Audley Travel has introduced a portfolio of 'hybrid trips' that combine ocean voyages with private land experiences, such as spotting lemurs in Madagascar and stargazing in Australia's Outback. Olivia Palamountain reports

Audley Travel has expanded its product range to include ocean cruising, creating new opportunities for clients to combine land-based experiences with ocean voyages.

The addition complements Audley's existing river and expedition cruise offerings, allowing clients to create "hybrid trips" that maximise destination exploration as part of customised itineraries.

Clients will benefit from Audley specialists' expertise in selecting appropriate ships, staterooms and onboard experiences, as well as crafting bespoke landside activities. Sean Atton, global cruise manager at Audley Travel, explains: "Travelling with Audley is about revealing the best of a destination and that often means experiencing it by land and by sea. Our experts are experienced in creating meaningful trips which include a cruising element so the careful expansion of our rich cruise offering to partner with ocean cruise operators is a natural progression as we look to enhance our overall proposition for clients."

Audley has initially partnered with eleven ocean cruise lines including Aranui, Azamara, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Holland America, Paul Gauguin, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises and Star Clippers.

The new ocean cruise experiences available within Audley's bespoke itineraries include sailing on a fully rigged ship in Montenegro's Bay of Kotor, cruising among the limestone karsts of Vietnam's Halong Bay and exploring remote destinations such as Antarctica or Madagascar. Iconic voyages such as traversing the Panama Canal are also available.

"The beauty of cruise being part of a land itinerary too means clients are able to really enjoy the journey as well as the destinations, and all of the places in between," Atton adds. "Our Specialists are excited to now be able to push their destination knowledge further to provide not only the level of personalised service and expertise clients of Audley expect, but also take client's bespoke trip aspirations to the max, to cover all corners of the earth."

Among the sample itineraries is a 24-day "Japan by land & sea" journey combining an Azamara cruise with stays in Tokyo and Kyoto. Land highlights include exploring Hakone's volcanic landscapes, private calligraphy classes and traditional tea ceremonies, while the cruise visits ten Japanese ports plus South Korea's Busan. This itinerary is priced from £12,100 per person.For travellers interested in the Antipodes, Audley offers a 27-day Australia and New Zealand itinerary featuring a Silversea cruise with butler service, combined with a five-day premium train journey on the Indian Pacific between Perth and Sydney. Priced from £16,975 per person, the package includes wildlife experiences in Tasmania and New Zealand, plus wine tasting in Australia's Hunter Valley.

The 27-day Masai Mara, South Africa & Madagascar itinerary, priced from £17,090 per person, combines wildlife viewing in Kenya's Masai Mara, a guided Table Mountain hike and relaxation in Mauritius with a Regent Seven Seas cruise featuring excursions to Madagascar's Avenue of the Baobabs and lemur sanctuaries.

For Southeast Asia, Audley's 19-day itinerary (from £6,875 per person) pairs a Celebrity Cruise between Hong Kong and Singapore with experiences including a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat and electric bike exploration of Cambodia's lesser-visited temples.

All itineraries include flights, transfers and pre-cruise excursions, with most cruise portions offering full board accommodation and selected drinks.

Image credit: Azamara