Discovering the Literary Lights of New Mexico

“Voices of New Mexico” is a literary tour April 27 to May 2 that will include opportunities to meet authors Denise Chavez and John Nichols, both New Mexico residents.

The group will fly to El Paso, then drive north to Las Cruces. They will also fly to Albuquerque and take a scenic drive to Taos.

In Las Cruces, guests will meet with Chavez to discuss her writings about the Southwest, including “The Last of the Menu Girls” and “Face of an Angel.”

In Taos, they will meet novelist Nichols, author of “The Sterile Cuckoo” and “The Milagro Beanfield War.” Copies of the novels will be provided to participants in advance.

Cost: $900 per person, double occupancy, including the flight from El Paso to Albuquerque, land transportation, workshop, books, 10 meals, lodging and day trips. Transportation to New Mexico is not included.

Contact: Christy Rojas, Aventura Artistica, 151 Sherrie Lane, Del Mar, CA 92014; telephone (800) 808-7352.

Mexico: Butterflies

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is sponsoring a study tour to the wintering grounds of monarch butterflies in the mountains west of Mexico City, Feb. 16 to 21.

Millions of butterflies are found in the coniferous forests of central Mexico.

The itinerary includes visits to the wintering site on two consecutive days. Participants will also have a free afternoon to explore Mexico City. The trip will be escorted by two biologists.

Cost: $1,490 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, most meals, group ground transportation and a tax-deductible $100 donation to the museum. Air fare to Mexico City is extra.

Contact: Christine Robison, Museum Travel Program Coordinator; tel. (213) 763-3350.

Peru: Trekking

Wilderness hikes through the Andean highlands, guided by a Peruvian American, are being offered April 16 to 26 and May 21 to June 8. Participants will travel along Inca-engineered trails, exploring Inca ruins and visiting native villages and traditional markets that feature original Peruvian ceramics, textiles, art and handicrafts.

Guests will have a chance to interact with Quechua herders of llamas and alpacas in remote mountain communities. The trip includes visits to Cuzco, the sacred valley of the Incas called Urubamba, and Machu Picchu.

Cost: $2,350 for the 11-day trip or $2,750 for the 19-day trip, per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, all transportation and flights in Peru, sightseeing tours, hotels, all meals, trekking and camping.

Contact: Andes Adventures, Devy Reinstein, 1323 12th St., Suite F, Santa Monica, CA 90401; tel. (310) 395-5265, Internet https://www.andesadventures.com.

Australia, New Zealand

Choose between Australia or New Zealand, or combine the two this spring. A New Zealand tour runs March 11 to 27 and visits Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Lake Moeraki, Queenstown, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Mt. Cook, the Canterbury Plains, Ashburton and Akaroa. Activities include a vineyard visit, a whale-watching tour, a ride on the Trans-Alpine Express train, a steamship cruise, a farm stay and shopping.

The tour in Australia runs March 29 to April 12. It begins with a tour of Sydney and continues to Port Douglas, Ayers Rock, Alice Springs, Adelaide and Melbourne. Participants will take a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, visit a rain forest, take a trip into the Outback and travel overnight on a luxury train to Adelaide.

Cost: $2,395 (New Zealand) and $2,595 (Australia) or $4,695 (combined tours) per person, double occupancy, including ground transportation, hotels, some meals and entrance fees. International air fare is extra.

Contact: Gurnham Group, P.O. Drawer 6, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938; tel. (800) 475-0004.

Ireland: Luxury

Go behind stone walls and entry gates with Ireland--Behind the Scenes, a tour company that is offering a luxury trip complete with limousines and castle suites May 24 to June 5 (with an optional two-day add-on in Dublin) or a tour Aug. 24 to Sept. 7. Tours combine the decorative arts, architecture, historical sights, crystal and pottery factories, Irish woolen mills, stud farms, antiques and gardens along with golf. Accompanying the tours will be an interior designer, Patsy Brady Malone, a member of the Irish Georgian Society.

Lunches, dinners and receptions are held in grand settings such as Luttrellstown, Birr, Humewood and Leixlip castles. Owners of Irish great houses will welcome guests and provide insight into architecture, history and furnishings.

Guests will dine with Desmond Guinness, an authority on Irish houses, at his Leixlip Castle home, and with Lord and Lady Rosse at Birr Castle Demesne. Participants can choose to play golf at Ireland’s championship courses such as the K-Club, Mount Juliet and the Old Head, Kinsale.

Cost: $5,800 (in May) and $6,500 (in August) per person, double occupancy, including first-class hotels, castles and country house accommodations; limousine airport transfer; motor coach ground transportation; most meals, including wines; Irish driver-guide; baggage handling; entrance fees and gratuities. Not included: air fare to Ireland and greens fees.

Contact: Ireland--Behind the Scenes, 1624 Bushgrove Court, Westlake Village, CA 91361; tel. (888) 610-6000.

Belize: Archeology

An archeological tour of Belize, led by University of Pennsylvania Maya scholar Christopher Jones and sponsored by the university’s museum of archeology and anthropology, will take place Feb. 19 to 26. Sites visited include Caracol and Lamanai, where guests can meet with archeologists in the field. Members will also make a journey to the south of Belize for visits to Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit, remote ancient cities hidden deep in the rain forest.

Cost: $3,150 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, meals and ground transportation. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Women’s Committee Tours, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology; tel. (215) 898-9202.

Italy: Art

Paint or sketch in Italy with artist-guide Roberta Kritzia. Participants will stay in a centuries-old palazzo and a family-run hotel in the historic center of Siena.

Personalized Travel offers three 12-day vacations (including travel time) to the medieval hill towns of Umbria and Tuscany, and to the cultural city of Venice. All skill levels are welcome. Tours start June 3, June 21 and July 5.

Cost: $2,995 for the first two tours, per person, double occupancy. The July tour, costing $3,195, includes a train trip to Bassano del Grappa and a boat trip to the islands of the Venetian lagoon. Programs include accommodations, all breakfasts, eight meals, airport transfers, daily field trips, painting demonstrations and instruction. Air fare is extra.

An additional trip to Umbria and Tuscany for non-artists is available May 20 to 31.

Contact: Personalized Travel, 5455 Sylmar Ave., Suite 902, Sherman Oaks, CA 91401; tel. (818) 994-2402.

China: Yangtze River

History professor Bob Feldman will escort a 17-day tour to China, April 3 through 19, highlighted by a Yangtze River cruise.

The tour begins in Beijing to explore the Forbidden City, Imperial Palace, Ming Tombs, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall. Also included is a visit with a Chinese family in their home. The next stop is Shanghai, where the group tours the Children’s Palace, the Nanjing Road shopping district, the old Quarter’s Yu Yuan Garden, the Bund and the new Shanghai Museum. After a drive to the Gezkou Dam, guests will transfer to a luxury river cruiser for a five-day Yangtze River cruise from Yichang to Chongqing. Then it’s on to Xian to see the terra-cotta army and to visit a peasant market before a final two-day stop in Hong Kong.

Cost: $4,190 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, ground transportation, deluxe hotels, all meals in China, cruise and excursions, and three theater performances.

Contact: East-West International Tours, 1248 Montevideo Ave., Placentia, CA 92870; tel. (800) 359-6719; Internet https://www.eastwesttours.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with travel agents or tour operators.