Travel like Croesus

August 08, 2010|Currents, Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Spend 22 days exploring more than a dozen World Heritage sites on Smithsonian Journeys’ Around the World by Private Jet Tour, Oct. 28-Nov. 18, 2011. You’ll see the Taj Mahal, the Great Barrier Reef, Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, and visit the famous ruins at Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat. Your private, chartered Boeing 757 has just 88 VIP-style seats. Onboard expedition staff will create customized excursions tailored to your interests. Rates are $62,950 per person, based on double occupancy, and include round-trip travel from Orlando, Fla., accommodations, baggage handling, gratuities, emergency insurance, and all meals, ground transportation, excursions, and activities. 866-903-7650,www.smithsonianjourneys.org/privateair

Fare deal: more fiords

Explore Norway’s fiords for 12 days on a Hurtigruten cruise for the price of a seven-day voyage. This special, which must be booked by Sept. 30, applies to Norwegian Coastal Voyage cruises departing Oct. 5- Dec. 31. The journey takes you to 34 ports along Norway’s 1,250-mile west coast, from the charming Hanseatic port of Bergen to the town of Kirkenes near the Russian border. You’ll visit Trondheim, one of the country’s oldest cities; Tromso, the largest European town above the Arctic Circle; the Lofoten archipelago; and Alesund, which was destroyed by fire in 1904 and completely rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style. Prices range from $1,533-$2,140. Solo travelers are not charged single supplement fees, and AARP members receive an onboard cabin credit of up to $100. 800-323-7436, www.hurtigruten.us

Mexico, Costa Rica deals

The all-inclusive Occidental Grand Cozumel, on one of Mexico’s finest beaches, and Occidental Grand Papagayo, on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast, are offering every other night free through Oct. 31. Two children age 12 and under can stay for free with one paying adult. Rates start at $146 per person per night at the Cozumel resort and $174 in Costa Rica, and include all meals, drinks, sporting activities, the Kids Club, nightly shows, live entertainment, taxes, and gratuities. 800-858-2258,www.occidentalhotels.com

KARI BODNARCHUK