Traipse through Thailand on and off the beaten track on a 12-night tour that begins Feb. 12.
The tour will visit Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phuket, and will be led by former Peace Corps member Patricia Absher, who served in Thailand in the early 1960s.
“We left off some of the real touristy things and do some of the things most tours don’t,” said tour director Kenneth Blaker of Experience Asia. “The unique aspect of this tour is that you get the benefit of the people leading the tour (who provide) an interesting perspective on the country.”
In Bangkok, participants will visit the Grand Palace and Wat Po, known for its reclining Buddha.
The group flies to Chiang Mai to see the temples and the mountain of Doi Suthep. In Chiang Rai, they will cruise the Mae Kok River, see villages and visit the trading town of Mai Sai in the Golden Triangle region, where Thailand, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Laos meet.
After a flight to Phuket Island, the group will travel around Phang Nga National Park by longtail boat, and tour James Bond Island, made famous by the films.
Cost: $3,995 per person, double occupancy ($800 single surcharge), including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, most meals, internal flights, ground transportation, sightseeing and entrance fees.
Contact: Experience Asia Tours, Irvine, Calif.; 877-481-2446, www.experienceasia.net.
Bike Baja’s East Cape region on six-night trips from San Jose del Cabo to Punta Pescadero.
The trips will be offered weekly Jan. 5 through Feb. 2.
Tour groups cycle along the coast of the Gulf of California. Among the stops are Cabo Pulmo, where participants can snorkel or kayak in a protected coral reef, and Los Barriles, the hub of several mountain biking trails.
The ride ends in the beach town of Punta Pescadero.
Cost: $1,695 per person, double occupancy ($400 single surcharge), including hotels, meals, ground transportation, guides and support vehicles, entrance fees and airport transfers. Air fare to San Jose del Cabo and $140 bike rental fee are not included.
Contact: Great Explorations, Vancouver, B.C.; 800-242-1825, www.great-explorations.com.
Celebrate the New Year on a family trip to Yosemite National Park that begins Dec. 28.
The three-night visit to Yosemite Valley includes cross-country skiing lessons, guided hikes and a New Year’s Day brunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel.
Cost: $375 per adult and $150 per child, including accommodations at Yosemite Lodge, lessons and guide. Transportation to Yosemite and most meals are not included.
Contact: Family Adventure Tours, Los Angeles; 323-377-7565, www.ifamilycamp.com.
A new museum about money debuts Jan. 3 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Ohio, when the bank opens to the public for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001.
The Learning Center and Money Museum includes exhibits of ancient currency such as tiny cowrie shells from Indian Ocean islands and giant stones from the Pacific island of Yap, along with a 23-foot tree covered with hanging bills. The museum’s mission includes educating the public about everything from economics to money management.
The museum, at the corner of Superior Avenue and E. Sixth Street in downtown Cleveland, will be open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
Where will you find the world’s greatest markets? The hippest hostels? The most extreme environments, toughest treks and dodgiest scams – as well as the best places to get naked?
All these and more are detailed in a new book from Lonely Planet called “Bluelist.”
The $19.99 book is the traveler’s guide to the best and worst of just about everything the globe has to offer, boiled down to a series of highly opinionated top 10 lists.
Slovenia’s Celica Youth Hostel in Ljubljana took the No. 1 spot on the hostel list, while the list of the world’s best booze included Japanese sake, Irish Guinness, Belgian beer, Mexican tequila and Tennessee whiskey.
The world’s great markets include Tokyo’s fish market, the Chiang Mai market in Thailand, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar and Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Route 66 made it onto the list of the best road trips, along with a trip from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cairo, Egypt, the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, and the 30 miles between Sorrento to Salerno on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Most awesome treks include the Inca Trail, from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu in Peru; Nepal’s Mount Everest Base Camp; and the 16 miles through canyons in the Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah.
Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at 10 a.m. at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds.
* No classes until Jan. 7.
Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-771-8303 ext. 298 or visit www.ricksteves.com/seattle.
The Savvy Traveler offers travel seminars at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. most Saturdays at 112 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds.
* Exploring China, 10 a.m. Jan. 7.
* Italian for travelers, 6 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 12 through Feb. 2.
* A taste of Tuscany and Umbria, 10 a.m. Jan. 21.
* Southern Italy and Sicily, 1 p.m. Jan. 21.
Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-744-6076, 877-225-1994, or visit www.savvytraveleredmonds.com.
LiveWell Ventures Travel Services hosts a free “Taste of Travel Seminar” at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Brindle’s Marketplace at Camano Commons at Terry’s Corner, 848 N. Sunrise Blvd., Camano Island.
Each seminar features guest speakers. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and coffee will be served. A wine tasting is available for $5.
For information, call 877-357-0022, 360-629-0881, or visit www.livewellventures.com.
The Herald is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with cruise lines, travel agents or tour operators.
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