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My husband, Ed, and I and our daughter, Allison, and son-in-law, Tim, took the tour “Pantanal Expedition” with International Expeditions (Helena, AL; 800/234-9620).
Our 10-day trip, July 15-24, 2011, cost $6,673 per person (after an early-booking discount of $250 and a repeat-customer discount of $100), including three internal flights and all tips except those to the main guide.
Along with seven other adventurous souls, I took a 15-day tour of Ethiopia offered by Patrick Syder Travel (Zenobia House, 23 Bowmans Close, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3SR, U.K.; phone/fax +44 [0] 1903 879737).
This classic itinerary through northern Ethiopia, April 12-26 2011, cost £1,790 (then, $2,873), including three domestic flights on Ethiopian Airlines, full board, an outstanding guide and the personal services of Patrick Syder, himself.
I would highly recommend the 14-day rail journey aboard Rovos Rail’s Pride of Africa from Cape Town, South Africa, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, offered by The Society of International Railway Travelers (Louisville, KY; 800/478-4881)
I had heard about the beauty of the Rhodopen Mountain region in the south of Bulgaria and took a cycling tour, Aug. 14-21, 2010, with Penguin Travel (9 Orlej Str., 1421 Sofia, Bulgaria; phone +359 2 400 10 50), which I found online.
The price, €710 (near $977), included ground transfers from/to the Sofia airport, hotels, breakfasts, dinners, my single supplement and bicycle rental.
Perhaps the reason Cremona, Italy, is less touristy and more “off the beaten path” is because it’s not on a major train line. I stayed there three nights, May 8-10, 2011, which was just right.
I cruised on the Queen Elizabeth, Dec. 15, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011, embarking in Southampton, England, and visiting Madeira, then crossing the Atlantic to Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Dominica and Tortola before recrossing the ocean to Ponta Delgada, Azores, and Southampton. Excluding airfare, the cost for my inside, single cabin was $8,010.
After a 21-day study tour in Israel/Palestine, I went to the Tel Aviv airport on Feb. 10, 2011, for my return flight.
Uzbekistan’s first high-speed train, Afrosiyob, started up in October and runs round trip from Tashkent to Samarkand twice a week (Wed. and Sat.). It can reach 155 miles per hour and makes the 214-mile, one-way trip in two hours (versus the previous 3½ hours). A ticket in first class costs about $30 and in VIP, $40.
Buy tickets at the station or from SJSRC (Uzbekistan Railways) (phone/fax +99871 2997025 or phone +99871 2997166).
Text by Margo, Photos by Carole Shereda; Livingston, TX
October saw large protests.