Trips and Adventures

Check out the previews to get a glimpse of the exciting trips coming up. Then log on to dbg.org/trips for more complete trip information and links to itineraries, or contact Steen Allard-Lawson at slawson@dbg.org to learn more about these exceptional destinations.

The Desert Botanical Garden is a member of The International Ecotourism Society, the world’s largest and oldest ecotourism organization, promoting responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Visit ecotourism.org.

The Garden has teamed with Arizona Outback Adventures for this amazing trip designed exclusively for Garden members. Through careful planning in collaboration with the Garden and using highly experienced, knowledgeable guides, AOA is dedicated to providing an optimal member experience. AOA trips integrate a host of educational components and unique experiences, interdisciplinary sciences, and premium guest care and comfort, regardless of location.

Birding at Rancho Esmeralda
Explore diverse habitats on this 20,000 acre, solar-powered, ecotourism ranch that is home to more than 130 species of birds. Each day with our expert guides will be a memorable adventure with time to do some birding from the patio or sitting poolside. The beautiful, rustic lodge is laid out in traditional Mexican ranch style of curtain-divided dormitory rooms with double beds. The pool and Jacuzzi are perfect for lounging and watching zillions of stars at night. The trip includes round trip transportation from the Garden, three nights’ accommodations at the elegantly rustic Rancho Esmeralda Lodge (completely reserved for our group), all activities, excellent meals, expert guides and maximum fun.

To register for this tour, contact Debra Tranberg at info@naturetreks.net or call 781-789-8127 for a registration packet.

Friday - Monday / April 2-5, 2010
$1,049 per person

Click here for more on the Rancho Esmeralda trip.

Grand Canyon and Havasupai Adventure
When the first European explorers came to the edge of the Grand Canyon they had no idea what they were witnessing. The visual vocabulary for a gorge a mile deep, six miles wide and 287 miles long was simply not available; the distances were deceptive, the scale unimaginable. On this adventure, you will descend into one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, the heart of the Grand Canyon at Havasu Canyon.
Featuring:
• Exploration of Havasu Canyon
• The remote village of Supai
• Incredible wildlife, plants and ecology of this remarkable natural wonder

For additional information and registration, please contact AOA at info@aoa-adventures.com or 480-945-2881.

Thursday-Monday / April 29-May 3, 2010 (Roundtrip from Desert Botanical Garden) / $1,448 per person (double occupancy) / $1,523 per person (single occupancy)

New Mexico Arts and Culture
Discover Santa Fe through its art and culture. This tour features the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden and Foundry outside Santa Fe, the Pojoaque Pueblo and Poeh Center, and several culinary delights. After flying into Albuquerque, we will have a private tour of the Albuquerque Museum’s historic Casa San Ysidro with curator of history Deb Slaney. We will then head to Santa Fe and get settled at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa, followed by dinner at the Santa Fe Cooking School. Also planned is a visit to the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden and Foundry, where we will have a catered lunch with family members. A private reception at the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum will follow that evening. On the third day, we will tour the Georgia O’Keefe Museum with curator Carolyn Kastner and then have time for lunch and shopping in the Old Town area. In the afternoon we will travel to the Tower Gallery at Poeh Center on the Pueblo of Pojoaque to meet with Native American sculptor Roxanne Swentzell. Before returning to Santa Fe, we will have a farewell dinner at Rancho de Chimayó. After breakfast on our last day, we will visit the Rio Grande Botanical Garden in Albuquerque for a special art and garden design tour with the executive director and staff. We will have lunch before heading to the airport for your return flight home.

Click here for more information on the trip to Santa Fe.

To register for this tour contact Mike Hagerman at Synergy Tours, 602-276-9008.

Monday - Thursday / May 3 - May 6, 2010
$1,495 per person (Double occupancy), $1,895 per person (Single occupancy)

Tour South African Gardens and More
October 3-18, 2010
Prepare for an experience of a lifetime to a destination unlike any other. South Africa is world-renowned as one of the finest countries to visit for garden and nature enthusiasts. This is the only African country that has been able to make botanical gardens a priority. The gardens are well maintained and magnificent and feature some of the most interesting and fascinating plant life on the continent. This specially designed tour for Garden members provides a behind-the-scenes look at many of these gardens, with specially arranged meetings with the directors and curators who have made them their life’s work. In addition to these magnificent gardens are the fascinating and deeply stirring history of the country’s political challenges, amazing cities, quaint villages and towns, delicious wine and food, and incredible southern coast. Last but certainly not least, is the commanding African wildlife.

Holbrook Travel Mission - Holbrook Travel was founded on the mission of establishing a true connection between its travelers, the natural world and the people of destinations traveled. Through careful attention to the needs of travelers, Holbrook combines experienced, reliable travel support with a deep knowledge and network within its destinations to create experiences that last a lifetime.

Philosophy – On every trip you can expect to experience new realities - learning about the true nature of things and acquiring new perspectives on life. Holbrook invites you to leave your comfort zone. Enjoy the gifts of being placed in the middle of different cultures and in areas of incredible natural beauty. Let us introduce you to people whose lives are in some ways vastly different than yours and in other ways very similar. Let us show you incredible natural and cultural wonders that will leave you with abiding memories. At Holbrook Travel we all have the same goal: to help all of our travelers experience incredible journeys.

Click here to view itinerary

Price: $7,839 (Double Occupancy) / $1,798 (Single Supplement)
Price includes: Accommodations as listed, including taxes and service fees, meals as indicated, private transportation, specialist guide services, activities as indicated, internal flights from Johannesburg to Skukusa to Johannesburg, and a $250 contribution to Desert Botanical Garden. Not included: Personal expenditures, gratuities to drivers and guides, international airfare, flight from George to Johannesburg, optional activities, and departure taxes.