Dear Travelers,

In 2010 + 2011 we have created some of the most alluring itineraries with the idea of sacrificing nothing.  We are venturing to some new and wild destinations, and returning to some of our favorites, but always with a new twist.   We are making every visit, every meal, every experience that much more extraordinary and yet are able to do so more economically and in the relaxed comfort that you’ve come to know and expect; luxury and value become second nature.

In October 2010 we are back in Myanmar, an enigmatic place that has been isolated and ostracized by the international community and travelers alike, but so important to visit if only to support the kind, gentle, free-spirited people that are the backbone of this ancient and revered culture.  It remains unspoilt to this day, and the inquisitive and always friendly people welcome us with open arms and share their rich and sensual existence. There is truly no other place like it on earth.  Nothing compares to our itinerary which includes the final two days of the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival, the most important religious festival on Inle Lake and held with great magnificence and pageantry.

In January 2011 we are traveling back down to Southern India, a lush, green paradise of paddies, spice plantations and soothing backwaters.  This corner of India has the ability to keep you in continuous awe with the unbelievable UNESCO World Heritage Temples of Mahabalipuram, Srirangam, Brihadeeswarar, and the great Hindu pilgrimage temple of Meenakshi in Madurai.  Southern India food is beyond description and at every chance we heartily indulge in the regions’ specialties.  In Kerala we lounge in the cool backwaters and luxuriate at our fine hotels’ Ayurvedic spas.  As well this departure falls over the three-day festival known as Pongol, a lively, colorful and joyous celebration that gives thanks to the rains and sunshine that produce the first rice harvest.

In March 2011 we are traveling to evocative Ethiopia, a place steeped in religious, cultural and history.  Oasis’ extraordinary itinerary includes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lalibela, with its medieval and monolithic, rock-hewn cave churches, tunnels and crypts; the National Archaeological Museum which is home to "Lucy", a 3.2 million-year-old hominid; the amazing Blue Nile Falls; Lake Tana it’s island monasteries; Axum, the land of the Queen of Sheba; and Gondar, a once great crossroads of several major caravan routes.  We will visit with the living tribes that inhabit these historical lands and come away with a better understanding of this small, land-locked country.

In April 2011 we’re heading back to traverse the Great Silk Road in Uzbekistan with its legendary cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent and Khiva, its monuments waiting in silent splendor.  The country’s biggest attraction however are it people:  diverse, proud, inquisitive and above all genuine and welcoming.

Namibia is one of those Africa destinations that is pristine, untouched and will forever free your ‘mind, body and soul’.  Its a vast and rugged place, filled with desert dunescapes, dramatic coastlines and lush, verdant valleys, offering flora and game viewing unrivalled any place in the world.  This is an exclusive, luxurious journey that includes premier lodges and camps, incomparable access, amazing cuisine, sensational guides, and a privately chartered 10-seater Cessna Caravan airplane to chauffeur us around this awesome country.  Space is limited!

Finally we end the year in evocative Egypt, a culture that stretches back more than four thousand years.  The majestic ruins of temples and tombs, the fascination of bazaars and souks, and above all the genuine and hospitable welcome of the people of these lands never fail to leave an indelible and lasting impression.  We visit Cairo and Alexandria, then cruise along the Nile aboard the Sun Boat III to visit Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and all the great temples, tombs, and museums along the way.
If our fixed dates or destinations do not fit with your travel plans, we are pleased to customize private itineraries for you, your family, small groups, family reunions or special events. 

I look forward to traveling with you in the year ahead!

Sincerely,

Richard Koegl
Executive Director