South America is a wonderful cruise destination. Small group travel leader Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) has just announced $100-$200 per person price reductions on January through June departures for three of its popular small ship adventures: Machu Picchu & the Galapagos, Amazon & Galapagos Wilds, and the Amazon River Cruise & Rain Forest. Each trip features a blend of natural and cultural exploration; stays in small inns and hotels; and several days of cruising aboard OAT's own (or privately chartered) ships, which carry between 16-24 passengers.
Pricing starts at $2295, and includes roundtrip international airfare from Miami (other US cities available); all land transportation and internal flights; all accommodations; cruising aboard a 16- or 24-passenger small ship; almost all meals; daily excursions and small groups activities; park entrance fees; and the exclusive services of a resident OAT Trip Leader. In the Galapagos, OAT's Trip Leaders are also certified naturalists.
Amazon River Photo (c) Linda Garrison
Overseas Adventure Travel Reduces Prices on South American Small Ship Adventures
11-19 day Small Group Adventures Now from $2295 - Including Roundtrip Airfare
OAT is offering the price reductions as a result of recent renegotiations with its South American air and hotel suppliers. Mark Frevert, OAT's Executive Vice President and Chief Architect, notes that "Between our comprehensive value and finely-tuned itineraries, travelers will find that this rather exotic part of the world is now very accessible."
Itineraries
Machu Picchu & the Galapagos, 19 days from only $4295. This Peruvian and Ecuadorian adventure offers land-based exploration in Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and Quito, along with a 3- or 4-night cruise among the Galapagos Islands. In addition to discovery in three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the naturalist-guided Galapagos excursions, special activities include two home-hosted meals with local families, and attendance at a private curandero healing ceremony. Extensions: 5 nights pre-trip in the Amazon Rain Forest of Peru (from $745); and 4 nights post-trip in Quito & Cotopaxi: Ecuador's Avenue of the Volcanoes (from $495).
Amazon & Galapagos Wilds, 11 days from only $2795. After exploring the colonial jewel of Quito, travelers fly over the Andes and board a motorized canoe to journey deep into the Ecuadorian Amazon. From our lodge here, we get a first-hand lesson in biodiversity, and also explore the indigenous cultures as we visit local schools, farms, and homes. A three-day Galapagos cruise aboard a privately chartered 16-passenger ship caps off our adventure. Extensions: 5 nights pre-trip in Machu Picchu & Cuzco, Peru (from $1095); and 4 nights post-trip in Quito & Otavalo: the Northern Highlands of Ecuador (from $495).
Amazon River Cruise & Rain Forest, 11 days from only $2295. After exploring the Incan and Spanish heritage of Lima, travelers fly to Iquitos and board an exclusively chartered classic riverboat for a 6-night Amazon cruise. Highlights include daylight and nighttime nature excursions, walking among the treetops on a canopy walkway, visiting local riverside villages, a cooking lesson, fishing for piranha, and more. Extensions: 4 nights pre-trip in Bolivia & Peru: La Paz & Lake Titicaca (from $695); and 5 nights post-trip in Machu Picchu & Cuzco, Peru (from $995).
Space is limited and in demand, so OAT urges early reservations. In addition to the Miami gateway, low-cost add-on airfares from many other US cities are available.
For more information and free copies of Overseas Adventure Travel's latest Latin American and Small Ship Adventure catalogs, please call 1-800-248-3737. Or visit our website at http://www.oattravel.com/pr.
About Overseas Adventure Travel
Since 2002, Overseas Adventure Travel has been rated among the top 15 tour operators and safari outfitters by the readers of Travel + Leisure. Along with its sister company (Grand Circle Travel), it is part of the Grand Circle Corporation -- the leader in international travel, adventure, and discovery for Americans age 50 and older. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., the corporation has more than 45 offices around the world and offers more than 100 extended stay vacations, escorted tours, river cruises, barge trips, ocean cruises, and adventure programs.
Grand Circle owns and operates a fleet of 50 ships, from 22-passenger canal barges to the 330-passenger M/S Paul Gauguin. Grand Circle's fleet was named to Condé Nast Traveler's 2006 Gold List of the world's top cruise lines, and was voted one of the top five small ship cruise lines in the magazine's 2005 Readers' Choice Awards survey. The Grand Circle Foundation has donated more than $30 million to humanitarian, cultural, and environmental organizations around the world since 1992.
Press Release Source: Grand Circle Travel
Dateline: October 2006