Museums and Natural Wonders of Scotland

May 7-19, 2008

Join Bruce Latimer, Executive Director of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Jim Edmonson, Chief Curator of the Dittrick Museum of CWRU on this custom-designed 12 day tour uncovering the natural history, medical heritage, and culture of Scotland. We’ll spend three days in Glasgow, which will include a privileged behind the scenes tour of the Hunterian Museum, a tour of Stirling Castle set high on an extinct volcano overlooking the battlefields on which William Wallace and Robert the Bruce fought for Scottish independence, and a private dinner in the historic surroundings of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. We will then head to the rugged northern regions of Inverness past Loch Ness and the ancient Cairngorm Mountains. Our tour of the Royal Scottish Zoological Society’s Wildlife Park will be led by the Director. Then we’ll enter and experience the Great Caledonian Forest’s primeval woodland habitat. On to the western coast’s Isle of Skye where the unique geology and local fauna are in contrast to the verdant lowlands near Oban. We finish the tour in the lively university town of Edinburgh where a special walking tour of Edinburgh’s “Medical Triangle” has been devised for us.

Pricing: $4,195 not including airfare

Deluxe Tanzania Safari

June 15-26, 2008 SOLD OUT

Join Zoo Director, Steve Taylor and his wife Sarah, on this truly amazing wholly Tanzanian safari. Hoopoe Safari’s Jim Heck will take us to the best of the best in northern Tanzania. We will begin in a lovely lodge on Mt. Meru and then travel to exclusive private tented accommodations in a 60,000–acre private reserve at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Then we will proceed to Lake Manyara via Arusha ending with two nights in the world famous Crater Lodge, sometimes fondly referred to as “Masaai Versailles.” From there we will travel to the Serengeti with a stop at the Olduvai Gorge. The safari ends with a very special three days in a private luxury camp in northern Serengeti where we could witness the unbelievable Serengeti migration of nearly 2 million zebra, wildebeest and other animals traveling north to the Mara in Kenya. It is truly one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth. This is a great safari for both those who have been before as well as those traveling to Africa for their first time.

Pricing: $7,300, Land only

Borneo: Red Ape Encounter

July 12-25, 2008 (1 space left!)

Join Cleveland Zoological Society Executive Director Liz Fowler on this extraordinary journey to one of the last best places for adventure – Borneo. Well known as the Land Below the Wind and also Land of the Sacred Mountain, Sabah on the island of Borneo, is a land of varied landscapes and natural wonders. Borneo is also the home of many National Parks and an abundance of tropical widllife and nature. 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. The river and its surrounding rainforest wetlands make up one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. From our beginnings on Mount Kinabalu, to the heart of Borneo's Danum Valley, we will travel across the north-eastern region of Malysian Borneo. Our trip will offer us an opportunity 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 widllife species using the river as our highway. We will end our Borneo adventure among the canopy walkways of the Danum Valley.

Pricing: $5,999, including airfare

Birds of Venezuela

August 15-25, 2008

Join Dr. Andy Jones, Curator of Ornithology at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Stan Searles, Curator of Ornithology at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for this trip of a lifetime. Few destinations on earth are as geographically and culturally diverse as Venezuela. Lying at the northern end of the Andes and adjacent to the Caribbean, this country is home to habitats ranging from tropical lowland rainforests to grassy meadows above treeline. We will be based in the town of Merida which affords quick access to all elevations of the country. The focus of this trip will be on the birds of the Andean region. This is an ideal introduction to the Neotropical birds for beginning birders as well as rare access to a less-visited country for experienced birders who have visited other Neotropical countries; the Merida region is home to several bird species found nowhere else in the world.

Pricing: $3,200, not including airfare

Australia

October 7-19, 2008

Join Zoo Director, Steve Taylor to explore the land ‘down under’ and fall in love with the exhilarating beauty of Australia, from unique rainforests and majestic mountains, to Aboriginal heritage and interesting wildlife. Let the vibrancy of Sydney refuel you. Visit the Taronga Park Zoo, home to Tasmanian devils, koalas, kangaroos and Sydney’s only platypus exhibit. Discover the Barossa Valley where some of Australia’s best wine will tantalize your tastebuds. Visit Phillip Island where each night at sunset, the world’s smallest penguins waddle ashore from the sea. Savor tranquil evenings in charming lodges, where the only sound comes from calling birds and restless gliders. An optional pre-tour extension is available to Queensland where you will experience the exhilarating beauty of Daintree, the oldest living rainforest in the world, and the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest living organism.

Pricing: $4,995, not including international airfare. Optional pre-extention to Queensland: $1,695

Wildlife Exploration of Churchill, Manitoba: A search for the great Polar bear

October 25-31, 2008

Join Tara Turner, Director of External Relations for the Cleveland Zoological Society on this trip to the home of the polar bear. Your wildlife adventure begins in Winnipeg. Then it’s on to Churchill to continue your Arctic Adventure. Full-day rides aboard tundra buggies allow perfect searching, viewing and picture taking of the beautiful animals of the region including lemming, Arctic fox, caribou, and of course, polar bear. Churchill is also a birder’s paradise as it is home to nearly 150 different species including tundra swan, horned Grebe, owls, plover, and Arctic Loon. There will be an opportunity to view the amazing Northern Lights as our tour heads out into the night to view the Aurora Borealis up close and personal. The trip also includes a visit with a Canadian Eskimo dog pack and a helicopter ride (for an additional cost). The adventure ends with a bid farewell to Churchill and a return flight to Winnipeg, then on to Cleveland the next morning.

Pricing: $4,595, including roundtrip airfare from Winnipeg to Churchill

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.