Camping, Canoeing Past Wildlife in Maine Woods

The Moose River flows from the base of Attean Mountain in northern Maine, and that’s where Wilderness Inquiry will launch a six-day canoe trip this summer. Open to people of all ages and abilities, the trip will begin July 28 at Holeb Pond. Holeb Stream twists its way to the Moose River, and canoeists may see moose, loons and black bears along the way. Small rapids can easily be run or portaged around. There will be time each day to swim or hike, and boaters will camp nightly.

Cost: $695 per person, including camping equipment, canoes, all meals and guides who will give canoeing instruction. Air fare to Bangor, Maine, is additional.

Contact: Wilderness Inquiry; (800) 728-0719, www.wildernessinquiry.org.

Mexico: Oaxaca

Oaxaca, with its large Indian population, is where travelers can find pre-Columbian festivals, unique cuisine, folk art and archeological ruins. A six-night trip called “Fiesta of the Guelaguetza” from Baja California Tours will depart July 19 from San Diego; it includes tours to artisan villages and tickets to dance performances.

Cost: $1,329 per person, double occupancy, including bus transportation from San Diego, hotel accommodations, many meals and entrance fees.

Contact: Baja California Tours; (800) 336-5454, www.bajaspecials.com.

Canada: Rockies

An 11-day Canadian Rockies adventure will begin July 4 in Calgary and is timed to the Calgary Stampede.

The event will include hot-air balloon races, a chuck-wagon dinner and arts and crafts booths. After the Stampede, the tour will move on to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper National Park. Participants will spend two days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train before ending in Vancouver.

Cost: $3,995 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, porterage, sightseeing fees, many meals and guides. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Corliss Group; (800) 959-8626, www.corlissgroup.com.

Scandinavia: Fiords

Teacher Paula Freimund will lead a trip to the land of the midnight sun from Aug. 3 to 18. The tour includes Norway’s fiords, Denmark, Sweden’s lakes and forests, and the historic cities of Stockholm, Copenhagen, Bergen and Oslo. The group will also visit Lillehammer, Norway, where the Olympics were held in 1994.

Cost: $2,795 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, ferry transport, many meals, entrance fees and guides.

Contact: Let’s Travel; (800) 458-7477.

Alaska: Kayaking

Sea Kayak Adventures has added two new trips, “Orca Base Camp” and “God’s Pocket Resort,” to its list of kayaking adventures.

From a base camp on a secluded island near Vancouver Island, Canada, each four- or five-day trip will take 10 guests and two guides close to killer whales (orcas) in Blackfish Sound, recognized as one of the best places to see orcas.

Other activities will include hikes into the island’s rain forest, a visit to the ancient Indian village of Memquimlis to view totem poles, and opportunities for fishing and kayaking. Trips will depart twice weekly from Aug. 5 to Sept. 20 from Port McNeill on Vancouver Island.

Cost: from $550 per person, including kayaks, boat transport to the island, meals and camping equipment, and guides. Air fare is not included.

The lodge-based kayak trip will take place on a remote island in God’s Pocket Provincial Park off northern Vancouver Island. Participants will maneuver two-person kayaks through waterways while on the lookout for whales, dolphins and bald eagles.

People of all experience levels are welcome. Six-day trips depart Mondays from June 17 through July 29 from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.

Cost: $1,295 per person, double occupancy, including kayaks and safety equipment, boat transport to God’s Pocket, meals and accommodations, basic kayaking instruction and guides. Air fare is not included.

Contact: Sea Kayak Adventures; (800) 616-1943, www.seakayakadventures.com.

Yellowstone: Wildlife

An interpretive tour to Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyo., is set for July 7 to 12, with park rangers and naturalists giving talks about wildlife.

Participants will visit Yellowstone Bear World, where 30 grizzly bears, elk, buffalo, wolves and reindeer roam in a natural habitat. The tour also includes a tour of Salt Lake City, a float trip on the Snake River and a visit to the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson.

Cost: $895 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles; lodging in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Old Faithful Snowlodge and Jackson Hole; some meals; and guides.

Contact: Main Street Tours; (800) 300-6246, www.mainstreettours.com.

China: Silk Road

Travel the Silk Road of China, the great historical trade and cultural route between East and West, with Chinese historian Craig Dietrich, professor emeritus at the University of Southern Maine.

The tour, scheduled for Sept. 3 to 17, begins in Beijing to see the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a part of the wall that visitors don’t usually see.

Travelers will then fly to Kashgar to explore the Abakh Hoja Mausoleum and visit a kindergarten class and a Uighur family. The group will visit the Id Kah Mosque, which dominates the town, before flying to Urumqi and Tianchi (Lake of Heaven).

The tour continues by bus to the small, ancient town of Turpan to see the Jiaohe Gucheng ruins, Karez wells, Sugong pagoda, Flaming Mountains and the ancient cave monastery of Bezeklik. A flight to Dunhuang takes guests to visit the Mogao Temple Caves; the Singing Sand Mountains, a range of pure sand; and White Horse Pagoda. Next is Xian to view the archeological site of the terra-cotta army. The tour ends with a night in Shanghai.

Cost: $3,990 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare to China, all transportation within the country, accommodations, all meals, entrance fees, transfers, porterage and taxes.

Contact: EastWest International Tours; (800) 359-6719, www.east west-tours.com.

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