Exotic Fauna on Five Islands in the Galapagos

Visit the Galapagos Islands--Ecuador’s legendary wildlife preserve--and the Spanish colonial capital of Quito on a low-cost tour that combines a three-night island cruise with a mainland hotel stay.

Seven-day packages, from $999 per person, double occupancy, are available through Dec. 23.

The Galapagos, 600 miles off Ecuador’s coast, are considered a showcase of evolution in action. Their diverse species were chronicled by English naturalist Charles Darwin, who visited in 1835 and devised his theory of evolution based on the living laboratory he found there. The archipelago, a cluster of 13 major volcanic islands and scores of islets and rocks, is part of the Ecuadorean national park system.

During the cruise, passengers visit five islands and are taken to shore in small groups, accompanied by a multilingual naturalist. There is time for walking, swimming, snorkeling and photography.

In Quito, participants take a half-day tour of the historic city, go on an excursion to the Otavalo Indian market and have time to tour the region.

The package is made up of three nights aboard ship, four nights in a hotel in Quito, airport transfers, some meals and sightseeing. Air fare from Quito to the Galapagos to board the ship (about $340), admission to the national park ($100) and round-trip air fare from Los Angeles to Quito are extra.

Departure dates are Sept. 16 and 30, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 9 and 16. Longer cruises are available.

Contact: Adventure Associates/Metropolitan Touring; (800) 527-2500, www.metropolitan-touring.com.

Baja: Bienvenidos

See the rugged hills and jagged coastline of upper Baja on a weekend trip to Ensenada, Mexico, that includes wine tastings and tours.

The two-day excursion, planned for Sept. 28, departs from San Diego, stopping in the Guadalupe Valley just outside Ensenada for lunch and wine tasting.

The Guadalupe Valley is a wine-producing region.

Lunch is at the Pedro Domecq vineyards. In Ensenada, the group will dine at El Rey Sol, the oldest French restaurant in Mexico, and spend the night at the Cortez Hotel. There will be time for shopping and an excursion to La Bufadora sea geyser south of Ensenada. A lunch of lobster is planned at El Patio de Langosta in Puerto Nuevo.

Cost: $188 per person, double occupancy, or $228 single, including tours, lodgings, round-trip bus transportation from San Diego through Baja, a bilingual guide and some meals. Transportation from the Los Angeles area to San Diego is not included.

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

Hong Kong: Taste Test

Savor the diverse flavors of Hong Kong’s renowned culinary scene on a six-day tour led by Chinese food expert Leeann Chin.

The tour, which departs Nov. 21, visits gourmet restaurants and includes a market tour, a cooking class and food discussions.

Chin is a cookbook author and host of “My Country, My Kitchen” on the Food TV Network. She grew up in Canton, China, and developed an interest in cooking because of her father’s grocery business. She immigrated to Minneapolis in 1956 with her family, opened her first restaurant there in 1980 and eventually opened dozens of other quick-service food locations in the Midwest.

Her books include “Betty Crocker’s Chinese Cookbook: Recipes by Leeann Chin” and “Everyday Chinese Cooking.”

Cost: $1,600 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations at the Mandarin Hotel, some meals, sightseeing and discussions with experts on antiques, art and feng shui. Round-trip air fare from Los Angeles (from $775) is not included.

Contact: Crown International Travel; (800) 421-9537, www.crowninternational.com.

France: Wining, Dining

Learn about Bordeaux wines from the source: the vintners of this region of southwestern France.

A seven-day tour combines sightseeing and wine tasting with visits to vineyards, wineries and wine cellars throughout Bordeaux and the neighboring wine-producing region of Entre-Deux-Mers.

Each day the group visits a different area of the region, focusing on different wines. A graduate of the Bordeaux Wine School will accompany the tour. Videos, films, tastings and vineyard tours help round out the day’s activities.

Besides wine tasting, the tour includes visits to the ancient walled town of Cadillac and to various castles such as Chateau Malrome, the last home of artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

The tours, which must be booked by groups of four to six, can be arranged for any seven-day period from September through May.

Cost: $1,465 per person, double occupancy, including transfers to and from the Bordeaux train station, six nights’ accommodations, breakfast and dinner daily, guide service and transportation during the tour. Transportation from Los Angeles to Bordeaux is not included.

Contact: Discover France; (800) 960-2221, www.discoverfrance.com.

Hawaii: Lahaina Holiday

Celebrate Halloween Hawaiian style on a five-night trip to Maui.

The package, which includes accommodations in a one-bedroom condominium on Kaanapali Beach, gives participants a chance to join partygoers on Lahaina’s Main Street on Oct. 31, when the road is closed for a parade and the downtown district pulls out all the stops to celebrate.

Cost: $839.50 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles to Maui, accommodations, rental car, tickets to Halloween parties, dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Lahaina and a souvenir package.

Contact: Pacific Sports Tours Inc.; (310) 798-1234, www.pacificsportstours.com.

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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.