Cruising on the Upper Rhine River, between Basel and Mainz, is all about quiet, woodsy scenery, and history dating from the Middle Ages.
Among my favorite discoveries during recent cruises: Teak-hauling elephants in Myanmar gaining a better life; a lush resort and a lasting souvenir in Bali; a delightful musical hotel in Budapest.
The Lower Danube is a highly rewarding river cruise, culturally revealing about what this part of Eastern Europe once was, and also a lesson to Westerners about its life today.