In the final part of our series on guided tours, JAMES ELLIS looks at the best new trips on offer outside Europe

BEST FOR SOUL FOOD
Cajun Blues
Head to the Deep South of the USA for a trip that takes in jazz and blues, as well as tasty Cajun and Creole cooking.
The eight-day tour sees Southernstyle cookery courses, cocktails and jazz in New Orleans and a Memphis music tour that takes in Sun Studios, where Elvis recorded his first single, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Rock 'n' Soul Museum.

There is also a blues night at the famous BB King's Blues Club.

Click here now for amazing offers to New Orleans!

Jetsave (0844 415 9880/www.jetsave.com/tours) offers seven nights in Mississippi from £1,389pp (two sharing), room only. Price includes return flights from Heathrow to New Orleans and the services of a tour manager.
Departs November 13.

BEST FOR ARCHEOLOGY-LOVERS
Ancient Libya
Uncovered This tour of the North African country is perfect for people who have already visited more accessible Morocco.

The eight-day itinerary includes the capital Tripoli, desert villages and verdant oases. A highlight is a full day's excursion to Leptis Magna, home to some of the world's best Roman ruins.

Archers Direct (0871 423 8638/www.archersdirect.co.uk) offers seven nights in Libya from £1,189pp (two sharing), half board. Price includes return flights from Heathrow to Tripoli, internal transport, transfers and the services of a tour guide.

Departs September 11 and 25.

BEST FOR EASTERN DELIGHTS
Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia
If you are looking to add more than one extra stamp to your passport, then how about taking in four different countries in one trip?

This 19-night holiday starts in the Thai capital of Bangkok, moving on to Laos and Vietnam before culminating in Cambodia.

Highlights include sightseeing tours of Bangkok, Saigon and Hanoi, a visit to Angkor Wat and a cruise on Vietnam's Halong Bay. There is also a visit to the atmospheric Cu Chi Tunnels, a hideout of the Viet Cong in the Vietnam war.

Travelsphere (0844 567 9961/www.travelsphere.co.uk) offers 19 nights in Asia from £2,899pp (two sharing), full board. Price includes return flights from Heathrow to Bangkok, transfers, and the services of a tour manager.

Departs September 5 and October 31.

Want incredible offers to Laos? Click here now...

BEST FOR ACTIVE EXPLORERS
Peru and the Andes
Both newly discovered and well-known Inca sites are explored in this South American tour.

Caral, 120 miles north of Lima, has lain undiscovered for nearly 5,000 years and is now believed to be the oldest settlement in the Americas, dating from 2,800BC.

After a cruise on the sacred Lake Titicaca, the trip takes in the Andean Explorer train journey to Cusco for the unmissable ruins of Machu Picchu: the world's most famous Inca site.

Bales Worldwide (0845 057 1819/ www.balesworldwide.com) offers 13 nights in South America from £3,355pp (two sharing), including most meals. Price includes return flights from Heathrow via Madrid to Lima, internal flights, sightseeing and the services of a tour manager. Departs February 19, 2011.

BEST FOR OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Kingdom of the Black Pharaohs
While Egypt may boast the Pyramids, there are many more of these mystical structures in neighbouring Sudan and they've yet to be seen by most foreign travellers, which makes them a far more authentic proposition.

Holidaymakers will get to follow in the footsteps of actress Joanna Lumley, whose Nile series was filmed there, as they take in this land of arid beauty and get the opportunity to visit its ancient temples.

Voyages Jules Verne (0845 166 7035/ www.vjv.com) offers eight nights in Sudan from £2,227pp (two sharing), full board. Price includes return flights from Heathrow via Beirut to Khartoum, transfers, tours and the services of a tour guide.

Departs October 4.