Saturday 9^th February – Our adventure begins

Wellington to Honolulu, via Auckland.

We arrive in Honolulu at 8pm, on the 8^th of February, where we stay at the Outrigger on Waikiki Beach.

10^th–18^th February

Honolulu to the big island of Hawaii.

We stay in Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, which is on the main island of Hawaii in a settlement called Kona. Peter is attending the Dodge Seminar for the week including the bi annual meeting of N Z Independent Funeral Homes.

18^th – 23^rd February

Hawaii to Las Vegas, via Honolulu and Los Angeles.

We fly back to Honolulu then catch a plane overnight to L.A. and on to Las Vegas.

In Las Vegas we have 5 days and we are staying at Hotel Paris. It’s our first time in Las Vegas and we look forward to a day trip to the Grand Canyon.

24^th – 29^th February

Las Vegas to London, via L.A

We have 6 days in London staying at The Mansions Apartments in Earls Court. We will do the tourist thing in London, as it has been 22 years since Jenny and I were last there. Lizzy visited London in 2005 and for Anthony it will be a new experience. We intend exploring the Tower Bridge, The Tower Of London, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, St Pauls Cathedral, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, The London Eye, British Museum, Lyceum Theatre to see The Lion King, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the Guard, Harrods and the shopping district …hold on we’re spending pounds!

29^th February – 5^th March

Tour Bury St Edmonds, Cambridge, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford and Windsor

We pick up a rental car in Kensington and have a brief 5 day tour of a few key towns and districts around London. We will be staying in Bed and Breakfasts in little townships along the way, to get a flavour of the countryside. We drop the rental car off to Heathrow Airport and fly out on the evening of the 5^th March to Cairo.

6^th-10^th March

Cairo, via Frankfurt.

We arrive in Cairo at 3-35am on the 6^th and stay 5 days at the Ramses Hilton Hotel in the centre of the city. We have a couple of free days and our Egyptian Tour begins with a couple of day tours around Cairo to Memphis, the Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. We visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel, the Mosque of Sultan Hassan and explore Khan El Khalili Bazaar.

11^th March

Cairo to Abu Simbel via Aswan

Early today we will fly from Cairo to Aswan and then on to Abu Simbel. We visit the Sun Temple and Colossi of Ramses II. These temples honour one of Egypt’s greatest Pharaohs the Master Builder Ramses II and his wife Queen Nefertari.

These massive temples were moved when the Nile was dammed in the 1960’s and new Lake Nasser was formed. In an amazing feat of engineering, the temples were hewn into huge blocks of 30 tonnes each and hauled 180m up the side of the valley and reassembled.

We then head back to Aswan and in the afternoon sail in a felucca (a traditional Egyptian sailboat) on the Nile around Elephantine Island. That evening we board the Presidential Nile Cruise Boat, and overnight in Aswan, before we start our cruise down the Nile.

12^th - 15^th March

Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, Luxor.

We begin our cruise down the Nile over 4 days. First we visit the Aswan Dams and the re-sited Temple of Philae, renowned as one of the most picturesque locations in all Egypt. Later we sail to Kom Ombo and view its famous temple completed during the reign of Ptolemy during 181 – 146 BC. This temple was shared by the two Gods, Sobek and Haroeris. We travel on to Edfu where we overnight. In Edfu we view the remains from the Old Kingdom as well as the Temple of Horus and houses of the Byzantine period. We then sail on to Esna and cross the lock and on to Luxor to overnight. The next morning we cross the Nile to the West Bank, and experience a day full of highlights including The Necropolis of Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, where there are the tombs of the Theban rulers, such as Ramses II & Tutankhamun. We then go on a tour of the Mortuary Temple of Hatchepsut, who was the only woman Pharaoh to rule ancient Egypt. We’ll see the famed Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile. In the afternoon we take a drive to the Luxor Temple built by two kings, Amenophis III and Ramses II. After touring Luxor Temple we continue to Karnak Temple, the main centre of worship in ancient Egypt. We return to the boat and stay overnight in Luxor. Our final morning on the Nile, we visit the city of Luxor and then fly to Sharm El Sheikh.

16^th and 17^th March

Sharm El Sheikh, St Catherine’s, Nuweiba, Aqaba.

We stay in the Movenpick Golf Resort Hotel for two nights. Sharm El Sheikh is a popular seaside holiday resort situated between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. It has some of the finest snorkeling and diving sites in the world and is a sun lovers and water sports enthusiast’s paradise.

We travel across the Sinai to St. Catherine’s this morning and here we visit the Monastery. After lunch we continue to Nuweiba port where we check in for our ferry sailing to Aqaba and entry into Jordan. Here we stay at the Movenpick Aqaba Hotel.

18^th – 21^st March

Aqaba - Wadi Rum – Petra

On our first morning in Jordan, we travel to Wadi Rum where Lawrence of Arabia rode over the desert. We take a jeep ride through this impressive moon-like landscape, with its dramatic canyons and dunes. Later, we continue to Petra, the rose-red city described as ‘half as old as time’. We will stay two nights at the Taybet Zaman Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

The next morning we enter Petra via the narrow siq which reaches approximately 300m high. We will see El Khazneh - the Treasury carved ornately in the red rock. Other magnificent sights include the amphitheatre, tombs and temples with burial chambers, banquet halls and arched gates all spectacularly carved from the red rock.

We wake the next morning and leave early to travel north to Amman via one of the oldest Highways on Earth, the King’s Highway. Along the way we stop at Kerak Crusader Castle, then proceed to Madaba to visit the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George with the earliest surviving map of the Holy Land. We continue on via Mt. Nebo, where Moses looked out over the ‘Promised Land’. On arrival in Amman, we stay at the Regency Palace Hotel for two nights.

While in Amman, we travel north to Jerash which was known as the ‘Pompeii of the East’. We will also explore the famous Amman gold souk and gold chains galore - look out Ali G !

22^{nd –} 23^rd March

Sweimah (Dead Sea)

We drive from Amman west to Sweimah, a Resort town on the shores of the Dead Sea and stay at the Movenpick Resort and Spa.

The Dead Sea is 75km long and varies from 6 to 16 km wide. It is fed by the Jordan River, but it has no outlet. As its name suggests, the Dead Sea is entirely devoid of plant or animal life. This is due to an extremely high content of salt and other minerals. In fact there is 350 grams of salt per kilogram of water, compared to about 40 grams in the world’s oceans. This concentration is caused by a rapid rate of evaporation. These natural elements give the waters of the Dead Sea certain curative properties, recognized since the days of Herod the Great over 2000 years ago. We will see if they are right!

24^th-26^th March

Amman to Istanbul

Fully refreshed (!), we leave the Dead Sea on the 24^th and drive back to Amman where we fly on Royal Jordanian Airlines to Istanbul, Turkey. We stay at the President Hotel for three nights, right in the middle of the City. We will use these three days to explore Istanbul and surrounds.

We will also investigate and book our transport from Istanbul, for when we return at the end of our Turkish tour on 10 April.

27^th – 28^th March

Istanbul and the start of our tour

Today we will be transferred to the Holiday Inn City Hotel, where accommodation is reserved for two nights with the tour group. We meet our tour companions at a welcome and are briefed by our tour director.
We spend the days doing more sightseeing in Istanbul with the group. We visit:

· The magnificent Topkapi Palace to see the dazzling displays of treasures of the Ottoman
· Sultans. (Harem excluded !).
· The beautiful Saint Sophia Basilica, seat of the Byzantine Church, built in 537 AD. Saint Sophia is now a museum whose mosaics, stained glass windows and decorated Domes have been carefully fashioned to create an atmosphere of breathtaking beauty.
· The Byzantine Hippodrome, the stunning Blue Mosque and the colourful Grand Bazaar.

29^th March

Istanbul - Gallipoli - Canakkale

This morning we drive along the Sea of Marmara to the Gallipoli Peninsula where the WWI battles took place claiming so many lives. There we see the Kabatepe War Museum, visit Anzac Cove and the Lone Pine memorials before crossing the Dardanelles Waterway to Canakkale. We overnight in Canakkale at the Kolin Hotel.

30^th – 31^st March

Canakkale - Troy – Kusadasi (Ephesus)

This morning visit the ruins of Troy where Greek and Trojan heroes fought the Trojan War for the honour of the beautiful Helen. We see the legendary walls, buildings and a replica of the wooden horse. Continue later to the acropolis of ancient Pergamum, famous for work by the great Roman physician, Galen. We see the Altar of Zeus, the Asklepion and a famous Roman medical centre. Later we continue the drive down to Kusadasi where we stay two nights at the Charisma Deluxe Hotel.

The next morning we drive across the fertile Menderes Valley to Ephesus, capital of Roman Asia Minor. We will see the extensive ruins which include 2000 year old marble streets, a huge theatre, the library of Celsius, a gymnasium and the temple of Hadrian.

Also we visit the nearby St Mary’s stone cottage. Later in the day we return to Kusadasi.

1^st April

Kusadasi – Aphrodisias – Hierapolis – Pamukkale

April fools day ! This morning visit the ‘city of the goddess Aphrodite’ at Aphrodisias. Later we drive to Pamukkale, with its ‘Cotton Castle’ of cascading limestone formations formed by hot mineral springs. Also see the vast ruins of the Roman health spa of Hierapolis. We stay overnight at Pamukkale, in the Lycus River Hotel.

2^nd – 3^rd April

Pamukkale – Perge – Antalya

We drive today to the resort of Antalya on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. In the afternoon we visit the ancient city of Perge, then its on the Antalya where we stay two nights at the Dedeman Hotel.

The next day we spend sightseeing or resting! Around Antalya.

4^th April

Antalya – Aspendos – Konya

We travel via the Taurus Mountains to Konya. Here we visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana,
founder of the Whirling Dervishes, then see the Karatay Medersa. We overnight at the Dundar Hotel in Konya.

5^th – 6^th April

Konya – Cappadocia

We depart early for Cappadocia visiting en route the 13^th Century Agzikarahan
Caravansary in the land of the ‘fairy chimneys’. We stop and visit the underground city of
Kaymakli, before driving on to Cappadocia. We stay at the Nevsehir Dedeman Hotel in
Cappadocia for two nights.

The next morning we visit Goreme, Pasabagi and the beautiful Red Valley home of the
pottery making village of Avanos.

7^th April

Cappadocia – Ankara

Drive to Turkey’s capital, Ankara, visiting on route the Ataturk Mausoleum and Museum
of Anatolian Civilisations with its Hittite treasures. We stay the night at the Ankara
Dedeman Hotel.

8^th April

Ankara – Istanbul

This morning we catch a boat and cruise across the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul arriving
back at the Holiday Inn City Hotel for our tour’s farewell dinner.

9^th – 24^th April

Istanbul to Athens

Back on our own again!

The plan is to make our way down the west coast, possibly sailing on a felucca, and then catch a ferry from Izmur or Kusadasi, island hopping through the Greek Islands up to Athens.

24^th – 28^th April

Athens to Rome

This morning we catch a flight from Athens to Rome. On arrival we have booked an
apartment for 5 nights in a good central location by the Spanish Steps in Via Leonina.

We have five days to sightsee in Rome, where we will visit the Vatican (we will put in a good word for you Larry and Wade with the big guy!) and St Peter’s Basilica, the Circus Maximus, The Roman Forum and Colosseum, etc This will be a trip down memory lane for Jenny and I, and it will be interesting to see Lizzy and Anthony’s reaction.

29^th April to 7^th June

Look out Italy!

We have arranged with Peugeot France to drive our new Peugeot Wagon lease vehicle from Paris down to Rome, where we collect it this afternoon and begin our Italian odyssey.

Broadly, we plan to head down the west coast through Naples zig zagging from the coast to inland areas and working our way down to Sicily. We will have a couple of side sojourns, like to the Island of Stromboli (an active volcano). Then we repeat the process working up the east coast to Lecce (the heal of the Italian shoe) and on up the Adriatic Coast. We will see how far we north we get, taking each day as it comes. By the 7^th June we are due in Todi, a small Umbrian town north of Rome and just south of the Tuscan border.

7^th – 28^th June

Todi, Umbria

We have leased a villa for three weeks in the countryside, 1 km from Todi, where we intend having a rest from our travels, enjoying the Italian summer living alfresco and taking day trips to explore small towns and the countryside in Umbria and Tuscany.

During these three weeks, Anthony and Peter will celebrate their birthdays.

Stay tuned and we will share our experiences with you.

28^th June – 1^st August

Italy, Switzerland and France

Back in our Peugeot and on the road again. Our plan is to tour the upper part of Italy up to Venice then looping north through Switzerland back down into Italy through Milan, Turin and into France. We will head through the French Riviera visiting Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, Marseille and then loop up through the countryside to Paris and where return our car. A few days in Paris and then across the channel to London and we head for home.

1^st – late August

London, Hong Kong, China, New Zealand

At this stage we have booked to leave London on the afternoon of the 1^st August.
Our tickets are from London to Hong Kong for a couple of days, a side tour across
into China, then home.

This section of the journey has not been booked yet, so that we have some flexibility to stay on in Europe longer if we need to. Lizzy plans to change her ticket and stay on in London with friends. Jenny, Anthony and I plan to be home late August.

We would love our friends to stay in touch and share this experience with us by posting messages on this blog.

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Jenny Peter Elizabeth and Anthony