Discover the beauty of Asia’s spiritual centres

One of Australia’s finest luxury tour operators, which launched its UK branch last year, has unveiled breathtaking new tours available to British travellers, exploring the stunning gardens in three of Asia’s spiritual centres. Ross Garden Tours, headed by the country’s leading television horticulturist and gardening personality, Graham Ross, is inviting garden enthusiasts to join them as they head to Vietnam, Japan or China to unlock the secrets of the Ancient East.

Colours of Vietnam, 30 March-17 April 2007

Starting with the Colours of Vietnam tour at the end of March 2007, garden enthusiasts can embark on an epic 19-day luxury tour starting in Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, where guests explore landmarks such as the former Presidential Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old US Embassy. The tour leaves no stone unturned; witness the watery world of the Mekong Delta, taste exotic fruits in one of the many orchards, visit the floating market and meet some of the city’s most celebrated gardeners. Elsewhere, experience the grandeur of the Marble Mountains in Danang, visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels constructed by resistance fighters, learn how vegetables are used in traditional Vietnamese medicines and even join local farmers as they prepare their land with seaweed ready for sowing.

Guests will also be able to see the sights of Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries, travel in style to Sapa and gaze across the Red River at China on the opposite bank, before discovering the ATI Rose Garden in Hanoi and boarding a private junk for a 5hr cruise on the emerald green waters of Halong Bay.

Tour costs
Twin share land only: £1,665.00 pp
Single supplement: £425.00 pp

Japan at Cherry Blossom Time, 4-14 April 2007

This captivating tour to Japan is guaranteed to inspire guests with its natural beauty, iconic gardens, history, music and cuisine; not to mention the world’s best bonsai.

Starting in Osaka, and traveling through Kyoto, Kanazawa, Awazu and Nikko before ending in Tokyo, this 10-day tour is sure to be a life-changing experience. Witness the handiwork of horticultural masters as you stroll the Philosophers Path underneath hundreds of cherry trees in bloom, visit Saihoji Temple, Moss Garden and Nijo Castle, drop in on an ancient samurai family and venture deep into the Japan Alps to the World Heritage listed Shirakawago Village. Winding its way through Japan, the tour will also stop at Kegon Waterfall thundering 97m into the canyon below, visit the strolling garden of Rikugien, and offer guests the rare chance to meet Kato-San, keeper of the Emperor’s Bonsai.

Ross Garden Tours first established Japan as a deluxe destination for garden enthusiasts in 1980, and has returned to the Land of the Rising Sun every year since. As a result, Ross Garden Tours is able to share its vast knowledge with fellow travellers and introduce them to many horticultural friends in Japan, ensuring an unrivalled experience of a lifetime.

Tour costs
Twin share land only: £3,195.00 pp
Single supplement: £ 610.00 pp

China: Heritage, Gardens and Culture, 12-29 April 2007

Unearth the mystical culture of the Far East with Ross Garden Tours’ tour of China. The 18-day trip begins in Shanghai, travels to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing, Xi’an and Chongqing, including a luxurious 3-night cruise down the Yangtze River.

Not only do guests visit World Heritage listed gardens like the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, and the Summer Palace in Beijing, which boasts the largest and best-preserved of all imperial Chinese Gardens; they also experience all the sights that has made China one of the world’s most desirable holiday destinations. Marvel at the world-class Shanghai Acrobats; stroll round the glorious, 10th century masterpiece Six Harmonies Pagoda; and discover the Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and the Xi’an Terracotta Warriors.

Like all Ross Garden Tours, guests enjoy deluxe accommodation including the Hua Ting Hotel & Towers in Shanghai (known as the Pearl of the Orient) and Shangri-La Golden Flower Hotel in Xi’an. Travel in a luxury air-conditioned motorcoach throughout, while the experienced and friendly Ross tour guide escorts the group with an expert hand and superior knowledge of the gardens, cities and culture.

Tour costs

Twin share land only: £2,995.00 pp
Single supplement: £ 750.00 pp

Full details and tour price of the three tours are available on request or by visiting Rosstours.co.uk.