TOURS & CRUISES
Tours and cruises: Laughlin, Bhutan and Portugal
LAUGHLIN, NEV.
Hang with the gals
Reconnect with your favorite pals during the activity-packed Girlfriends Getaway.
Itinerary: A variety of events at different casinos fills the weekend, including a welcome reception, gaming classes, dance lessons, yoga, cocktails by the
Dates: Feb. 7 and 8
Price: Free, including all events and seminars, but not including a hotel stay.
Info: Laughlin Visitors Bureau; (800) 452-8445, www.visitlaughlin.com.
VARIOUS DESTINATIONS
Chase away layoff blues
Recoup your sense of self with Intrepid Travel's "Laid Off, Take Off" deal: If you can prove you've been laid off recently, you get 15% off any of the company's small-group tours, which are available in more than 100 countries. We recommend the 14-day "
Itinerary: International itineraries vary; "California Dreamin' " starts in L.A., then heads to Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Havasu, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Lee Vining, Yosemite National Park,
Dates: Departs on selected Sundays from March 15 to Oct. 11.
Price: The "California Dreamin' " trip starts at $1,279 per person, plus a $70 "trip kitty" fee, including some meals, private-van transport, two nights in hotels and 11 nights of camping. Mention promotional code 2653 when booking.
Info: Intrepid Travel, Boulder, Colo.; (800) 970-7299, www.intrepidtravel.com /laidofftakeoff.
BHUTAN
So happy together
Find out what "gross national happiness" means by spending time in Bhutan, where that concept is a formal measure of national development. Myths and Mountains' cross-country "Across Bhutan" tour takes you through it all.
Itinerary: Paro to Thimphu, Punakha, Wangdi, Jakar, Mongar, Trashigang, Samdrup Jongkhar, plus Guwahati, India.
Dates: March 24 to April 5 and Nov. 16 to 28. Custom dates are also available.
Prices: Starting at $4,995 per person, including travel insurance, all meals, overnight stays with local families or in small hotels, overland transportation, tour-guide services, monastery visits, artisan demonstrations, admission to museums and the Gom Kora Festival (in spring) or the Mongar Tsechu Festival (in fall).
Info: Myths and Mountains, Incline Village, Nev.; (800) 670-6984, www.mythsandmountains.com.
PORTUGAL
Azores adventure
Make the Azores your next island destination. Awaiting you is a seven-day airfare-hotel package that highlights the best of the region at an excellent price.
Dates: Through June 15.
Prices: $709 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $320; weekend surcharge $120), including round-trip airfare, six nights at São Miguel's Hotel Ponta Delgada with breakfasts. Price excludes taxes.
Info: Azores Express and SATA International, Fall River, Mass.; (800) 762-9995, www.sata.pt/acores/en/home.
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