India :: South Africa :: Florida
    St Petersburg
    

Florida Holiday
Orlando, Sarasota and Miami
22 February 2009, 10 days

See the real Florida: the scenery, the wildlife, the splendid mansions of some of America's billionaires, the simpler life of the Seminole Indians, beautiful gardens and works of art. This holiday combines visits to fine museums and fabulous mansions with sites of natural beauty, ranging from the Everglades to spectacular sunsets on the Gulf Coast. There is also ample free time for individual exploration in and around each city.
The weather at this time should be balmy. In February it usually pleasantly warm for sightseeing with many hours of sunshine, and little or no rain.
Flying direct from London or Manchester to Florida with Virgin Atlantic, we spend three nights in Orlando, two in Sarasota and three in Miami, with breakfast at each hotel, and three evening meals.

22 February
Departing mid-morning from London or Manchester we arrive mid-afternoon into Orlando, from where we make the brief transfer to the Orlando Marriott Downtown for the first three nights of our holiday. This attractive modern hotel overlooking a lake, features a spacious high atrium, two restaurants, outdoor heated pool, and well-equipped bedrooms with the new 'Marriott' bed.
A welcoming group evening meal is included at the hotel tonight.

23 February
Orlando was a luxury winter haven for the rich long before Disney and Cape Canaveral created the present booming cityscape. Our city tour starts with a boat ride through the canals around which the (comparatively) historic mansions of Winter Park were built. From the same period as the mansions, the world's most comprehensive collection of Tiffany glass can be found in the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum. Our guided tour includes the famous Tiffany Chapel. Afternoon is at leisure.

24 February
Day at leisure. There is much to see in Orlando: the Orlando Art Museum, with pre-Columbian, African and American art sections; the Henry Leu House and Gardens with Florida's largest rose garden; the Cornell Fine Arts Museum. There are also the numerous theme parks, swimming with dolphins and day excursions to the Kennedy Space Centre, a one-hour drive from Orlando (all pre-bookable).

25 February
A two hour drive brings us to Sarasota, known for its beautiful Gulf Coast beaches and as Florida's arts capital. After an introductory city tour we visit the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, conceived in the 1920s as an escape from the modern world. It features 20,000 tropical plants, and is particularly famous for its orchid collection.
Our hotel for the next two nights is the comfortable and well-reviewed La Quinta Inn and Suites with well-equipped bedrooms, exercise room and small outdoor heated pool and sun terrace.

26 February
Sarasota owed its reputation as a cultural centre initially to the multimillionaire circusmaster, John Ringling. His extraordinary museum, besides an excellent European art collection (notably the Rubens gallery), contains the Asolo Theatre, an 18th century theatre moved from Italy, a courtyard surrounded by 91 antique columns, and the Astor rooms. The Cà d' Zan (house of John), set in landscaped grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay, was the Ringlings' winter home, and was modelled on a Venetian palace. In the grounds there is also a Circus Museum with the world's largest miniature circus.
After time for lunch (not included) we enjoy a two-hour cruise along the beautiful shoreline of Sarasota Bay, with views of spectacular waterfront homes and local wildlife while a narrator tells us about the fascinating history and folklore of the Sarasota area. We would hope also to get a close-up some of bottlenose dolphins and manatees!

Evening meal is included tonight.

27 February
Our coast-to-coast drive takes us though the Big Cypress Swamp, home to many endangered species such as the Florida panther, and encompassing a range of habitats in Florida's unique and fragile ecosystem. This is the territory of the Seminole ('runaway') Indians. We meet with an Indian guide at 'Ah-Tha-Th-Ki' ('place to learn') to gain first-hand knowledge of the tribe's life in the reservation. Arriving this afternoon into Miami, the remainder of the day is at leisure.
The Holiday Inn is superbly situated across from Bayside Marketplace and overlooking Biscayne Bay. The hotel features pool, exercise room, restaurant and comfortable well-sized guest rooms.

February 28
Miami provides a sublime skyline, the world's largest concentration of Art Deco buildings, and, in Coral Gables, one of America's richest neighbourhoods. Our morning tour introduces us to all facets of the metropolis, including the special atmosphere of Little Havana. Our tour ends with a guided visit of Florida's grandest residence, Vizcaya, originally designed in 1916 to replicate a 16th century Italian villa, which developed to reproduce design styles from the 16th to 18th centuries.
The afternoon is at leisure: maybe to visit a museum or to relax around Bayside Marketplace or on a Biscayne Bay cruise.

March 1
The Everglades is a vast sheet river system, moving slowly across a flat bed of peat-covered limestone. Thanks to tropical airstreams acting on a temperate zone, a unique combination of flora and fauna is created, which we explore this morning on our airboat ride. This is followed by the fun of an alligator show.
Returning to Miami, this afternoon is at leisure, before our farewell dinner together in Bayside.

March 2
Morning at leisure before returning to the airport for our direct flight back to the UK, arriving morning March 3.

Price per person sharing a twin/double bedded room £1690pp, including flights from London or Manchester airport, hotel accommodation with breakfast, three evening meals, transfers, tours and entrances and services of a tour manager as specified above. Single supplement £390. Flight upgrades to Premium Economy or Upper Class at extra cost on request.

This holiday is linked with a small party of opera lovers. There is the opportunity to attend any of the following operas, all of which are easily accessible and highly enjoyable: Rossini's La Centerentola in Orlando, Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore and Mascagni's L'amico Fritz in Sarasota, and Delibes' Lakmé in Miami. Please enquire regarding extra costs.
Clients must have adequate travel insurance cover. We can provide insurance at £45pp for those aged up to 65 when booking, (certain medical conditions may require an additional premium to be paid), £85pp aged 66 to 75, £105pp aged 76 to 79. Annual insurance is also available.

Deposit required £350, plus insurance, if required.