Don George

Adventure Collection Launches Mega Photo Contest

The Adventure Collection is an alliance of ten premier travel companies that have more than 300 collective years of experience providing thousands of extraordinary journeys to all 7 continents. These trips are truly the adventures of a lifetime, meticulously organized by seasoned experts and led by impassioned guides, designed to cultivate off-the-beaten-path encounters and behind-the-scenes illuminations. Founded on decades of sustainable travel principles and practices, AC journeys take travelers deep into the hearts of places far and near.

The AC has just launched a fantastic travel contest where you can win an amazing trip for two! Enter the Adventure Collection Photo Contest and you could win one of these five Adventures of a Lifetime.

Lindblad Expeditions – Galapagos aboard National Geographic Endeavour
On this expedition to the Land of Darwin, you have the opportunity to study blue-footed boobies performing a courtship “dance”, snorkel with playful sea lions, watch a male frigatebird ballooning his crimson chest pouch to attract a female, kneel beside marine iguanas, and marvel at Galápagos penguins. Read more…

Natural Habitat Adventures – Classic Polar Bear Expedition
Polar bear watching in the polar bear capital of the world – Churchill, Manitoba! On this trip you’ll see the world’s greatest concentration of polar bears, experience the frozen wilderness on Hudson Bay from the comfort of warm tundra vehicles, and discover the challenges and joys of life in the far north. Read more…

OARS – Rafting on the Main Salmon River in Idaho
Enjoy the exhilaration of guided wilderness rafting and hiking on the Main Fork of the Wild & Scenic Salmon River. This journey includes 5 nights of comfortable catered camping, expert guides and all rafting and expedition equipment. Read more…

Backroads – 6 Day Czech Republic & Austria Biking OR 6 Day Czech Republic & Austria Walking
Experience a taste of Old World Europe as you hike or bike through the heart of the Czech Republic and Austria. Along the way from Prague to Salzburg or Vienna, you’ll pass through fairy-tale landscapes, where sparkling lakes reflect lofty pine-studded mountains, emerald green hills cradle tiny hamlets, and fertile vineyards and farmlands beckon. Read more on Biking. Read more on Hiking.

Geographic Expeditions – Eight Days in Tibet
This concise introduction to Tibet and its stalwart culture concentrates on the country’s heartland: an introductory night in Tsedang and the Yarlung Valley, three nights in Lhasa, and then through gargantuan Himalayan scenery to the great temples and monasteries of Shigatse and Gyantse before ending with a picnic brunch at famously blue Yamdrok Lake. Read more…

To start the entry process, go to the Adventure Collection web site. Good luck!

Presenting July 2009 Recce!

July 2009

I am extremely pleased to present the July 2009 issue of Recce: Literary Journeys for the Discerning Traveler.    This month we feature naturalist and writer Peter Steinhart reflecting on the importance of adversity, and adventurer Tim Cahill recounting exploits and encounters in Mongolia.   Our photo portfolio showcases Vassi Koutsaftis's soaring images from Mount Kilimanjaro, and in our interview, South America expert Clark Kotula reveals the largely unexplored riches of Colombia's Coffee Zone.    Finally, after attending two family Commencement ceremonies in one week last month, I present the Commencement Address I would have given if anyone had invited me to speak.   You can click on any of the links below to read these. I hope you'll enjoy this issue. And I'd appreciate any feedback you want to send my way.   With all best regards,   Don George Editor in Chief

Illuminations The Liberations of Paris  After attending both of his children's graduation ceremonies in one week last month, Don George was moved to create his own Commencement Address. Looking back, he realized that his life lessons began to coalesce the summer after he graduated from college, when he moved to Paris.  Roundtable Revelations in the Ecuadorian Andes For naturalist and writer Peter Steinhart, an incident at 13,000 feet in a South American cloud forest illuminates the importance of adversity in the traveler's journey.  Soundings Savoring Colombia: A Conversation with Clark Kotula Clark Kotula lived in South America for eight years and has traveled extensively there. Here he discusses his most recent adventures, uncovering the largely unexplored riches of the enticing Coffee Zone.   Fresh From the Field Climbing Kilimanjaro Photographer and guide Vassi Koutsaftis recently completed his first ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. These photos present an evocative portrait of his journey. Brilliant Books Pass the Butterworms Tim Cahill's classic collection of stories, "Pass the Butterworms," is one of our favorite travel books of all time. The piece we reprint here, "Mongolia: Adventures in You-Cut Hairstyling," depicting an exploratory expedition in Mongolia, manages to capture the essence of the country and its people with humor and heart.

Old Japan in Modern San Francisco

Here’s one exhibition you must see: Lords of the Samurai, at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco through Sept. 20.

As the curator writes on the exhibition’s excellent web site: “The samurai culture and code of conduct, bushido, have long captivated the imaginations and aspirations of young and old in the Western world. More than just professional warriors, Japanese samurai of the highest rank were also visionaries who strove to master artistic, cultural, and spiritual pursuits. Lords of the Samurai takes an intimate look at the daimyo, or provincial lords of the warrior class in feudal Japan. The Hosokawa clan, powerful military nobles with a 600-year-old lineage, embodied this duality of fierce warrior and refined gentleman.”

The exhibition features more than 160 works from the Hosokawa family collection housed in the Eisei-Bunko Museum in Tokyo, and from Kumamoto Castle and the Kumamoto Municipal Museum in Kyushu. Objects on view include suits of armor, armaments (including swords and guns), formal attire, calligraphy, paintings, tea wares, lacquerware, masks, and musical instruments.

It’s an absolutely extraordinary exhibit, and the Asian Art Museum is the only U.S. venue for it. So — see you in our beautiful San Francisco soon! It’s the best way I know to visit Japan without flying for half a day. (And while you’re here, visit the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park too!)

King Tut Returns to San Francisco

More than 3,000 years after his reign, and 30 years after the original exhibition opened in San Francisco, Tutankhamun, ancient Egypt’s celebrated “boy king,” has returned to the de Young Museum. On view through March 28, 2010, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs showcases a glorious collection of over 130 outstanding works from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as those of his royal predecessors, his family, and court officials. The exhibition provides insight into the life of Tutankhamun and other royals of the 18th Dynasty (1555–1305 BC). All of the treasures in the exhibition are more than 3,000 years old.

Tutankhamun was one of the last kings of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty and ruled during a crucial, turmoil-filled period of Egyptian history. The boy king died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 18 or 19, in the ninth year of his reign (1322 BC). Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings was filled with magnificent treasures meant to ensure his divine immortality. Many objects belonging to the young king—exquisite personal items used in his daily life—were placed in it.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs offers glimpses of that critical period in Egyptian history. On display are 50 of Tutankhamun’s burial objects, including one of the gold and precious stone inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs. Also included are many of the day-to-day objects enjoyed by the young king, including a finely crafted child’s chair and an inlaid game board, one of four in the tomb, clearly representing an activity enjoyed by the king.

New to the encore tour of the exhibition are two nested coffinettes that contained the remains of two fetuses that are now undergoing DNA testing to reveal their relationship to King Tut. Also new to the exhibition from Tutankhamun’s tomb is a beautiful scarab bracelet featuring a central image of a beetle representing the sun god. An elaborate pectoral, a masterpiece of jewelry making, contains a rare, yellow-green glass stone carved in the shape of a scarab beetle that some scientists believe to be a fragment of an ancient meteorite.

More than 80 additional objects from tombs of 18th Dynasty royals, as well the possessions of elite individuals with close connections to the royal family are also exhibited. These stone, faience and wooden pieces from burial sites before Tut’s reign give visitors a sense of what the burials of both royalty and the elite may have been like and what the Egyptians of that time considered essential for the afterlife.

The exhibit is an absolutely fascinating portal into the past. For more information on the exhibit and on tickets, click here. 

Special Savings with GeoEx

Geographic Expeditions almost never offers special fares of any kind. So it's especially newsworthy that they recently announced special savings on thirteen fall and winter trips to Bhutan, Mount Kilimanjaro,the Galapagos,India, Laos, Vietnam and China. These offers represent savings of more than $1,000 per person in most cases -- and $2,000 for Kilimanjaro!

 

To spotlight a few favorites:

Galapagos Islands aboard the La Pinta – The adult fare has been reduced by $1,340 per person to $5,660 on all weekly departures from Aug. 8-Sept.

The Real Kilimanjaro -- Travelers can save $2,000 on the Oct. 25-Nov. 8 trip. (Land cost varies by group size, but normally starts at $7,400, so $2,000 would be a more than 25% savings!)

Bhutan: A Hiker's Paradise-- The standard price for this spectacular trip normally starts at $5,250. The GeoEx savings for all fall departures is $1,400.

The deals also include $1,700 off the Festivals of Rajasthan trip and $1,000 off the Essence of China tour.

 

View all the GeoEx special savings.

 

I hope this inspires your wanderlust!

Talking Travel on NPR

Last Friday I appeared on the terrific NPR talk show Forum, produced by San Francisco's KQED Radio. This is one of the liveliest and most reliably intelligent talk shows in the country, and usually focuses on the burning social and political issues of the day. But on Friday they decided to take a break for an hour (after an opening-hour show on abortion) and focus on summer travel instead. The way the phone lines were jammed and the emails flooded in, they might want to take this kind of break more often!

The other two guests were guidebook authors, and we were asked to talk about travel opportunities and options for listeners who may be more cash-conscious  than usual this year. As a result, our conversation focused on Northern California, and I was reminded again how blessed those of us who live in this area are, with a plethora of great hiking, biking and camping options -- not to mention restaurants and theater and art -- within easy access.

One of the points I was able to make near the end of the hour-long segment was that since fewer people are taking more ambitious trips this year, it is also a very good time for people who have the money to take the kind of once-in-a-lifetime trip they have been thinking about for years. Many of the best adventure travel companies -- on air I mentioned Backroads, OARS, Bushtracks, and Geographic Expeditions as examples -- are offering discounts or other special incentives to attract travelers. It's a great time to make that rafting trip in Idaho, biking tour in Tuscany, Galapagos voyage or South African safari you've been dreaming of for years.

For example, Geographic Expeditions is now offering a 50% discount on its Galapagos tours to children under 18. And as I said on Forum, our family trip to the Galapagos was the best, most unforgettable and life-transforming trip we've ever taken. I truly believe it's a trip every family should make. And there's never been a better time to sign up for this trip with GeoEx.

Travel is good for the soul and the planet, and I hope the Forum Faithful who listened to our show were inspired to make some travel plans, near or far, for this summer.

If you want to listen to the show, click here: Download 2009-05-22b-forum.

GeoEx Announces Rare Discounts

Geographic Expeditions, a stellar adventure travel company that opened up much of Asia and continues to set the adventure travel standard there and around the globe, has just made a rare announcement: They’re offering special discounts on three of their fall departures.

On the September 6 and October 4 departures of their Himalayan Kingdoms tour, the fare is being slashed by $1,100. And on the October 20 departure of their Festivals of Rajasthan trip, they’re cutting the price by $1,700! What a deal!

If you’ve never been to Rajasthan, this is a tremendous opportunity to visit one of India’s most beguiling regions: The trip takes in two amazing festivals, the celebrated Pushkar Camel Fair as well as the spiritual Kolayat Festival in northern Rajasthan, as well as the opulent forts and majestic palaces of Mughal Era fame, including the unsurpassed Taj Mahal and the remote desert outpost of Jaisalmer.

The Himalayan Kingdoms journey really entices me. This is a thoughtfully crafted introduction to the rich cultures and awe-inspiring landscapes of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan, allowing ample time to wander ancient ruins, revel in breathtaking mountain scenery (think snow-capped peaks, turquoise lakes and alpine forests) and meet warmly welcoming locals.

I first journeyed with GeoEx along the Karakoram Highway to magical Hunza in the late 1980s. They’re a top-notch company and they almost never discount their trips. Of course, space is limited on these reduced-price departures, so don’t wait!

Interview on 'The World'

Today I was interviewed for a short segment on ‘The World,’ the intelligent and horizon-broadening daily radio show that is produced by the BBC and Boston’s WGBH. The occasion for the interview was an AP poll that found that fewer Americans were planning to take vacations this summer. The World’s terrific anchor Lisa Mullins asked me for some recommendations on overseas destinations where even cash-strapped Americans could travel this summer. I focused on four: Argentina, Croatia, Thailand and Canada. For the first three, airfare is a significant outlay, but day-to-day expenses are temptingly inexpensive. If you want to avoid the airfare altogether, Canada’s an excellent choice. You can listen to the interview here.

New Travel Hot Spot: Iran

I was talking with Jim Sano, the perspicaceous head of Geographic Expeditions, the other day, and he mentioned one very surprising fact: "This year we have four times the number of travelers signed up for our Iran trips compared with last year," he said.

Now there's a figure that gives me hope. I love the notion of US travelers going to Iran, a country that had been maligned and isolated by our previous administration, and educating themselves, firsthand, about the country. And I love the notion that as they travel, they will also be educating the Iranians they meet about the US (which I suspect has been equally maligned and isolated by some members of their government).

This is how travel builds bridges of connection and understanding. This is why travel is so critically important, now more than ever. We need to understand that the human qualities we share are far greater than the transitory differences that divide us; we need to commit ourselves, on both sides of the globe, to being guardians of the planet and nurturers of peace.

In Conversation with Robert Thurman

Robert Thurman took me and about 450 other guests on a highly entertaining and illuminating roller-coaster ride at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco last night. I had the great good fortune of interviewing him onstage at the jewel-like Herbst, in one of Geographic Expedition's seriews of Recce Conversations. Eloquent and charismatic, Prof. Thurman has a unique ability to act as a bridge between Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Last night he spoke about the art of happiness which is at the heart of Buddhism, about the extraordinary intelligence, energy and responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whom he has known for 44 years. After our conversation, as I was driving him back to his temporary residence in San Francisco, I asked him what he thinks will happen when His Holiness passes away. "I think the Tibetans will find him and will once again make him their leader," he said. That sentence illustrates the gifts he shared so generously last night: uncommon wisdom, insight and the ability to transcend conventional thought-borders.