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Victoria Falls Rain Forest

There is something almost supernaturally beautiful about the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

In the shadow of the majestic Victoria Falls it rains continuously, supporting the growth of rich and diverse plants, and an aerial view clearly shows a thick border of greenery on the Zimbabwe side of the Main Falls. This abundant vegetation is known as the Victoria Falls Rain Forest and is home to a great variety of wildlife, birdlife, insects and amphibians.

The Rainforest is unique in that is sustained as follows – from the main gorge, the waters rush down into a void below, the spray resulting from the falling mass of water rises and condenses into small droplets forming a constant shower in certain areas around the Falls. Even though the ensuing habitat is not a rain forest by strict definition, the results are the same – dense vegetation that stays green throughout the year.

The type of vegetation found in the Victoria Falls Rainforest is an extension of the riverbanks of the Zambezi and the type of trees and shrubs that grow here are also seen upstream of the Falls. Another interesting fact about the rainforest is that evidence shows that it has been migrating over time. The forest vegetation has moved upstream with the waterfall, carving its tracks through the basaltic rock. The result is the Batoka Gorge, with its twisted appearance.

A walk through the rainforest holds many surprises, some of the best ones being the 17 viewpoints that give you panoramic views of the entire Waterfall, as well as the railway bridge.

What makes the forest even more special, are the moonbows that can be seen from here during full moon. The Victoria Rainforest is open 3 nights a month for tours to showcase these lunar white rainbows which are produced by the moonlight refracting off the mist of the Falls.

Just a short 7 minute walk from the Ilala Lodge Hotel will get you to the rainforest to experience the moonbows, rainforests and smoke that thunders… a truly magical experience!

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Luxury Rhine River Cruise: A Romantic glimpse of the Roman Empire

For the river cruise enthusiasts, the thought of cruising through the serene blue waters of the legendary Rhine Rivergives great pleasure. Walking around the green plains, exploring the breath-taking landscapes and viewing the splendid mountain slopes are all great experiences while sailing on a Rhine river cruise. One of the most important and longest rivers of Europe, the Rhineoriginates from the Swiss Alps and empties in to the North Sea coast of the Netherlands and flows through six countries with a stretch of 766 miles.
The Rhine River Snap Shot
The rich ancient culture and history of Europe that the Rhine River takes you through is spell binding. The Rhine and the Danube are the silent testimonies of the Great Roman Empire. On a Rhine river cruise you can get a splendid view of the steeples, towers, churches, cathedrals, and castles on every street corner. Amazing buildings, both ancient and new, can be seen while you are cruising through the river. The tour takes you through the beautiful city of Zurich. It also passes through some other beautiful cities like Basel, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and covers some incredible places like the Black Forest of Germany &the French city of Strasbourg .The Rhine River is extremely important from a business aspect as it is a major route to transport raw materials and goods.
One of the most significant parts of the Rhine River is the Rhine gorge that falls between the German city of Bonn and Bingen. The gorge is quite deep and is classed as a world heritage site and is also called the ‘romantic Rhine’. There are many castles, historic fortifications and vineyards surrounding the gorge.
A river cruise through Rhine will allow you to view scenic beauty and to visit the rich history of Europe.
July and August are the time when normally people travel, although it can be a little hot. May and September are desirable.During the month of December; however, they have special cruises for the Christmas markets. The Rhine river cruise is usually a 14 – night cruise which starts from Basel and terminates at Amsterdam. Besides the 14-night cruise, many tour operators also offer some short duration cruise plans, spanning 4 to 5 days. The highlights of the cruise are:
• Historic towns and vineyards on the Rhine banks that can be explored in summer
• Enjoy the fabulous fireworks in the Rhine valley to celebrate the annual wine harvest
• During Christmas you can try some local delicious delicacies as well as enjoy the Christmas markets
• Be enthralled by historic castles at every turn of the river
• Stunning views, beautiful landscapes and a fabulous ambience in the wine and beer taverns
Some of the important tour operators who offer river cruise through the Rhine-Danube stretch include APT River Cruises, AMA Waterway, Viking River cruise, Avalon Waterways and Uniworld.

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Luxury Cruise Holidays: Ultimate Leisure Trips

Cruising Holidays! Even the very thought of it excites some travellers while others feel unsure whether they are the ideal way to spend their leisure time. In today’s time, when there a range of cruise offers available, cruise lines also give an opportunity to customize your cruise holidays as per your requirements and desires so that you can get the best value for your money and time.

A luxury cruise offers an ultimate holidaying experience. This is the reason why even traditional tour packages include short cruise trips to make their itineraries more intriguing. No doubt, travel by the best of premium airlines and stays at five star hotels are alluring but not as fascinating as journey by luxury cruise ship is. In fact, customized luxury cruise offers allow travellers to combine the charm of travel by award-wining airlines, stay at select hotels and transfer by the optimum cars with the top-notch hospitality services of luxury ships to make cruising holidays a journey of lifetime.

Cruise holidays have increasingly become famous for the exotic sailing expeditions and on-water accommodation they offer. However, many travellers initially refuse going for cruise holidays because of the cost involved, but after analysing the overall benefits, a holiday on a cruise offers exceptional value for money.

Cruising holidays are ideal for those looking for utmost peace, rejuvenation and leisure. All-inclusive cruise offers give an opportunity to leave worries of hotel reservations, transfers, excursions, dining, etc. behind and simply enjoy the ultra-modern amenities andrecreational activities aboard. Besides, personalized luxury cruise offers allow travellers to extend their stays at select destinations and make arrangements, including road transfers and if required air travel, for boarding the cruise from the next destination. Moreover, unlike traditional tours, guests don’t have to do packing, unpacking and packing every now and then as their rooms on board are booked for the whole trip.

A luxury cruise offers a number of recreational activities on board. Guests can pamper themselves with facilities like gyms, spa treatments, swimming pools and multi-cuisine restaurants to make their journey more stimulating. The ultra-modern on board activities a luxury cruise offers don’t even let guests realize they are travelling; they rather feel that they are staying at five star hotel.

No two persons have same likes and dislikes. Keeping this in mind, modern-day cruise lines have come up with different cruise offers to match the diverse needs of contemporary travellers. Apart from luxury and budget cruises to choose from, cruise varieties include theme cruises to classic cruises, adventure cruises to romantic cruises, and world cruises to river cruises.

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