When you think of Nepal, you generally think of Mount Everest and trekking the Himalayas, not jungles and wildlife. But the latter are the focus of a new trip in Peregrine Adventures’ Limited Edition series. National Parks of Nepal is a 13-day/12-night journey that explores Shuklaphanta, Royal Bardia and Chitwan national parks. The journey begins March 26, 2017, in Kathmandu, where there’s a tour of the city and an optional flight ($203) over Everest. From there, it’s on to the national parks, where you’ll spend three nights each. Park visits will include walks, as well as game drives by safari vehicle. Among the wildlife that may be sighted are elephants, the endangered one-horned rhino, Bengal tigers, leopards and monkeys. On a dugout canoe excursion on the Rapti River in Chitwan there might be a chance to see mugger crocodiles and hippos. The trip is priced from $3,430 per person, double occupancy, which includes lodging, tours, breakfasts and an internal flight. International air is extra. Info: 855-832-4859, http://tinyurl.com/jtdkyw9
Growing tourism market
“Weed tourism” is a burgeoning niche travel market, thanks to the legalization of recreational marijuana in states such as Colorado and Washington. “About 95 percent of our customers are people over the age of 55 who have not tried weed since the 1960s or ’70s,” said Andrew Dolese, founder of Telluride Green Tours in the Colorado ski town. Green Tours is one of many tour companies that have popped up to guide prospective and retrospective potheads looking to see where the grass is greener, according to Oyster.com. Durango Artisanal Tours, also in Colorado, offers tours of dispensaries and has a new concierge service that can hook you up with cannabis-friendly B&Bs and other lodgings. After all, buying the stuff is legal, but puffing in public isn’t. Kush Tourism in Seattle has expanded its more traditional tour offerings with a 3.5-hour-long Kush Tour, priced at $150, that visits a growing operation and retail stores. For those who’d like to grow their own, there’s also a $49.95 Garden Tour to hone your skills. Read all about it at http://tinyurl.com/hk5xksy.
Book your next trip
If you’re one of those people who still remember some of your childhood heroes as they appeared in your favorite books, you might want to visit places that were integral to those stories. For instance, the “Little House on the Prairie” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder chronicled her family’s homesteading adventures in a variety of Midwest spots, including when they lived in rural Wisconsin near Pepin. That was what “Little House in the Big Woods” was based on. Atlas Obscura has a story and map that pinpoint myriad towns tied to children’s books. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/hmbxrc2.
Phil Marty is a freelance writer.
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