Paddling the Wilderness on Women’s Tour of Utah

A women’s canoe trip through the Green River’s Labyrinth Canyon in Utah is planned for Oct. 7 to 14. Co-sponsors of the trip are Women in the Wilderness, a canoeing and adventure travel company based in Minnesota, and Canyonlands Field Institute of Moab, Utah. This is a wilderness route of great scenery and geological interest. Short hikes in side canyons and in Arches National Park will provide opportunities to learn about desert plants, track animals and view petroglyphs. Instructors from Canyonlands Institute will offer an introduction to the natural history, geology and human history of the Colorado Plateau.

The river is very easy to navigate; no canoeing or camping experience is required. Women of all ages are welcome.

Cost: $1,050 includes lodging before and after the trip and transportation from the nearest airport in Grand Junction, Colo.

Contact: Women in the Wilderness, 566 Ottawa Ave., St. Paul, MN 55107; telephone (651) 227-2284.

New Mexico: Santa Fe

Farr Discovery Rail Tours is offering a three-night, four-day tour to the Wine and Chile Festival in Santa Fe, N.M., from Sept. 27 to 30. Representatives from 80 wineries and 65 restaurants will gather at the Santa Fe Opera complex for an afternoon of tasting. Rancho Encantado guest ranch is also hosting a champagne brunch for participants.

Travel will be via Amtrak’s Southwest Chief to Santa Fe in private sleeper accommodations. Included are two nights at Garrett’s Desert Inn on the Plaza, a sightseeing tour of Santa Fe, the tasting event and one-way return air fare to Southern California. Optional events include winemakers’ dinners, cooking demonstrations and sunrise breakfast horseback rides.

Cost: $789 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip transportation, accommodations, some meals and scheduled activities.

Contact: Farr Discovery Rail Tours; tel. (800) 225-8728.

London: Theater

Whittier Cultural Arts Foundation is hosting a theater trip to London from Feb. 5 to 15. The “London and Stratford Theatre Tour” includes four London shows and two Stratford performances. Guests also have time for city tours.

Cost: $2,599 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip flight between Los Angeles and London, first-class hotels, continental breakfasts, tickets to shows and afternoon tea at the Savoy Hotel.

Contact: Korfco Tours, 9811 Pounds Ave., Whittier, CA 90603; tel. (562) 947-6334.

Bhutan: Back to Nature

Nature artist Robert Bateman will lead an art and nature tour to Bhutan from April 2 to 20. The program includes bird-watching, animal viewing and natural history and cultural explorations in several ecosystems in western and central Bhutan. Participants will attend the Paro Festival in the town of Paro, known for its traditional monasteries and houses. They will also visit Thimphu, the Bumthang Valley, the Phobjikha Valley and Punakha in Bhutan and Calcutta in India.

Cost: $5,295 per person, double occupancy, including international air fare from Los Angeles.

Contact: Tours of Exploration; tel. (800) 690-7887, e-mail info@toursexplore.com.

Alaska: Photography

Specializing in Alaskan wildlife and landscapes, Colors of Nature photo tours travel to Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias and Kenai Fjords national parks.

Professional wildlife photographer and naturalist Rich Reid will guide groups in search of breaching whales and northern lights. Itineraries include land-and-sea combination tours ranging from seven to 16 days. The lodge tours are limited to nine passengers and include all transportation from Anchorage. Tours are available through September and are open to all levels of photographers, plus non-photographers.

Cost: from $2,395 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, meals and guides. Air fare to Anchorage is additional.

Contact: Colors of Nature Photo Tours, P.O. Box 24106, Santa Barbara, CA 93121; tel. (888) 385-5595, Internet https://www.colorsofnature.com.

South America: Nature

Southwind Adventures offers a “Patagonia Nature Discovery” tour on various dates between October and March. Patagonia is the southernmost part of Chile. The 23-day itinerary includes sightseeing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, guided walks in Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego national parks, a catamaran cruise of the Beagle Channel and two days at Iguazu Falls.

Cost: from $4,995 per person, double occupancy, including ground transportation and transfers, local guides, first-class accommodations and most meals. A 16-day version is also available. Air fare to South America is extra.

Contact: Southwind Adventures, P.O. Box 621057, Littleton, CO 80162; tel. (800) 377-9463, Internet https://www.southwindadventures.com.

Mexico: Culture

Folk Tree Tours Inc. is sponsoring a tour Oct. 22 to Nov. 3 to Michoacan, Mexico, highlighting Day of the Dead ceremonies. Indigenous families in the small villages in and near Lake Patzcuaro hold unique celebrations that blend traditional Catholic beliefs with pre-Columbian rituals. Graves are cleaned and elaborately decorated with candles, flowers, fruits and sugar skulls. Favorite foods and drinks are brought for the all-night candlelight vigils.

The tour also includes visits to crafts workshops and artists’ homes. Rocky Behr, an expert in Mexican folk art, will lead the tour.

Cost: $2,400 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, most meals and tours.

Contact: Folk Tree Tours, 217 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105; tel. (626) 795-8733.

Greece: Art

“Art and Spirit in the Greek Islands” is a painting and drawing tour from Oct. 6 to 15. Guests will stay on the island of Santorini, which is connected with the legendary Atlantis and the Minoan culture. Artist Linda Jacobson will give individual and group demonstrations and will help guests express their personal imagery. No art experience is necessary.

There will be ample time for personal explorations, shopping, relaxing and sightseeing.

The tour includes full artistic instruction for 10 days, nine nights’ accommodations at the Elias Retreat Center in the spectacular town of Oia, a welcome dinner, daily breakfast, a private boat excursion to the volcanic island of Nea Kameni and local transportation to the retreat center, nearby beaches and the main town of Fira.

Cost: $1,975 per person, double occupancy, including hotel, art instruction, transfers and some meals. Air fare is extra. Group size is limited to 20.

Contact: Judy Julien, Altour/Classic Cruise & Travel, tel. (818) 346-8747.

Asia: Holidays

Wellness Community South Bay Cities, in conjunction with Robinson Travel, offers a trip to Hong Kong and Bangkok during the Thanksgiving holiday. The seven-night trip runs Nov. 24 to Dec. 2.

This trip includes four nights in Hong Kong and three nights in Bangkok--enough time to visit popular spots in Hong Kong, catch the high points in Bangkok and do some Christmas shopping.

An optional five-day extension to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand features a cruise on the River Kok to Karen village, a visit to the Golden Triangle and the Mae Sai border district. In Chiang Mai, guests will stay at the Regent Resort, a traditional resort on a working rice paddy.

Cost: $1,750 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, some meals and tour leader. Extension is $950 per person, double.

Contact: Barbara Fisher at Robinson Travel; tel. (310) 379-2495 or (800) 379-2495, Internet https://www.robinsontravel.com.

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