Trip includes the Amazon and Coast
with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association

Unique Vacation Spotlights Peru's History,
Natural Wonder, Rare Flora and Incredible Wildlife

Optional Extension Available to Cusco and Machu Picchu

October 29 to November 8, 2010

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), a private, non-profit organization that supports the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, presents A CLASSIC ADVENTURE TO PERU, October 29 to November 8, 2010, a unique GLAZA-sponsored vacation accompanied by professional naturalist guides.  The trip spotlights history and natural wonder as travelers explore Lima, mysterious Nazca, the Ballestas Islands, the Paracas coastal paradise filled with exotic birds and marine life, Iquitos, the Amazon, the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve's rare flora and incredible wildlife and Amazon Natural Park.  An optional 6-day post-extension to Cusco and Machu Picchu is available.

A CLASSIC ADVENTURE TO PERU is operated by Classic Escapes, whose mission is to provide exciting, educational and entertaining experiences that nurture and directly support diverse wildlife and cultures around the world.  The firm has established the Classic Escapes Conservation Fund, which provides a percentage of profits to support conservation and wildlife researchers performing their critical work in the field.  Project support has included environmental education efforts in India and Bhutan, wild dog and cheetah conservation in Botswana, Kenya and Namibia, and global Earth Day education via school internet programs.  According to Classic Escapes, its guests are supporting travel as a tool for building the mutual respect, awareness and understanding that are vital to preserving this planet for future generations.

The journey departs from Los Angeles and begins with a day in Lima, Peru’s ancient capital. Highlights include the Plaza de Armas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Archaeological Museum; and dinner in a pre-Columbian temple.  Next day, a flight over the Nazca Lines reveals one of the great mysteries of South America: massive drawings etched into the sand 2,000 years ago, visible only from the air.  Nearby, a fascinating collection at the Regional Museum reveals the Nazca’s practice of surgery.  Next is Paracas National Reserve, one of the top marine conservation centers in the world, with a renowned archaeological museum and diverse inhabitants, including whales, otters, Humboldt penguin, Peruvian diving petrel and blue-footed boobies.  The day tops off with a short boat trip to the Ballestas Islands, known for their impressive marine life.  An additional morning is enjoyed in Paracas before a visit to the pre-Inca ruins of Pachacamac, once one of the holiest shrines in the central Andes.  The next five days are spent deep in the Amazon on an exclusive river cruise through the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, the largest protected wetland in the world.  Guests will enjoy excellent accommodations and gourmet cuisine on board the luxury M/V Delfin II.  Hikes and boating excursions led by expert naturalist guides will explore small islands, channels, secluded lagoons, lakes and sandy beaches, discovering hundreds of colorful bird species like purple gallinule and the peculiar crested hoatzin; massive flocks of endangered scarlet macaws; unusual fish like the paiche, which can weigh over 170 pounds; hordes of gray and pink river dolphins; troops of red howler monkeys; massive ceiba kapok trees; nocturnal fish bats; and much more.  Stops at two local villages offer first-hand understanding of native traditions, folklore and adaptations to the environment, plus a health ceremony performed by a Shaman.  The cruise disembarks in Nauta where the group drives to Iquitos for a tour and shopping before flying to Lima and then on to Los Angeles.

An optional 6-day post-trip extension to Machu Picchu includes Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, the fortress of Sacasyhuaman, and a scenic rail to the legendary “lost city” of the Incas.

Itinerary and sequence subject to change.

The trip's land package is $5,995 per person (double occupancy), plus $2,695 per person for the post extension to Cusco and Machu Picchu.  Single supplements are available as are airfare packages. 

The Zoo's travel programs are among many offerings presented by the private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, founded in 1963.  For more than four decades, GLAZA has successfully supported the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife.  As a major cultural and entertainment resource for Southern California, the Zoo is a place of beauty and inspiration and a catalyst for discovery of the natural world for children of all ages.  GLAZA funds Los Angeles Zoo exhibits, plant and animal species conservation, capital projects, and education and community outreach programs.  GLAZA currently has 72,000 member households, the largest membership base of a cultural organization in Los Angeles, and boasts a volunteer corps of over 900. 

For detailed descriptions of A CLASSIC ADVENTURE TO PERU including a free brochure and more information, please call Melissa Grossenbacher at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, (323) 644-4792, or visit http://lazoo.org/calendar/travel/index.html.