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On May 19, the Tamil Tigers conceded defeat and Sri Lanka’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, declared victory and an end to the 26-year civil war. Government forces now control all of the island. The recent battles left hundreds of thousands of people displaced.
14-day/13-night nonsmoking tour of ARGENTINA, May 4-18, 2010. Highlights: Fly from Buenos Aires to Salta in the Andes/Huaico Reserve cloud forest/Los Cardones National Park, home to guanacos, condors/jaguars, river otters, rare birds in El Rey National Park/on the Chaco plain, anteaters, cabybaras, howler monkeys maned wolves. Land only, $4,850. Single supp., $900. Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris (Saratoga, CA; 800/527-5330, www.cheesemans.com).
10 days/9 nights. Highlights: In Cape Town, enjoy seafood at Black Marlin and fusion cuisine at Ginja/wine tasting the Western Cape, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek/game drives in Kruger National Park. Land only, from $6,995. Single supp., $1,815. Safari Ventures (Tampa, FL; 888/341-7771, www.safariventures.com).
13 days/11 nights, Feb. 2-14, 2010. Highlights: On Tahiti Nui, Paul Gauguin Museum, ancient temple of Marae/on Easter Island, Rano Raraku Volcano/moai, petroglyphs, caves/Tapati festival/on Moorea, feed a stingray/handcrafts and maraes (stone temples) on Huahine. Land price, $9,495. Single supp., $1,395. Far Horizons, Inc. (San Anselmo, CA; 800/552-4575, www.farhorizons.com).
16 days/14 nights, Nov. 3-18, 2009. Highlights: Pottery village of Nikko/Fuji Five Lakes, Mt. Fuji/medieval Kyoto/ferry to Miyajima Island to see floating torii gate, Itsukushima Shrine/feudal castle in Uwajima/boat ride through Oboke Gorge. From Los Angeles, $7,150. Single supp., $1,000. In Focus with Michele Burgess (Huntington Beach, CA; 714/536-6104, www.infocustravel.com).
12 days/10 nights. Highlights: In Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, hutong rickshaw tour/Great Wall/Suzhou, “Venice of the East”/Ming and Qing architecture in Hangzhou/1,700-year-old Lingyin Temple/Bund in Shanghai. From San Francisco, from $1,199. Land only, from $999. China Spree (Blaine, WA; 866/652-5656, www.chinaspree.com).
SPAIN — 5 days/4 nights. Highlights: Tapas tour/Prado Museum/gourmet markets/cooking class/wine tasting/in medieval Toledo, art by El Greco, Van Dyck and Goya. Land only, from $1,760 if 6-7 members, $1,980 if 4-5. Single supp., $380. Epicurean Ways (Charlottesville, VA; 866/642-2917, http://epicureanways.com).
12 days/nights, Sept. 27-Oct. 9, 2009. Highlights: In SLOVENIA, Ljubljana, Lake Bled/in CROATIA, fortified Karlovac/Plitvice Lakes National Park/Krka National Park/Dubrovnik/day trip into MONTENEGRO. Land only, $3,895. Single supp., $450. Intimate France (Oakland, CA; 800/676-1247, www.intimatefrance.com).
Aurora Expeditions (Level 2, 88 George St., The Rocks, NSW 2000, Australia; phone +61 2 9252 1033, fax 9252 1373, www.auroraexpeditions.com.au), on selected Antarctic cruises, allows passengers to camp under the stars on the ice at no extra cost. Among cruises that offer this is the 12-day “Climbers and Kayakers” cruise, Dec. 7-18, at $6,090-$10,390.
The family home in Wales where the poet Dylan Thomas lived and wrote for many years can be rented.
In Swansea, 40 miles northwest of Cardiff, the 4-bedroom house is set up as in the 1910s when Thomas lived. Furnishings are of the Edwardian era, and although there is an inside bathroom, heat, gas and electricity, there is no phone, TV, refrigerator or microwave.