GO BEYOND MACHU PICHU WITH STEPPES TRAVEL AND HUGH THOMSON

LIMA, Peru (09/2013) Peru is a veritable treasure trove of archaeological sites, ancient temples, pyramids, and stunning vistas; Machu Pichu is just one of the gems in this South American crown. Discover some of Peru’s finest sites that are off the beaten path with The Traveller, part of the Steppes Travel Group and filmmaker Hugh Thomson on an exhilarating 14 day trip. 

The trip begins in picturesque Lima, where visitors will explore the town’s sights, including the Museo Larco which houses a stunning collection of pre-Columbian art and artifacts. The adventure continues in the Moche Valley, which is full of ancient edifices like the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna, built in 450 AD and Chan Chan, an adobe town built in 850 AD that is the largest pre-Columbian city in South America. While in the Moche Valley, travelers will visit towns like Trujillo, which is considered Peru’s cultural capital as it is the center marinera dance, boasts haute cuisine, and is the birthplace of many famous writers.

The region contains even more gems, like El Brujo; an archaeological site that dates from 1-600 AD and contains colonial remains and ancient monuments built by the Moche. Visitors can also see the temple of Huaca Cao Viejo that houses the incredibly preserved mummified remains of Lady of Cao.

The journey continues as the group tours Cajamarca, where the Incan emperor Ataheulpa was once held hostage.Upon leaving Cajamarca the group will drive along Rio Maranon Canyon to Kuelap, a massive fortified city in the cloud forest that’s regarded as Machu Pichu of the north.

The adventures ends the trip in Chicalayo, where highlights include the pre-Hispanic site of Tucume,  which boasts 26 major pyramids and mounds, and Ventarron, a 4,000 year old temple. Many believe this site offers the first evidence of civilization in northern Peru.

Renowned filmmaker Hugh Thomson will take the group through Peru. He spent more than two decades in Peru, which he chronicles in The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland. He has also led many expeditions throughout Peru, including the one that discovered Cota Coca, an Incan site.

The trip is from September 23-October 5, 2014 and costs $4,792.

For more information please contact www.the-traveller.com or call 1 855 2527606 (toll free).

JOURNEY TO THE GOLDEN EARTH: TOUR BURMA WITH STEPPES TRAVEL

YANGON, Burma (09 / 2013) There has never been a better time to go to Burma. The Steppes Travel group, The Traveller and author Rory Maclean will take travelers on a whirlwind tour of Burma and ensure they have a ‘unique experience.’

The 14 day trip begins in Yangon (Rangoon), the former Burmese capital. Yangon offers a multitude of sights, smells, and sounds; it’s a veritable buffet for the senses. The city boasts many wonderful sites like the National Museum and the old colonial center. These amazing days in Yangon are capped off with a sunset visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda. Imagine the dazzling sight of the setting sun catching the dazzling gold of the towering, glittering  2,500 year old gilded edifice.

After thoroughly enjoying all that Yangon has to offer, travelers fly to Bagan to explore many of its 13,000 stunning temples, including the Shwezigon, Ananda Temple, and Abeyanda Temples. Travelers can also take advantage of many fun excursions like ballooning over Bagan, visiting a lacquer making workshop, and a trip to Mount Popa, an ancient pilgrimage site.

Upon leaving Bagan, travelers will step back in time as they drift up Burma’s largest river, the Irrawaddy, to Mandalay. During this leisurely four day cruise, travelers can enjoy the myriad endemic species, like the Irrawaddy Dolphin, that call this river home. Rory will take you to visit a bygone era at places like Yandabo, a picturesque village famous in Burmese history as the place where the Treaty of Yandabo was signed in 1815, or the religiously significant Sagaing, a town known for its major monasteries and silversmiths.

The journey ends at Inle Lake. Another unique feature of the lake is the Intha fishermen’s unique one-legged rowing style.

Rory Maclean is a critically acclaimed travel writer. He is known for creating his own unique writing style that is best described as surrealist travelogues, through books like Golden Earth, Stalin’s Nose, Falling for Icarus, and The Oatmeal Ark.

The trip runs from March 13-27, 2014 and costs $6,384 including international flights and $4,792 excluding flights.

For more information please contact www.the-traveller.com or call 1 855 2527606 (toll free).