The essay contest currently in play for ITN subscribers is titled "I'm Sweet on Sweden." If you have been there, in no more than 300words (note: 300 words), describe what you experienced in Sweden, that evokes a sense of the country's atmosphere, culture, people and attractions.
High on La Cabaña Hill, above the village of Casablanca in Cuba, is the statue known as El Cristo de La Habana (Christ of Havana). Facing eastern Havana across Havana Bay, the 56-foot-tall figure stands on a 10-foot base.
Tallinn, Estonia
15 days, 14 nights. Highlights: San José/in Tortuguero National Park, Sea Turtle Museum, boat trip to see monkeys, caimans, birds/Arenal Volcano/Monteverde and Santa Elena cloud forest reserves/Manuel Antonio National Park, home to monkeys, sloths, iguanas/in village of Copey, school visit, lunch with local family. $3,025-$3,535 ppdo (per dates). Single supp., $798-$884. Exodus Travels (112 Merton St., Toronto, ON, M4S 2Z8, Canada; in US, 844/227-9087, www.exodus
travels.com).
8-day, 7-night adventure in Manitoba, CANADA. Departs Feb. 18 & 27 and March 4 & 8, 2018. Highlights: Winnipeg’s Manitoba Museum for Inuit culture/fly to Churchill/view northern lights from Aurora Lounge/in Churchill, Itsanitaq Museum, snowshoeing, dogsledding. $5,349 ppdo. Single supp., $1,200. Frontiers North Adventures (204-1111 Munroe Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2K 3Z5, Canada; in US, 800/663-9832, www.frontiersnorth.com).
11 days, 10 nights. January-February & April-December 2018. Group limit, 12. Highlights: Windhoek/sand dunes in Namib-Naukluft National Park/Sesriem Canyon/Walvis Bay Lagoon/Cape Cross/ancient Bushmen paintings at Twyfelfontein/Petrified Forest/Etosha National Park, home to leopards, rhinos/in Otjiwarongo, Cheetah Conservation Foundation. $2,459 ppdo. Single supp., $349. Bestway Tours & Safaris (8678 Greenall Ave., Ste. 206, Burnaby, BC, V5J 3M6, Canada; US/Can., 800/663-0844, www.bestway.com).
26 days, 23 nights, Sept. 19-Oct. 24, 2018. Led by ITN “Far Horizons” columnist Randy Keck. Group limit, 24. Highlights: Sydney/Hobart, Tasmania/Melbourne/Adelaide/2-night cultural cruise on Murray River/Perth/Alice Springs/Ayers Rock/Darwin/Kakadu National Park/Mary River wildlife cruise/Hervey Bay/Great Barrier Reef/Lady Elliot and Fraser islands/Brisbane/Gold Coast/Aboriginal cultural visits. $8,295 ppdo. Single supp., $1,595. ASI Tours (Jamestown, RI; in US, 800/925-7122, www.asitours.com).
14-day, 13-night bike tour (“moderate to high-level”) in JAPAN, June 24-July 7, 2018. (Van available.) Highlights: Train from Sapporo to Furano for lavender fields/cycle to Karikachi Pass/Tokachi plain to Shirakaba Pass/Mikuni-toge Pass to Lake Saroma/Wakka Wild Flower Park/Iozan volcano/Shiretoko Peninsula. From $5,200 ppdo. Single supp., $450. SpiceRoads (45 [Sub Soi Pannee] Soi Pridi Banomyong 26, Sukhumvit Soi 71, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand 10110; phone +66 2 381 7490, www.spiceroads.com).
