TRAVEL ‘AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 GARDENS’ WITH TRAVELSPHERE
The new 10-part BBC2 series, ‘Around the World in 80 Gardens’ starts on Sunday 27 January and follows broadcaster and gardening guru, Monty Don, as he travels around the globe discovering and recording 80 world-class gardens – from ancient to modern, large to small and grand to humble. Worldwide tour operator, Travelsphere, visits all of the countries featured in the series and also offers a range of tours guaranteed to appeal to budding horticulturalists, such as the 10-day ‘Gardens of Japan’ tour from £1969 and the 18-day ‘South Africa in Bloom’ tour from £2299.
Programme 1: Mexico and Cuba – Sunday 27 January
Mexico – 14 days from £1649pp. Departures throughout the year.
The Travelsphere tour visits the ancient city of Oaxaca where Monty discovers the Ethnobotanical Cactus garden and also features one of the most extraordinary natural sites in the world – the gigantic Tule Tree which stands an incredible 130 feet high, weighs 509 tons and is approximately 2,000 years old. This 14-day tour costs from £1469 and includes return flights from Heathrow to Mexico City, transfers, 12 nights’ accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis - three nights’ Mexico City, overnight Oaxaca, overnight Tehuantepec, two nights’ San Cristobal, overnight Palenque, overnight Campeche and three nights’ in Merida, several excursions and the services of a tour manager.
Cuba – 15 days from £1399. Departures throughout the year
Cuba boasts a fascinating heritage, exuberant culture and some of the best landscapes in the Caribbean. Highlights of this tour include a visit to the Botanical Gardens which are among the largest in Latin America with over 2,000 different species of plant, plus the lush tobacco fields of the Vinales Valley. The 15-day tour costs from £1399 and includes return flights from Gatwick to Holguin, returning from Havana, transfers, 13-nights’ accommodation on a half-board basis – two nights’ Guardalavaca, two nights’ Santiago de Cuba, overnight in the Camaguey area, two nights’ in Trinidad, two nights’ Cienfuegos, overnight Vinales, three nights’ Havana, several excursions and the services of a tour manager.
Programme 2: Australia and New Zealand – Sunday 3 February
Australia - 22 days from £2199pp. Departures throughout the year.
This once in a lifetime adventure will allow you plenty of opportunity to recreate Monty’s visit to The Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney and the Desert Park in Alice Springs and if you are especially lucky, you might be able to visit the famous garden of Rupert Murdoch’s 99-year old mother in South East Melbourne! The 22-day tour costs from £2199 and includes return flights from Heathrow to Perth, returning from Melbourne, 19-nights’ accommodation on a room only basis – four nights’ Perth, overnight Ayers Rock, two nights’ Alice Springs, four nights’ Cairns, three nights’ Sydney, overnight Canberra, overnight Albury, three nights’ Melbourne, several excursions and the services of a tour manager.
New Zealand - 22 days from £1999. Departures throughout the year
Take the opportunity to visit two stunning gardens visited by Monty on the North Island - ‘Ayrlies’ and ‘Te Kainga’ which are abundant with native plants. The 22-day tour from £1999 also includes return scheduled flights from Heathrow to Auckland, returning from Christchurch, transfers, a ride on the Tranz-Alpine Express from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, 18-nights room only accommodation – three nights’ Auckland, two nights’ Paihia, two nights’ Rotorua, overnight Wellington, overnight Picton, three nights’ Christchurch, overnight Fox Glacier Region, three nights’ Queenstown, overnight Dunedin, overnight Omarama, several excursions and the services of a tour manager.
Programme 3: India – Sunday 10 February
India - 18 days from £1899. Departures throughout the year.
Follow Monty to the Great Murghal tomb gardens of the Taj Mahal and Jal Mahal, the Edward Lutyens designed garden city of New Delhi and the celebrated spice and tea gardens of Kerala. This 18-day tour from £1899 includes return flights from Heathrow to Delhi, returning from Trivandrum, internal flight – Jaipur/Bangalore, transfers, 16-nights accommodation on a half-board basis – overnight New Delhi, two nights’ Agra, two nights’ Ranthambore, two nights’ Jaipur, overnight Bangalore, two nights’ Mysore, two nights’ Ooty, two nights’ Kerala, two nights’ Trivandrum, several excursions and the services of a tour manager.
Programme 4: South America – Sunday 17 February
South America - 15 days from £2199. Departures throughout the year.
Follow in Monty’s footsteps as he explores the streets of Rio de Janeiro, the Chilean coast, Argentina’s beef country and the Amazon jungle. The Travelsphere 15-day tour from £2199 includes return flights from Heathrow to Santiago, returning from Rio de Janeiro, flights within South America, transfers, 12-nights accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis – five nights’ each Brazil and Argentina, two nights’ in Chile, several excursions and the services of a tour manager.
Programme 5: The USA – Sunday 24 February
New York & Boston, 7 days from £799. Feb, Mar, Sept & Nov.
Monty crosses the Atlantic and spends time exploring the public green spaces of New York – including Central Park, Battery Park and Bryant Park. In addition to two nights in New York, the Travelsphere 7-day tour of the ‘Big Apple’ from £799 also includes three nights in Boston on a bed and breakfast basis, flights from Heathrow to Boston, returning from New York, transfers, city tours and the services of a tour manager.
Notes to editors:
Part two of this press release will be distributed on the 18th February showcasing the Travelsphere tours that follow Monty Don through episodes 6-10.
Programme 6:
China and Japan – Sunday 2 March
Programme 7:
The Mediterranean – Sunday 9 March
Programme 8:
South Africa – Sunday 16 March
Programme 9:
Northern Europe – Sunday 23 March
Programme 10:
South East Asia – Sunday 30 March
For brochures and to book please call 0800 19 14 18, www.travelsphere.co.uk.
Media Information: Andrea Mason at Travelsphere T: 01858 410 018. E: amason@travelsphere.co.uk. Or call Hannah Filer at Hills Balfour Synergy on 0207 367 0924.
E: Hannahfiler@hillsbalfoursynergy.com