Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32October 2016 17 A family affair By Orla O’Muiri M y Dad and I mounted a pair of $100 bikes and proceeded to cycle Vietnam, 2000km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. At 23, I was planning to go it alone but my mother panicked, throwing my 54‑year‑old father on a 24‑hour plane ride from Ireland to accompany me. By forgoing a tour, we had no schedule to adhere to — so we stopped, ate and rested when we wanted. It was the cheaper option and it allowed for a raw experience, a chance to see the real Vietnam. We interacted with the locals constantly, bartered, played with the kids in the street, and broke bread with them. On the other hand, we had to buy our own bikes and one turned out to be hopeless. We stayed in dumps, rented by the hour, motels with dank mattresses, no glass in the windows and cigarette butts strewn around the room. We grappled with the language constantly, trying to piece together enough words to make the simplest of requests, and our route planning left much to be desired. For the first half of the trip, we cruised down the Ho Chi Minh Highway. When we hit Da Nang we decided to switch to the Highway 1A so our failing bikes could take a breather from the mountains. It was a decision that nearly killed us; the 1A was fraught with miles of road works, back-to-back traffic and no hard shoulders to safely proceed. It was pure luck that neither of us became roadkill. For 25 days, we cycled against a backdrop of limestone mountains, patterned paddy fields and water buffaloes bathing in lakes, while a constant dribble of kids emerged from their homes and chased us down the road to scream their hellos. I will never regret the journey. To me, it’s only a real adventure if there’s no safety net — you have to have the feeling that you may not make it, that feeling of complete freedom. Team work: Orla and her dad *Conditions apply. Prices are per person (pp), twin share and include port charges. Prices are correct as at 15 September 2016, but may fluctuate due to changes in availability, surcharges, fees, taxes or exchange rates. Price is based on EUTCR15: 16 October 2017 (Cat. E). The extension price featured within the map is based on the land portion of the EUTCRPP21 13 October 2017 (Cat. E) departure. Advertised prices are inclusive of the Early Payment Discount. Offers are available until 30 October 2016, unless sold out prior. Offers may be withdrawn at any time, are strictly limited and are available on new bookings only. Offers cannot be combined with any other offer, unless specified. ADDITIONAL SAVINGS AMOUNTS: Cruise price is inclusive of a saving of $1,300 pp, which includes a special discount of $900 pp plus the $400 pp early payment discount, if applicable. Savings are not transferable or redeemable for cash and are available on selected cruise and departure dates. Enquire for further details. EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNT: Offer applicable only if tour is paid in full 10 months prior to departure date of tour. An initial non-refundable deposit of $1,000 pp must be paid within seven days of making the booking. Offer is combinable with the applicable flight offer. NO EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNT: A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 pp is due within seven days of booking. A second non-refundable deposit of $2,000 pp is due by 30 October 2016. If airfares increase and/or changes in ticketing requirements occur, the second deposit may be required earlier. Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure. FLY FREE: Includes air taxes up to the value of $1,000 pp. Flights must be booked by Travelmarvel. Flights are in economy class with Singapore Airlines (or another airline of Travelmarvel’s choosing, depending on routing), and are subject to availability of airline and booking class. Flights are available ex SYD/MEL/BNE/PER or ADL. Once class is sold out surcharges apply. Deposits are considered as a guarantee of the invoiced flight arrangements and once deposit is received, flights will be issued. Once air tickets are issued, airline amendment and/or cancellation fees apply and, in some cases, are non-refundable. Offer is applicable when booking selected European 2017 cruise tours as specified in the Travelmarvel 2017 Europe River Cruising brochure. Australian Pacific Touring Pty Ltd ABN 44 004 684 619. ATAS accreditation #A10825. TM3214 travelmarvel.com.au/Goxplore or see your local travel agent 1300 301 076 ( Member of the APT family Order your free brochure today A Travelmarvel river cruise brings you more of Europe, in premium comfort and style. Simply unpack once and discover Europe at your own pace, as we perfectly balance comprehensive inclusions and free time. More Value • More Inclusions • More Choice ü Exceptional onboard facilities, with free Wi-Fi and spacious staterooms ü Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and four-course dinners ü Wine, beer and soft drink included with lunch and dinner onboard ü Transfers, sightseeing with expert local guides, all onboard meals, tipping, port charges and much more EUROPE RIVER CRUISING Würzburg Regensburg Nuremberg Melk Rüdesheim Cologne Linz Passau Bamberg Brühl Dürnstein Vienna Amsterdam Budapest Netherlands Hungary Austria Prague Paris 3 3 Germany Travelmarvel River Ship 14 Miltenberg EUTCR15/EUTCRPP21 European Gems River Cruise $5,495* Budapest to Amsterdam 15 Days From PP Twin Share Add a 6 night Prague and Paris extension from $2,400* pp twin share FLY FREE + SAVE UP TO $2,600 PER COUPLE*