Austin-Lehman Adventures Suggests Two Gifting ‘Wows’ This Holiday Season
A staple of a comprehensive, active and culturally authentic vacation with Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) is the wow factor that its guests experience. When combined with insiders access to the end of year festivals of Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, ALA guests stand to give and receive more than the usual holiday gifts.
“What better time than the Christmas and New Year holidays to break with old traditions and create a new set of stories to be told and cherished for years to come,” says Dan Austin, director and co-founder of Austin-Lehman Adventures.
While Austin points out it might spoil the surprise if all were revealed in advance, two of the many ‘wows’ guests can expect on ALA’s Oaxaca itinerary include a rare glimpse of secret recipes and techniques during an exclusive cooking class at Oaxaca’s Instituto de Cultura y Cocinar and a visit to the village of San Martin Tilcajete where master carver Jacobo Mendoza treats guests to a private demonstration and showing.
On the Chiapas itinerary, the ‘wows’ include shopping for one-of-a-kind indigenous handmade treasures along the cobblestone streets of San Cristobal de Las Casas and a private visit to the home of a traditional back-strap weaver in the Maya highland town of SanLorenzo Zinacantan.
While limited to just 12 guests, ALA reports that space is still available on their two upcoming holiday trips:
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
For those who can’t wait for winter and the exhilarating sports of the season, Bar Harbor, Maine beckons. In the deep of winter, crags and cliffs lure the hardiest adventure-seekers. Granite mountain faces and seaside cliffs have a different kind of beauty in the deep of winter and are even more challenging to conquer when covered in ice.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Latin America offers endless opportunities to get off the beaten path, experience exotic landscapes and cultures in active, adventurous and exciting ways.
Aventouras specializes in active and unusual trips such as a multi-day camping and hiking trip through the jungle of northern Guatemala to reach the spectacular Mayan ruins of Tikal, sea kayaking the highest navigable lake in the world in Peru to reach a remote island community, or snorkeling among the islands of the indigenous San Blas archipelago of the Caribbean in Panama. Other activities include biking trails and roads in parts of the Sacred Valley of the Incas that most tourists never see, climbing an active volcano in Guatemala, and flying through the canopy on zip lines in Costa Rica and Panama.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Brown is the new black and Kangaroo Island is the new Galapagos. Trek Travel is offering a new, luxury Australian trip starting with a New Year’s Eve celebration in Sydney, Australia overlooking the famous Harbour Bridge at midnight, followed by a unique ride through South Australia culminating on Kangaroo Island – an untouched island with expansive native bushland, diverse wildlife and pristine beaches. The trip, which is open to anyone who is moderately fit, consists of nine days of wine tasting, culture, great food, nature, urban exploration and of course cycling.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
NEW LODGING & LEARNING PROGRAM “OLD FAITHFUL WINTER EXPEDITION”
The Yellowstone Association Institute and park concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts have added the new “Old Faithful Winter Expedition” to their line-up of popular Lodging & Learning programs this year.
Lodging & Learning programs offer the expertise of Yellowstone Association Institute naturalists/guide during the day and the comfort of park lodges at night. Each program includes accommodations, some meals and Xanterra’s “Snow Card” good for 10 percent off meals, in-park transportation, tours, ski shop services and select retail items.
“We consistently hear from participants that the instructors’ knowledge and enthusiasm about the park create experiences that could not be achieved on a self-guided tour,” said Jeff Brown, director of education for the Yellowstone Association. “The interior of Yellowstone in winter offers so much, especially for groups seeking an in-depth view.”
The Old Faithful Winter Expedition features two nights each at the only Yellowstone lodging open during the winter – the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Under the guidance of an Institute instructor, stops throughout the park will include the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone Lake and various geyser basins. Available Saturday through Tuesday beginning Dec. 27, 2008 and Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21, 2009, this program features four nights of lodging, breakfasts, lunches, welcome gift, in-park transportation, snowshoes, one-hour hot tub usage, unlimited ice skating and optional evening programs. Rates start at $929 per person, plus tax, based on double occupancy and $1,163 for single occupancy.
The activity level of this program is easy. The class is limited to 12 persons.
This winter the two organizations will also offer Lodging & Learning programs with the titles “Winter Rendezvous,” “Family Winter Holiday,” “Winter Wildlife Expedition,” “Yellowstone on Skis,” “Winter Wolf Discovery” and “Winter in Wonderland.”
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
For the fisherman at heart, what could be better than hanging out with the boys, casting your reel, kicking back with a drink in hand and waiting for the perfect catch? Add in a boat trip along B.C.’s rugged coastline, staying in a 110-foot luxury boat with nothing but gourmet food, cigars, a hot tub, and plenty of fish to be caught, and you have the “Guys Ultimate Fishing Getaway.” Ocean Explorer Sportfishing’s three-night “Guys Ultimate Fishing Getaway” package is priced at $2929 USD per person and includes roundtrip airfare from Vancouver International Airport, single stateroom accommodation, meals, Cuban cigars, guides, fishing gear and bait.
Available from from June through September, the 110-foot MV Ocean Explorer takes the boys and their tackle through the famed Inside Passage between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, depending on where the fish are biting. Four fully rigged 17-foot skiffs take keen fisherman directly from anchorage to the top secret fishing spots along the coast. Whether it’s trophy chinook salmon, king-size halibut, northern coho, dungeness crab, jumbo prawns, lingcod or red snapper you’re after, the crew aboard the Ocean Explorer guarantees your catch or the next trip is free!
While taking a break from fishing, the boys are invited to climb into one of the kayaks provided to explore the nearby inlets and bays and watch for some of the local wildlife that inhabit the area. Pristine water, towering mountains, deep fjords and a temperate climate make the area prime habitat for bald eagles, whales, dolphins and sea lions.
The only fishing experience of this kind in the area, the Ocean Explorer boasts nine private staterooms, lounge, a state-of-the-art galley and hot tub ensuring all the luxuries of a home away from home. After a long day on the open water, the men are welcomed with the culinary talents of Executive Chef David Weslowsky. David, the on board chef, serves up unforgettable meals that feature the finest and freshest of Pacific seafood, fruits and vegetables and fresh baked pastries. After a gourmet meal, the “Guys Ultimate Fishing Getaway” is wrapped up with all hands on deck for a nice long soak in the hot tub under the stars and to share fish stories.
For more information or reservations for the “Ultimate Guys Fishing Getaway” package, call Adventure West Resorts at 1-877-GO-WEST (1-877-346-9378) or visit www.adventurewestresorts.com/ocean.
Adventure West Resorts is a multi-faceted destination experience provider that delivers an authentic Canadian adventure. Experience the unexpected with Ocean Explorer Sportfishing, Adventure Fjord Heli-skiing and Elkin Creek Guest Ranch. For more information and reservations, call 1-877-3-GO-WEST (1-877-346-9378) or visit www.adventurewestresorts.com.
Source: Ki Communications
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".