Bellevue, WA — One of the most photogenic events in a fabulously photogenic country is the annual October Pushkar Camel Fair, which draws 11,000 camels, horses and cattle, and is part tribal gathering, part livestock market and part colorful carnival. World Spree Travel has put together a 14-day tour that showcases the highlights of northern India—Delhi, Agra and Jaipur—plus a safari in search of the royal Bengal tiger, but two departures also include the amazing Pushkar Camel Fair, all for only $1,999 or $2,049 from San Francisco (New York and Los Angeles are $50 more).
The October 22 and October 27 trips cover round-trip flights on Air China, 5-star hotels in the cities and deluxe accommodations in the tiger sanctuary and Pushkar, daily buffet breakfasts, 12 other meals, all transportation in India, comprehensive sightseeing with entrance fees, two game drives in Ranthambhore National Park, professional English-speaking tour manager/guides, and baggage handling.
Everyone will marvel at the sights of the Golden Triangle: the monuments and markets of Old and New Delhi, Agra’s breathtakingly-beautiful Taj Mahal, and the pink city of Jaipur with its palaces and bazaars, as well as the elusive royal Bengal tiger. But photographers will be especially thrilled by the Pushkar Camel Fair, where herders, traders, entertainers and thousands of camels stream out of the desert to set up camp near the town of Pushkar. Camel races, livestock exhibitions, street vendors, tented bazaars and contests add to the spectacle. And since Pushkar is holy town, there are also pilgrims bathing in the town’s sacred lake. It is all a true cultural phenomenon.
While travelers will enjoy all this exoticism during the day, at night they can relax in luxurious-but-familiar hotels like the Vivanta by Taj in New Delhi, the Hilton in Jaipur and the Courtyard Marriott in Agra. The charming, bungalow-style Ranthambhore Kothi offers beautiful gardens, a swimming pool and spa adjacent to the tiger sanctuary. And just outside Pushkar, accommodations are in a deluxe tented village that boasts private bathrooms and standard hotel amenities.
Those travelers who wish to see even more of northern India should know about the 17-day Epic Journey to India with Pushkar Camel Fair, which also departs on October 22 and 27 and costs $2,799 or $2,849.
There are post-trip extensions to Nepal and Amritsar and, to take advantage of China’s 72-hour visa-free stopover program, World Spree offers a 3-day/2-night Beijing package that includes hotel, breakfasts and airport transfers.
All prices are per person double occupancy. For more information, visit www.worldspree.com or call toll-free 1-866-652-5656.
World Spree Travel, which started 10 years ago as China Spree with tours of China, is a tour operator renowned for its 5-star trips at 3-star prices. Based in Bellevue, Washington, World Spree has expanded all over Asia and now operates tours to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bali and, yes, Peru. Japan and Sri Lanka are coming soon. Notably, 70% of World Spree’s tour participants are repeat clients who value well-planned trips at a reasonable price.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Wildland Adventures is offering a series of trip giveaways, the first being a trip for two to Thailand and Cambodia.
SEATTLE, WA – To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Wildland Adventures is offering a series of trip giveaways, the first being a trip for two to Thailand and Cambodia. The online contest is underway and concludes at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 3, 2017.
Interested travelers may enter the Wildland Adventures Thailand & Cambodia Trip Giveaway by visiting the company website at http://wildtripgiveaway.com/ and completing and submitting the online entry form. Additional entries can be earned by referring friends or by visiting a number of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram as explained on the contest page.
“Thanks to our intrepid travelers, we continue to expand our global community. What better way to express our gratitude and celebrate 30 years of ‘Going Wild’ than to give away a trip to Thailand & Cambodia, welcoming two lucky winners into our family of adventure travelers,” Kurt and Anne Kutay, Directors
Joining this birthday bash are two highly respected travel partners. The winning duo will be outfitted with a load of travel gear from Eagle Creek and prAna. Included from Eagle Creek are two Expanse Carry-Ons and two Expanse Flatbed 29” luggage pieces. prAna will donate four items of prAna travel clothing to each person.
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), of which Wildland Adventures is a charter member, is also helping promote this festivity through their consumer website www.adventure.travel. Adventure.Travel showcases the best adventure companies and stories inspiring travelers to explore the world in a passionate and responsible way.
The Trip Giveaway winner and guest will have time to build their excitement over the Thailand & Cambodia Trip where travel may be scheduled from Aug, 30, 2017 to May 31, 2018. Upon arrival in Bangkok (flights not included), a Wildland Adventures guide will meet them at the airport and help settle them in to the first of several boutique hotels they’ll enjoy enroute.
The sights of old and new Bangkok reveal themselves while bicycling through the city and then cruising by boat the Chao Phraya River, virtually the city’s lifeline. After absorbing Bangkok’s cultural treasures comes a visit by car and long tail boat to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya dating to the 15th century. Moving from ancient history to tropical jungle reveals one of Asia’s largest intact monsoon forests, home to several hundred wild elephants, as well as tiger, leopard, Asiatic black bear, sambar deer, gibbon, macaque, and several species of hornbill.
Although the pleasures of Thailand are far from exhausted, this tour next brings guests to theThai-Cambodian border and on to Siem Reap’s Angkor Archeological Park, visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking and one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, if not in the world. Stretching over some 400 square kilometers, the park contains the magnificent remains (think Angkor Wat) of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. In the course of a bike ride along the Siem Reap River are children waving in small villages where cyclists see palm wine and sugar production, basket weaving and rice farming before transferring to the airport for the flight home.
The Kutays three decades ago birthed a new travel concept they call The Wild Style. This means consciously choosing to travel deeper, not farther; to experience a world that craves our understanding and compassion rather than our judgement; to visit communities that seek to welcome us rather than entertain us.
“Today we feel at home in the pivotal global movement to build inter-personal, inter-cultural and environmental bonds among the people and the places we travel,” said Kurt Kutay. “Over the course of our 30-year journey, we have held firm to a truth that travel may be the most important path to a growing global community which sustains – rather than degrades — life on earth. We do this not between nations but through conscientious individuals and communities who care about Mother Earth, economic inequities and social injustices.”
For more information on these and all of Wildland Adventures’ worldwide offerings, availability and reservations call 1-800-345-4453 or email [email protected]. Visit http://www.wildland.com/.
Bellevue, WA—World Spree Travel’s 10-night Amazing Vietnam trip is a good deal anytime, but early birds who plan ahead will find that September/October prices are a real steal, ranging from $1,799 to $1,899. This covers round-trip international air, including taxes ad fuel surcharges; all transportation and transfers in Vietnam; luxurious hotel accommodations; an overnight cruise on gorgeous Halong Bay; daily American buffet breakfasts; four other delicious meals; private sightseeing tours and entrance fees; professional, English-speaking tour guides; baggage handling; (and no scheduled shopping traps, the company insists).
But price and value are not the only attractions. This exotic country, lapped by the warm waters of the South China Sea, has some of the friendliest people on the planet , a beautiful landscape and a rich history dating back 5,000 years. Over the centuries it was occupied by China and France, both of which left influences in its culture, architecture and cuisine.
The tour takes in the charming capital, Hanoi, with its parks, tree-lined avenues, French-colonial buildings and mementos of Ho Chi Minh. It includes an overnight cruise on a deluxe little cruise ship on Halong Bay, famous for its spectacular seascape of limestone peaks and islands. There’s a glimpse of Danang and China Beach on the way to Hoi An, an old port town with photogenic architecture and atmospheric riverside restaurants that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then to Hue, the former imperial capital on the Perfume River, known for the impressive Citadel with it pavilions and palaces. And, finally, a flight to the bustling city of Saigon, officially known as Ho Chi Minh City, with its French-colonial landmarks and wartime headquarters of the South Vietnam government.
Optional excursions include a tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison; a cyclo tour of Hue, with dinner at the Imperial Citadel; a dragon-boat cruise on the Perfume River; a cruise to the scenic Mekong Delta; a trip to the fascinating underground Cu Chi Tunnels; and, to take advantage of China Airlines’ stopover in Taipei, a 3-day/2-night package—4-star hotel, breakfasts, transfers—that allows time to see Taipei’s world-class museum and enjoy some fabulous Chinese cuisine.
All prices are per person, double occupancy, and are subject to availability. There is no extra charge for credit cards. For more information about the Amazing Vietnam tour, visit www.worldspree.com, click “Destinations,” then “Vietnam,” or call toll-free 1-866-652-5656.
World Spree Travel, which started ten years ago as China Spree with tours of China, is a tour operator which boasts “5-star trips at 3-star prices.” Based in Bellevue, Washington, World Spree has expanded throughout Asia and now operates tours to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bali and, yes, Peru. Japan and Sri Lanka are coming soon. Note that 70% of World Spree’s tour participants are repeat clients who value well-planned trips at a reasonable price.
STOCKBRIDGE, MA –The Berkshires of Massachusetts invites travelers to rediscover the celebrated arts scene this winter during Art Appreciation Season. Two properties under the Main Street Hospitality umbrella, the historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge and Porches at MASS MoCA in North Adams, are offering value-added stays with access to the area’s most sought after museums.
While summer favorites like Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow take their annual winter hiatus, the months of January through April – dubbed “Art Appreciation season” – encourage visitors to explore creative ways to enjoy the wide array of arts, culture and regional cuisine available.
“The Berkshires is home to more than 30 of the country’s most renowned museums and theater companies. As the peak season crowds subside, winter is an ideal time to truly enjoy the many cultural offerings the region has to share,” says Janet Eason, vice president of marketing at Main Street Hospitality.
This season guests can tour acclaimed collections including the first full exhibition on America’s most successful animation partnership, “Hanna-Barbera: The Architects of Saturday Morning,” at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, and American fabric sculptor Nick Cave’s “Until” at MASS MoCA, one of the country’s largest centers of contemporary art located in North Adams. For visitors interested in theatre, the annual 10×10 Upstreet Festival in Pittsfield entertains crowds every February with 10-minute plays by 10 playwrights at the Barrington Stage Company and “10 Days of Play” at the Berkshire Museum.
Main Street Hospitality welcomes guests to Art Appreciation Season with two value-added packages:
“The Norman Rockwell Experience” at Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA
The historic Red Lion Inn invites visitors to explore the hometown of one of America’s most beloved artists with the “Norman Rockwell Experience” package, available through May 25, 2017. The package includes overnight accommodations, a $50 dining voucher and two passes to the Norman Rockwell Museum where guest can get an up-close look at the work of Rockwell and others who defined American illustration. Rates start at $220 per room, mid-week and $295 per room on Friday’s ¾ taxes and meal gratuity not included.
“Museum Madness” at Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA
Located just steps away from MASS MoCA, the Porches Inn at MASS MoCA places visitors in the heart of the Berkshires celebrated contemporary arts scene. The Porches Inn “Museum Madness” package includes overnight accommodations for two, complimentary continental breakfast and two tickets to both MASS MoCA and the Clark Art Institute. Available through April 30, 2017, rates start at $200 per night mid-week, taxes not included.
For more information on Art Appreciation Season, visit here.
Formed in 2013, Main Street Hospitality 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.
San Francisco, CA — Like the Roman Empire, China’s Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) forged one of the most powerful, advanced civilizations of the ancient world, and its elite had it all: unbridled luxury, technical innovations and courtly romance. On Feb. 17, 2017 the Asian Art Museum unveils Tomb Treasures: New Discoveries from China’s Han Dynasty, an original exhibition of more than 100 dazzling works recently unearthed from the coastal heartland of classical Chinese culture.
Never before seen in the United States, these outstandingly crafted royal burial goods survived over 2,000 years underground. Together, they reveal how the early Han courts sought to glorify their statures in this life and in the next one: by creating delicate jade body suits sewn with gold threads, exquisitely decorated coffins, ingenious “smokeless” lamps, silver and bronze banquet utensils and ritual bell sets that still ring.
“In addition to luxuries, royals surrounded themselves with domestic wares that surprise us with their intimate portrait of private life during the Han dynasty,” says the museum’s newly appointed curator for Chinese art, Fan Zhang. “We have everything from a large silver basin for taking baths, to a working stone latrine with an armrest, to a boldly designed ceramic urinal — we even have two hollow bronze phalluses that could be used.”
Tomb Treasures exposes the lifestyles and private pleasures of the Han nobility. Coming four years after the wildly popular Terracotta Warriors exhibition at the Asian Art Museum, Tomb Treasures features even newer finds from Jiangsu province, near present-day Shanghai, telling a rich story of early China through these rare artworks and artifacts. The exhibition will be organized into three thematic areas:
Everlasting happiness without end (長樂未央): Luxurious life and palatial entertainment. Learn more about daily life, meals, and pastimes of the Han elites and experience the music and dance of the court.
Eternal life without limit (長生無極): Worship of jade and search for immortality. Enter a tomb-like atmosphere to explore ancient ideas about the afterlife.
Enduring remembrance without fail (長毋相忘): Private life and intimacy at the court. Uncover long-lost love affairs and explore secrets from the innermost chambers of men and women fascinated by pleasure.
“This exhibition underscores how connected we really are to the past, that we share the same passions across time and culture,” says museum director and exhibition co-curator Jay Xu. “These tomb treasures show how the Han people’s ambitions relate to our own pursuit of comfort and security today. The search for longevity, the craving for immortality, the yearning for a joyful life and a satisfying afterlife — is it the sweetness of this world that inspires our hopes for the next?”
A public Opening Party on February 16, themed “In the Afterlife” will kick off Tomb Treasures with music, live performances and dancing. This evening party will also inaugurate the museum’s popular 2017 Thursday Night Programs season, which takes place from mid-February to late-September.
Tomb Treasures: New Discoveries from China’s Han Dynasty is organized by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the Nanjing Museum. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of The Bernard Osher Foundation, The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations, Warren Felson and Lucy Sun, Angela and Gwong-Yih Lee, Fred Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation, in memory of Ben and A. Jess Shenson, Hok Pui Leung and Sally Yu Leung, and Sampson C. and Faye Shen Fund.
The Asian Art Museum–Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture is one of San Francisco’s premier arts institutions and home to a world-renowned collection of more than 18,000 Asian art treasures from throughout Asia spanning 6,000 years of history. Through rich art experiences, centered on historic and contemporary artworks, the Asian Art Museum unlocks the past for visitors, bringing it to life while serving as a catalyst for new art, new creativity and new thinking.
Information: 415.581.3500 or www.asianart.org. Never miss a moment: @asianartmuseum.
VANCOUVER, BC – Spiritual ceremonies hearkening to ancient times take center stage when a small group of inquisitive travelers embark on a Jan. 28-Feb. 5, 2017 tour with Sacred Earth Journeys to explore the culture and archaeology surrounding Maya sacred temples in Mexico and Guatemala.
Sacred Earth Journeys , a leader in spiritual travel since 2003, has engaged two of the world’s top specialists to guide its Maya Temples of Transformation tour. The nine-day, eight-night journey is priced at $3,580 per person, double occupancy.
Freddy Silva is a best-selling author, researcher of ancient knowledge systems, alternative history and earth mysteries, and one of the world’s leading metaphysical speakers. His book, The Lost Art of Resurrection: Initiation, Secret Chambers and the Quest for the Otherworld, reveals how ancient mystery schools taught secrets about life and death.
Co-leader Miguel Angel Vergara is a master of Maya wisdom. He studied for 17 years with a Mayan elder and wisdom keeper. He now teaches traditions including shamanism, philosophy and healing. The author of The Sacred Knowledge of the Maya, he enjoys helping others experience the powerful energy of Mayan sites.
The program starts in the Mexican State of Chiapas near Palenque with a cleansing ceremony and meditation in a cave hidden behind a waterfall. At the Palenque complex the group can experience a “Breath of Life” ritual, symbolizing a living resurrection. Containing some of the finest examples of Maya architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings in the world, the ancient city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Another tour highlight is an Usumacinta River boat journey along the Guatemalan border with a breakfast stop in the pristine jungle. The destination is a sacred site most outsiders rarely see, Yaxchilan, where initiates once performed secret rites believed to enable time and space travel.
In Guatemala, the group will explore Tikal, a vast complex that features the tallest of all Mayan pyramids, said to allow attunement with the stars. One of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya, it was declared a National Monument in 1931 and then a National Park in 1955 becoming one of Guatemala’s first formally protected areas. In 1979 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“This is an inner journey as well as an exciting cultural exploration,” said Helen Tomei, President of Sacred Earth Journeys. “It’s a rare opportunity for modern pilgrims to discover how ancient Mayan wisdom can help them connect more deeply with themselves, their planet, and the cosmos.”
For more information, program availability and reservations please visit www.sacredearthjourneys.ca, email: [email protected], or call toll-free: 877-874-7922 (Local number: 604-874-7922).
Ruth Behar, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan is leading a tour, March 1-5, 2017, focused on the first public Celebration of Jewish Culture in Cuba, a landmark event bringing together art, theater, music, dance, and literature. The trip will highlight all the ways that Jewish Cuban heritage is alive and vibrant and open to the world.
“The story of the Jews in Cuba is like no other Jewish story. Jews arrived on the island at the beginning of the 20th century, mostly from Turkey and Poland, and brought with them the strong Sephardic and Yiddish cultural traditions,” she says. “These Jewish immigrants couldn’t help but succumb to the stunning vitality of Cuban culture and so they created a unique fusion of Jewish and Cuban culture. In recent years, a Jewish cultural rebirth has taken place in Cuba that has received a boost thanks to the many bridges being extended between Cuba and the United States. With the outpouring of enthusiasm for Jewish Cuban culture, this is an ideal moment to go and celebrate how Cuba became a refuge and a home for the Jewish people.
“Learn about the culture of Cuba, meet the Cuban people, interact with members of the Jewish community, and get to know the Jewish Cuban heritage and the vibrant ways in which that heritage is being interpreted by a new generation. You will experience the eclectic architecture of Havana and learn about the Jewish presence in the city, dine at the most charming home restaurants, and enjoy musical concerts of Klezmer, Sephardic, jazz and Jewish-Cuban fusion music.”
Highlights include:
Greeting from Adela Dworin, president of the Jewish Community of Cuba and David Prinstein, vice-president of the Jewish Community of Cuba, Patronato Synagogue. Known as the Patronato, Cuba’s major Jewish community center was designed by famed architect Aquiles Capablanca and founded in 1953. It maintains its beautiful facade with the symbols of the twelve tribes of Israel and a modernist arch rising to the heavens. In recent years, the Patronato has become a crossroads for Jews from all over the world.
The group will meet with Adela Dworin, president of the Jewish community of Cuba, and David Prinstein, vice president of the Jewish community of Cuba, who will provide a welcome for the first public Celebration of Jewish Culture in Cuba, followed by a performance of Jewish and Cuban dancing as well as a musical concert of Sephardic music and dance at the Patronato Synagogue, and a dessert buffet from Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions in Cuba.
Havana in a Grand Manner at the Cafe Jazz Miramar: A Jewish-Cuban Jazz concert with Ernan Lopez Nussa and invited friends who will play an exciting mix of Jewish and Cuban jazz standards at a new club with a superb sound system and a relaxed atmosphere that has become a hot spot of Havana’s jazz scene.
Walking Tour of La Habana Vieja and its four plazas with a special focus on the old Jewish neighborhood, featuring visits to the Adath Israel Synogogue and at the kosher butcher shop, ending at the Callejon de los Peluqueros and meet Papito, a hair stylist and cultural activist who has spurred the revitalization of the area.
Presentation by Ayleen Robaina, a specialist in architectural preservation who works with the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana, Palacio del Segundo Cabo, who will speak about the intersection of Jewish history and architecture in La Habana Vieja. This event will take place at the recently restored Palacio del Segundo Cabo, originally the Royal Post Office of the Spanish Crown dating from 1772.
Poetry and Handmade Books at Espacio Altamira: Cuban-American poet Richard Blanco will perform a special poem written in honor of the Celebration of Jewish Culture, to be followed by a presentation of handmade books also specially prepared for the occasion by book artist Rolando Estévez and his independent imprint El Fortín. This event will take place at the Espacio Altamira, a gallery conceived by artists Yamilé Pardo Menéndez and Edel Bordón Mirabal.
Concert of Jewish-Cuban Musical Fusion at Fabrica de Arte Cubano: Sephardic music with Harmonic Motion’s Myriam Eli and Joe Zeytoonian, and Klezmer music with Frank London and other musicians.
These events will take place at the Fabrica de Arte Cubano (FAC), a thriving arts space housed in a defunct cooking oil factory that includes art galleries, a dance space, a cinema, and several independent bars and small eateries. Founded by X Alfonso, a respected musician from a musical family, this is one of the most exciting large-scale art collectives in Cuba.
Poems, Testimonies, and Stories of Jewish Heritage, with Cuban writers and members of the Jewish Cuban community & La Camerata Romeu: This literary presentation and performance will be followed by a chamber music concert by the world renowned Camerata Romeu of classical Jewish and Cuban music. The events will take place in La Habana Vieja at the Convento de San Francisco, a former basilica and monastery built at the end of the sixteenth century, now an art space and concert hall.
A performance of Hatuey, a theatrical opera based on the work of Yiddish-Cuban writer, Usher Penn, produced by Michael Posnick (theater scholar) with Frank London (composer) and Elise Thoron (libretist) with the collaboration of Cuban actors, musicians, singers, and dancers from La Opera de La Calle. The group will attend the gala opening of the production and then stay afterwards for an after-party with the creators, cast, and musicians.
On Saturday morning, guests have the option to attend Shabbat Services with the Jewish community at any of the three Havana synagogues (Patronato Synagogue or Centro Hebreo Sefaradi or Adath Israel) or take a guided city tour of Modern Havana.
Afternoon visit to the workshop on Sephardic music and dance with Myriam Eli and Joe Zeytoonian and on Klezmer music with Frank London and Klezmatics, Centro Hebreo Sefaradi, Calle 17, corner of Calle E.
Farewell dinner and special concert with Amadito Valdes, one of the remaining original musicians from the Buena Vista Social Club, and his band at Club Habana.
The five day/four night long tour program, taking place March 1 -5, 2017, includes transfers, Cuba visa, local transportation, guides, four nights accommodations, two lunches, four dinners, three museum visits, all concerts and events in the itinerary ($3795 with accommodations at Hotel Melia Cohiba; $3670 with accommodations at Hotel Capri; single supplement $750).
Ruth Behar, the event organizer, is a Cuban-born cultural anthropologist and writer who brings an intimate knowledge of the Jewish community and the world of Cuban arts and letters through more than twenty-five years of return visits and engagement with her compatriots. Ruth is the editor of the pioneering anthology, Bridges to Cuba, author of An Island Called Home and Traveling Heavy, and director of the film, Adio Kerida, about the Sephardic presence in Cuba. Her novel, Lucky Broken Girl, about her Cuban-Jewish immigrant childhood in New York, is forthcoming with Penguin Random House. Ruth has formed close ties with the Jewish community of Cuba and is proud to be working with the community to create the first international Celebration of Jewish Culture in Cuba.
Cuba Tours and Travel is a full-service Miami-based travel agency with 15 years of experience offering expert-driven cultural travel to Cuba. The tour company is licensed by the US and Cuba and are fully insured. “Most importantly, we have an abiding love for Cuban art and culture and have strong connections to the cultural institutions on the island.
For more information contact [email protected] or call 888 225-6439 Ext. 804.
UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rapa Nui National Park (photo credit: Zegrahm Expeditions)
NEW YORK—Members of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) offer travelers ease of access to UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the globe. From well-known sites such as Stonehenge and Victoria Falls, to unparalleled access to places like Iran’s historic cities of Pasargadae and Persepolis, USTOA members continue to recognize the importance of these sites and include them in packaged travel options for travelers across the world. UNESCO showcases and protects the world’s most cherished cultural and natural wonders while adding new World Heritage Sites to the prestigious list each year. This year’s World Heritage Committee decision to add 24 culturally significant sites brings the list total to 1,031 sites throughout 163 countries.
“By including UNESCO World Heritage Sites in their itineraries, USTOA members offer travelers a exceptional way to experience some of the world’s most fascinating and bucket list worthy sites,” said USTOA President and CEO Terry Dale. “Each year our members are excited to learn about new inductions and look for ways to include them in future expeditions.”
Following is a sample of USTOA member tour operators offering a chance to explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the globe.
Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island, is home to an impressive cultural landscape and intriguing Polynesian history. Zegrahm Expeditions offers explorers a 20-day journey from Tahiti to Easter Island to experience Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, during its “Tahiti to Easter Island: Marquesas, Tuamotus & Pitcairns” trip. Travelers discover the shrines and ancient figures, known as moai, built by the Polynesian society who settled on Rapa Nui around 300 AD. This tropical vacation also offers stunning views of volcanoes and the chance to snorkel amid vibrant reefs. Available November 5, 2017 from $19,980 per person.
Alexander + Roberts is bringing travelers to Iran for unparalleled access to 11 of Iran’s 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites during the “Persian Moments Private” itinerary. During this 13-day private tour, guests will visit the only bazaar in the world recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as discover Pasargadae and Persepolis, cities of the Achaemenid Empire. Available in 2017 and 2018.
Guests on African Travel Inc.’s 10-day “Southern Explorer” tour will hike alongside the mighty Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Other highlights include dining in the home of a local Capetonian family, discovering breathtaking scenery at the Cape of Good Hope and searching for the “Big Five.” Available throughout 2016, prices start at $3,895 per person.
Adventures by Disney’s“Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Family Vacation” visits three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Angkor Archeological Park, the world’s largest religious monument; Luang Prabang, a town with rich architectural and artistic heritage; and Hoi An, an ancient trading port. Starting at $5,599 per person and available June through August 2016 with more departures in December, the adventure is rounded out by a Tuk-Tuk Temple Treasure Hunt, cooking class and an interactive experience with a Tai-Chi Master.
During Globus’“The Best of Southern England” seven-day tour, guests get the chance to visit some of the most recognizable UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Stonehenge, the City of Bath, Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret’s Church. Historical and beautiful, this trip starts at $1,549 per person land only.
For further inspirations or to search for dream travel itineraries and destinations, visit www.ustoa.com/dream.
Representing more than $13.5 billion in revenue, the member companies of U.S. Tour Operators Association provide tours, packages and custom arrangements that allow nearly 8 million travelers annually unparalleled access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value and freedom to enjoy destinations and experiences across the entire globe. Each member company has met the travel industry’s highest standards, including participation in the USTOA’s Travelers Assistance Program, which protects consumer payments up to $1 million if the company goes out of business. As a voice for the tour operator industry for more than 40 years, USTOA also provides education and assistance for consumers and travel agents.
‘India: My Second Home’ Kosher Itinerary Departs January 10, 2017
A local Jewish woman explains how mezuzot (encased Hebrew parchments) are common in Diaspora communities throughout India
NEW YORK, NY – Pacific Delight Tours is teaming up with Rabbi Marvin Tokayer and the Foundation for Remote Jewish Communities (FRJC) to create a series of specialized Kosher Jewish interest tours. The program will launch with the India: My Second Home tour and will be expanded throughout Asia and other enticing global destinations where travelers can meet and learn about lesser known, yet thriving Jewish Diaspora communities.
“In addition to an interest in viewing history Through Jewish Eyes™ with an insight into the fascinating remote Diaspora communities, travelers who observe kashrut (kosher guidelines) have specific dietary requirements which are not satisfied by typical tour programs,” said Rabbi Tokayer. “In order to keep kosher in distant places, we arrange visits to Jewish Community Centers with first-class kosher restaurants. Additionally, in places where there is no synagogue, Hindu and Buddhist vegetarian restaurants allow us to keep kosher as these restaurants serve no “life” – no meat, poultry, fish, eggs or even milk. They allow us to keep kosher while experiencing some unique local cuisine.”
Dr. Katz poses with members of India’s Jewish Community
Led Dr. Nathan Katz, a leading authority and award-winning author on Indian Jewish life, India: My Second Home is a two-week deluxe tour with opportunities to meet and interact with India’s diverse Jewish communities in Kochi (Cochin), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi and Agra. The program departs on January 10, 2017.
The program visits many “must-see” sights, including the iconic Taj Mahal, Elephanta Caves and other UNESCO World Heritage sites. Travelers will learn new traditions at Shabbat services and dinners in Mumbai and New Delhi, tour Kochi and Kolkata’s historic synagogues with local members of the Jewish community and experience Kerala’s scenic backwaters by boat while exploring rural Jewish settlements. Guests will also enjoy a scenic rickshaw ride through Old Delhi along with cultural music and dance performances.
“India is known for its antiquity and modern high-tech, its spirituality and Bollywood swagger, its bustling cities and pristine nature – a cultural kaleidoscope at the center of the world’s largest democracy. But what’s typically not known is India’s long history as one of the most hospitable homes in the Jewish Diaspora,” said Dr. Katz. “For centuries, Jews found a haven in which their traditions flourished. So too, they’ve been among India’s great mystics, taken center stage in Bollywood, served as mayor of major cities and produced the country’s greatest military hero, General J. F. R. ‘Jack’ Jacob, and most celebrated patron saint of 17th century Indian poetry, Sarmad Kashani.”
“India is fascinating not only for its sacred cow, the Taj Mahal and Hinduism, but it is also home to the least known and most benevolent Jewish Diaspora, including a Jewish kingdom established in the 5th century. Jews have lived in India for well over 2,000 years without a trace of anti-Semitism. I was surprised to learn so much about Jewish history of which I was previously unaware during the creation of this program,” noted Charmaine Lau, Operations Manager at Pacific Delight Tours. “This is truly a fascinating experience and we are very excited to work with Rabbi Tokayer and the Foundation on similar programs throughout China and global destinations.”
Pacific Delight’s kosher tours utilize deluxe hotels such as Mumbai’s five-star Taj Mahal Tower overlooking the Gateway of India and Arabian Sea. Other accommodations may include the Vivanta by Taj-Malabar Hotel in Kochi, the Oberoi Grand Kolkata Hotel, Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi and Agra’s ITC Mughal Hotel (hotels may be substituted with similar class accommodations at the discretion of Pacific Delight and the Foundation for Remote Jewish Communities).
The fully-escorted tour is available from $7,195 per person, based on double occupancy. Rates include deluxe accommodations, all meals (kosher or strictly vegetarian), all intra-India flights, the services of an English-speaking escort and local guides including acclaimed scholar Dr. Katz, enticing cultural events and personalized photos/travel blog of the trip. All taxes and gratuities are included so there is no need to tip drivers, escorts, guides or hotel staff.
International airfare and visa processing fees are not included and can be arranged by Pacific Delight Tours based on competitive market rates at the time of booking.
Dr. Katz is distinguished Professor, Emeritus, at Florida International University where he was director of Jewish Studies and founding director of the Program in the Study of Spirituality. He has written 15 books, including The Last Jews of Cochin and Who Are the Jews of India? A Fulbright scholar who has spent more than eight years in South Asia, Dr. Katz was delegate to the 1990 Tibetan-Jewish dialogue hosted by the Dalai Lama, which was chronicled in the bestselling book, The Jew in the Lotus.
The tour cost includes a $900 per person tax-deductible donation to Rabbi Tokayer’s FRJC, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit educational charity that is devoted to preserving and promoting the endangered Jewish communities on the periphery of the Diaspora. Since its inception in 2003, FRJC has distributed nearly $1 million for Jewish libraries, scholarships and sustainable farming projects. Learn more at www.frjc.org.
Consult your local travel agent to book, contact Pacific Delight Tours at 800-221-7179 or visit www.PacificDelightTours.com for more information.
The Jewish Vienna Walking Tour is led by a small group of historians, visiting key sites in Vienna, including: the City Temple, Holocaust Memorial, and neighborhoods of notable Jewish residents like Theodor Hertzl.
Docents from the Context network around the world share their insight and views on some of the greatest Jewish Heritage sites in the world, including their favorite synagogues and critical Holocaust Memorials that you must visit if you consider yourself an informed world citizen. See: Holocaust Memorials Around the World and Jewish Synagogues Across the World
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 thirty-seven (37) world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Milan, Paris, London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Cartagena, Istanbul, Athens, Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Amsterdam, Milan, Dublin, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Montreal, Melbourne, and Sydney. 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 the website at: www.contexttravel.com.
