Our representative in Egypt reports that American travelers are returning to fully restored services in Egypt’s tourist areas. All archaeological sites have reopened and Nile boats, hotels and ground services have resumed full operation. The first travelers to return are reporting extremely hospitable welcomes with higher than normal levels of service. Most boats and hotels are operating as previously, though with relatively fewer tourists. No facilities suffered any damage during the government overthrow. The U.S. State Department downgraded its travel warning to Egypt this week, urging U.S. citizens to consider the risks rather than avoid all nonessential travel. Most employees of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo have returned, the State Department reported, and the embassy is resuming normal operations.  The Department of State indicated that popular tourism destinations in the country, such as Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea resorts, are calm. If you are prepared to visit Egypt on short notice to take advantage of an extraordinarily joyous and uncrowded experience, call for suggestions.  If you are considering re-instating a postponed or long-anticipated trip now is the time to make your reservations.

It was wonderful to be back in Myanmar. This was my fourth visit to Burma so I had some sense of what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by what we found upon arrival in Yangon.  There is a new airport with efficient immigration and customs. Changing money was easy. Everyone was predictably courteous. Nothing about this government encounter seems evil or authoritarian.  Surely, the Burmese are among the friendliest people in Asia.

We made a quick visit to the markets and monuments of Yangon and everyone in our group of five was especially impressed by the great golden Buddhist  pagoda of Shwedagon which was especially impressive at sunset. Our primary destination was the northernmost tip of Myanmar accessible by a long, two-stop flight via Mandalay .  The ATR-72 turboprop aircraft of Air Bagan was smooth and comfortable.  The farther north we flew the more extensive the forest became.    There are only about four flights per week to Putao and the good weather season is from October to April. Road access is possible in the dry season but the roads are rough and tortuous. The lack of traffic and modern buildings gave Putao a friendly village feeling.The Putao Trekking House where we stayed for three nights was an especially comfortable and hospitable base. Built according to local architectural style, but from beautiful local hardwoods, it offfers a rich, yet simple ambiance.

Our main objective was a trek to Ziyadam, the last village at the end of a trail that leads to the base of the Burmese Himalayas. Although we had to cross numerous streams on improvised stone and stick bridges, this was the dry season and there was no real  problem.,  One day required a 3,000 foot climb over Mt. Shangaung, but it felt like a privilege to hike through beautiful sub-tropical primary forest that separated friendly villages.  Our group of five Westerners encountered no other foreigners on the trail, but lots of interesting local travelers like the fellow at right.

This is a trip we plan to offer again next January  as the Trails of Himalayan Burma. I have created a Photo Gallery of the trip, and a visit to the Ngapali Beach area of coastal Myanmar. If you might be interested in this trip give us a call.

I visited Point Mouillee from about 6-11 am Thursday, August 6 and recorded thefollowing list of 77 Read the rest of this entry »

The Royal Government of Bhutan collects a minimum daily cost from every tourist as a condition of obtaining a visa and confirmed air reservations.  This has made Bhutan one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit. But, it has been a long time since prices were raised and as of January 1, 2009, all peak and non-peak season prices will increase $50 per person per day. 

Most people who have been to Bhutan still feel the experience is still an exceptional, best-in -a-lifetime experience of natural beauty, cultural splendor and Buddhist serenity. 

Journeys will maintain our current prices through the end of 2008.  There are still possibilities for visiting this year, but some air reservations during the busy festival season in September and October are nearly sold out. For more information about travel to Bhutan:  http://www.journeys.travel/destinations/asia/bhutan/

If you time your trip correctly you can visit Bhutan during the perfect October interval for good weather, great mountain views and a chance to see three or four of the spectacular Tsechus or annual Buddhist Temple festivals. Unfortunately, the limited air space into Bhutan during this period is now almost sold out. If you are interested in, for example, the JOURNEYS Bhutan Temple Festivals trip, call us very soon 1-800-255-8735.

The next solar eclipse on 1 August 2008, draws a long Path of Totality from northern Canada, across the polar region and down across eastern Russia, western Mongolia and central China. The Path of Totality terminates near X’ian, Chiina.

I plan to join a group observing the eclipse near Hami in west central China. Another JOURNEYS group will view the eclipse near Hovd in western Mongolia. These two sites were chosen for their position within the region of total eclipse and in locations likely to have clear skies. Both are quite difficult to reach. With the Beijing Olympics beginning a few days after the eclipse, it has been a real challenge to obtain reservations and transportation in China. The Chinese authorities dogged by pro-Tibetan protesters, emergency response to the Chengdu earthquake and general concerns about environmental and cultural appearances have made it quite difficult to make confident travel plans. We have had to submit a list of all hotels our group will utilize during the eclipse trip with validated hotel reservation stamps for each traveler before we can even obtain visas. Having witnessed a total eclipse before, the tedious preparations are still worth the potential experience. We still have a few spaces remaining for the Mongolia Solar Eclipse trip. Some air reservations are still available. The Next eclipse is in July 2009 and southern China is again a prime viewing area.

Welcome to my first blog featuring themes of world travel, traveler contributions to environmental conservation, appreciation of nature and the politics of planetary preservation.