Introduction
Booking river cruises is one of the most enchanting things to do during travels especially if you are on the mightiest and legendary bodies of water. Strictly defined, a river is a body of water that flows freely, and empties into another river or to the sea. There are many great rivers in the world and they are vital in societies and the country as a source of water and livelihood.
Step 1
River cruises have become popular and are marketed by travel agents as a distinct activity or in combination with other tourism activities. There are travel websites that are dedicated to river cruises only, but this term can be misleading. It does not mean that you are going to stay in a houseboat floating on rivers. Rivers can mean canals or other bodies of water. The one criterion that is common to these types of cruises is that there is a body of water in the place. Thus, if you are booking river cruises, you will be staying in hotels and will do one or two cruises on the river.
Step 2
In the United States, the Mississippi River cruise is a popular one starting from New Orleans Louisiana and ending in Memphis, Tennessee. Europe has plenty of places, too where you can go on river cruises. You can take a gondola tour in Venice, ride a boat on the Danube River, or the Moselle River in the Rhine Valley, Luxembourg and France. Land tours in the area will be combined visiting the vineyards and castles in Heidelberg or the historic monuments in Venice. Canal tours are also popular such as those in the quaint town of Bruges and the canals of Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague in Holland. Guadalquivir river cruises are also possible in Spain.
Step 3
If these tours are not to your liking, you can also go for real river cruises. The Nile River which is the longest river in the world has a historic and economic importance to the people of Egypt. River cruises are often offered using this route which consist of staying in a luxury boat on the Nile. Typically, these river cruises last anywhere from 7 to 10 days and land tours are combined such as visiting the Sphinx, the Great Pyramids, and the Valley of the Kings.
Step 4
You can also find good deals on river cruises when doing safaris in Africa. For example, combine a land safari in the natural parks of Botswana and stay in a houseboat for 4 nights while cruising up and down on the majestic Okavango Delta. Another great river cruise that you should not miss is to do the Amazon River. There are several tour operators that organize expeditions to the mighty Amazon lasting from 5 to 7 nights.
Step 5
In Asia, you can book river cruises on the Yangtze River in China, the Bhamaputra in India, the Mekong River, Irrawaddy River in Myanmar and the Russian Waterways. Therefore, whatever types of river cruises that you are interested in, get in touch with a travel agent or contact a travel website that specializes in these types of tours. As recommended, book your river cruises early to get the best prices. If there are specials on river cruises, grab them immediately as these will go fast.
Tips
If you are doing river cruises in tropical countries, find out if there is malaria in the region. Make sure that you take antimalarials before, during, and after the trip. Spray repellent on exposed skin, shoes and clothes. Remember that mosquitoes are present around bodies of water such as rivers or stagnant water, and areas where there is thick vegetation.
