Category: Small Group Discoveries

EuropeSmall Group Discoveries

Provence: Rustic and Irresistible

on August 28, 2017

Deep in the heart of Southern France, tidy stone-cut villages straddle limestone hills … lush vineyards drape over vast fields like emerald blankets … fertile farms produce heavenly cheeses, honey, olive oil, herbs, and other bounties … and unspoiled delta plains host rural farms, droves of wild white horses, and some of the last true cowboys in Europe. This is France’s unrivalled Provence region, where man and nature seamlessly converge into a rich and symbiotic culture of breathtaking and bucolic beauty. And there is no more rewarding way to experience it than in a Discovery Tours small group during our new Treasures of Provence trip.

The Untouched Wild of the Camargue

Near Arles, before the legendary Rhone River spills into the Mediterranean, it fans out into countless tendril-like waterways and forms one of Europe’s most magnificent delta systems. This vast untamed region is the Camargue, a spectacular 570 square miles of pastures, lagoons, wetlands, and salt flats that hosts some 400 species of birds, including the wondrous pink flamingo. Bird lovers and nature enthusiasts alike revel in the endless horizons, silent stillness, and clean air of this beloved preserve.

Perhaps one of the most magical residents of the Camargue is the wild white horse. One of the oldest horse breeds in the world, the Camargue horse is believed to have thrived here for thousands of years. Most are wild, but some have tamed by les gardians, the local cowboys who herd the black long-horned bull and sheep. Their ranches are among the only residences in the largely undeveloped area; some date back hundreds of years and embody a generations-old tradition of living off the land.

Remarkable Villages Cut from the Earth

Farther north, another seductive pocket of French landscapes and village culture beckons. The Luberon came into popular renowned with the publication of Peter Mayles’ A Year in Provence. The hilltop medieval villages that he so lovingly depicted as he renovated his farmhouse are all here. Many of them, rightly so, have been officially named among the “Most Beautiful Villages of France.”

Mayles lived in Ménerbes among its narrow cobbled warrens and dramatic vistas. Perched on a hillside in the foothills of the French Alps, this precious hamlet is surrounded by cherry orchards and vineyards and has been compared to a great ship floating in a sea of vines. Two of its most prominent sites—the miniature citadel fortress and the Chateau du Castellet—are spectacular to behold.

The village of Gordes clings to the southern slopes of Monts de Vaucluse. This medieval fortified town, a marvelous patchwork of gray and white stone houses, is crowned by a magnificent Renaissance castle and was once a powerful stronghold of wealth and power. Wandering its calades, the local name given to its streets paved with stone, is pure pleasure as shaded intimate alleyways open up to fantastic views of the Luberon hills. Nearby, the gray-stone Sénanque Abbey is one of Provence’s most popular sites, especially in June and July when the lavender rows are in full bloom, lending a soothing color and fragrance.

Another Provençal gem, the pretty “red village” of Roussillon has lured artists for centuries. Little wonder, with the way its brilliant ochre shades contrast with the surrounding green forests of pines and oaks. Its fiery red cliffs, oddly found nowhere else in the Luberon, seem to have given rise to the sienna-stone buildings that climb up the hillside. You can stroll the former ochre quarries from where the stone was harvested, aptly known as the Sentier de Ocres, or the Ochre Path.

To view the first Renaissance castle to be built in Provence, you will visit Lourmarin. This stunning golden-hued stone village is not on a hilltop at all, but nestled in a combe, or valley, between the Grand Luberon Mountains and the Petit Luberon. Its Mediterranean-style climate lures visitors year-round, as its many outdoor café terraces attest. The village is renowned for its sophistication and relaxed air, and as the last residence of legendary writer Albert Camus.

Uncover the Beauty of Provence with Discovery Tours

The irresistible allure of the Camargue and Provence’s stone villages is that, even in the 21st century, they remain intimately tied to the natural world. The march of progress has stepped aside and let the timeless charms of France endure. We look forward to sharing this beguiling corner of Europe with you during our Treasures of Provence trip.

EuropeSmall Group Discoveries

France’s Spellbinding Côte d’Azur

on August 25, 2017

Few destinations exude the joie de vivre for which the French are famous as their very own Côte d’Azur, where culture, glamour, and stunning natural beauty combine to create one of the world’s most unique and exhilarating coastlines. And you can experience it all firsthand during Discovery Tours’ new Treasures of Provence trip.

The arbiter of culture on these scenic shores is Marseille, France’s oldest and second largest city. The delightful Vieux Port, or Old Port, fans out into the harbor from the end of the Canebière, the historic street often compared to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The Old Port bustles with fishmongers, locals out for a quayside stroll, and cafes crowded with diehard lovers of bouillabaisse, the fish stew invented here, and pastis, the celebrated 90-proof spirit. It all unfolds under the watch of two 17th-century fortresses, erected under Louis XIV after local citizens rose up against the governor. Perhaps more quintessentially Provençal than Marseille, Nice exudes small-town charm in a big-city atmosphere. The Cours Saleya in the Old Town is lined with market stalls purveying the treasured products of the countryside—from honey and flowers to cheese and lavender soaps.

Though not technically a part of France, the independent Principality of Monaco is every bit a part of the French Riviera. For a taste of the glamorous life, you will visit its smallest quartier, Monte Carlo. This is where Europe’s well-heeled come to see and be seen, whether lounging on their mega-yachts or dropping some coin at the roulette wheel in the gilded casino. But the center of it all is the extravagant Royal Palace and the St. Nicholas Cathedral, where Princess Grace and Prince Rainer are entombed.

All this glitz and richness of culture share a stunning backdrop of soaring mountains, forested capes that reach into the Mediterranean, and rock-strewn coasts. Indeed, the dramatic landscape adds immeasurably to the unmistakable spirit of the Côte d’Azur. Tiny medieval villages seemingly carved from the very earth are perched atop conical hills. The Mediterranean glitters like shining diamonds unfurling in the sun. White, craggy limestone rock walls (calanques) spill into the sea, forming tiny coves that embrace turquoise waters. The Côte d’Azur is sure to leave you spellbound.

Take in its glamour, culture, and beauty during our Treasures of Provence adventure.

EuropeSmall Group Discoveries

Unexpected Surprises of Paris Icons

on August 18, 2017

The elegance and romance of Paris stay with you wherever you go for the rest of your life. It’s why Ernest Hemingway called the City of Light a “moveable feast.” And why Discovery Tours makes it a point to introduce you to its glories as your Treasures of Provence trip gets underway. Here are some little-known facts about the sites you’ll see during your stay in this most beautiful of cities.

Arc de Triomphe – Home of France’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, this massive arch was built between 1806 and 1836 to commemorate lives lost in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. All of France’s victories and names of its generals are etched on its façade. Twelve roads converge here into a roundabout that surrounds the arch. But perhaps the most memorable piece of transportation history here occurred after World War I, in 1919, when during the nation’s victory parade a pilot flew his biplane under the arch.

Eiffel Tower – Built for the World’s Fair of 1889, Gustave Eiffel’s tower was greeted with scorn by most Parisians. They looked forward to the disassembly of the “metal asparagus” at fair’s end, but the now-beloved structure was saved because it was deemed useful as a radio tower. During the Nazi occupation of Paris, the French cut its elevator cables so that Germans would have to climb the 1,710 stairs to the top if they wanted to plant their flag at Paris’s highest point.

Notre Dame Cathedral – Celebrated as one of the world’s most splendid examples of French Gothic architecture, Notre Dame is one of the largest churches in the world. Generations committed themselves to its construction over almost 200 years, which started in 1163 and finished in 1345. Within its treasury are kept the Crown of Thorns said to be worn by Jesus, a piece of the Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.

The Louvre and the Mona Lisa – Breathtaking in scope and elegant in appearance, the Louvre occupies what was once the largest royal palace in the world, stretching a half mile along the Right Bank of the Seine. Of its 380,000 pieces, some 35,000 are on display. The museum’s centerpiece is the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s renowned painting of the woman with the mysterious smile. Throughout its 500-year history, the painting has spent time hanging at Louis XIV’s Versailles and in the bedroom of Napoleon in his Tuileries Palace.

Basilica Sacre Coeur – Perched atop Montmartre Hill, with some of the best views of Paris, the Sacred Heart Basilica was built to assuage the humiliations of the French after their defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. This magnificent gleaming wonder was completed in 1914 and features one of the largest mosaics in the world, an artful rendering of Christ with open arms. It was no mistake that this symbol of conservative morality was built to oversee Montmartre, the city’s bohemian district of artists and hedonists.

Experience the beauty of the “city of lights” with Gate 1 Travel!

EuropeSmall Group Discoveries

The Birth of French Impressionism

on August 11, 2017

An endless canvas of vibrant yellow sunflowers … rolling hills of earth-toned wheat and green pastures undulating toward an alpine landscape … the welcoming charms of colorful stone-carved market squares dappled with shade from plane trees and vibrant umbrellas. These are the iconic images of Provence you may encounter during our new Discovery Tours adventure, Treasures of Provence.

Provence has long captured the imagination of travelers—to say nothing of the imagination of artists. In fact, the region was central to one of history’s most influential artistic movements, French Impressionism. When this painting style was introduced to the salons of Paris in the late 1800s, it was decried as sacrilege. For generations, the Parisian Académie des Beaux-Arts had set the standards for fine French art. To them, paintings were meant to depict historical moments and figures and to convey religious and mythological themes. Equally important, brush strokes were expected to be undetectable, ostensibly so that the viewer could not distinguish what was real from what was painted.

Impressionism turned theses standards on their heads and appalled the establishment. Thus rejected, young painters such as Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and others formed their own association with the aim of bypassing the Académie so their works could be viewed by the public without the hindrance of the so-called culture keepers. In their work, formal portraits, religious images, and realism were replaced by scenes of ordinary people, landscapes, and visible brush strokes meant to convey motion and life … in short, the artists conveyed their impression of nature and of place rather than duplicating it in the way a photograph would. In all, 30 artists displayed their work at their first exhibition in 1874. The art world would never be the same.

Several of the French Impressionists went on to find inspiration in Provence, drawn by the quality of the light. From Cezanne’s legendary depictions of Marseilles and Mont Sainte-Victoire … to Van Gogh’s images of the night café at Arles and a starry night over the Rhone River… to the lush images created by the likes of Chagall, Renoir, and others, Provence helped to immortalize a new movement in art. Their paintings forever etched one of the world’s most beautiful regions in our memories, and we’re sure you’ll find that it’s pure privilege to witness them firsthand.

Latin AmericaSmall Group Discoveries

The Many Curiosities of Cotopaxi

on July 26, 2017

Soaring more than 19,000 feet above sea level, Volcán Cotopaxi, the mighty Cotopaxi Volcano, is one of the world’s highest volcanoes, and it takes the record as the planet’s tallest continuously active peak. Ecuadorians are rightly proud to call it their own, though they regard its power with a reverential respect.

It is perhaps one of the most majestic and serenely solitary sights you’ll ever see, standing on the wide páramo, or highlands, where cougars roam in search of rabbits and weasels. You can take a closer look during Discovery Tours’ new Galapagos, Ecuador, Andes & Amazon trip. You’ll visit Cotopaxi National Park outside of Quito and take a walk around a pristine lake at the base of the mountain. Here’s a taste of what you will see and learn about this magnificent natural wonder:

    • Like Japan’s more famous Mount Fuji across the Pacific, Cotopaxi has a symmetrical cone.
    • Also like its counterpart, it wears its snow cover like a well-fitted hat trimmed at the same elevation all the way around the cone.
    • Cotopaxi is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a circle of active volcanoes that surround the ocean. It is one of 452 volcanoes in the ring.
    • Cotopaxi is home to one of the world’s only equatorial glaciers, which begins around the 16,400-foot mark.
    • The volcano boasts not one, but two crater rims. The inner one, remarkably for an active volcano, is covered with patches of ice.
    • Cotopaxi is part of Ecuador’s famed Avenue of the Volcanoes, a 200-mile stretch of peaks – seven in total – that stand more than 17,000 feet tall.
  • An 1862 painting of this magnificent peak by Frederic Edwin Church, an American landscape painter from the Hudson River School, hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Visit Cotopaxi National Park with Gate 1 Travel!

Latin AmericaSmall Group Discoveries

Experience the Ecuadorian Amazon Up Close

on July 24, 2017

High in the Ecuadorian Andes, underground springs bubble up from deep in the earth. As tiny streams trickle through the forest, they combine with snowmelt and mix with the volcanic clay of eastern Ecuador. These are among the most fertile soils in the world and they bring to life an exuberant variety of flora—from towering trees to minuscule mosses and all types of ferns and flowers in between. They, in turn, harbor an endless variety of animal and bird life. But the journey of these waters is just beginning.

They continue their course into the wilderness until they join one of the world’s largest river systems, forming a massive web of waterways. In Ecuador, this lush region is known as “El Oriente,” or The East, part of the massive Amazon basin. It is among the world’s most biodiverse regions, and certainly one of its most fantastic. It spreads out over more than a third of Ecuador, yet only four percent of the nation’s people live here. Among the endless network of streams and rivulets, you’re more likely to see the rainforest’s other residents: caimans, monkeys, birds, and pink dolphins. To say nothing of the indigenous tribes that still eke out a living in the jungles.

Head Deep into the Amazon

The small size of our group allows us to explore this primitive part of the world at a gentle pace. You’ll make your way from the frontier town of Coca via motorized canoe, a modern-day version of the traditional mode of river transit, to a lodge nestled within a private reserve on the shores of Pilchicocha Lake. The ride on the Napo River with your motorista, or canoe pilot—with water splashing by your side and the river’s banks gloriously unfolding on either side of you—is the perfect way to enter this remarkable and breathtaking world. From your very first moment on the waters of the Napo, you’ll get caught up in the expedition spirit that brought so many explorers here before you. And once you see the Sacha Lodge, with its thatched-roof huts embraced by the jungle, you’ll feel completely immersed in the spirit of an Amazon safari.

Revel in a Paradise of Flora and Fauna

Throughout your stay at Sacha Lodge, you’ll venture into the mighty Amazon by canoe and by foot, by day and by night, giving you the most intimate experience there is. You may, for instance, try your hand at catching some legendary piranha. The legendary sharp-toothed fish makes the murky waters of some nearby lakes its home—but they are surprisingly easy to catch, as your naturalist guide will demonstrate. The white caiman and the water monkey fish are also key parts of this fragile ecosystem.

You may notice other colorful creatures along the water’s edge as you head out on expeditions via traditional dugout canoe. Pools of mud on the shore have become enriched with minerals that attract countless parrots and parakeets. These parrot clay licks, as they are called, actually save the lives of many birds as the clay essentially neutralizes toxic seeds or unripe fruits they’ve eaten that would otherwise harm them.

But you won’t have to go far to witness one of the world’s most bio-diverse wilderness spaces. Just step outside your hut and you may spot any of eight species of monkeys cavorting in the treetops, from the tiny pygmy marmoset to the 17-pound red howler. Anteaters, sloths, ocelots, and numerous types of frogs may also be keeping you company.

For bird lovers, almost 600 species have been identified around the lodge alone. You’re likely to see many of them when you venture along the Canopy Walk, one of just a few self-standing suspension canopy walkways in the world. This invigorating “floating” pathway spans 900 feet and provides magnificent views from 120 feet above the forest floor.

Alternately, visit the lodge’s tranquil Butterfly House, a magical menagerie of colorful winged creatures. Here, in one of the largest butterfly breeding farms in Ecuador, you may see transparent, glass-wing butterflies, resplendent blue morphs, vibrant tiger longwings, and many others.

Preserving a Way of Life

Tribal residents of the Amazon Rainforests also inspire fascination. Amazonian Kichwas have lived along the Napo River’s banks for centuries. Until relatively recently, they—like other tribes up and down the Amazon and its tributaries—lived their days in a pure and primitive state, untouched by civilization as we know it. As modern man encroached, they imposed their moral and religious values on the tribes and exploited their resources for profit.

Many tribes survived. And though they can never again return to the ways of their ancestors, they strive to keep long-cherished traditions alive. The Kichwa, in particular, have had to fight to retain much of their land. As recently as 1992, Ecuador returned 2.75 million acres of land to them. Their traditions are critical to understanding the Amazon and you can examine them in depth at the Nueva Providencia Kichwa Interpretation Center. A group of local women are on hand here to share intimate details of their customs, cuisine and culture. You can support them and their tribes by purchasing their handmade crafts.

Magnificent beauty … an immersive lodge expedition … fascinating cultures clinging to tradition. Visit this magnificent country with Gate 1 Travel!

Latin AmericaSmall Group Discoveries

The Slow, Epic Saga of the Galapagos Tortoise

on July 21, 2017

In 1835, Charles Darwin arrived in the Galapagos Islands on the HMS Beagle. It was the ship’s second voyage and he was eager to take rock specimens home for study. But what he found instead piqued his curiosity: Tortoises from different islands, he wrote, “differ not only in size, but in other characters.” Some had long necks, some short. Some had shells shaped like domes, some were curved at the edges like saddles. The observation laid the foundation for his pivotal theory of evolution.

It also drew new attention to the Galapagos tortoise, named 300 years earlier by the Spanish when they landed here and first saw this gigantic creature. They could not yet know that these wise-looking animals live to be well over 100 years old and can weigh up to 900 pounds. One female, named Harriet, is said to have been brought to England, then Australia, by Darwin; remarkably, she died in 2006 at the Australia Zoo, at the ripe old age of 175.

When Spaniards landed on the Galapagos, there were about 250,000 tortoises on the islands, but that number shrank to just 3,000 by the 1970s. Predation by humans and other non-native animals that have been introduced to the islands—including goats, pigs and egg-eating rats—is responsible for the decline. Ten of the original fifteen species that Darwin observed survive. An eleventh was long represented by a lone survivor, named Lonesome George, until his death in 2012. Today, about 19,000 turtles roam the islands, thanks to conservation and breeding efforts.

One of the islands’ breeding centers is located on Isabela Island, and your Discovery Tours small group will have a chance to visit and learn about its successes and challenges. The center exists largely thanks to the formation of the Galapagos National Park in 1959, which alerted the government to the near-extinction of the remaining tortoise species. Breed-and-release programs started in 1965 and have done well to bring the population back. Goat eradication has also been effective, with 41,000 being removed from the islands over a period of a decade.

Conservation efforts are about more than bringing species back from near-extinction. Tortoises are what naturalists call a “keystone species” in that they play a critical role in maintaining entire ecosystems. To the casual observer, it might look like they merely roam around an island without having much impact on their environment. But their slow lumber helps to spread plant seeds and thin the underbrush so that sunlight can bring other plant life to germinate. The tortoise also frequently has company: small birds such as the flycatcher. The winged freeloader finds a perch atop the shell and, as their host tramples over brush, they catch the insects that are released into the air. The unassuming tortoise, then, helps flora thrive, supports birdlife, and keeps the insect population in check.

You may meet the magnificent, unsung Galapagos tortoise during our Gate 1 Travel Galapagos trips.

Latin AmericaSmall Group Discoveries

Isabela Island: An Equatorial and Evolutionary Wonder

on July 17, 2017

If there’s one island in the Galapagos that illustrates the diversity and natural history of the spectacular archipelago, it is Isabela. The largest of the islands – four times the size of the next largest, Santa Cruz – it is also one of the youngest, a mere one million years old. During our exciting new Galapagos, Ecuador, Andes & Amazon trip, our Discovery Tours small group spends three nights on Isabela, ample time to explore.

Most travelers come to the Galapagos for the wildlife. But once you set eyes on Isabela Island, you are as likely to be transfixed by its geology. And you’ll be in good company; after all, geologists remain fascinated by this active zone of volcanic activity. Straddling the equator, the island itself was formed when six volcanoes erupted and pushed their magma above the surface of the Pacific, merging together into one land mass. The tallest, Volcan Wolf, stands at 5,600 feet, and you will have the chance to hike the lunar-like landscape to the crater of Sierra Negra, at 3,688 feet, whose caldera stretches across six miles.

Like most any volcanic zone, Isabela is home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Certainly, Charles Darwin thought so when he observed species and subspecies here found nowhere else on earth. For instance, more wild tortoises live here than on any other of the islands, but several different types developed over millennia. Why? Because the hilly topography of Isabela prevented the gigantic lumbering tortoises from moving around the island. So small groups became isolated and evolved on their own, adjacent to but forever disconnected from their hard-shelled brethren. Today, they roam wild in the island’s various calderas.

Land iguanas, boobies, pink flamingoes, Sally Lightfoot crabs, Darwin’s finches, Galapagos hawks and other species also call Isabela home, and have done so for countless centuries. Forever isolated from predators, they show no fear of humans and might be more curious about you than you are about them. Just off the coast, surrounding the Tintoreras Islet, more wildlife abounds: This is an ideal spot to view penguins, sea lions, sea turtles and marine iguanas, the only lizard in the world whose habitat is the sea.

Humans also have a place on Isabela Island. The sleepy fishing village of Puerto Villamil, home to just a couple thousand people, is one of the island’s bases for exploration. Its pretty harbor is often dotted with yachts stopping over en route to the Marquesas. Just outside of town is evidence of a darker chapter in island history: the Wall of Tears, or El Muro de las Lágrimas. The 65-foot-tall wall was built between 1945 and 1959 by prisoners of war, when part of the island was a penal colony.

Human history aside, it’s the breathtaking natural beauty of the Galapagos that stirs the soul—a rich canvas of stunning volcanic island beauty, turquoise waters, walking trails that lead to mangroves and lava fields, and magnificent wildlife. Join our new Galapagos, Ecuador, Andes & Amazon trip and explore it all up close in your small group.

Small Group Discoveries

New 2018 Discovery Small Group Tours

on June 28, 2017

It’s hard to believe that 2018 marks our 5th-year anniversary of launching our very first adventure! To celebrate, we’ve recently put the finishing touches on no less than 10 new Discovery Tours experiences, all of them debuting next year and available for booking now.

From the soaring heights of the Himalayas and the desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula … from the rich heritage of the British Isles to natural and cultural wonders of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, we invite you to join us as we offer even more ways for you to explore the world in a small group!

AMERICAS:

Galapagos, Ecuador, Andes & Amazon

12 days

Ecuador is home to some of South America’s most iconic wonders, and you can experience them up close in a small group. Discover the magnificent Galapagos Islands, Darwin’s living laboratory of giant iguanas, massive tortoises, and more. Relax in steaming Andean thermal baths. And explore deep into the Amazon, the “lungs of the world,” a lush forest of vibrant birdlife, howling monkeys, and incredible beauty. You’ll also witness the lively cultures of Guayaquil and Quito.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Meet welcoming Ecuadoreans at a working cocoa plantation, at a Kichwa Interpretation Center, and at the home of a glass artist.
  • See the sea lions, turtles, iguanas, and whitetip reef sharks of the stunning Tintoreras Islet.
  • Commune with Ecuador’s unrivalled nature when you fish for piranha, hike a volcano, walk in the treetops along a canopy walkway, and more.
  • Take a nocturnal walk with a local guide in the Amazon.

ASIA & SOUTH PACIFIC:

Treasures of Sri Lanka

14 days

Step into the ancient and seductive world of Old Ceylon, shrouded in mystery and beauty. Witness a surprising blend of timeless temples and edifices, wildlife preserves, and misty tea-covered hills. You’ll view the island’s wild elephants, gaze up at the Sigriya Rock Fortress, and learn about one of history’s most thriving and vibrant ancient societies. Seek out Sri Lanka’s astonishing wildlife in Yala and Minneriya National Parks and along the Madu River. And absorb the local culture in the cities of Kandy, Galle, and Negombo.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Immerse yourself in local culture during visits to the lively Negombo fish market, Kandy’s Temple of the Sacred Tooth, and a Tea Estate Factory.
  • Search for the island’s magnificent elephants and other wildlife during tours and safaris in Minneriya and Yala National Parks and during a Madu River cruise.
  • Meet today’s Sri Lankans during home-hosted meals of island specialties.
  • Marvel at the immensity of the Sigriya Rock Fortress, a hulking mass of rock on a wide open plain.

India, Nepal & Bhutan: Tradition & Majesty

26 Days

Immerse yourself in the splendid Mughal architecture, soaring Himalayan peaks, and deep spirituality of these three unforgettable cultures. Marvel at the stalwart fortresses and colorful culture of India. Discover the diversity of Nepal, from the high Kathmandu Valley with its mountain stupas and ancient palaces to the low-lying Chitwan National Park, home to astonishing wildlife. And experience the spiritual and rustic Himalayan country whose success is measured by the happiness of its people. This is an epic adventure that opens doors to some of Asia’s most elusive cultures.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Stroll the grounds of Shah Jahan’s enchanting Taj Mahal, a spellbinding testament to the power of love, and explore the immense Agra Fort.
  • Seek out the amazing wildlife of Nepal’s Chitwan National Park during an elephant-back safari.
  • Explore the bustling and colorful medieval streets of Kathmandu amidst the wafting of incense and spices.
  • Get to know those who call these countries home during a Nepalese village lunch and a visit with monks at Bhutan’s National Memorial Chorten.

EUROPE:

Treasures of Provence

12 Days

The authentic side of Provence awaits your small group. You’ll explore this storied region of sunflower and lavender fields, lush vineyards, and a history that spans from the Roman age to the City of Popes—all brought into sharp focus by that celebrated light that inspired the world’s great Impressionist artists. Stroll the narrow lanes of hilltop villages carved from stone. Explore the sophisticated cities and coastal beauty of the sun-splashed French Riviera. And witness the stunning landscapes of the Camargue, France’s wildest region, home to wild horses and flamingoes.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Visit the Riviera’s most sophisticated cultural capitals, from Marseilles and Nice to Monaco’s glamorous city of Monte Carlo.
  • Absorb the true spirit of Provence when you join locals for a game of boules, share lunch with Camargue cowboys at a ranch, and enjoy a cooking lesson with dinner.
  • Stroll typical Provencal villages lined with stone-carved buildings and colorful markets selling honey, linens, lavender and other regional treasures.
  • Take time to linger over two of the region’s most spectacular architectural triumphs: the Palace of the Popes and the three-tiered Pont du Gard aqueduct.

Irish Heritage

13 Days

The luck of the Irish is with you when you explore the land of Eire in a small group with Discovery Tours. You’ll traverse this magical island, taking in the history, culture, and magnificent beauty of Northern Ireland and Ireland, from up-and-coming Belfast and legendary Dublin to historic Cork and the breathtaking Ring of Kerry. Along the way, vast farmlands tinged with green and criss-crossed by ancient stone walls create an astonishing canvas that you’ll only see in Ireland. And locals greet you with their smiling Irish eyes.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • View Ireland’s magnificent natural wonders, from the hexagonal rock columns of the Giant’s Causeway and the soaring Cliffs of Moher to the coastal and mountain splendor of the Ring of Kerry.
  • Meet the Irish where they live and work during visits to a whiskey distillery, the Irish National Stud Farm, a sheep farm, and over a home-hosted farm lunch.
  • Uncover the cultural and historic treasures of Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Killarney, and Adare.
  • Explore Ireland’s legendary castles and manses, featuring the Rock of Cashel, Russborough House, the Muckross Estate, and Blarney Castle, where you can kiss the famous stone!

England & Scotland: Castles & Countryside

15 Days

Span England south-to-north, exploring its compelling cities and citadels along the way, and delve into the treasures of pretty Edinburgh, Scotland’s stately capital. This is a grand panorama of two of Europe’s most beloved countries, introducing you to fascinating histories of the ancient, royal, literary, and political sort. From London to Stratford and beyond, you’ll visit the major sites central to the nation’s most pivotal moments and home to the Crown’s most influential figures, from Shakespeare to Churchill. And you’ll slow down along the way as only a small group can, sipping tea at Harrods, strolling in the bard’s footsteps, and visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Visit the United Kingdom’s most renowned castles and palaces, from Blenheim, birthplace of Winston Churchill, and Hever, home to Anne Boleyn, to Edinburgh, where the crown jewels glitter in all their glory.
  • Immerse yourself in England’s rich literary past during visits to Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage.
  • Take in the charming English countryside when you cruise Windermere Lake and stroll past the thatched-roof cottages of the Cotswolds.
  • Tour the breathtaking medieval city of York by foot, an historic treasure encircled by remarkably preserved walls.

Swiss Alpine Jewels

12 Days

Surround yourself with the sky-piercing peaks of the snow-capped Alps during this epic small-group journey into Switzerland. “Breathtaking” does not even begin to describe the staggering scenery you’ll witness as you traverse the southern and central reaches of this storied country. As you travel from one magnificent cultural center to the next—ascending as high as Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn and riding one of the world’s most scenic trains—you’ll pass steeply sloped massifs, sweeping valleys, and pristine lakes. From Lausanne to Lugano, from St. Moritz to Lucerne, this sweeping small-group tour of Switzerland is the peak of inspiration!

  • Ride the Swiss Glacier Express, celebrated as the slowest express train in the world and one of the planet’s most spectacularly scenic rail routes.
  • Take in the splendor of pedestrian-free Zermatt, high in the Alps, and embark its thrilling open-air cogwheel railway to the summit of Gornergrat.
  • Take in splendid vistas when you stop at the Simplon Pass near the Swiss-Italian border, visit Italy’s Lake Maggiore, cruise Lake Lugano, marvel at the thundering waterfalls of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and so much more.
  • Get into the spirit of Switzerland when you sample locally made chocolate, enjoy a savory lunch of cheese fondue, taste locally produced wines, and visit a woodcarving museum.

MEDITERRANEAN:

Explore Dubai & Oman

12 Days

The United Arab Emirates and Oman must be seen to be believed. These starkly beautiful nations, risen from desert sands, provide exhilarating glimpses into lands of ancient frankincense traders, warm and inspiring spirituality, and mesmerizing cityscapes glittering in the Arab sun. There is no place like this on earth, at once futuristic and deeply traditional, a land of plenty amidst an arid sea of sand, a pocket of Old-World Arabia and desert camps juxtaposed against towering glass skyscrapers. Your Discovery Tours small group helps you experience it all up close and personal.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Experience Arabia’s traditional and hospitable ways during a cruise on Dubai Creek, a visit to Heritage Village, and an overnight at a desert camp.
  • Witness the glittering spectacle of Dubai, home to the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, and the Burj al-Arab, the famous sail-shaped hotel.
  • Marvel at the gleaming whitewashed city of Muscat and its enormous Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, able to accommodate 20,000 worshippers.
  • Learn about the region’s deep connections to its animals during visits to the Meydan Stables, a camel dairy farm, and the Falcon Hospital.

Jordan: Tradition & Inspiration

12 Days

Israelites seeking the Promised Land. Muslims making their way to Mecca. Crusaders leading the charge to take back the Holy Land. They all passed through Jordan, leaving behind fantastic monuments to history and infusing its cities, stark sands, and dramatic desert valleys with legend and lore. A rich biblical history resides here, too. And the red sandstone ancient city of Petra is impossible to forget once you’ve laid eyes on its splendidly carved facades. Now it’s your turn to pass through this breathtaking nation. And with Discovery Tours, you’re sure to savor every moment, thanks to our small group size.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Delve into Jordan’s biblical past when you walk in the footsteps of Moses on Mt. Nebo, view the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in Madaba, and visit the sacred site of Bethany.
  • Witness Jordan’s stunning natural beauty in Wadi Rum, where spectacular rock formations litter the desert floor, and the Ajlun Nature Reserve, home to diverse wildlife.
  • See the magnificent rose-red city of Petra, sculpted into towering cliffsides by the Nabateans in the 3rd century.
  • Visit Jordan’s most important historic and modern cites, from the old trading hub of Al-Salt and the ancient site of Jerash to the thriving capital and cultural center of Amman.

AFRICA:

Uganda Wildlife Exploration

10 Days

It is a rare privilege to “sit with” the primates of East Africa, and Discovery Tours has arranged for you to do so on this thrilling itinerary into the beating heart of Uganda. You’ll explore the astonishing national parks of this incredible nation—Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Impenetrable, and Murchison Falls—trekking deep into the jungled hills in search of chimpanzees and mountain gorillas and setting out in safari vehicles on traditional game drives and river cruises. This is an exploration unlike any other.

Discovery Tours Small Group Highlights:

  • Explore Murchison Falls National Park by safari vehicle and by a cruise on the Nile River, spotting elephants, hippos, more than 450 species of birds, and marveling at the fantastic Murchison Falls.
  • Set out into the jungle in search of the chimpanzee, whose habitat is deep in the forest amidst dense flora.
  • Seek out the big game in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where diverse ecosystems of savanna, forest, lakes, and wetlands host a huge array of wildlife.
  • Sit with majestic mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, amid the rough rainforest terrain of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Asia & PacificSmall Group Discoveries

Indonesia’s Rich Bounties of Rice and Tea

on May 24, 2017

Indonesia’s lush volcanic landscapes are home to some of the world’s most fertile farmland. Indeed, farming is a tradition of which Indonesians are rightfully proud as the people here over the centuries have adapted the terrain to suit their needs and their culture, resulting in some of the most gracefully contoured land you’re likely to ever see. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the nation’s crops of rice and tea.

Jatiluwih’s Elegant Rice Fields

On the island of Bali, mountainous terrain once made it impossible to cultivate rice because the crop must be grown underwater. The solution, developed centuries ago, was not only brilliant, but also visually striking: to carve into the hillsides a series of stepped terraces that retain water in which the rice can flourish. Today, you will see these elegantly sculpted hills throughout Indonesia, and those at Jatiluwih are among the most magnificent and culturally significant.

The rice terraces on Bali are supported by a system known as subak, a form of communal irrigation based on the philosophical concept of “Tri Hita Karana.” This set of beliefs unites man and nature via the spirit world. The vast subak complex of canals and weirs includes temples built to honor the water spirit which, it is believed, so kindly gives of itself so that farmers can harvest their crops and locals can gain nourishment. In this benign spirit of giving, water must be shared democratically so that all can thrive – which the subak irrigation system accomplishes. It is one of the world’s most elegant and revealing instances in which cultural beliefs are manifested in man’s relationship to nature, earning many of Bali’s rice terraces and irrigation systems a place on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.

In your Discovery Tours small group, you will enjoy the privilege of walking among Jatiluwih’s astonishing and magical hills. A local farmer will accompany you, providing insight into a centuries-old farming tradition.

The Scenic Kemuning Tea Plantation

Meanwhile on Java, the slopes of Mount Lawu have been preserved in their natural and magnificent undulating state for the sake of another Indonesian crop – tea leaves. Here, at the Kemuning Tea Plantation, row up tidy row of tea bushes give the hills a terraced look.

The story of tea in Java is a bit complicated. The Dutch East India Company, which ruled Java for more than 300 years, shipped tea from Batavia (today’s Jakarta) long before the leaf was ever grown on the island, as the port city was often used as a collection and packing station for items being shipped to Europe from China and Japan. By the early 1600s, the Dutch dominated the tea market throughout Europe with their Far East leaves, but it wasn’t until 1684 that they planted the first Chinese tea bush on Java. But the plants didn’t take well to the environment, so the Dutch planters, taking a cue from England’s success with the Assam bush from India, replaced the Chinese seeds with Indian seeds in the mid-1800s. Java’s tea industry has flourished ever since.

Your small group will witness the bumper crop firsthand during a visit to Kemuning, surrounded by a rich green canvas of rolling hills.  During your visit, wander among the tea bushes as the plantation’s tea pickers pluck leaves around you and fill their canvas satchels to overflowing. You will see that the Dutch influence lingers here as you settle in for a cup of fresh tea at the Ndoro Donker Tea House, a quaint Dutch-colonial style house.

Witness Indonesia’s rice and tea cultures during our Indonesia: Java & Bali small group adventure.

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