Perched on top of his elephant, the mahout was waving two large fans like a crazed cheerleader as he paraded toward our ship through a double row of bare-chested musicians who banged on drums and blew long, curving bugles. This bizarre welcome was a fitting introduction to what must have been one of the most luxurious and expensive cruises ever conceived. I was in the Indian city of Cochin, about to board the Hebridean Spirit, a floating Scottish castle bound for the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and the Malabar Coast of India. Despite the endless luxury of the ship itself, this trip was really about boats, planes, and trains—all pressed into service to explore a remote and exotic watery world. Our first shore excursion was to Madivaru, a private island in the Maldives where we snorkeled amid the coral reefs. We also watched dolphins leaping, followed by a sudden silvery arc of flying fish hurtling tens of feet through the air. Later, the crew set linen-clad tables in the shade, and we lunched on native lobsters and Champagne.
Our next adventure involved a seaplane, which skimmed over atoll after atoll (the only Maldivian word you'll find in the English dictionary) to Dhangethi Island. The whole point of this was the trip itself; the plane flies so low that you get a spectacular view of the atolls, small concentric circles that set the Maldives apart from other tropical islands.
After docking in Colombo, on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, we boarded the Viceroy Special, a steam-powered train. Ensconced in faded luxury, we chugged across the island to Kandy, climbing steeply through the uplands where the flora changes at every station. Halfway to the top, we stopped to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
We went ashore again in Padmanabhapuram, on the Malabar Coast, to explore the sprawling palace of the Rajas of Travancore. From there we embarked on our final journey, boarding a cool, elegant houseboat. As we cruised the backwaters of Kerala in splendid comfort, a cook and a butler catered to every desire.
The voyage ended back in Cochin, an ancient Indian town whose most famous site is a 16th-century synagogue. It was, as it happened, that quintessentially Scottish occasion, Burns Night. The crew donned kilts and played the bagpipes, which was quite charming. I'm afraid, however, that I cannot recommend eating haggis in the tropics.
RESERVING YOUR PLACE IN THE SUN
My cabin on the Hebridean Spirit would have been luxurious even on dry land. Beautiful fitted cabinets encircled the room, and a big window was hung with chintz curtains. The bathroom was huge. Big fluffy towels hung on a heated rack, and the water pressure in the shower was better than that of any English country house. The ship was surprisingly large for one that carries only 80 passengers and 70 crew. And, to my surprise, I turned out to be one of the few Americans ever to havesailed with this line, whose voyages remain something of a secret in the States.
The Spirit operates almost year-round, cruising the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in winter, touring the Mediterranean in spring and fall, and visiting Scandinavia, the Baltic, and the Norwegian fjords in summer and autumn. Prices for the two-week "Atolls, Islands and Waterways" tour range from about $8,500 to nearly $17,000, including private flights from and to London and covering everything but alcoholic beverages (except on gala evenings) and spa treatments. The sister ship, Hebridean Princess, cruises in Scottish waters. Reservations and information: 800-659-2648; hebridean.co.uk.
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