Art and Literature
“What is Art? It is the response of man’s creative soul to the call of the Real.”–Rabindranath Tagore
Art and Literature allows us to learn about other cultures through its people’s observations, beliefs and self- expression. It encompasses many genres such as painting, drama, music, poetry, photography and novels. By exploring the world of arts and literature you also discover mankind’s fascination with portraying life through various medias as diverse as life’s experience itself.
(Departure October) Japan is a land of continual contradictions; from sky-scraping cities to rustic rural villages, cutting edge technologies to timeless traditions, this is a country rich in cultural anomalies and fascinating contrasts. Visitors to this island nation will recognize the bright lights and bustle of east coast mega-cities, but will marvel at the age-old […]
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Departures May – October Did you know that by 7th century BC nomads had already started to form settlements in what we now know today as the Turkish Empire? That’s how old this country is which straddles Europe and Asia! Now you can discover the ancient Ottoman’s contributions and the culture which has evolved through […]
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Visit A Different Perspective for current photo tours led by Mani Lama Mani Lama shares his expertise on both Nepal’s diverse culture and photography on this escorted tour to Nepal. Even if you have visited before, these activities have been handcrafted so you become a part of Nepal. Meet Paubha painters & woodcarving artists. See […]
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Departures September, October, March & April The eastern most regions of India, Darjeeling and Sikkim are a photographer’s delight! Snow clad peaks of the Himalaya, Tea plantations rolling down foothills and a rich cultural blend of religions and beliefs. a destination escort guides you on an adventure of scenery, history, and tradition. Shoot these breathtaking […]
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Departure July & August Nature is mesmerizing during the August monsoon in Myanmar! The photography is amazing with rain, umbrellas, colorful clouds, sky, trees, clear air, farmers working in the fields, busy rivers and amazing reflections of life everywhere. Win Kyaw Zan takes you on a photo adventure unlike any other. It rains about 30 […]
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Visit A Different Perspective for current photo tours led by Son Nguyen This tour leads you to some of the most photogenic sites throughout Vietnam including northern hill tribes, ancient capitals and modern cities. You will start your journey in Hanoi with visits to Halong Bay and Sapa. Next you explore central Vietnam, Hue and […]
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Departure: September – May Following the footsteps of Arthur C. Clarke, this tour takes you “out of this world” on a one of a kind adventure in Sri Lanka. Clarke, co-writer of 2001: A Space Odyssey, called Sri Lanka “home” from 1956 until his death in 2008. The draw for him was scuba diving and […]
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Departure: December – April Northern Laos–mysterious and definitely the road less traveled. Rolling countryside and rice paddy fields are abundant as you drive through the hills stopping at remote villages. Weaving is the traditional art and women are seen everywhere making their colorful patterns. The Phongsaly province is a fresh place to explore. Meet the […]
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Departure: Upon request For all you ladies who want a getaway of culture, scenic beauty and relaxation the island of Sri Lanka has it all. Visit Colombo and Leslie’s house, the former home of Arthur C. Clarke. Explore the ancient towns of Anaradapura and Polonnaruwa to see ruins of former palaces and temples. Learn about […]
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Departure: Upon request This tour combines “authenticity” with “well-being” on the island of Bali. A real makeover and “youth therapy” awaits you to relax and most importantly to pamper yourself. In our modern society, everything can become an “emergency leading to stress and fatigue. It is important, even essential to slow down, to inhale calmly […]
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Departure: Upon request San Miguel de Allende has a reputation as a haven for artists. Since the 1950s, when Diego Rivera worked there, San Miguel de Allende has attracted painters, sculptors and printmakers. On the streets, it is not unusual to see someone sketching people on the street. Stroll beautiful streetscapes with narrow cobblestone lanes […]
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Departure Upon Request San Miguel de Allende has attracted painters, sculptors and print makers since the 1950s, when Diego Rivera worked there. Discover the art of this colorful town and learn about its exciting history. Visit local artisans and hear their insights and secrets into how they create their paintings and sculptures. Meet expatriates and […]
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Departures: Upon request Join award-winning National Geographic published travel photographer Jeff Cremer on a Peru photo adventure into its Amazon rainforest. Travel by boat to your lodge in the rainforest reserve. You will learn about the forest, its community as well as photography techniques used to get those exotic shots! Photography is done early morning, […]
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Departure January, upon request for groups 10 more Join Bob Holman on the road in India to discover the Beat poets’ path to satori, free poetry and life’s brim-fullest meaning. After meeting up at Columbia University in New York, many Beats migrated to San Francisco, finding a kind of group consciousness. From there, Allen Ginsberg […]
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Discover Tuscany with its rolling hills filled with olives trees and vineyards on a Harley Davidson motorcycle! Visit Italia’s most famous monuments and lovely cities. This motorcycle guided tour will allow you to visit the historical city of Florence, the medieval hill town of Montepulciano, Sienna and its famous Piazza del Campo, Pisa and its […]
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Before the French Riviera started attracting famous painters in the beginning of the 20th century and all the international “Jet Set” it was an area of sleepy fishing villages. On this bike tour, you’ll get the opportunity to get into the golden years of this region. Small roads, little villages, take you to where “small […]
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Departure on Friday (May 15-Aug 15 2016) On this magical journey to the exotic land of Russia, you see sites which are unlike any others in the world. Learn about Moscow’s colourful history and culture. Discover the Golden Ring, the ancient towns that preserve the memory of the most important and significant events in Russian […]
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Departures September to May Now you can be an insider in Vietnam learning about its art and textiles! This tour has been carefully designed to offer you Vietnam’s must see places as well as activities which immerse you into the arts through meeting locals with options for hands on workshops. Begin your travel in Ngoc […]
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Picture Myanmar gives you a chance to take photos of sunrises over pagodas, colonial architecture and street markets. Visit mountains and learn to use natural lighting to shoot outdoor landscapes. Photograph cottage industries and local artisans. Begin in Yangon ad continue onward tosee the unique Golden Rock Take pictures from a hot air balloon over Bagan […]
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In the movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, seven English seniors experience changes in their lives which result in their coincidental departure to be the first guests at the wonderful new Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a hotel “for the elderly and beautiful” located in Jaipur. On this tour you visit the cities and buildings used […]
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Bhutan’s weaving of beautiful textiles is one o its most important forms of art. Knowledge and skills have been passed down generations to generations. The weaving tools used are still handmade and the raw materials natural. On this journey, you have the rare opportunity to compare different aspects of Bhutanese textiles including the process of […]
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(Departure October – March) Grab this chance at learning embroidery the Gujarati way! Learn how the colorful handicrafts and textiles of Kutch express their rich cultural heritage. Join the Kala Raksha workshop for hands on experience. Visit artisans to see them living their art. Discover precious art in local textile museums and explore local villages. […]
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Departure September 15 – October 1, 2023 “Long ago, I realized that if I could only visit one country during the rest of my life it would be—India. It is many, many cultures—an amazing fusion of modern and ancient, of adventures and discoveries. I’ve been there more than 50 times, and each time is a […]
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Departures: May, July & September The Balkans is a land of such great diversity and textures that one gets the blown up by the colors, cultures, hospitality, food, landscape and above the ethnicities. We trace the scene of medieval Europe and the diverse nationalities originating from Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania. A visit […]
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Visit A Different Perspective for current photo tours led by Win Kyaw Zan Tribal Myanmar remains exotic and mysterious and to visit its remote regions you need a knowledgeable guide. Add a guide who knows the tribal culture in depth, travel and photography and you have a one of a kind tour. While the name […]
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Departures May, September, October No where else will you discover colorful handmade ceramics, woven Caftans made on traditional looms and Sultan’s leather slippers except by traveling the Silk Road in Turkey. Visit the Turkish Arts Museum and learn about Turkish nomadic life along with seeing the magnificent Topkapi Palace. Discover the elaborate silk costumes and […]
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Departure: Upon request Discover the vibrant and diverse world of costumes and traditions of North India learning about its textiles and symbolic designs. Now’s your chance to learn about their origin which can be traced as far back as the Indus valley civilization. Visit a craft museum and discover textile art from each state. See […]
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(The Ultimate Traveling Camp Expience in partnership with Cox & Kings)Departure: Upon request Like a dream captured in a snow globe, remote Ladakh is a wildly beautiful high desert valley set between the Kunlun Mountains and the Himalayas. On this journey you meet Ladakhi craftsmen and visit the medieval temples and Buddhist monasteries or gompas, […]
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Departure December Annually The Rann Utsav is called “heaven on earth” because the full moon casts its light over the desert creating a white milky color over all the desert landscape enhancing a “heavenly feeling”. Add visits to the numerous indigenous tribes throughout Gujarat and you have a tribal adventure. See cultural dance, hear folk […]
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Departures: May, June, September & October Turkey is a photographer’s dream–it is a country where Europe meets Asia! This trip has been designed for you photo buffs that want more of a less structured photo tour. There are ample opportunities to shoot. Discover the must see palaces and mosques, take a private cruise on the […]
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(Departure October & November ) Every moment in this itinerary has been precisely crafted through the personal experience of a Bhutanese photographer to create a unique experience in Bhutan for fellow photographers visiting this remote and magical land. Places you visit on this tour have been personally chosen keeping in mind the wants and needs […]
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(Departure September, October – annually) The Only Jazz Extravaganza in the Himalayas! Music and art allows us to learn about other cultures through its people’s observations, beliefs and self- expression. By exploring the world of music and art you also discover mankind’s fascination with portraying life through various medias as diverse as life’s experience itself. […]
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(Departures September & October) Italy is eternal. Rome, the capital of Italy, has for centuries been a political and religious center of Western civilization as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See but Italy’s history dates back much farther than that. Etruscan culture developed in Italy around 800 BC and […]
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We Do More Than Asia (Departure September – November & February – May) Step back in time to the Middle Ages and Renaissance period and explore the culture, history, art and architecture of 3 main cities in Italy. Rome’s antiquity can be seen in its Coliseum and Roman Forum. Vatican City tells about religious history […]
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(Departures September – March) The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when world travelers brought culture, art, religious beliefs and cuisine to the islands. Today, you too, can experience days gone by on this tour. Explore Buddhist monasteries with their many bas relief panels along with Hindu […]
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Enjoy having your home base in Rome and still see it all! When in Rome is for those of you who like the continuity of beginning your day and ending your day in the same spot. Rome is a central location from which you can see the sights of ancient history, art, castles, local markets […]
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We Do More Than Asia Django Reinhardt was a pioneering jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique called ‘hot’ jazz guitar that has since become traditional music within the Belgian gypsy culture. The Festival de Jazz Django Reinhardt is a yearly event and is seen amongst the Gypsy […]
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Family Italy is a trip specially designed for parents with children under 12 who want a vacation which is educational as well as memorable. Children will enjoy the boats rides in Venice and see religious sites such as San Marco. A visit to a glass blowing shop shows the artsy side of Venice. Explore the […]
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Laotians have a variety of regional and rural art forms which include basket weaving, silverwork, goldwork, silk weaving and paper making. Their life is greatly influenced by their religious belief system, Buddhism, and can be seen by their plentiful Wats or temples through out the country. Architecture has a French as well as Laotian influence […]
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Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist who travelled the world and developed a deep affection for India. He preferred travelling India by train. “In other countries a long wait at the train station is a dull thing and tedious, but one has no right to have that […]
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Rudyard Kipling is perhaps best well known for his tale of the Jungle Book, Kim and Gunga Din. Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865. His family, as did many wealthier families, spent summers in the hill station of Shimla to avoid the heat of the plains. He later went to England and the United […]
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(Departure November – April) Rabindranath Tagore was born to one of the leading families of Kolkata regarded as a key influence during the Bengal Renaissance. Rabindranath Tagore, the youngest son born in 1861, was the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize and was the most famous in the family. Rabindranath is best remembered in […]
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The textiles of India’s Golden Triangle reflect the rich heritage and diversity of tradition believed to originate in the Indus Valley civilization. Learn about this heritage by visiting silk factories in Varanasi, carpet weavers and marble cutters in Agra and puppet makers in Jaipur. Take a sunrise boat tour on the Ganges River. See Sarnath, […]
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Book Fairs held in Calcutta and Delhi each year are an unique experience for a lover of books. Calcutta’s annual book fair showcases the best of not just Indian publishers, but also booksellers, writers and bibliophiles from all corners of the globe. Visitors to the fair make their way in and out of the colorful stalls, […]
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Gertrude Stein’s fame derives from a private modern art gallery she assembled, from 1904 to 1913, with her brother Leo Stein in Paris. One of the most famous bohemian ex-patriots of her time, Gertrude was outré not only for her Salon where artisits and writers such as Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway and Pound would meet every […]
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France had its bohemians and America had its Beats. The original Beat Generation, or Beat writers, were a core group of close friends who met in a neighborhood near Columbia University in the mid 1940’s. A San Francisco migration extended their group consciousness. In 1962 Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky, two main figures in the […]
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(Held December/January annually) India’s literature festivals host some of the finest local and international writers and performers today and are considered important to the country not only to preserve this cultural heritage but to offer opportunities to young writers who aspire to be heard. You begin in Kolkata, exploring sites which have greatly influenced writers […]
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Day 1 – Paro/Thimphu Driving Distance: 65 Kms Driving Time: 1.5 to 2 Hours On your journey to Paro, the panoramic views of the Himalayas are sensational, including the Everest and other famous Himalayan Peaks. The approach through the Bhutanese foothills and the landing, including a few steep turns to land at the tiny airstrip […]
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Botswana, a landlocked country in southern Africa, is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world with up to 70% covered by the Kalahari Desert. In addition to its delta and desert areas, there are grasslands and savannas making Botswana’s vast open space perfect to see its diverse wildlife inhabitant. Traditionally game drives […]
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Not all of our tours are listed. Call us to discuss your travel plans 415-331-3791 We’re like you — curious when we hear about a culture or a place and crave to see it for ourselves. That’s what we do. We satisfy your curiosity through genuine cultural and environmental interactions. We arrange private and small […]
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Handcrafted Tour Designs Just For You!
