Ancient Macedonia with Explore

My goal was to visit all of the old Yugoslav republics. I had been to Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia before, so from Sept. 10 to 24, 2006, I took Explore’s “Ancient Macedonia” tour (booked through Adventure Center, 1311 63rd St., Ste. 200, Emeryville, CA 94608; 800/227-8747, www.adventurecenter.com).

The 15-day tour took the group of 20, mostly Brits, from Sofia, Bulgaria, into Macedonia proper and on to Macedonian Greece. We went by bus, staying at hotels and ski lodges, with one night at a monastery guest house. The tour price was $1,450. Air from San Francisco cost $1,343.

We visited the monastery at Kriva Palanka; Macedonia’s capital city, Skopje, which was so damaged by earthquake some years back; the resort area of Lake Ohrid; a ski lodge at Pelister National Park; the seaport town of Kvala, and a would-be resort at Blagoevgrad. In Greece we toured the country’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki; Macedonian and Roman ruins at Heraclea, Pella and Philippi, and Thassos. Returning to Bulgaria, we went to Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and ended the tour back in Sofia.

There was a nice balance of sights and activities, with more than enough time for individual exploration.

The tour guide was a young woman in her twenties who did well leading a group whose average age was probably in the fifties. Local guides were exceptional. Everyone in the group was an experienced traveler, which made for smooth going. In fact, on every trip I’ve booked with Adventure Center the participants have all been well traveled — no cherries in the lot.

This was my fifth trip with Explore and the 11th I’ve booked through Adventure Center, which specializes in small-group, low-cost excursions operated by British or Australian firms. Explore and the Adventure Center partners have been a fit for me. There is no extra charge for traveling as a single, and there’s lots of time to ramble around on your own.

JO RAWLINS GILBERT

Menlo Park, CA