San Rafael, CA 10/18/2008 1:00:37 AM
News / Business

Top Ten Exotic Vacations 2009

Exotic All Inclusive Luxury Vacation Packages

Journey to the edge of civilization. These exotic luxury vacations are not measured by hotel star ratings but by the lack of footprints you will encounter along the way. These exclusive vacations are journeys that very few other travelers will ever make. Discover where the curiosity of fearless travelers is fulfilled and the final remaining mysteries of our planet are revealed.  Call 1-800-330-8820 to speak to a Virtuoso Travel Specialist about one of these exotic vacations or the exotic vacation of your dreams.

China, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan
22-day all-inclusive luxury package from $11,995

Travel along the ancient caravan roads through China and Central Asia on a journey back in time. Discover tribal markets, impressive fortresses and unspoiled landscapes rich with the history of civilization and trade, and enjoy distinctive opportunities for cultural interaction with the residents of these ancient lands.

Mongolia & the Gobi Desert
12-day all-inclusive luxury package from $6,495

Wild horses galloping across the steppes, Genghis Khan, caravans of camels trekking the Gobi Desert—the name “Mongolia” has always stirred visions of the wild. Even today, you feel like you have stepped into another century rather than another country. You’ll reside in a ger (felt tent), watch horse racing at a local festival, and hunt for dinosaur bones in the Gobi Desert. It is invigorating and thrilling place to visit, and remains one of the last untouched travel destinations in Asia.

Tibet & Nepal

17-day all-inclusive luxury package from $8,195

The soaring snow-capped Himalayas provide a blissful backdrop for your discovery of the people, wildlife and cultures of this ethereal land.  See enormous pandas in Chengdu, Tibet’s Buddhist temples and monastery and Nepal’s mysterious tigers. Come with us to find your own Shangri-La.

India & Nepal
19 - day all-inclusive luxury package from $11,995

D
rift down the sacred Ganges River, journey via rickshaw through the bazaars of Jaipur and rise at dawn to capture the magnificence of the Taj Mahal. Catch your breath as you flight-see past Mount Everest or follow tigers from atop an elephant. Surrender to the unbelievable sights of India and Nepal.

Papua New Guinea & the Sepik River

16-day all-inclusive luxury package from $7,995

Uncover the isolated heart of Papua New Guinea on a cruise down the Sepik River. Then journey to the Highlands where you’ll be greeted by welcoming tribal members and the calls of Birds of Paradise. Throughout Papua New Guinea, relish the mesmerizing cultures and traditional spiritual practices of this verdant South Pacific island.

Syria & Jordan
14-day all-inclusive luxury package from $6,995

Take note of the echoes of the long-ago in desert fortresses, Roman temples and cities lost to time. Throughout these legendary lands, delight in customary ways of life with sumptuous food and wine, aromatic flowers and the warm hospitality of the ancient desert.

Tunisia & Malta
15 -day all-inclusive luxury package from $8,295

Observe the sun rising, gilding the minarets of Tunis, while the remains of once-mighty Carthage slumber beneath desert skies. Then experience Malta’s walled city of Valletta and the island’s prehistoric temples and mausoleums, which tell unfathomable tales of elapsed civilizations.

Namibia
12-day all-inclusive luxury package from $8,395

Pink flamingos rising in unison, a sunrise picnic among the iridescent dunes and lavish safari camps that let you communicate with nature in comfort – Namibia is the land of dreams. You’ll take pleasure in exclusive opportunities for cultural interaction, soar high above the Skeleton Coast and track wildlife in well-preserved national parks.

Madagascar
15 -day all-inclusive luxury package from $11,995

Recognized for its iconic good-humored lemurs, Madagascar offers many more wonders. Ancient baobab trees, the southern spiny forest, mushroom rock formations, multicolored marketplaces and a mesmerizing indigenous culture. Like nowhere else in the world, Madagascar welcomes the contemporary explorer with open arms.

Brazil & Pantanal
14 -day all-inclusive luxury package from $7,695

Venture deep into the heart of the Amazon and explore the remarkable wetlands of the Pantanal, home to more than 600 species of birds, sinuous anacondas and the fabled jaguar. Then end your journey in Rio de Janeiro where samba rhythms will keep you dancing into the night.