Explore the hills of northern Vietnam and experience the culture of mountain people on two-week tours Dec. 10 and April 1. The tours begin in Hanoi, where guests will visit the Museum of Ethnology, the old craft quarter and several pagodas and temples, including the Tay Phuong Pagoda. The group will travel by car or jeep into the countryside between Hoa Binh and Son La, passing tea plantations and rice fields. Other destinations include Dien Bien Phu, the mountainous province of Lai Chau, Bac Ha and the township of Sapa, with visits to tribal markets and treks on foot to remote villages. The tour is led by English-speaking guides. Cost: $2,095 per person, double occupancy ($440 single surcharge), excluding air fare are. Hotels, ground transportation, boat ride, sightseeing, entrance fees, most meals, taxes and service charges are included. Air fare is extra. The tour is offered by Asian Pacific Adventures of Tarzana, Calif.
Details: (818) 881-2745 or www.asianpacificadventures.com .
The Brazilian Amazon
Navigate the Amazon River and historic Atlantic seaports of Brazil on a 15-day cruise departing Nov. 6 aboard the 122-passenger Clipper Adventurer. Ports of call include the centuries-old cities of Sco Luis, Fortaleza, Recife and Sco Salvador.
Naturalists will be available on board to identify the tropical plants, animals and birds along the route. Cost of the tour, offered by Clipper Cruise Lines of St. Louis, starts at $4,260 per person, double occupancy ($2,170 single surcharge), including all meals aboard ship, sightseeing, shore excursions and all transfers. Air fare to Belem, meals on shore and gratuities are not included.
Details: (800) 325-0010 or www.clippercruise.com .
Armchair traveler
If you're the type who packs a workout bag when you travel, pick up a copy of "The Athletic-Minded Traveler." Jim Kaese and Paul Huddle are triathletes, authors and sports professionals who got tired of checking into hotels that failed to make good on their advertised "full-workout facilities" or "lap pools."
The duo researched the best workout friendly hotels in the 50 cities, evaluating gym facilities, machines, treadmills pools and nearby running routes and health clubs in each city. If you're traveling on business to Atlanta, vacationing in Colorado or visiting relatives in Oregon, this can prove a reliable guide for those who want a place that takes fitness as seriously as you do.
The hotels are evaluated on the basis of the accommodations and amenities as well as the workout facilities, so travelers aren't sacrificing one for the other. Kaese and Huddle also include local running routes and list nearby health clubs that can provide the extra machines or pool that a particular hotel might lack.
Hotels are listed from expensive to moderately expensive to least expensive. Each entry lists the facilities of each by Cardio, (treadmills, etc.); Strength (weights), Swimming and Other. Over 500 hotels and health clubs are listed. So if you don't want a trip to interrupt your training or just want a way to minimize the stresses of travel, the best workout may start by hoisting a copy of "The Athletic-Minded Traveler." ( SoCal Publishing; $18.95; 435 pages; softcover)
