Tours & Cruises

ECUADOR

Chocoholics tour

Equatortrekking’s “Gourmet Journey Along the Cacao Route” follows the path of the recently released documentary “El Cacao” by visiting chocolate factories, family-owned cocoa plantations and restaurants that use it in indigenous dishes. Also included is a walking tour of Quito, Ecuador’s capital.

Itinerary: Guayaquil to Vinces, Hacienda Cañas, Rio Muchacho, Quito and Baños

Dates: Departures July 15 and 30, Aug. 15 and 30 and Sept. 15

Price: $2,430, including hotel accommodations, some meals, ground transportation, airport transfers, admission fees to farms and parks, as well as guided tours and excursions. The price does not include airfare or tickets to Quito museums.

Info: Equatortrekking, Cumbayá, Ecuador; https://www.equatortrekking.com

MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEA

Author on board

Author Mary Higgins Clark will be aboard Crystal Cruises’ 12-night “Beyond the Bosporous” sailing, which plies the Black and Mediterranean seas, to tell stories, share writing tips and talk about her life. On land, excursion options include a Venetian gondola ride, a cooking lesson with a countess, a journey to Dracula’s castle, sightseeing in Olympia, visiting a Greek farm, watching the whirling dervishes and strolling a Turkish spice market. The voyage marks Crystal’s maiden call in Trabzon, Turkey.

Itinerary: Venice to Katakolon and Nafplio, Greece; Constanta, Romania; Odessa and Yalta, Ukraine; Trabzon and Istanbul, Turkey.

Dates: Sept. 7-19

Price: From $7,485, double occupancy, including round-trip airfare, lodging, $1,000 spending credit, all meals and some cocktails,yoga classes and golf clinics. The rate does not include port, security and handling charges ($600), optional excursions or fuel surcharges.

Info: Crystal Cruises, Los Angeles; (888) 799-4625; https://www.crystalcruises.com

NAMIBIA

Star search

Friends of the Observatory’s 10-day “Celestial Safari” in Namibia spotlights the African sky, plus wildlife parks, prehistoric rock art and 60-ton Hoba, the world’s largest known meteorite. E.C. Krupp, the director of the Griffith Observatory, leads the trip and shares his astronomical knowledge. Other highlights include game drives, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, kayaking with seals and hiking the world’s highest sand dunes.

Itinerary: Windhoek, Hakos Guest Farm, Namib Naukluft Park, Swakopmund, Tsisab Ravine, Twyfelfontein and Damaraland, Lower Hoanib River, Etosha National Park and back to Windhoek

Dates: Oct. 17-27

Price: $5,735, double occupancy, including upscale lodging, most meals, land transit and educational lectures. The price does not include airfare, some meals or alcoholic beverages.

Info: Friends of the Observatory, Los Angeles; (213) 473-0807, https://www.friendsoftheobservatory.com

JAPAN

Artistic traditions

On Esprit’s “Kyoto Artistry in Depth” tour, travelers meet artists and craftspeople in their studios, and, accompanied by interpreters, visit temples and shrines, tea gardens, musical venues and the I.M. Pei-designed Miho Museum.

Itinerary: Osaka to Kyoto, with out-of-town excursions to Ohara and Shiga Prefecture

Dates: Nov. 5-15

Price: $4,995, double occupancy, including lodging, daily breakfast and some lunches, airport transfers, admission fees, guides and transportation but not airfare. Part of the proceeds supports recovery efforts in Japan.

Info: Esprit Travel & Tours, Las Vegas; (800) 377-7481, https://www.esprittravel.com

HAWAII AND MEXICO

Golf cruise

Golf aficionados rub elbows with PGA pro Billy Casper during Crystal Symphony’s Hawaiian holiday sailing. Sportscaster Jim Huber will also be along, and both will share stories and tips. Golfers play Kauai’s Poipu Bay, a course surrounded by ancient worship sites. Included are transportation to the course, caddy service, lunch, equipment rental (or cleaning of your clubs and shoes), team-pairing and private clinics with PGA instructors. While at sea, travelers can access the vessel’s spa and gym and attend nutrition and exercise classes.

Itinerary: Los Angeles to Lahaina, Honolulu, Nawiliwili and Hilo, Hawaii; Ensenada, Mexico; and back to Los Angeles

Dates: Dec. 21-Jan. 4

Price: From $7,050, double occupancy, including round-trip airfare, lodging, $500 spending credit, all meals, some cocktails and golf-related amenities. The rate does not include greens fees, port, security and handling charges ($600), optional excursions or fuel surcharges.

Info: Crystal Cruises, Los Angeles; (888) 799-4625; https://www.crystalcruises.com

—Avital Binshtock

travel@latimes.com