A selection of tours and cruise-tours
11-day/10-night tour. Highlights: Stay at lodge near Victoria Falls/bungee jumping, helicopter flights over falls/white-water rafting, canoeing and river safaris on Zambezi River/safari camp and walking safari/catch-and-release angling for African tiger fish/tour of the capital, Lusaka. Land, starting at $5,025. Robin Pope Safaris (P.O. Box 30722, Lilongwe 3, Malawi; phone +265 [0] 179 4491 /5483).
8-day/7-night cruise aboard Coral Princess II, departing Mondays from AUSTRALIA, March 3-31. Highlights: See tropical fish and coral with marine biologist aboard glass-bottomed boat/snorkeling and scuba diving/nature walk through rainforest on Dunk Island/James Cook Museum in Cooktown/Australian wildlife at Cooktown Botanic Gardens. Cruise, standard cabin AUD2,968 (near $2,800), stateroom AUD3,436, deluxe stateroom AUD3,971. Wild Earth Travel (P.O.
17-day/15-night tour, departing April 8 and Oct. 21, 2014. Japanese artist Michie Taylor leads tour of several towns focusing on art and culinary delights. Highlights: Visit active Mt. Aso Volcano/organic lunch at 230-year-old private country house/seafood feast on remote fishing-community island/porcelain town of Imari/artists’ studios/outdoor hot springs baths at 150-year-old inn/Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum/Kumamoto Castle. Land plus air, $4,950-$5,450. Single supp., $300. Michie Taylor (Berwyn, PA; 610/644-0402).
13-day/12-night escorted bicycle tour (moderate difficulty level), March 23-April 4, 2014. Explore Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City north to Hanoi. Highlights: Sail Halong Bay aboard a junk/kayak or cruise to Man’s Head and Tortoise islands/visit Can Tho, Hoi An, My Son, Hue. Land, $3,150. Single supp., $1,200. Active Journeys (Toronto, ON, Canada; 800/597-5594).
8 days/6 nights in Rome, ITALY, April 21-28 (4-star hotel) and April 22-29 (3-star hotel), 2014. Highlights: See Holy Father Pope Francis/Vatican museums/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter’s Basilica/canonization ceremony. Sights include Circus Maximus, Colosseum. Optional side trips to Assisi and Monte Cassino. Land, $3,459 (4-star) or $3,279 (3-star). Single supp., $700. The Catholic Tour (Beachwood, OH; 877/627-4268).
14 days/13 nights in SPAIN, departing May 10, June 14 and Sept. 4, 2014. Highlights: Visit stone villages, monasteries, cathedrals on 120-mile walk from Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. Special Mass at Roncesvalles monastery/visit historical sites with art historians/meals include gourmet picnics with chef as guide. Land, €3,400 (near $4,620). Spanish Steps (Aspen, CO; 877/787-9255).
15 days/14 nights, April 16-30, 2014. Highlights: Walking tour of Lima/at Iquitos, motor canoe trip on Amazon/Arequipa/visit Inca terraces/sail to floating islands of the Uros on Lake Titicaca/train trip through mountains/Cuzco/Sacsayhuamán/at Machu Picchu, climb Huayna Picchu. With air from most US cities, $2,950. Single supp., $400. Lifebound Tours (Fallbrook, CA; 760/742-3455).
6-day/5-night tour in SOUTH AFRICA. Highlights: Cape Town/Cape Point Nature Reserve/Hout Bay/Cape Agulhas, southernmost point of Africa/traditional braai (barbecue) in Bontebok National Park/Cango Caves/Cape Floral Region on Garden Route/Port Elizabeth. Land, ZAR2,530 (near $1,512); 2-person minimum. Shield Tours (4 Kirsten St., Lorraine, Port Elizabeth 6070, Eastern Cape, South Africa; phone +27 [0] 82 381 0235).
15-day/14-night tour in PAPUA NEW GUINEA, May 10-24, 2014. Highlights: National Museum and Botanical Gardens in Port Moresby/spirit houses/remote villages in East Sepik/Blackwater River/three nights aboard Sepik Spirit floating lodge/Huli wigmen in Tari/Southern Highlands area/Tumbuna Show. Land, $9,300; internal air, $2,550. New Guinea Travel (Santa Barbara, CA; 800/811-4621).
16-day/15-night tour of JAPAN, May 1-16, 2014. Highlights: Osaka/visit Samurai house in Matsue/parade, music and food at Shogun Festival/Todaiji Temple at Nara/Japanese harp, fencing performances/mounted archery show at seaside shrine festival. Land, $6,860 (four or more people); add $320 each for three people, $410 each for only two. Asian Pacific Adventures (Tarzana, CA; 800/825-1680).