Added Perspective: 11 Unique Optional Trip Extensions

The Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan cautiously controls tourism to preserve its culture and protect its legacy as one of the world’s ten biodiversity hotspots. Here is a opportunity to experience a deeply spiritual world of elaborate temple-fortresses, ancient customs, and mind-boggling scenery—including a visit to the famed Tiger’s Nest Monastery, situated near the heavens atop a 3,000-foot cliff.

Venture to Easter Island to discover one of mankind’s greatest enigmas: the collection of giant moai statues scattered across Rapa Nui (Easter Island). In a once-in-a-lifetime sojourn to this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll visit rustic moai which lay untouched where they fell and others which have been restored to their upright glory.

Begin your Crossroads of the Adriatic adventure in Albania, one of the last undiscovered pockets of Europe, where progress is balanced against a storied past. We’ll discover Tirana, which shook off its Communist-era style in the early 1990s to emerge as Albania’s colorful and vibrant beating heart. We’ll also explore Shkoder, one of this region’s oldest cities, featuring a majestic hilltop castle and grand cathedral.

Situated about 150 miles off the coast of Australia—yet a world apart—Tasmania is a remote destination that is not offered by many American travel companies. Journey from the island state’s waterfront capital of Hobart, where you’ll uncover remnants of the "First Peoples," colonial, and maritime pasts, to the glacier-carved peaks and serene lakes of Cradle Mountain National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the epic landscapes, unique wildlife, and cultural treasures of Tasmania, one of the world’s last unspoiled travel destinations.

Immerse yourself in the sweep of time in Bolivia, from the historic streets of La Paz to the legendary shores of Lake Titicaca. Discover the descendants of the ancient Aymara people, get to know villagers who weave their boats from totora reeds, and behold Bolivia’s oldest treasures when you visit pre-Inca ruins that have endured for millennia.

Once known as the "Spice Islands," the Zanzibar archipelago sits 25 miles off the Tanzanian coast. We’ll explore its unique heritage in Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and on an excursion to a spice plantation. We’ll also encounter everyday life in this autonomous region of Tanzania, when we take a hands-on lesson from local musicians, and immerse ourselves in the island's kaleidoscope of cultures and unique wildlife, including at a netted tropical butterfly farm.

Begin your journey in Malaysia's vibrant capital of Kuala Lumpur, whose modern skyline is punctuated by the striking Petronas Towers. Then, continue on to the historic, coastal city of Malacca, where you'll uncover its Dutch colonial history and embark on a cruise along the Malacca River.

Discover exotic Borneo, traveling by riverboat to an Indonesian national park that is home to orangutans—a primate closely related to humans. Here we also have chances to observe many other kinds of wildlife, and to meet the charming people of this tropical island.

Journey to Kazakhstan, a Turkic state nestled in the heart of Central Asia’s rugged mountain ranges. Witness nomadic tribes and untouched alpine lakes, explore the post-Soviet city of Almaty, and discover a coalescence of cultures thriving in a series of European- and Asian-inspired villages and towns.

Once known as the "Pearl of the British Empire in East Africa," Uganda is now widely considered one of the most beautiful countries on the continent. Join us and tour the dynamic Ugandan city of Entebbe, enjoy a sunset boat cruise on Lake Victoria, take a bush walk in search of endangered white rhinos, go on a bird-viewing canoe safari ride, and witness the splendor of Murchison Falls, where the Nile River explodes through a narrow gorge to create the most powerful rush of water in the world.

Discover the wonders of Namibia—a place unlike anywhere else on Earth. Visit the Skeleton Coast, a treacherous seacoast where countless shipwrecks have washed up along mist-shrouded shores ... witness the haunting beauty and otherworldly landscapes of the Namib Desert, home to the highest sand dunes in the world ... visit a colonial town where African women dress in Victorian-era hoop skirts ... and more.