Cox & Kings, The Americas - Travel Journeys

Moroccan Sojourn: Summer Special

Travel on a private Moroccan Sojourn with us this summer for reduced prices through Sept 30, 2011 – just $4485 per person double occupancy.

Your journey beings in fabled Marrakesh and ends 10 days later in the 1000-year-old city of Fez. Stay at restored riads and character hotels throughout your journey.
 


Moroccan Sojourn Highlights:

• Marrakesh, the heartbeat of Morocco
• Sunset visit to Djemaa el-Fna
• Koutoubia mosque from the 12th Century
• Atlas Mountains and tea with a local Berber family
• Dades Valley known as the "Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs"
• Tafilalt oasis region towns near the beautiful Merzouga dunes
• Fez, the world's largest living medieval city
• Roman ruins at Volublis, an UNESCO World Heritage site

Your trip includes all accommodation, breakfast daily, select other meals, and transfers and sightseeing with private guides. No visa is required for US passport holders visiting Morocco.

Extend Your Journey with our other summer specials: Tunisian Sojourn and Egyptian Sojourn.

Please contact Nicole Beattie at 1-800-999-1758 to book your journey.

Tunisian Sojourn: Summer Special

 
Travel on a Tunisan Sojourn with us this summer for reduced prices through Oct 31, 2011 – just $5594 per person double occupancy.*

Tunisia is home to 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 6 of which are included on this tour. Not only does the country boast well-preserved Roman cities, the Coliseum at El Jem rivals its famous cousin in Rome.

Tunisia Sojourn Highlights:

• The Medina of Tunis
• Roman mosaics in the Bardo National Museum
• Roman ruins at Dougga known as "The city of the Temples"
• Ancient Roman amphitheatre of El Jem
• Archeological site of Carthage
• The Great Mosque in Kairouan
• Well-preserved Forum temples of Sufetula
• Seaside village of Sidi Bou Said

Your trip includes all accommodation, breakfast daily, and transfers and sightseeing with private guides. No visa is required for US passport holders visiting Tunisia.

Extend Your Journey with our other summer specials: Moroccan Sojourn and Egyptian Sojourn, or Island of the Knights: Malta.

Please contact Nicole Beattie at 1-800-999-1758 to book your journey.

*peak season supplement $875 per person double applies July 6 – Sept 6, 2011

Cox & Kings' China Family Tour — Take the kids this summer

Give your children the opportunity to experience China on this private tour created just for families: Emperors, Warriors, Dumplings & Pandas.

Learn about Beijing of the past in the fast disapearing ancient Hutongs, and the art of kite-making. Later, fly your kite and walk (or toboggan) on the Great Wall. Visit the famous Terracotta Warriors in Xian and see the pandas up close at a special mountain sanctuary in Chengdu. Finish your trip in modern Shanghai with an acrobat performance.

From $3700 per adult, $2970 per child under 11 years (based on a family of 3). Deluxe and premium hotel options are available.

For more information contact Denise Gogarty at 1-800-999-1758.

See more pictures here.

 

Taj Cape Town — Exclusive Cox & Kings Offer

The recently-opened Taj Cape Town sits at the entrance to the vibrant pedestrian precinct St George's Mall — a popular and historic and cultural area away from the more touristic V&A Waterfront.

Exclusive Cox & Kings offers include:
• 3rd or 4th night free until Sept 15, 2011
• complimentary bottle of wine on arrival
• a complimentary upgrade to a Luxury Room when booking a Superior Room (subject to availability on arrival)
• meal voucher of ZAR 350 per guest (approximately $50 per guest)
• complimentary transfers to the V&A Waterfront, and more.

To book, contact Megan Bryant at 1-800-999-1758.

Egyptian Sojourn Summer Special: 2 for 1

We are delighted to announce that Egypt is once again welcoming travelers to come and enjoy its treasure trove of incredible ancient wonders.

Our 11-day Egyptian Sojourn private journey was specially created to entice those who have always wanted to experience Egypt first-hand. For a very limited time, we are making this tour available at $4995 for two people double occupancy (book one trip for $4995 and your companion travels free).* Just book your trip May 31 and travel by September 30, 2011.

This is a great opportunity to take the kids or grandkids — see 13-year-old Peter Bitman's story of his Egypt trip last summer. With private guides in Cairo and Abu Simbel, and small group touring while on the Nile cruise, 5,000 years of incredible history will unfold before you.

Contact Nicole Beattie at 1-800-999-1758 to book.

Egyptian Sojourn Highlights:

• The Great Pyramids of Giza
• Treasures of Tutankhamun at the Egyptian Museum
• Cairo's Khan el-Khalili Souq
• Luxor's spectacular Temple of Karnak
• Royal Lily Nile cruise (four nights)
• The Valley of Kings and Queens and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• Temple of Horus in Edfu and the temples at Kom Ombo
• The High Dam and Temple of Philae at Aswan
• Abu Simbel and tour of the Temples of Ramses II

About the M/S Royal Lily Nile Cruiser:
The Royal Lily offers luxuriously furnished and air-conditioned Cabins and 4 Royal Suites. Room amenities include panoramic windows, bathroom with a full-size bathtub, plasma TV, in-house music and video; direct-line telephone.

Shipboard amenities include an outdoor pool, a panoramic lounge, dancing area and ice bar, a gym, massage room, reading and internet corner, a Bedouin style seating area with bridge tables as well as a superb restaurant offering the finest Continental and Egyptian cuisine.

Your Tour Includes:
All accommodation, breakfast daily, full board dining while aboard the Nile cruiser, all internal air (priced separately) and transfers. Guiding on a private basis in Cairo and Abu Simbel, and in small groups with the ship's resident Egyptologist on the cruise. Egyptian visa fees for American/Canadian passport holders.

*Internal air (coach class) is an additional $325 per person.

Contact Nicole Beattie at 1-800-999-1758 to book your Egyptian Sojourn.

E-News, March 2011

We'd like to share these wonderful special offers with you—travel with us this spring or summer!

Jordan Sojourn
• Specially-designed 6-day tour of Jordan's highlights
• Travel May 1 - Sept 30, 2011
• From $2195 per person double

Portrait of Kenya
• $2000 worth of value ads, including free hot air balloon safari
• Book by March 31, 2011
• From $7455 per person double

Boutique South Africa
• Stay at Lion Sands, as seen on "The Bachelor" Feb 28th episode
• Get a complimentary night when you book the 7-night tour
• Book by April 1, travel by Sept 30, 2011
• From $4195 per person double

Splendors of Namibia
• $3120 discount for 2 people traveling together (equates to 2 free nights)
• Travel March 1 - June 14, 2011
• From $6435 per person double

Four Seasons Chiang Rai, Thailand
• Enjoy 2 complimentary nights at the Four Seasons Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Koh Samui when you stay 3 nights in the Golden Triangle Tented Camp
• Includes all meals and house wines, 1 spa treatments per person per stay in Chaing Rai
• Travel April 1 - Sept 30, 2011

India: Lure of the Jungle
• See "Searching for the Bengal Tiger" below
• Reduced price for travel through June 30, 2011
• From $8545 per person double

Call one of our specialists at 1-800-999-1758: Africa: Megan Bryant, Asia: Denise Gogarty, Europe: Janice Decker, India & Beyond: Seema Prakash Latin America: Rachel Robar, Arabia & North Africa: Nicole Beattie.


Cox & Kings' China Family Tour—Take the Kids this Summer
Give your children the opportunity to experience China on this private tour created just for families: Emperors, Warriors, Dumplings & Pandas. Learn about Chinese family life in the ancient Hutongs of Beijing and make kites and fly them at the Great Wall. In Xian, see the Terracotta Warriors up close and visit with the rare Great Pandas in Chengdu. This exceptional journey ends in Shanghai with its modern skyscrapers and an amazing acrobat performance.

From $3700 per adult/$2970 per child under 11 years (based on a family of 3). For more information contact Denise Gogarty at 1-800-999-1758.
 
Searching for the Bengal Tiger—on Safari in India
Cox & Kings' tour Lure of the Jungle follows the trail of the endangered Royal Bengal tiger. Traveling by specially designed 4x4 vehicles, and on elephant back, safaris in the national parks of Bandhavgarh, Kahna and Pench offer an opportunity to search for one of the world's most elusive animals. The new Taj lodges of Mahua Kothi, Banjar Tola and Bagvan offer impeccable service and lush luxury. Read Mahua Kothi naturalist guide Kartikeya's account searching for tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park.

Reduced prices when you travel through June 30, 2011. To book, or for more information, contact Seema Prakash at 1-800-999-1758.


Book early for the best East African lodges
With many lovely boutique properties and private game ranches on the scene, Kenya and Tanzania today offer some of the best game-viewing in Africa, and exquisite safari camps and lodges all in the setting of a truly classic Out of Africa backdrop. Planning in advance for July through October is essential in order to ensure availability of your top accommodation choices and witness East Africa's spectacular migration.

Contact Megan Bryant at 1-800-999-1758 to book one of our Cox & Kings Private Journeys such as Classic East Africa: Kenya & Tanzania or Timeless Tanzania, or to customize your travel.


Mongolia's Nadaam Festival
Experience the biggest Mongolian festival of the year—from the grand opening ceremonies at the country's largest Naadam in Ulaanbaatar to the more provincial Naadam festival in the Gobi. The yearly celebrations begin July 11 this year, and bring out a fun, but competitive spirit in Mongolians. Watch expert horse racing, archery, and wrestling—traditional sports very dear to Mongolians of all ages. Food, music, and dancing add to the celebrations of this centuries-old festival.

We are holding a very limited amount of deluxe lodging, including the Three Camel Lodge, and the Ulaanbaatar Hotel, which is situated on the city's central square.

To book this special itinerary, contact Denise Gogarty at 1-800-999-1758. See also our Mongolia: Untouched Wilderness journey.


Just Back From: Syria
Our Arabia & North Africa product manager Nicole Beattie recently returned from Syria—one of many trips she's made to the country in the past 20 years. Read about her top places to visit. See also our private journeys Syria Through the Ages, Syria & Jordan: Ancient Civilizations, and Lebanon & Syria: Empires Past for more ideas on traveling to Syria.

Contact Nicole Beattie at 1-800-999-1758 to book your trip.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites—Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Located in southwestern Uganda, at the junction of the plain and mountain forests, Bwindi Park covers 80,000 acres and is known for its exceptional biodiversity, with more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns. Many types of birds and butterflies can also be found here, as well as endangered species such as the mountain gorilla.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park
The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 250,000 acres in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa's third highest peak. The region's glaciers, waterfalls and lakes make it one of Africa's most beautiful alpine areas. The park contains varied natural habitats of endangered species and a rich and unusual flora, including the giant heather.

Visits to Uganda's UNESCO World Heritage sites may be easily added to our private journey Uganda: Pearl of Africa. To book your trip, contact Megan Bryant at 1-800-999-1758.

 

Giving back in Guatemala

One of our travel partners in Latin America is currently assisting an organization called CasaSito. This non-profit aims to increase the educational opportunities for indigenous children in Guatemala. Viaventure partners with CasaSito to provide water filter systems for in 6 rural communities where lack of clean drinking water is greatly restricted, especially in the dry season.

Each of the larger water filter systems can hold 5,000 liters of water or more. This technology can improve the water shortage situation of many underprivileged families, providing storage of clean water during the rainy season and a rationed supply during the dry season. So far, Viaventure has donated over 40 water storage units in 2009 and 2010.

For more information on how you can participate in this program, please contact Rachel Robar at 1-800-999-1758.

Around the World with Cox & Kings: A Calendar of Colorful Festivals

You don't have to wait until December for your next holiday celebration.   
Exotic and exciting festivals continue around the world throughout the year and Cox & Kings can put you right in the middle of the revelry. Party your way through Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval, master your elephant polo skills at the Jaipur Elephant Festival in India, or dance to the rhythms of traditional Ethiopian beats in one of the most diverse music festivals in Africa.

Samba Down the Streets of Rio de Janeiro at Carnaval
Follow the rhythms of Rio to the most popular holiday in Brazil with Cox & Kings’ Carnaval: Party like a Native journey. Held forty days before Easter each year, Carnaval is a spectacular event of massive proportions featuring heart- pounding beats, ornate costumes and celebrations that last through the night. Cox & Kings arranges for travelers to parade their way down to the Sambódromo with one of Rio’s most famous samba schools, then use their new moves to dance the night away at the black-tie Carnaval Ball at the iconic Copacabana Palace. Guests can recover from all of the merrymaking with a day on the famed Copacabana beach, or ride a cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain and board a train up the mountain of Corcovado to see the magnificent and legendary Christ the Redeemer statue, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Cox & Kings’ 6 day, 5 night Carnaval: Party Like a Native journey starts at US $15,985 per person, based on double occupancy.

Ride a Royal Elephant at the Jaipur Elephant Festival
Each March, the city of Jaipur transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors for the annual Elephant Festival. Guests of Cox & Kings' India’s Splendor journey can channel the magnificence of the royal India of the past while riding these stately animals and watching them compete in elephant polo matches and races. Held during Holi, the festival of colors, the Elephant Festival also features processions of the regal creatures adorned from tusk to tail with vibrant colors and glittering gold trinkets, as well as lively dancers performing traditional Indian folk dances. Guests are also invited to hop on one of the gigantic creatures to throw and be doused in a rainbow of Holi powders, signifying wishes of good health, wealth, love and happiness.

Cox & Kings' 16 day, 14 night India’s Splendor Luxury Group Journey starts at US $8,950 per person, based on double occupancy.

Experience the Passion of Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala
Semana Santa is celebrated throughout Latin America with elaborate festivals and colorful processions. Cox & Kings offers travelers a look into one of the most spectacular Semana Santa celebrations with their Guatemala & Honduras: Mayan Treasures private itinerary. Guatemala’s holy week celebrations begin on Ash Wednesday and reach their peak on Good Friday when the streets are full of processions consisting of massive andas (floats) bearing statues of Christ on the cross that are carried by hundreds of men in purple robes, followed by a float with the Virgin Mary. The streets are covered in ornate carpets of flowers, leaves and multicolored sawdust and as the processions move slowly along, the feet of the bearers are cushioned in the carpets which are spread throughout the streets as the procession passes over. Though holy week occurs around the world, Antigua's vibrant and passionate traditions illustrate to travelers the true essence of this revered celebration.

Cox & Kings' 14 day, 13 night Guatemala & Honduras: Mayan Treasures Private Journey starts at US $6,215 per person, based on double occupancy.

Drink tea with Mongolian Nomads at the Naadam Festival
Held each July, the Naadam Festival in Mongolia is one of the largest of the year and an amazing opportunity for travelers to experience traditional Mongolian culture. Locally referred to as "eriin gurvan naadam" or "the three games of men," the celebration begins with an elaborate opening ceremony featuring dancers, athletes, horse riders, and musicians. Travelers on Cox & Kings’ Land of Blue Sky Discovery Group Journeys in July can visit and share tea in the tents of the nomads who travel from the remote countryside and set up camp for the festival. Guests will also experience fascinating cultural performances including hoomi (throat singing) and enjoy a front-row seat at the exhilarating main events of Mongolian wrestling, archery and horse-racing.

The 13 day, 12 night Land of Blue Sky Discovery Group Journey begins at $2,995 per person, based on double occupancy. Festival journeys depart July 1 and July 10, 2011.

Sample the Diverse Flavors of the Seychelles at the Creole Festival
While the white sand beaches and inimitable blue waters of the Seychelles make it an ideal destination year round, guests who wish to delve into the true spirit of Seychellois culture must visit during the annual Creole Festival held each October. A celebration of the country's vibrant melting pot of diversity, the festival is an exciting manifestation of Seychellois and Creole identity through music, dance, cuisine and crafts, offering visitors a colorful week of the sounds, flavors and fragrances of these fascinating islands. Travelers can try their hand at the tantalizing sega, a traditional dance accompanied by guitars, drums and even synthesizers, and tempt their taste buds with a variety of traditional Seychellois foods including creamy curries, bright flavorful chutneys and fresh grilled fish. This colorful week of fragrant flavors and fun is celebrated on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue Islands.

This experience can be arranged as part of any of Cox & Kings’ Private Journeys to the Seychelles (such as Seychelles: Jewel of the Indian Ocean), beginning at $2,545 per person, based on double occupancy.

Expand Your Musical Horizons at 1,000 Stars Festival in Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Set in Arba Minch in the heart of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia every December, The Festival of 1,000 Stars is a spectacular experience for travelers with a passion for music. Guests can dance to the diverse beats of a more than 1,000 performers, representing over 56 ethnic tribal groups from southern Ethiopia. The three-day music festival is a relaxed, informal affair featuring dynamic songs and dances celebrating thediversity of these tribes. Cox & Kings can arrange a visit to this festival as part of the Omo Valley: Cultures of Southern Ethiopia private journey, giving travelers a front row seat to this unique, beautiful festival of music and tradition.

Cox & Kings' 11 day, 10 night Omo Valley: Cultures of Southern Ethiopia private journey starts at $4,235 per person, based on double occupancy.

 

 

Travel Advisor of the Month: Vicki Boyle

Lawrence Travel Center
Lawrence, KS

Vicki Boyle began her career in the travel industry with Maupintour for many years as an international tour planner and operations supervisor for special interest groups. Vicki entered the retail market in 1989 and worked as a full-time travel consultant until 2000. Since that time, she has managed two full time careers, one as an outside consultant for the Lawrence Travel Center while pursuing another career by day. 

Vicki worked with our Africa Product Manager Megan Bryant on an extraordinary Dubai and Seychelles booking for her long time clients. Megan said she really enjoyed working with Vicki and she was very professional with her clients and with Cox & Kings. She was very easy going and yet always looking out for the best interest of her clients.

 

Just Back From: Syria

Over the past twenty-some years I have visited Syria on numerous occasions, always experiencing the warmest, friendliest and most gracious of people! One of my husband's former students is a Professor of Surgery at the Damascus University Medical School, and as a consequence of this connection I have been introduced to a Syria little known or appreciated by Americans.

From the famed Damascus covered souq to the spectacular Roman ruins of Palmyra, Syria is a cornucopia of treasures to be seen and appreciated by any visitor – it is difficult for me to choose a favorite.

The Crac des Chevaliers stands out as the most extraordinary of all Crusader strongholds in the Middle East. It was built to control the Homs Gap which divides the rugged Alawi Mountains to the north from the higher Lebanese range to the south. Aleppo, famed for its ancient citadel, was an important center of trade between the eastern Mediterranean kingdoms and the merchants of Venice. Aleppo became prosperous and famous in the centuries preceding the Ottoman era, and many of its khans (caravanserai) are still in use today; one of them is called Banadiqa Khan, Banadiqa in Arabic being the term for inhabitants of Venice. An interesting aspect of Aleppo is its Jewish influence, beginning in the days of King David over 3,000 years ago. Aristocratic and noble, Aleppo was the crown of Jewish splendor in the Sephardic world.

The most famous of all archeological sights in Syria, Palmyra, is set in the heart of the Syrian desert and was often described as the bride of the desert. Its magnificent remains tell of a heroic history during the reign of Queen Zenobia. Palmyra is located in an oasis, near a hot-water spring called Afqa, which made it an ideal halt for caravans moving between Iraq and Al-Sham (present day Syria, Lebanon, Holy Land and Jordan), trading in silk from China to the Mediterranean. This strategic location made Palmyra prosper in a well-established kingdom from the 2nd century B.C. The drive from Damascus to Palmyra is through a barren, desert landscape, and one's first glimpse of these ancient ruins is over a hill as you enter the city! It is just standing there in all its golden splendor! The grand colonnade, monumental arch, massive temple of Bel - all for the traveler's eye to behold! UNESCO described it as "the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Greco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences."

Each time I return to Syria, another treasure is seen, another sight uncovered, never, ever the 'same old' – a fascinating and captivating land I look forward to returning to soon.

See Cox & Kings' tours to Syria: Syria Through the Ages, Syria & Jordan: Ancient Civilizations, and Lebanon & Syria: Empires Past.

—Nicole Beattie, Cox & Kings Arabia & North Africa Product Manager