Worldwide Small Group Educational Tours, Small Ship River Cruises and Ocean/Adventure Cruises


	Discover Morocco: A Cultural Journey *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* Morocco *Travel Style:* Cultural Tours & Journeys *Departure Dates:* 2/9/2009, 3/13/2009, 9/4/2009, 10/9/2009, 11/10/2009 You’ve been transported to Morocco’s desert and kasbahs on film—Lawrence of Arabia, The Sheltering Sky, Gladiator and Jewel of the Nile and many other romances and adventures. This trip will take you there in person! Watch the sun rise over the dunes of Merzouga and ride a camel out to see sand sculpted by the wind. You’ll experience the Fes Medina and the stunning canyons of the Atlas Mountains, tour Roman mosaics at Volubilis, visit Berber villages and spend a day in fabled Marrakesh. Discover the many worlds contained within Morocco on this 14-day journey to a diverse and welcoming land. More...	*Rates from:* 3295.00
	Monasteries of the Lonely Desert: A Red Sea Cruise *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* Egypt, Jordan *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 12/18/2008, 1/1/2009, 1/5/2009, 1/19/2009, 2/2/2009, 2/12/2009, 2/16/2009 On this journey by land and sea, stand at sites where ancient Egyptians honored their gods, the Jewish patriarchs witnessed miracles and Christian monastics followed in the footsteps of saints. Your voyage will take you to the burial places of the pharaohs and to monasteries that have withstood invaders for 16 centuries. Cruise the Red Sea aboard the luxury yacht MS Monet, which offers 31 outside cabins and a congenial environment for days of discovery. Nights on land will be spent in 5-star hotels, as you visit ancient Thebes at Luxor and the majestic Petra. You may choose dates that follow this route in either direction and may add a Pre-tour or Post-tour to Cairo, Memphis and Giza. More...	*Rates from:* 3595.00
	Unforgettable Egypt & Nile River Cruise *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* Egypt *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 10/27/2009 This voyage begins in Cairo, then follows the lush path of the Nile deep into upper Egypt on the new and luxurious river cruise ship Jaz Legacy. Cruise to Luxor, Edfu and other sites where Egyptians and then Greeks built monuments of stone that would withstand the ages. Return to Cairo for a visit to coastal Alexandria, center of ancient learning, and the grand finale, the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. An Egyptologist guide will accompany your small group, and Diane Rehm, host of public radio’s The Diane Rehm Show, will lead on-board discussions that will range wide. More...	*Rates from:* 4695.00
	Desert Kingdoms and Imperial Cities: A Christmas/New Years Voyage from Casablanca to Dakar *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 12/18/2009 ”Certain areas of the earth’s surface contained more magic than others,” wrote Paul Bowles upon first seeing the shore of Morocco. Since the Arabs first arrived in the 7th century, this dreamlike part of the world has attracted artists, adventurers and travelers. This winter, you can be one of them on this voyage from Casablanca to Dakar, along the west coast of Africa, which promises to beguile you with its exotic aura of mystery and nourishment of the senses. Morocco beckons with Marrakech’s Djemaa el-Fna Square, where there is a cacophony of oral storytellers, jugglers, snake charmers and magicians. Experience the imposing silence of Mauritania’s unending desert and moonscape mountain plateaus. Ring in the New Year in tropical Senegal, the poster country of new urban Africa, where the vibrant drumbeats of music float through the air and the bright, intricate textiles at the Marche Soumbedioune delight the eye. This holiday season, forget the ordinary cruises to the usual places, and leave behind the cold and grey for a truly extraordinary voyage to sunlit West Africa. More...	*Rates from:* 8795.00
	South Africa by Sea *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* South Africa *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 3/20/2009 South Africa is as wild, diverse and dramatic as one can imagine. It is old: 117,000 years ago, Homo sapiens walked through its lagoons; its striated mountain plateaus and elephant populations retain the memories of millennia. And it is young: 15 years after the fall of apartheid, barely a decade into its new multicultural constitution, it is experiencing an amazing Renaissance. Its wines rival those of California and Australia; soon, it will host the World Cup. Aboard Corinthian II, this voyage to South Africa’s stunning, multi-faceted coastal regions begins with the Stellenbosch wine country and the bold Cape Peninsula mountains. We then cruise east, taking in Port Elizabeth’s Victorian architecture, Addo Elephant National Park (its herd numbering over 300) and the expansive acacia woodland of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park, home to rare black rhinos. Humpback whales might be sighted off the bow as we forge through Richards Bay into colorful, cosmopolitan, polyglot Durban.With the dramatic, endlessly changing South African coast before us, Corinthian II provides the ideal means for exploring a nation of such remarkable variety. More...	*Rates from:* 8795.00
	From Gibraltar to Patagonia: A Grand Voyage to West Africa, the Atlantic Islands, and South America *Destination:* Africa & Middle East, Central/South America *Countries:* South Africa, Morocco, Mauritania, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Brazil, Uruguay, Falkland Islands, Argentina *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 11/20/2008 Follow the trade winds on the route traversed by the early explorers and other sailors who have traced this path across the Atlantic Ocean throughout the centuries in the quest for discovery, leaving colonial villages and landmarks that exist to this day. On this expansive journey encompassing three continents, voyage from Malaga, through the Strait of Gibraltar, to the southern tip of South America. En route, discover natural and cultural wonders that explorers have treasured for centuries, including the volcanic archipelago of the Cape Verde Islands; the Saharan dunes of Africa; the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Salvador and Olinda, Brazil; and the Falkland Islands, renowned for their mythical beauty and exotic wildlife. Our ship for this passage will be the all-suite Corinthian II, a luxurious private yacht with spacious lounges, a gym, a library, and broad decks for sunning and relaxing. More...	*Rates from:* 9995.00
	The Route to Distant Islands: The Falklands, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha on a Voyage from Patagonia to Cape Town *Destination:* Africa & Middle East, Central/South America *Countries:* South Africa, Argentina *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 2/28/2009 In 2009, during the southern hemisphere's late summer months, Corinthian II will ply a route utterly unknown to cruise ships of our era: from Cape to Cape, continent to continent, the most southerly point in South America to the most southerly point in Africa. Occasionally, racing yachts try elements of this course, which was partially explored by James Cook in the 1770s. This voyage encompasses the sub-Antarctic islands of the Falklands, South Georgia and the most remote inhabited island on Earth, the fishing settlement of Tristan da Cunha. A night in Buenos Aires will be travelers’ last experience of the urban world for 20 days, until disembarkation in Cape Town. Rugged, rocky, windswept islands, crowned by tussock grasses and ice-capped peaks, are the congregation points for thousands of penguins, albatross, shearwaters and prions, making them a bird-watcher’s paradise, while whales surface from the deep all along our route. More...	*Rates from:* 9995.00
	The Road to Timbuktu and the Rivers of West Africa *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* Mali, Senegal, The Gambia *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 2/13/2009 Timbuktu: Most know it only as a figment of the imagination. But in the Middle Ages, it was a dazzling center of scholarship and trade at the edge of the Sahara. We explore not only the faded glories of this fabled city, but also such exotic sites as the Grand Mosque of Djenne, the bustling city of Mopti and the Dogon region, where a complex animistic cosmology reigns, inspiring mask ceremonies, vibrant rock paintings and mystical cliff dwellings. Unlike most pilgrimages to Timbuktu, chartered plane flights transport us from Bamako to the Sahel and into Timbuktu itself, bypassing lengthy and arduous drives. Then, aboard the 34-guest Callisto, cruise down the Gambia and Saloum rivers of Senegal and The Gambia. You will be surrounded by the extraordinary villages and wildlife of the Kiang West National Park, and the Makasutu Culture Forest, as we explore the cultural and natural history of this seldom-visited region. Conclude in Dakar with its colorful markets, fine museums and poignant historical ties to the slave trade. More...	*Rates from:* 11495.00
	From the Shores of Africa to Patagonia: A grand Voyage to West Africa, the Atlantic Islands and South America *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* Morocco, Cape Verde Islands *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 11/10/2009 Follow the Trade Winds on the route traversed by the early explorers who traced this path across the Atlantic Ocean throughout the centuries in the quest for discovery, leaving colonial villages and landmarks that exist to this day. On this expansive journey, set sail from Casablanca and travel down the West African coast. Embrace your inner explorer as you cross the Atlantic and visit the vibrant ports of the South American shoreline. En route, discover natural and cultural wonders that explorers have treasured for centuries, including the volcanic archipelago of the Cape Verde Islands; the Saharan dunes of Africa; the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Salvador and Olinda, Brazil; and the Falkland Islands, renowned for their mythical beauty and exotic wildlife. Our ship for this passage will be the all-suite Corinthian II, a luxurious private yacht with spacious lounges, a library, and broad decks for sunning and relaxing. More...	*Rates from:* 11995.00
	From the Cape of Good Hope to Gibraltar: A Grand Voyage Exploring Africas Natural and Cultural Treasures *Destination:* Africa & Middle East *Countries:* South Africa, Senegal, Morocco *Travel Style:* Small Ship Ocean & Adventure Cruises *Departure Dates:* 3/31/2009 Following in the wake of the early explorers and along the route of prosperous merchant ships of the 18th and 19th centuries, Corinthian II will ply a remarkable course that encompasses the grand scope of Africa, as we traverse the length of its Atlantic coast. It is an astonishingly rare itinerary, calling at ports and exploring destinations largely unknown to travelers. Embarking in Cape Town, the bustling port city that was founded near the landmark Cape of Good Hope, we will explore practically every country along Africa’s west coast: South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cameroon, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco, before the ship arrives at the Rock of Gibraltar, another of the world’s great sea landmarks, ending the voyage in historic Seville. It is an unprecedented opportunity to observe the differences in ancient cultures and tribal customs, landscape, and animal life, from the towering dunes of Namibia, to the remarkable wildlife of Gabon’s rain forests; from the markets of Ghana and Senegal, to the medinas of Morocco. Our voyage presents a richly kaleidoscopic, lushly complex experience of a continent that defies description. Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience. More...	*Rates from:* 23995.00