All Over the Map - vacation trips

30 fabulous trips for globe-trotting sisters.

PARADISE FOUND: GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

Escape to the Real Big Easy: Fabulous Fiji

On this beautiful untouched South Pacific island nation, you'll find an easygoing indigenous people (many of whom are of East African descent) maintaining an ancient culture unlike anywhere else. Tie on your sulu (Fijian sarong) and head to a kava, a welcome ceremony where you'll sip the intoxicating national drink (also called kava) made from the root of a pepper tree. Watch fire walkers (bare feet, hot coals). Stay in a bure (a thatched-roof hut). Scuba-dive (one of the world's top-ten spots). Head to the capital city of Suva to visit the Fiji Museum, housing photos of tribal leaders, many in dreadlocks. Fiji Visitors Bureau: (800) 932-3454, fiji@primenet.com, www.fijilive.com.

Talk to the Animals: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The inspiration for Charles Darwin's On the Origin of the Species, this volcanic island chain off the coast of Ecuador lets you get up close and personal with animals existing nowhere else on the planet--equatorial penguins, spiky iguanas and giant tortoises aplenty. Fly to Santa Cruz (the one developed Galapagos Island), and board a boat for a three-, four- or seven-night cruise. Doubles (three nights, four days, meals, guide) start at $1,140 per person. Adventure Associates: (800) 527-2500; www.ecuadorable.com.

Reach the High Ground: Machu Picchu, Peru

The Incas built their sacred fortressed city, Machu Picchu, so deep in the hills of Peru in South America that the Spanish conquistadores never found it. It was "discovered," completely intact, by an American in 1911. Discover this mystical ruin yourself by following the Inca Trail, a four-to-seven-day hike through the jungle-covered mountains, arriving at the five-square mile stone "village" atop a mist-shrouded mountain. To see the ruins without walking, take a train from Cuzco, a Spanish colonial city built over what was the largest Inca city in Peru. Doubles (three nights in Cuzco, tour of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Inca Valley) start at $250 per person. Orquidea Tours: (011) 51-842-40671, orquidea@orquidea.net, www.machupicchu.org.

Walk in the Clouds: Costa Rica

Get a bird's-eye view of the Costa Rican rain forest by taking a canopy walk--a stroll along the treetops on a platform bridge attached to massive hardwood trees. Walks take place on the Rainmaker Reserve, a 1,500-acre wildlife reserve in the Fila Chonta mountain range featuring primary rain forest with 2,500 plant species. Fly to San Jose, Costa Rica, then on to Quepos. Cost of canopy walk: $65 per person. Call (011) 506-777-0850.

Explore the Exotic: Madagascar

Madagascar, home to descendants of Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia, is an island of rare natural beauty. The aroma of wild orchids will set the mood as you tour cities with French- and Asian-inspired architecture, visit botanic gardens and nature reserves full of exotic flora and fauna, and luxuriate on tranquil beaches. Henderson, the nation's oldest African-American travel agency and a pioneer of African tourism, offers a 16-day tour of this amazing isle off the coast of Mozambique, with a one-day stop in Mauritius. Cost: $5,331 per person. Call (301) 650-5700.

Discover a Desert Oasis: Havasupai Reservation, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Deep in the Grand Canyon you'll find a hidden tropical oasis--if you can get there. An eight-mile hike down the canyon's western edge, the Havasupai Indian Reservation is a paradise accessible only by foot, horse or helicopter. Havasupai means "People of the Blue-Green Waters," a good description of the crystal-clear creek that cuts through the reservation and spills over in two spectacular waterfalls. Fly into Tucson. Cost: $20 per person to enter the reservation and another $10 per person per night to camp there. Or stay at the Havasupai Lodge. Doubles: $80. Havasupai Tourist Enterprise: (520) 448-2111 or (520) 448-2237.

Go for the Green: Bermuda

This pristine island nation 600 miles off the coast of North Carolina has more golf courses per square mile than any other country. The undulating hills of perfect grass roll out before you; the sea laps against the shore at every hole. It's quiet, the breeze blows gently, you don't have a care in the world ... Fore! The Bermuda Golf Academy offers lessons, a driving range and an 18-hole practice green. Private lessons start at $35 per half hour. Call (441) 238-8800. Or play a round at the Port Royal Golf Course. Greens fees start at $72, plus $18 per person golf cart charge. Call (441) 234-0974. Bermuda Tourism: (800) BERMUDA, www.bermudatourism.com.

Take to the Open Road: Route 89A, Arizona

Route 89A through Arizona is one of the most scenic swatches of highway you'll ever see. Heading south from Flagstaff (with its 13,000-foot San Francisco peaks), careen along curving ribbons of blacktop winding through thick green vegetation and towering red rock formations. Stop in Jerome, once known as the wickedest town in the west. Stay overnight in a private casita at Graham Bed and Breakfast in Sedona. Doubles (including breakfast, fireplace, whirlpool and bread machine baking when you arrive) start at $329. Call (800) 228-1425. Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon Tourism: (800) 288-7336, www.arizonaguide.com/sedona.

Pitch a Tent With a View: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Who needs a hotel when you can sleep in a white tent pitched on a green hill overlooking the aqua water? Virgin Islands National Park takes up two thirds of St. John, making it a great place to be one with nature day and night. Hike the Reef Bay Trail through lush forest and desert cacti. Take an "underwater safari" at Trunk Bay. Then curl up in your tent cottage (wood frame, canvas walls) perched in the hills high above pristine Maho Bay. (It's so safe that there are no locks on the tents, but if you're nervous, leave your valuables at home.) Doubles start at $70. Call (340) 776-6240. U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism: (800) 372-8784, www.stjohnusvi.com.

URBAN ESCAPES: GETTING INTO THE MIX

Let the Good Times Roll: Mardi Gras in New Orleans

During Mardi Gras--January 6 through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday")--this usually slow, sultry city on the Gulf becomes one huge, wild party. The last five days are the most fun, with parades running from 8:00 A.M. till after dark. Each parade is organized by a krewe, or social club. Mardi Gras morning, catch the Zulu parade, the city's first African-American krewe, established in 1909. New Orleans Tourism: (800) 672-6124, www.neworleanscvb.com.

Shop Till You Drop: The Souk in Marrakech, Morocco

The souk, or outdoor market, of Marrakech is the ultimate shopping extravaganza. Traditional craftsmen crowd the narrow alleys. You'll see metalworkers hammering shiny copper bowls and tanners dyeing leather with saffron, poppies and indigo. Inhale the scent of ginger, black pepper and cloves. Buy hand-sewn carpets and caftans, woven baskets, wool, sheepskin, almonds, dates, henna and flasks of flower extracts. This is not the mall. Morocco Tourism: (212) 557-2520, www.tourism-inmorocco.com/.

Take the Plunge: Niagara Falls, New York and Canada

To see one of the oldest tourist attractions in North America, take the Maid of the Mist, which has been chugging visitors as close as they care to get to the base of Niagara Falls since 1846. Don a yellow slicker, board the boat, head toward the roiling foam. Water sprays your face. The engines squeal against the current. You can't believe you're allowed to get this close. Isn't it dangerous? Won't you fall out? Shouldn't they charge more than $10 Canadian? The Maid of the Mist lets even the ecologically challenged appreciate the power of the plunge. Maid of the Mist: (905) 358-5781. Niagara Falls Tourism: (905) 356-6061, www.falls.net.

Scrape the Sky in a Helicopter: New York City

Buzz above the Big Apple with a helicopter tour. Fly eye-to-eye with the Statue of Liberty (at 151 feet, it's the tallest statue of modern times), circle Ellis Island and the World Trade Center, and head up the Hudson River to Central Park. Then hit the streets to see the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Metropolitan Museum, the Central Park Zoo, the new Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History and, most important, the fabulous stores. Helicopter ride cost: $57-$185 per person, depending on length (four and a half to 15 minutes). Liberty Tours: (800) 542-9933. New York City Visitors Bureau: (800) NYC-VISIT, www.nycvisit.com.

Relive the Jazz Age: Paris

Put on your party gear and head out for a night at the Folies-Bergere, the Montmartre nightspot where Josephine Baker brought down the house in 1925. Her performance ushered in a new stage of acceptance and acclaim for African-Americans in Paris. Catch a contemporary musical act. If you still have energy to burn, go swing-dancing afterward at Le Caveau de la Huchette on the Left Bank. Folies-Bergere: (011) 33-1-42-46-77-11, (011) 33-1-44-79-98-98, www.foliesbergere.com. French Government Tourist Office: (410) 286-8310, www.francetourism.com.

ADVENTURE VACATIONS: GETTING PHYSICAL

Live on the Edge: Victoria Falls, Zambia

The mile-wide Zambezi River courses through south central Africa to Victoria Falls, a 360-foot drop that is the world's tallest fall. A natural rock barrier lets you swim at the crest without risking over-the-edge extinction. Fly to Zambia and board a boat to Livingstone Island, a slip of land facing a calm, shallow pool at the lip of the falls. Walk to the edge and jump! (into the pool, that is) Then dry off for a four-course champagne lunch at the water's edge. Book through the Tongabezi Resort. Cost: $75. (In dry months, walk to the island.) Doubles at the Tongabezi Resort start at $285. Call (011) 260-3-323235 or (011) 260-3-323296. Zambia Tourism: www.africa-insites.com/Zambia/.

Go Mush! Dogsledding: Alaska

You feel the cold air whipping against your face, smell the crisp scent of spruce trees, hear the swoosh of the rails on the snow--it's just you, your guide and your team of four to 16 Alaskan huskies racing across the wilderness. Mush through Danali National Park (home of the highest peak in North America), or head out on the Iditarod, a historic trail used during the Gold Rush days, now the site of an annual dog-sled race from Anchorage to Nome. Cost: $45 (half hour) to $1,700 (four days, including three nights, all meals). Alaska Trails and Tails: (888) 300-6874, www.dogsledtours.com. Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau: (907) 276-4118, www.anchorage.net.

Walk on the Wild Side: Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

One of Kenya's 40 tribes, the Masai are known for coexisting peacefully with the wildlife on their lands (and for fighting with anybody who challenge's their way of life). Take a walking safari led by two Masai warriors (and a naturalist guide) through Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve in the Ol-Choro Oiroua Conservation Area, where you'll observe elephants, lions, zebra, antelope and giraffes. Stay at the Mara Safari Club. Doubles (including three game drives) start at $303. Call (011) 2542-216-9-40; visit www.kenyaweb.com.

Please Do Pet the Stingrays: Cayman Islands, Caribbean

This huge pancake-shaped fish glides through the warm waters of the Cayman Islands like an aquatic UFO with eyes. Book a boat trip to "Stingray City," a sandbar in Grand Cayman's North Sound that's the only place on the planet where you can swim with more than two dozen wild Atlantic southern stingrays. Regular contact with food-bearing tourists has made these underwater weirdos as friendly as lambs in a petting zoo. Then strap on your snorkel mask to see turtles, lobsters, moray and garden eels, barrel sponges and acres of healthy coral. Full-day North Sound trip (including snorkeling and lunch) about $50 per person. Cayman Islands Tourism: (345) 949-0623, www.caymanislands.ky.

Have a Peak Experience: Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

At 19,000 feet Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa. It's also technically a moderate climb, meaning you get the challenge of striving for the top with the thrill of actually achieving it. Wend your way up through the misty, equatorial jungle blanketing the lower elevations. Above you the rocky, snow-covered Kibo plateau juts out from the clouds. Far below, northeastern Tanzania rolls out in every direction. Seven-day climbs, including accommodations, start at $1,250 per person. Ranger Safaris: (011) 44-171-435-2122, www.rangersafaris.com/. Tanzania Tourist Board: www.tanzania-web.com.

SOULFUL SOJOURNS: GETTING CENTERED

Tend to Body and Soul: Canyon Ranch Spa, Arizona

Balance body, mind and spirit at one of this country's top spas. Spend days hiking desert trails lined with towering green cacti or mountain passes that cut through pine forests. Choose from 40 daily classes ranging from tai chi to cardio workouts. Dine on gourmet spa cuisine (including fab desserts--yes, you can get in shape and eat chocolate brownies). Finish with a spa treatment, such as the not-to-miss Watsu massage, a shiatsu massage in the water. Singles (four nights, five days) start at $2,905; doubles start at $2,359 per person. Call (800) 742-9000 or check out www.resort2fitness.com.

Head for a Holistic Hideaway: Sivananda Yoga Retreat, Bahamas, Caribbean

At the Sivananda Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, Bahamas, get in touch with your inner self among spectacular external surroundings. Start your day with group meditation followed by a yoga class that takes place on a wooden platform at the edge of the white sandy beach. After brunch, lounge on the beach, boat to Nassau or participate in one of the educational programs. Then it's more yoga, dinner and meditation. Meals are vegetarian. Camp on the beach or sleep in an oceanfront room. Singles (including two daily meals, classes and workshops): $50 (bring your own tent), $55 (dormitory) or $85 (private room). Call (242) 363-2902 or visit www.sivananda.org.

Cruise and Groove With ESSENCE: New Orleans to Mexico

Get your groove on this July at the annual Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, then board your floating hotel--Carnival Cruise Lines S.S. Enchanted Isle--and rejuvenate. After three nights of nonstop partying to some of the biggest music acts, it's off to Playa del Carmen in Mexico, where you can relax on wonderful beaches and view the nearby Mayan ruins. Next stop is Cozumel, where you'll continue to enjoy Mexico's beautiful beaches as well as the excellent company of brothers and sisters from all over the country. Don't forget to take part in the many empowerment seminars offered during the Music Festival. Doubles are $1,499 per person (price includes tickets to the Essence Music Festival, three nights in New Orleans, five days at sea and escorted tours in Mexico). Call (800) 700-0839 or visit www.essence.com.

Sign up for Continuing Ed: Disney Institute, Orlando, Florida

The Disney Institute, a 75-acre resort within Disney World, helps you be your dream self--at least for a week. Programs include photography, culinary arts, animation, gardening, television and video production and health, fitness and the great outdoors. Take a break from the brain work at the resort's lake, five swimming pools, spa, clay tennis courts, 18-hole championship golf course or the 42-acre amusement park. Doubles (three nights, four programs, evening entertainment) start at $599 per person. Call (800) 496-6337 or cheek out www.disneyinstitute.com.

Drive the Underground Railroad

Follow the route of Harriet Tubman, who escaped from slavery and led hundreds of our people to freedom on 18 return trips to the South. From Bucktown, Maryland, drive to Odessa, Delaware, to see the Friends' Meeting House on Main Street. Continue to Pennsylvania to the Longwood Gardens Meetinghouse museum in Chester County and the Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia. In New York City visit the Schomburg Research Center for the world's largest collection of African-American research materials. See Tubman's home in Upstate New York. Cross the Whirlpool Bridge to Salem Chapel Church in St. Catherines, Canada, the last "station," where Tubman stopped to give thanks. For a self-guided itinerary, log on to the U.S. National Park Service's Underground Railroad Section: www.cr.nps.gov/aahistory/.

Raise the Roof for Others: Habitat for Humanity

Each year Habitat has special projects in needy areas--from tropical islands with hurricane-obliterated homes to flattened towns in tornado belts. Or you can take the annual weeklong Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, trip: Hammer by day, shag-dance on the beach at night. Get yourself there, and Habitat will put you up for a week and provide tools. Myrtle Beach Branch: (843) 916-8815. Habitat for Humanity International Headquarters: (800) 422-4828.

GET ROMANTIC

Pedal a Bicycle Built for Two: Provence, France

Pedal Provence, arguably the most romantic region in France, where Roman towns, medieval walled cities and miles of fragrant purple lavande (French lavender) cover the rolling hills. Kayak in the Mediterranean. Climb ancient Roman aqueducts. Seven-day guided bike trips (including 21-speed hybrid bikes, hotel, some meals) start at $1,295 per person. Discover France by calling (800) 960-2221, www.discoverfrance.com. DuVine Adventures offers seven-day guided trips in the Burgundy wine country, starting at $2,395, as well as self-guided trips throughout other French regions. Call DuVine at (888) 396-5383, or log on to www.duvine.com.

Smooch in a Gondola: Venice

This glittering thousand-year-old city rises from the water in northeastern Italy like some fantasy mermaid country. Other than walking, the best way to tour Venice is by water. Board a gondola and sit back as your singing gondolier sluices across the narrow canals. You see gilded churches shining in the sun. Back on land, make sure to feed the pigeons at the Piazza San Marco and tour the Basilica di San Marco. Call the Italian Government Tourist Office at (212) 245-4822, (212) 245-5618; or visit the Web site www.itwg.com.

Get the Royal Treatment: The Oriental Hotel, Bangkok

At this historic hotel on Bangkok's Chao Phya river, you'll be given a welcoming jasmine hand garland and treated like royalty, with a personal butler and porters who tidy your room whenever you leave. Ferry across the river for Thai cooking classes and sensuous spa treatments. View gold-topped wats (religious temples), the floating market and Bangkok's tumult of bicycles, Buddhist priests, silk shops and steaming food stalls. Recent guests at the Oriental: Danny Glover, Dionne Warwick, the Sultan of Brunei, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Goldie Hawn. Doubles start at $235. Call (800) 526-6566 or go to www.mandarin-oriental.com.

Escape Civilization: Kauai, Hawaii

While much of Hawaii is awash in T-shirt shops, hotels and tourist attractions, the island of Kauai retains its pristine beauty. The least developed of the Hawaiian islands, Kauai is famous for green mountains, crashing waterfalls and geyserlike water flumes. Hike Waimea Canyon to see plants that grow nowhere else. Take a helicopter tour for an aerial view of the stunning cliffs of the Na Pali coastline. Or relax in a hammock on a luxurious beach. Kauai Hotline: (800) 262-1400. Web site: www.kauai-hawaii.com.

Float in Luxury Down the Nile in Egypt

The world's longest river, the Nile cuts a swath through the Egyptian desert, emptying into the Mediterranean. Board a luxury liner to tour the fertile Nile River Basin, learning how the river fostered the culture of the pharaohs. See ruins of 7,000-year-old urban settlements. Visit the Valley of Kings, the Valley of Queens, hidden tombs of pharaohs, and the Luxor and Karnak Temples. Tour contemporary Cairo and Luxor. Cruise for three, four or seven days. Doubles (including all meals and tours) start at $130 per night per person. Sheraton Nile Cruises: (011) 202-3055600, www.sheratonnilecruises.com/preface.htm.

Wendy E. Paris is a freelance writer living in New York City.

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