Germany's Treasure House
Cathedrals, palaces, and other time-rich treasures lodge more sweetly in the memory when engaging experts lead the way. Though the tour Raphael Kadushin extolled in the May/June 2009 issue of Traveler is no longer available, culture-savvy outfitter Martin Randall is concocting an equally compelling tour of baroque and rococo grandeur for 2010. Escapades highlighted in the article—charming Bamberg, stately Wurzburg—join pilgrimages to tiny baroque churches in the Alps and sumptuous rococo residences in Munich alike. Martin Randall: "Baroque and Rococo in Southern Germany," 9 days, estimated price: $2,900.
Offbeat Isles
New customs procedures have eased interisland travel between the Greek Dodecanese and the western coast of Turkey, making it possible for gulets—two-masted wooden sailboats—to avoid major harbors. The focus is on offbeat sites such as the Turkish village of Turgut, where guests are invited to share sage tea and honey with locals. Wildland Adventures: "Voyaging Among the Dodecanese of Turkey and Greece," 12 days; from $4,195.
Secret Life of Bhutan
Under the guiding principle of achieving a high Gross National Happiness quotient, the kingdom of Bhutan has managed to balance creeping modernity with the preservation of its national heritage and environment. Find out its secret as you travel from village to village, staying in the homes of locals, hiking in the backcountry, and perhaps taking part in a festival. Village Tours and Treks: "Bhutan Villages Tour," 11 days; $1,670.
Alaska's Grizzly Country
Board a refurbished tugboat headed for Katmai, one of the world's most prolific grizzly bear habitats. Cruise along the shore, where brown bears, as they're known here, dot the beach, digging for clams and snagging salmon while keeping a sharp eye on their frolicking young. Previous expeditions here have seen up to 40 bears cluster together. The tour includes a jaunt to rarely visited Kodiak Island, where the coast is teeming with sea lions, otters, puffins, bald eagles, and whales. Natural Habitat Adventures: "Grizzlies: Kodiak to Katmai," 7 days; $6,595 (special photo tour option is 8 days, $6,995).
Brazil, Three Ways
Upon seeing Brazil's Iguazú Falls, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt allegedly remarked, "Poor Niagara." Led by the outfitter's founder Peter Grubb and local naturalists, you'll explore three different ecosystems: the savanna of the Chapada dos Guimarães, the Amazon rain forest, and the swampy Pantanal. Bunk at some of the country's top eco-lodges, such as Araras, which has preserved 7,500 acres in the Pantanal and has been instrumental in helping local cattle ranchers make their operations more Earth-friendly.
ROW Adventures: "Brazilian Tapestry—Culture, Wildlife, and Adventure," 12 days; from $3,990.
Bangladesh Beyond Headlines
Begin your private odyssey in the capital Dhaka, with a visit to an artist workshop where the city's cycle rickshaws are painted with vibrant scenes from nature, history, and the movies. Then board a traditional wooden riverboat to explore the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, home of the Bengal tiger. You may meet nomadic sea gypsies who fish using trained sea otters. There's also the verdant hill country of Sylhet and 76-mile Cox's Bazar, the longest natural sand beach in the world. Remote Lands: "Bangladesh," 12 days; $6,000.
Europe by Riverboat
From Amsterdam to Budapest, ply the Rhine, Main, and Danube on the MS Swiss Emerald, stopping for day trips along the way: Explore the baroque city of Passau, get a massage in Budapest, marvel at the Transylvanian Alps, and lunch at a local's home in Arbanassi, Bulgaria. Back on the boat, watch life go by from a cozy perch in your quarters or at the bar, as you nurse a Trappist ale. Tauck World Discovery: "Grand European Cruise," 24 days; $8,990.
Sustainable Kenya
Join Brian Mullis, co-founder and president of the nonprofit Sustainable Travel International, for this classic safari with a focus on tourism models that work. Stay at the Maasai-owned Campi Ya Kanzi, where your dollars help preserve the land for wildlife and the nomadic lifestyle of the Maasai, and the safari camp at Lewa Downs Conservancy, home to 11 percent of Kenya's black rhinos and a community development program that brings economic viability to the surrounding villages through initiatives such as micro-
financing. Big Five Tours & Expeditions: "Carbon-Neutral Kenya Safari," 12 days; $8,550.
Rustic China
Cut off from the rest of the country by rugged mountains, the southern provinces of Guangxi and Guizhou are largely unspoiled—tranquil lakes, jagged karst peaks. The region is home to many minority groups, many of whom still wear traditional dress and work at cormorant fishing and papermaking. You'll stay in a series of rural homes. The Beijing-based operator works with villages to ensure that tourism doesn't harm the community. One Guizhou village, for instance, closes itself to travelers three months each year to help maintain their traditional routines. Wild China: "Old Country Living: Wandering the Rustic Landscapes of Guangxi and Guizhou, China," 12 days; $2,800.
Polynesian Voyage
From the mysterious moai of Easter Island to Tahiti's bustling capital of Papeete, this voyage aboard the 110-passenger Clipper Odyssey takes you to some of the most far-flung spots on Earth. Included are the Marquesas, with vertical peaks that disappear into the clouds and coral-encrusted rock walls made for scuba diving, and the largely inaccessible Pitcairns, where you'll encounter descendants of the famously mutinous crew of the Bounty. Along for the ride are several experts, including Jack Grove, Zegrahm co-founder and a leading authority on the fish and marine environments of the eastern tropical Pacific. Zegrahm Expeditions: "Beyond Rapa Nui: Easter Island, Pitcairns, Tuamotus, Marquesas, Tahiti," 20 days; from $12,880.
Here Come the Raptors
Every fall, millions of raptors from North America funnel through Veracruz, Mexico, on their migration south. Dave Mehlman, director of the Migratory Birds Program at the Nature Conservancy, and local birding guides accompany you. You'll also see archaeological ruins, shade coffee plantations, and more than 100,000 raptors and vultures fly overhead on most days. Nature Conservancy: "Veracruz River of Raptors, Mexico," 9 days; (Sept. 25-Oct. 3) $2,450.
Arctic Canada
Jutting north from Canada's heartland into the Arctic Ocean is the immense Nunavut Territory, rich in Inuit culture and teeming with wildlife: Arctic wolves, caribou, and musk ox. Explore this vast landscape from your base at Elu Inlet Lodge, co-owned by a local Inuit couple who accompany outings to interpret the land and wildlife. Frontiers North Adventures: "Elu Inlet Lodge—Unexplored Wilderness, Canada," 8 days; $4,640 (includes airfare from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut).
Insider's Silk Road
This journey from Istanbul to Tehran is full of authentic experiences, such as dining in a yurt in Eastern Turkey with Kurdish nomads and in the family home of your Iranian guide. Soon to be carbon-neutral, the Aussie-based outfitter opts for public transport when possible, such as the bus ride from Safranbolu to Amasya, Turkey. Intrepid Travel: "Istanbul to Tehran," 18 days; $2,220.
Alaska and Russia, Neighbors
Set sail from Nome, Alaska, on the small expedition ship Marina Svetaeva for the seldom-visited Wrangel Island, pack-ice permitting. On its way, your ship will ply the Bering Strait, the 62-mile-wide waterway that separates Alaska and Russia, and call on the Chukotka Peninsula, home to indigenous people who still live a traditional life of reindeer herding and hunting. Aurora Expeditions: "Arctic Ocean Discoverer, Bering Strait and Wrangel Island," 13 days; $5,490.
Australia, on Location
The recent movie may have flopped, but the dramatic backdrop beckons. This trip puts you on location in the Kimberley where many of the film Australia's scenes were shot, such as Purnululu National Park (also known as the Bungle Bungles), the Gibb River Road, the Pentecost River, and Darwin. Essential Down Under: "Australia—See the Movie Sites," 14 days; $4,223.
A Different Amazon
Plunge yourself in Peru's Amazon through its indigenous people, flora, and fauna on this custom itinerary. Walk 10 stories above the rain forest floor, where more than 2,000 epiphytic plants may cling to one tree branch. You'll meet with a local shaman and work with villagers on community projects such as planting a butterfly garden for the local kindergarten. International Expeditions: "Amazon Workshops: Rain Forest Educational Adventure, Peru," 9 days; $2,398.
Romantic Russia
Travel on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway across 6,000 miles and seven time zones from Vladivostok to Moscow. Highlights include a picnic lunch on the shores of Lake Baikal and a folk performance by Russian Orthodox Old Believers in the Siberian village of Ulan Ude. Russian expert George Munro accompanies this trip. National Geographic Expeditions: "Trans-Siberia Rail Journey, Russia," 17 days; from $16,850.
Rural Rajasthan
Anchored by the classic sites of Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur, this Rajasthan journey takes side trips to villages such as Chandelao, where the local Rajput ruler has converted his garh (fortress-style house) into a hotel that has brought jobs to the region. The outfitter matches client donations to local projects. Imaginative Traveller: "Amongst the Maharajahs, India," 21 days; $2,385.
Central America Expedition
Cruise the wild coasts of Panama and Costa Rica on the 60-passenger Sea Voyager, starting with a transit through the legendary canal. From the World Heritage site Isla Coiba to Manuel Antonio National Park, you'll kayak, swim in waterfalls, horseback ride, and view the diverse wildlife, including three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, and more than 300 species of birds. At press time, the operator was offering a 25 percent discount and a $500 air credit on select departures. Lindblad: "The Panama Canal and the Wonders of Costa Rica," 8 days; $4,660.
New Zealand, at Your Own Pace
Drive the circumference of New Zealand's South Island. Starting in Christchurch, drive along the coast to Oamaru, home of the Moeraki Boulders, across Southland to Lake TeAnau and Milford Sound. Save some energy for bungee jumping in Wanaka, Queensland, before you head for the west coast to explore the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. Aspire Down Under: "Self Drive: 12-day South Island Circumnavigate," 12 days; $799.
Action-Packed Africa
Here's an itinerary that will keep the whole family engaged: from meerkat mania in the Kalahari Desert to game drives in Botswana's Okavango Delta to an optional micro-lite flight over Victoria Falls, and finally, a stint helping out with the Maputaland Sea Turtle project in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Lodgings include stays at camps run by Wilderness Safaris, known for its community programs. One is Children in the Wilderness, which introduces kids whose lives have been affected by illness and poverty to the healing power of nature. Mango African Safaris: "Look, Listen & Learn: Southern Africa Family Safari," 12 days; $5,400.
All quoted prices are starting rates, per person, based on double occupancy, subject to change, and do not include airfare to the destination. Prices are accurate as of press time.