I focus mostly in this column on the practical aspects — the how-tos, inspirations and resources — of travel, not on specific destinations and experiences. However, in the past three months I have discovered two travel gems so extraordinary that I feel impelled to share them with you.

Three weeks ago my husband, Jamie, and I went to England. If you have traveled to the United Kingdom in the past year, you are aware that the U.S. dollar has dropped alarmingly against the pound. A walk-in rate for our five-star hotel in London would have been $927 without breakfast, and a simple cashmere scarf at Harrods bore a price tag equivalent to $1,942. Ouch. A per diem in London at a deluxe level with hotel, meals and beverages, transportation and sightseeing would easily run upward of $800 per person.

So why were two savvy travelers like us setting foot on such pricey terrain? Participating in one of the most exquisite and rewarding travel experiences in recent memory. As a treat for dear friends, Jamie and I had chartered the luxury barge Magna Carta for a six-night meander on the Thames. Operated by TempleRead Cruises, this custom-built vessel offers the creature comforts of a floating country house hotel while exploring Britain's historic and natural treasures.

Crafted to offer handsome public spaces and only four large 200-square-foot ensuite cabins for up to eight guests, Magna Carta provides everything that its discerning guests could want on an all-inclusive basis: charming atmosphere, beautifully appointed accommodation, superb cuisine and wines plus open bar, attentive, personable service, and excur-sions to the most enchanting sites between the historic regatta town of Henley-on-Thames, the Queen's Windsor Castle and magnificent Hampton Court Palace. In addition to the standard itinerary, charterers may opt for cruises with a theme of family-oriented activities, golf or tennis, theater, arts and antiques, gardens, or World War II history.

The leisurely Magna Carta experience for an intimate group of family or friends is unparalleled in all of the British Isles. The 2007 wholeboat charter for eight passengers ranges, depending upon season, from $23,150 to $30,600, which works out to a palatable all-inclusive per diem of $482 to $638. That's a bargain.

The vintage Captain's Quarters can be turned over to a ninth guest at an additional charge, and couples may book individual cabins on a non-chartered voyage at a rate of $2,950 to $3,890 per person. See full details on the TempleRead Web site at www.magna-carta.co.uk.

Another gem of a voyage took place in February in a more distant land — in the backwaters of Kerala at the heart of India's fabled Malabar "Spice" Coast. Here lies more than 600 navigable miles of a hidden, labyrinthine waterworld little-known beyond its borders. A network of tranquil lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas is formed by 44 great and small rivers that drain eventually, after many loops and detours, into the Arabian Sea. These picturesque waterways comprise a self-supporting tropical ecosystem teeming with aquatic life and diverse plant species. Canals, still used for local transport, link the rural villages in this region, where traditional Indian life and culture has altered little for generations.

As an extension to a rail journey through India, I chartered for a small group of Hawai'i friends the M/V Vrinda, a specially designed catamaran cruiser operated by Oberoi Hotels in its celebrated style and standard of luxury. There are eight spacious, well-designed ensuite cabins for up to 16 guests, plus a handsome formal dining room and a casual alfresco lounge area. The ambience, gracious accommodation, delectable cuisine and polished service were five-star all the way, and alcoholic beverages were stocked to order by Oberoi.

For three days, we were guided to curious and compelling sites along the meandering waterways — from an 18th century European cathedral to a snake-boat building yard to a typical family residence — and witnessed riveting music and dance performances unique to the state of Kerala. We capped our extension with a night on land in Cochin, India's historic spice-trading city that still bears the centuries-old architectural imprints of early Portuguese, Dutch and British colonies.

All of us adored the Vrinda's off-the-beaten-track experience and recommend it as a highlight to those who have "been there, done that" around the globe. Our customized all-inclusive three-night charter plus one hotel night with meals and sightseeing cost about $16,000. Individual bookings are accepted when the vessel is not under charter. For details, go to www.oberoivrinda.com.

Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.