From Cape Town To The Cairngorms, Gane and Marshall Presents Its New & Top Trips For 2021

With a travel-filled 2021 tantalisingly on the horizon, activity and wildlife specialist, Gane and Marshall, reveals its best and newest adventures, perfect for that long-awaited holiday.

From long-haul luxury, tailored to the 2021 Lions rugby tour in South Africa or the Olympics in Japan, to flight-free, good value and family-friendly wildlife and activity breaks closer to home, these are 2021's top trips:

New for 2021 – No-Fly, Verdon Gorge Activity Break, France

Gane and Marshall's new cycling, kayaking & trekking challenge is not offered by other tour operators and is available from spring 2021. The unique four-day “Verdon Gorge Short Haul Activity Break” incorporates kayaking in Lac St Croix & the Verdon Gorge, trekking the Blanc-Martel Trail or the Bastidon Trail and biking the “Tour de Gorges du Verdon” loop or St. Croix Lake Loop. This itinerary can be booked as a no-fly break, with guests met at Marseille or Nice train station, and transferred to the Alps of Upper Provence to stay in the village of La Palud-sur-Verdon. Located in the south of France, the Verdon Gorge is the biggest canyon in Europe and forms the heart of Green Provence. The itinerary is offered April to June & September to October 2021. For full details click here.

Prices start from £998pp for a “Self-Guided Tour”, based on a group or family of four, or from £1,569pp with a tour leader, back-up vehicle & a bike mechanic included, based on a group/family of four. There is an E-bike supplement of £119pp. The price includes a train station meet & greet service, transfers, three nights at the three-star Hotel Le Provence, three breakfasts, two lunches, three evening meals, hire of kayaks, hire of road bikes (& additional services if guided). Rail fare to & from France is additional.  

South Africa Safari - Lions Rugby Tour 2021

Timed to coincide with the 1st & 2nd Tests in the 2021 Official Lions Rugby Tour, Gane and Marshall has launched a seven-night, luxury safari itinerary for travellers visiting South Africa for the matches. The “South Africa Lions Safari” includes four nights in the luxury Sabi Sands Game Reserve in the Kruger and three nights in Cape Town. 

The safari will begin the day following the Springboks v British & Irish Lions fixture, with guests transferred from Johannesburg to the intimate, all-suite, Chitwa Chitwa Lodge in the Greater Kruger for four days of spectacular game viewing. Wildlife fans can keep their eyes peeled for leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion, hyena & wild dog on twice-daily game drives or bush walks, and relax in their luxury Chitwa Chitwa Lodge suite with private plunge pool & sun deck looking over one of the largest lakes in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Guests will then fly to Cape Town, spending three nights at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel with its views of the harbour & Table Mountain. Ahead of the second Test between the British & Irish Lions & the Springboks, guests will enjoy a Cape Peninsula Tour, highlights of which include the Cape of Good Hope in Table Mountain National Park, Boulders Beach's colony of African Penguins, the surfers' hotspot of Muizenberg & Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. For the full itinerary click here. 

Prices start from £3,825pp, based on two travellers sharing a room. Includes four nights fully-inclusive accommodation at Sabi Sands, three nights B&B accommodation in Cape Town, safari activities at Sabi Sands Game Reserve, all transfers as detailed, domestic flight from Hoedspruit Airport to Cape Town, and a shared Cape Peninsula tour. Itinerary dates are 25 July – 01 August 2021. International flights to South Africa are additional, starting from £800pp from London to Johannesburg, returning from Cape Town with KLM or Kenya Airways. 

Rugby tickets are not included with the itinerary – guests should secure their tickets separately.

Japan – Olympic Games 2021

With the Olympics pushed to 23 July - 8 August next year, 2021 is the year to visit Japan. Gane and Marshall's Japan itineraries, ideal for travellers seeking to combine a cultural adventure with the buzz of the Olympic Games in 2021, include The Japanese Alps and Hokkaido's Hotspots. 

Travellers on the “The Japanese Alps” itinerary will discover the samurai culture of Matsumoto, the rural folk traditions of Takayama, and the Edo-era heritage of Tsumago on a ten-day journey into the Japanese Alps. Highlights include guided tours of Tokyo & Kyoto, ancient castles, quaint hill towns, mountain vistas, hot springs, Buddhist shrines & the snow monkeys of Jigokudan, which can be spotted even in summer. For the full itinerary click here.  

Prices start from £2,740pp, based on two sharing. This includes nine nights' accommodation with breakfast, some additional meals, return airport transfers, seven-day Japan Rail Pass, roundtrip bus tickets from Takayama to Shirakawago for Day 7, PASMO Transport Pass (Tokyo), Tokyo tour with English-speaking guide, a private calligraphy lesson & a cycling tour in Kyoto. 

With a selection of the Olympic events taking place in the northern capital of Sapporo, on Hokkaido island, the “Hokkaido Hotspots” itinerary is ideal for discovering the pristine scenery and fascinating culture of Japan's wild north. The 12-day itinerary takes travellers on a tour of Hokkaido Island's stunning national parks, dramatic coastline & endless mountains. For the full itinerary click here. 

Prices start from £2,995pp based on two sharing. This includes 11 nights' accommodation including breakfast, some lunches & dinners, airport meet & greet, a 14-day JR Pass, a PASMO Transport Pass (Tokyo), an English-speaking guide for tours in Tokyo (day 2), Hakodate (days 3-4), Shikotsu-Toya (day 5), all entrance fees & public transportation fees during guided days. 

International flights are additional for both Japan itineraries & start from £950pp return from London to Haneda with British Airways, based on travel in July/August. 

Olympics tickets are not included with these itineraries – if coinciding, guests should secure their tickets separately. 

Closer to Home – Scotland Walking & Wildlife Adventures

Gane and Marshall is launching Scotland adventures in 2021, for the first time in the company's 30-year history. The itineraries are a mix of small group tours, with scheduled departures & private guided tours that can be tailor-made. All feature wildlife, walking, mountains & lochs in abundance. 

Gane and Marshall's five-day “Wildlife of West Scotland” itinerary explores the beautiful western coast of Scotland, home to wildlife including sea otters, osprey & sea eagles.  Travellers will sea kayak on the seal & sea otter-inhabited waters of Loch nan Ceall, visit a successful beaver reintroduction project in Argyll, and spot a multitude of in-land bird species as they wander between ancient standing stones at Kilmartin Glen. This private tour is led by an expert guide who will ensure that guests get the most out of their wildlife encounters. For the full itinerary, click here.

Prices start from £1,872pp, based on a party of four in twin/double accommodation, travelling between May & October 2021. The price includes two nights' at the Moorings Hotel in Fort William on B&B basis, two nights' at the Perle Hotel in Oban on B&B basis, the services of an experienced walking guide, all transfers in a private vehicle driven by a guide, four lunches, all guided hikes, entrance fees & listed activities including a full-day private sea kayaking session. Prices for group sizes smaller than four are available on request.

 Wildlife Watching in The Azores – Family-Friendly

Gane and Marshall is also debuting wildlife adventures in The Azores for 2021. The stunning “Wildlife & Adventure on Sao Miguel” itinerary offers travellers the chance to explore the largest island of the Azores, Sao Miguel – a haven for marine life, bird watching and outdoor activities – on a one-week wildlife-watching & walking adventure. Highlights include whale & dolphin spotting with marine biologist guides; a jeep tour to Sete Cidades – the most photographed site in the Azores; kayaking on Lakes Azul & Verde, plus cycling the trails around them; and a private bird-watching excursion with a specialist guide. The itinerary is available year-round, but travel is best between March - May, when the weather is mild and the whale-watching & birding are at their peak. For the full itinerary, click here. 

Prices in high season (May to September) start from £1,635pp, based on two travellers sharing a sea view apartment at the Hotel Gaivota on Sao Miguel Island. For a family of four (two adults & two children under the age of 12), sharing a two-bedroomed sea view apartment, prices in high season start from £4,860 per family. This includes seven nights' B&B accommodation, lunch on days 3-6, all activities as per the itinerary, airport transfers, and the services of expert guides during the excursions. International flights are additional, starting from £340pp return, from London to Ponta Delgada with Azores Airlines. 

For more information & to book, go to www.ganeandmarshall.com or call 01822 600 600. 

To view & download a selection of images to accompany these adventures, click here.

- Ends – 

Press Information 
Contact: Anita Clements / Cat Hamilton 
Tel: 44 (0) 7557 908 454 / 44 (0) 7879 440 663 
Email: anita@hamilton-pr.com / cat@hamilton-pr.com 
Website: www.hamilton-pr.com 

About Gane and Marshall 

Founded in 1991 as an adventure trekking company, specialising in Kilimanjaro climbs, Gane and Marshall has evolved to become one of the UK's leading providers of tailor-made wildlife & adventure holidays around the world.  

The tour operator, which prides itself on delivering off-the-beaten-track travel experiences in safe hands, whether that's an Africa safari, an Arctic cruise, wild-life watching in Finland or an adventure trek in Nepal, provides bespoke holidays to Africa, Antarctica, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, the Galapagos, India, Costa Rica, Indian Ocean Islands, Canada & more.  

Gane and Marshall employs an expert team of travel consultants, all with at least 20 years' experience in their specialist sector.  Each holiday is managed from start to finish by a dedicated member of the team, who is able to draw upon their extensive knowledge of the destination to provide the best possible experience for the client.  

Gane and Marshall is an ATOL bonded holiday company.  

For more information, please go to www.ganeandmarshall.com or call 01822 600 600.