Saturday, February 24, 2007:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Meet fellow travelers at a welcome reception and dinner this evening.

Accommodations: Marriott Harbor Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale

Sunday, Monday & Tuesday, February 25, 26 & 27:
Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu, Peru
Walk the streets of these legenday South American sites and history will be underfoot.  When Francisco Pizarro founded Lima in 1535, he built beautiful cathedrals, palaces and houses, many on superbly crafted foundations created by the region’s indigenous people.  Much of this beautiful art and architecture remain.

The following day, head to Cusco, and board a deluxe train to travel through the sacred Urubamba Valley to Machu Picchu.

Explore Machu Picchu’s mysterious and beautiful altars, temples, staircases and terraced gardens – set in a breathtaking Andean landscape.  Returning to Cusco, discover the remains of the great fortress of Sacsayhuaman, where enormous blocks of stone fit together so tightly that a knife blade cannot be inserted between them.

Accommodations: Miraflores Park Hotel, Lima; Hotel Monasterio, Cusco

Alternate excursions to Trujillo’s ancient temples and murals are available.

Wednesday & Thursday, February 28 & March 1:
Easter Island, Chile
There’s much the world could learn from this remote islands that sits more than 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile.  A thousand years ago, a sophisticated society developed, then disappeared, leaving stone villages, open-air sanctuaries and giant statues called moai.

Resident archaeologists lead you to hidden troves of statuary, as well as pictographs and petroglyphs that detail the annual rituals of the birdman cult.

Accommodations: Hanga Roa Hotel or Taha Tai Hotel, Easter Island

Friday, March 2:
Apia, Samoa
Robert Louis Stevenson was enticed by the lush beauty of Upolu, Samoa’s main island.  Find out why as you experience a traditional kava ceremony at Stevenson’s estate, and enjoy a fiafia, a colorful performance of Samoan dancing.

Accommodations: Aggie Grey’s Lagoon Beach Resort & Spa, Apia

Saturday, March 3:
Cross the International Date Line
From Samoa, fly west across the South Pacific.  Crossing the International Date Line, lose a day en route to Australia and arrive the next day.

Sunday & Monday, March 4 & 5:
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, stretches 1,250 miles from Papua New Guinea to the Tropic of Capricorn.  Its brilliantly colored marine life includes more than 300 types of coral and 1,300 species of fish – many of which you see for yourself as you swim, explore and snorkel.

Accommodations: Sheraton Mirage Resort, Port Douglas

Alternately, cruise down the Daintree River, with its crocodiles and lush ferns, and hike through the Daintree Rain Forest – a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, March 6, 7 & 8:
Port Moresby & The Highlands or Sepik River Basin, Papua New Guinea
Next stop – Port Moresby, jumping off point for the seldom-visited mountainous Highlands area or the rich Sepik River basin.  Impenetrable jungle and jagged mountain ranges have kept they country’s tribes isolated for centuries, supporting more than 700 distinct languages and cultures in a population of just over 3 million.

Those who choose to explore the Southern Highlands will fly to Tari, then travel overland to the Ambua Lodge, where Huli tribespeople – many sporting huge wigs of human hair – honor you with a traditional sing-sing and share the rituals of their colorful self-decoration.  Returning to Tari Gap, spot some of its many exotic birds.

Those choosing to explore the Sepik River will fly to Mt. Hagen, then to Karawari.  In nearby villages meet people making sago, a staple food derived from the sago palm, and skilled artisans who create the area’s much sought-after art – from spirit houses to elaborately carved dugout canoes.

Accommodations: Airways Hotel, Port Moresby and Ambua Lodge, Tari Gap or Karawari Lodge, Sepik Basin

Friday & Saturday, March 9 & 10:
Angkor, Cambodia
While the French were laying the cornerstone of Notre-Dame in Paris, the Khmer kings were finishing the great temples of Angkor Wat.  This complex of towers, carved mruals, colonnades and courtyards ushered in the classic age of Khmer art and architecture, and continues to draw countless monks and pilgrims.  At the royal walled city of Angkor Thom, explore the extraordinary Bayon, a temple with dozens of stone towers carved with more than 200 giant faces.

Accommodations: Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap

If you have visited Angkor before, a separate excursion to Banteay Srei – the citadel of women – can be arranged.  A scenic drive through the Cambodian countryside takes you to this smaller, more intimate pink sandstone monument.

Sunday, March 11:
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Emperor Shah Jahan built his architectural masterpiece in Agra, capital of India’s Mogul empire, to commemorate his beloved wife.  The shimmering white marble Taj Mahal is built on the bank of the River Jamuna and surrounded by gardens and pools.

Accommodations: The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra

Monday & Tuesday, March 12 & 13:
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Originally a small fishing village, Dubair created the busiest souks on the Persian Gulf coast.  Travel deep into the desert by four-wheel-drive vehicle to Hatta Gardens, enjoying spectacular views.  Celebrate with champagne atop the dunes and savor a falconry show and dinner at a desert camp.  In the city, explore its magnificent mosque and old wind-tower houses, then choose from an array of options: glimps daily Arab life as a guest in a Dubai home; learn to cook classic Arabian delicacies; visit a wharf to see traditional dhow construction; or visit a race track for a hands-on experience with magnificent Arabian horses.

Accommodations: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

Wednesday & Thurday, March 14 & 15:
Serengeti Plain, Tanzania
From Kilimanjaro, fly by small plane into the Serengeti where four-wheel-drive vehicles take you on game drives to search out and photograph the abundant wildlife.  Each year, millions of wildebeest and zebra – stalked by lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas – gather to calve and begin their 500-mile seasonal migration to new grazing lands.

Accommodations: Serengeti Sopa Lodge

Friday & Saturday, March 16 & 17:
Marrakech, Morocco
An oasis of palm and olive groves, Marrakech boasts a vibrant medina with winding streets, colorful souds and the Place Djemaa el Fna.  See the Koutoubia Mosque, the tombs of the Saadian kings and the Museum of Moroccan Arts.  Traveling outside the city, discover the Ourika Valley where rural Berber villages are nestled within sight of the spectacular Atlas Mountains.  On your last evening, celebrate at a gala farewell dinner.

Accommodations: La Mamounia, Marrakech

Sunday, March 18:
Fort Lauderdale
Today the final leg of your around the world journey returns you to Fort Lauderdale.

Accommodations: Marriott Harbor Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale.

Exclusive Highlights

Marrakech Ancient city centerpiece, the Koutoubia Mosque was built in 1147, but demolished because it didn’t correctly align with Mecca.  The “mosque of the booksellers” still stands as it was rebuilt in 1199.

Serengeti Plain An ancient ritual of renewal happens every year when millions of wildebeest and zebra converge here to give birth and begin their migration in search of new grazing lands.

Dubai The noble art of falconry, once the domain of ancient Bedouins, still thrives in Dubai as the region’s symbol of high birth and luxury.

Taj Mahal Ripe with secret detail, the Taj Mahal contains countless treasures, including a three-centimeter decoration that contains more than 50 inlaid gems.  Its stunning sunsets and magnificent sunrises are iconic visions.

Angkor Wat Angkor’s complex of temples replicates the heavenly kingdom, walls and towers symbolizing peaks and mountains about which the sun, moon and stars revolve.

Papua New Guinea The mountains here are so impenetrable that native people were isolated from each other for centuries.  When explorers came searching for gold in the 1930s, they found cultures unchanged since the Stone Age.

Great Barrier Reef Stretching more than 1,430 miles long, this massive ecosystem is the awesome host of 4,000 types of coral, 1,500 fish species and 4,000 types of mollusks.

Apia, Samoa Today’s South Pacific islanders use the same kind of outrigger canoes that carried their ancestors across vast, uncharted oceans, guided only by the stars.

Easter Island Rapa Nui, “belly-button of the world”, is the planet’s most remote inhabited island and its mysterious moai and treeless landscape contain the story of a great civilization’s rise and fall.

Machu Picchu The Intihuatana stone “Hitching Post of the Sun” is key to this sacred Inca site.  Twice yearly the sun stands directly above the pillare, casting no shadow, sending its power directly to Earth.

 

Included Features

• Private Boeing 757 jet: your jet is custom designed for your comfort.  Spacious leather seats.  Business-class legroom.  Presentation facilities for guest lecturers.  And an experienced flight crew devoted to your safety and comfort.
• Onboard expert lecturers: Accompanying your journey will be geoscientist Peter Bobrowsky and cultural and political geographer Ronald Wixman.  Additional lecturers may be added to your trip before departure.  Please call for updated information.
• Your hotel accommodations: Each hotel on your Around-the-World expedition has been selected for excellence, comfort, and the convenience of its location to your exploration.  For example, in Agra you will stay in the Oberoi Amarvilas, one of the world’s most famous hotels, selected for you because of its exquisite views of the Taj Mahal from every room.
• Your trip amenities: As your departure date approaches we weill deliver to your home a special collection of items designed to enhance your travel experience.  You’ll receive custom luggage, reading materials chosen by our destination experts and onboard lecturers, as well as other gifts we’ver selected to make your travel experience more enjoyable.
• We are at your service.  The first step of your private jet journey around the world begins with a simple phone call.  We’ll be delighted to answer your questions and share more detailed information with you