Originally Posted by
pax britanica
the even more exotic Tokyo-HK-Colombo-Seychelles Mauritius (?) - Joburg , which involved some complex schedule juggling to get the actual plane back to LHR.
I believe this one, which lasted well into 747 days, on Hong Kong licences, and which later became a Cathay route, was actually run as a triangle, to minimise the time (both aircraft ands crew) away from Heathrow, running London-Tokyo-Jo'burg-London.