Machu Picchu Photo courtesy of Kristoffer Erickson

Highlights:

• Lima
• Isla Ballestas
• Nazca Lines
• Arequipa
• Cusco
• Choquequirao Ruins – 4 day trek
• Machu Picchu

Peru is a land of extremes, where exquisite natural beauty cradles 3,000 years of human history. Andean peaks plunge to Amazonian rainforest, deserts touch the ocean, and opportunity for adventure abounds. Join Felicia and select local guides on a Peru expedition in May 2009. Home to the oldest civilization in the Americas, Peru has a rich cultural heritage; UNESCO has named ten World Heritage Sites in Peru. On this eco-cultural adventure, we’ll travel to seven of Peru’s treasured sites and cities: Isla Bellastas, Arequipa, Machu Picchu, Nazca, Cusco, and Lima! In addition, we’ll trek 4,000 feet up to the “Cradle of Gold,” Choquequirao, the sister city to Machu Picchu.

Click here for itinerary details

Capture the best of the Paine.  Enjoy day hikes into breath-taking valleys, through virgin beech forest and walk into the shadow of the Southern Ice Field, the third largest ice field in the world.  Go first class or stay in backpacker-style rustic chalets known locally as refugios.

Highlights:

• Spectacular hikes accompanied by expert guides.
• Visit the Magellanic penguin colony on Otway Sound.
• Learn about the abundant ecology and history of Patagonia.
• Hotel accommodations throughout the trip (no camping or refugios).
• Small group size; 8 or less.

Click here for itinerary details

Capture the best of the Paine.  Enjoy day hikes into breath-taking valleys, through virgin beech forest and walk into the shadow of the Southern Ice Field, the third largest ice field in the world.  Go first class or stay in backpacker-style rustic chalets known locally as refugios.

Highlights:

• Spectacular hikes accompanied by expert guides.
• Learn about the abundant ecology and history of Patagonia.
• Hotel accommodations throughout the trip (no camping or refugios).
• Small group size; 8 or less.

• Spectacular hiking
• Catered backpacking trip
• Visit the Magellanic penguin colony on Otway Sound
• Learn about the abundant ecology and history of Patagonia
• Camping accommodations and final night at a working ranch
• Showers available most nights

Extend your stay or start your trip with a few days in Chile’s fertile heartland. Let us know what vineyard interests you or let us chose our favorites for you.

Highlights:

• Santiago and Valparaiso city tours.
• Visit the Humboldt penguin colony on the Pacific coast.
• Coastal hike along a secluded beach.
• Sample Chilean vineyards.

If green is the color of life, then Ecuador vibrates with vida. Imagine a landscape of verdant rainforest bejewel with radiantly colored flowers, birds, and butterflies. Imagine a culture whose artwork and traditional clothing mirrors the crimson, azure, gold and green of the natural world—welcome to Ecuador. From the shores of the Pacific Ocean, to the rainforest in the Amazonian headwaters, to Las Cajas National Park at 10,000 feet elevation, and through the markets at Otavalo, travelers marvel at Ecuador’s treasures.

Ecuador is one of the most interesting destinations for anyone with an interest in nature and culture. The country is smaller than the state of Colorado and has an incredible diversity including the stunning Galapagos Islands, the Amazonian lowlands and the Andes Mountains.

Highlights:

• Seven days exploring Quito, the Northern Sierra, Central Sierra, and the Southern Sierra regions. This includes Cotopaxi National Park, Otavalo, Banos, Ingapirca and Cuenca city.
• Three days at the Tapir lodge in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve where more than 560 species of birds, 60 species of orchids and over 350 fish have been recorded.
• Cruise the Galapagos Islands for 5 days and see the rainbow streaked lava lizard, land tortoises, and blue-footed boobie! We will also visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on Isla Santa Cruz.

Galapagos
 

Cruise the islands made famous by the young Charles Darwin nearly 200 years ago. Aboard an elegant ship, equipped with first-rate naturalists, you too will discover the animals that inspired Darwin’s treatise On the Origin of Species. Learn about rainbow streaked lava lizards, giant land tortoises, and blue-footed boobies. Snorkel in the rich waters that surround the 20 plus islands, then wake each morning in a new location with yet another natural wonder at the bow.