South Africa by Sea March 19-April 3, 2009 (16 days) Field Museum Leader: Chapurukha (Chap) Kusimba, curator of African Anthropology South Africa is as wildly beautiful as anywhere in the world. At once extremely young and inconceivably old, the first species of Homo sapiens lived there around two million years ago, but it is merely fifteen years since the fall of apartheid and the beginning of the country’s exciting renaissance. It is our pleasure to invite you on a cruise aboard the luxurious 57-cabin Corinthian II along South Africa’s dramatic coast. The ever-changing coastal landscape is magnificent: desolate karoo grass flats, towering cliffs, lush forests, bright wild flowers, mountains, and river valleys. The wildlife exceeds the imagination, with leopards chasing jackals, herds of buffalo making their way across the plains, and giraffes chewing on the tops of acacia trees. The inhabitants are diverse, too. During the spice trade, various peoples settled along the coastal migration routes: Xhosa, Zulu, and Sotho tribes, European settlers, Indians, and others. Your voyage begins in South Africa’s oldest city, Cape Town, regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world owing to its stunning combination of mountains and coast. Explore Stellenbosch’s wine country, and bold Cape Peninsula, and then cruise east as far as Richards Bay. Visit several renowned wilderness parks, including the Addo Elephant National Park; the private Kariega Game Reserve, with its abundant wildlife and marvelous setting; and the expansive thorn tree woodland of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park, home to rare black rhinos. Admire the renowned Garden Route, one of Africa’s most beautiful coastal landscapes, and explore the urban dimension of the country as well, including Port Elizabeth, East London, and the colorful, cosmopolitan, polyglot city of Durban. More Information: Download and print a brochure with detailed information about this trip (PDF format). South Africa by Sea file size=1.4 mb *This is an Adobe Acrobat file, in order to view this file you will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download from adobe.com Kenya Safari August 15-30, 2009 (16 Days) Field Museum Leaders: Bruce Patterson and Barbara Harney Join Field Museum mammalogists Bruce Patterson and Barbara Harney on an extraordinary safari to explore the natural and cultural wonders of Kenya. This East African country is magnificent, its terrain dramatic and varied. Our trip will take us through acacia-commiphora woodlands and rolling lowlands, over dense, forested mountains (including the awesome and sacred Mount Kenya), through river gallery forests, desert grasslands, and the deeply-cleft Rift Valley into sweeping, fertile plains. To the joys of traversing endlessly varied landscapes, Kenya adds the wonders of its vast wildlife populations and diverse indigenous cultures. Prehistoric Cave Art and Medieval Towns of Northern Spain & France September 2009 (13 Days) Field Museum Leaders: Jim Phillips and Bob Martin Discover the splendid cave art of Altamira II, Lascaux II, Niaux, Las Monedas, Pech Merle and Cueva del Castillo with Field Museum anthropologists Jim Phillips and Bob Martin. Tour incomparable archaeological, ethnographic, and art museums, including Bilbao's Guggenheim and the Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies. Experience the rich cultures of Spain and France with visits to charming medieval villages, including the well-preserved Santillana del Mar. Back >>