Galápagos: Nature’s laboratory

Situated 1,000km west of Ecuador, the Galápagos archipelago is one of the great travel destinations of the world. The islands that inspired Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, the Galápagos are a treasure house of rare and exotic wildlife, from iguanas to the exquisite blue-footed booby and even the occasional penguin. You can only tour these islands by boat and you’ll hardly set foot on land. But when you do, it will be an unforgettable experience.

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North Pole: Breaking the ice

Unless you’re an explorer, there’s only one surefire way to get to the North Pole, and that’s by nuclear icebreaker. Fly to Russia’s Murmansk, the world’s most northerly city, where you’ll board a twin nuclear reactor ship that will blast its way north to 90 degrees. Along the way you’ll see polar bears, walruses and seals. And when you get there, you’ll be able to walk through every time zone in less than a minute, while every direction you look will be south.

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Nile: A trip back in time

From the towering statues of Abu Simbel to the wonders of the Valley of the Kings, there’s no better way to see ancient Egypt in style than by taking a cruise along the Nile. The ‘classic’ Agatha Christie trip is from Luxor, where you’ll start with Tutankhamun’s tomb and the Temple of Karnak, then head upstream, through the desert to Aswan, taking in small island tours on traditional sailing boats called feluccas. Elephantine’s archaeology is not to be missed.

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