Your journey begins in London at one of the world’s most iconic hotels. A private meet & greet at London Airports or Stations whisks you in comfort to the Savoy where memories have been created since 1889. An early check-in has been arranged for guests arriving on inter-continental flights or why not arrive a few days early and take in a show or gallery?
Make sure you have packed your dancing shoes as tonight we meet your Expedition Team and fellow travellers at our Gala Cocktail Reception followed by dinner at Simpson’s in the Strand with live entertainment that sets the tone for our journey as we retrace the routes of the pioneering aviators to and from Africa.
Perhap’s a cheeky nightcap in the famous American Bar or a late-night coffee in the beautiful Beaufort Bar before retiring to your beautiful art-deco style room for the night? We depart for Sicily in the morning!
Please note: This itinerary also operates Northbound in reverse from Sydney on Thursday 08 October 2020.
Travellers of old would have left the Savoy at dawn to take the boat train. Our Flying Valet Service take’s care of your luggage and we leave at a more sensible time after breakfast for our transfer to our Private Jet Terminal at London’s Stansted Airport.
Our Silver Wing Lunch Service is enjoyed high over France before touching down in Catania early afternoon, not far from where the old BOAC Flying Boats landed for the night at Augusta. We travel north to Taormina, once an integral stop on the traditional “Grand Tour” of Europe!
We pride ourselves in running our Expeditions at a more relaxed pace, after-all, you are on vacation, so enjoy some time to freshen up before we depart for a unique dinner. Our Italian hosts have set up traditional food stalls and tables in the heart of their village square. We’ll enjoy great local food, meet the families who have lived here for generations and be entertained with local music and dancing.
We understand that not everyone is the same. With us, you won’t find large coaches and big groups. You’ll have the ability to Personalize Your Day and enjoy activities and sights that really matter to You.
For the adventurous, we’ll pile into 4x4 Jeeps for an offroad tour up to the peaks of Mount Etna and enjoy great Sicilian wine and food with lunch at a winery. Foodies can enjoy a local Sicilian cooking class in Taormina while history and heritage fans can put on their walking shoes for a Walking Tour with a knowledgeable local guide.
For fans of the silver screen, get behind the wheel of a dinky Fiat 500 and follow your guide through the winding lanes and streets as you discover the history of “La Cosa Nostra”, the Sicilian Mafia.
We travel tonight to the Belmond Villa St Andrea to dine alongside the Ionian Sea. Flight Time today: 2 hours 45 minutes
We depart after breakfast for the desert sands of Egypt. The sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea gives way underneath the aircraft windows to the rolling sands of the Egyptian desert. We touch down in Cairo early afternoon.Making our way through the bustling streets of downtown Cairo to our hotel, perched on the Giza Plateau, the Great Pyramids seem almost within arms reach.
After some time to freshen up and as the sun sets, we take horse-drawn carriages out to the Pyramids for dinner. Our Egyptian hosts have created a nomadic camp for us overlooking the monuments at night. Our dinner tonight is in a traditional Bedouin style and we are joined by a number of leading Egyptologists who’s knowledge and experience are fascinating.
Flight time today: 2 hours 25 minutes
After breakfast our guests again design their own travel experiences. For first-time visitors, a Pyramids and Spinx Tour are on the bucket lists. Guests who have perhaps visited Cairo before can take an alternative perspective by discovering Islamic Cairo including the Citadel of Salah El Din and the Khan El-Khalili Bazaars. Alternatively our discovery of Old Cairo proves popular taking in the Hanging Church, the Ben Ezra Synagogue and, to satisfy the shopping urge, the Cairo Bazaars.
As always, if there is something in particular you would like to do, please let us know and we will be only too pleased to co-ordinate a bespoke experience to suit your individual requirements. We meet up for lunch on the Nile on board a private yacht/dahabeya.
This evening, we travel to the world-famous Egyptian Museum. We experience a tour of this acclaimed facility including the Mummies Room with a leading Egyptologists. After the museum has closed, we dine al fresco in its private gardens. (Please note: alcohol will not be served this evening at the museum)
After breakfast we transfer to the airport to rejoin our Private Jet Crew for the flight across the sparkling waters of the Red Sea and the desert sands of Saudi Arabia to Muscat, Capital City of Oman.
Lunch will be served on board. We transfer to the Shangri-La Al Husn, situated between the majesty of the mountains and the waters of the gulf of Oman, the Resort & Spa is an oasis for each and every guest with an adult’s only infinity pool and private beach.
With its name meaning ‘The Castle’, Al Husn offers guests an extraordinarily high level service, and its rooms are amongst some of the largest in Oman. Appointed with exquisite taste that references the classic decadence of Arabian palaces, all accommodation boasts a balcony or patio, and a fully stocked, complimentary mini-bar. Tonight we are welcomed with an Omani Banquet.
Flight time today: 3 hours 40 minutes
Today an exciting opportunity to create your own desert experience. Embark upon a full-day discovery into the Akhdar Mountains, discover the Wadis & Desert Forts of Wadi Shab, board a private boat for dolphin watching and snorkelling in the Gulf of Oman or perhaps an escorted tour by Jet Ski.
For guests wishing for some relaxation time, why not experience our half-day heritage tour of Muscat before relaxing at the hotel or beach?
Alternatively relax and enjoy a beach or spa day. Dine alone or with new-found-friends at a time that suits you with Free Dining at the hotel this evening due to the staggered arrivals of the various tours.
We have an early start this morning for our flight to Kolkata in India. Our Silver Wing Lunch Service is enjoyed en-route. Arriving mid-afternoon, we transfer through the bustling city to our hotel with some time to freshen up.
We depart this evening for a unique dining experience, located high above the roof tops of Kolkata. This trendy venue offers spectacular views of the city in a contemporary setting with a focus on North Indian cuisine.
Flight time today: 4 hours 10 minutes
The Capital of West-Bengal, Kolkata was the former capital of British India. It is one of India’s largest cities and one of its major ports.
The city’s former name, Calcutta, is an Anglicized version of the Bengali name Kalikata. According to some, Kalikata is derived from the Bengali word Kalikshetra, meaning “Ground of (the goddess) Kali.”
This morning an exciting array of options awaits you. For the artists, we pay a visit to Kumartuli, the potter’s colony of Kolkata. For the history buffs, a fascinating walking tour of the Heritage of the British Raj in India, an interesting glimpse of stunning architecture from ground level.
For our more active guests a full day exploration of Kolkata by bike. We also offer an interesting glimpse into local life with lunch and a home visit in a private Bengali home. Another popular option is the full day visit to the beautiful temples of Gangasagar and not to forget the shoppers, a street shopping tour presents a unique local aspect of the city.
This evening, due to the staggered arrivals of various excursions, we offer free dining at our hotel, the stunning Oberoi Grand.
We say goodbye to India after breakfast, lunch is served en-route as we travel south along the lines of the Malayan Peninsula to Singapore. We arrive mid-afternoon and transfer to the historic Raffles Hotel, a Singapore icon.
After some time to freshen-up, we gather to depart to the Museum of Singapore for a private viewing followed by dinner a Flutes, an acclaimed eatery located within the Museum grounds.
Singapore is a fascinating blend of cultures, sights, sounds and smells. Although generally a modern city, glimpses of the old Singapore can be found everywhere.
Your “Personalize Your Day” options include an insight into the Chinese history of Singapore with our cultural discover. For the historians, a local guide paints a picture of the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War Two with a full day historical experience including Changi. The Japanese occupation of Singapore or Syonan-to in World War II took place from 1942 to 1945, following the fall of the British colony on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied it after defeating the combined British, Indian, Australian, and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore. The occupation was to become a major turning point in the histories of several nations, including those of Japan, Britain, and the then-colonial state of Singapore.
For our guests preferring some freetime and exercise, a half-day tour of Singapore by bike or, for the foodies, a Singaporean cooking class!
This evening, we divide into smaller groups for a unique dining experience. It’s no great secret that Singapore is a food obsessive’s paradise. We experience Singapore like the locals do, dining on street food at a street market. We meet up later at a local nightspot for after-dinner drinks and dancing.
We check out of our hotel this morning and return to Singapore Changi Airport and our faithful Private Jet Crew await. Lunch is served on-board as we are en-route to Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory and the largest city in northern Australia.
As a result of the time-differences this evening, when we arrive, we transfer to our hotel with some time to freshen up before meeting for cocktails and dinner at our hotel.
Flying time today: 4 hours 25 minutes
Closer to Indonesia than it is to Australia’s capital, Darwin is a fascinating “frontier” style town. The city has been almost entirely rebuilt four times, following devastation caused by the 1897 cyclone, the 1937 cyclone, Japanese air raids during World War II, and Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
Not high on the “must-visit” route, we feel Darwin has a lot to offer and we have a range of exciting “Personalize Your Day” options today. A popular option is the full day fly-in expedition to the Northern Territories Kakadu National Park including a cruise. We haven’t forgotten the historians as we discover Darwin during World War II, ending with a harbour cruise to view the City from the water.
To truly experience the outback, our guests can also fly into the out back by float plane and take a jet boat ride through the swamps. A more sedate option is our Darwin Heritage Walk which also takes in the lush Botanical Gardens.
Due to the staggered returns and lengths of the excursions today, our guests can enjoy free dining at our hotel this evening at leisure.
We check out of our hotel this morning, leaving the sparkling waters behind as we wing our way south over the outback to Australia’s iconic city - Sydney. Lunch is served on-board before we touch down and transfer to our hotel perched harbourside.
We have some time to freshen up and settle in this afternoon before departing for a special dinner event in a special location. No whispers on this one we’re afraid!
Flying time today: 4 hours 15 minutes.
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart on our “Personalize Your Day” excursions. For first-time visitors “down-under”, a half-day City Tour to introduce the very best that Sydney has to offer or, for the more active guest, embark upon our half day walking tour of Sydney to experience local-life from street level.
Get out and about from the city visiting the beautiful Blue Mountains or embark on a Chef-led food and wine experience out into the lovely Hunter Valley. If images of tanned surfers have caught your eye, have a go yourself with our “learn-to-surf” at Marouba Beach or embark on a climb to the top of the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Tonight is the final night of our epic Expedition. The murky skies of London seem a life-time away as we dine together one final time at our Gala Farewell Dinner Reception at our hotel.
After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to your Expedition Team and friends with a transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Alternatively why not extend your stay in Australia? The Journeys by Jetl Travel Team will be happy to plan an itinerary for you!
