From visiting locations from BBC One's Real Marigold Hotel series in India to seeing snow Monkey Macaques bathe in hot springs in Japan and learning how to make traditional Korean Kimchi in South Korea to sketching some of Sicily's most stunning sights - Kuoni's latest Escorted Touring brochure includes its biggest ever range of worldwide experiences.

Tours in Russia, South Korea and Java have been added for the first time along with 19 new tours, two new creative holidays and options to combine a range of tours to create one epic adventure.

Available to book from 31 March, all tours in the new collection depart between October 2017 and March 2019. Each escorted tour allows a maximum of just 18 guests, providing an intimate touring experience. In addition all departures are guaranteed to run no matter how many people are booked on the tour. 

Paul Ingram, Product & Category Manager for escorted tours said, “Each year we continue to develop our touring programme, which has seen a 17 per cent increase year-on-year.  The itineraries offer unique opportunities to get beneath the skin of a destination, with a focus on real experiences seen through the eyes of our local tour leaders, who know the destinations inside out and can bring these to life by sharing their own personal insight.” 

Sketching Sicily and Images of Indochina Photography Tour make up Kuoni's creative holidays range.  Renowned illustrator Adam Stower leads the seven-night escorted tour of Sicily, which features sketch workshops and highlights that include the Archaeological Park of Neapolis in Syracuse, the old town of Ragusa Ilba and evocative Taormina with hilltop views over Mount Etna.

Kuoni's last photography tour was a sell-out success and a new offering in Cambodia and Vietnam is set to follow suit. The 12-day photography tour, led by award-winning Neil Buchan-Grant will visit Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi An before culminating in Siem Reap and offering the chance to watch and photograph the sun rise over the magnificent ruins of Angkor Wat.

New touring destinations include:

• Russia (Highlights of Russia) - enjoy a traditional bread and salt welcome, explore the Kremlin museum and the Red Square in Moscow, visit the Heritage Museum in Saint Petersburg, which includes an art collection of over 2.7 million items and visit a Vodka Museum to learn a little bit about this quintessential Russian drink before tasting begins
• South Korea (Highlights of South Korea) - includes a cooking class in Seoul's famous Insadong Antique Alley making Kimchi or Bulgogi, Korean archery at the World Heritage Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and a NANTA performance – a non-verbal comedy show
• Java (Highlights of Indonesia) – Travel from Java to Bali and watch sunrise over mount Bromo, see the largest Buddhist temple complex in the world at Borobudur temple, take a city tour of Yogyakarta and tropical rainforest trek to see the blue crater lake and visit a music school in Bandung   

Other new tours include:

• Highlights of Croatia and Montenegro – experience wine tasting in a cave under Dubrovnik's airport runway and explore Kotor in Montenegro, a medieval city with UNESCO World Heritage status on the shimmering Adriatic coast, visit the Maritime Museum and Kotor's 11th-Century Cathedral.

• Iceland in Style – Enjoy foodie experiences such as langoustine and crab feasts, boil eggs in hot springs, try the local speciality of dried shark meat and Schnapps, head off on glacier walks and see the Northern lights during the winter
• Kerala Explorer – Covers many of the sights and experiences from the BBC One's Real Marigold Hotel, including a visit to Fort Cochin, Kathakali Dance Performance, soft trek in Periyar National Park, tea plantation visit around Munnar, rickshaw ride in local markets in Madurai and a night on a traditional houseboat
• Winter Highlights of Japan – Discover a winter wonderland in Japan with much of the upland areas covered in thick snow and crystal clear blue skies, spot the famous snow Monkey Macaques bathe in hot springs, try snow shoeing in Yudanka Onsen and enjoy hot Japanese sake
• Kenya in style – Visit the black rhino sanctuary and Chimpanzee's within the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, take a safari on Lake Nakuru to see the famous flamingos, stay in luxury accommodation such as Little Governors Camp in the heart of the Maasai Mara reserve and seek out the herds of elephants, the famous marsh pride of lions, leopard, crocodile and hippo   

For further information, interviews and images please contact:

Rachel O'Reilly: rachel.oreilly@kuoni.co.uk  tel: 01306 744194 mobile: 07866 427870

Jemma Purvis: jemma.purvis@kuoni.co.uk tel: 01306 744006

Nicky Betts: nicky.betts@kuoni.co.uk tel: 01306 744669