Global Travel Guide 2010

We’ve got a new crop of great adventures. Walk or Woks? Kayaks or Chianti? There’s something for everyone.

This is just a taste of what’s in the magazine. Read the entire GLOBAL TRAVEL GUIDE 2010 in Issue 73!

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Angola
4×4 Expedition
Angola is one of Africa’s least-traveled countries. You’ll explore it self-contained and highly mobile, with the freedom that only a four-by-four and a tent can bring. The wonders of this country begin on arrival, with sundowner drinks at Tundavalle, a volcanic fissure overlooking Lubango with its head above the clouds. You’ll drive for 230 kilomtres down a narrow beach squeezed between towering dunes and crashing waves. And you’ll explore little-known natural highlights like the rocky desert topography and Mopane forests of Iona National Park, home to the nomadic Himba people. As if that weren’t enough, you’ll also venture south into Namibia to soak up the spray of thundering Ruacana Falls and the world-famous wildlife of Etosha National Park. This is an off-the-track adventure for those who crave the simplicity of sleeping rough under the stars, in a country where few tourists have yet to tread.

The Adventure Travel Company
Phone: 1-888- 238-2887
Length/Departures: 11 nights / 12 days Departs 11 May, 24 May, 9 June, 23 June, July 8, July 23, August 7, August 21,  and September 5
Accommodations: 10 nights camping / 1 night Lodge/Chalet
Price: $3225 USD
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Cameroon
Western Beaches & Jungles
Experience Africa’s natural beauty and unique culture as you take part in this month-long wildlife adventure. Journey through Cameroon’s largest city, Douala, and relax on Limbe’s volcanic black sands or the glitzy beach resort of Kribi. Head into the rainforest to visit chimps and endangered drill monkeys and keep your eyes open for lions, antelope and ostriches as you soak in the hot springs at Yankari National Park. Take pleasure in the bustling nightlife of the economic capital of Benin and learn about the spirit of voodoo as you listen to the tribal drumming in the former Portuguese city of Agbodrafo. Full of adventurous excitement, this trip is action packed and great for any traveller who likes to keep on their feet.

Intrepid
Phone: 866-360-1150
Length/Departs: 34 days/year-round
Accommodation: Hotel, camping
Price: $2,300 plus trip kitty $480 US
Difficulty: Moderate

Egypt
Footsteps of Alexander
Follow in the footsteps of one of the world’s most influential and well-remembered conquerors.  Begin in Cairo with a visit to the pyramids and Sphinx before taking a night train to Luxor where you are free to explore the city. Cross the Nile River at dawn and ride into the rising sun on donkeys, headed toward the Valley of the Kings, as so many great adventurers have done before. Relax in Aswan and feed your imagination at the Alexandria Museum. Hike to the top of a summit in Aqaba, enjoy an afternoon Jeep safari in Petra and explore Jerash, one of the grandest ancient cities in the world, before visiting the spectacular Amman.

Gecko’s Grassroots Adventure
Phone: 866-338-8735
Length/Departures: 19 days/year-round
Accommodations: Hotel, hostels, trains
Price: $2,060-$2,575
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Iran
Ancient Islam
Learn about Islamic culture as you start your journey in Iran’s capital city of Tehran. Explore its many museums, such as the Museum of Ancient Iran and the Archaeological Museum. Fly to Kermah and travel through the foothills of the Payeh Mountains. See the sites of the Sassanian Kings and visit the 17th-century bath houses. Visit classic Persian gardens, explore the Qeisarieh Bazaar and shop the hundreds of shops offering carpets, tiles, miniature paintings and more.

Cultural Explorations
Phone: 800-387-1483
Length/Departs: 13 days/Apr. 15-27
Accommodation: Hotel
Price: $3,595 US
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Kenya
Ol Seki Mara Camp
The adventures are abound in this customized safari. You’ll visit remote Maasai villages, participate in bush walks, take part in 4×4 safaris, professional wildlife tracking, mountain biking, and enjoy romantic candlelit dinners, bush picnics and massages, all in the heart of Africa. Choose from a list of unique and innovated lodging options, including an 11-bedroom property on 2.5-acres in Karen, Nairobi, on the slopes below Chyulu National Park and looking out over open savannahs and the famous Kilimanjaro Mountain. Enjoy breakfasts under the acacia trees, dinners prepared over an open fire and visit the colourful Samburu nomads of the north.

Bush and Beyond
Phone: 647-344-9492
Dates/Departs: 10 days /customized trips
Price: From $7,646 US
Difficulty: Easy to challenging

Morocco
Marrakesh to the Sahara
Join pro photographer Kevin Gilbert as you capture lasting images of Morocco’s shifting sands of the Sahara Desert, imperial cities, lively medieval-like markets and snow-capped Atlas Mountains. Spend the nights relaxing in traditional tented desert camps in the dunes of the Merzouga village after a full day of shooting. Share stories and listen to Berber folk music around the campfire under the midnight Saharan sky. Wake up early and capture camels crossing the Sahara dunes as the sun transforms the landscape from pink to gold. Travel south and explore Moroccan bazaars and markets with acrobats, food vendors, musicians and snake charmers.

Photo Quest Adventures
Phone: 877-PQA-2755
Length/Departs: 8 nights/Jun.
Accommodations: Local plazas and tents
Price: $5,200 US
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Tanzania
Game Parks and Locals
This journey through Tanzania’s villages and world famous wildlife reserves introduces you to some of the most spectacular living scenery on the continent, but from the perspective of the global village. You’ll venture into big game country at Serengeti, Arusha, and Lake Manyara, and you’ll sound the hidden depths of our ancestral past at Olduvai Gorge. But your trip doesn’t stop at those “must-see” wonders. You’ll also experience the thrill of a midnight drive through Ikoma, where the night watches you with a thousand shining eyes. You’ll stroll around the village of Mto wa mbu, where farmers, children and the local doctor will talk to you about their lives and the way they see the world. And you’ll relinquish your place at the top of the food chain as you walk on foot (with an armed ranger) around the rim of horizon-spanning Ngorongoro Crater. This is East Africa at ground level, through the eyes of those who live there.

The Adventure Travel Company
Phone: 1 888 238 2887 OR 416 345 9726
Length/Departures: 4 Nights / 5 days Departs Daily between January and December 2010
Accommodations: Camping
Price: $1715 USD
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 12:46 pm and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. Add to del.icio.us.