Dear Travelers,

The world is moving and shaking in ways one never imagined. It's an exciting but reflective time, and change is everywhere. In 2012 we are venturing to some new destinations, and revamping our portfolio of absolute favorites.

In February 2012 we are journeying back to the very best of NORTHERN & SOUTHERN INDIA, a place that beckons the sensual traveler, keen on authentic experience and driven by the ancient culture that is the very pulse of the country. In the north we visit sacred Varanasi, Agra and the Taj Mahal, the Rajasthani capital of Jaipur and incomparable Delhi. The lush, green, gentle life of the southern states is revealed in all its glory with visits to the unbelievable UNESCO World Heritage Temples of Mahabalipuram, Srirangam, Brihadeeswarar, and the great Hindu pilgrimage temple of Meenakshi in Madurai. We cross the Western Ghats with its sprawling spice and tea plantations to Kerala, where we lounge in the cool backwaters around Kumarakom and Cochin. We end in bustling Mumbai and realize no other journey packs a punch like this Oasis favorite.

With the news that Santiago has been nominated as the number one destination for 2011 by The New York Times, we decided it was high time we returned to SOUTH AMERICA. In March 2012 we are exploring cosmopolitan Santiago, Chile, the surrounding wine country and coastal Valparaiso, before heading up to the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world with an unbelievable moon-like landscape. Off to Easter Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its startling beauty, mysterious carved 'moai' and spectacular flora and fauna. Back to the continent for a thorough visit of Peru, starting in Lima, and moving slowly through Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and all the way up to the pre-Columbian Inca site of Machu Picchu aboard the Hiram Bingham train. Diverse and unbelievably sensual.

For sheer beauty and ancient history, few places on earth can match TURKEY where successive waves of Hittites, Lycians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and others built and razed fabulous empires. In October 2012 we will explore Istanbul, the surreal rock formations and early Christian paintings of Cappadocia in Central Anatolia, Konya, the Turquoise Coast ending in Ephesus and Pergamum. No words can describe the diversity of landscapes and varied culture that are the complex mosaic of this fascinating country.

In November 2012 we return to MYANMAR, an enigmatic place that has to be visited sooner than later. It is the kind, gentle, free-spirited people that are the backbone of this ancient and revered culture. It remains unspoilt to this day. Our journey starts in the capital of Yangon, and moves north to Bagan, home of over 1,100 ancient temples. A 2 day cruise on the Ayeyarwady River takes us to enigmatic Mandalay, before ending the journey at Inle Lake.

Finally we end the year in a 'new' and evocative EGYPT, a culture that stretches back more than four thousand years. We visit a brand new Cairo and Alexandria, then cruise 7 days down 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 would be thrilled to customize private itineraries anywhere in the world. Give us a call and let us know where you'd like to journey . . .

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

Peace!

Sincerely,

Richard Koegl
Executive Director