During their Christmas / New Year hiatus, our Tour Leaders had some downtime to consider a series of prying questions about their personal proclivities. In this issue, we feature three of our leaders, simply the best in the business!
Peter Barathan in Georgia (tour AZ1)
PETER BARATHAN
- What can't you travel without?
I hate to say it but I can't travel without my phone. It's my compass, my camera, my alarm clock, my book, my wallet, my pen and my paper, and anything else I want it to be. Still trying to figure out how to make it my cocktail. - Favourite beach?
Pre-tsunami, I'd say Unawatuna, Sri Lanka, but it hasn't been the same since, so I'll say the beaches of Palawan, Philippines, specifically El Nido beach. - Favourite secret getaway?
Tsoi-Lik Island, Papua New Guinea, a true island paradise. - Favourite food item or cuisine?
Favourite cuisine is easily Malaysian/Singaporean food: Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa, Paper Dosa, Char Kway Teow, Satay and Roti Prata. YUM!
WHAT A SITE! The Nubian Pyramids
In northern Sudan we’ll find approximately 255 of what we refer to as the Nubian pyramids, built by the rulers of the Kingdom of Kush. The Kushites have a long history in the area, and struggled with the Egyptians for dominance of the region for hundreds of years.
The Meroe Pyramids, sometimes referred to as the Nubian pyramids, are located along the banks of the Nile River in the lonely desert of eastern Sudan. There are nearly 200 known pyramids there, and they were built between 2,300 and 2,700 years ago, with many of the pyramids functioning as tombs for the royalty of the Meroitic kingdom.
These pyramids were built around 800 years after Egypt’s pyramids, and while they’re substantially smaller, it is believed their method of construction and workmanship is similar to those of Ancient Egypt.
New Things: New Tours & Dates Added
We’ve got a lot of exciting additions to our tour lineup, including a one-time, limited tour to South America’s wild north coast, new tours to Spain & Portugal, additional dates on tours to Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia, Iceland, Central America, and more!
Angel Falls are located in Venezuela, and it has the longest uninterrupted waterfall on the planet, at 979 metres (3,212 feet). It has a single drop of 807 metres.
THE 'WILD COAST' OF SOUTH AMERICA - NEW TOUR
This is yet another unique and intriguing itinerary from the desk of legendary senior Tour Leader and destination specialist, Martin Charlton, who designed and will lead this tour in fall 2016:
"Join me on this exciting trip on which we explore Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela and the Caribbean island of Curaçao. From the astonishing Kaieteur Falls in Guyana to the breathtaking Angel Falls in Venezuela, we'll open the door to the least-visited corner of South America and the Caribbean. The three countries that make up 'The Guianas': Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are all quite different from each other, as well as the other countries of South America. Few travellers venture here into the northeast corner of South America, but, those who are willing to leave the tourist circuit far behind in search of genuine, personal, eye-popping adventure are amply rewarded! Curacao, with it's rich history dating back to the 16th century, is home to the UNESCO protected Willemstad boasting fascinating old buildings and excellent museums. Here remnants of plantations dot the countryside. Venezuela provides the ultimate Angel Falls Adventure: Experience the natural beauty of the world's highest waterfall. Join me on this one-time only offering!"
Upcoming Tours
We’ve got lots of exciting upcoming tours that you won’t want to miss. If you’re wanting to travel in Europe, we have lots on offer. Don’t miss Albania, Ireland, our Nordic odysseys, the Channel Isles or our Adriatic tours. If you’re looking forward to travelling to Asia, we have Japan and Ladakh coming up, and in Africa, there’s Kenya and Tanzania, as well as Southern Africa.
Safari tours are a popular option for travellers to Africa hoping to see iconic African wildlife in their natural habitat.
Accommodation Spotlight – Algonquin Resort
An architectural icon, the Algonquin Resort hotel in St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, is a coastal resort hotel, St. Andrews’ most recognized symbol and likely the most photographed building in New Brunswick.
The Algonquin Hotel, located in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, was built in 1889, and has a long list of esteemed guests. It is one of the accommodations on our Atlantic Canada tour.
The original Algonquin Hotel was built in 1889 by the St. Andrews Land Company (established 1883), and was a wooden shingle-style building on a massive scale.
Opening in June 1883, the 80-room hotel was designed by an architecture firm from Boston. The summer tourism industry boomed at St. Andrews by the end of the 1800s, aided by businessmen from nearby New England and Montreal, as well as residents of the town of St. Andrews.
Focus On - Tours of Canada & Alaska!
As a Canadian company, we are often asked why we don’t offer any tours here at home. Previously we were happy to concentrate on overseas destinations and leave tours of Canada and the USA to the many companies that do a great job of hosting the world. But having recently partnered with one of Canada’s foremost inbound tour operators, we are delighted to be able to offer their expertise, experience and passion in line with the Adventures Abroad small group concept, with expert leadership, lots of inclusions, thoughtfully planned itineraries, at a great value.
Moraine Lake is an idyllic mountain lake located in Canada’s famous Banff National Park, a short distance from Lake Louise.
Made all the more salient with the recent drop of the Canadian dollar, we think that it is the perfect time for Canadians to experience an adventure at home, and for our US clients to take advantage of the best (or worst!) exchange rate in over a decade. For 2016, we are pleased to offer the following new adventures, with departures planned into 2017 and beyond.
