TOURS & CRUISES

HAWAII

Family fun and learning on Kauai and the Big Island

Watch hot lava boil toward the sea, build a towering sandcastle and catch a tropical fish in warm turquoise waters on a seven-night family tour to Hawaii sponsored by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Designed to be educational as well as fun, the trip is led by a naturalist and was created to appeal to grandparents and parents. Two tours are planned: one during Christmas break, departing Dec. 26, and another during spring break, departing March 23.

“Family trips are a new emphasis for the museum,” said travel coordinator Christine Robison.

The Hawaii tour, which will visit the Big Island and Kauai, is considered an active vacation, with moderate hiking, snorkeling and climbing on the itinerary.

The group will visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where the educational emphasis will be on geology and tidal waves, or tsunamis.

On Kauai, the group will learn about the island’s culture and its beaches, reefs and wildlife. Chuck Blay, an authority on Hawaii’s natural environment, will accompany the group.

Cost: $1,995 per person, including transportation within Hawaii, most meals, accommodations on the Big Island and Kauai, scheduled activities and a $200-per-person donation to the museum. Air fare from L.A. to Hawaii is not included.

Contact: Christine Robison; (213) 763-3350, www.nhm.org/travel.

CHINA

A last chance to cruise through the Three Gorges

Spend the holidays cruising on the Yangtze River and exploring China on an 18-night tour.

The tour, which leaves the United States on Dec. 21, includes three days in Beijing, sightseeing and a night cruise in Shanghai, two days in Hong Kong and a visit to Xian, home of the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, considered one of China’s greatest archeological sites.

The Yangtze River cruise will take three days and will explore the Three Gorges area, soon to be flooded by a dam.

William Pang, a longtime educator in Chinese culture and language, is organizing the trip. Arrangements are made through China Travel Service.

Cost: $2,888 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX to Shanghai, transportation within China, accommodations and most meals.

Contact: Bill Pang’s Best of China Tours; (714) 998-3976.

WYOMING

Yellowstone in winter: Talk with the animals

CHECK out the home where buffalo roam this winter on tours to Yellowstone National Park from Feb. 27 to March 4 and March 3 to 8. In winter, visitors often see abundant wildlife, including elk, coyotes, Canada geese and buffalo.

The tour includes two nights’ lodging in Jackson Hole and three nights at the Old Faithful Snowlodge inside the park. Transportation into Yellowstone is by heated, track-driven snow coach. There is also a driving tour of Grand Teton National Park and Snake River Canyon.

Cost: $1,125 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX to Salt Lake City, bus and snow coach transportation, accommodations and two dinners at the Wort Hotel in Jackson Hole.

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

BELIZE

Tropical pleasures on an immense barrier reef

Paddle a kayak through the clear waters of a marine park off Belize on an eight-night journey to a private island at Glover’s Reef Atoll.

Belize, on the Caribbean in Central America, has the longest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere, stretching 150 miles along the continental shelf. The area, designated a World Heritage Site in 1996, harbors one of the world’s most diverse sea environments, with fish, shellfish and patch reefs.

The Glover’s Reef tour, with weekly departures Dec. 2 through May 6, includes snorkeling, windsurfing, horseback riding, caving and boating.

Six days are spent at the reef. Participants also visit a tropical education center, spend a day in the rain forest viewing caves where Mayan pottery was found and spend a night at a lodge on the Belize River.

Cost: $1,499 per person, including hotel accommodations for three nights, five nights in tent cabanas on the island, all meals, transportation, guides, activities and fees. Round-trip air fare from LAX to Belize City is not included, nor is return transfer to Belize City and departure tax ($20).

Contact: Vancouver-based Island Expeditions Co.; (800) 667-1630, www.islandexpeditions.com.

ISRAEL

Sharing concerns and a sense of community

TOUR northern Israel with the Jewish Federation of Orange County during a community mission from Dec. 8 to 17. The group will visit Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Golan, Tiberias, Safed and the Kiryat Malaachi/Hof Ashkelon region, which is an Orange County Jewish Federation sister city area.

“If you have never been to Israel, this is a wonderful first trip,” said Bunnie Mauldin, executive director of the Jewish Federation. “There is no more important time to visit and let the people of Israel know that they are not alone.”

The Department of State has warned U.S. citizens to defer travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza because of ongoing violence.

The trip will be the third visit to Israel by the Orange County group in a little more than a year.

Mauldin said security is a primary concern during the tour.

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

Contact: Bunnie Mauldin, Jewish Federation of Orange County; (714) 755-5555, Ext. 231, e-mail bunnie@jfoc.org.

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