HOW TO STAY FIT IN THE AFRICAN BUSH: SABI SABI'S GYM WITH A VIEW

SABI SANDS, SOUTH AFRICA (10/13) – Animals are everywhere in the African bush, making exercise a formidable task. Staying in shape just got a whole lot easier for everyone at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve with the opening of Earth Lodge’s Gym – our vote for bestgym with a view.

Keep your adrenaline flowing after a game drive as you hop on a training bike and pretend you’re out back in the bush. In response to guest interest, Sabi Sabi built an intimate glass-fronted gym where you can hope to see animals pass in front of you as your burn off those calories. Though it can hold a few people at a time, it is equipped with a state of the art rowing machine, treadmills, a training bike, mats, weights and exercise balls. Not to mention the one thing that will make the time fly by: the view. 

Sweat towels and bottles of ice cold water are provided; while back at your suite, there’s a private plunge pool and outdoor shower to make you feel clean and refreshed.Earth Lodge’s unique design and philosophy of being totally at one with Nature lends itself to a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the gym, highly trained therapists take a holistic approach to treatments in the Amani Spa, and the chefs use the freshest seasonal and local ingredients.

Rates for Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge start at $1,023* per person sharing, depending on the season, and include game drives, environmental awareness walking safaris, all meals, a house selection of beverages and transfers to the Sabi Sabi airstrip. For reservations, contact res@sabisabi.com, email warren@warrengreenandassociates.com, or call (804) 767-8770. For more information, visit www.sabisabi.com.

*Based on the exchange rate between USD and South African Rand on 10/07/13.

TRAVEL BEYOND THE ORDINARY WITH STEPPES: CRUISING THE MEKONG RIVER

MEKONG, Viet Nam (10/13) – Exhilarating!   That’s what you’ll hear when someone describes a Steppes Travel Group cruise on the Mekong River.  It offers the richest and most varied tapestry of life of any waterway worldwide.  A panoply of busy and colorful markets, floating, remote villages, and ancient cities, the Mekong is a cultural conduit that links the diverse cultures of six countries. Hearty souls can cruise the length of the 2,703 miles from Viet Nam to China. But the heart of the river is in Vietnam and Cambodia, where Steppes arranges custom-designed cruises to your specifications.

Itineraries include the lush, densely populated Mekong Delta and the extraordinary Khmer ruins of Angkor.  Experience daily land-based guided excursions to observe traditional river life.  Visit a Cham village where the people are among the Muslim minority in Vietnam. View the mosque and vendors selling vegetables from their wheeled stalls. Visit Phnom Penh and its Royal Palace and spectacular Silver Pagoda. Tour Chong Koh, a silk weaving village. Cruise past houses built on stilts in the fishing villages with their boats tied below. See stunning bird life and beautiful temples along the river banks. Throughout, the scenery is spectacular and colorful.

The ships which Steppes Travel Group use are the Mekong Pandow ships.  They are relatively small, specially designed for the Mekong, and have a “no groups” policy.  Each cabin has a balcony. The easiest way to explore the rural charms of Cambodia and Vietnam is to cruise the Mekong in the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere of these comfortable ships with excellent staff and wonderful regional food. Land-based excursions are available.  There are regular departures of the ships from Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) to Siem Reap and from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh.

Rates start at $2,552 per person, depending on the season. They include transfers at the beginning and end of trip, seven night/eight day cruise with accommodation and meals, guided shore excursions, local drinks, entrance fees and guide services.

For more information, visit www.steppestravelgroup.com or call 1-855-352-7606.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive at Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

Day 2 – Ho Chi Minh

Day 3 – Ho Chi Minh

Day 4 – Cai Be/Chau Doc

Day 5 – Chau Doc/Border Crossing

Day 6 – Phnom Penh

Day 7 – Phnom Penh/Kampong Cham

Day 8 – Kampong Cham

Day 9 – Tonie River

Day 10 – Tonie Sap/Siem Reap/Disembark

Day 11 -- Siem Reap/ Bangkok

STEPPES DISCOVERY TAKES ADVENTURERS INTO THE WILDS OF LADAKH, INDIA IN QUEST OF THE ELUSIVE, ENDANGERED SNOW LEOPARD

NEW YORK, NY (10/13) Steppes Discovery, trailblazers in conservation and wildlife tourism, offers IN SEARCH OF THE SNOW LEOPARD, a two-week small group tour (maximum: 8 people) to seek out the rare, well-camouflaged big cat, one of the planet’s most beautiful creatures, one of its most elusive and one of its most endangered. The tour, which won a Responsible Travel Award, takes place in Ladakh, a region of far north India, bounded by two of the world’s greatest mountain ranges, the Himalaya and the Karakoram.

Tours are led by experts from the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, the wildlife charity which this trip supports. These are the same trackers used by the BBC, National Geographic and other wildlife film-makers.

“We pride ourselves on the characters that we work with,” says Steppes Managing Director Justin Wateridge. “Yes, they are guides; yes, they have expertise, but we work with them for their passionate and charismatic personalities that ensure an exceptional, lasting impression.”

Rates for the scheduled two-week tour (November 19 – December 2, 2013) start at $3664 (USD) per person excluding international flights. Rates for the November 8 – November 21, 2014 tour start at $3,970 (USD) per person excluding international flights. All include a donation to the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust. Private group tours can also be arranged.

If ever there was a soul-enhancing experience for seasoned travelers, it’s catching sight of the magnificent Snow Leopard, a creature so rarely seen it’s known as the “ghost of the Himalayas.” But on Steppes Discovery tour the odds of a sighting are in the traveler’s favor:  Not just one, but two Snow Leopards were seen on Steppes’ most recent tour.  Not surprising since the experts behind this pioneering tour company were among the first to access the area, and boast a proven track record of sightings over the past 14 years.  Wildlife lovers may also encounter blue sheep (bharal), ibex, wolves, wild yaks, brown bears, golden eagles, bearded vultures and Himalayan Griffons.

Travelers will explore Hemis National Park in a high-altitude area famous for Snow Leopard research, photography and filming. They will visit picturesque Buddhist villages and monasteries during winter festival, when communities celebrate with traditional costumes, music and masked dancers. They will meet the region’s hardy mountain people and learn about the Buddhism they practice by spending time in traditional homesteads and experiencing first-hand the warmth and hospitality of the people who call this wilderness home.

For more information or a detailed itinerary,contact:

enquiry@steppesdiscovery.com Or visit: www.steppesdiscovery.com