In addition to the day-to-day activities of running a retail travel agency, attending to your travel needs for both corporate and leisure, we at KING TRAVELWAYS have become specialists in developing Custom Group Tours. We design and operate tours of all sizes, both for our loyal individual clients, and for many organizations.  We are the experts who handle the arrangements for students groups, for college alumni, for museums, churches, and family reunions. We design tailor made, unusual itineraries, which you will not find in any tour brochure. We know how to target special interests for your group: music, art and architecture, literature, drama and theater, history, cruising, golfing, or gambling - whatever is your passion. We know the corners of the world, and how to get you there! Our contacts, our guides, our leverage in hotels, our negotiating skills are second to none. We make sure that our professional staff has circled the globe and can counsel you with first hand knowledge. But most important, our strength and reputation in these destinations give you great savings, and the best possible value. And also, remember that you, as Tour Organizer, can receive special travel benefits.

Look at our programs for the year 2008/2009. Most of the tours which are sponsored by specific organizations welcome your participation. If you have other ideas and needs from your club, your affiliation, your family - our group department will be delighted to research this and come up with the perfect holiday or reunion. We look forward to working with you now, and in the years ahead. 

We in the travel industry are very optimistic about the reactions of the traveling public. Despite shattering world events and fluctuations in international currency, Americans continue to visit the corners of the earth, as ambassadors of good will and peace. Global exploration is in our genes, and we are anxious to research our history, stand in awe at the beauties of our geography and geology, and meet people of many cultures. In order to give you a broad spectrum of experiences, destinations, budget ranges, we have been hard at work planning our Agenda throughout the year, from spring of 2008 through fall of 2009. Look below for some very enticing travel opportunities, and contact KING TRAVELWAYS for more information, prices, and a brochure. Should you have a burning desire to visit an area that we have not covered, please call us. This is what we do, develop an idea and make it happen!

PASSION PLAY AT OBERAMMERGAU 2010
Because this is an event which takes place only every 10th year we are again making plans for several exciting and diverse programs. It is a MUST in order to purchase the tickets to the play itself and block the hotel space for the itineraries. Already we are holding 2 departures: DISCOVER CROATIA featuring the Dalmatian Coast, Medjugorje, Slovenia, and the Passion Play – June 23 – July 4, 2010, & ALPINE EXPLORER, with the Glacier Express and Passion Play – August 3 – 13, 2010. Please call for brochures NOW. We must ask for early commitment (however, you are protected by cancellation insurance should you decide that you cannot go).

In addition to these programs, we have 2 more special departures designed for UConn Alumni Travel – May 26 – June 6, 2010: KRAKOW, PRAGUE, NUREMBURG, SEEFELD,  PASSION PLAY - September 21 – October 4, 2010: THE BEST OF SLOVENIA, VENICE, AUSTRIAN ALPS, and OBERAMMERGAU. We will be accepting bookings on all of these.
Please call with your questions. If you have attended an Oberammergau Passion Play performance in the past, you will want to see it again, with new interpretations and cast. Even the time for the play has changed – the first half takes place in the afternoon, and the second follows in the evening.    

 

MAY 18 – 25 – CRUISE TO BERMUDA on the NCL “DAWN”
Our Nancy Bardwell escorts her group on the beautiful new ship, the Dawn, sailing from New York to Bermuda. There are several glorious days at sea, and the ship moors at King’s Wharf, Bermuda, for another 3 days. You can take advantage of a number of shore excursions, such as: the Dolphin Dip, Bermuda Golf, Evening Glass Bottom Boat tour, a Catamaran Sail – or just get on the local pink bus and tour the island. Say “no” to stress, and “hello” to pink sand and pastel coloured houses. Freestyle dining ashore program, and more time ashore than any other cruise ship. On board is a Bermuda Expert who will help and advise on Bermuda activities. Call for rates and availabilities.

JUNE 5 – 14 – ROYAL CARIBBEAN “EXPLORER OF THE SEAS” 9 night cruise
Join Mary Ann Weber for a very different cruise itinerary, sailing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey. Ports of call are: Bermuda, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan. You have several relaxing days at sea aboard this magnificent ship. Good group rates. 

AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 6 – CANADA & NEW ENGLAND DISCOVERY on the ms MAASDAM
It was fabulous in 2007, and we repeat the same cruise this year, for the St. Timothy’s church group. Jane Kuhn is hosting , sailing from Boston to Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, down the Saguenay to Quebec City and ending in Montreal. We include bus transportation from Hartford to Boston, and then return from Montreal. 

SEPTEMBER 4 – 15 – KENYA UNDER CANVAS
We are so happy that Kenya has been restored to law and order following the upheaval after their national elections in December. We pulled out of our scheduled safari in January and February, and rescheduled until this time. Many travelers from all over the world continued to travel to Kenya, and tourism was not interrupted in the National Parks – the animals were not phased by the political unrest. Call us, Afrophiles, if you wish to discuss the possibilities of traveling to East Africa. Bill King was in Kenya during February, on a fact-finding mission, and found the country and its people as friendly and peaceful as usual.

SEPTEMBER 7 – 23 – VENICE TO ROME aboard the tall ship ROYAL CLIPPER, with UCONN ALUMNI
A magnificent cruise-tour on the deluxe clipper sailing vessel “Royal Clipper”. Optional 2 night stay in Venice, and 10 night cruise through the Adriatic, around Italy. An optional 3 nights in Rome before returning home. Lovely ports of call in Croatia, Montenegro, Corfu, Sicily, and up the coast of Italy to Rome. Deb Crary is host and leader, and already it is almost full!

OCTOBER 10 – 16 – BALLOON FIESTA IN ALBUQUERQUE, with Santa Fe, Durango, and Mesa Verde
COLLETTE VACATIONS has a lovely tour to the SouthWest during the time of the annual balloon festival in Albuquerque – an extravaganza of hot air ballooning as hundreds of colorful and imaginative balloons sail into the sky. The tour then travels to the cowboy town of Durango, Colorado, and to Mesa Verde National Park to explore the spectacular cliff dwellings of the ancient Indian tribes. You actually stay overnight in the park! Continue to Taos, New Mexico to visit another historic pueblo, and end in the fabulous town of Santa Fe. We are holding space on this tour, and think that it is spectacular! Call for the brochure.

OCTOBER 11 – 19 – VIKING RIVER CRUISES presents PARIS & THE HEART OF NORMANDY.
The Town & County Club of Hartford has chosen this cruise on the VIKING SEINE for its’ members, and already many have reserved space. Visit the Normandy Beaches, on this Le Havre to Paris sailing. Honfleur: coastal harbor and artists haven; Rouen Cathedral, home of Joan d’Arc; Giverny and the Monet Foundation; Conflans; Paris. A 3 night Paris extension option is also available either prior to or following the cruise. Shore excursions are included. Early booking discounts. Call Jane Kuhn for availability.

NOVEMBER 6 – 19 – INCREDIBLE INDIA!
We have waited a long time to do this, and have created just the right itinerary at the right price. Fly into Delhi, from there to Agra and the Taj Mahal, to see this palace of beauty at sunrise, and in moonlight. (the colors change at different hours of the day and different seasons). Travel by train to Ranthambore National Park, a wildlife sanctuary where tigers are the park’s pride. We will stay 2 nights with time for 2 safaris to track the elusive and beautiful tiger. Leave by coach for the “Pink City” of Jaipur. Fly to Udaipur, the romantic city with its Lake Palace. Fly to the holy city of Varanasi, on the Ganges, with its candle–lit Ghats. Return to Delhi for overnight and return flight. We are flying Air India, and you can do a stopover in London on the return, if you wish. Already we have a core group of travelers who will go with us on this incredible journey.
Escorted by King Travelways. Call for the brochure.

DECEMBER 28 – JANUARY 2 – SAN ANTONIO & DALLAS NEW YEAR’S
We are already set for our annual New Year’s tour – returning to San Antonio, where we had such a wonderful time back in ’98. Collette Vacations has planned a super little tour, with 3 nights in San Antonio and 2 nights in Grapevine Texas on a dude ranch. Remember the Alamo! -  the Aztec Theater, and a Tex-Mex Cooking Class. We celebrate with a gala New Year’s Eve dinner dance, and a true Texas Bar-B-Que and wine tasting at the dude ranch. This will be fun, and is a very good price!

2009………..and onwards!.

JANUARY 15 – FEBRUARY 4 – CAPETOWN TO MOMBASSA ON THE ms DEUTSCHLAND
You have heard us rave about the beautiful, small ocean liner, the ms Deutschland. We have sailed on her twice before and declare her at the top of the list for elegance and comfort. This time we have been lured by this Lorelei to sail on a dream voyage, embarking in Capetown, South Africa up the African coast to Mombassa, Kenya. The season is perfect, the ports of call fascinating: to Port Elizabeth, Durban, Richard’s Bay, Zanzibar, before finishing in Mombassa. Shore excursions are spectacular, and the unbelievable part is that the cruise line offers a $99 round-trip airfare from the U.S., plus a complementary shore excursion package. This is the winter vacation of a lifetime. Call for the brochure.

JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 11 – SAFARI IN TANZANIA
We can’t pass up another African safari this winter, and have designed our 2009 TANZANIAN TREASURE TROVE. Visit Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Ndutu, and Tarangire. This is the season of the great migration and we will be in the midst of the most fabulous show on earth: millions of wildebeest and zebra, followed by the King of the Cats, Simba the lion, with cheetah and leopard lurking behind. We promise you THE BIG FIVE! We always stay in beautiful lodges, and are guided by our native trackers, who have the eye of an eagle. A safari is a breathtaking experience. If you have done it before – time to do it again – it is always new and different. If this is a first, you owe it to yourself. It is a MUST!

April 9 – 19 – NORTHERN ITALY WITH CHERI MEIER
The newest in the series of student and adult tours to Italy with favorite teacher, Cheri Meier. This itinerary is very popular, staying 4 nights in Stresa on the shores of Lago Maggiore, and moving on to everyone’s favorite for the next 4 in Venice. Flights are into Milan and out of Venice, and by train through the north of Italy from Stresa to Venice. We are sensitive to the Euro exchange rate, and will do everything possible to keep the tour affordable yet still educational and enjoyable. 

APRIL 10 – 17 – DYNAMIC DUBAI
A study in contrasts, Dubai, the most well known of the 7 United Arab Emirates. It is the city of the future, where east meets west. Thousand year old customs and todays lifestyles co-exist. The city has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade. Here, Arab women enjoy freedom, although some still wear the black robe and headscarf. Women can travel here in safety. Shopping is fantastic, whether you browse the souqs for gold and spices, or visit the world’s most fabulous shopping malls, where every imaginable kind of entertainment takes place from indoor skiing to rock-climbing. We travel to the desert on a thrilling safari to a Beduoin camp for an eastern bar-b-que, ride camels, indulge in henna painting. Beaches are fabulous, swimming and snorkeling magnificent, horse-racing and golf abound. Take a sail in a native dhow. It is appropriate for kids and they love it!.The whole experience is like a tale from the Arabian nights!

MAY 2009 (exact dates to be advised)
UCONN IN ITALY with the CT STATE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
A very special tour with State Archeologist Nicholas Bellantoni, highlighting the cooking and culture of Sicily and southern Italy. Spend 3 nights in Agrigento, 3 nights in Taormina, 2 on the island of Stromboli, and then on to the mainland for 4 nights in Sorrento and the Amalfi, Capri, and Pompeii areas. Let us know of your interest and we will get the material to you.

OCTOBER  3 – 11 – DELUXE DANUBE CRUISE ON THE M.V. MOZART
We know that you love river cruising in Europe. This time we have space on the queen of the rivers – the 5 star m.v.Mozart. This is a Deilmann owned and operated small vessel sailing from Passau in Germany down the Danube (not blue, but beautiful just the same!) through the Wachau Valley, stopping in the charming village of Durnstein, and on to Vienna. The cruise continues across the Hungarian border to the Danube bend at Esztergom before calling in Budapest where you are docked for 2 days. This is the turn around point,again heading north to Bratislava in Slovakia, past Vienna, to the magnificent Benedictine Abbey in Melk majestically situated high on the river bank, and returning to the home port of Passau.. The ship accommodates 200 passengers all in outside staterooms. There is a stunning inside pool and spa with floor to ceiling glass windows in the bow. The cuisine is gourmet, shore excursions interesting and innovative. Flights are in and out of Munich. Call for further information.