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Escorted India Tour

My 15 day Escorted Tour of India with UncleSam Holidays met and surpassed my expectations. Thank you Amit Tomar. From the moment I was met at the airport (after a 14 hour flight) and presented with a garland of flowers to the last moment being dropped off for my return journey, I was treated not only as a VIP but as a friend. The driver I had for the first 12 to 13 days (Om Prakash) was excellent and if anyone has ever driven in New Delhi you know what the traffic is like lol. The local guides at each destination were very knowledgeable and friendly shout out to Mitesh in Udaipur, Wasim in Varanasi, they all were amazing. It will be a tour I will always remember. If you have a chance to visit India you will not be disappointed if you use this company.

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Pharaohs Nile Cruise Adventure - Return Flights Included

Where to even begin! We flew in late but our wonderful tour guides waited for us and picked us up and delivered us to our hotel. The entire team were amazing, caring, kind and so so friendly. Our first tour guide Gabe is also an archaeologist so was a wealth of information as well as being an awesome guide, funny and caring. We were then picked up and taken to the airport for our flights to luxor, were met on the other side by Ahmed who was to be our guide for the next few days while we sailed down the beautiful Nile. The entire staff on the boat were exceptional and made us feel welcome and downright loved. Ahmed is a patient, funny, informative and extremely friendly guide and made our tour unforgettable. My partner and I can't recommend this team and this tour enough!

Northern India and Nepal

I will recommend to my relatives and friends to this unforgettable experience.Visit India and Nepal????????????

Cultural Nepal Bhutan Tour with India

Vietnam Northern Symphony 5 Days Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Trang An complex

Very good, Aaron was fantastic.

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Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour

India with Nepal and Bhutan Tour

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Marrakech to Merzouga 3 days tour Luxury camp ( Single, Luxury camp )

Una gran experiencia. Hassan fue un guía super ameno y profesional con un amplio conocimiento del desierto. Repetiré sin duda.

Bali Discovery in 6 Days - Private Deluxe Tour

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

INCA ADVENTURES - 7 Days (Lima and Cusco) with Domestic Flights

Ronald C. Sotalero was amazing!!! I came on this trip extremely concerned about my ability to make it up to Machu Picchu but he truly provided the support I needed to make it happen. Ronald also has a wealth of information about Peru and its history which he happily provided. You will not be disappointed with this tour. The memories from this trip will last a lifetime. Jeannette Diaz

9D Splendid Japan with Nagoya (private 3 star hotel rooms)

We had a great experience with stuning tours. Everything went smooth. I bought my own flights. We had a wonderful vacation in Japan.

Sailing Croatia - Split to Dubrovnik

Captain was amazing. Great food and great company Lots of sailing when weather permitted Very well organized

• Hiking & Trekking

It was an awesome tour and Lee was doing an amazing Job and was a fun guy! 10/10 did already recommend to others

Absolutely Turkey

Absolutely Turkey 4 stars Good 29th August 2022 First, this is the best way to see so much of Turkey. The drives are long but completely worth it and the hotels are of a good standard and well situated for the locations we explore. Eray was a kind and witty guide who had to contend with some difficult travellers in our group and he and Saif made a good combination. 4 instead of 5 starts is because of day 1 and the worst - the last day. On day 1, we were picked up at noon in bus 1, driven to a car park on the outskirts of Istanbul where we waited for an hour in the heat, then a French tour bus 2 took us another hour, before we took our bus 3. The last day was a complete mess. Our itinerary said Gallipoli, Eray's said Bursa. It was clear he had not seen what was expected and had no idea of what was on the Gallipoli peninsula. We only saw the Beach cemetery and the ANZAC cove - nothing of what was listed, no Aus, NZ or Turkish memorials - he had explanations fir nothing and he turned the bus around and didn't even drive around the peninsula. On the way back he had no idea of the route to make stops at, stopped once at a gas station, and dropped us off at 14.00, not the 20.00 as a whole day of tour said. So much history missed - I wish you had taught your guide better. Really disappointing start and end to what was a pretty amazing trip.

8 days: Best of Zambia, Botswana (Chobe) and Zimbabwe (Zambezi) Wildlife Safari Tour

We enjoyed the experience. The only negative place was the lodge in Hwange, totally substandard, we were supposed to be there 2 nights but moved out after the first night. Must mention Mark, Fines, Peace and the other 2 guides that went over and above their duties to satisfy our needs.

Reviews of Tours

The tour was exactly what I had hoped it would be. In Cairo, Harry and Ahmed were amazing and my guide on the cruise, Mahmoud was the absolute best. Having the surprise of being the only one in the tour meant that the individual attention was key to my enjoying the tour. I saw everything I wanted to see and was not hurried along at all. I also enjoyed the down time. Thanks Nile Tours.

I will recommend to my relatives and friends to this unforgettable experience.Visit India and Nepal???

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Review: Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, México

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Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo

Located in mexico.

If Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico is not on your radar yet, it should be. This fantastic resort, located in Tamarindo, Mexico, recently opened.

There is no Four Seasons rewards program, but if you are a regular guest of the Four Seasons or even want to try this iconic brand for the first time, you can take advantage of loyalty style benefits at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge .

This new hotel can be found in a secluded enclave along the Pacific Ocean in the state of Jalisco, between the towns of La Manzanilla and Barra de Navidad. The area pictured above, known as “Costalegre” or “Joy Coast,” is acclaimed for its private beaches, lush landscape, and unique topography.

Just 2% of the surrounding 3,000 acre (1,220 hectare) private nature Reserve is being developed, offering endless opportunities for visitors to explore through guided excursions on land and sea.

The property is located only 40 minutes via car from the International Airport of Manzanillo-Costalegre, Mexico, where there are daily flights from Mexico City as well as direct flights during key dates from the United States and Canada.

Direct flights to Manzanillo-Costalegre International Airport (ZLO) are available daily from Mexico City, weekly from Houston, and from Los Angeles. Seasonally, direct flights are also available from Phoenix, Dallas, and Calgary, opening up a world of opportunity for travelers to arrange connecting flights.

ZLO is also well equipped to welcome private jets, which Four Seasons representatives can meet directly on the runway to ensure a smooth transfer to Tamarindo. The Resort also has its own pier for guests arriving via private yacht.

Style & Character

The Resort is part of the more than 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) El Tamarindo master-planned development featuring multiple beaches and private coves. The development has been built to take advantage of elevations ranging from sea level to approximately 120 meters (394 feet) above sea level, providing breathtaking views of the landscape, golf course, and ocean.

Harmonizing tradition with contemporary flair, Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo was meticulously crafted by architects Victor Legorreta and Mauricio Rocha, who collaborated under the name LegoRocha for this project. Guided by lead interior designers Uribe Krayer and Estudio Esterlina, complemented by landscape architect Mario Schjetnan, and enriched by restaurant designers Esrawe Studio and Bibiana Huber, every facet of the resort reflects a seamless fusion of creativity and sophistication.

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo supports Mexican artisans, providing financial recognition for artistry that showcases Mexico’s rich heritage through exquisite handcrafted textiles and artwork. From the architectural marvels to the meticulously curated indoor and outdoor spaces, and from artworks to tableware and team uniforms, guests are immersed in the essence of Mexican craftsmanship at every turn. The resort’s boutique offers a curated selection of handcrafted items, allowing guests to carry tangible mementos of their Tamarindo experience home with them.

Service & Facilities

Guests can enjoy authentic dining options, an exceptional golf course, rejuvenating spa and wellness treatments, and three pools, all set against the backdrop of three tranquil, nearly deserted beaches. Whether seeking water sports or simply basking in the sun, the resort provides ample opportunities for relaxation and adventure.

Resident biologists and researchers lead guests on guided hikes along natural footpaths crafted by indigenous wildlife, traversing jungles and coastlines. Delve into the realm of medicinal plants used since pre-Hispanic times, and acquaint yourself with the 70 endemic species and countless birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles that inhabit Tamarindo. Visit the Discovery Centre to deepen your understanding of the region’s biodiversity and the “rewilding” initiatives fostering the resurgence of Earth’s natural rhythms in this locale.

The El Tamarindo Golf Course, long cherished by avid golfers, now forms part of the Four Seasons resort experience. Designed by David Fleming, the 18-hole links course winds through tropical jungle and along the rocky coastline, offering scenic vistas at every turn. With the number of golfers strictly limited, players enjoy an almost private course, ensuring an intimate golfing experience. Facilities include a practice range and private instruction, with the resort offering shipping services for gear or high-quality clubs and shoes for rent.

Indulge in additional resort experiences at the Casa Terrazas pop-up spa, where couples and individuals luxuriate in massages indoors or amidst nature. Relax by the resort pools under the sun or in the seclusion of a private cabana. There is also a Four Seasons kids program, a dedicated program fully supervised for younger guests, and the Escondite teen center for older children.

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo provides an enchanting setting for couples envisioning the epitome of a destination wedding, complemented by a team of wedding specialists dedicated to ensuring every moment is flawless.

The resort boasts 157 cliffside and beachfront accommodations, with many featuring private pools, offering guests a luxurious and secluded retreat enveloped by the surrounding jungle and lush golf course. Accommodations are well suited to both adult travelers and those visiting with children.

The contemporary architectural and interior design by the firms of LEGORRETA and Taller Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo blend with the natural surroundings and showcase local materials and textures.

Food & Drink

Explore the flavors of Tamarindo beyond the resort’s menus by embarking on a culinary journey at the 35-acre (14-hectare) Rancho Ortega. Here, Culinary Director Nicolás Piatti and the kitchen and farm teams cultivate indigenous plant species that will later grace the plates of the resort’s restaurants.

Dive deeper into Tamarindo’s culture by meeting La Manzanilla fishers or embarking on a macro-photography scuba tour. Those seeking adventure can paddle out to discover hidden spots along the coast, or explore the underwater wonders with free diving in the pristine waters.

Dining options at Four Seasons include Coyul which showcases modern Mexican cuisine crafted by renowned Chef Elena Reygadas, while Nacho offers a laid-back taqueria experience by one of the resort’s pools, perfect for snacks and casual meals.

Private dining experiences are available for romantic beach dinners, cliffside lunches with family, or starlit gatherings with friends, complemented by the option for in-villa dining available around the clock. For an unforgettable oceanfront dining experience, Sal, an oceanside seafood restaurant and sunset cocktail bar, offers a new addition to the culinary offerings.

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo joins a growing collection of Four Seasons properties in Mexico, including Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, and Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol.

Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.

Image courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.

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Satellite photos suggest Iran air defense radar was struck in Isfahan during apparent Israeli attack

Satellite photos taken Monday suggest an apparent Israeli retaliatory strike targeting Iran’s central city of Isfahan  hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, contradicting repeated denials by officials in Tehran of any damage in the assault.

The strike on an S-300 radar in what appears to have been a very limited strike by the Israelis would represent far more damage done than in the massive drone-and-missile attack Iran unleashed against Israel on April 13. That may be why Iranian officials up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been trying to dismiss discussing what the attack actually did on Iranian soil .

Analysts believe both Iran and Israel, regional archrivals locked in a shadow war for years, now are trying to dial back tensions following a series of escalatory attacks between them as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip still rages and inflames the wider region. But a strike on the most advanced air defense system Iran possesses and uses to protect its nuclear sites sends a message, experts say.

“This strike shows Israel has the ability to penetrate Iran’s air defense systems,” said Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment’s nuclear policy program who wrote a forthcoming book on Russia and Iran. “The precision of it was quite remarkable.”

The satellite images by Planet Labs PBC taken Monday morning near Isfahan’s dual-use airport and air base, some 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of Tehran, showed an area nearby that served as a deployment point for the air defense system. Burn marks sit around what analysts including Chris Biggers, a consultant former government imagery analyst, previously had identified as a “flap-lid” radar system used for the S-300.

Less-detailed satellite images taken after Friday showed similar burn marks around the area, though it wasn’t clear what was at the site. Biggers said other components of the missile system appeared to have been removed from the site — even though they provide defensive cover for Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

“That’s a powerful statement, given the system, the location, and how they use it,” Biggers wrote.

On Friday, air defenses opened fire and Iran grounded commercial flights across much of the country. Officials in the aftermath sought to downplay the attack, trying to describe it as just a series of small drones flying through the sky.

“What happened ... was not a strike,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian claimed in an interview with NBC News. “They were more like toys that our children play with — not drones.”

In the attack’s aftermath, however, Iraqis found what appeared to be remnants of surface-to-air missiles south of Baghdad. That, coupled with a suspected Israeli strike on a radar station in Syria the same day, suggests Israeli fighter jets flew over Syria into Iraq, then fired so-called “standoff missiles” into Iran for the Isfahan attack. Small, shorter-range drones may have been launched as well — Israel has been able to launch sabotage attacks and other missions inside of Iran.

Still, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani repeated Tehran’s denial Monday.

“Relevant authorities have announced that this harassment attack has caused no damage whatsoever and Iran’s defensive system have carried out their duties,” Kanaani told journalists at a briefing. “Therefore in our opinion this issue is not worthy of addressing.”

The S-300 and their years-delayed delivery to Iran show the challenge Tehran faces in getting any foreign-made advance weapon systems into the country. Russia and Iran initially struck a $800 million deal in 2007, but Moscow suspended their delivery three years later because of strong objections from the United States and Israel.

After Iran reached its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Russia unfroze the deal and is believed to have given Iran four sets of an export variant of the S-300.

The relationship between Iran and Russia has deepened in recent years. Moscow relies heavily on Iran’s bomb-carrying Shahed drones to target sites across Ukraine as part of its war on the country. Those same drones featured in the Islamic Republic’s attack on Israel.

Tehran meanwhile has made repeated comments over recent years about trying to obtain Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia to improve its decades-old fighter fleet. In September, a Russian-made YAK-130 combat trainer aircraft entered service in Iran. That model can be used to train pilots for the Su-35.

Russia now has the S-400, but the S-300 which has a range of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) and the capability to track down and strike multiple targets simultaneously, remains one of the most-potent air defense weapons in the world. The batteries can be used to shoot down missiles as well as aircraft.

Iran likely needs Russian assistance to repair the damaged radar — and will seek newer weapons as well as time goes on, Grajewski said.

“Iran wants new weapons from Russia all the time — to try to show that it’s not so isolated,” she said.

The Associated Press

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Reporter's Notebook: College campus protests over Gaza spread overseas

From london to geneva, demonstrators are rallying over the israel-hamas war. but some european nations have tried to restrict protests. one palestinian lawmakers predicts campus protests will spread..

From London to Geneva, dueling groups of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators in Europe have for months been holding solidarity rallies, marches and vigils in connection with the Israel-Hamas war .

But for the most part they haven't looked like the Columbia University protest encampments and confrontations, which now appear to be spreading to other U.S. universities.

From Oct. 7 last year to mid-April, there have been more than 3,100 demonstrations in Europe related to the war in the Gaza Strip. In the U.S., over the same period, there have been about 2,700 such events, according to data provided by ACLED, an organization that tracks and analyzes global political activity and violence .

Pro-Palestinian protesters have demanded a cease - fire in the Gaza Strip and more aid for suffering Palestinians, called on their governments to stop supplying arms to Israel , and urged other forms of divestment. Some pro-Palestinian protesters have also appeared to glorify Hamas and drawn comparisons between Israel's government and the Nazis. Pro-Israel demonstrations have focused on raising awareness about Israel's hostages held by Hamas and combating what they say is antisemitism that has made Jews feel less safe all around the wor l d .

But unlike in the U.S., where some of the most prestigious universities have been trying to defuse campus tensions over the war , standoffs on European college campuses have either appeared limited or have flown under the radar.

Precisely why that is, political experts and campaigners say, is not easy to explain.

They say it could be because of different protesting cultures, demographics, speech laws, university regulations, policing habits, lack of viral traction on social media where many people receive their news, and even opportunity. Some European governments have actively sought to place restrictions on the right to protest in support of Palestinian rights. Some say these standoffs have taken place and the media has largely ignored them.

More: Hamas and Iran celebrate anti-Gaza war protests taking US colleges by storm

Pro-Palestinian protests every Saturday in London

Matt Beech, who directs the Center for British Politics at the University of Hull, said one reason there may be fewer combative on-campus protests in the U.K. compared with the U.S. could be because there are regular, larger-scale demonstrations, most of them pro-Palestinian, in London and other British cities each Saturday.

At these marches in London, which are routinely attended by tens of thousands of people, Beech said "students may feel they are making a difference and having their voices heard" as part of a bigger protest community, where they have a bigger audience.

The frequent pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel rallies in the U.S., by contrast, have not matched the ones in London each weekend.

Beech, who also sometimes lectures and teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, said the First Amendment may also explain why some U.S. campuses have erupted, and Britain's haven't, over the Israel-Hamas war.

'Robust exchanges' in the U.S. are not exactly 'parliamentary language'

The First Amendment, he said, allows students in the U.S. to engage publicly in what Beech described as "robust exchanges" involving "unparliamentary language."

Hate speech laws in the U.K. may act as a deterrent on what people are willing to say in a campus environment, when these statements can easily slide into Islamophobia and antisemitism, as both sides in the U.S. campus protests say.

Government action in Europe may also be a factor .

In Germany, which has long viewed itself as having a unique responsibility to stand up for Jews and Israel because of the Holocaust, officials have repeatedly refused to authorize many pro-Palestinian protests, saying limits are needed to prevent public disorder and antisemitism.

German police cleared a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters who set up a camp Friday outside Germany's Parliament in Berlin, apparently inspired by the U.S. campus protests.

In France, home to large Muslim and Jewish communities, a series of legal proceedings ended with courts deciding to allow protests on a case-by-case basis after authorities said they could lead to incitement to hatred.

Threats of visas getting revoked for praising Hamas

In Britain, officials have threatened to revoke visas or expel foreign students who praise Hamas . The country has also given police new powers to arrest protesters who threaten or intimidate others during marches amid a large increase in antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7.

Stella Swain, a youth and student coordinator for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign , which describes itself as Europe's largest Palestinian advocacy organization, nevertheless said there have been student "occupations" of university campuses in the U.K. and elsewhere − it's just that nobody has paid much attention.

Swain pointed out that student protesters at Goldsmiths, University of London, shut down some of the college's departments for more than a month earlier this year.

The students demanded that the university cut all its ties with Israel's government and divest from companies that support Israel's military occupation of Palestinian territory. Similar protests have taken place in British colleges in Bristol and Leeds.

However, Swain said, it would be "very unusual" for British police to be called to a "student occupation," as has happened at Columbia, Yale, New York University and other elite U.S. college campuses in recent days.

She also claimed that there has been a "concerted effort" by British authorities over the past decade to "shut down the ability to organize" protests and other advocacy on Palestinian-related issues.

The protests in the U.K. and Europe, on and off campus, have not, in other words, been tension-free even if ACLED data show the vast majority − more than 90% − have been peaceful. (The figure for the U.S. is similar.)

One example: Pro-Palestinian activists in early April attempted to block an event at Sorbonne University in Paris about the rights of Israeli and Iranian women. It was organized by the Union of French Jewish Students. Protesters carried a banner that read " Zionists, fascists out of our campuses! "

'Openly Jewish'

It has also often been difficult to distinguish good information from bad.

In mid-March, about 100 students from the elite French university Sciences Po were accused of trying to prevent a Jewish student from entering the college as part of a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Some claimed the student had been confronted because she had intimidated pro-Palestinian students. Either way, it drew a reaction from French President Emmanuel Macron , an of alum of Sciences Po, who said it was "perfectly intolerable."

On Friday, Sciences Po students blocked access to a campus building, prompting administrators to move all classes online.

And in Britain, an antisemitism campaigner named Gideon Falter called last weekend for London's most senior police official to resign after an officer described Falter as "openly Jewish." At the time, the officer was trying to prevent Falter from "provoking" a pro-Palestinian march by crossing its route in central London. Falter, CEO of Campaign Against Antisemitism, had been wearing a yarmulke.

“What happened to me was a disgrace. Imagine what it felt like to be told by police officers that being ‘quite openly Jewish’ would ‘antagonize’ people and so I must leave the area on pain of arrest," Falter said in a statement after the incident.

London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley acknowledged that the officer's use of the phrase "openly Jewish" was "clumsy and offensive," but he insisted his officer was trying to keep Falter safe and do the right thing. Police released a 13-minute video of the incident this week to British media to give context to a 55-second clip released by Falter. In the video, the officer and Falter appear to have a nuanced, polite conversation.

In an emailed statement on Wednesday, Campaign Against Antisemitism said "the hatred and objectives of antisemites on campuses in the U.K. is the same as in the U.S.: to intimidate Jewish students and ostracize them."

But Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti disagreed with that assessment. He said in a WhatsApp message Thursday that the college campus protests in the U.S. resembled protests and activism against the war in Vietnam and South Africa's anti-apartheid movement.

"It will spread," he predicted, "to other universities in the world."

Billions in Dirty Money Fly Under the Radar at World’s Busiest Airports

J o-Emma Larvin wheeled a baggage cart piled with suitcases through London’s Heathrow Airport in August 2020 and handed her passport to an Emirates Airline agent for a flight to Dubai.

Larvin was traveling business class with another woman and together they heaved seven heavy suitcases onto the conveyor belt. She exchanged texts with her boyfriend en route to the security line.

“Do you feel ok?” he asked.

“Yes phew,” Larvin wrote. The suitcases carried millions of dollars worth of British pounds wrapped with rubber bands and bundled in plastic.

The money was headed to an international money launderer who charged a hefty fee to clients to exchange cash for gold or other currencies. His preferred route was to Dubai from Heathrow, Nos. 1 and 2 of the world’s busiest airports for international passengers.

The U.K. requires passengers to tell customs authorities if they are leaving the country with more than the equivalent of around $10,000, but Larvin didn’t, risking arrest. The seven suitcases entered Heathrow’s baggage handling system and slid through a 3-D scanner that checked only for explosives and other potentially dangerous items.

The next morning, the women collected their luggage in Dubai without having too much to worry about: Any amount of cash is allowed to enter the United Arab Emirates, as long as it is declared. The women followed signs to customs and told authorities they had brought the equivalent of $2.8 million.

Most airports worldwide, including in the U.S., don’t scan passenger luggage for cash, a costly undertaking in equipment and personnel. Countries where all money is welcome have no obligation to report about suitcases full of cash arriving from abroad. The loopholes allow billions of dollars worth of cash to fly out of the U.K. and elsewhere to countries with fewer rules, law-enforcement officials said.

Money launderers surreptitiously introduce more than $2 trillion in proceeds from illegal enterprises to global financial systems every year, according to estimates. International airplane passengers likely ferry hundreds of billions of dollars worth of that in cash, according to figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental agency that develops anti-money-laundering standards for countries.

One reason for so much airline smuggling is that penalties and scandals over customers engaged in money-laundering have prompted more banks around the world to report suspicious transactions. “You just can’t walk into a bank with this much money without being flagged,” said George Voloshin, of ACAMS, an industry group for financial crime-fighting professionals. “You will be arrested at the next branch.”

A U.K. government spokesperson said customs officers respond effectively with airport security to smuggling risks. A Heathrow airport spokesman declined to comment on its security equipment and practices. An Emirates Airline spokesperson said detecting cash smuggling was the responsibility of authorities where the cash originated.

A U.A.E. official said it was working to combat illicit financial flows, including through shared intelligence and joint operations with the U.K. The U.A.E., a global destination for the rich, was recently removed from a global financial watchdog’s list of places needing more monitoring.

Officials and industry groups said smuggling cash via airline is a relatively low risk for people hired to do the job. Larvin and her boyfriend were among an alleged three dozen smugglers working for a money launderer from the U.A.E. It seemed like easy money. Authorities believe they transported $125 million, largely from July to October in 2020.

“How the hell did they get away it—so much money in such a short space of time?” said Ian Truby, a senior investigating officer at the U.K. National Crime Agency. One answer, he said, is that airport security isn’t for crime detection, only flight safety.

Three weeks later, Larvin left for Heathrow with her boyfriend and a few million more dollars worth of cash in eight suitcases. Her boyfriend had worried about drawing undue attention with so much luggage. “It’s f—ing ridiculous,” he texted. “Talk about conspicuous.”

This account of the Heathrow cash-smuggling operation is based on documents and evidence released by U.K. authorities, court records that included text messages and photos, court testimony by money couriers, as well as interviews with investigators and people familiar with the matter.

Cash and carry

Abdulla Alfalasi started flying cash from Heathrow to Dubai around 2017 and expanded his operation during the pandemic.

On New Year’s Day 2020, Alfalasi left Heathrow with 11 cases, weighing 463 pounds, and reported the equivalent of $850,000 in Dubai. He told a former business partner he had connections with the royal family. His father-in-law ran Dubai airport customs back when it was a shed and a table. He developed the airport into a global hub as director-general of aviation.

Later that month, Alfalasi texted Michelle Clarke, an executive assistant looking to relocate to Dubai with her children and husband, a former pro soccer player. She belonged to a fun-loving crowd in the northern city of Leeds, where she worked for the pay TV group Sky.

Alfalasi sent Clarke a ticket for an overnight flight from Heathrow to Dubai, returning the same day. She had a text with the photo of a letter authorizing her to carry the cash for a company Alfalasi owned, lending a false sense of legitimacy to the job.

After Clarke landed, Alfalasi guided her in texts and voice messages to report the cash at an airport office, and said he was waiting outside. She flew three more times in February 2020 and Alfalasi enlisted other couriers.

In July 2020, Clarke texted a friend, saying she needed 12 people to work. The job criteria: “Can’t talk, trust, and reliable and fit!!!” A friend put Clarke in touch with Larvin, saying that Clarke worked for the U.A.E. embassy.

The women met over a coffee. Clarke’s teenage son sat at a nearby table. Clarke showed Larvin stamped certificates she would carry as a document courier and offered £3,000, around $3,750, to fly the suitcases. Clarke also would pay for Larkin to stay at a resort until she returned home with the empty bags.

Larvin had worked in digital marketing and done some modeling and wildlife photography. She had acted in a chart-topping British band’s music video in 2008. Her 2009 breakup with her world-champion boxer boyfriend, Joe Calzaghe, made the British tabloids after he started dating his partner on the TV show “Strictly Come Dancing.”

The following month, Larvin sent Clarke a photo of her passport and traveled by train to London’s King’s Cross station, on her way to Heathrow Airport. Her heart rate was going up, she texted her new boyfriend, Jonathan Johnson, an executive recruiter.

“Please be careful,” he wrote. “I’m beside myself here.”

Larvin headed to a Starbucks in an expensive shopping district and met her traveling companion, a 25-year-old woman from a town outside London. A driver picked them up in a black Mercedes and drove to an address nearby to collect the suitcases.

At the airport, they went to Emirates Airline and put the seven suitcases on the conveyor belt. The luggage entered the mouth of a 3-D scanner that uses computed tomography, or CT, to find explosives. These images, unlike at passenger security, aren’t watched by people unless the software identifies an item that might set fire or explode. The machines can be programmed to find cash, but they aren’t because they are operated by airport-security agents, responsible for passenger safety, not customs and immigration officials.

Larvin and her travel companion settled into their business-class seats, and baggage handlers stowed their suitcases below them in the hold. The trip, there and back, went without a hitch.

In October 2020, two other women weren’t so lucky. They were questioned at a Heathrow departure gate by officers of the Border Force, the agency in charge of U.K. customs and immigration. One of the women told officers she checked five suitcases to Dubai because she wasn’t sure what to wear.

“Omg shel. We’ve been held,” the woman texted Clarke, who was in Dubai. “Wtf.”

The suitcases were unloaded from the plane. They contained nearly £2 million in cash, around $2.4 million. They also had videos of bundled notes being dumped from shopping bags for repacking. Investigators suspect that the timestamped videos were intended as proof of cash transfers for money-laundering clients. Authorities identified a woman in the videos as another member of the smuggling group from a tattoo on her forearm.

Investigators searched the phone of one of the women and from that information began piecing together how Alfalasi’s money-laundering operation grew to 36 international couriers.

In December 2020, Clarke was arrested with around $9 million worth of gold on a private plane in Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, said Truby, the senior investigating officer in the case.

U.K. authorities arrested eight more alleged couriers in May 2021. Seven months later, Alfalasi unexpectedly visited London with his wife and children, staying at an apartment owned by his wife’s family on an exclusive Belgravia square.

One day around lunchtime, government investigators knocked on Alfalasi’s door. They seized three phones that revealed details of his operation, which later surfaced in court documents.

Before each trip, Clarke sent Alfalasi photos of the travelers’ passports so he could buy their airline tickets. He booked them in pairs in Emirates business class to take advantage of the extra baggage allowance. His couriers returned in economy class. Alfalasi paid with his credit card and collected the air miles.

Clarke paid the couriers for the work, as well as some expenses, such as Covid tests, from her U.K. bank account.

Alfalasi arranged for cash pickups from clients around the U.K., and managed the logistics of counting and packing the cash. He charged around 10% of the total. In Dubai, he exchanged the sterling notes into gold and local currency through banks, money changers and in parking-lot transactions.

Truby, the senior investigator in the case, said he suspected that Alfalasi and his operatives smuggled as much as $250 million from 2017 until his arrest in December 2021. Prosecutors said the cash came from criminal conduct. Alfalasi never identified his clients, according to authorities.

Alfalasi pleaded guilty in June 2022 to money laundering and was sentenced to a 9-year, 7-month prison term. The government seized around £3.5 million of Alfalasi’s assets, including a Mercedes G63, Ford pickup truck and three Rolex watches. His lawyer said in court that Alfalasi was a useful idiot for higher-ups, people whom Alfalasi never named.

Clarke is under investigation in Dubai for money laundering. U.K. authorities would like to question her and others in Dubai about their alleged involvement. Clarke’s husband launched a cryptocurrency company that sponsored boxing matches at a Dubai arena. Three of the couriers were sentenced to prison, and one was acquitted. A courier who flew $5 million in August 2020 died by suicide. Authorities said his phone contained texts with details about the operation.

Larvin and Johnson were found guilty of money laundering last year. In court, they sought to blame Heathrow, Emirates Airline and the U.A.E. for failing to ask questions. The couple and several other couriers received suspended sentences. Two other couriers were convicted in January and are scheduled for sentencing later this month.

Johnson said in texts to The Wall Street Journal that he and Larvin were two ordinary people who got hoodwinked, and he blamed corruption and politics for allowing so much cash to pass through Heathrow Airport to Dubai without detection.

If what they did was such a big crime, Johnson said, why don’t airports scan luggage for cash?

Write to Margot Patrick at [email protected]