TOURS & CRUISES

BRAZIL

A rich blend of cultures

EXPLORE the mistura fina -- exquisite mixture -- of cultures found on the northeastern coast of Brazil on an 11-night cruise and tour sponsored by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

The tour, which begins Feb. 28, includes nine nights aboard the 297-foot Corinthian II, traveling to colonial cities and ecological preserves between Salvador and Belem. Ports of call include Recife, Olinda, Natal and Fortaleza.

“This cruise blends the natural wonders and festive cultures of Brazil,” said Shelley Reston, the museum’s special programs director.

The itinerary includes two nature preserves and some of Brazil’s best-preserved colonial cities, Reston said.

Writer Calvin Trillin will join the cruise, along with American Geographical Society lecturer Brian Godfrey and botanist Donald Pfister.

Cost: $6,995 to $13,895 per person, double occupancy ($2,695 single surcharge), including hotel and ship accommodations, meals, some beverages, educational program, receptions, transfers, port dues, embarkation taxes and gratuities. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included. Extensions to the Amazon or Rio de Janeiro are available.

Contact: The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara; (805) 884-6436, www.sbmuseart.org.

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KENYA

Are you game for a safari?

TAKE a walk on the wild side on a 13-night safari.

The tour, with departures Dec. 3, Jan. 21 and Feb. 11, travels to national parks and game reserves. Participants stay in luxury tent camps.

Stops include Masai Mara National Park, Samburu National Reserve and Amboseli National Park.

Cost: $7,085 per person, double occupancy ($1,095 single surcharge), including accommodations, meals, air and ground transportation, guided safaris, sightseeing and airport transfers. International airfare is not included.

Contact: Joan Irvine Travel, Newport Beach; (949) 548-3481.

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SOUTHWEST

Canyon and desert by rail

RIDE the rails to the Grand Canyon in grand style on vintage rail cars of the American Orient Express.

The train will depart Jan. 22 from L.A. and arrive at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona the following morning.

Group members will spend the day touring the South Rim; that evening, they will travel through the Painted Desert to Albuquerque. A bus will take them to Santa Fe, N.M., to tour galleries and artists’ studios.

Cost: $1,695 per person, double occupancy ($500 single surcharge), including Pullman accommodations, meals, daily tours and nightly entertainment. Return transportation from Albuquerque to Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: American Orient Express, Portland, Ore.; (800) 320-4206, www.americanorientexpress.com.

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IRELAND

Blarney, with

a beer chaser

TROLL the pubs of Dublin with a designated driver on a six-night winter tour.

The tour, which gets underway Jan. 20, begins with a sightseeing trip through the city, including stops at the Old Jameson Distillery in Smithfield Village, the Guinness Storehouse, Abbey Tavern and Kitty O’Shea’s pub. The group will travel to the Rock of Cashel ruins on the way to County Cork, tour the Kinsale Brewing Co. in Kinsale and visit Blarney Castle.

Participants also visit County Kerry and ferry across the River Shannon to view the Cliffs of Moher.

Cost: $1,550 per person, double occupancy ($400 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, some meals, tastings, ground transportation and admissions.

Contact: Great Western Tours, Pasadena; (626) 578-1161 or (800) 344-7090.

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MONTANA & WYOMING

Where the

wild things are

WANDER with wolves and wildlife on a winter trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

The weeklong trips, which depart weekly from Dec. 24 through Feb. 25, scout the terrain between Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Bozeman, Mont., searching for wildlife such as elk, bighorn sheep, bald eagles and wolves.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have had 100% sightings of wolves on our trips,” said Emily Supernavage of Natural Habitat Adventures.

Participants visit Mammoth Hot Springs, Upper Geyser Basin and Lamar Valley in Yellowstone and other locations.

Cost: $3,495 per person, double occupancy ($395 single surcharge), including six nights’ hotel accommodations, meals, ground transportation, expedition leaders, boots and parkas during the trip, fees and one airport transfer. Transportation to Bozeman or Jackson Hole is not included.

Contact: Natural Habitat Adventures, Boulder, Colo.; (800) 543-8917, www.nathab.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or send e-mail to travel@latimes.com.