The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupted on the evening of April 22 and again around 1 a.m. on April 23, each time sending an ash cloud miles into the air. Lava flows melted snow on the mountain, causing river levels to rise. No deaths were reported, but more than 6,000 people were evacuated from the area.
Ash from the volcano, sometimes measuring as deep as 22 inches, fell as far as 70 miles away, including in neighboring Argentina.
Having traveled to more than 100 countries, my wife, Jane, and I were looking for an exotic, off-the-beaten-track destination. We found it in Guyana and Suriname, traveling there March 14-23, 2014, with Wilderness Explorers (141 4th St., Georgetown, Guyana; phone +592 227 7698 or, in the US, 202/630-7698, wilderness-explorers.com).
In arranging our private tour, we dealt mainly with Joetha and Amarylis, who answered our emails promptly and helped us prepare well for the trip.
Jack and Elizabeth Kaufman of Lake Quivira, Kansas, wrote, “We would like ITN readers to share their experiences in chasing the northern lights (aurora borealis), which are elusive to see even in the places where this natural phenomenon occurs. Where did you go to see them? When did you go (month and year)? How lucky were you to glimpse this marvelous show of nature? How long was your wait and how long did they last? Did you travel on your own or take a tour? If the latter, which tour company was it?
12-day, 12-night trekking tour for women over age 30. Highlights: Manaus city tour/board luxury-class riverboat Amazon Clipper/Anavilhanas National Park, home to toucans, sloths/in ARGENTINA, Iguazú Falls/motorboat through Lower Canyon of Iguazú River/in Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL, cog train through Tijuca rainforest up to Christ the Redeemer statue/hike Sugarloaf Mountain. $6,895 ppdo plus group air from Miami, $1,895 pp. AdventureWomen (Bozeman, MT; 800/804-8686, www.adventurewomen.com).
6-day, 5-night tour, canoeing rivers and lochs in SCOTLAND’s Central Highlands, Aug. 8-13 & Sept. 5-10, 2015. Hotel overnights. Highlights: Meet in Inverness/at Loch Ness, learn paddling techniques/paddle small rapids on River Glass/Aigas Gorge, home to ospreys, otters/4,000-year-old Clava Cairns, Battle of Culloden site/Cairngorms National Park. £975 (near $1,471) per person, double occupancy (ppdo). Single supp. (if available), £175 ($263).
9 days, 8 nights, June 27-July 5 & Oct. 24-Nov. 1, 2015. Moderate-level adventure travel. Highlights: Drive from Managua to León to climb and volcano board down active Cerro Negro Volcano/Masaya Volcano National Park/in Granada, bird-watching, sea kayaking on Lake Nicaragua/on Mombacho Volcano, coffee plantation, zip-lining/ferry to Isla de Ometepe to see monkeys and birds/mountain bike between two volcanoes. Land, $2,699 ppdo. BikeHike Adventures (200-1807 Maritime Mews, Vancouver, B.C., V6H 3W7 Canada; 888/805-0061, www.bikehike.com).
Learn new photo techniques on a 5-day, 4-night photo tour aboard the 70-foot schooner Passing Cloud in British Columbia, CANADA, April 21-25, 2015. Highlights: Starts and ends in Ucluelet/Barkley Sound/Broken Group Islands, home to black bears, otters, whales, tide pools, towering trees. Max. group size, six. Land, CAD2,600 (near $2,315) ppdo plus 5% GST. Outer Shores Expeditions (360 B Harbour Rd., Victoria, B.C., V9A 3S1, Canada; toll free in US/Canada, 855/714-7233, www.outershores.ca).
12 days, 11 nights on GREECE’s largest island, April 24-May 6, 2015. Highlights: In Heraklion, Minoan Palace of Knossos/in Phaistos, view Mt. Ida/Roman ruins of Gortyn/on Akrotiri Peninsula, monastery of Gouvemeto/in Venetian city of Rethymno, stay in 16th-century palazzo/wine tastings. Land, £3,295 (near $5,302) ppdo. Single supp., £475 ($764). Peter Sommer Travels (Chippenham House, 102 Monnow St., Monmouth, NP25 3EQ, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 1600 888 220 or, in US/Canada, 855/443-3027, www.petersommer.com).
15-day, 14-night “easy-to-moderate” trek from CHILE to ARGENTINA; departures Jan., Oct. and Nov. 2015. Highlights: From Santiago, CHILE, fly to Puerto Montt/in Frutillar, music theater on Lake Llanquihue/ferry on Camao Fjord, home to dolphins, kingfishers/from cabins in Pumalin Park, hike to waterfall/in ARGENTINA, Perito Moreno Glacier, Lake Viedma, Condor’s Lookout. Land and internal air, $5,190 ppdo. Single supp., $990. Wangulen Odyssey Tours (Puerto Rosales 46, Casilla 404, Puerto Varas, Chile; phone +569 7519 3259, www.wangulen.com).
