Grand Tour of Asia - Air Cruise 2018

Our private jet takes off for Kyoto, the former imperial capital of Japan. In its historic city center, the maze of streets dating from the Middle Ages will carry us back to the time of the Samurai. It’s not unusual to see Japanese people out for a walk, wearing kimonos and carrying oil-paper umbrellas. Then a stroll through the haven of greenery around Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, to see its reflection illuminate the surrounding lake. A moment of meditation in the famous dry garden of the Ryōan-ji Zen temple, a pause to sample the delicacies of Japanese cuisine — Kyoto offers you a wealth of experiences. From one imperial capital to another: you will visit Nara and see the majestic Tōdai-ji temple, featuring an immense Buddha with an uncanny expression and deer roaming freely throughout the grounds. You will also tour the architectural complex of Kōfuku-ji, a family temple dating from 669. Japan has what it takes to charm you!

A quick flight takes us to the Eastern terminus of the Silk Road in the former capital of imperial China, the city of Xi’an. We will discover the walls built during the Ming Dynasty, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Stele Forest and the Great Mosque of Xi’an. Your exploration of Xi’an will culminate in a visit to the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, with its world-renowned terracotta army composed of 6,000 life-size figures of warriors and horses. Although the site is over 2,000 years old, it was only discovered in 1974 by local peasants who were digging a well. To highlight your stay in China, we’ve reserved a magical setting, filled a magnificent banquet table with refined and sophisticated Chinese dishes served only on special occasions, and included other delightful surprises.

While you are still dazzled by the splendors of China, our airplane will continue its flight across the ancient Asian continent to our next destination, Macao. A former dependency at the edge of the Portuguese empire, Macao was returned to China in 1999, after 400 years of Western colonization. A place of contrasts, with the businesslike atmosphere of a Chinese city and the nonchalance of a Mediterranean town, Macao never fails to make an impression. You will stroll through the old city filled with houses decorated with Portuguese painted tiles and iron grilles on their windows. You will also see the ultramodern television tower and the reclaimed coastline with its huge casino resort hotels. Bustling with activity at all hours of the day and night, Macao is a city where a church sits next door to a Chinese temple — all forms of divine grace are welcome. Yet Macao has also been called a “Gambling Hell” in films and novels. Your private jet will make a stop in this sultry city.

A short morning flight of less than two hours will take you to the place where the Nam Khan river flows into the languid Mekong: the location of the sleepy hamlet of Luang Prabang. Here, the pace of life is set by the prayers of the city’s many Buddhist temples. The devotion of the residents has endured through the country’s recent upheavals. From the Wat Xieng Thong temple to the former royal palace, which is now a museum, Luang Prabang offers you lasting memories of an enchanted interlude on the way to Cambodia.

Here you will discover one of the world’s most beautiful architectural sites… Angkor Wat. The ruins of more than 300 temples await you, strewn throughout the heart of the jungle of giant kapok trees. Following in the footsteps of the French explorers Pierre Loti and Henri Mouhot, and, more recently, the novelist André Malraux, we will visit the site’s main temples: Ta Prohm and its trees whose giant snake-like roots grip its ancient stones, Bayon with its enigmatic carved faces, and Angkor Wat, its perfect lines a testimony to the skill of the twelfth-century Khmers who built it. After the sumptuous surroundings of these sacred spaces, you will have a chance to experience yet another new celebration: the dance of the Apsaras.

Your jet now heads west. You will alight in Rajasthan, to admire the traces of the Mongols and enjoy an evening filled with incredible wonders. The “Pink City of India” is filled with beauty, with the cornices of the impressive Amer Fort overlooking its palaces and market stalls. Atop the fort’s ramparts, you will see the lake, with its bathing elephants, the city of Amer with its magnificent Hindu temple, and then the great city on the horizon. You will have the chance to take a stroll and, when evening comes, you will experience the perfection of a splendid welcome filled with the invaluable moments that royal families still know how to create!

There has been just enough time to appreciate the lovely images of Southeast Asia. Your private plane lands next in one of the most beautiful locations of the Persian Gulf and Asia Minor: the Sultanate of Oman. A desert of dunes in a thousand golden hues. A sea of deep sapphire blue, reminiscent of jewels once ferried by dhows, along with spices and other treasures. White cities beaten by the rays of the sun. Fragile mountains with jagged peaks…. All this in a land that has preserved the traditions of Bedouin hospitality. In the historic city district, we will explore bazaars filled with the perfumes of frankincense and myrrh, passages packed with shops overflowing with surprising goods. You will see the amazing mansions of the rich shopkeepers of Muscat, who made their fortunes trading spices and precious metals with Zanzibar and the Indies. It is another completely different and absorbing experience. The sense of hospitality runs deep, nature is powerful, colors are dazzling. Your voyage to Asia will reveal so many unexpected contrasts.

Following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Tamerlane, our plane next takes us to Samarkand, a timeless city found at the intersection of ancient cultures. Caravansaries, mosques and mausoleums covered with mosaics of earthenware tiles, in shades of true blue that are masterful examples of Umayyad creativity. In addition to its fabulous architecture, which is classed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, Samarkand offers you the opportunity to experience the perfumes and spices of its bazaars, which have inherited the Silk Road traditions treasured by Marco Polo.

The final leg of your Tour of Asia may seem inconceivable, for the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan has only recently become a travel destination. A spellbinding land, it features an intriguing mix of modern architecture built during the oil and gas boom, structures dating from the Middle Ages, and Soviet-era construction. The capital city of Baku has all the charm and fragrances of the Orient, with Eastern Orthodox churches standing alongside Muslim mosques. You will discover the Walled City of Baku with its Maiden Tower, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and then continue towards the seafront on Neftchilar Avenue, which is still named for the city’s oil workers. The grand finale will be both modern and traditional — diverse, opulent and surprising. Just like the magnificent evening gala, and just like your Tour of Asia, a voyage on a private jet taking you beyond your wildest dreams.