October 2011

The Namib Desert, arguably the oldest desert on Earth, contains an enormous reserve of red-gold sand dunes, some of which (at Sossusvlei) reach 1,000 feet in height, among the world’s highest. — HARVEY HAGMAN, Fort Myers, FL 

Seven-day/six-night cruise on Ecuador’s Napo River aboard the Manatee Amazon Explorer. Highlights: From Quito, fly to Coca and board ship/sail through Yasuni National Park, home to 600 species of birds/fish for piranhas/Limoncocha Biological Reserve, home to pygmy monkeys, parrots/canoe to visit local families. With air from Miami, $2,158 double, $3,382 single.

Tara Tours (Miami, FL; 800/327-0080).

21 days/19 nights, March 19-April 8, 2012. Highlights: From Miami, fly to Barranquilla/Anthropological Museum, San Andresito Market/white-water rafting near San Gil/hot springs in Iza/Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral/cable car ride to a Medellín barrio/beaches of Capurganá/Cartagena. $3,950 includes air from most US gateways. Single supp., $500.

Lifebound Tours (Fallbrook, CA; 760/742-3455).

16-day/15-night tour of INDIA. Bring own equipment to fish for catfish, mahseer, catla, trout and more. Highlights: Delhi/fish in Corbett Tiger Reserve/fish in Narmada River near Jabalpur/tigers, hyenas, jungle cats in Kanha National Park/Bandhavgarh, home to tigers, pangolins, civets, Indian wolves/Taj Mahal. Land, $5,209 (if two people) or $4,990 (if 6-15 people). Single supp., $2,610.

Millenium Travel (Toronto, Ont., Canada; 800/268-4853).

Ten-day/eight-night tour of ITALY (through April 13, 2012). Highlights: In Rome, Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Jewish Ghetto/Vatican City and Vatican Museum/Naples/Pompeii/day trip to isle of Capri/in Venice, St. Mark’s Square/Renaissance city of Florence for “David,” Duomo, Piazza della Signoria. Land, from $2,890. Single supp., from $500.

Perillo Tours (Woodcliff Lake, NJ; 800/431-1515).

Nine-day/eight-night walking tour of SPAIN (three to nine miles per day; support van provided), June 27-July 5, 2012. Highlights: Walk the northern part of Camino de Santiago from Hondarribia to Deba/vineyard tour and wine tasting in La Rioja region/Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao. Land, €2,800 (near $4,034). Single supp., €350.

Fresco Tours (Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain; phone, in US, 866/698-7563 or, outside US, +34 626 40 09 81).

Nine-day/eight-night tour of Scandinavia. Highlights: In Stockholm, SWEDEN, Royal Palace, Old Town/ferry to Helsinki, FINLAND; tour Uspenski Cathedral, Sibelius Park, Underground Church/back in Sweden, Malmö/in Copenhagen, DENMARK, Amalienborg Palace, Little Mermaid/dinner in Tivoli Gardens/ferry to Oslo, NORWAY/Viking ships, polar explorer Fram. Land, €1,995 (near $2,867). Single supp., €625 ($898).

Six-day/five-night cruise-tour of SCOTLAND’S Isle of Skye, June 22-27, 2012. Highlights: From Oban, sail past isles of Muck, Eigg and Rum to the isle of Canna/Canna House Walled Garden/on Skye, oyster farm at Loch Harport/800-year-old Dunvegan Castle/dine at The Three Chimneys in Dunvegan/cooking demo by Lady Claire MacDonald/dine at Michelin-starred Kinloch Lodge Hotel in Sleat. Cabins, $4,850-$11,160. Single supp., 85% of cabin fare.

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In next month’s column I’ll have the results of your voting for Most Favorite Country.