2017 VAST Catalog - 21

On a roll in the
French Alps.

is for CYCLING

The tactician of active adventures, Backroads offers a range of impeccably organized
trips for everyone from families and beginners seeking a gentle pedal, all the way up to
iron-quadded mountain scalers. Trips span the world, with additional routes added frequently (new biking itineraries for 2017 include Bermuda, Maine, and Provence). Canada-based
Butterfield & Robinson also offers family cycling trips in adventurous locales such as Cambodia; custom and self-guided routes let travelers set their own pace, from Chile to China.

D
(PENGUIN) KOTOMITI/GETTY IMAGES, (DINNER TABLE) KNAPE/GETTY IMAGES, (BICYCLISTS) BLICKWINKEL/ALAMY
STOCK PHOTO, (MOAI) SILVRSHOOTR/GETTY IMAGES, (BATTLEFIELD TOUR) MAT MCLACHLAN/BATTLEFIELD
TOURS, (HELICOPTER) VICHIE81/GETTY IMAGES, (FAMILY) PAMELA JOE MCFARLANE/GETTY IMAGES

Somme
Battlefield.

is for
DOWN UNDER

Australia, mate: Surf the Gold Coast, sip Margaret
River wines, and fly over the Bungle Bungles. The Outback calls explorers inward, to the Aboriginal culture
of Alice Springs and Uluru, while pearls, opera, and
Asian night markets beckon from Sydney. In Darwin,
delve into Oceania's military past with Mat McLachlan
Battlefield Tours. The journalist and historian is the
leading expert in ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand
Army Corps) history and culture; in 2017 he leads sixday Darwin tours marking the 75th anniversary of the
year WWII reached Australia's shores.

One heli of an adventure on New
Zealand's Franz Josef Glacier.

is for
EASTER
ISLAND
On Rapa Nui,
aka Easter Island,
explora's LEED-certified hotel is built
in harmony with the
land and the Pacific.
The South American
specialist's 30-room
A monolithic
sanctuary impedes
moai statue.
on none of the
famous architectural remains; to
see them, guests adven- ture by foot and
bike, horseback and boat, with a maximum group size of eight.

is for
FAMILY

Tauck Bridges connects family members of all ages to 19 destinations from
Tanzania to Ireland, and provides familyonly river cruising in Europe that keeps
kids engaged while adults float to their
dream destinations. One of our favorite
places for a multigenerational adventure:
Vancouver, British Columbia. Adults are
already familiar with this culturally rich
city, and children will get a rise out of the
Capilano Suspension Bridge and revel at
Granville Island, North America's largest
free water park. For winter fun, the enormous Whistler Blackcomb ski resort is just
a couple hours' drive away.

is for
GLACIER
Arrive by helicopter to the brilliant snowy surface of New Zealand's Franz Josef Glacier
or boat beneath the country's Tasman Glacier in the shadow of Mount Cook. In a land
renowned for emerald hills, fluffy sheep, and a rich native culture, these ice giants of the
south are not to be missed. Oceania specialist Southern World can get you walking on
Fox Glacier, sailing in Auckland Harbour, or wine tasting on Waiheke Island.

THE 2017 COLLECTION

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2017 VAST Catalog