ExperiencePlus! has been organizing bicycle tours since 1972. Recently the company has expanded its portfolio with ExpeditionPlus tours that push the envelope. These are for hardcore cyclists looking for extreme explorations on two wheels. A new offering is a 24-day adventure through South Africa. The route covers more than 900 miles. Highlights will include Addo National Park, famous for its herds of elephants; the Karoo, home of the country’s largest ostrich farms; Cango Caves, limestone caverns that stretch for miles under the Swartberg Mountains; and the famous wineries and fruit farms of the the Eastern Cape. Cycling will be 40-70 miles a day. The trip is priced at $10,095 per person, double occupancy, which includes 23 nights’ lodging, use of a road or hybrid bike, many meals and guides. The trip departs March 1, 2017. Info: 800-685-4565, http://tinyurl.com/z2arj4b
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Traveling responsibly
The World Responsible Tourism Awards have been handed out since 2004 by Responsible Travel. “Our awards rest on a simple principle — that all types of tourism, from niche to mainstream, can and should be organized in a way that preserves, respects and benefits destinations and local people,” Responsible Travel says on its website. For 2016, there are two overall winners: India’s Lemon Tree Hotels and Tren Ecuador, which provides luxury rail service in Ecuador. Lemon Tree was cited for its employment practices, which offer jobs to those with disabilities or who are from deprived backgrounds. Though Tren Ecuador offers a luxury travel experience, it helps to reduce poverty by not insulating its customers from their surroundings. Outings by passengers have resulted in 5,000 jobs in remote communities along the tracks. You can check out Lemon Tree, Tren Ecuador and all of the Responsible Tourism winners at http://tinyurl.com/h6c7qrs.
Plenty of time
If time and money are no issue and you like planning your travel far in advance, you might want to take a look at a world cruise that’s new to MSC Cruises. It starts Jan. 5, 2019, in Genoa, Italy, and wraps up 119 days later in the same port. In between there will be visits to ports in the Caribbean, South America and Central America. Then there are stops along the U.S. West Coast before heading out into the Pacific to visit Hawaii and various ports in the South Pacific, such as French Polynesia and the Fiji Islands. New Zealand and Australia also are on the itinerary on the way to Asian destinations that include Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Next up is the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, before heading back to Genoa with port calls in Greece and other sites in Italy. Pricing for this marathon starts from $16,999 per person, double occupancy. Pricing on MSC cruises varies by cabin location and also the level of amenities desired. Info: 877-665-4655, http://tinyurl.com/goyehh2
Phil Marty is a freelance writer.
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![NEW YORK (AP) — A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot (13-meter) dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said. The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship’s bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration […]](https://www.courant.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2021/09/17/YNEADLAFKNBKPIRMBZSJEKNB5Q.jpg?w=535 "NEW YORK (AP) — A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot (13-meter) dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said. The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship’s bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration […]")