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40 Best Deals
From a Tanzanian game reserve and untouched Incan ruins to a wealth of adventure tours, here are the Real Deals from the September issue of Budget Travel magazine.
September 2007 issue
Tuesday, August 21, 2007;
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To Peruse Peru
$1,649
Just You and the Beasts
Tanzania Safari for $2,995
Way Off the Grid
Bulgaria for $750
Djibouti for $1,700
Nepal for $760
Oman for $1,310
Senegal & Gambia for $1,825
Tunisia for $1,060
Information: Adventure Center, 800/227-8747, adventurecenter.com.
Fall Into the G.A.P
Venezuela for $1,525
Pakistan for $1,275
Malawi for $995
SS: Not available, but the company will pair single travelers with a same-sex roommate at no additional cost.Information: G.A.P Adventures, 800/465-5600, gapadventures.com.
Think You Know Canada, Eh?
That Dammed River?
$675
UNITED STATES
Lake Powell Kayaking for $1,999
New Orleans for $344
MEXICO
Loreto for $399
Manzanillo for $789
CARIBBEAN
Bonaire for $679
St. Maarten for $687
Turks & Caicos for $1,025
CENTRAL AMERICA
Panama Tour for $2,199
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil Resort for $899
Isla de Providencia, Colombia for $1,096
EUROPE
England B&B Road Trip for $639
European Cruises for $599
Puglia, Italy for $960
Vienna & Romania Combo for $1,299
AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
Madagascar & Mauritius for $4,760
ASIA
Japan for $2,109
Thailand Tour for $1,968
SOUTH PACIFIC
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
South Island, New Zealand for $1,799
While it's about the same size as Machu Picchu, the Incan city of Choquequirao receives 1 percent of the visitors. Less than a third of the ruins have been excavated; the rest have been sitting untouched since the Inca left in the 1500s. Peru is building infrastructure to allow for mass tourism, but right now the only way to see this site is on a five-day hike through the Andes.
Includes air from Miami to Cuzco (via Lima), two nights in Cuzco, and a five-day hike with guides, meals, and pack mules. When: Until Dec. 9. Other Gateways: Many. SS: $250. Information: Go-today.com, 800/227-3235.
Selous Game Reserve, in a seldom-visited southern region of Tanzania, is Africa's largest game reserve. It's home to 138,000 buffalo, 46,500 wildebeests, 21,500 zebras, 29,500 impalas, 350 bird species--and hosts only 5,000 human visitors a year. The few who do make the six-hour drive from Dar es Salaam to the reserve and its neighbor, Mikumi National Park, can explore 18,547 square miles of woodlands and grass plains by car, boat, and even foot, as Selous, unlike most reserves, permits walking safaris. For their efforts, travelers are rewarded with one of the best chances of spotting the Big Five--lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, and rhinoceroses.
Virgin Atlantic flights from Boston, D.C., or New York to London, an onward flight to Dar es Salaam (via Nairobi), local transportation with a guide, one night in Dar es Salaam, and a four-night tent safari with game tours, park fees, and meals. When: Sept. 1-15 ($3,475); Sept. 16-Nov. 30 ($2,995). Other Gateways: Miami, Orlando (add $155); L.A., San Francisco (add $175); Chicago (add $200). SS: $325. Information: Masai Travel, 800/587-1644, masaitravel.com.
Adventure Center reps 10 adventure travel outfits worldwide, and sells about 2,000 land-only tours to nearly as many places, such as...
Eight-day hike in the Rodopi Mountains. When: Sept. 15, 22; May 26, 31. SS: Not available.
Six-night cruise. When: Oct. 25; Nov. 8, 22; Dec. 20, 27; Mar. 13, 27. SS: Not available.
12-day tour out of Kathmandu. When: Sept. 23, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 16. SS: Not available.
Nine-day tour from Masqat. When: Oct. 20, 27; Nov. 3; Dec. 22, 29; Feb. 9, 16. SS: $270.
Two-week tour out of Dakar. When: Oct. 6, Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Jan. 5, Feb. 2. SS: $460.
Two-week tour round trip from Tunis. When: Sept. 22; Oct. 6, 20; Dec. 22. SS: $105.
Toronto-based G.A.P Adventures sells some 1,000 land-only, small-group travel itineraries on all seven continents. It's adding over 100 more in 2008.
A 15-day tour round trip from Caracas with local transportation, lodging, some meals, and a guide. Local payment: $300. When: Sept. 28; Oct. 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2, 9, 23, 30.
A 12-day trip from Kashgar to Lahore tracing the Silk Road trade route, with transportation, lodging, and a guide. Local payment: $250. When: Sept. 23; Oct. 14, 28.
An 11-day tour round trip from Blantyre with lodging, transportation, some meals, and a guide. Local payment: $200. When: Sept. 15, 24; Oct. 3, 12, 21, 30; Nov. 8, 17, 26.
Well, did you know there are islands belonging to France off the coast of Newfoundland? A five-night air/hotel package to St.-Pierre starts at $1,329. For more trips to little-known spots, see The Real Deals at BudgetTravel.com.
Now that a major dam project on China's Yangtze River is in its final stage of construction, visitors can really see its impact on the scenic Three Gorges. While rising waters have submerged many of the famous rock formations on the steep cliffs, they've also allowed cruise ships to travel further up shallow tributaries and to explore formerly inaccessible areas. This year, Victoria Cruises' sailings now include stops at the Mini Three Gorges and the Shennong Stream nature preserve.
Victoria Cruises' Three Gorges Highlights is a four-day sailing; includes meals. Add $80 for all excursions. When: Sept. 1-Oct. 31 (from $720); Nov. 1-30 (from $675). SS: From $500. Information: Victoria Cruises, 800/348-8084, victoriacruises.com.
Houston for $120
For the first time since its discovery in 1974, Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old hominid skeleton, will leave Ethiopia as part of a traveling exhibition. Its first stop is the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Themed deals combine VIP passes to the show with a stay at one of 16 area hotels. Prices vary, but start at $120 per night at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Houston-Hobby Airport. Price is per room. When: Until Apr. 20. Information: GHCVB, 800/446-8786, visithoustontexas.com.
A seven-day kayaking and hiking tour round trip from Salt Lake City, with all local transportation, five nights in tents and one in a hotel, most meals and equipment, park fees, and a guide. Land-only price. Nonmembers must first pay a $15 membership fee. When: Oct. 6-12; Oct. 15-21. SS: $99 (or none if you agree to be paired up with a same-sex roommate). Information: REI Adventures, 800/622-2236, reiadventures.com.
Southwest Airlines flights from Orlando or Tampa and two nights at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel. When: Sept. 10-Nov. 6. Other Gateways: Philadelphia (from $424); Kansas City, Phoenix (from $439); Seattle (from $449). SS: $230. Information: Southwest Airlines Vacations, 800/423-5683, southwestvacations.com.
Huatulco for $723
Air from L.A., transfers, and four nights at the Camino Real Zaashila, a resort on Tangolunda Bay. When: Until Dec. 9. Other Gateways: Chicago until Dec. 7 ($773), New York ($987). SS: From $393. Information: Pleasant Holidays, 800/448-3333, pleasantholidays.com.
Delta flights from L.A., transfers, and three nights at the Hacienda Suites hotel, in the historic section of town. When: Sept. 20, 27 ($429); Oct. 11, 18, 25 ($399); Nov. 1 ($469). Other Gateways: Las Vegas (from $499), Reno (from $549), Seattle (from $559), Salt Lake City (from $599). SS: From $150. Information: Delta Vacations, 800/654-6559, deltavacations.com.
Air from L.A. to Manzanillo, transfers, and four nights at the Grand Bay Hotel, Isla Navidad Resort, 45 miles north of Manzanillo on the Pacific Coast. When: Until Dec. 21. Other Gateways: None. SS: $448. Information: Pleasant Holidays, 800/448-3333, pleasantholidays.com.
Anguilla for $399
The Fish & Fry package at Arawak Beach Inn includes transfers, four nights in an oceanfront room, a guided fishing trip with lessons, dinner made from your catch, a meal at the hotel restaurant, a one-day car rental, and breakfast daily. Land-only price. When: Until Oct. 31 ($399); Nov. 1-Dec. 21 ($459). SS: From $249. Information: Arawak Beach Inn, 877/427-2925, arawakbeach.com.
Air from Atlanta, transfers, and seven nights in a garden-view studio at the Caribbean Club Bonaire on the island's west coast. When: Until Dec. 14. Other Gateways: Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia (add $63); Chicago (add $88); Miami (add $117); L.A. (add $173). SS: $210. Information: Caradonna Dive Adventures, 800/328-2288, caradonna.com.
Spirit Airlines flights from Fort Lauderdale, transfers, and five nights at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino. When: Sept. 2-Nov. 30. Other Gate-ways Tampa ($771); Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, D.C., New York ($848). SS: $430. Information: Spirit Vacations, 800/617-3325, spiritvacations.com.
Air from Miami, transfers, four nights at the Regent Palms resort on Grace Bay Beach, and breakfast daily. When: Until Dec. 14. Other Gateways: Atlanta (add $19); Chicago (add $29); New York (add $49); Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia (add $125); L.A. (add $255). SS: $719. Information: Leisure Link International, 888/801-8808, eleisurelink.com.
Costa Rica for $1,087
Air from Miami, all transfers and local transportation, and six nights' hotel accommodations split between San José (with breakfast daily) and Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean Coast. Includes all meals and two full-day naturalist-guided boat trips to see howler monkeys, parrots, and seven types of turtles in Tortuguero. When: Until Dec. 9. Other Gateways: Boston, D.C., Houston, New York (add $120); Atlanta, Chicago, L.A., San Francisco (add $180). SS: $396. Information: Tara Tours, 800/327-0080, taratours.com.
A nine-day tour round trip from Panama City to Gamboa and the Panama Canal, Boquete, and the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Includes local transportation; eight nights' lodging; most meals, equipment, and instruction; all entrance fees; and a guide. Highlights include visiting tribal villages, white-water rafting down the Chiriquí River, hiking through Volcán Barú National Park, and kayaking in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Land-only price. Nonmembers must first pay a $15 membership fee. When: Nov. 10-18; Dec. 29-Jan. 6. SS: $699. Information: REI Adventures, 800/622-2236, reiadventures.com.
Argentina Wildlife for $1,699
Air from Miami to Buenos Aires, all local transportation, and five nights' accommodations (three in Buenos Aires and two in Trelew). Includes visits to Península Valdés, Punta Tombo Natural Reserve, the Punta Pirámides sea lion rookery, and Golfo Nuevo to see southern right whales. When: Until Nov. 30. Other Gateways: New York (add $60); Boston, D.C., Philadelphia (add $150); L.A., Phoenix, San Francisco (add $270). SS: $300. Information: Escapes Unlimited, 800/243-7227, escapesltd.com.
TAM Brazilian Airlines flights from Miami to Salvador, transfers, seven nights at the Costa do Sauípe Marriott Resort & Spa on the northern coast of Bahía, and breakfast daily. When: Sunday departures until Dec. 9. Other Gateways: None. SS: $420. Information: TAM Vacations, 866/627-2945, tamvacations.net.
Air from Miami to San Andrés, all transfers, one night at either the all-inclusive Decameron Isleno or San Luis hotel, an onward flight to Isla de Providencia, and six nights at one of five B&Bs with breakfast and dinner daily. When: Sept. 1-Nov. 30. Other Gateways: New York (add $250), L.A. (add $290). SS: $396. Information: Tara Tours, 800/327-0080, taratours.com.
Croatia for $1,649
Czech Airlines flights from Montreal, New York, or Toronto to Zagreb (via Prague); all transportation; nine nights' lodging (two in Zagreb, four in Dubrovnik, three in Split); and breakfasts. When: Sept. 1-10 ($2,049); Sept. 11-28 ($2,119); Sept. 29-Oct. 31 ($1,989); Nov. 1-Dec. 10 ($1,649). Other Gateways: Chicago (add $140), L.A. (add $260). SS: From $580. Information: Paul Laifer Tours, 800/346-6314, laifertours.com.
Air from New York to London, seven-day car rental, six nights of vouchers valid at 1,200 B&Bs across the country, and breakfast daily. When: Until Sept. 3 ($1,139); Sept. 4-Oct. 31 ($889); Nov. 1-Dec. 13 ($639). Other Gateways: Philadelphia (from $669); Boston (from $679); Chicago (from $739); D.C. (from $759); Atlanta, Dallas, Miami (from $819); L.A., San Francisco (from $829). SS: From $112. Information: EuropeASAP, 415/750-5449, europeasap.com.
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Costa Cruises is knocking up to 75 percent off 234 of its sailings in 2008. One of the best deals is a seven-night cruise on the Costa Magica round trip from Barcelona, with stops in Marseille, France; Naples, Savona, and Palermo in Italy; Tunis, Tunisia; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Prices don't include port charges or airfare. When: Nov. 7, 14. SS: From $479. Information: Costa Cruise Lines, 800/462-6782, costacruises.com.
Air from D.C. to Bari or Brindisi (via Rome), a four-day car rental, four nights in Alberobello at the Grand Hotel la Chiusa di Chietri, and breakfast daily. When: Sept. 8-20 ($990); Sept. 21-Oct. 31 ($960). Other Gateways: New York (add $90); L.A., San Francisco (add $100); Chicago, Miami (add $160). SS: $202. Information: TourCrafters, 800/482-5995, tourcrafters.com.
Austrian Airlines flights from Chicago, D.C., or New York; six nights' hotel accommodations; and breakfast daily. Spend three nights in Vienna and three in Romania in one of five cities: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Sibiu, or Timisoara. When: Sept. 10-Oct. 31. Other Gateways: None. SS: From $199. Information: Austrian Airlines Vacation Center, 800/790-4682, austrianair-vacations.com.
Lesotho & South Africa for $2,575
South African Airways flights from New York to Durban (via Johannesburg), all local transportation, and a nine-day adventure-travel tour through the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, which is completely surrounded by South Africa. When: Sept. 1-Dec. 5. Other Gateways: Boston, Chicago, D.C., Philadelphia (add $195); Dallas, Houston (add $225); L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle (add $325). SS: $495. Information: 2Afrika, 866/462-2374, 2afrika.com.
Air from New York to Antananarivo (via Amsterdam), and a 22-day tour of the island nations of Madagascar and Mauritius, which are off the southeastern coast of Africa. Includes transportation, 20 nights' lodging, and a guide throughout. Add $235 a week for meals. When: Sept. 11, 18; Oct. 2, 9, 23. Other Gateways: D.C. ($4,925); Chicago, L.A., Miami ($4,985). SS: Not available. Information: Djoser, 877/356-7376, djoserusa.com.
Bali & Borneo for $1,899
Singapore Airlines flights from L.A. or San Francisco to Bali (via Singapore); all transportation; three nights on Bali in Sanur Beach, Ubud, or Legian Beach with breakfast daily; an onward flight to Java; guided sightseeing in Yogyakarta; one night in Semarang with breakfast; an onward flight to Borneo; three nights near the Tanjung Puting National Park; all meals and sightseeing while on Borneo; and a guide throughout. When: Until Dec. 4. Other Gateways: New York (add $150); Boise, Portland (add $175); Boston, Pittsburgh (add $205); Des Moines, Memphis, Miami, Nashville (add $300). SS: $500. Information: Escapes Unlimited, 800/243-7227, escapesltd.com.
Air from L.A. or San Francisco to Tokyo, transfers, a seven-day Japan Rail pass, four nights in Tokyo, and two nights each in Kyoto and Tohoku (the northern region of Honshu, Japan's main island). Includes three half-day city tours, one each in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara; and a chartered taxi in Tohoku for visits to temples, hot-spring baths, and a theme park devoted to 11th-century Japan. When: Sept. 1-Oct. 23 ($2,179); Oct. 24-Dec. 8 ($2,109). Other Gateways: Chicago, New York (add $50). SS: $532. Information: NTA America, 800/682-7872, japanvacation.net.
Air from L.A. or San Francisco to Bangkok, all local transportation, and a 12-day tour to northern Thailand. The itinerary covers most meals and a guide throughout. When: Sept. 6, 20, Oct. 4, 18 ($1,988); Nov. 1, 15 ($1,968). Other Gateways: Las Vegas, Sacramento (add $40); Atlanta, Boston, New York (add $100); Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis (add $120). SS: From $250. Information: Pacific Delight Tours, 800/221-7179, pacificdelighttours.com.
Tahiti & Raiatea for $1,995
Air Tahiti Nui flights from L.A. to Papeete, transfers, one night at the Sofitel Tahiti Resort, an onward flight to Raiatea, and six nights in a lagoon-front bungalow at the Raiatea Hawaiki Nui Hotel. Add $75 to upgrade to an overÂwater bungalow. When: Until Oct. 31 ($2,145); Nov. 1-14 ($2,025); Nov. 15-Dec. 12 ($1,995). Other Gateways: None. SS: $750. Information: Tahiti Legends, 800/200-1213, tahitilegends.com.
Melbourne & the Grampians for $2,699
Qantas Airways flights from L.A., transfers, three nights' lodging in Melbourne, a three-day car rental, three nights near Grampians National Park (a mountain range about three hours from Melbourne), and a half-day driving tour through the park. When: Sept. 1-Nov. 30. Other Gateways: Portland, Seattle (add $220); Dallas, Denver (add $250); Chicago (add $280); New York (add $300); Boston, Miami (add $360). SS: Not available. Information: ATS Tours, 800/423-2880, atstours.com.
Air New Zealand flights from L.A. to Auckland, an onward flight to Christchurch, and an eight-day camper-van rental with unlimited mileage. When: Sept. 1-Oct. 22 ($1,799); Oct. 23-Nov. 30 ($1,969). Other Gateways: Seattle (add $275), Denver (add $390), Chicago (add $430), New York (add $455). SS: $245. Information: ATS Tours, 800/423-2880, atstours.com.