Recent AGS Tours
[January through June]
AGS Publications
Last Updated:
November 24, 2006
The AGS Travel Program
THE 2006 SEASON [July through December]
brochure for the individual AGS Education Tour.2006 TOUR SCHEDULE
BEYOND TIMBUKTU: NORTH AFRICA BY PRIVATE JET
November 24 - December 15, 2006 (22 days)
Travel with ease by 44-guest private jet across North Africa to remote and exotic destinations in eight countries:
Morocco, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Libya, and Tunisia. Explore expansive landscapes, famous rivers
such as the Niger and the Nile, desert rock formations and rock art, and remote oases. Experience the diverse art,
architecture, geography, music, and traditions of remote desert cultures and ancient African kingdoms; walk through exquisitely
designed painted earthen villages in Burkina Faso; fly low over patterned desert landscapes; see pristine ruins of ancient Greek
colonies and Roman cities; and visit fossilized dinosaur sites. Fly with ease during the day on our regional jet, and stay in the
best hotels at each location.
Lecturer: David Keeling, Professor and Head of the Department of Geography and Geology at Western Kentucky University.
ATLANTIC VOYAGE: FROM THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR TO PATAGONIA
November 20 - December 22, 2006 (33 days)
Join the American Geographical Society for an epic voyage from the southern tip of Europe, along the northwestern coast of Africa,
to the southern tip of South America, traversing over 7,200 nautical miles, 70 degrees of latitude and seven nations. Enjoy an old fashioned
Grand Voyage, with languorous, relaxing days at sea that provide time for lectures and conversation, and to stretch out and enjoy a good book,
in addition to memorable sites and exotic ports of call. Travel aboard a small ship, where friendships can grow, service is excellent, and the
elements of elegance and comfort are always upheld. Our first ports of call are enchanting, Marrakech and Tenerife. There we will meet traditional
Berber villagers and experience life at the edge of the Sahara Desert, before visiting the rarely visited Cape Verde Islands, with its remarkable
fusion of Portuguese and West African traditions. We then make our Atlantic crossing to discover the fantastic, festive, multicultural marvel that
is Brazil’s northeastern coast where Dutch, Portuguese, Native American and West African influences blended together in a wonderful assemblage of
old town squares, pastel mansions, and musical street life. Our time in Brazil ends with two days in the "Cidade Maravilhosa" itself, Rio de Janeiro.
Finally, following two days in intriguing Uruguay, we encounter the blustery, remote British territories of the Falkland Islands, where a fantastic
assortment of seabird life can be found, from steamer ducks to rockhopper penguins.
Lecturer: Chris Drake, University Professor of Geography at Old Dominion University.
LOST CITIES OF LIBYA, TUNISIA, AND ALGERIA
November 9 - November 21, 2006 (13 days)
Experience the ancient cities of Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria while traveling in luxury and convenience. Our itinerary lets us discover the ancient and
modern coast of North Africa, presenting a complete portrait of this lost world poised between the desert and the sea. We visit the recently restored
Roman Villa Sileen, with its incredible floor mosaics; Sabratha, its Mausoleum of Bes still soaring in the sky; Hippo Regius, where St. Augustine served
as bishop; Tipasa’s ornate Villa of Frescoes; and the remnants of Phoenician Carthage. In addition we will explore historic mosques and medinas of Tripoli,
exotic Tunis, and cosmopolitan Algiers. Our autumn voyage along the southern Mediterranean coast should encounter temperatures of around 70 degrees
Fahrenheit, and cruising to these ancient sites—all easily accessible from the shore—is a rare and most pleasurable opportunity. Our ship, the all-suite
Corinthian II, accommodates a maximum of 114 guests in 57 suites, each affording captivating views of the passing land- and seascapes.
Lecturer: Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography at UCLA. Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel. His latest bestseller is Collapse: How
Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.
LOST CITIES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
October 15 - October 28, 2006 (14 days)
Understanding the geography of the Mediterranean gives us fascinating insights to the diverse cultural heritage that spans millennia and incredible
civilizations. Their legacies—which we will encounter on this incredible voyage—are the spectacular archaeological remains of the Lost Cities of the
Mediterranean that once flourished along these shores in opulent splendor. As we sail aboard the elegant, 40-cabin Le Levant, we piece together
the historic panorama of invaders and settlers, conquerors and colonizers, and traders and empire builders who wrote their stories along the shores of
Crete, Sicily, Tunisia, Libya, and Malta. In the temperate climate of mid-autumn, we explore at least ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites, drop anchor in
legendary ports, and experience a diversity of terrains, from the rugged deserts of Tunisia to the gardens of Malta.
AGS Lecturer: Dorothy Drummond, retired Adjunct Assistant Professor of Geography at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and Indiana State University.
CURRENTS OF CULTURE: GREAT RIVERS OF AFRICA, ASIA, AND EUROPE
October 26 - November 17, 2006 (22 days)
Some of history's greatest civilizations were built on the shores of
waterways, which shaped the identity of the people living along their banks.
Traveling via private jet, touch down to visit ten great rivers and lakes
that have nurtured fascinating cultures, wildlife, plants, and natural
wonders since the dawn of humanity. Discover Mali's beautiful mud-brick
mosques, lively markets, and medieval alleyways that thrive along the Niger
in Mopti and Djenne, and explore the legendary Saharan outpost of Timbuktu.
Experience the many charms of Uganda, one of Africa's greenest and most
biologically-diverse places. Cross Lake Victoria - the world's second
largest freshwater lake - to see chimpanzees, hippos, monitor lizards, and
more than 120 bird species on the Ngamba Island Sanctuary. On the west coast
of India lies Cochin, a city perched on the Arabian Sea and spread across
several islands. Explore its ancient merchant district and Dutch-inspired
fort, and cruise along the lively backwaters to watch local fisherman using
Chinese nets to collect the day's catch. Immerse yourself in the wonders of
ancient Burma, in Rangoon's glittering pagodas and magnificent medieval
temples that line the Irrawaddy River in Pagan. From Da Nang, journey
through the ancient Kingdom of Champa to Hue, Vietnam's cultural and
religious center on the Perfume River, and the once-vital seaport of Hoi An.
The beautiful limestone peaks and fantastic caverns of Guilin have inspired
artists and poets for centuries. At dusk, observe fishermen floating on
lantern-lit bamboo rafts on the Li Jiang River, with trained cormorants that
dive and bring up the catch. Enter Varanasi, India's center of Hindu faith
on the banks of the sacred Ganges, where pilgrims have traveled for
millennia to purify themselves in the river's holy waters. In Egypt, explore
the temples of Lake Nassar, and enjoy a three-day cruise on the Nile from
Aswan to Abu Simbel. Enjoy the special privileges, comfort, safety, and
convenience of private jet travel, which enables us to bypass busy airports,
avoid layovers, and arrive refreshed and ready to explore.
AGS Lecturer: Alec Murphy, Professor of Geography and Rippey Chair in Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon at Eugene.
VOYAGE INTO THE CLASSICAL WORLD: Landmark Sites of the Aegean
September 27 - October 9, 2006 (13 days)
We are delighted to invite you to join us aboard the five-star Corinthian II, one of the most luxurious small ships in the
Mediterranean, for a wonderful journey into the heart of the ancient world. Beginning in Thessaloniki, we will touch upon the ancient
Macedonia of Alexander the Great, and then set off for the coast of Turkey to explore the magnificent Greco-Roman metropolis of Ephesus. On
Patmos we will visit the Monastery of the Revelation, and then cruise to the charming village of Lindos, Rhodes. In the Peloponnese, we will
wander through the medieval town of Mistra and gaze down upon the ruins of ancient Sparta, and conclude our program with visits to the
wonderfully sited oracular sites of Dodoni and Delphi, the "navel of the world."
AGS Lecturer: James Wiley, Professor of Geography at Hofstra University
A DANUBE RIVER JOURNEY
August 30 - September 12, 2006 (14 days)
The Danube River journey features medieval ruins, baroque palaces, Gothic cathedrals, storybook villages, and imperial cities
that line the banks of the River, and offer the extraordinary artistic and cultural riches of five countries, in the heart of Central Europe.
Among the program's many highlights are two full days in scenic Budapest; Hofburg Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Mozart House in Vienna;
the Baroque masterpiece of Melk Abbey; Regensburg's elegant Palace of the Princes of Thurn and Taxis; and three full days in glorious Prague.
AGS Lecturer: Larry Ford, Professor of Geography at San Diego State University.
THE BLACK SEA: CROSSROADS OF CULTURE FROM THE ANCIENT PAST TO THE PRESENT
August 28 - September 8, 2006 (12 days)
The magnificent Black Sea region is still new territory for the majority of
Western visitors: an exciting irony, since the Black Sea rim is dotted with
cities and sites spanning the course of recorded history, from Trabzon in
Turkey to Nesebur in Bulgaria. Even today, the area has once again undergone massive historical
changes, as most of the independent successor states to the Soviet Union
have established democratic governments and market economies. From
Thessaloniki, travel aboard the luxurious, 57-suite Corinthian II through
the Hellespont and the Bosporus Strait to the ancient northern coast of
Turkey, where Greek, Byzantine, and Hellenistic societies flourished.
Explore Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and visit the historic Potemkin Steps
of Odessa. We also explore the Byzantine churches of Nesebur, and the great
Byzantine and Ottoman monuments of Istanbul.
AGS Lecturer: David Hooson, Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley.
IN HARRIMAN'S WAKE: GRAND ALASKA VOYAGE, August 4 - 28, 2006 (25 days).
Part I: The Bering Sea, August 4 - 17, 2006 (14 days)
Part II: Alaska Coastal Odyssey, August 17 - 28, 2006 (12 days)
Follow in the wake of Edward H. Harriman's 1899 scientific expedition, which was to become the most significant ever undertaken in Alaskan waters. This epic voyage aboard the all-suite, 57-cabin Spirit of Oceanus knits together two exceptional voyages into one dramatic whole as you revisit the areas explored between Nome, Alaska and Vancouver, B.C., a voyage of almost 3,600 miles. In 25 life-changing days discover, as they did, the true wonders of Alaska - its welcoming people and thundering glaciers, clamoring wildlife, and scenic wonders, including the scenery of Glacier Bay, Unalaska, the Pribilofs, the Shumagin Islands, Kodiak, Sitka, and Metlakatla. Watch for whales, seals, bald eagles, bears, murres, and puffins. A fleet of Zodiacs
allows access to remote ports of call and shores.
AGS Lecturers: (Part I) Frederick Nelson, Professor of Geography at the University of Delaware.
Part II) Susan Hardwick, Professor of Geography at the University of Oregon.
WATERWAYS OF RUSSIA
July 26 - August 6, 2006 (12 days)
Explore the highlights and hidden gems of Russia on this comprehensive river
cruise program. Spend two nights in historic Moscow with visits to landmarks
such as Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the
Kremlin and its Armory, the oldest museum in Russia. Cruise the Moscow Canal
and Volga River, Lake Rybinskoye, the Sheksna River, Lake Beloye, Lake
Onega, the Svir River, Lake Ladoga, and the Neva River, aboard the deluxe
river vessel M.S. Kazan, Russia's only 5-star riverboat. Savor three full
days in beautiful St. Petersburg, visiting historic Peter and Paul Fortress,
St. Isaac's Cathedral, and Peter the Great's magnificent retreat at
Petrodvorets. Experience special events throughout the program, including a
private visit to the world-renowned Hermitage Museum.
AGS Lecturer: Ralph Clem, Professor of International Relations at Florida
International University.
Click here to go back to the first half of 2006.
*** For further information about these or possible future trips contact:
47 Main Street, Suite One
P.O. Box 938
Walpole, New Hampshire 03608-0938
Tel: (888) 805-0884 or (603) 756-2553
Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm EST
Fax: (603)756-2922
Email: AGStravl@sover.net