World Spree Travel’s 12-day Incredible India tour includes the colorful Holi Festival (photo courtesy of World Spree Travel).
Bellevue, WA— Spring brings India’s famous Holi Festival, the most colorful celebration imaginable and World Spree Travel has organized a trip to take in the festival on a 12-day tour that visits India’s Golden Triangle: the capital, Delhi; the city of the Taj Mahal, Agra; and the famous “pink city,” Jaipur, plus two days and two overnights in Ranthambhore National Park to see the elusive royal Bengal tiger. The tour, including air fare from San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, departs March 5, 2017.
For good reason, Holi is also called the Festival of Colors. Friends, family and even strangers paint the town and its inhabitants, rubbing colored powder on each other’s faces. Some celebrants get really carried away and throw the powder and colored water at each other in a true explosion of color. Though it is a Hindu religious festival, it is also a Technicolor feast for photographers.
Based on ancient Hindu legends, the festival starts with huge bonfires that symbolize the victory of good over evil (and also burn away the remains of winter). The following day begins with the throwing of colors, then singing and dancing, eating and drinking and exchanging gifts in a great joyous spectacle. The celebration on the streets even bridges the usual social barriers and rich and poor, high and low, everyone tosses colors, hugs and wishes the other “Happy Holi.”
World Spree Travel’s India Holi trip, departing March 5, 2017, starts at $1,999 and includes round-trip flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Houston, luxury hotels, daily buffet breakfast, six other meals, sightseeing with entrance fees, wonderful guides and baggage handling. The 12-day tour visits India’s Golden Triangle: the capital, Delhi; the city of the Taj Mahal, Agra; and the famous “pink city,” Jaipur, plus two days and two overnights in Ranthambhore National Park to see the elusive royal Bengal tiger. Joining in Jaipur’s Holi Festival, World Spree tour participants are given special white clothing to face the riot of colors, while they enjoy special drinks, snacks and local performers who sing, dance and make merry.
For more information about World Spree’s Incredible India Holi tour, visit www.worldspree.com and click “Tour Packages” and then “India,” or call 866-652-5656.
STOCKBRIDGE, MA – Widely recognized as a Northeast hub for culture and music, the Berkshires are enticing travelers to find artistic inspiration this winter during Art Appreciation Season. Three renowned properties under the Main Street Hospitality Group umbrella, Porches at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Hotel on North in Pittsfield and the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, have banded together to offer visitors value-added stays and access to the region’s leading museums.
“Art has a year-round home in the Berkshires with more than 30 museums and several renowned theater companies in the region. We’ve coined this Art Appreciation Season to help visitors find creative ways to enjoy the quieter winter months in the Berkshires,” says Janet Eason, vice president of marketing at Main Street Hospitality Group. “Each of the three properties are conveniently located with an array of cultural events and inventive regional cuisine nearby for guests to enjoy.”
While seasonal favorites like Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow “take five” for the winter, visitors can tour numerous indoor galleries at places like the Clark Art Institute and Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown or MASS MoCA, one of the country’s largest contemporary art museums, in North Adams. and the Norman Rockwell Museum (9 Route 183 Stockbridge , MA 01262, www.nrm.org). In Pittsfield, the 10×10 Upstreet Festival draws a crowd each February with ten 10-minute plays by 10 playwrights at the Barrington Stage Company and “10 Days of Play” at the Berkshire Museum.
Main Street Hospitality Group welcomes Art Appreciation Season with three value-added packages, including:
“Museum Mania!” at Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA
Located across from MASS MoCA in North Adams, Porches Inn offers guests overnight accommodations with the “Museum Mania!” package. Also included are breakfast and two passes for two to MASS MoCA and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Rates start at $219 on weekdays and $275 on weekends, per night. Offer valid now through May 19, 2016, based on availability. Blackout dates may apply. For more information, call 413-664-0400 or visit http://www.porches.com/.
“Museum Break” at Hotel on North in Pittsfield, MA
In celebration of the fifth annual 10×10 Upstreet Festival, Hotel on North invites guests to make winter break a true work of art with the “Museum Break” package, available from February 12 through 21, 2016. The package includes overnight accommodations and two adult passes to the Berkshire Museum. Children’s tickets can be purchased at the hotel’s front desk. Kids also eat for free when ordering from designated kids menu and receive a special Lego toy upon check-in (10 years and under). Prices start at $270 per night, based on double occupancy. Blackout dates may apply. For more information, call 413-358-4741 or visit http://hotelonnorth.com/.
“The Norman Rockwell Experience” at Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA
A living museum in its own right, Stockbridge’s Red Lion Inn offers guests overnight accommodations, breakfast for two and two passes to the treasured Norman Rockwell Museum. Rates begin at $235 on weekdays and $305 on weekends, per night, inclusive of taxes and meal gratuities. Offer valid for booking now through May 26, 2016, based on availability. Blackout dates may apply. The Red Lion, made famous in Norman Rockwell’s painting, is a member of Historic Hotels of America. For more information, call 413-298-5545 or visit http://www.redlioninn.com/.
Formed in 2013, Main Street Hospitality Group is a hotel management company founded originally at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, with a long tradition of excellence in preservation, innovation, sustainability and operations. As owners and operators of some of the most distinctive hotels in the Berkshires, the company’s mission is to deliver unparalleled experiences for guests, employees and owners through an authentic approach to hospitality, service, and management. Main Street’s management hotel portfolio includes The Red Lion Inn, The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA, The Williams Inn, Williamstown, MA, and Hotel on North, Pittsfield, MA. For more information, visit www.mainstreethospitalitygroup.com or call 413-298-1610.
Jame Mosque in Yazd is a 12th c mosque still in use today (c) Joe Staiano, Meaningful Trip
“My god, Iran is one of the most magical places I’ve ever traveled to, with some of the friendliest people on the planet,” says Joe Staiano, founder of Meaningful Trip, a Seattle-based tour company, after visiting Iran last May.
His experience motivated him to organize this year’s “Founder’s Trip” around a single departure of a 13-day tour through Iran, May 3-15, 2015.
“Iran offers 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the history of Persepolis, amazing museums, world-famous gardens such as Eram Gardens, tantalizing Persian cuisine, and some of the warmest and most hospitable people on the planet,” he says.
The tour visits Shiraz, Presepolis, Esfahan, Yazd, Kerman and Tehran, and features a village homestay, cooking class and a unique overnight in a desert caravanserai.
“As founder, I personally vet all local tour operator partners. I check for safety, safety of routes and locations along the itinerary, quality of transport, cleanliness of hotels, I was in Iran in May of 2014. I found it to be one of the safest countries I have ever visited. (and I have been to 80 countries).”
About 2,500 Americans visit Iran in a year, but all have to be part of an authorized tour. Two other US tour companies include MIR Corp and Caravan Serai, which offer two-week tours for around $4,500 – 6,000.
“Americans must first get an ‘Authorization Number’ issues from the tour agency. Then, they can apply for visitor Visa. Meaningful Trip will help facilitate this ‘Authorization Number’,” Staiano says.
This is Meaningful Trip’s first organized program into Iran, and is limited to 14 participants.
The tour price of $2,595 includes accommodations in four-star lodging, most meals, English-speaking female guide, entry fees.
Meaningful Trip is a pioneer in responsible travel with 20 years experience – operating trips to India, Nepal, Colombia, Baja Mexico, Vietnam, Turkey. A portion of each trip goes to support women’s empowerment, poverty, health, education and hunger programs. Meaningful Trip is one of only six USA tour operators to sign ECPAT’s Code of Conduct to help fight trafficking and exploitation of children.
A sense of timelessness shrouds the land of Myanmar. Pacific Delight has introduced a 7-night tour showcasing the Buddhist culture-steeped destination.
With demand for Myanmar growing exponentially, Pacific Delight Tours is launching a seven-night package showcasing the Buddhist culture-steeped destination formerly known as Burma. Rates start at $1,599 (land portion) per person, based on double occupancy, for travel April through September 2015.
A sense of timelessness shrouds the land of Myanmar with its tropical plains, Himalayan foothills, teak-filled jungles and the mangrove-lined Ayeyarwady River. Participants will experience Myanmar’s culture firsthand with visits to Amarapura, Mandalay, Sae Ma Village, Bagan, Yangon and a boat excursion on Inle Lake. Travelers will enjoy sights such as the Mahagandayon Monastery, a pagoda sunset visit and tours of each city included in the itinerary.
The rate, from $1,599 per person, based on double occupancy (single supplements start at $599) includes deluxe accommodations at Hotel Amazing in Mandalay, Inle Resort in Lake Inle, Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort in Bagan and the Rose Garden Hotel in Yangon.
For an enhanced experience, participants can upgrade to luxury hotel accommodations at Sedona Hotel in Mandalay, Pristine Lotus Spa Resort in Inle Lake, The Hotel Tharabar Gate in Bagan and Sule Shangri-La Hotel in Yangon. The luxury upgrade starts at $1,799 per person, based on double occupancy (single supplements start at $769).
Each itinerary includes initial arrival and departure airport transfers, ground transportation, domestic intra-Myanmar flights, daily breakfast, English-speaking guides, sightseeing and admission fees and the USTOA $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program.
International airfare is not included, but can be purchased from Pacific Delight Tours at competitive rates at the time of booking.
Cambodia Extension: Travelers visiting Myanmar with Pacific Delight Tours can extend their stay in Southeast Asia with a three-day visit to Cambodia to view Angkor Wat, the crown jewel of Khmer architecture, with accommodations at Royal Angkor Resort in Siem Reap. The add-on is available from an additional $249 per person, based on double occupancy (single supplements from $109). Airfare between Myanmar and Cambodia is not included, but can be arranged via Pacific Delight Tours.
Contact Pacific Delight Tours at 800-221-7179 or visit www.pacificdelighttours.com for more information or to book or contact a travel agent.
Throughout 2015, special exhibits and events will celebrate Van Gogh’s life and work in Holland.
July 29 2015 marks exactly 125 years since Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) died. The Van Gogh Europe Foundation, a collaboration of around 30 organizations, is using the occasion to honor the Dutch artist under the theme ‘125 Years of Inspiration’, because the artist still inspires and is still very much ‘alive,’ even 125 years after his death.
Activities are being organized throughout the year in various towns in Holland, Belgium, France and England that figured in the life and work of the artist. Never before has there been cooperation on this scale between the organizations, museums and heritage sites which are actively engaged in preserving and promoting Van Gogh’s heritage.
From January 24 to 17 May 17, 2015 the Mons 2015 Foundation, in its role as European Capital of Culture will stage the exhibition Van Gogh in the Borinage, the birth of an artist in the BAM Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). During his stay of almost two years in the Borinage (1878-1880) Vincent van Gogh ended his career as a preacher and made the choice to become an artist. In Belgium, he quickly developed a love of the aspects of everyday life of peasants and workers. About 70 paintings and drawings from various international collections will be on display in this exhibition, including major loans from the Van Gogh Museum and the Kröller-Müller Museum.
In the Kröller-Müller Museum Van Gogh & Co will take place from April 25 to September 27. The exhibition will concentrate on the traditional genres at the end of the 19th century: still life, vista/perspective, nature, cityscape and portrait. More than 50 works by Van Gogh, including paintings and drawings from various periods will be combined with those of his contemporaries from the museum’s own collection. Visitors will have the chance to draw parallels and discover how Van Gogh dealt with the various genres.
The North Brabant Museum (Het Noordbrabants Museum) is in discussion with the internationally acclaimed artist, designer, entrepreneur and pioneer Daan Roosegaarde (b.1979) about an exhibition (June to August 2015) inspired by Van Gogh. Studio Roosegaarde has previously developed a 600 metre innovative cycle track for the Eindhoven region inspired by the famous painting ‘Starry Night’ (Museum of Modern Art, New York), as part of the Van Gogh cycle route which was opened in May 2013. It is expected that the interactive cycle track will be completed by autumn 2014.
The Van Gogh Museum will unveil its ambitious exhibition Munch : Van Gogh (September 25 2015 to January 17, 2016). Both Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch (1863-1946) are renowned for their emotionally charged paintings and drawings, their personal and innovative styles and lives filled with hardship. Both strove to modernize art by portraying existential and universal themes in expressive visual language. Despite the many striking parallels in their works and artistic ambitions, plus the fact that they are regarded as each other’s counterparts, these great masters have never before been brought together in one exhibition.
Apart from these larger museum projects numerous activities are being prepared at the various heritage sites. The 2014 cultural season (April 5 to August 31) in Auvers-sur-Oise where Van Gogh died and was buried already has a Van Gogh theme under the name ‘In the footsteps of Van Gogh’ and this theme will continue into 2015 and 2016. Also throughout 2015 activities inspired by Van Gogh’s life and work will be organized at locations in Brabant where Van Gogh lived and worked. These programme details will be announced later this year.
Four organizations form the basis of the Van Gogh Europe Foundation: the Van Gogh Museum, the Kröller-Müller Museum, Van Gogh Brabant and Mons 2015, European Capital of Culture. Under the collective name of Van Gogh Europe they form the core of collaboration between about 30 organizations in Holland, Belgium, France and England which are actively engaged in promoting Van Gogh’s heritage.
Van Gogh 2015 European Tours Launched
Holland’s largest coach operator, Oad Bus, and the Van Gogh Europe Foundation are supporting the 125th anniversary of the death of Vincent van Gogh next July with a program of specially themed group tours that combine ‘fast-track’ admission to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam with visits to related museums, galleries and cultural events across Holland, Belgium and France.
Oad Bus, is a full-service destination marketing company for mainland Europe and it has developed these special group itineraries in partnership with the Van Gogh Museum, the Kröller-Müller Museum, Van Gogh Brabant, the Keukenhof Museum and the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions.
All of the ‘Van Gogh 2015’ itineraries are based on a core program of two-, three- and four-day tours within Holland that visit Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, the Kröller-Müller Museum, the Van Gogh Theme Garden, the Taste of Van Gogh, the Noordbrabants Museum, the Van Gogh Village in Nuenen, and the Vincent van Gogh house in Zundert.
Longer itineraries, of between five and eight days in duration, include visits to Van Gogh Brabant and the city of Mons (the 2015 European Capital of Culture) in Belgium; the Musee d’Orsay and Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent van Gogh is buried, in Paris; and Arles in France where Van Gogh painted his famous sunflowers.
All of these programs start and end in Amsterdam, close to where Oad Bus keeps its ultra-modern fleet of luxury coaches and where coach groups arrive in the Netherlands from the UK via the ferry ports of Harwich, Newcastle and Hull and from most major airports.
There’s even a potential English element to these itineraries comprising historic properties in Ramsgate in Kent and Isleworth in West London where Vincent van Gogh lived and taught in 1876 and as identified by Blue plaques in both locations.
‘Van Gogh 2015’ luxury coach was recently launched in the Kröller Müller Museum in Holland where Oad Bus unveiled a brand new and specially artworked ‘Vincent Van Gogh’ 48 seat coach, (illustrated). This stunning coach will be used, wherever possible, for all Van Gogh 2015 itineraries, adding to the status and attractiveness of these unique tours (www.oad.nl/vakantie-type/van-gogh).
Cycling Through Van Gogh’s Life
At the Holland.com website, there are marvelous cycling itineraries that link important sites connected with Van Gogh’s life.
For example, a 335 kilometer cycling route takes you through five towns and cities of the Brabant landscape loved by Vincent van Gogh, discovering the sites that were so important in his life and shaped Van Gogh as an artist. The Van Gogh cycling route follows the bicycle junction system and is marked with Van Gogh route signs. It runs for a total length of 335 kilometres, but you can also pick one of the shorter partial routes.
The route starts in Zundert, where Van Gogh was born. Today this is the site of the Van GoghHuis museum, where you can view beautiful presentations about his life and work. You will also visit Tilburg, where Van Gogh first attended drawing classes in secondary school. You will have the opportunity to visit Vincents Tekenlokaal, where the drawing classes took place.
Other interesting sites are Etten-Leur, where you can visit the Vincent van Gogh Information Centre at the old sexton’s house and explore how Van Gogh adjusted to his new life as an artist. In Nuenen, 21 sites that influenced Van Gogh await your visit at Van Gogh Village. The final destination is Den Bosch, where the Noordbrabants Museum has original works by Van Gogh on display.
Key addresses in the route: Opwetten Watermill, Opwettenseweg 203, Nuenen; Home of the Potato Eaters, Gerwenseweg 3, Nuenen; Former rectory, Berg 26, Nuenen; and Vincent’s drawing class, Stadhuisplein 128, Tilburg (See: http://www.holland.com/global/tourism/interests/van-gogh-2015/van-gogh-cycling-route-brabant.htm).
Tara Tours’ Discover the Inka Empire features a visit to Machu Picchu.
Tara Tours is promoting a six-night “Discover the Inka Empire” itinerary that features private guides and services for six nights, priced from $2175 per person/double occupancy, including local airfare, hotels, and sightseeing.
This program lands in Lima where you stay for 2 nights with private transfers, private city tour and 2 nights of hotel accommodation.
Then on to Cuzco. A quiet morning is spent here in order to get used to the high altitude and to allow time to explore the surroundings. During the stay in Cuzco, once known as the Capital of the Inka Empire, there is a private city tour and visit to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Puca-Pucara, Tambomachay and other archeological sites nearby.
The next day you travel by bus and train to one of the most exciting places on earth “Machu Picchu”. Temples, palaces, towers and staircases are built into the side of the mountain. Here a private local tour guide takes you from site to site explaining the advanced world of the Inkas.
The group overnights in the village of Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu Town, just at bottom of Machu Picchu ruins.
The next day is at leisure, so you can go back to explore “The Lost City of Inkas” or visit the Inka Thermal Baths of Aguas Calientes and visit the local market. Mid-afternoon return to Cuzco.
On the way back, there is an opportunity to enjoy incredible views of the Andean peaks, the Urubamba Valley and the powerful Vilcanota River.
The itinerary departs daily from the United States.
The cost per person including domestic airfare Lima-Cuzco-Lima via local airlines and all private ground arrangements with daily breakfast, entrance fees, Vistadome train tickets, private tours, private transfers, room taxes-service charge, is $2175 based on double occupancy at 3-star properties; $2590 pp/dbl using 4-star properties or $3706 using 5-star hotels.
These rates are in effect from Dec.1, 2014 to Nov.30, 2015
Airfare is available from Miami from US$650-850, New York $750-950, Los Angeles $900-1100 and add-ons from other major cities are available upon request.
Tara Tours Inc., which has been operating tours to Latin America since 1980, is based at 12002 SW 128 CT, Suite 209, Miami, Fla.33186, 305-278-4464 or 800-327-0080, www.taratours.com.
Macedonia Experience (www.macedoniaexperience.com) introduces “Culinary Experience,” a 10 day/9 night sampler with hands-on demonstrations of traditional Macedonian cuisine.
SKOPJE, REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA – Sitting due north of Greece and near Turkey is Macedonia, a yet-to-be-discovered country just beginning to pop up on the culinary radar thanks to cheese, wine and wild game.
Macedonia Experience (www.macedoniaexperience.com) introduces “Culinary Experience,” a 10 day/9 night sampler with hands-on demonstrations of traditional Macedonian cuisine combining Balkan and Mediterranean characteristics of fresh fruits and veggies, mountain-grown herbs and local wines. Toss in Turkish tastes that prevailed during long centuries of Ottoman rule, a few wild game dishes and gustatory senses will be overjoyed.
This pepper-spiked adventure includes accommodations (guests select the class of hotel they desire); all transfers, tours and activities; ingredients for the preparation of dishes; guidance and tutorials for preparation of the dishes in a traditional setting; and the services of a tour guide. This tour is offered year-round for a minimum of two people or a maximum of 12. An average tour cost for guests booking medium-priced hotels throughout the journey starts at €2000 per person, double based on four participants. macedoniaexperience.com/specials/culinary-experience-trip-around-macedonia
Guests transfer from Skopje Airport to their hotel in the historic town of Skopje, inhabited since 4000 BC. Here the culinary games begin. Lunch is in a restaurant built in a traditional style with live Macedonian music surrounded by the mystery of the Old Bazaar where wines and spirits (mainly rakija, a typical Macedonian spirit made by distillation of fermented fruits) and cheese are served in bars and eateries. The next day a pre-breakfast visit to a pazar (typical market) introduces foods and spices before a traditional breakfast of pastry with chorba (a minestrone-type soup). Guests learn how to prepare makalo (gravy), pot cheese and proja (preparation of cornmeal into a type of bread). Later comes a wine and cheese tasting before dinner at a winery near Skopje.
Days 3, 4 and 5 bring guests to Mavrovo National Park to sample wild game specialties, an exploration of Ohrid, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a market tour to purchase ingredients to prepare selsko meso (Macedonian and Balkan pork and mushroom dish) and pastrmajlija (Macedonian bread pie made from dough and meat). Embroideries, musical instruments and objects made of clay are also available in the markets. A visit to a handmade paper workshop (one of only seven in the world where the paper is made in the original Chinese way from the 2nd century BC.) shows how this paper was used on Gutenberg’s original printing press from the 15th century. The equipment and clothing here are 100% authentic.
Days 6 and 7 continue with tours and tastings in Bitola and Krusevo, distinguished as the highest town in the Balkans. Guests learn how to make lokum (traditional sweets) before sampling region-wide famous Krusevo sausage and kebab. Next come Krusevo pies filled with cheese, leeks, cabbage and spinach. An enologist meets the tour in the Tikvesh wine region before visiting the ancient ruins of Stobi and passing on to Berovo, a small town near the Maleševo Mountains where nature combines with the history of the Ottoman Empire. Guests prepare their own dinner here. At Berovo Lake guests mingle with locals who share their customs through handicrafts, musical instruments, songs and dances preserved for centuries. Guests dine in a traditional sheepfold on ingredients sourced locally before departing the next day.
For more information and reservations contact the North America representative office: 866-748-8867, or by email: [email protected].
Vienna– Context, organizer of critically acclaimed walking tours, expands its program in Vienna, with Tasting Tradition: An Appetite for Austria, a new gastronomic experience that uncovers Austria through a multicourse annotated meal.
The influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire continues to have an impact on local cultures, including contemporary Austrian cuisine. At the same time, regionality is heavily reflected in the country’s culinary traditions, and continues to shape its cuisine today. This three-hour annotated meal tells the rich story of Austria past, present and future, offering a menu of foods from the nine federal states, each of which have their own unique terroir and cuisine. Led by a scholar of food anthropology, the experience takes place in an exceptional restaurant in the vibrant capital.
Tasting Tradition: An Appetite for Austria comprises five courses with optional wine pairings. Choices include goulash, different types of dumpling, the world-famous Wiener Schnitzel (veal), as well as pork roast, pan-fried carp, pasta, poppy-seed specialties, and seasonal dishes based on apricots and asparagus, chestnuts, chanterelle, game and pumpkin. The experience also offers the opportunity to sample some cold cuts, regional cheeses, and of course drinks and dessert – including the legendary Kaiserschmarrn.
The dinner sets the scene for discussions about Austria’s eating habits, Vienna’s burgeoning streetfood scene, issues around produce procurement and availability, as well as food trends, from Asian fusion and fifties Americana to organic and vegan to burgers and cupcakes. Breaking bread together, participants learn about how tradition and modernity have collided to create an exciting and truly multicultural food culture.
“We developed this meal as a new and unique way for visitors to picture Austria throughout history, by sampling its culinary heritage and geographic variety,” says food anthropologist Katerina Nussdorfer, who co-designed the tour. “It’s also a chance to find out firsthand just how royal Kaiserschmarren really is, and experience the untranslatable Germanic feeling of Gemütlichkeit – the art of cosy joy in the company of good people and good food.”
Tasting Tradition: An Appetite for Austria lasts 3.5 hours (including 30 minutes transport time) and is available Tuesday to Saturday at 6 pm (excluding December 22, 2014 to January 2, 2015). Group walks cost €75 per person. Private tours cost €330 per party. Tasting fee is €65 per adult and €55 per child up to age 16. As with all Context walking seminars, groups are led by a credentialed expert and limited to six (6) people maximum.
Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and designer Lani Bevacqua, Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead walking seminars in twenty-five (25) world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Tokyo, Kyoto, Amsterdam and Buenos Aires. A certified B Corporation, Context Travel was named one of the fastest growing American companies in 2011 by Inc Magazine. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit its website at:www.contexttravel.com
Explorateur Journeys has launched Chef On Wheels, a trip infused with special experiences of Uruguayan gastronomy, interactions with local chefs, instruction on traditional dishes blended with an active cycling adventure that gets travelers up close and personal with quaint villages and a traditional slice of life.
The journey begins with insider access to a special winery, where guests can bike trough the charming town of Carmelo, tasting along the way and stopping for a home cooked Uruguayan asado. They’ll enjoy dinner one evening with a celebrated local chef who will prepare a “secret menu” for them based on the “La Cuisine Secret” invitation-only nomadic dining concept that’s become popular with local foodies.
As travelers move on through the country, they’ll shop in a fresh farmers market with a local chef and try their hands at local secret recipes that the chefs will dispel in a gorgeous kitchen, paired with a string of exclusive cocktails.
Back in Montevideo, time will be spent cycling along the beach and into small towns, with access to special art exhibitions along the way and more home cooking in a cozy chef’s kitchen.
The journey rounds out with a cycling and canoeing adventure at the Garzon lagoon, where a boat crossing brings guests to a hidden “Lagoon Shack”, where a local chef prepares lunch and provides an opportunity to mix and mingle with village children who attend special cooking classes designed to help educate the local community.
For more information, visit www.explorateurjourneys.com, email [email protected], @theexplorateur, facebook.com/theexplorateur. For more travel features, visit:
Natural Habitat Adventures’ 12-day “Undiscovered Cuba” explores Cuba’s intriguing culture and stunning tropical ecosystems and facilitates people-to-people contacts.
Natural Habitat Adventures, a premier ecotourism company, has unveiled a new “Undiscovered Cuba” 12-day itinerary that explores Cuba’s intriguing culture and stunning tropical ecosystems on an educational exchange that promotes people-to-people contacts designed to provide a human perspective of this captivating Caribbean island nation that has long been inaccessible to American travelers.
Travelers will experience the vibrant cultural centers of Havana and Trinidad as well as virtually unknown national parks, rare botanical gardens, lush tropical ecosystems and fabulous birdlife, and have opportunities to interact with Cuban scientists, naturalists, park managers, academics, organic farmers, community activists, artists, business owners and others eager to share their stories.
“This is a rare opportunity to embrace the daily lives of citizens here. Cuba has been off-limits to American tourists for decades. We are among a select few companies to secure a special U.S. government permit through the newly established People-to-People program, allowing us to offer this exclusive travel opportunity to our privileged guests,” said Ben Bressler, Natural Habitat’s founder and president.
2015 departures, each for a maximum of 15 guests, are: Feb. 10, Feb. 27, and Apr. 18. The per-person double occupancy rate is $7,695, based on a group size of 10 or more. Both international and internal flight costs are in addition to the trip fee. Internal air is $550 (subject to change). Nat Hab books the international flight from Miami to Cienfuegos, Cuba, and the return from Havana to Miami. These flights are organized through a licensed charter company authorized to provide direct flights to Cuba. (See http://www.nathab.com/central-america/undiscovered-cuba)
In addition to Cuban culture and history, the trip also showcases Cuba’s natural resources and diversity. Highlights include World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and hosted visits to organic farms and community-run ecotourism projects, such as:
Zapata National Park. Situated on Cuba’s southern coast, this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covers 1.5 million acres harboring some 1,000 plant species, of which 130 are endemic to Cuba, and showcasing a great diversity of habitats such as grasslands, mangroves, varied types of forest, coastal lagoons and coral reefs. “As far as we know, we are the only current People-to-People tour operator including it in their itinerary,” said Bressler.
Viñales National Park & the Viñales Valley embrace dramatic 250-million-year-old loaf-shaped limestone mountains laced with caves. These karst formations have been worn away by hundreds of years of erosion, becoming small islands that are self-contained ecosystems. The trip visits Cuevo del Indio (Cave of the Indians), the largest system of underground caves in Latin America.
Las Terrazas is an ecotourism center in which a sustainable rural economy has been developed based on the use of local natural resources and a strong focus on public environmental education.
“Accommodations are always the best available and extend an understanding of culture and history through their locations.”
The Grand Hotel Trinidad transports guests to the elegance of 16th-century Cuba under Spanish influence, with gracious archways and wrought-iron balconies. The colonial-style Hotel La Ermita offers magnificent views of the Viñales Valley, and in the heart of Havana the luxurious Parque Central is a mix of colonial and modern elements. Sunswept Playa Larga Beach on the southern coast along the Bay of Pigs is home to the Hotel Playa Larga, which offers basic accommodations with easy access to Zapata National Park.
Participants meet in Miami for an orientation and an overnight at Sofitel Miami Hotel. A chartered flight the next day makes the short hop to Cienfuegos where the group is joined by its local Cuban guide. The program includes a myriad of planned yet unscripted people-to-people exchanges enhanced by an exclusive immersion into Cuba’s rarely visited natural world. Spend the first afternoon in Cienfuegos, which is recognized as an outstanding early example of urban planning in Latin America. At the Cienfuegos Botanical Garden, enjoy identifying tropical flora and fauna accompanied by botanist Roger Pazos.
Driving on to Trinidad, there will be opportunities to meet the local people through music and the arts, including dining at one the city’s best private restaurants where guests chat with owner Lazaro Orellana who talks about operating a small private business in Cuba. There’s a visit to a community library where the director discusses how books are selected and the role of government censorship, a invitation to a traditional pig roast, and a visit to a late 18th-century plantation house, the Trinidadian residence of Julio and Rosa Munoz (Julio is a photographer, business owner and esteemed horse trainer).
On ensuing days the route moves west to the Zapata Peninsula where there will be ample opportunities to discover the rich endemic plant and bird life – look for the Fernandina’s flicker, one of the rarest woodpeckers in the world. Cruise down the Rio Hatiguanico hoping to sight rarely seen crocodiles.
En route to Viñales, the group stops at Las Terrazas and lunches with restaurant owner Tito Ramos who explains the business opportunities of private restaurants called paladares.
Explore Viñales National Park accompanied by Emma Palacios Lemagne, who has worked in the park for 25+ years. She is the leading gastropoda biologist and conservationist in Cuba.
Four full days in Cuba’s vibrant capital of Havana conclude the journey, with highlights including a traditional Cuban lunch at the Hotel Nacional, a stroll through Old Havana with a prominent architectural historian and an invitation to the National Theater to watch a dance class at the Danza Contemporánea de Cuba.
Natural Habitat Adventures has been a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism since 1985. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s trips appeal to travelers who seek more than the standard, done-before tour commonly found in today’s marketplace. Itineraries are artfully crafted, one-of-a-kind experiences that are far from “typical.” Natural Habitat Adventures enjoys the reputation for employing some of the finest naturalist expedition leaders. Conservation is at the forefront of everything the company does, and its philosophy about environmentally responsible travel is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting precious natural resources. NHA is the travel partner of the World Wildlife Fund, sharing a commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the planet’s wondrous natural places.
For trip information, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations call 800-543-8917 or visit www.nathab.com.
