Tropical cloud forests and primates

PANAMA

CRUISE Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal in a jungle boat and visit a primate reserve on an eco-tour of Panama.

The 10-day tours, scheduled to begin April 22, July 1, Aug. 12, Oct. 21 and Dec. 9, include bird-watching in the Chiriqui cloud forests of La Amistad International Park.

“Panama is a beautiful country with lots of tropical nature,” said Paul Abravaya, the director of Tropical Eco-Tours, Thousand Oaks.

“They’ll see the diversity of Panama, including its indigenous peoples, the mountains, coral reefs, the Panama Canal and historical sites.”

Stops on the tour include an orchid preserve and a coffee plantation as well as a hike up Baru Volcano.

In addition, the group will spend one night with the indigenous Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands.

Cost: $2,195 per person, double occupancy ($395 single surcharge), including lodging, most meals, transportation within Panama, airport transfers, admissions, guides and a contribution to ANCON, Panama’s National Assn. for the Conservation of Nature. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Tropical Eco-Tours, Thousand Oaks; (888) 900-1326, (805) 492-0365, www.tropicalecotours.com

*

CALIFORNIA & NEVADA

After dark in Death Valley

SHOOT for the stars by night and see wildflowers by day on a six-day tour of Death Valley with sky photographer Dennis Mammana.

The May 1 tour gathers at the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and leaves the following morning for Zabriskie Point and the Furnace Creek Lodge in Death Valley. The group will spend four days in the valley, visiting Ubehebe Crater, Badwater, the Devils Golf Course and the ghost town of Rhyolite in Nevada.

Nights are spent stargazing or learning the techniques of night sky photography.

The tour returns to the Monte Carlo for a final night in Las Vegas.

Cost: $1,245 per person, double occupancy ($245 single surcharge), including five nights’ lodging, most meals, ground transportation, photography lectures and advice, admissions and fees. Transportation to Las Vegas is not included.

Contact: TravelQuest International, Prescott, Ariz.; (800) 830-1998; www.travelquestinternational.com

*

BOLIVIA & PERU

Cultural tour and a tax perk

Explore rural Bolivia and Peru on a cultural tour of the region.

The 12-day journey, which begins April 10, starts in La Paz, Bolivia. Group members will visit Sucre and Potosi, Bolivia. They also will see Lake Titicaca, which borders Peru and Bolivia, and Cuzco and the ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru.

They also visit with local women participating in the Credito con Educacion Rural program, which aids small craft and food businesses. A part of the tour fee goes to the group and is tax deductible.

The tour ends in Lima, Peru, with a visit to Casa Aliaga, a well-preserved colonial mansion, and other sites.

Cost: $3,995 per person, double occupancy ($1,295 single surcharge), including luxury accommodations, meals and transportation, including airfare within Bolivia and Peru. International airfare is not included.

Contact: Destinations & Adventures; (800) 659-4599; (323) 650-7267, www.diatravel.com

*

EUROPE

Italian canals, Eiffel Tower

Hit the highlights of Europe on a tour that starts in Rome and ends in London.

The escorted 11-day tour is available on select dates May 12 through Aug. 11.

The group cruises the canals of Venice, Italy, walks the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland, and climbs the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Cost: $1,250 per person, double occupancy ($380 single surcharge), including hotel accommodations, some meals, ground transportation, the services of a multilingual guide, taxes and gratuities. International airfare is not included.

Contact: A&E; Easy Travel, Whittier; (562) 908-1194.

*

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Mustang sanctuary

OBSERVE wild mustangs in their habitat at the Wild Horse Sanctuary in the foothills of Mt. Lassen.

The two- and three-day pack trips begin May 7 and run through Oct. 8.

Riders explore nearby trails created by the wild horses and burros in the region. Visitors see Vernal Lake, meadows and remnants of old homesteads and Indian camps.

Base camp, with a cookhouse and surrounding sleeping cabins, was once a circuit court.

Cost: Two-day pack trip, $295 per person; three-day pack trip, $395 per person; includes bunk accommodations, meals, horse, tack and guide. Transportation to Shingletown, where the sanctuary is located, is not included.

Contact: Wild Horse Sanctuary, Shingletown; (530) 335-2241, www.wildhorsesanctuary.org

*

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012; e-mail travel@latimes.com.