trip to a fascinating country; I would recommend the trip to anyone.

Jim Corlett (Downing 1968) and Doreen Corlett TempleWorld, Ethiopia, September 2014

Our trip scholar and fellow Cambridge alumnus Dirk Booms’ knowledge was stunning and arrangements for the tour were flawless.

Dr David Parker (Clare 1958) Andante Travels, Sicily, October 2014

Charlie Palmer (Churchill 1972) The Northern Lights tour was your first with us – what prompted you to book a tour with the Alumni Travel Programme?

The older I get the more I realise what a profound impact three years in Cambridge has had on my whole life. Gill and I met there, and we still see friends from the time. Cambridge calls to you- the community, the mix of fascinating people, the shared history.

Why did the tour appeal to you?

We had been to Iceland the year before, and failed to see the Northern Lights. We saw them every night on this trip!

Did you have any standout moments on your trip?

Standing in the freezing cold watching the sky in awe, thrilled by our professor’s talks and tutorials on the sky, and seeing the sky filled with colour so you don’t know where to look next, and you just say “whoa!” without meaning to.

Of course we found we had friends and colleagues in common, but we also found we had attended the same wedding as another couple on the trip, went home, and found them in the background of one of our pictures!

Would you recommend the Alumni Travel Programme to fellow Cambridge alumni? If yes, why?

Yes, because it offers fascinating places, with great company, led by experts who open up the places through knowledge, passion and excitement.

Christopher (Pembroke 1957) and Heidi Shorrock TempleWorld, Alexander’s Path, September 2013

Would you travel again with the programme, if so, which tours also appeal to you?

This fantastic experience has tempted us to go further- maybe the Mekong? These aren’t cheap holidays, but they are amazingly satisfying.

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Also coming in 2016 Crossing the Ancient Silk Road: China and Central Asia August/September 2016 The Russian North: Kremlins and Countryside September 2016 South Africa: Past, Present and Future September 2016 The Art and Culture of Japan September/October 2016 Tibet: Across the Roof of the World October 2016

Fossil Butte National Monument, credit National Park Service. Find out more on page 12

Bhutan: A Journey and Trek through the Land of the Thunder Dragon October 2016

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Unbound / Edition 8 / 2016

Unbound For further information and to book

ACE Cultural Tours

Historical Trips

To find out more about a trip that interests you or to book, please contact the individual operator, either by email or phone. All the operator contact details are listed opposite, and they are all more than happy to provide further information to help you make your booking decision and to discuss whether a trip is right for you.

More information about the Cambridge Alumni Travel Programme can be found at www.alumni. cam.ac.uk/travel, where you can search for a trip by destination, date or favourite trip scholar.

Stapleford Granary, Bury Road, Stapleford Cambridge CB22 5BP

The Clock Tower, Unit 4 Oakridge Office Park, Southampton Road, Whaddon, Salisbury, SP5 3HR

Important note All the trips in this brochure are run by tried and tested travel operator partners. The operators have sole responsibility for the trips and the University has no control over or responsibility for the operation of the tours. All queries about individual trips should be addressed to the operator concerned. The information provided in this brochure is for general information only; if you are interested in making a booking, please contact the travel operator directly and indicate you are a Cambridge alumnus/a.

T +44 (0)1223 841055 E ace@aceculturaltours.co.uk W aceculturaltours.co.uk

T +44 (0)1722 713820 E info@historicaltrips.com W historicaltrips.com

Andante Travels

Martin Randall Travel

The Clock Tower, Unit 4 Oakridge Office Park, Southampton Road, Whaddon, Salisbury, SP5 3HT

Voysey House, Barley Mow Passage, London, W4 4GF

T +44 (0)1722 713800 E tours@andantetravels.co.uk W andantetravels.com

T +44 (0)20 8742 3355 E info@martinrandall.co.uk W martinrandall.com

5085

Distant Horizons

Temple World (incorporating IMA Travel)

13 Melloncroft Drive, Caldy Wirral CH48 2JA

13 The Avenue, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2AL

T +44 (0)151 625 3425 E info@distanthorizons.co.uk W distanthorizons.co.uk

T +44 (0)208 940 4114 E info@templeworld.com W templeworld.com

Development and Alumni Relations University of Cambridge 1 Quayside Bridge Street Cambridge CB5 8AB

T

+44 (0)1223 332288

E

contact@alumni.cam.ac.uk

facebook.com/cambridgealumni

@camalumni