Head of JWT Cruises, Caroline, had the pleasure of sailing across Provence in the South of France onboard Riverside Ravel earlier this year. She shares the highlights of her experience on the Riverside Luxury Rhone River Cruise.
“The ship was stunning, the restaurant was beautiful and food was exceptional on every level, with an excellent choice every evening,” she explains, “It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.”
ELEGANT LIVING SPACES
The suites onboard Riverside Ravel are spacious and welcoming, featuring elegant bathrooms and king size beds for extra comfort. They are exquisitely decorated in fine materials, velvet and leather, using a soft palette of colours to reflect the calming tones of nature. Panoramic windows beautifully blend the comfort of the suites with the outdoors.
“My suite was beautiful with a very comfortable bed. The linen was divine and cabin spotless, plus the products we had in the cabin were amazing. I loved having a coffee machine and the excellent Butler service,” adds Caroline.
INSPIRED ALONG THE RHONE
Arles, Tarascon and Avignon are some of the picturesque French towns we visited on our luxury Rhone river cruise, taking walking tours with expert guides where we learned about the history, culture, nature and famous residents that once found inspiration in this wonderful region of Southern France.
We explored stunning ARLES admiring its impressive Roman archaeology and following in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh who lived in the South of France for many years and found inspiration for some of his most iconic paintings in the Arles and Provence landscapes. His famous painting The Starry Night captures the views of the countryside from his window at the Saint Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy where he spent time seeking respite from depression.
“Our excursions were great and the walking tour guides were amazing. I also loved the Camargue Safari getting close to the famous horses of the region, which is something very different for guests to experience,” says Caroline.
At the crossroads between Avignon, the Camargue and the Luberon, TARASCON is such a pretty town, full of history. According to legend, Martha of Bethany landed here around AD 48 where an amphibious dragon or tarasque was destroying the river traffic. She tamed the beast only for it to be butchered by the townspeople. Many pilgrims visit the Royal College of Sainte-Marthe, built in her honour near the castle of King Rene. This sanctuary is the main monument in the city, containing the relics and the tomb of Saint Martha in the crypt, which was built on the location of her house.
Our final destination, AVIGNON was truly stunning. Clinging to a bend in the Rhône River, the town looks and feels like the backdrop of a medieval fairy tale. While it’s largely famous for its 14th-century heyday as a papal capital and its even older 12th-century bridge, Avignon has lots to offer beyond history.
This walled Provençal town is a vibrant place full of atmospheric cafés, fun shops, and numerous hide-and-seek squares ideal for postcard-writing and people-watching. After a visit to the Palace of the Popes, hike up above it to the Parc de Rochers des Doms for a panoramic view of Avignon, the Rhône River Valley, and the St. Bénezet Bridge — the one made famous by the nursery rhyme “Sur le Pont d’Avignon,” known to all French school kids.
In addition to the interesting walking tours, there are plenty of activities for guests such as kayaking, hiking and ebiking and the ship has a fleet of electric bikes ready for guests onboard.
After a day exploring, it was just wonderful to take in the Provencal landscapes from the top deck or enjoy a relaxing swim with beautiful views of the river in swimming pool onboard.
A CULINARY DELIGHT
This luxury river cruise on the Riverside Ravel was a culinary voyage, savouring the best of French cuisine, sampling its finest ingredients and regional products and specialities.
From bread to jam, all food is homemade by the chefs onboard. They create exquisite dishes using local produce and inspired by the regions travelled. This is all accompanied by the exquisite wines of the Southern Rhone, such as Grenachem, Syrah and Mourvedre.
“Food was definitely one of the highlights of this wonderful trip. I loved the Bistro, a real favourite of mine with excellent food choice. A delightful journey,” adds Caroline.
You can find more details about this river cruise on our website: Secrets of the Rhone River Cruise
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