Just trekking to Mount Everest’s base camp is a major accomplishment. How about motorcycling to it? India-based Nomadic Knights offers Rode to Everest, a 14-day guided motorcycle tour that starts in Kathmandu, Nepal, crosses into Tibet and visits its many wonders, including the fabled city of Lhasa and its Pothala Palace, and eventually makes it to Everest Base Camp at 17,000 feet. The more than 1,200-mile trip is aboard 500cc Royal Enfield Bullets. There are departures in May (almost full) and September 2017. If you book by March 31 you can get 2015 prices: $4,980 for drivers or $4,480 for riders — a savings of $500. There’s no single supplement, with solo travelers being matched with other singles. Cost includes lodging, bike hire, fuel, breakfasts and dinners and logistical support. Info: www.nomadicknights.com
Oyster.com, which says its hotel reviews are based on visits by professional reviewers, has released its Editors’ Choice Awards for 2016. For those who want to rough it without really roughing it, Beyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp in Botswana was dubbed Best Glamping Retreat. The property’s nine “tents” include soaking tubs, four-poster beds and private pools. For traditionalists, The Plaza in New York City gets the nod for Most Iconic Historic Hotel. For nontraditionalists, there’s the Gamirasu Cave Hotel in Turkey’s Cappadocia, named as tops in — what else? — Best Cave Hotel. Check out all the award winners and runners-up at http://tinyurl.com/jtl4orp.
Many trips to Peru focus on a visit high in the Andes to the abandoned ruins of Machu Picchu. Access Trips has a tour that includes that obligatory stop, but the focus is on food. The Peru Culinary Tour is a nine-day/eight-night trip that starts in Lima and the city’s largest food market. Guests also take a ceviche class, visit a boutique coffee producer and tour the kitchen of one of the city’s top restaurants. In Cuzco the itinerary calls for more market visits, an outing to a farm and another cooking class. Then it’s on to Machu Picchu. This is a small-group experience, with no more than 12 guests. Dates are available from April to January. Prices start at $3,490 per person, double occupancy and include lodging, some meals, classes, guided sightseeing and more. Info: 650-492-4778, http://tinyurl.com/jodofqs
Phil Marty is a freelance reporter.
