These adventurous new tours for 2018 allow travelers to get up close with giant pandas in China, cycle South Africa’s most picturesque trails and travel solo in Africa, Southeast Asia and beyond.
For Solo Travelers Tours
Intrepid Travel has launched a new range of For Solo Travelers tours for 2018 as a result of a 24 percent growth in Intrepid’s solo trip bookings this year. The six new tours include the 9-day Beautiful Bali – For Solo Travelers itinerary, starting at $1,010 pp, where guests conquer the slopes of Mount Batur, explore Bali Barat National Park’s underwater world, feast on local cuisine and visit the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Hindu-Buddhist lake temple. There’s also a 15-day Best of Morocco – For Solo Travelers itinerary, starting at $1,175 pp, that takes guests on a journey from the snow-capped Atlas Mountains to the endless sands of the Sahara, and from the medieval old town of Fes to the spice markets of Marrakech. For more information, call (800) 970-7299 or visit intrepidtravel.com/us/about/solo-travel.
A Great Panda Adventure
Avanti Destinations has introduced a new 12-day customizable The Great Panda Adventure itinerary as well as an optional add-on volunteer experience at the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.
The Great Panda Adventure spends three nights in Chengdu, two nights in Xian, three nights in Shanghai and three nights in Beijing with private local guides featured throughout. The itinerary includes private tours of the Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu, Sanxingdui ruins, Terracotta Warriors, old Xian, Shanghai’s iconic sights, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, the historic Hutong area of Beijing by rickshaw, and a tea ceremony. Also included are dinner on the Bund in Shanghai, First Class high-speed bullet train tickets Xian-Shanghai and Shanghai-Beijing, private arrival and departure transfers, and daily breakfast. Land-only rates start at $2,589 pp dbl. Departures are available 365 days a year.
Travel agents may customize this tour to add or subtract destinations, tours, transfers and days. Agents can earn bonus commission if they book before Feb. 28, 2018 for travel between Oct. 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018. To qualify for the bonus, each booking must total at least $2,500. The add-on Panda Private Volunteer Experience takes place at the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda (Dujiangyan Base. The Centre is a 1.5-hour drive from Chengdu and home to 20-40 giant pandas and several red pandas. Here, guests will spend five hours with pandas, preparing their food, feeding them, and cleaning cages. This add-on experience costs $375 pp and includes roundtrip transfers from Chengdu, an English-speaking guide, and entrance fees. For more information, call (800) 422-5053 or visit avantidestinations.com.
South Africa Bike Tour
DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. is launching its first-ever group departure tour in South Africa beginning next January. Highlights include cycling through picturesque Chapman’s Peak Drive, local wine tastings by South Africa’s top winemakers where guests will have the opportunity to blend their own bottle, and dining with a local chef during a private cooking demonstration.
Rates start at $5,895 pp, and include luxury accommodations, such as the Tintswalo Atlantic, an award-winning boutique lodge right on the coast in Table Mountain National Park. Each Island Suite at the Tintswalo Atlantic is perched on a pebbled beach and features panoramic views of the picturesque Hout Bay harbor, Sentinel Mountain’s dramatic peak, and the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, call (888) 396-5383 or visit duvine.com.
