Grand Circle Announces 2012 Cuba Program

Grand Circle Foundation has announced a new 12-day people-to-people program to Cuba. “Cuba: A Bridge Between Cultures,” designed to foster meaningful cultural exchange between Americans and Cubans, operates in groups of 12-20, begins at $3,995 with 75 departures scheduled between January and June and, subject to the renewal of OFAC License #CT-17899, from September-December 2012.

Grand Circle Foundation launched its people-to-people program last November after receiving license to do so from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The foundation initially limited participation to its top donors and supporters, and ran four departures that garnered a 97% excellence rating from 80 participants.
Following the success of the launch, Grand Circle Foundation now opens the program to all Americans, although the program is geared to and paced for the 50-plus market. The itinerary includes five nights in Havana, Cuba’s capital city; two nights in Cienfuegos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s also known as La Perla del Sud (the Pearl of the South) for its gleaming harbor area and dignified ambience; and three nights in Trinidad, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and a colonial gem that recalls life in Cuba’s 19th century glory days.

The program includes a full schedule of people-to-people exchange meetings; roundtrip airfare from Miami; all accommodations; 24 meals (10B, 5L, 9D); services of an English-speaking Cuban guide and a Grand Circle Foundation representative from the U.S.; transportation aboard a private, air-conditioned motorcoach; and cultural activities that include discussions with locals, museum visits and musical performances.
(www.grandcirclefoundation.org/cuba.aspx)

Silk Road Trip Features the “Stans”

Silk Road Treasure Tours, specialists in travel to Central Asia, is offering “In The Footsteps of Marco Polo,” an 18-day journey uncovering the cultural treasures of Central Asia. The small-group tour to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan spotlights ancient UNESCO World Heritage Sites, visits exotic oriental bazaars and features the spectacular scenery of mountains, deserts and lakes along the Silk Road. “In The Footsteps of Marco Polo” has nine departure dates from May 9, 2012 to Sept. 12, 2013 and starts at $5,999 per person, plus airfare.

The trip begins in Uzbekistan, a crossroads of civilization and the heart of Central Asia. Guests will arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, to explore ancient mausoleums, mosques and the lively Chor-Su Bazaar. While in Uzbekistan, guests will visit some of the best preserved cities of the Silk Road, including Khujand, located not far from the border of Uzbekistan, for a day trip to one of the most ancient cities of Tajikistan; Samarkand, a city more than 2,750 years old to visit several sites including the incredible Registan Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is now the main location for Uzbek’s international music festivals; and Bukhara, another World Heritage Site, to experience local hospitality with an Uzbek family and a folk-show in Medreseh Nodir Divan Begi.

From Bukhara guests will drive to Turkmenistan and through the Kara Kum desert from Mary to Merv. Once part of the Achaemenian Empire in the 6th century BC until the invasion by Alexander the Great, Merv is the oldest well-preserved heritage city of the Silk Road and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guests will then head to the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, a haven of museums and bazaars. Here guests will discover the ruins of the ancient Parthian state capital currently being restored by UNESCO, along with unique fortresses, the National Museum of History and Ethnography and the Carpet Museum. Guests will enjoy a sightseeing drive to Khiva, one of the three historical cities on the ancient trade route, to explore Uzbekistan’s open-air museum of unparalleled examples of architecture.

Continuing onto Kazakhstan, guests will arrive in Almaty, the former capital which is situated at the foot of the Zaili Alatau Mountain Range. Guests will visit the remarkable gardens, parks and promenades at Alatau Park and enjoy spectacular views of the Chimbulak mountainous area. Across the famous Kazakh Steppe, guests will drive to one of the greenest cities in Central Asia, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. Originally a caravan rest stop from China to Europe, Bishkek is now a bustling shopper’s delight with bazaars offering exotic foods, colorful clothes, woodcarvings, and more. The last full days will be spent enjoying the beaches of Issyk Kul (Warm Lake), one of the largest and deepest alpine lakes in the world which, although surrounded by the snowy Ala-Tau mountains, never freezes.

Price includes all costs aside from consular fees at the embassies, gratuity for the guides and international airline flights: Visa support; domestic airline flights; ground transportation; English-speaking guides/escort; accommodations in 3-4 star hotels; meals: breakfast and dinner; entrance fees to museums, monuments and parks; folklore show in Bukhara; pre-departure travel package and Silk Road gifts.

About Silk Road Treasure Tours
Silk Road Treasure Tours specializes in custom private and group tours to Central Asia “Stan” countries and the most fascinating destinations of the Silk Road that have inspired imaginations for centuries, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Zulya Rajabova, founder and president of Silk Road Treasure Tours and native of Uzbekistan, provides expert advice to craft authentic and unforgettable journeys for tourists, academics, historians, business and special interest groups that suit both travel goals and budget.

(www.silkroadtreasuretours.com)

Collette Gets License to Run Cuba Tours

Collette Vacations now offers “Rediscover Cuba – A Cultural Exploration.”

A license granted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury permits Collette to run tours built around educational exchange activities in Cuba.

“Cuba represents the educational travel opportunity of a lifetime,” said Dan Sullivan, Collette’s president and CEO. “I believe it’s a place many American travelers are eager to learn about and the demand we’ve seen proves that.”

Collette’s “People to People” license allows for stays in the cities of Trinidad and Havana.
“From meeting a Cuban family in their very own paladar (a privately-operated restaurant) to visiting an orphanage and meeting the nuns who have dedicated themselves to helping the children, this tour focuses on changing perspectives,” said Annette Morejon, Collette’s Cuba product manager.

Highlights include a chance to learn about the Botanical Gardens of Cienfuegos and their ties to Harvard University, visiting the Cuban Fine Arts Museum, meeting the students of a primary school in Havana, a harbor cruise with local fishermen, a stop at the home of Ernest Hemingway and a hands-on pottery class at a ceramic studio.

Perillo Offers Five “Appian Way” Departures

The Appian Way, known as the “Queen of Long Roads,” stretches from Rome to the seaport of Brindisi, Apulia in southeast Italy. Built in 312 BC, the Appian Way was vital to the success of the Roman Empire and is lined with the great monuments and ancient tombs of patrician Roman families.

Perillo Tours’ 10-day “Appian Way” follows the route in its entirety from Rome through Naples and Matera and into the “heel of the boot,” ending in Lecce. The tour has five 2012 departures, from June 21 to Oct. 11, and ranges from $3,390 to $3,490 per person, double, plus airfare.

The tour begins in the heart of Rome’s exclusive Prati district with a three- night stay at the Cicerone Hotel, a four-star hotel centrally located near the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo. Guests will visit the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Colosseum. A panoramic tour of Imperial Rome will include the Roman Forum, Largo Argentina, the Jewish Ghetto and the Circus Maximus.

En route to Sorrento, guests will motor to Naples via Vomero Hill, exploring the sights along the seafront promenade, and visit the ruins of Pompeii, one of Italy’s best known archaeological sites. Two nights will be spent at the Parco Dei Principi, a five-star luxury hotel set on a cliff overlooking the Villa Borghese Park. The next morning will include free time to explore the isle of a Capri.

In Matera, guests will view the ancient homes built into rocks and understand why The Passion of The Christ was filmed there. In the heart of Lecce, they will stay at the Patria Palace Hotel, a renovated 18th century mansion. Sightseeing in Lecce includes the Basilica of the Holy Cross and the Bishop’s Palace. On the last full day, guests will visit the seaside capital of Puglia, Bari, followed by lunch in a typical Trulli restaurant.
(800-431-1515, www.perillotours.com)

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