Rain Forests & Sea Gardens: Exploring Costa Rica & Panama plus Monteverde Cloud Forest
• February 9 to 19, 2005 OPEN!
• Aboard the 60-guest, yacht-scaled expedition ship, Sea Voyager
• Fee: From $4,380 per person, double occupancy. Airfare to and from Central America is not included.
Tropical forests, jewel-bright birds, mischievous monkeys, mind-boggling beauty—an exploration of the rain forests and beaches of Costa Rica and Panama, including the incredible Monteverde Cloud Forest, offers an intriguing blend of nature, plus a transit of the legendary Panama Canal. The 60-guest Sea Voyager, our comfortable home away from home, will enable us to explore some of the more inaccessible and rarely visited parks, forests, and reefs. You will walk rain forest trails, in the midst of habitat for capuchin and howler monkeys, three-toed sloths, iguanas, coatimundis, butterflies, and macaws; snorkel at Panama’s famed Isla Coibal; and kayak along wildlife-rich coastlines. Expert naturalists—specialists in Central American birds, mammals, and reptiles—and a Zoological Society of San Diego adventure leader will accompany you on this extraordinary adventure through the tropical wildnerness.
BelizeRain Forests, Reefs, & Ruins: A Belize & Tikal Adventure
• April 8 to 17, 2005 OPEN!
• Fee: $3,241 per person, double occupancy. Price does not include airfare to and from Belize City.
Lush, tropical rain forests, mystical Mayan ruins, and the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere all come together in Belize to create an incredible travel adventure set in an array of awe-inspiring environments. Nestled on the coast between Mexico’s southern Yucatán and Honduras, this small Caribbean country is home to more than 300 species of birds, howler monkeys, ocelots, Baird’s tapirs, lesser anteaters, a dense population of jaguars, thousands of exotic and tropical fish, and countless Mayan ruins. Trip highlights include visits to Lamanai Archaeological Reserve, the oldest site in Belize, and Pook’s Hill Nature Reserve, a pristine rain forest where birding is superb. One of the trip’s most memorable sites is Tikal National Park, where Mayan pyramids rise 212 feet (65 meters) out of a tropical forest that is teeming with wildlife. We will also enjoy a close-up view of local jungle animals at the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre, visit a butterfly farm and botanic collection, and snorkel at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, one of the best snorkeling spots in the Caribbean.
PantanalThe Pantanal: Brazil’s Grand Savannas & Iguazu Falls
· May 28 to June 5, 2005 OPEN!
· Fee: $2,398 per person, double occupancy. Price does not include round-trip airfare to and from Brazil.
· Optional 3-day extension to Atlantic rain forests for an additional $1,298.
This South American adventure is a nine-day Brazilian wildlife expedition, where you will experience the magic of Brazil’s Pantanal, a tropical savanna that offers some of the best wildlife viewing in South America. You will stay at Ecológico Caiman, a private ranch that doubles as a wildlife reserve, where scores of unique animal species reside such as giant anteaters, black howler monkeys, crab-eating foxes, coatimundis, jaguars, ocelots, margays, tapirs, peccaries, pampas deer, caimans, toco toucans, king vultures, and several macaw species. Your trip also includes a visit to Iguazu Falls National Park, a World Heritage Site, where exceptional wildlife viewing is melded with spectacular scenery and one of the world’s largest waterfalls.
An optional three-day extension to the Poco Das Antas Biological Reserve, which is a stronghold for golden lion tamarins, the rain forests of Serra Dos Orgaos National Park, and Rio De Janerio, including a stay at Ipanema Beach, is also available.
Wilderness Treasures: National Parks of the West
• June 22 to 28, 2005 OPEN!
• A deluxe, vintage American Orient Express railway tour
• Prices range from $3,290 per person and up, depending on accommodations. Price does not include airfare to departure city or return airfare.
North America’s magnificent wildlife, spectacular rose and gold-hued rock formations, fragrant alpine forests, and Native American cultures are just some of the offerings you’ll experience on a deluxe railway adventure aboard the American Orient Express. You will discover the unfathomable beauty and intricate details of five national treasures—Grand Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Zion National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park—as you explore the parks by day and travel in comfort and style on a luxury streamliner train by night. At the Grand Canyon, there is a good possibility that you may see California condors soaring overhead.
Exploring the Wild Side of South Africa
• August 16 to 28, 2005 OPEN!
• Fee: $7,995 per person, double occupancy. Round-trip airfare from San Diego is included.
• Optional extension to Cape Town and Western Cape: $2,995
Take a walk on the wild side in South Africa, where you will experience incredible wildlife viewing in a variety of ecosystems while staying at luxurious lodges and traditional manor houses. Leopards, lions, elephants, rhinoceroses, cheetahs, giraffes, mountain zebras, hippos, gazelles, aardvarks, porcupines, crocodiles, and hundreds of species of birds are just some of the animals that live in the game parks you will explore in open safari vehicles. You will visit the untouched wilderness of the world-renowned Kruger National Park as well as Umfolozi Park, which is famous for its rhinoceros conservation efforts, and Mkhaya Game Reserve in the Kingdom of Swaziland, the homeland of the elephant herd the Wild Animal Park rescued in 2003. You will also experience many cultural aspects of South Africa. A post-trip extension to Cape Town and the western Cape offers additional wildlife viewing as well as a stay in the acclaimed wine region of South Africa.
China and Her PandasChina & Her Pandas
• September 14 to October 1, 2005 OPEN!
• Fee: $5,290 per person, double occupancy. Price does not include round-trip transportation to China.
• Optional 5-day extension to Huangshan: $1,790
The Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Terracotta Army, and pandas aplenty will make your trip to China a memorable one. Join us as we explore Beijing, Xi’an, Wolong, Sichuan’s panda country, and the Yangtze River on one of the last opportunities to see ancient riverside villages and the Three Gorges before concluding your adventure in Shanghai, China’s modern showpiece city. Extend your stay at Huangshan (“Yellow Mountain”), one of China’s most scenic areas for a great opportunity to relax before your journey home.
Destinations Under Consideration for 2006
• Vietnam
• Zambia
• India