TOURS & CRUISES

Tours and cruises in Tahoe, Hawaii, India and Spain

By Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
06:27 PM PDT, July 29, 2008

LAKE TAHOE

Eyes on the skies

Watch meteors streak across the sky on a family camp-out at 8,200 feet. Squaw Valley resort welcomes sky watchers on the night considered optimal for viewing the annual Perseid meteor shower. Campers take the cable car to High Camp, then start the evening with a sunset hike followed by campfire activities. At 10, meteor shower viewing begins -- although peak time is predicted for about 1:30 a.m., so bring toothpicks for your eyelids. In the morning, a continental breakfast will be served before drowsy guests depart.

Info: Squaw Valley USA, Olympic Valley, Calif.; (530) 452-4000, www.squaw.com/perseid-meteor -shower-overnight-campout.

Date: Aug. 11.

Price: $60 ages 16 and older, $40 15 and younger, includes assistance of on-site stargazing pros, use of viewing telescopes, the campsite and breakfast.

HAWAII

Spirits of Maui

Go to a Hawaiian Halloween party. On Maui, a cavalcade of revelers descends on Lahaina's Front Street. "Think 20,000 to 30,000 people all wearing costumes on the famous street that runs along the ocean," says Dave Mazor of Pacific Sports Tours. The package includes dinner and a party at the Hard Rock Cafe Maui as well as car rental.

Info: Pacific Sports Tours, Redondo Beach; (310) 798-1234, www.pacificsportstours.com. For details about Halloween in Lahaina, go to www.lahainahalloween.com.

Dates: Oct. 29 to Nov. 3.

Price: From $849 (six people in a two-bedroom condo) and $985 per person, double occupancy (single pricing starts at $1,529), includes round-trip airfare from L.A. to Maui, accommodations, compact-car rental and dinner and a Halloween party at the Hard Rock Cafe. Does not include gas or rental car insurance.

INDIA

Safari escapade

Hop on an elephant for a lumbering trip through Bandhavgarh National Park to spot wildlife and historic ruins. A 16-day trip to India sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. is an eyes-wide-open hunt for fur and glowing eyes. The trip is led by longtime naturalist and guide Dinesh Verna, who will offer insight on flora and fauna. Tigers, wild dogs, barking deer, jackals and a multitude of birds are found at Kanha National Park, where visitors will take 4x4 vehicles into the wild. A train takes them to Jhansi and Agra for landmarks including the Taj Mahal. Among other highlights: the 16th century city of Fatehpur Sikri and, in New Delhi, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial and Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque.

Info: Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., (323) 644-4792, www.lazoo.org/calendar /travel/index.html.

Dates: Nov. 2 to 18.

Itinerary: New Delhi, Nagpur, Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Khajuraho, Jhansi, Agra, Bharatpur and the Ranthambhore National Park

Price: $7,595 plus $200 tax per person, double occupancy (single supplement $2,595). Includes round-trip flights from L.A. to New Delhi, all land travel, accommodations, some meals, entry fees, hotel taxes and gratuities for baggage handling.

SPAIN

Behind the scenes

Attend the San Sebastián/ Donostia International Film Festival with film-industry insider Stephen Farber. A perk of this package: Farber, a film critic with Movieline and the Hollywood Reporter, arranges tête-à-têtes with filmmakers. The trip includes tickets to screenings and events and entrance to parties. When not schmoozing with film cognoscenti, tour-goers will visit Bilbao and the Guggenheim as well as Biarritz.

Info: Let's Travel, Santa Monica; (800) 458-7477, Ext. 58, www.letstravel-sm.com.

Dates: Sept. 19 to 26.

Price: $3,290 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $150), includes lodgings, some meals, tickets to screenings and events, day trips, meetings with filmmakers and post-screening discussions led by Farber. Does not include round-trip airfare to San Sebastián.

Where am I?

Amelia Earhart spent a lot of time at this airport in the 1930s.


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