Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1505486
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA Brimming with old-world charm, Colombo is Sri Lanka's cultural epicenter. With its large harbour and strategic seaside location, Colombo quickly earned favour among ancient traders. First colonized by the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, then the English, who ruled until the country gained independence in 1948. Still today, evidence of all three nations is clear in the cuisine, language and architecture. Within the city's 19th-century fortress stands the neobaroque Old Parliament Building. LUXOR (SAFAGA), EGYPT Once the capital of Egypt's New Kingdom, today Luxor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site lined with beautiful colonial hotels and some of the world's most ancient and significant ruins. Many consider this city, watched over by graceful single-sailed feluccas plying the Nile, one of the world's great open air museums. The sprawling Temples of Luxor and Karnak on the east bank are linked by the ancient Avenue of the Sphinxes. On the west bank, in the Valley of the Kings, lie the tombs of Egypt's great pharaohs. MUMBAI (BOMBAY), INDIA Mumbai is spread over seven islands a major cultural capital of India. Bombay, as it was known until 1995, still enjoys its magnificent seaside setting and is home to some of India's most beloved landmarks. Perhaps none is as glamorous as the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Overlooking the Arabian Sea, it has hosted celebrities and presidents. Adjacent, the impressive Gateway of India was built to salute the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. Mumbai also hosted the headquarters of Mahatma Gandhi. SUEZ CANAL An engineering marvel, completed in 1869. The sea-level, single-lane waterway has no locks, and only two lakes allow north and southbound ships to pass each other: Ballah Bypass and Great Bitter Lake. Along this historic waterway, stark desert sands stretch into Egypt and an occasional giant mound of sand appears on its banks. Small patches of swaying palms are fed by canal waters. Nearby the town of Ismailia, known as the "City of Beauty and Enchantment," was built to serve the canal's construction and maintenance. 31 Call us on 138 747 (AU), 0800 447 913 (NZ) or contact your local Viking travel agent