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Natural History Museum Tours
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CENTURIES OF EXPERIENCE •
WORLDWIDE EXPERTS •
EXCELLENT VALUE •
HIGH QUALITY SERVICE •
HOLIDAY PROTECTION •
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Cox & Kings, The Natural History Museum’s official travel provider, celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2008. The world’s longest established travel company, Cox & Kings’ history stretches back to 1758, when Richard Cox was appointed as regimental agent to the Foot Guards by his mentor, Lord Ligonier, who was Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s Forces.
The company’s fortunes grew hand in hand with the British Empire and by the early 20th century the company was acting as agent and banker throughout the armed forces and as a shipping agent. In 1922 Cox and Co merged with the Henry S. King bank, which had strong connections with India. The bank became part of Lloyds and the shipping agency evolved into the modern travel company.
Today, Cox & Kings continues to flourish as an independent tour operator. Building on the tradition of high quality service and attention to detail established by Richard Cox in the 18th century, the company provides travel arrangements of the highest calibre in some of the most fascinating parts of the world.
Dedicated team of experts: Cox & Kings’ tour consultants have all travelled extensively around the world and offer a vast collective bank of expert knowledge. Whether you are planning to join a group Natural History Museum tour or a private tailor–made journey, you can travel with the reassurance that your itinerary will have been fully considered by a regional specialist.
The best representatives worldwide: Over the years Cox & Kings has sought out and developed working relationships with the very finest specialist local agents. These are all companies that have a detailed knowledge of their own country, a comprehensive network of local representatives, an understanding of the requirements of Cox & Kings and, not least, an appreciation of the expectations of those who travel with us.
Low price policy: Cox & Kings does not believe that you should pay a premium for excellent service and outstanding holidays. It is our policy to keep our prices as low as possible and, thereby, to make our holidays available to as many people as possible.
Buying power: Cox & Kings’ low price policy is made possible through buying power established over many years and long–standing relationships in the travel industry, generated by the network of associated Cox & Kings companies worldwide. As a result, Cox & Kings is able to contract flights, hotels and ground services at highly competitive rates.
Comparing like with like: By its nature, high quality long haul travel is not cheap, and when looking at the various holidays on the market it can seem as though there is a big difference in price between what on the surface are similar holidays. Therefore, when weighing up holiday options it is important that the standard of accommodation, airline and expert tour leaders are taken into account.
Services of the London office: In addition to the expertise of your tour consultant, Cox & Kings aims to provide the highest levels of customer care from your initial enquiry, through to the detailed itineraries and tour notes sent to you prior to departure and, finally, answering any queries you may have when you return from your travels.
Personal service overseas: Whether you are part of an escorted Natural History Museum group or travelling on a tailor–made holiday, you will be met at each airport, train station or quay along the way, transferred to and from your hotel and have the details of your itinerary explained to you. All Natural History Museum groups also benefit from the services of a local English–speaking tour manager who accompanies the group throughout their stay. All travellers are in the capable hands of a manager who can answer any questions and, if necessary, smooth any wrinkles along the way.
Expert local guides: Cox & Kings uses the services of local guides who really know their subject and can bring places to life. In addition to providing relevant background information, as detailed or general as you like, they can also explain the local wildlife, way of life, customs and issues in a way that guide books never can.
Wildlife tours: We understand that having selected your tour you will look forward to seeing the array of wildlife detailed in this brochure. Whilst we endeavour to meet all your expectations please also appreciate that due to the nature of these tours and the wildlife you expect to encounter, it may not be possible to see certain species or some of the flora and fauna mentioned. Despite this, our expert guides will do their utmost to ensure you see as much as possible in the time available.
ATOL protection: Cox & Kings is a fully bonded and licensed tour operator and the air holidays in this brochure are ATOL protected by the bonding scheme administered by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Our ATOL number is 2815. For more information about the protection offered by the CAA, please visit www.caa.co.uk.
ABTA: Cox & Kings is a member of ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents. For more information about ABTA and its members, please visit www.abta.com.
AiTO: Cox & Kings is also a member of AiTO, the Association of Independent Tour Operators, assuring you of Cox & Kings’ commitment to high quality service and ethical business practices. For more information about AiTO and its aims, please visit www.AiTO.co.uk.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice: Cox & Kings receives a great deal of information about conditions on the ground from its local representatives, however, when deciding whether particular countries or regions are safe for travel the final decision is dependent on the guidance of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). If you would like to know the current travel advice for any country you can visit www.fco.gov.uk or call 0870 606 0290.
AiTO has awarded Cox & Kings 3 stars–their highest Responsible Tourism rating. This means that Cox & Kings has successfully implemented and continually improved a Responsible Tourism policy and has also undertaken a specific project, which contributes to the economy, culture or environment of a destination. In Cox & Kings’ case this was the raising of funds and awareness for the Magic Bus charity please visit www. magicbusindia.org.
Carbon responsible: We encourage those who travel with Cox & Kings to offset their carbon emissions via Carbon Responsible. To calculate the cost of offsetting the impact of your long haul flight, please visit the website link below to access the Cox & Kings scheme and use the carbon emissions calculator: www.carbonresponsible.com. Cox & Kings offsets all carbon emissions for flights taken by our staff in the course of their work.