Nothing sounds more exotic or exciting than luxury adventure travel to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Let’s take these one at a time and see what you would be getting if you indulged yourself with luxury adventure travel of this kind.

First the Galapagos Islands. Luxury adventure travel to the Galapagos Islands is following the footsteps of Charles Darwin and the Beagle, as he formulated his theory of evolution by studying the life forms on these islands, untainted by human hand for thousands of years. You can try to spot the blue-footed boobies waddling among the hundred year old 600 pound tortoises, or seek out the Amblyrhynchus, a three-foot long, iguana resembling a dinosaur that lives only on these islands.

You could make your initial stop to tour Quito, and have a look around one of the Indian markets nearby, such as the Saquisili Indian market, and buy a hand-made Panama hat – these are made in Ecuador, not Panama! Quito itself offers a great deal to the adventurer, and you will be able to straddle the equator – one foot in the northern and another in the southern hemisphere. Quito was destroyed by the Indians to prevent it being taken by Pissarro, and rebuilt by the Spanish colonialists.

Then take a business class flight on your first stage to tour the Galapagos Islands, and transfer to a luxury cruiser to visit Espanol Island, the first of the Galapagos Islands you will visit. Don’t forget that this is luxury adventure travel to the Galapagos Islands, and that you should want for nothing: the best accommodations and personal attention.

After admiring the iguanas, which swim only at this island, cruise over to Santa Cruz, and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station at Academy Bay, where you will check out the captive tortoise and iguana breeding centers. After crossing the equator, Genovesa Island can be very deceiving. The quietness of this volcanic area lulls you into a false sense of security, because you will shortly enter Darwin Bay and be assaulted by the sound of thousands of birds of many different types: boobies (both blue and red footed), Audubon’s shearwaters, noddies and red billed tropicbirds among many others. This is an ornithologist’s heaven.

Wreck Bay (I wonder how it got that name) on San Cristobal is the administrative capital of the Galapagos and you can fly from there back to Ecuador, connecting in Guayaquil for your flight to Lima. This is the start on the second part of your vacation: Luxury Adventure Travel to Machu Picchu. However, why rush it? Why not first have a look around some of the other places that Peru has to offer?

Take a trip to Cuzco: at three miles high, one of the highest cities in the world. Imagine your 100 meters time here! When you get this high, you have to take it easy or you could become ill, so let yourself acclimatize after your sea-level trip to the Galapagos Islands. Give it a day and then head off for a tour to Chincero in the Urubamba Sacred Valley, to learn something about the old ways of the Incas. Keep in mind that is a luxury vacation, and in keeping with that you should also visit La Cicciolina, which one of the best restaurants in this part of the world. Now you are ready for your luxury adventure travel to Machu Picchu!

What better than a luxury train ride on the Hiram Bingham train to the lost city, enjoying champagne and a top class brunch on the way. It was Yale historian, Hiram Bingham, who brought Machu Picchu to the attention of the civilized world in 1911, and wrote his first book on his finding under the title “The Lost City of the Incas”. In fact the city had been constructed around 1460, when the Inca Empire was at its peak, and it is believed that it was abandoned less than 100 years later due to an outbreak of smallpox killing most of the inhabitants.

Although many think it had ceremonial origins, current belief is that it was an estate of the Incan emperor, Pachacuti, and it is certainly not mentioned in any of the writings of the Spanish conquistadores. Whatever its purpose, this is an extraordinary city, totally invisible from below, and completely self-contained with its own springs and terraces devised to produce enough food to feed a large population. It also possesses baths, storage rooms, temples and around 150 houses.

It is not enough to travel this far and simply walk around the ruins, or those of them that you are permitted to visit. The ecosystem around the area is fascinating, and luxury adventure travel to Machu Picchu would be incomplete without learning more about this cloud forest. For the botanist there are more than 372 species of orchid to enjoy, from the lady’s slipper to tiny specimens needing a magnifying glass to appreciate.

Finally, when you return to Lima why not complete your luxury vacation and visit the Larco Herrera Museum, then take a private tour of the city, visiting both the modern and the old colonial areas of Lima.

You don’t get to enjoy luxury adventure travel to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Island very often, and you want it to be a wonderful experience, so find a tour company that can offer you personal attention, and with planners that can offer you a personal vacation just for you and a partner. That is far better than joining 48 others, and enables you to enjoy true luxury vacation with luxury travel, accommodation and cuisine that you will remember forever.



By: Michael Donner

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When we talk about safari holidays, it is obvious to talk about South Africa – the land of safari parks. If you are a safari lover and are in search of an exciting safari destination, you can plan your tour to Botswana. This part of South Africa has to offer lot many exciting things and experiences to wildlife and safari lovers. During your visit to Botswana you will find lot many things to explore, right from art, culture, people to wildlife.

If you love bird watching, you should definitely plan safari programs to this part of South Africa. One can simply not stop admiring the wonderful birdlife present in Botswana. This place has more than 600 species of birds, which include many rare and unique species of birds as well.

When the annual rains fill the Makgadikgadi, thousands of waterbords which migrate to Botswana further enhance the colorful view of this place. In Botswana, the safari lovers not only see the huge numbers of resident and migratory birds but also witness the wide array of raptors and other species of animals and birds.

The Chobe National Park being one of the best wildlife reserves of South Africa attracts huge volumes of safari lovers on luxury travel tours every year. This reserve is known to have the largest population of elephant in the world. This place also boasts of greater rainfall than other parts of this dry country and the tropical vegetation it is blessed with.

When we talk about luxury adventure travel in Botswana, we can definitely not miss mentioning about the Kalahari Desert. This desert covers most of Botswana and is known to display a wide variety of game within its natural boundary.

The Makgadikgadi and Okavango Delta are the other destinations in the country which are worth a visit if you are interested in exploring the wildlife, birds and other wilderness attractions in this part of South Africa completely, during your African safari holidays.

Botswana is well known throughout the world for having a rich tribal art and craft tradition. It also possesses a rich wealth of ancient rock art. The Tsodilo Hills situated west of the Okavango delta is known to have the site richest in rock art in South Africa. It is known to have more than 4000 catalogue paintings.

Botswana also has a rich history of culture which includes the stone wall ruins, Stone Age tools and patterned pottery. This place continues to preserve its local traditions and very carefully protects the ancient human culture.



By: Pooja Rai

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How would like adventure travel to Kenya, to learn some of Kenya’s best kept secrets? How about checking into Hemingway’s, a luxury hotel on the Indian Ocean, or spending some time in the same area that Elsa was released into the wild by Joy Adamson? You can enjoy these, and more, with luxury adventure travel to Kenya, land of the Luo, Kalenjin, Turkana and the famous Maasai warrior race, as the name is correctly spelled although we shall use the more popular western spelling of Masai.

The capital is Nairobi, and that would be a good place to start. There are many types of hotel in Nairobi, but if you can, try to book into one of the few boutique hotels that accommodate only a few guests, twelve being a good number. For that you will have to book yourself a luxury adventure vacation, with personal service offering vacation planning from just yourself and your partner.

That is a better way to enjoy Kenya’s secrets, rather than traveling in a large group of 40 or more as most people do. If you can find a tour company that offers this level of personal service, then your vacation can be tailored to suit your own timetable and needs, and not those of the majority, or even in some cases the minority!

Nairobi has a lot offer somebody seeking adventure travel to Kenya, and you don’t have to travel to unknown places to discover some of Kenya’s best kept secrets. Take Karen Blixen’s house, for example, the author of ‘Out of Africa’, made into an Oscar winning movie, or the Carnivore restaurant, where you can dine on some exotic game. You should also check out Masai crafts at the Utamanduni Craft center and visit the giraffes at the Giraffe Center.

However, it is the game reserves that most people visit Kenya to see, and that adventure travelers to Kenya are particularly interested in, so take a plane ride over the Meru National Park and land near Elsa’s Kopje – a rocky outcrop on Mughwangi Hill in the Meru Park, where Elsa was released by Joy and George Adamson back in 1958.

Why not spend some time in the park and check out the elephants, leopards and cheetahs, and of course the lions. Unfortunately the big game, the lions in particular, are in grave danger in Nairobi Park due to the action of humans, so take advantage of the opportunity to see them in the wild while you can. Although most people prefer to go on guided safaris, others prefer fishing and nature walks, or even just to lie by the pool. It’s your vacation so indulge yourself.

You must then visit the Masai Mara Nature Reserve, where the big game animals are less under threat from human activity. Try to head for the Cottar 1920 Mari Safari Camp, where the 22,000 acre private concession houses only 12 guests, but it’s well worth it, and no luxury adventure travel to Kenya should miss a visit to Cottars. Calvin Cottar is one of the best guides in the country, and will take you on a game drive in a 4WD or even a more traditional ox cart. It is an advantage that the camp is not part of the reserve, because you can go on night drives and guided walking tours, which would not otherwise be permitted.

Malinda is another part of Kenya you must not miss: situated on the Indian Ocean Malinda offers Hemingway’s a luxury hotel that offers the very best personal service. Use it as a base for a trip to Lamu Island, which used to be a base for the slave trade, and on which the only means of travel other than foot is by donkey. Try a dip in the ocean or simply relax by the pool, contemplating what you have seen

The type of luxury you can experience on these trips is unbelievably high, and adventure travel to Kenya is not all safaris and living rough. You can also do it in style, but make sure that your price is all-inclusive since the extras for the flights and safari trips can be high. A good luxury vacation company will offer you all-inclusive deals that will work out cheaper in the long run than trying to keep your initial costs low and pay your own way. You will either end up paying more, or missing out on a lot, which would be a shame after traveling so far.

Try to get a personal deal, with just the two of you traveling, rather than being part of a large group, and make sure that your travel is commensurate with the luxury you are seeking: a minimum of business class flights, and first class rail and road travel where it is involved. Your accommodation should be the best available, and the small personal hotels are often the best.

Achieve all that, and there are no reasons why your luxury adventure travel to Kenya should not provide you with the vacation of your dreams, the memories of which will last you a lifetime.



By: Michael Donner

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