Respected Australian military historian and author Mat McLachlan is partnering with AmaWaterways for a series of history tours in 2027. Here, he talks exclusively with Karryon about why river cruising and history tours are a perfect fit.
“My love of history was sparked at a young age; I was fascinated with stories from the past, especially about the Anzacs and military history,” says Mat McLachlan, founder of the highly acclaimed Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours.
“My grandfather served in World War II and his brother had been killed in that war, so I grew up in a family that understood service and sacrifice.
“As a journalist, my speciality was travel and history, but I have always been most interested in translating what you can read in a history book to what you can see on the ground.
“History doesn’t belong on dusty bookshelves – it’s a living thing, and we can best connect with it by walking the ground.”
After McLachlan published Walking with the Anzacs in 2007 – based on his research in Belgium and France – he says it was a “fairly natural next step to invite people to walk the ground with me”, so he launched Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours in 2007 and led the first tour for Anzac Day 2008.
“I’ve been fortunate that so many Australians want to visit battlefields around the world, and we’ve expanded to include the Western Front, Gallipoli, Thailand, Vietnam and more. Australians love combining two national passions – remembering the Anzacs and travelling the world.”
History and the world’s waterways
Having successfully trialled a few D-Day Normandy itineraries from Paris with a cruise operator in 2023 and 2024, McLachlan decided to find a river cruise company that could take the concept further.
“AmaWaterways has an excellent reputation for being innovative,” McLachlan explains.
“When I first mentioned the concept to Steve Richards, AmaWaterways’ managing director AU/NZ, he was very enthusiastic.
“Steve put the concept to AmaWaterways’ international team, and they were all on board. It has been fantastic working with such a supportive international river cruise partner.
“Even though our history cruises have a very important theme, they are still a holiday, which is why river cruising works so well. During the day we will be exploring important battlefields from history, and in the evenings we will be enjoying great food, wine and entertainment with new friends.
“There are also ample opportunities to join Ama’s excellent regular shore excursion program, so the culture and landscape of the destinations are an important part of the journey.”
2027 itinerary highlights
AmaWaterways’ four eight-day history cruises in 2027 are built around sites of historic battles and significant anniversaries. Each group is escorted by a dedicated historian (plus McLachlan on his signature cruise).
“As anyone who’s done our tours knows, some of the best experiences are often shared over a cold drink at the end of a day, when the historian and passengers relax and share stories,” McLachlan says.
“That’s the big difference between simply doing a shore excursion to a historic site and travelling for the whole journey with your historian.”
Anzac Day: Holland & Belgium (Amsterdam round-trip departing 23 April) takes in three pivotal chapters of history – Waterloo, WWI and WW2 – and will commemorate Anzac Day at the Menin Gate in Ypres before exploring the surrounding WWI battlefields.
D-Day Anniversary Cruise (Paris round-trip to Normandy, departing 3 June) explores Normandy’s WWII battlefields. The highlight will be commemorating the 83rd anniversary of D-Day on the Landing Beaches.
Riches of the Mekong and Vietnam War (Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City, departing 9 August) on Ama’s latest Mekong vessel, AmaMaya includes Vietnam War sites. The cruise offers a five-day land extension to visit the Cu Chi Tunnel and war sites in Ho Chi Minh City, Long Tan (on Vietnam Veterans Day) and Vung Tau.
Mat McLachlan’s Signature Cruise (Amsterdam round-trip to Belgium, departing 18 September) is the cruise he is escorting in 2027.
“Cruising through Belgium and the Netherlands gives us the opportunity to visit three significant battles: Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, the Ypres Salient from WWI and WWII’s ‘A Bridge Too Far’ airborne landings across the Rhine.
“We will be in Ypres for the anniversary of the Battle of Menin Road, an Australian victory from 1917, and in the Netherlands during the anniversary of ‘A Bridge Too Far’.
We will participate in commemorative services, which adds an emotional extra dimension to the journey. Our group will sail on AmaSofia, which launches in August 2026.”
AmaWaterways AU/NZ managing director Steve Richards says what he loves most is that the cruise supports its philosophy that people don’t just travel to tick places off a list.
“Thousands of passionate Australians have followed Mat’s work for years. Some guests are drawn to tracing their family history and relatives who fought in these wars, while others are generally curious about these fascinating periods in history. We’re so excited to be running these sailings next year and look forward to expanding the offering in the future.”
Lasting memories
McLachlan points to one tour in particular that sums up the reason he is so deeply passionate about what he does.
“It’s always a privilege to take someone to the battlefields for the first time. Several years ago, I escorted a group that included Don, a Vietnam veteran who was travelling on his own.
“For most of the tour, he hadn’t said much and kept mostly to himself. On one of the last days, we visited a cemetery specifically so Don could see the grave of his great-uncle who had been killed in 1917.
“Don explained that he was the first family member to visit the cemetery. He approached the grave, dropped to his knees and started to weep. It was incredibly emotional for the whole group. People who had been strangers only a week before were now hugging Don and sharing this very special moment.
“This type of experience really does bring people together – it has stayed with me ever since.”
For more information, visit Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours, AmaWaterways.
