EXCURSIONES EN TIERRA

OVERVIEW

See the very best of Manhattan on this full-day tour that hits all the highlights and leaves free time to explore Grand Central Station and the surrounding area, where you might enjoy lunch on your own. You will start in midtown at Rockefeller Plaza, where you will be treated to a spectacular view of the city from the 70-story-high Top of the Rock Observatory. Make a stop and get off the bus to explore the 9/11 Memorial, which consists of two pools set within the original footprints of the Twin Towers. Free time for shopping and lunch around Grand Central Terminal follows. Then, you will pass one New York icon after another including Central Park, boutique lined Fifth Avenue, Times Square and the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village and SoHo. Macy’s, one of the world’s largest department stores, is also on the list.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See New York’s most famous attractions while driving in comfort.
• Pause for photos at the most significant landmarks, such as the 9/11 Memorial.
• Marvel at the cityscape from atop the 70-story Top of the Rock Observatory.
• Enjoy free time for shopping and lunch on your own around Grand Central Terminal.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Discover the island paradise of Bora Bora during this scenic orientation tour via Le Truck, a casual, open-air vehicle resembling a windowless bus. Let your guide share with you the daily life of the people of Bora Bora.

Drive through the district of Fa'anui. Along the way, you will pass by small villages and fields that offer a glimpse into the everyday life of the people of Bora Bora. Witness how the popular pareo is made, learn about tupa crabs, taste locally grown fruits and see relics left behind by the U.S. military during WWII.

Admire the ever-changing colors of Bora Bora’s world-famous lagoon, and discover tropical flowers and trees among the dense green vegetation on the mountainside. Central Mount Otemanu rock, standing at more than 2,400 feet high, dominates the island and overlooks the turquoise lagoon and her crown of coral islands. Your drive around the island will allow you to enjoy the view of this impressive mountain. Driving by the East Coast you’ll pass some of the famous resorts before reaching Matira point, with the prettiest sand beach of the main island.

Where else in the world can you tour the launch areas of a working space flight facility, have the opportunity to meet a real astronaut and stand inches away from the largest rocket ever built? Only at Kennedy Space Center! Located just minutes from Port Canaveral on Florida's Space Coast, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at one of mankind's most fascinating and remarkable achievements - the space program where history was, and still is, made every day. On your tour into KSC, you'll have the chance to see the Apollo/Saturn V Center which offers an inspirational and exhilarating look into mankind's quest for the moon.

There's a lot of activities offered at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, including reliving the historic launch of Apollo 8 at the Firing Room Theater; also, being able to marvel at a monstrous 363-foot Saturn V moon rocket. Pick and choose wisely since you won’t have time to see everything. Your options include seeing an IMAX® movie, the interactive Astronaut Encounter program or the Shuttle Launch Experience. Finally, your chance to be an astronaut!

Drive through the city of Oslo passing the Akershus Fortress, the Opera House and the Royal Palace, on your way to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Centrally placed in the park is a 55-foot-high monolith featuring 121 stone figures of men, women, and children in their struggle for life. There are more than 200 sculptures, all symbolizing the different stages in the life of mankind. Your guide will explain the different sculptures and monuments. Your scenic drive takes you to the Bygdoy Peninsula for a visit to the Open-Air Folk Museum. Here, you can get a glimpse of traditional Norwegian culture and history. Among the 150 wooden buildings constituting the museum, is one of Norway’s unique Stave churches, dating back to around the year 1200. You’ll also visit the Kon Tiki Museum, housing a range of boats and artifacts from Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions. See the original balsawood raft, Kon Tiki, used to cross the Pacific Ocean in 1947. The museum also contains the reed boat RA II and an exciting collection of archaeological finds from Peru, Polynesia and Easter Island.

Drive through the capital of St. George’s, passing Government House, St. Paul’s and on to the parish of St. David’s, where plantations of cocoa and spices can be seen. At Marquis, the brightly painted fishing boats dot the beaches and the local people weave the pandanus grasses into crafts. Your next stop is L'Esterre Estate. From L'Esterre Estate, you’ll proceed to the National Park Nature Center at Grand Etang. Grand Etang languishes at 1,900 feet in the crater of an extinct volcano. Descend on a fern-fringed road to Annandale, where a short and steep walk brings you to a green paradise of rushing water and hanging ferns.

Delight in the medieval character of Taormina while strolling its atmospheric streets and admiring landmarks such the Greek theater from the 2nd century. After departing from the pier, you will have a short panoramic tour of Messina. Continuing along the coast to the south, you will approach Taormina, an ancient city that rises almost perpendicularly from the sea. It’s a beautiful setting with an alluring medieval character, as you will discover while navigating its narrow, cobbled streets. As French author Guy de Maupassant wrote of his stay in 1883, “Were a man to pass a single day in Sicily and ask, ‘What must one see?’ I would answer him without hesitation, Taormina.” Among the highlights are the Arabian-influenced Palazzo Corvaja and the ruins of a 2nd-century Greek theater. It sits on a seaside hilltop with a view of Mount Etna that is so inspiring that it can detract from the entertainers that still perform there in the summer. After visiting, you will enjoy free time to wander about the areas that interest you the most. You might take in the views from the fragrant public garden or shop along boutique-lined Corso Umberto. The most popular merchandise includes designer fashions, jewelry and colorful ceramic pine cones, a Sicilian symbol of hospitality.

Discover Moorea's visual splendor, art and local Polynesian lifestyle during this scenic orientation drive around the island.

Enjoy a scenic and relaxing drive around Moorea. The distance around this idyllic island is approximately 38 miles and offers many spectacular sites and photo opportunities. Pass the sacred temples (Marae) and get an insight on Polynesian culture.

Down the East Coast reach Ia ora View Point for a unique view on the island of Tahiti only located about 10 nautical miles from Moorea, from there the view on the clear blue lagoon of Temae Beach is breathtaking. Driving down to the West Coast you’ll reach the Tiki Village for a short walk through the property, and free time. During your free time, you might browse the small boutique or discover the island's artistic beauty at an art gallery. Here, you will have an opportunity to see a replica of Gauguin's Maison du Jouir and view a large selection of the most beautiful reproductions of his artwork. You could also visit a black-and-white picture gallery showcasing the works of famous photographer A. Sylvain. Located by the ocean, the village is home to a lovely white-sand beach that offers wonderful photo opportunities.

After departing from the pier in a catamaran, you will soon be sailing across the heart of Boka Bay. The surrounding landscape is so wild and the cliffs so precipitous that the bay is often referred to as the southernmost fjord in Europe. It’s that stunningly beautiful.

In time, the ancient village of Perast will come into view. Like Kotor, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with extraordinary Venetian-style architecture and abundant Catholic churches. One of the most beautiful churches is Our Lady of the Rocks, which sits on a tiny island in the bay. As you circumnavigate the island, you can expect to hear the legend of how it was formed—supposedly by sailors who dropped rocks in the same spot every time they sailed by in honor of the image of the Virgin Mary being seen there.

Then it’s on to the exclusive Movida Beach Club, where you might stroll along the sea, take a refreshing swim in the typically calm waters and relax in a lounge chair under the shade of an umbrella. The scenery is just as impressive as the beach, and you will have plenty of time to soak it in before boarding a coach and driving back to the pier.

Meet your guide for the day and board your comfortable air-conditioned bus and prepare yourself to experience Aruba at its finest. Enjoy your narrated tour while driving through charming Oranjestad with its Dutch Colonial architecture. Your first stop will be the Aloe Factory for a brief overview of the Aloe plantation and a tour of the Aloe Museum.

Then drive through the countryside and discover Aruba’s flora and fauna in route to the Casibari Rock formation – huge diorite boulders found in the center of the island. Board your bus and continue on to the mysterious California Lighthouse for a short stop to enjoy a breathtaking view of the island. A quick stop at the beach for a dip in the spectacular turquoise ocean concludes your tour, before returning to the cruise terminal.

Step back in time at the Beamish Open Air Museum, where dozens of original buildings from different time periods have been re-constructed to create a historical town.

Drive inland for approximately one hour to the Beamish Museum, a collection of historical buildings that have been re-assembled in the countryside to create an open-air museum. Beamish reflects two significant points in history: when the region was rural in the 1820s, and when it was thriving at the peak of the Industrial Revolution in the early 1900s.

Upon arriving, you will board a double-decker tram and travel down the main street taking in the fascinating sights. All of the buildings in Beamish are original, brought in from elsewhere, and then re-constructed brick by brick. To add even more atmosphere and authenticity, the townspeople wear period costumes and are employed in different professions of the time.

Spread over 300 acres, an Edwardian town and colliery have been re-created with farms, railways, tramways, a co-op shop, a pub, a printers and a chapel. It is a living museum of the years around 1913 showing the impact of industry on people’s lives and is one of the North East’s most popular and fascinating attractions.

During your free time here, you might visit the stables, the Motor & Cycle Works, and the Sweet Shop, where various confections are still made according to the original recipes. There is a bank with its safes wisely located in the cellar, and a dentist’s office, where you can browse the rather gruesome surgical equipment used to extract teeth. The railway station is another point of interest because it looks just like it did in Edwardian times, right down to the authentic signal box.

Enjoy the highlights of the Danish capital with leisure time to take in the activity of your choice. Stop for photos at The Little Mermaid, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. An outside visit of the Amalienborg Palace – winter residence of the Royal Family is another opportunity for more memorable pictures of your visit to the city. From the square in front of the palace you can enjoy the view just across the harbor to the beautiful Royal Danish Opera house. Your drive takes you past some of the major highlights of the city including the colorful harbor district of Nyhavn, Christiansborg Palace home to the Danish Parliament and the National Museum. You'll also drive by the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek an art museum and Tivoli Gardens, both founded by the owner of the Carlsberg Brewery, Carl Jacobsen. Enjoy time at leisure to explore more of the city on your own, do some shopping or simply relax and people watch.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy an immersive excursion into the historic spa region of Rotorua, where breathtaking geothermal activity and traditional Maori culture are among the chief draws. From the Tauranga pier, a scenic 90-minute spin inland past sprawling kiwifruit orchards leads to internationally renowned Te Puia and the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. Foremost among the sights you’ll encounter as you explore on foot here is Pohutu Geyser, a showy display of nature’s raw force as it erupts with steam and superheated water, sometimes as high as 100 feet. You’ll also see pools of boiling mud, silica terraces and hissing fissures – and visit Te Puia’s Arts & Crafts Institute where young Maori apprentices are taught the ancient art of carving and weaving by masters of these crafts. Entering the sacred marae, you’ll be presented with a Maori performance including the famous “haka” war dance, before making your way into the Wharekai dining hall for a hangi-inspired lunch, cooked in the traditional Maori method using hot rocks in an earthen oven. During your time at Te Puia, be sure to keep an eye out for the native kiwi bird. Handsome, furry and flightless, it’s been New Zealand’s national symbol since the First World War.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel across the NZ countryside by coach to visit a natural and cultural icon just outside Rotorua.
• Explore a steaming world of geothermal wonders at Te Puia, home to the famous Pohutu Geyser and more bubbling mud pools and hissing vents than you can count.
• See the traditional skills of the Maori culture being handed down from masters to their young apprentices at Te Puia’s Maori Arts & Crafts Institute.
• Enter the sacred marae for an exciting performance by Maori dancers, then relax over a savory lunch cooked in “hangi” earth oven style.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear lightweight, comfortable clothing.
• Flat, closed-toe walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.