By GAIL HARRINGTON
Make “once in a lifetime” your mantra once a year with travel that transcends vacation.
I was late to Machu Pichu. But it wasn’t because I’d overslept and missed the train, or hiked too slowly on the Inca Trail. Decades ago I promised myself I’d visit someday. And if you start thinking of a place as a once-in-a-lifetime destination, you tend to arrive far later than imagined.
Finally standing at the Sun Gate, Machu Picchu’s main entryway, peering through an opening in the stone wall, I wondered what had taken me so long. What lay on the other side gave me goose bumps – fifteenth-century Incan temples, palaces, workrooms, squares, and residences; water fountains and channels that still flowed through the urban and agricultural terraces, positioned like an altar beneath a sacred mountain, a vision as holy as a towering cathedral.
“How do you think the Incas could do this without iron tools?” asked our guide Esmeralda of the granite blocks’ precise fit – so tight that not even a knife blade could slip between them. Only after we gave up guessing did she show us a huge rock. “See this straight line of gouged-out holes? Although they never finished splitting this rock, archaeologists believe that when the Incas shoved wood into the holes and added water, the wood expanded, beginning a narrow split in the rock into which they could insert a stone chisel and hammer out a straight slice.” Ingenious.
Such cleverness and three governing principles – don’t steal, don’t be lazy, don’t lie – helped Inca kings extend their reign across South America. Insights and experiences gleaned from the world’s great places elevate some journeys beyond the relaxation of a great vacation. Read on for eight enriching trips of this caliber, outings that will broaden your worldview, teach you new skills, and fill you with wonder.
Peru
Draw Power from the Past
Rise at 4 am on the last day of hiking the Inca Trail – the goal is reaching Machu Picchu by sunrise. Even if you’re not very spiritual, Machu Picchu is a powerful place, one that inspires countless questions. Ladatco Tours tailors explorations here to personal interests and physical abilities. If you’re up to the challenge of ascending 13,000-foot mountain passes, consider reaching Machu Picchu on the same route the Inca walked. The ten-day trip includes several nights in Cuzco (for acclimatization) and four days of guided Inca Trail trekking with porters, a private chef, and optional upgrades such as china dinner service and a massage tent, followed by a night at Inkaterra’s Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Sound a bit daunting? Take Orient-Express’ Vistadome train from Cuzco to kilometer 104 and hike the trail’s final eight miles, or relax in first-class carriages the entire way. Inca Trail departures: Any day March 1 through December 31, 2010; from $5,200.
Chile
Become a Shooting Star
Watch hundreds of penguins huddle together for warmth, male blue whales race each other to their feeding and mating grounds, and acrobatic Peale’s dolphins surf off a ship’s bow in Chilean Patagonia with Nomads of the Seas. Its 28-passenger Atmosphere takes wildlife watching to the extreme on seven-day sailings from Puerto Montt, outfitted with a helicopter, six jet boats, seven Zodiacs, and two Jet Skis, plus a fleet of kayaks and other small craft positioned along the itinerary for remote excursions. Trips feature a strong photography focus, with staff on hand to offer instruction in the field and up to three biologists who help interpret animal behaviors and predict their actions, so you’re ready to snap that perfect shot. Departures: Multiple dates March 7 through December 5, 2010; from $12,139.
France
Make an Impression
Follow the artists’ path from Paris to beautiful Saint-Paul de Vence and take a class in impressionist painting – just don’t plan on trading a tablecloth sketch for the tab at the famed hangout La Colombe d’Or (as Léger, Matisse, and other painters did). European Connection’s art trips include ten days in the life of the impressionists in Paris, Normandy, and Provence. The immersion begins with a private art-historian-led museum tour and visit to a Parisian workshop to witness the painstaking process of restoring masterpieces, then moves on to Normandy and Provence to explore the homes, villages, and favorite painting spots of such artists as Monet, van Gogh, and Cézanne. Departures: Any day March 1 through December 31, 2010; from $8,545.
Turkey
Savor Victory
Every time the Turks conquered a new territory, they incorporated its ingredients and traditions into their cuisine. Travelers trace culinary roots as vast as the Ottoman Empire on Turkey at Its Best’s 14-day gourmet serving of Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Izmir, Assos, and Bursa. The customizable menu is filled with events that lend historical context to meals: chef-led seminars on baklava and other Turkish desserts, cooking classes at places such as a restaurant built solely to serve closely guarded Imperial Ottoman recipes, and dinners in an underground cistern and atop a former women’s prison with panoramic views of Istanbul and the Bosporus. Departures: Any day April 1 through October 31, 2010; from $9,370.
Kenya
Make a kid’s day
Not only does Micato Safaris’ 16-day family trip in Kenya and Tanzania include stays at kid-friendly lodges and tented camps, but also all children’s activities – such as tracking big game, making plaster casts of cat tracks in the bush, building a Masai-style mud hut, and African storytelling – have been tested and approved by the grandchildren of Micato Kenya founders Felix and Jane Pinto. There’s also an option to spend an extra day in Nairobi, bringing small gifts and helping out at an AmericaShare project that benefits orphaned and abandoned children. Departures: Multiple dates March 1 through December 20, 2010; from $13,750 for adults and $10,330 for children younger than 12.
India
Journey to the Source
For Hindus in India, life begins and ends in Varanasi. Float along the Ganges on a double-oared wooden boat covered in white cloth and cushions, and you’ll no doubt be moved by the sight of devout pilgrims practicing yoga or cleansing their sins in the water of the Ganges and thanking the gods for another day. Greaves Tours’ private jet trip opens a rare window on India’s spiritual side with seven days of encounters such as this. Start at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi for tours of the Red Fort, Birla Temple, and other city sights before flying to Varanasi, the holiest city for Hindus. The adventure amplifies with &Beyond guides in Bandhavgarh National Park who lead game drives in search of sloth bears, hyenas, and Bengal tigers (chances of spotting cats are great, as 26 cubs have been born here in the past year). Departures: Any day through May 15, 2010; from $5,200.
Thailand
Bring About Good Luck
Enhance your good luck during a sky-lantern release near Chiang Mai after a dinner with village elders. The ceremony, which symbolizes earthly problems and worries floating away, is both beautiful and simple – light a candle inside a paper bag and close the top; when the air inside the bag heats up, the lantern takes off – and represents just one of the experiences that make Remote Lands’ bespoke adventures in Southeast Asia stand out. Travelers on ten-day trips from Bangkok can follow in the tradition of Thai Buddhists and gain merit and good karma by visiting a hospital in Bangkok for ailing monks or a village school in Kanchanaburi, learn about northern Thai weaving with a respected scholar and textile expert, and stop in at Chiang Mai’s oldest temple to take part in a private ceremony believed to bring about greater happiness and prolong one’s life – who can say no to that? Departures: Any day through September 30, 2010;
from $10,000.
Alaska
Sail into the Last Frontier
Staff on Lindblad Expeditions’ family cruises in Alaska follow a fun course designed by
National Geographic’s Education Department and
National Geographic Kids magazine. The 12-day passage between Juneau and Seattle focuses on wildlife and native cultures, providing many their first glimpse of river otters, humpback and orca whales, and bears; calving glaciers; and the totem poles, artifacts, and dances of the Northwest’s indigenous peoples. Energetic young bodies leave the 62-passenger
National Geographic Sea Lion or
Sea Bird for activities that include sea kayaking, Zodiac outings, and nature walks. Back on board, they can listen in with hydrophones on whales’ conversations or learn about navigation on the bridge with the crew.
Departures: April 27 and 28 and September 5, 2010; from $7,690 with a $500 credit for kids younger than 18.