All posts by MoralCompass

Karen Rubin, Editor & Publisher, is a veteran travel writer and publisher, who is devoted to the mission of travel: to engender understanding – of self and others – and break down the barriers and borders dividing people, while creating the economic underpinnings to sustain environment, heritage and culture and a base for uplifting, fulfilling jobs.

Lindblad Expeditions Searching for Memorabilia to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

In 1966 Lars-Eric Lindblad led the first ever citizen-explorer expedition to Antarctica – at the time it was almost as extraordinary as a lunar launch would be today. It also marked the creation of the category of expedition travel.  He opened up the remote regions of the world and countless opportunities for so many, helping them to experience and think of the world differently.

Lars-Eric Lindblad pioneered travel to the Galapagos Islands, as well as measures to protect the fragile ecosystem from being overrun by tourists.
Lars-Eric Lindblad pioneered travel to the Galapagos Islands, as well as measures to protect the fragile ecosystem from being overrun by tourists.

In 2016 Lindblad Expeditions will honor Lars-Eric’s vision and his courage in myriad ways as they mark the 50th Anniversary of these two major milestones. Their efforts begin with a search for memorabilia from Lindblad voyages in the 60s or 70s – from the legendary first expedition to Antarctica in 1966 to other remote parts of the world.  The search is on for:

  •  Expedition photos – ideally with Lars-Eric Lindblad and/or his expedition team – but all are welcome;
  •  Vintage ship photos or photos aboard the ship;
  •  Original voyage documents including vintage luggage tags, patches, pins or other collectibles: parka, tee, etc. plus any short Lars-Eric stories/anecdotes;
  •  Postcards or letters from someone on a voyage.

The collection of memorabilia will be used in a multitude of ways, including being featured (with credits) in the updated version of Lars-Eris Lindblad’s autobiography, Passage to Anywhere that will chart the history of expedition travel from 1966 to now.

To share your materials, send negatives and/or collectibles via tracked mail (please insure any items of value to you) to: Lindblad Expeditions, c/o Elissa Marton, 96 Morton Street, 9th Floor, NY, NY 10014.  Small digital files should be emailed to [email protected]; and large digital files can be uploaded to http://anniversary.expeditions.com. ; Items will be photographed and returned via tracked mail.

For more information about Lindblad Expeditions visit http://www.expeditions.com/ or call 1-800-EXPEDITION.

 

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Austin Adventures Suggests 7 Trips on 7 Continents for Fall Travel

Since inception, Austin Adventures founder, president and trip visionary, Dan Austin, had the goal of spanning the globe with world-class adventure itineraries for the intrepid traveler. This was finally accomplished in 2015 with the addition of Asia and small ship river cruising in Vietnam and Cambodia (departures offered December through April).
Since inception, Austin Adventures founder, president and trip visionary, Dan Austin, had the goal of spanning the globe with world-class adventure itineraries for the intrepid traveler. This was finally accomplished in 2015 with the addition of Asia and small ship river cruising in Vietnam and Cambodia (departures offered December through April).

Austin Adventures ( www.austinadventures.com/) has a legacy spanning more than four decades of engaging travelers on small group trips to some of the world’s best destinations for active travel. Austin is offering these seven best-in-class adventures on seven continents for the upcoming fall and winter season.

“My favorite time to travel is in the fall when the crowds thin out and you get the feeling you have a special place all to yourself,” said Dan Austin, Austin Adventures founder, president and trip visionary. “We put our collective heads together and have come up with a list of trips to either be taken in the fall when conditions are ideal or booked now before space disappears for prime-time winter travel.”

North America
Fall is prime time in Southern Utah, and Austin Adventures’ Bryce/Zion National Park Adventure (multisport or all-hiking versions) covers the best of two national parks. From $2,398 per person for 6 days/5 nights, departures are scheduled Aug. 23 (hike) and 30, Sept. 6, 13, 20 (hike) and 27 (hike). This intimate tour brings guests past multi-colored hoodoos and spires, slot canyons and hanging gardens. Hiking Zion’s Virgin River Narrows, ranked one of America’s best adventures by National Geographic, is a must-do fall activity. The miracles of geology and ultra-clear nighttime skies play stellar roles enroute. See: http://www.austinadventures.com/packages/utah-brycezion/

South America
No better time to head to the tip of South America than during fall and winter (their spring and summer). Chile – Northern Patagonia is the trip choice, priced from $5,898 per person for 10 days/9 nights, with weekly departures September through April on a custom basis with a minimum of two people. Hiking, biking, rafting and horseback riding reveal the jaw-dropping scenery in the Northern Lake district between Chile and Argentina. Artisan villages, deserts, a choice of 20 different treks and an end-of-day local Malbec to sip with exemplary local cuisine makes this journey to the end of the world worth it.
See: http://www.austinadventures.com/packages/chile-northern-patagonia/

Europe
It’s the favorite time of year for locals! Austin Adventures’ France/Provence Multisport (from $3,698 per person for 7 day/6 night departures Sept. 6 and 27 and Oct. 11) is the escape of choice. The tapestry of fertile vineyards becomes more vibrant in the fall, as ancient Roman ruins mingle with the oh-so-present fragrances of lavender, honey and thyme, and markets rife with summer’s bounty tempt between-meal snacking. But wait! A bouillabaisse and baguette with fromage de chèvre paired perfectly with a glass of crisp local rosé await. See:http://www.austinadventures.com/packages/france-provence/

Asia
Now is the time to reserve a December 2015 through April 2016 vacation in Bali (recommended travel months for this region). Bali – Indonesia Luxury Adventure, bookable with just a minimum of two people (from $5,398 per person for 13 days/12 nights), offers the seduction of this exotic Indonesian island laced with terraced rice paddies and ancient temples. Standup paddle boarding, hiking through clove plantations, chasing a pod of dolphins from the nose of an outrigger, snorkeling in a reef and biking back-country roads bring paradise up close and personal. See:http://www.austinadventures.com/packages/bali-indonesia/

Africa
After a brief hiatus as the world’s leading wildlife destination, Africa is back and prime season bookings are now being taken. Austin Adventures’ Iconic Botswana departs weekly from April through November 2016 on 11 day/10 night adventures from $8,798 per person. Wildlife on the delta viewed from your own safari tent deck, flora and fauna teeming in the wetlands of the legendary Okavango Delta and the spray of Victoria Falls mingle with the magic of the Big Five scouted on guided walks and game drives. See:
http://www.austinadventures.com/packages/botswana-iconic-botswana/

Polar
One of the last great wildernesses to be explored, Antarctica is always in high demand and anyone wanting to reserve a space on a cruise must act now. Antarctic Peninsula Small Ship Cruise starts at $9,300 per person for 11 days/10 nights exploring the southern-most continent, a frozen desert revealed by snowshoe, kayak, zodiac and from the deck of the 114-passenger M/V Plancius. Think sliding penguins, slumbering seals, 3,000-foot ice walls, and surreal sunsets.  See:http://www.austinadventures.com/packages/antarctica-peninsula-expedition-cruise/

Australia
Another superb destination for small ship cruising, Australia: Kimberly Wilderness Cruise offers weekly eight day/seven night departures in 2016 from April through August with rates from $11,095.  Champagne sunrises, helicopter flight-seeing, rainforest explorations, aboriginal drawings, hiking, mud crabbing and billabongs come with passage on the 36-passenger M/V True North that plies in luxurious fashion the waterways of northern Australia’s Kimberley Region.  See:
http://www.austinadventures.com/packages/australia-kimberley-wilderness-cruise/

All these trips include accommodations, most meals, transfers, required equipment, knowledgeable guides and more. Prices are quoted per person based on two people sharing an accommodation. More details are available by calling (800) 575-1540, visiting online at http://www.austinadventures.com/ or by contacting the company via email at [email protected].

Based in Billings, MT, Austin Adventures (formerly Austin-Lehman Adventures) has spent more than 40 years building an international reputation as a provider of scheduled small group tours and customized trips to all seven continents. In 2014, Kasey Austin, Vice President of Operations, was named the World’s Top Family Guide by Outside Magazine. In 2013, Austin Adventures joined the Xanterra Parks & Resorts® portfolio of experiential leisure offerings. Xanterra Parks & Resorts has operations in the Grand Canyon, including Grand Canyon Railway and The Grand Hotel; Yellowstone; Zion; Crater Lake;Glacier, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks; Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley National Park and five Ohio State Park Lodges as well as the Geneva Marina at Ohio’s Geneva State Park. Xanterra Parks & Resorts also operates Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., Windstar Cruises, and VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations.

 

Follow Austin Adventures: 
Website:                    http://www.austinadventures.com
Twitter Page:             https://twitter.com/austnadventures
Facebook Page:        https://www.facebook.com/AustinLehmanAdventures
Blog:                          http://www.austinadventures.com/blog

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Brilliant Displays of Northern Lights Anticipated this Winter

Northern Lights (photo by Ian Ange)
Northern Lights (photo by Ian Ange)

(Björkliden, SWEDEN)  Aurora travel experts agree that the 2015 winter season is set to be the most active start for geomagnetic storms — which cause spectacular Northern Lights displays — this solar cycle. Seen very early this fall, strong solar storms have brought the Aurora Borealis as far south as the United Kingdom. This suggests that the upcoming solar season will bring significant viewing opportunities.

Data collected in August 2015 that measures activity from the Sun, has seen a 60%*1 increase in geomagnetic storms (K index 5 or more) compared to the same time in 2014, with very powerful storms (K index 7 or more) trebling*1 over the same period.

The difficulty has been that many of the solar storms that have caused these recent displays of the Northern Lights have been difficult to predict, with many of the bigger events taking Aurora hunters by surprise.

Northern Lights travel expert Jonny Cooper, Director of Off the Map Travel, explains; “All of the data we’ve seen suggests that this could be the most active start to any Northern Lights season we have had this solar cycle. This is great news for Aurora hunters.”  He continued, “The ability to forecast solar activity, and therefore displays of the Northern Lights, is however not an exact science, with many of the recent events taking experts the world over by surprise, making it impossible to estimate how this will develop for the rest of the Aurora season.”

For those looking to get the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, experts recommend northern destinations under the Aurora Oval such as northern Sweden, Norway and Finland.

A ten-night small group guided Original Grand Aurora tour visiting some of the best Aurora viewing destinations across Norway, Sweden and Finland with Off the Map Travel costs £5999 ($9220 USD at the time of this writing) per person based on double occupancy. Flights are not included. The Grand Aurora includes an expert guide, accommodations with some meals, reindeer sledding, a Tromso guided city walk in Norway, Northern Lights dinner cruise, dogsledding tour, Aurora photography evening, Aurora Sky Station exclusive dinner trip, a visit to the ICEHOTEL in Sweden, a three-border point snowmobile trip in Finland, Northern Lights tour in a snowmobile-pulled sled, and a reindeer and culture tour. Other extras include meals in distinctive restaurants and traditional Scandinavian coffee stops on travel days.

For more information on Northern Lights holidays visit www.offthemaptravel.co.ukwww.ILoveNorthernLights.com, call +44 0800-566-8901 or email [email protected].

 

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Group IST Adds Sailing Dates to Havana to Cienfuegos Cruise in Cuba

Group travel provider Group IST is adding more sailing dates to its Havana to Cienfuegos people-to-people program, an eight day cruise of western Cuba, beginning in December 2015. With under 100 passengers per sailing, Group IST is offering Americans the only small ship cruise of Cuba, affording passengers an intimate experience of the island nation via the hospitable and welcoming setting of a mega-yacht. The program is an opportunity to step back in time to a country that has been closed to Americans for nearly half a century.

With two small ships–the Panorama and the Panorama II–sailing in opposite directions from Havana and Cienfuegos each week through April 2016, travelers explore the western part of a country renowned for its culture, music, warm people, art and, of course, cigars. The cruise offers passengers both a rich and meaningful cultural exchange program and an opportunity to relax in the beautiful natural scenery of Cuba, with chances to go swimming and snorkeling. Group IST is also adding new excursions to the popular program, including visits to Ernest Hemingway’s former home, Finca Vigia, and to one of Cuba’s largest cigar factories.

Joining the program will be an on-board Cuba specialist and an interpreter to facilitate in making people-to-people connections and meaningful exchanges between the American travelers and Cuban citizens. Emphasizing and promoting cultural exchange, the program includes excursions to venues such as museums, private art galleries, community centers, concerts, religious centers, schools and ecological centers. Program participants will have a chance to meet and get to know Cuban historians, artists, preservationists, religious leaders, educators, musicians and many typical Cuban citizens throughout eight days.

Group IST has been issued a license by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to conduct people-to-people programs in Cuba.

Havana to Cienfuegos is available from between $4899 – $5999, depending on cabin class. Price includes seven nights on either the Panorama or Panorama II, all meals from arrival in Cuba to breakfast on day of departure, mandatory Cuban medical insurance and transportation as per itinerary. For a complete itinerary, please visit: http://www.groupist.com/cuba/

Group IST (International Specialty Travel) produces content-rich, original, thematic, educational and interactive travel programs that are tailor-made for organizations and groups. The company features one-of-a-kind land and waterborne venues around the world. With a staff of tourism professionals who are recognized travel experts and scholars, Group IST is passionate about its areas of specialization.

 

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Inaugural Exhibit at Rosecliff Examines Ties Between Newport, RI and American South

(Newport, RI)  A new exhibition curated by The Preservation Society of Newport County,  Newport and Her Southern Sisters: Three Centuries of Art and Design,  runs through January 3, 2016.  The first exhibition in the newly-renovated gallery space on the second floor of Rosecliff (1902) will take visitors across three centuries to explore the relationship between Newport and the American South: from New Orleans, Charleston and Baltimore to Virginia’s fabled plantations and resorts and the winter playground of Palm Beach.

Admission to the exhibition is included as part of the Rosecliff house tour.  For details on ticket options and to purchase tickets, visit www.NewportMansions.org.

From never-before-seen ball gowns to portraits, silver and furniture, the exhibition will shed new light on Newport as a vibrant cultural crossroad over 300 years. It will tell the story in four chronological chapters: the colonial period, the antebellum period, post-Civil War & Gilded Age, and early 20th century.  Objects and costumes on display will come from several Preservation Society properties, as well as loans from the private collections of families with ties to both Newport and the South.

“The close bond between Newport and the South – through trade, tourism and marriage – didn’t stop with the Civil War.  In fact, Southerners like Alva Vanderbilt and Ward McAllister helped define Newport as the Crown jewel of Gilded Age society,” said Preservation Society Museum Affairs Director Dr. Laurie Ossman.    “We hope this exhibition will generate interest and encourage further discussion about these complex and influential economic, cultural, artistic and social relationships.”

“This is just the first of many museum exhibitions to come in our new Rosecliff gallery space,” said Preservation Society CEO & Executive Director Trudy Coxe.  “We will now be able to expand and enhance our interpretation of Newport’s architecture, landscapes, and social history because we will have space to show objects not just from our own collections but also loans from other museums that relate to the Newport story.”

Among the pieces on display during Newport and Her Southern Sisters will be an 18th century mahogany chest on stand from Hunter House, attributed to the workshops of Townsend & Goddard here in Newport.  It will be shown in two pieces–the way it would have been stored on a ship when it was sent to the Southern market.

The antebellum period will be shown as a parlor, and will explore how boarding houses gave way to the hotel boom in Newport, which then led to private cottages built by Southerners who fueled Newport’s taste for luxury.  It will feature several pieces of furniture and a silver tea service descended through the families that lived at Kingscote.

After the Civil War, marriages between Southern belles and Yankee gentlemen led to the construction of the opulent mansions of the Gilded Age.  Finally, in the 20th century, fashionable Newporters looking for a new winter playground headed south to help create Palm Beach style.

The exhibition will be housed in the spacious upstairs hallway, sitting room and two guest bedrooms at Rosecliff where climate and U/V light control, electrical systems and fire suppression systems have recently been upgraded.  The upgrades will not only allow the Preservation Society to borrow and to present objects from other accredited museums, but will improve the care and safety of our permanent collections and ensure the continued preservation of the building.

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a non-profit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history.  Its 11 historic properties–seven of them National Historic Landmarks–span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.

 

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Rare Copy of Magna Carta on Display at New-York Historical Society Sept. 23-30

The New-York Historical Society will host the only United States exhibition of a rare 1217 copy of the Magna Carta, Sept. 23-30, 2015, in honor of the 800th anniversary of i the original 1215 signing (c) The Dean and Chapter of Hereford Cathedral from the Library and Archive collections.
The New-York Historical Society will host the only United States exhibition of a rare 1217 copy of the Magna Carta, Sept. 23-30, 2015, in honor of the 800th anniversary of i the original 1215 signing (c) The Dean and Chapter of Hereford Cathedral from the Library and Archive collections.

A rare early copy of the Magna Carta, one of the most important historical documents in the world, will be on display at the New-York Historical Society for just one week, September 23-30, the only United States appearance and the first stop in a global tour of the Magna Carta, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the original signing, in 1215.

The document, a 1217 version of the Magna Carta on loan from the Hereford Cathedral, will be accompanied by the King’s Writ of 1215, also on loan from Hereford Cathedral, which is the only known surviving copy of instructions issued by John at Runnymede to local Sheriffs to prepare for the coming of the Charter.

The exhibition, “Magna Carta 800: Sharing the Legacy of Freedom,” at the New-York Historical Societyis the first stop in a global tour of the Magna Carta, in a partnership between Hereford Cathedral and the GREAT Britain Campaign, which will also pass through China (including Hong Kong), Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, and Singapore.

“The Magna Carta is a hugely important part of our history and stands as a beacon for our values today,” UK Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said. “The tour is a fantastic way of enabling people from America to Asia to see it first hand, and to reflect on all that it stands for.”

“We are thrilled to offer New Yorkers a chance to experience the Magna Carta, one of the

most influential historical documents of all time, on the occasion of its 800th anniversary,”  said Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the New-York Historical Society. “The Magna Carta established fundamental principles that inspired America’s Founding Fathers when they wrote the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, so this seminal document will allow our visitors to trace an important path of history back to its very origins.””

The document that became known as the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter,” was initially developed in 1215 and issued by King John as a peace treaty with rebel barons to address specific grievances of his rule. Although the treaty did not hold, the document established the principle that everyone, even the king, was subject to the law, with all free men granted the right to justice and a fair trial. As such, the document has enormous symbolic power, granting protection against tyrannical rule and defending civil liberties, a central source of inspiration for future constitutional documents.

On view with the Magna Carta at New-York Historical will be an original copy of the King’s Writ, issued on June 20, 1215, by King John to inform the sheriff and other royal officials in each county of the terms of the peace treaty. The 1215 treaty was modified and reissued in subsequent years, in part to garner support for King Henry III, who was just nine years old

when he succeeded the throne in 1216. The 1217 version, which will be on view at New-York Historical, was issued by John’s immediate successor,the young Henry III. and contains significant additions, which would be retained in subsequent reissues of the Charter by English monarchs. Only four copies of the 1217 version survive.

Copies of the Magna Carta have traveled to New York in the past, most notably for the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens, where it was displayed at the British Pavilion. In more recent years, copies of the document have been on view in New York and Washington, D.C., but this is the first time that the Hereford Cathedral copy has traveled to New York.

Follow the progress of the #MagnaCartaTour on Twitter @HFDMagnaCarta and Instagram. Information on Magna Carta and its 800th anniversary is available on the Magna Carta Committee’s website.

New-York Historical Society 170 Central Park West, New York, 10024, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org.

 

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Wild Planet Adventures Now Offers Wildlife Eco-tours in Fabled “Lost World” of Borneo

Wild Planet Adventures has been granted special access to lead wildlife eco-tours in the remote Maliau Basin Conservation Area, famously known as "The Lost World of Borneo" where an expedition encountered an unprecedented number of wild orangutans (©Yayasan Sabah)
Wild Planet Adventures has been granted special access to lead wildlife eco-tours in the remote Maliau Basin Conservation Area, famously known as “The Lost World of Borneo” where an expedition encountered an unprecedented number of wild orangutans (©Yayasan Sabah)

SAUSALITO , CA –

Award-winning wildlife travel expert Wild Planet Adventures has been granted special access to lead wildlife eco-tours in the remote Maliau Basin Conservation Area, famously known as “The Lost World of Borneo.” Located on the strait of Sabah, the region encompasses Malaysia’s easternmost state on the island of Borneo.

The Lost World of Borneo is one of three areas left in Borneo that encompass the last stands of the oldest rainforest on earth. Its geography – a basin surrounded by steep cliffs – has never been fully explored. Another of these areas, the Danum Valley, is also included in Wild Planet’s signature “Weird & Wonderful Wildlife Eco-tour” available in 12-and 16-day itineraries, the latter including an exclusive wildlife expedition into The Lost World of Borneo.

In April 2015 wildlife expert Josh Cohen, director of Wild Planet Adventures, mounted an extensive two-pronged expedition to Malaysia: first, to scout Borneo’s Lost World and then to investigate how to increase the percentage of rare animal sightings on its wildlife-focused tours.

Maliau Basin Conservation Area is a virtually self-contained ecosystem never inhabited by humans and where large areas still remain unexplored. Efforts are underway to nominate Maliau Basin as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cohen said.

“It’s no wonder Maliau Basin is called the “Lost World.” Here you can experience something that is nearly impossible to find anywhere else on earth: the forest floor is so pristine and untouched, if you step off the trail it is likely that no other human will have ever set foot where you are standing!”

He added that while wildlife is extremely shy, Maliau Basin Conservation Area offers perhaps the only remotely viable chance to see some of the world’s rarest animals including the clouded leopard, sun bear, pygmy elephant, Malaysian badger and the reclusive Bornean rhino.

“Wild Planet travelers will enjoy a nocturnal wildlife walk exclusive to our guests to monitor camera traps, conditions permitting,” Cohen said. Wild Planet has made special arrangements with wildlife researchers at Maliau Basin Conservation Area who will share recent camera trap photos of some of these and other rare animals.

Throughout Cohen’s Borneo scouting expedition, he and his staff went to great lengths to explore remote areas at unusual times of day, utilizing eco-responsible methods such as electric motor boats, silent safaris and ultra low-impact strategies to assure the best possible chance to spot animals not commonly seen by even the most diligent travelers. They scouted remote tributaries of the Kinabatangan River after midnight, arranged exclusive nocturnal access to wildlife-rich habitat surrounding Gomantong limestone caves, traversed uncharted riverbed trails in the Danum Valley and made special arrangements with scientific researchers to hike into remote camera trap destinations in Maliau Basin Conservation Area.

“The results were staggering,” he said. “In addition to seeing a huge volume of wildlife including 11 of the 13 primate species, pygmy elephants, tarsiers, slow loris, flying lemurs and other “gliders”, the expedition encountered an unprecedented number of wild orangutans – both alpha males as well as mothers with babies. But the highlight of the expedition was encountering an extraordinarily rare flat-headed cat, last sighted in the region nearly eight years ago, proving the efficacy of Wild Planet’s eco-responsible wildlife viewing methods.

As a follow-up to the initial scouting trip, he said “the extraordinary results continue to this day. The very first Wild Planet travelers to benefit from the new activities and destinations that we arranged saw a similar volume of rare animals, including a rare Bay owl, which had not been seen for many years.”

Both “Weird & Wonderful Wildlife” itineraries embrace Wild Planet Adventures’ unique scouting activities. They include Sipadan Reef, one of the world’s “Top 5” snorkel and dive spots, and the 16 day program also includes a visit to Seligan Island to witness sea-turtles laying eggs and the baby hatchlings returning to the sea. Both programs feature exclusive expeditions to see Borneo’s famous “gliders” – mammals, amphibians and reptiles that evolved to fly, such as Wallace’s flying frogs, colugos (flying lemurs), flying squirrels and Paradise flying tree snakes. There are also exclusive nocturnal expeditions to see Tarsiers and Slow Loris, two of the world’s smallest (and cutest!) primates.

The new 16-day Borneo “Weird & Wonderful Wildlife Eco-tour” starts at $7,798 per person, double. For details see http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/destinations/?country=borneo&trip=weird-wonderful-wildlife-16-day-borneo

The 12-day Borneo Wildlife Eco-tour starts at $6,498 per person, double. For details see:
http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/destinations/?country=borneo&trip=weird-wonderful-wildlife-12-day-borneo

For detailed itineraries, exciting wildlife photos and video galleries and booking information, visit http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/, call 800-990-4376 or email[email protected].

Follow Wild Planet Adventures:
Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/mywildplanet
Twitter:          @WildPlanetAdv
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Hilton Hotels Showcase Biking Opportunities for Guests

oThe Conrad Indianapolis has a fleet of Conrad Cruisers available for guests to use complimentary during their stay.
o The Conrad Indianapolis has a fleet of Conrad Cruisers available for guests to use complimentary during their stay.

Biking can be a marvelous activity to enhance a stay at a hotel or resort, to let you get out and explore the destination. Hilton Hotels are highlighting some of the bike rentals and tours available at their properties:

  • Hilton Burlington Vermont
    • Located on a wonderful bike trail that runs along Lake Champlain, the hotel holds 25 bikes that are free for guests to sign out with our Bell Staff. The hotel has covered bike parking with a built in repair station with pumps and tools. Not too far from the hotel there is a bike ferry that can take guests across the lake to continue your exploration.  Photo
  • Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort and The Reach, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
    • The Key Lime Bike Tour, bookable through the resort’s concierge, is a recommended guided bike tour of Key West to learn the history of the island. The tour visits top destinations like Ernest Hemingway’s House, Mallory Square, Key West’s Historic Seaport, the Famous Key West Cemetery and the Southernmost point of the United States. Guided tours cost $39 per person which includes a bicycle and helmet, a bottle of water at departure, a stop at the Key West Lime Pie company for a slice of Key Lime Pie.  Photo
  • Hilton Bogotá
    • Every Sunday from 8:30am to 2:00pm, the hotel offers guests to join a local Sunday tradition. Every Sunday, locals and tourists take to the “Ciclovía,” or cycleway, when certain streets close for automobiles and exclusively open for cyclists and pedestrians. During these hours, guests can enjoy 120 Km of cycleway across the city.
  • Conrad Centennial Singapore
    • Cycle @ Conrad is a complimentary unique fitness program for all hotel guests by the Conrad Centennial Singapore. In house guests are invited to join for a ride around town during pre-dawn hours on recommended and customizable routes (around 20-30km) starting from and ending at the hotel. The guide for the trip would be any team member who is passionate about cycling. Photo
  • Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
    • The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam offers complimentary bikes, on a first come first serve basis, which have to be returned before 10pm. The hotel can also arrange private guides to show guests the highlights of Amsterdam, Broek in Waterland or down along the Amstel to Oudekerk.
  • Grand Wailea
    • Grand Wailea guests can borrow one of 12 adult road bikes at the property and head out for an island adventure. Take a ride down La Perouse Bay, named for the French explorer, and the site of Maui’s most recent volcanic activity formed 900,000 years ago. Located at the valet desk in front of the hotel, bikes are available first-come, first-served daily from sunup to sundown.
  • Trianon Palace Versailles
    • Discover the Palace of Versailles by bicycle going down the Grand Canal to the Domaine of Marie-Antoinette, the Grand and the Petit Trianon, cycling through groves and hundred years old trees. Guests can pay for guided bike tours throughout the park of the Palace on weekends and public holidays. Photo
  • Boca Raton Resort & Club
    • Guests staying at Boca Raton Resort & Club are able to enjoy the coastal views of the Atlantic Ocean, Intracoastal Waterway, and historic Mizner Village with the ease and breeze of its four neighboring bicycle routes. From 6 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. guests can rent bicycles from the resort’s Health Club and cycle at their own leisure around the resort’s 356 acres, or along any of the four designated bicycle routes ranging from one to eight miles long. The Youth Friendly route is 1-1.5 miles long and stretches along the Intracoastal Waterway, providing a scenic, short and sweet rides even the youngest cyclists will enjoy. Bicycles costs $15 per person per hour and have no age restrictions.
  • Conrad Indianapolis
    • The Conrad Indianapolis has a fleet of Conrad Cruisers available for guests to use complimentary during their stay. Located just outside the Conrad’s front doors is the renowned Indianapolis Cultural Trail, an 8-mile urban bike trail that connects all six of Indy’s vibrant cultural districts. Flanked with public art installations, the Cultural Trail is the best way for guests to explore the city. Photo
  • Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa
    • Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa offers multiple ways for guests to bike around the city. At our on-site sport rental outlet, Action Sport Rentals, guests can rent beach cruisers, kid’s bikes, surreys and more and enjoy 28 miles of Mission Bay’s beautiful boardwalk. The resort also works with city-wide DecoBike, a company that provides bicycle sharing services. There is a DecoBike station in front of the resort where anyone is welcome to rent bikes and take a cruise around the city. Photo

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