17-day, 16-night tour, fitness level “average.” Monthly departures. Group limit, 18. Highlights: In Cape Town, Table Mountain, Albert & Victoria Waterfront/Robben Island/Cango Caves or ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn/Tsitsikamma Nat’l Park/Addo Elephant Nat’l Park/hike Valley of Desolation/horseback riding or mountain biking in LESOTHO/Royal Natal Nat’l Park/Milwane Wildlife Sanctuary in ESWATINI (Swaziland)/Kruger Nat’l Park. $2,999-$3,199 ppdo. Single supp., from $499.
My husband, John, and I spent several weeks hiking in the Swiss, French and Italian Alps in June and July 2018. At each destination, we took advantage of a multiday travel pass in order to traverse the network of hiking trails via train, gondola, bus and on foot.
While in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 27, 2017, the group I was traveling with stopped by the tourism information office in the Old Town. As that day happened to be World Tourism Day, we were told to draw a ticket from a box and were given a prize: free tickets to an Old Town walking tour. Our guide was wonderful!
Visitors met at 4 p.m. in front of the Vilnius Cathedral and were split into two groups. Seven of us (three friends, three college students from Latvia and I) joined Sigitas Beržinskas.
11-day, 10-night "easy"-level hiking & cycling tour. Through July 2019 + Nov.-Dec. 2019. Highlights: In Bogotá, Santa Clara Convent, Gold Museum/16th-century town of Villa de Leyva/hike Iguaque Fauna & Flora Sanctuary/artisans in Barichara/hike 6 miles down Suarez Canyon to colonial Guane/hike through Umpalá/El Roble Coffee Hacienda/culinary tour in Cartagena's Old Town. $3,150-$4,350 ppdo (per group size). Single supp., $990. Wildland Adventures (Seattle, WA; 800/345-4453, www.wildland.com).
12-day, 11-night "moderate-level" hiking & walking trek. April 8-19, 2019. Highlights: In far-north Arica, El Morro lookout, St. Mark's Cathedral/in San Miguel, boat excursion along coast/mummies in Azapa museum/hike to Putre on smugglers' path/Suri Plaza in the Altiplano/volcano lake in Lauca National Park/fly to far-south Punta Arenas/Torres del Paine National Park/boat on Lago Grey/hike to Ascencio Valley. From $4,290 ppdo.
"Beyond expectations" describes my thinking after hiking in Scotland's Glen Coe with HF Holidays (Catalyst House, 720 Centennial Ct., Centennial Park, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England WD6 3SY, U.K.; phone +44 20 8732 1220, www.hfholidays.co.uk), June 2-16, 2018.
Opened in 1903 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, the Albula section of Switzerland's Rhaetian Railway includes 39 tunnels and 55 bridges and stretches between the towns of St. Moritz and Thusis. It's located inside Parc Ela, the country's largest nature reserve.
However, the portion of the track stretching between Preda and Bergün is where visitors will find the Albula Adventure Railway Trail, a scenic route for a 2½-hour hike. For more info, contact Switzerland Tourism (New York, NY; 800/794-7795, www.myswitzerland.com).
7 days, 6 nights of hiking (“moderately challenging,” avg. 7 miles per day) in IRELAND. Through August 2019. Highlights: From Killarney, hike to Killarney National Park/Moll’s Gap/Ireland’s tallest peak, Corrán Tuathail/Dingle Peninsula/Mount Brandon/Conor Pass/Dingle pub for music and dance. From €1,595 (near $1,845) per person, double occupancy (ppdo). Single supp., €250 ($289).
Bhutan has become a “go to” destination since the country opened to outside travelers in 1974. That first year, just 287 visitors were permitted entry, but tourism has exploded recently, from 23,480 visitors in 2009 to 254,704 foreign individuals visiting Bhutan in 2017.
‘So what’s the attraction?’ you might ask. Bhutan is an amazing destination with much to offer.
This tiny kingdom (population 797,765) limits visas and makes sure we visitors are taxed for our impact on their environment. The country has made a concerted effort to not exploit their natural resources for short-term gain.
The cultural attractions include their unique architecture, national dress, traditional sports and Buddhist beliefs, and, of course, there’s the country’s natural beauty. All this has been well documented in recent ITN articles (for example, April ’17, pg. 46, and Oct. ’17, pg. 18). But this country is not overrated. (Please, visit!)
My wife, Lois, and I did enjoy Bhutan’s culture, but this article is about a walk in the well-protected outback, following an entirely new path to rarely seen vistas.
A forest fire that began on March 11 in the Kurangani hills in southern India’s Tamul Nadu state resulted in the deaths of 18 trekkers, nine of them on the scene. Rescue workers managed to evacuate 21 people, many with injuries. Of those evacuated, nine succumbed to their wounds.