Wheeling and Cruising Through the Caribbean

A “Bike and Cruise” cycling vacation, offered by Bike and Cruise Tours of Oregon, lets participants spend their days bicycling on different islands in the southern Caribbean and their nights cruising to the next port on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dream. The tour runs Nov. 26 to Dec. 3. The riding level is moderate: rolling and hilly. Distance covered is 18 to 35 miles a day.

The itinerary includes San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Lucia; Antigua; St. Martin; and St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Participants explore the islands by bike each day, and a daily picnic at a local beach allows time for snorkeling and swimming. Tour guides, local island riders and a support vehicle accompany the group.

Cost: from $1,175 per person, double occupancy, depending on the cabin category. The price includes seven nights on the ship, all meals, evening entertainment, port charges and the cycling tours (bicycle rental is an extra $100, or bring your own bike). The cruise alone is priced from $825. Air fare to San Juan is extra.

Contact: Bike and Cruise Tours, P.O. Box 3256, Gresham, OR 97030; telephone (503) 255-3880, Internet https://www.bikeandcruise.com.

Morocco: Culture

“Magnificent Morocco” is a 17-day study tour of Morocco, from Oct. 25 to Nov. 10., sponsored by the Pasadena/Foothills Chapter of the United Nations Assn. Besides visiting the cities of Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Marrakech and the several ranges of the Atlas Mountains and the oases of the Sahara, the group will meet with Moroccan students and families and with U.N. agencies.

A layover in Paris will include a visit to the Monet gardens in Giverny. Leading the trip will be Brice Harris, a professor of North African and Middle Eastern studies at Occidental College.

Cost: $2,500 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX, hotels, most meals and guide services.

Contact: United Nations Assn.; tel. (626) 449-1795.

Hawaii: Bridge Cruise

Play bridge on the deck of Holland America’s Statendam on a cruise to Hawaii on Oct. 19 for 14 nights. A bridge expert will be on board to help players. Beginner, intermediate and advanced players are welcome.

Ports of call include Hilo and Kona on the big island of Hawaii; Honolulu on Oahu; Lahaina on Maui; and Nawiliwili on Kauai. The itinerary includes snorkeling, a luau, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor, Haleakala Crater, Parker Ranch, the Spouting Horn Geyser and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Cost: from $2,814 per person, double occupancy, including port charges. Ground transportation to the San Diego pier from many places in Southern California is available by bus or Amtrak and is included for all outside cabins and suites; $25 per person round trip for inside cabins.

Contact: Mary Mader, Altour/Classic Cruise & Travel; tel. (818) 346-8747.

Mexico: Oaxaca

On a “Day of the Dead” tour Oct. 27 to Nov. 5, guests will learn about Oaxacan art, culture and history and will participate in several Day of the Dead events.

Participants will visit workshops of village artisans and see demonstrations of how they make their crafts. They will also meet some of Oaxaca’s contemporary artists. The group will explore the archeological ruins of the pre-Columbian Zapotec and the cities of Monte Alban, Mitla and Zachilla, and will visit Oaxaca’s small museums. Participants will also enjoy the cuisine of the region and attend a dance performance.

Lodging is at Hostal de la Noria, a turn-of-the-century Spanish Colonial building, with quiet interior rooms around a patio, each with its own balcony.

Cost: $1,565 per person, double occupancy, including nine nights’ accommodations, daily breakfast, some meals, ground transportation and entrance fees. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Jean Grimm Art and Culture Tours, 1233 E. Baker Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282; tel. (480) 730-1764.

Morocco, Spain, Portugal

Spend New Year’s Eve in Granada, Spain, in the shadow of the Alhambra palace on a trip that covers Spain, Morocco and Portugal. Tour dates are Dec. 29 to Jan. 14. En route from Madrid to Granada, the tour visits Toledo, still much as El Greco depicted it in his painting “View of Toledo.”

After Granada the group heads for the beach at the Costa del Sol. Then it’s across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco. Stops are made in ancient Fez, Marrakech, Casablanca and Rabat.

Recrossing the strait to Spain, the tour stops in Seville to see its homes and other buildings set among orange trees. At night, guests will watch flamenco dancing. Next are the seascapes of the Lisbon environs, followed by the religious site of Fatima.

The tour ends with a visit to Salamanca, Spain, and an early arrival back in Madrid the next day.

The tour will be led by Joseph Jeppson, a history professor at Can~ada College in Redwood City.

Cost: $1,995 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, some meals and entrance fees.

Contact: Joseph Jeppson, Community College Travel Program, P.O. Box 620620, Woodside, CA 94061; tel. (800) 527-3137.

Nepal: Trek, Monasteries

Hikers can get a feel for Sherpa and Tibetan culture on a 13-day hike that visits Sherpa villages and the monasteries of the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal. The total tour length is 18 days, beginning Oct. 16. The Khumbu region lies east of Katmandu and west of Mt. Everest. Guests will visit the villages and monasteries of Ghudel, Junbesi, Thaksindhu, Chiwang, Thodung and Phaplu to see old Tibetan art and books and to visit with the monks and lamas. After taking in the sights in Katmandu, the trek starts in Jiri, where participants will be accompanied by a staff of guides, cooks and porters to journey through sacred forests to Ghudel.

Cost: $1,995 per person, including hotels in Katmandu; one-day sightseeing tour in the Katmandu Valley; the 13-day trek, including guides, porters, trekking permits and all meals, prepared by a cook; two-person tents with ground mats; transportation to Jiri; domestic flight from Phaplu to Katmandu; and airport transfers. International air fare is extra.

Because this is a strenuous trek, you must be in good physical condition. Personalized group tours for two or more are available on request. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Andrea Wulfing of AW Nepal and Tibet Adventure Treks, P.O. Box 1711, Nederland, CO 80466; tel. (303) 258-3331, Internet https://www.awnepal.com.

South Pacific: Festival

The Pacific Islands Festival of Arts is held once every four years on an island in the Pacific. New Caledonia has been chosen this year, with opening ceremonies Oct. 23. Twenty-seven island nations gather for friendly competition in dance, drama, sports, culinary arts, music and native arts such as ancestral canoe making. Acacia Travel is offering a tour to New Caledonia to attend the festival, and guests can choose the length of their stay. Closing ceremonies will be Nov. 3.

Cost: from $979 per person, double occupancy, for seven nights, including hotels, transfers, breakfast daily, one dinner and all events. International air fare is extra.

Contact: Acacia Travel; tel. (800) 243-6996.

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