Cox & Kings USA Travel Journeys

Family journey to India, special offer now through September

Experience highlights like the Taj Mahal in northern India staying exclusively at Oberoi resorts where your kids get their own room for free!

India can be a great family travel destination. The rich history of the country will come alive as together, you explore massive forts and elaborate palaces. Learn about their ancient cultures and be welcomed by its gracious people.

Now it's even easier to share an Indian adventure with our new Indian Experience tour. Bring the kids (and/or grandkids) along this spring or summer, and they can stay free in their own room! 

On this private journey, see the some of the highlights of northern India, including the Taj Mahal. Stay exclusively in luxurious Oberoi resorts: The Oberoi in Delhi, The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, and The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur.

Includes breakfast daily, all entrance fees and transfers, English speaking guides for sightseeing, and 25% off on spa therapies. From $2280 per person double occupancy. Available through September 30, 2010.

For more details see our Indian Experience, or call Seema Prakash: 1-800-999-1758.

Special Offer, Easter Week in the Galapagos Islands

Spend Easter Week in the Galapagos Islands: Cruise Dates March 27 – April 3, 2010

All new passengers booked and confirmed on the remaining spaces for this departure will receive the following extras at no additional cost (a $950 value):

• Round Trip air from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos
• Galapagos National Park entrance fee
• Transit control cards
• Easter Week surcharge

Cruise with us on the M/V Evolution — a ship with the feel of the 1920's but with all the comforts of today. Its small boat atmosphere (32 guests) make it easy to explore the environment of these legendary islands, and get up close and personal with its amazing animals — by walking, snorkeling, or kayaking. A great time period to take along the whole family! 7 nights, 8 days (Sat-Sat).

For complete details, contact Rachel Robar, 1-800-999-1758

E-News, February 2010

Indulge at Bali's Alila Villas Uluwatu

Alila Villas Uluwatu is the dramatic setting for a new standard in luxury living, perched high above the white beaches of Bali's rugged south coast with uninterrupted views over the Indian Ocean. This exclusive all-villa resort is a stunning expression of contemporary design and a model of complete environmental sustainability. Indulge in Another Day at Alila Villas Uluwatu offers guests a complimentary night's stay for every three nights booked or two complimentary night's stay for every five nights booked. Valid through May 31, 2010.

Twin Sensations at Alila Villas Bali offers the guests a 5-day, 4-night combination stay — enjoy the blissful heights of relaxation at the spectacular clifftop retreat at Alila Villas Uluwatu and discover the island's picturesque west with a journey to Alila Villas Soori, where emerald rice terraces meet black-sand beaches and the azure ocean. Valid through Dec 19, 2010.

For more information on Alila Villas, contact Denise Gogarty at 1-800-999-1758.

Holy Week in Guatemala — Semana Santa Celebration

Travel to Antigua, Guatemala for the most beautiful religious celebration in the Americas — the Holy Week of Easter (Mar 24 – Apr 3, 2010). Amazing processions of people, floats, statues and banners wind their way slowly through the town's cobblestone streets which are covered with ornate carpets handmade from flowers, palms and colored sawdust.

Cox & Kings' suggested itinerary to Guatemala includes visits to Lake Atitlan, local Maya markets, and Tikal. See Classic Guatemala: Antigua & Tikal. Reservations for this Easter event are essential and space is limited — contact Lynsey Hendry at 1-800-999-1758.

Photographic Safari Workshops — Botswana or South Africa

With an award-winning host photographer as your guide, hone your nature photography skills on an African safari! Safari vehicles are limited to 4 photographer guests, with the flexibility to stay at wildlife sightings longer to get that perfect photo. Enjoy spectacular wildlife viewing at either the Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana, or MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa, where you'll gain technical knowledge and practical application in the field.

African photographic safaris are available in 4 or 8-night journeys, and may easily be added to any Cox & Kings tour to South Africa. From $1200 per person double. Please contact Megan Bryant at 1-800-999-1758.

Ladakh: The Last Shangri-La — New Escorted Travel Journey

The India region of Ladakh is famed for its remote alpine beauty and rich history. Often called "Little Tibet," the area has been strongly influenced by Tibetan culture. On this escorted group journey, you'll meet local Ladakhi artists, enjoy guided walks through villages, and visit Buddhist monasteries and medieval temples, or gompas. Delhi and Agra (Taj Mahal) round out the trip. Two special festival departures are scheduled for this summer! From $4145 per person double. Please contact Seema Prakash at 1-800-999-1758.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites — Argentina

Iguaçu National Park
Surrounded by subtropical jungle, Iguaçu is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world — up to 5,000 ft. wide and 260 ft. high.

Los Glaciares National Park
A beautiful area with rugged, towering mountains and numerous lakes and glaciers.

Península Valdés, Patagonia
Home to important breeding populations of endangered southern right whale, southern elephant seal, and southern sea lion.

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba
Illustrates the area's unique religious, social, and economic development in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Quebrada de Humahuaca
This valley has been used over the past 10,000 years as a crucial passage for the transport of people and ideas from the high Andean lands to the plains.

Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis
Deep in the heart of a tropical rainforest, lie the remains of five 17th and 18th C Jesuit missions.

Ischigualasto and Talampaya National Parks
The parks contain fossils of ancestors of mammals, dinosaurs, and plants, revealing the evolution of vertebrates in the Triassic Period.

Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas
This outstanding collection of prehistoric rock art demonstrates the culture of the earliest human societies in South America.

Select UNESCO World Heritage sites are featured on our Private Travel Journey Portrait of Argentina. To book your customized trip, contact Lynsey Hendry at 1-800-999-1758.

Orchestrating Every Element of Your Travel Experience

From the moment you imagine what your adventure could be, to the day you return, our goal is to assure you a memorable and positive experience. Our passionate attention to detail gives you the freedom to relax and embrace your adventure — with peace of mind.

Did you know we can provide many extra amenities and services to truly liberate your trip? Some examples:

• We can arrange for private chefs, security personnel, massages, personal trainers, a photographer, childcare, or even practical advice for traveling with young children.
• Cell Phones & PDAs
• We can furnish you and every member of your group with a local cell phone, pre-programmed with important local phone numbers. If you already have unlocked GSM phones, we'll supply local SIM cards.
• Private Jet Travel

We’re experts at arranging access to many of our destinations with your private jet.

Call us at 1-800-999-1758

Savor Chile & Argentina's cuisine, wines and culture with expert Liz Caskey

Special departures set for April and September: Fully escorted small group tours.

Travel and taste your way through some of Chile and Argentina's famous wine regions with international food and wine expert Liz Caskey as your host. From winemakers to farmstead cheese makers, connect with the people who make it happen.

Savoring Chile & Argentina's Cuisine, Wines & Culture
Special departures: April 8 – 15 & September 23 – 30, 2010

 Highlights:

• Explore vibrant markets in Santiago, winding through the stands of our favorite vendors.
• Taste your way through notable wineries of Chile's Colchagua Valley, from unassuming "garage" bodegas to chic and innovative wine superstars.
• Meet local farmers and beekeepers, as well as artisanal producers of cheeses, premium olive oils, and herbal liquors.
• Enjoy delicious meals prepared with the best of seasonal produce in rustic haciendas, renovated wine cellars, turn-of-the-century villas, and al fresco.
• Tour Mendoza's main wine regions, including Luján de Cuyo, Maipu, and Uco Valley, with the dramatic Andes as a backdrop. 
• Learn to prepare regional classics during a cooking class at Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza.
• Experience the traditional Cuasimodo festival near Santiago, when priests and their caravan make the colorful rural journey in costume to visit parishioners unable to attend Easter mass. (April departure only) 

See our website for details on both departures.

Trip Costs and Booking:

The cost for this 8-day, 7-night journey is $4995 based on double occupancy ($685 single supplement). Includes all accommodations with most meals, sightseeing, transfers, baggage handling, and taxes. Meals not stated on the itinerary, gratuities and personal expenses, are an additional cost. Internal airfare is an additional $325 per person in economy class. International airfare is not included. Tour starts and ends in Santiago, Chile. 

To register for either departure date, please send us a completed Passenger Reservation form, and Credit Card Authorization with a $600 per person non-refundable deposit (or payment by check). 

If you're passionate about food and wine, and exploring how they are intrinsically tied to the local culture, we invite you to travel with us, Savoring Chile & Argentina's Cuisine, Wines & Culture. 

Discover our Latin America, Argentina and Chilean journeys:

Latin America

Portrait of Argentina

Chilean Odyssey

– Rachel Robar, 1-800-999-1758

Cox & Kings Sponsors Museum of Fine Arts Botero Gala

5 day / 4 night trip to Bogotá and Cartagena, Colombia, featured in live auction.

The Botero Gala at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida, took place on Thursday evening, January 14. The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg is just across Tampa Bay from the Cox & Kings, USA office and we were honored to be a sponsor of this fabulous event in support of the arts in the Tampa Bay area. Rachel Robar from our Latin America department attended the Botero Gala.

The Black Tie event began with cocktails in the Marly Room at six-thirty in the evening followed by a tour of the Botero exhibit and dinner with live music at eight o’clock. Cox & Kings donated a 5 day/4 night trip to Bogotá and Cartagena, Colombia and the Museum Director, Dr. John Schroeder, conducted the live auction.

The Baroque World of Fernando Botero exhibit is being showcased at the museum from January 9 – April 4, 2010.

The exhibition represents the first retrospective of the artist’s work in North America since 1974. Included are 100 paintings, sculptures, and drawings culled from the artist’s private collection. Many of the works had never been exhibited in public.

Discover more about the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg.

Learn more about Fernando Botero on Wikipedia.

Explore Latin America and Columbia adventures on coxandkingsusa.com:
Latin America
Cartagena de Indias

TOP STORIES, February 2010

World Cup 2010 Update: New VIP Packages Available

E-News, February 2010: Bali's Alila Villas Uluwatu

Special departures: Chile & Argentina with Liz Caskey

Special Offer, Easter Week in the Galapagos Islands

Maharajas' Express dream train journeys in 2010
Visit the Cox & Kings Maharajas' Express site for photos and details.

Just Back From: Argentina

El Calafate & The Perito Moreno Glacier

– by Rachel Robar

JANUARY 2010

What strikes you most when you arrive are the distances and scale. This practically uninhabited landscape overwhelms you with space: rolling hills of uninterrupted pampas, a lake that changes from milky turquoise to steel grey and jagged peaks scoured by the constant movement of glaciers. Reaching the small town of El Calafate is easy with daily flights from Buenos Aires, Bariloche, or Ushuaia, Argentina or overland from Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.

One of the highlights of visiting El Calafate is the opportunity to hike on the Perito Moreno Glacier. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the three glaciers in Patagonia that are not retreating. The face of this glacier is 3 miles wide and soars about 24 stories above Lago Argentina with 300 feet still hidden below the lake. In terms of physical fitness, it is the equivalent of ascending 5 flights of stairs. However, it is not the energy expended that is the challenging part; it is walking in the crampons attached to your shoes. As you hike, you encounter various ice formations, crevices, tunnels and canyons. There is ice for as far as the eye can see. The glacier, covers about the same area as Washington DC. For those that take the challenge, it is certainly an exhilarating experience. It is important to note that you must be less than 60 yrs of age to hike on the glacier.

If trekking is not your cup of tea, then I would certainly recommend a cruise on Lago Argentina to see the Spegazzini & Upsala Glaciers. As you sail, it would be extremely rare to see another boat. You have the entire lake to yourself with only your fellow sailors to keep you company. This cruise was actually a highlight for me. It was an opportunity for me to get to know my fellow passengers and read a book. For you Kindle users, yes, it worked even here. The first two hours are uneventful. In the next hour, you see icebergs. The myriad of colors, range from white to ice blue with streaks of black. The black deposits are the evidence of its violent journey as it scraped over mountains to break off at the edge of a glacier. These are glaciers are receding at a disconcerting pace; lonely monuments to Global Warming. My advice is to hurry here before it is too late.

The best time to visit is November to March. There are a variety of places to stay:

Eolo Lodge — a Relais & Chateaux property located in the middle of the pampas with views of Lago Argentina. Individual rooms with wonderful public areas accessible by interior corridors. Great for couples, families and friends.

Los Notros — has a wonderful view of the Perito Moreno Glacier from all rooms. The rooms are located in 3 buildings. Easy access to Perito Moreno Glacier.

Los Sauces Casas Patagonicas — a Virtuoso property located in town. Well decorated 3 & 4 bedroom units are spread across the property. Perfect for multi generational families and friends traveling together.

Discover our Latin America, Argentina and Chilean journeys:

Latin America

Portrait of Argentina

Chilean Odyssey

– Rachel Robar, 1-800-999-1758