Escorted Tours 2022-23 Brochure - Mercury Holidays

39 Hundreds more escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk Central and Southern Asia 4 Meander Kerala’s backwaters Alleppey, Kerala Traverse a unique waterborne world of glistening lakes, canals, and rivers aboard your Kettuvalam, a traditional rice barge converted into a thatched houseboat. Drift lazily past rural scenes, swaying palm trees and fishing villages and enjoy the local cuisine for the perfect Keralan experience. • See pages 54-55, 59 & 61 5 Ride India’s UNESCO-listed Toy Trains Shimla & Darjeeling, India Small-sized engines running on slim tracks, India’s first mountain railways were nicknamed Toy Trains for their diminutive size. 140 years on, they are still the most scenic and exhilarating way to traverse the foothills of the Himalaya’s. • See pages 48-50 & 53-55 3 Admire Hampi’s towering temple Virupaksha Temple, India In the southern Indian state of Karnataka sits Hampi, home to an astonishing collection of ancient ruins scattered across a remarkable landscape. At its heart is the 7th Century Virupaksha Temple, towering over Hampi bazaar, beautiful in its intricacy and vibrant as a place of worship. • See page 58 4 6 5 6 Leopard spotting in Yala Yala National Park, Sri Lanka Originally a hunting ground, now Yala is renowned for wildlife photography and with the world’s highest density of leopards you can see why. Added to that elephants, monkeys, sloth bears, water buffalo, and red slender loris make this a nature lovers paradise. • See pages 63-67