Where big-game lovers win

TRAVEL to South Africa and Kenya without raiding your retirement fund on low-cost, 10-night safaris to the region now through July.

“The tour is very comfortable but not too expensive,” said Blacky Komani of South African Airways Holidays. “And the people of South Africa are very friendly.”

The tours, available through July, depart weekly for Cape Town and travel to several game preserves in Kenya.

Participants tour Cape Town for two days, visiting the Parliament Buildings, the Victoria & Albert Waterfront, Greenmarket Square flea market and museums.

They also travel to Kenya, staying two nights in Nairobi, and visiting the Samburu Game Reserve, about 200 miles north of Nairobi; Aberdare National Park; Lake Nakuru National Park; and Masai Mara Game Reserve.

There are abundant opportunities for wildlife viewing, including a guided bird walk in Samburu, a visit to a salt lick that attracts elephants and rhinos in Aberdare and game drives in Masai Mara. Kenya is among countries the U.S. State Department cites as having “continuing terrorist threats,” warning Americans to “evaluate their personal security situation.” Travelers are advised to register with the U.S. Embassy.

Cost: $2,473 to $2,643 per person, double occupancy ($263 to $493 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Washington, D.C., or New York City to Cape Town, South Africa (returning from Johannesburg), lodging, most meals, internal transportation, game drives and excursions.

Airfare from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., or New York is not included.

Contact: South African Airways Holidays, Miami; (888) 777-1138, www.saaholidays.net.

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NORTHWEST COAST

Hop a train, cruise home

RIDE the rails, then set sail on a round-trip fall tour from California to Seattle and Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.

Travelers on the 11-day trip, which begins Sept. 27, may start the tour from any California city served by Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train. Passengers return to San Diego by cruise ship.

Between Seattle and Vancouver, the group takes Amtrak’s high-speed Talgo train along Puget Sound.

After two nights in Vancouver, participants board the new Whistler Mountaineer train bound for the resort town, where they spend two nights.

The return trip is a four-night Pacific Coast cruise, with a daylong stop to tour Victoria, Canada, aboard Holland America’s Oosterdam.

Cost: $1,995 to $2,395 per person, double occupancy, depending on ship cabin, including accommodations, transportation, most meals and excursions. Port taxes of $95 and travel insurance are not included.

Contact: Uncommon Journeys Train Holidays Oakland; (800) 543-2846, www.trainholidays.com.

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NORTH KOREA

A glimpse of the DMZ

BEEN everywhere? Join one of the first American tour companies allowed to visit North Korea in 50 years.

Travelers on this 11-day Geographic Expeditions tour, which begins Sept. 2, will be led by British guides who know the country well.

The group will spend three days in capital city Pyongyang, sightseeing and attending the 2006 Mass Games, where more than 80,000 gymnasts perform in front of a sea of synchronized hand-held cards.

Participants will visit the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, separating North and South Korea, and spend the night with local families in the Mt. Chilbo area..

The itinerary also includes a flight to Mt. Paektu, an extinct volcano crowned by the deep Lake Chon, a pilgrimage site.

Cost: $5,190 per person, double occupancy ($820 single surcharge), including lodging, internal flights, meals, ground transportation and entrance fees. Airfare from Los Angeles to Beijing, China, is not included.

Contact: Geographic Expeditions, San Francisco; (800) 777-8183, www.geoex.com.

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CANADA AND EASTERN U.S.

Follow the Cracker Jacks

HIT the road to see the boys of summer on a tour that includes the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and games at four ballparks.

The six-day trip begins Aug. 9 in Toronto with a game at the Rodgers Center between the Baltimore Orioles and the hometown team, the Blue Jays.

In Cooperstown, N.Y., participants will tour the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

They also get a behind-the-scenes tour of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx before a game between the Angels and the Yankees.

Other ballpark stops are PNC Park in Pittsburgh for a St. Louis Cardinals-Pirates game, and Jacobs Field in Cleveland for a Kansas City Royals-Indians game.

Cost: $1,295 per person, double occupancy ($400 single surcharge), including hotels, ground transportation, tickets and entrance fees. Airfare from Los Angeles to Toronto and meals are not included.

Contact: Roadtrips, Winnipeg, Manitoba; (800) 465-1765; www.roadtrips.com.

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CALIFORNIA

What’s a good rafting wine?

RAFT the Lower Kern River in style on a June 29 overnight trip that features a food and wine pairing.

Participants can paddle along with a guide or let the guide do the steering on the trip, which includes Class III and IV rapids. The group will stop at the remote Kern River Outfitters Riverside Camp, about nine miles down river, for a dinner prepared by chef Steve Rasmussen. Local wines will accompany dinner.

Participants can camp under the stars or sleep in tents. After breakfast, the group will continue down the river, stopping for a buffet lunch. The trip ends nine miles farther down the Kern at Democrat Beach.

Cost: $425 per person, including rafting equipment and guides, meals, wines and most camping equipment. Tents are optional. Transportation from L.A. to Wofford Heights is not included.

Contact: Kern River Outfitters, Wofford Heights, CA; (800) 323-4234, www.kernrafting.com.

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The Times is not responsible for tour changes. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or e-mail travel@latimes.com.