Total Eclipse and Highlights of China

July 15—27, 2009

Come along on a trip to China with Harvey Webster, Director of the WIldlife Resource Center of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Clyde Simpson, Observatory Coordinator for an unparalleled experience exploring some of China’s most beautiful regions and highlights, including the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven in Bejing and the famed terra-cotta warriors and the Yangling Museum in Xian. Witness the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century in Anji in southern China, considered to be one of the best and longest viewing sites for this magnificent solar phenomenon! An optional Yangzi River cruise extension from Chongqing through the spectacular Three Gorges is available.

Pricing: $4,390, not including airfare

Rafting the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon

August 2 – 9, 2009

Join Nathan Taxel, Museum staff, and professional river guides on an eight-day trip--six days and five nights on the river and two nights at the scenic Red Cliff Lodge (the first and last). Meals commencing with dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 8 (excluding dinner on day 7) are included, as is all rafting and most camping gear. We’ll hike to the Dolls House in the Maze District, see ancient pictographs on a solstice calendar, Indian Creek's fascinating Native American ruins, Pyramid Butte, Goose Neck and Dead Horse Point and the legendary Big Drop rapids. Presentations and discussions will be held every evening about water issues in the West, as well as other environmental issues that affect the Colorado River. Difficulty: 3 (1-4 scale).

Pricing: $2,200, not including airfare

Kenyan Safari

August 29 – September 9, 2009

It’s the trip of a lifetime! Cleveland Zoo Director, Steve Taylor, and his wife, Sarah, will provide the finest Kenyan safari available in East Africa today. This time of year offers the possibility of viewing all kinds of game including lions, zebra, topi, leopard, hyena, hippo, cheetah, and elephants. Visit Amboseli, the closest park to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Travel to the Aberdare Mountains, Mt. Kenya and Maasai Mara on the Serengeti. View everything from volcanic landscapes to gently rolling grassland plains, to tundra. Climb through bamboo forests and picnic at a waterfall. Experience the great wildebeest migration! Only the finest lodges and permanent tented camps are used. Enjoy Africa at its best.

Pricing: $6,445, not including airfare

Peru – From the Amazon to the Andes

September 19 – 29, 2009

Join Geoff Hall, General Curator of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, on a truly unique adventure – that travels from the Amazon River up into the High Andes - with several days in the Sacred Valley. The exploration begins in the Refugio Amazonas on the Rio Tambopata, with a visit to the famous clay lick where macaws congregate in the hundreds. From the headwaters of the mighty Amazon River, travel up to Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Inca, to visit the stunning site of Machu Picchu - the climax of the trip.

Pricing: $5,600, not including airfare

Canadian Rockies by Rail

October 3-12, 2009

Experience It! Join Tara Turner, Director of External Relations for the Cleveland Zoological Society and leave the road behind to explore the spectacular Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer Train. Explore Vancouver and Victoria in British Columbia, then board the train and head east, past vast coastal forests, rushing rivers and the Monashee Mountains to the resort towns of Banff and Jasper. Luxuriate at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the elegant Chateau Lake Louise. Enjoy an amazing three-course dinner as a Wildlife Naturalist shares insight and knowledge about this remarkable region. Travel to lovely Bow Falls and the impressive Hoodoos, land of sleeping giants.

Pricing: $4,560 including airfare

Vietnam

April 6-16, 2010

Join Geoff Hall, General Curator of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, on a trip to Vietnam. This journey travels through the spectacular northern geographic highlights, observing the distinct regional cultures and lifestyles of each region, from the cultural and political capital, Hanoi, to exploration of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Halong Bay (by leisurely kayak). Visit the Cuc Phuong Turtle and Tortoise Conservation Center and meet with resident turtle researchers who have been financially supported by the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo/Cleveland Zoological Society for the past ten years. Along the way, personal encounters will provide deeper insight into the country and provide a comprehensive and intimate portrait of the country. After Vietnam, an optional exploration of the "Prize of Southeast Asia" — the magnificent Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat in neighboring Cambodia is available.

Pricing: $1,949

Belize – Rainforest, Reef and Ruins

April 17-25, 2010

Join Mary McMillan of the Cleveland Zoological Society on a 9-day journey to Belize, a small country which offers travelers of all ages a remarkable variety of experiences. Unlike many of Earth’s tropical regions, Belize still has large tracts of primary rainforest, preserving many rare and colorful species, including a thriving population of jaguar. We’ll see beautiful waterfalls, swim in cascading mountain rivers, and walk on trails through the rainforest. By canoe we’ll also see huge iguanas sunning themselves along green crystalline rivers and howler monkeys roaring in the high jungle canopy. Off Belize’s coast lies the longest unbroken living reef in the world, providing snorkelers and divers with wonderful chances to see some of the most beautiful coral and fish anywhere. But Belize is not only a fantastic wildlife destination. It is also home to magnificent palaces and temples left behind by the Maya more than 2,000 years ago. On our expedition we visit Tikal, a huge city of the ancient Maya world located deep in the rainforest, just across the border in neighboring Guatemala. Join us for a trip that will be educational, fun and unforgettable!

Pricing: $3,499, not including airfare

Borneo - Red Ape Encounter

Summer 2010

Join Cleveland Zoological Society Executive Director Liz Fowler on this extraordinary journey to one of the last best places for adventure – Borneo. Our itinerary will take us on a journey covering local cultures, a World Heritage Site, the base of the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, and a trip upon the Kinabatangan River, one of Borneo's longest and most majestic rivers. We end with a few days on Lankayan Island, where Sea turtles share the beach with us and the waters are teeming with tropical life. From our beginnings on Mount Kinabalu, we will travel across the north-eastern region of Malaysian Borneo to visit the Sepilok Orangutan Centre where these primates are rehabilitated for future release programs, and from there on to the village of Sukau, home of the Kinabantangan Orangutan and Elephant Conservation Programs. While in Sukau, we will travel with local staff to look for elephants and view oragutans, Proboscis monkeys, hornbills and many other wildlife species using the river as our highway.

Pricing: TBA

Detailed Itineraries

Please note: Prices and exact itineraries are subject to change. If you have any questions or would like a detailed itinerary, please call (216) 635.3329 or Travel@ClevelandZooSociety.org. Unless otherwise noted, prices are per person/double occupancy from Cleveland. Rates subject to change.