Travel Specials: March 2018

Hello Everyone,

Here are tours that I am offering in addition to my regularly scheduled trips. These extra travel tours usually happen as a result of a special request by one of you and new ideas I have.

Please call me at 970-556-6103 or email me at info@KaiyoteTours.com for any questions.

Check the regular travel schedule at www.KaiyoteTours.com

Here are the summaries and below you will find more details:

1) Stockholm Christmas: December 20 - 27, 2018, an 8-day tour for the holidays. Lodging will be on local boats moored in the Stockholm harbor and a lot of holiday festivities and food.

2) Argentina: January 18 – 27, 2019, a 10-day tour that includes visits to Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. This tour visits Iguazu Falls and the surrounding jungle. This area is an amazing paradise for birds, wildlife, butterflies and flowering plants. It is a must see for everyone.

2a) The Argentina trip comes with an optional 4-day extension that stops in El Salvador, January 14 – 17, on the way to Buenos Aires. It is a nice stop and makes the trip to Argentina a lot more enjoyable. There are 4 days located along the Pacific Coast and one day in Buenos Aires. In El Salvador, we will be staying along an estuary that is full of birds and wildlife.

3) El Salvador:  January 14 – 17, We will be spending 4 days in El Salvador on our way to Argentina and it is possible to join the trip only for the El Salvador part. If you are interested in making this trip longer, we can do that upon request and availability.

4) Nicaragua:  February 1 – 8, 2019, The Rum, Coffee & Cigar Tour. Nicaragua produces world class rum, coffee and cigars. This very special tour is for all those aficionados who would like to roll their own cigars and learn about tobacco, rum and coffee production. This tour also visits some of the most beautiful locations in Nicaragua and will be an interesting tour for anyone. And of course, there will be opportunities for birding and nature exploring for those that are interested.

Deposits and Cancellation Policy for international trips
A non-refundable payment of $600 per person is requirement to reserve a spot on a trip. Full payment is due 90 days prior to departure date. If you are reserving a spot within 90 days of departure, full payment is required to reserve a spot. There are no refunds within 90 days of the departure date.

5) Santa Fe Opera and Birding Tours:  August 4 – 11, 2019, I have a very special combined birding and opera tour that I am offering to 8 people for the August 2019 event. Every year the Santa Fe opera performs 5 separate operas and for one week every year in August, the Santa Fe Opera performs all five operas. In 2019 after the festival week of operas, Renée Fleming will be performing a one-time concert. If you are a birder and an opera lover, you will not want to miss this event. Every day there will be birding tours to locations within a one-hour radius of Santa Fe and every night, there will be a new opera to see with a final concert by Renée Fleming. The Santa Fe Opera tour has a special deposit and payment policy.

Here are more details for each of the trips:

Stockholm

Winter Solstice, Christmas and the Northern Lights

Stockholm is city of islands, which makes it especially convenient for boats, sightseeing, walking and birding year-round. The city is full of great history, art, music, museums and restaurants. There are palaces, cathedrals and many historic buildings to visit. The Stockholm subway is considered the longest art gallery in the world at 68 miles in length.

Stockholm stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. The original old town, known as Gamla Stan, is in the heart of the city and is a charming, picturesque historic neighborhood. Just outside the city and along the Baltic Sea coast is the island chain known as the Stockholm archipelago, which includes approximately 24,000 islands and islets. The area has been settled since the Stone Age and was founded as a city in 1252.

Stockholm is about the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska and northern lights are always a possibility in the winter.

Weather on Winter Solstice

Sunrise 8:43 am, Sunset 2:48 pm, 6 hours of sunlight. Expected ranges for high temperatures during the day are mid 30’s – 40’s and expected ranges for low temperatures are 25 - 35

Lodging

On this tour, all the lodging will be aboard permanently moored boats and yachts in the Stockholm waterway. On all the boats, the rooms are small and “cozy”, like most ships, but all the rooms have beds “on the floor”, meaning no bunks.

1) The first two nights will be on the M/S Rygerfjord: The Rygerfjord was built in 1950 at Mjellem & Karl’s shipyard in Bergen, Norway. In 1961 her Crossley machine was replaced with a Wichmann and enabled the ship to cruise at 12 knots (about 14 mph). During the winter of 1970/71 the boat was renovated, and the stern boat deck was built. She was revalued at 601 GRT and was classified for 100 passengers as opposed to the previous 365. After 45 years of passenger service within Scandinavia, Rygerfjord docked at its present position at Söder Mälarstrand in 1995 and has been slowly converted and upgraded over the years to accommodate over-night lodging.

2) The next two nights will be on Den Röda Båten (The Red Boat): The Red Boat is a wood and steel tugboat boat; built in 1914 it was previously a working boat that served the Göta Canal. There are two sister boats moored next to each other to accommodate travelers.

3) The last three nights, including Christmas Eve and Christmas day will be on the Mälardrottningen: The history of the Mälardrottningen is very interesting and it is always a special treat to stay on the yacht. Here are a few paragraphs copied from the hotel website: “When you enter the gangway of Mälardrottningen, you might be walking in the same footsteps of former movie stars, politicians and royals. The ship was built in 1924 for C.K.G Billings, a millionaire from New York, and the ship at that time was the world’s largest diesel driven yacht.

The ship was later bought by the Woolworth-millionaire Frank W. Hutton. Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress received it as a gift from her father on her 18th birthday. Barbara lived an extravagant life among royals and movie stars and in the 1940’s she was married to Cary Grant. She later sold the ship to the Royal British Navy for one-pound sterling.

During the Second World War the ship was anchored very shortly in Panama and later on moved to Norway where she was used as a training ship. During the fifties the ship was used as a passenger ferry between Stockholm and Åbo in Finland. Since 1982, Mälardrottningen has been at her current location and only leaves the dock for maintenance every fifth year”.

Food

There will be three very special dinners on this tour:

1) The first will be a winter solstice afternoon cruise and traditional Swedish Smörgåsbord aboard the M/S Waxholm III, which is a classic archipelago ship from the maritime golden age; built in 1903.

2) Christmas Eve: Traditional Smörgåsbord and festive evening aboard the Mälardrottningen Yacht. Swedish tradition has the big Christmas party on Christmas Eve.

3) Christmas Day: Traditional Swedish Christmas Smörgåsbord, also know as Julbord, will be at the Grand Hotel. Built in 1874, the Grand Hotel has been a center piece for important events in Sweden and it is truly an opulent, grand old hotel. Similar to the Mälardrottningen, when you step into the lobby of the Grand Hotel, you are walking in the footsteps of royalty, presidents and movies stars. From 1901 – 1929 the Nobel Laureate Banquet was held at the Grand Hotel.

4) All other lunches and dinners will be at a variety of local cafes and restaurants. It is a tradition to have one dinner at Michelangelo’s Italian Restaurant.

About me and Sweden: Why and how do I know so much about Sweden and its traditions? My heritage is Swedish: My father, with his parents, immigrated from Sweden to the United States during World War II. My mother’s parents were Swedish too and so I grew up in a very Swedish home and I have visited Sweden numerous times throughout my life. Most of my relatives still live in Sweden and one of my brothers has lived in Sweden for more than 30 years and several of my nieces and nephews grew up in Sweden.

Travel Dates

December 20 – 27, every year, this is a new annual trip!

Group Size:

8 Travelers plus guides

Trip Length:

8 Days

Rates

Rate per person = $3,240 (based on double occupancy)

Rate for single = $4,350

Rates are:

Inclusive: Domestic transfers and transportation within Sweden, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, group tours, entrance fees and Allianz travel health insurance.

Exclusive: International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, alcohol, personal expenses such as souvenirs and expenses relating to personal choices during free time, tips for guides.

Itinerary Summary

December 20: Arrival in Stockholm

Flights from the States usually arrive in the late afternoon. You should schedule your flight for arrival at the Stockholm Arlanda International Airport on December 20th. You will be greeted at the airport and transferred to the M/S Rygerfjord Ship Hotel which is moored along the banks of Södermalm Island in Stockholm. We will stay on the Rygerfjord for two nights.

December 21: Södermalm, Stockholm

Winter Solstice: A 3-hour afternoon dinner cruise onboard the M/S Waxholm III, a 120-foot historic archipelago ship built in 1903. Hopefully in the evening, some clear skies and northern lights for a very special winter solstice.

In Stockholm there is a “Living Advent Calendar”, which is a new tradition started in 2005 and from December 1^st through the 24^th at 6:15pm each day a different window of an historic building opens and there is singing, storytelling and festivities for each window for 20 minutes. Each advent window is at a different location in the historic area of Gamla Stan and it makes a great addition to each day to walk through Gamla Stan and find the new window for each day.

December 22: Södermalm, Stockholm

Today we will be moving to a new boat called the Den Röda Båten (The Red Boat), we will stay on Den Röda Båten for two nights. It is located only one block down the waterfront from the Rygerfjord, but it will be another unique lodging experience.

In Stockholm, the list of museums and buildings of historic and architectural significance is long (over 100) and so, depending on induvial interests, this day will be full of sightseeing and getting to know the history and culture of Stockholm. For those that are interested in birding, there will always be time to check out the winter birds of Stockholm. Besides the waterfront, Stockholm has several large parks for winter passerines. Let me know your specific interests and I will find an activity for you!

December 23: Södermalm, Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and is rich in maritime history. Today there will be a visit to the Vasa Museum. The Vasa is a Swedish warship built between 1626 and 1628. The ship sank after sailing about a mile into its maiden voyage in August 1628. After most the valuable bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century the ship was largely forgotten until it was located in the late 1950s in a busy shipping lane just outside the Stockholm harbor. In 1961 the ship was brought to the service and with much of it still intact, it was restored and now is open for viewing at the Vasa Museum.

When possible, will be using public transportation on this tour, namely the Stockholm subway, which is considered the longest art gallery in the world at 68 miles in length and definitely worth the admission price!

Stockholm has numerous Christmas markets to visit and plenty of traditional Glögg to drink and Pepparkakors to eat. Glögg is similar to mulled wine and but is stewed with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, dried Seville orange, and clove. Pepparkakor is traditional Swedish gingerbread cookies, made using special cookie cutter shapes, like hearts and stars, very thin and made with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

December 24: Riddarholmen, Stockholm

This day is Christmas Eve and for the next three night we will be staying on the Mälardrottningen Yacht located on Riddarholmen Island. Located only about a half a mile away from Södermalm, the Mälardrottningen is moored close to Gamla Stan, which is the historic center of Stockholm. There will be numerous options for activities today including Christmas concerts and festivities.

December 25: Riddarholmen, Stockholm

On Christmas day most places are closed, but hopefully it snows and creates a beautiful city landscape. One of the tallest (and sometimes the very tallest) Christmas tree in the world is the Skeppsbron Christmas Tree in Stockholm, measuring 125 feet.

December 26: Riddarholmen, Stockholm

The day after Christmas is a day to be outside and a short distance outside the city there are numerous parks and forests for outdoor winter activities; Birding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or ice skating will be an option for the last full day in Stockholm. (There is a downhill ski area nearby, for those you love a ski resort, but this activity is not included in the tour.)

December 27: Fly Home

Flights usually leave in the morning and you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay

Travel Dates: January 18 – 27, 2019

Group Size: 6 Travelers plus guides: 4 spots left

Trip Length: 10 days** (possible 4-day extension listed below)

Rates

Rate per person = $3,750 (based on double occupancy)

Rates are:

Inclusive: Domestic transfers within South America, lodging, meals, scheduled group tours, entrance fees and Allianz travel health insurance.

Exclusive: International airfare, immigration fee, alcohol, personal expenses such as souvenirs, expenses relating to personal choices during free time and tips for guides. Visas needed for this trip: Argentina (free) obtain at airport. Paraguay (from Iguazu, free to enter Ciudad del Este only). Brazil ($70 eVisa) obtain in advance on-line. Uruguay (free) obtain upon entry. The visits to Brazil and Paraguay are activity options and are not required if you do not wish to visit those countries.

Itinerary

Day 1: January 18

Arrival in Buenos Aires. We will meet you at the airport with a shuttle to the hotel for one night in downtown Buenos Aires. We will be staying close to the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, which is a large nature reserve for birding and walking along the water front. The hotel has a roof top swimming pool for viewing birds and city views.

Day 2: January 19

Buenos Aires is located along a large inlet from the Atlantic Ocean and just across the water, the Rio de La Plata, is Uruguay. It is a 1-hour ferry ride to the city of Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay and a short 15-minute drive to Parque Embarcadero de Yates Riachuelo, where will be staying in cabins at the edge of this small reserve.

Day 3: January 20

The day will be spent walking, birding and exploring Parque Embarcadero de Yates Riachuelo and the Rio de La Plata shoreline. There are numerous trails in the area which also connect to other locations along the river and bay. This area is partially an estuary as well. Our place of lodging has wonderful gardens and a small swimming pool for relaxing.

Day 4: January 21

We will be taking the ferry back to Buenos Aires and staying in the city at a great location near the botanical gardens and other numerous parks. Buenos Aires is a city full of parks and natural areas which are great for birding and walking.

Day 5: January 22

From Buenos Aires it is a 2-hour flight to Iguazu Falls. We will have 4 nights and 3 full days to visit this extraordinary area. The first 2 nights we will be staying within the national park at Hotel Melia Iguazu; the best place in town, which will give you unlimited access to the trails of Iguazu.

Day 6: January 23

All day will be spent hiking the trails and visiting the numerous waterfalls within Iguazu National Park. The butterflies here are amazing, everyone you see is a different species. There are monkeys, critters and birds galore!

Day 7: January 24

In the afternoon we will transfer to a new hotel at the edge of Iguazu. This area is close to walking paths and an animal reserve and there are great hiking trails here for viewing flora and fauna. The hotel itself is a great location for nature; there are nice gardens, a swimming pool and recreation area.

Day 8: January 25

Today is out last day in the Iguazu area and we will be taking a day trip to Brazil and Paraguay. This day trip is optional and you are welcome to spend the day in Argentina at Iguazu.

Day 9: January 26

It is a 2-hour flight back to Buenos Aires and we will be staying in the city close to the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, which is a large nature reserve for birding and walking. The hotel has a roof top swimming pool with great views of the reserve and water along Puerto Madero. In the evening we will have dinner and see a tango show!

Day 10: January 27

Fly home. Travel to the airport and getting home is our only schedule activity for the day.

Rancho Estero y Mar, El Salvador

**El Salvador

If you are interested in also visiting El Salvador, we offer a short stopover before the main trip to Argentina, but you can also sign up for only the El Salvador trip and we can add days to this trip upon request.

Travel Dates: January 14 – 17*** (airfare explanation listed below)

Group Size: 6 Travelers plus guides: 4 spots left

Trip Length: 4 days

Rates: per person = $1,350 (based on double occupancy)

Rates are:

Inclusive: Domestic transfers within El Salvador, lodging, meals, scheduled group tours, entrance fees and Allianz travel health insurance.

Exclusive: International airfare, immigration fee, alcohol, personal expenses such as souvenirs, expenses relating to personal choices during free time and tips for guides.

Itinerary Days for El Salvador Extension

Day 1: January 14

Arrival at El Salvador International Airport (SAL). You will be met at the airport and transferred to the place of lodging along the Pacific Coast. We will be spending three nights at Hotel Rancho Estero y Mar.

Day 2: January 15

Hotel Rancho Estero y Mar is beautifully located on the Pacific coast, on the beach, but also at the edge of a wonderful estuary. This area is great for birding, exploring, swimming, kayaking the river and relaxing. Each day there will be boat tours, birding walks and night time exploring.

Day 3: January 16

A second day of birding, exploring, swimming, kayaking, boat tours and night time exploring.

Day 4: January 17

Fly to Buenos Aires or fly home

(Days 5 – 14: January 18 – 27, Argentina tour)

***International Air Travel

There are two options for flights if you would like to stop in El Salvador on the way to Argentina:

1) You can purchase a one-way ticket from your home city to El Salvador (United Airlines, via Houston, is good for this route), a one-way ticket from El Salvador to Buenos Aires (Copa Airlines, via Panama, is good for this route) and a one-way ticket from Buenos Aires to your home city (United Airlines, via Houston, is good for this route).

2) You can purchase 2 round trip tickets: First ticket: Home city to El Salvador (SAL) arrive on January 16 and return to home city on January 30th. United Airlines, via Houston, is good for this route. Second ticket: San Salvador to Buenos Aires, depart on January 19 and return on January 29th. Copa Airlines, via Panama, is good for this route. I will be traveling this route with spending an extra night in El Salvador on the 29th and I can make hotel arrangements for you if you choose this route.

Granada, Nicaragua

Nicaragua Rum, Coffee & Cigar Tour

Travel Dates: February 1 – 8, 2019

Group Size: 6 Travelers plus guides: 5 spots left

Trip Length: 8 days

Rates: per person = $2,650 (single or double occupancy)

Rates are:

Inclusive: Domestic transfers within Nicaragua, lodging, meals, scheduled group tours, entrance fees and Allianz travel health insurance.

Exclusive: International airfare, immigration fee, alcohol, personal expenses such as souvenirs, expenses relating to personal choices during free time and tips for guides.

Itinerary

Day 1: February 1

Arrival in Managua. You will be greeted at the airport, followed by a very short shuttle ride to the hotel for the night. We will be staying at Las Mercedes, which is a great hotel for birds, gardens, pools and relaxing.

Day 2: February 2

It is a 1-hour shuttle to the beautiful historic colonial city of Granada, establish in the year 1524. We will spend one night here and have time to visit Doña Elba Cigars to visit the factory and roll a few cigars. Granada has several beautiful cathedrals to visit and is a great city for walking and seeing the sights. There are a lot of artists and artesian shops in Granada as well. Nearly 500 hundred years since settlement, the architecture and design of Granada is still true to the historic Spanish colonial times.

Day 3: February 3

Today we will travel to the Pacific coast village of Las Peñitas and spend two nights. It is about a 2.5-hour shuttle ride and along the way will stop at the Masaya Volcano, which is the most active volcano in Nicaragua. The coast of Las Peñitas has warm water and great waves for swimming and surfing. There will be plenty of time for walking the beach and swimming. There are several surfing schools on the beach for lessons and board rentals. For the extreme adventurer, volcano boarding is available at the Cerro Negro volcano.

Day 4: February 4

Today we will take a half day tour to the Flor de Caña rum factory for a VIP tour. Here you will receive a complementary bottle of the finest rum in the world. The rest of the day will be spent at the beach. Las Peñitas is home to the Juan Venado Nature Reserve. Every year during the fall months, hundreds of turtles come to lays eggs. The area is also wonderful for kayaking through the mangrove lagoons to view wildlife and birds.

Day 5: February 5

From the Pacific Coast, it is a 3-hour shuttle ride to the mountain town of Estelí. Estelí is the main area where most all the tobacco is grown for the production of Nicaraguan cigars. The elevation is 2,700 feet and the climate here is cooler and the surrounding mountains are cloud forests rising to nearly 5,000 feet. This is a beautiful area to visit, we will be staying in town. In the afternoon, we will be visiting a tobacco plantation for a tour.

Day 6: February 6

From Estelí, we will travel to the mountain resort of Selva Negra, located in the area of Matagalpa. It is about a 2-hour drive to this wonderful cloud forest coffee plantation located at 3,500 feet. There are a lot of birds and other wildlife here, including howler monkeys. There are nearly 10 miles of hiking trails and many miles of nice walking along the plantation roads.

Day 7: February 7

Besides growing organic shade grown coffee, Selva Negra is also a sustainable working farm and produces their own vegetables, meats and cheeses. In the morning there will be time for a choice of coffee tour, farm tour or a birding tour. There is a beautiful small lake at Selva Negra where the resort raises its own fish. In the afternoon, we will travel back to Managua. From Selva Negra, it is a 2.5-hour shuttle ride back to Managua for the last night at Las Mercedes.

Day 8: February 8

Fly home

August 2019

Santa Fe Opera Festival 2019

Join Kaiyote Tours for the Santa Fe Opera Festival 2019

Birding every day and Opera every night

I have a very special combined birding and opera tour that I am offering to 8 people for the August 2019 event. Every year the Santa Fe opera performs 5 separate operas and for one week every year in August, the Santa Fe Opera performs all five operas. In 2019 after the festival week of operas, Renée Fleming will be performing a one-time concert. If you are a birder and an opera lover, you will not want to miss this event.

Every day there will be birding tours to locations within a one-hour radius of Santa Fe and every night, there will be a new opera to see with a final concert by Renée Fleming.

The Santa Fe Opera is an outdoor pavilion that is completely covered and so no concern for getting rained on during the evening rain showers.

One unique and fun aspect of the Santa Fe opera is people show up early and "tailgate" for dinner. The opera house opens the parking lot 3-hours early to accommodate tailgaters. The opera house is located about 15 minutes north of Santa Fe surrounded by a beautiful arid southwest landscape of mesas, pinyon pines, chamisa and sagebrush. The weather in August is perfect; warm and dry during the day and cool, with occasional showers in the evening.

Highlights:

1) Renée Fleming makes her Santa Fe opera debut singing the Letters of Georgia by composer Kevin Puts for this one-time performance concert.

2) World premier opera by composer Poul Ruders, The Thirteenth Child.

3) Birding tours every day in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

4) Visiting Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch home and studio in Abiquiu.

5) Great southwest cuisine.

6) Seeing a great opera every night!

Travel Dates

August 4 – 11, 2019

Group Size:

8 travelers plus two guides (Kaiyote and Ed) 6 spots left

Trip Length:

8 Days

Rates

Rate per person = $3,870 (based on double occupancy)

Rates are:

Inclusive: Lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, Santa Fe opera tickets for five nights, Renée Fleming concert, daily birding tours, museum and park entrance fees, travel insurance

Exclusive: Airfare to Albuquerque, alcohol, trip cancelation insurance, personal expenses such as souvenirs and expenses relating to personal choices during free time, tips for guides.

Reservations: To reserve a spot on the tour a $2,300 per person, non-refundable deposit is required. The balance of $1,570 is due on May 4, 2019.

Schedule of Events

Day 1, Sunday August 4: Fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico

Arrival day: You will be greeted at the Albuquerque airport and transferred to your hotel in Santa Fe. Dinner in Santa Fe. No schedule tours on this day.

Day 2, Monday August 5

Morning birding: Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary, Santa Fe

Afternoon: tour of the cultural and historic center of Santa Fe

Dinner: Opera pre-view dinner at the opera house

Opera: Cosí Fan Tutte (1790) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Day 3, Tuesday August 6

Morning birding: Hyde Memorial State Park and the Santa Fe National Forest

Afternoon choice: free time to visit art galleries, shops and the historic center of Santa Fe

Afternoon choice: various birding locations

Afternoon museum: Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe

Dinner: Opera pre-view dinner at the opera house

Opera: Jenůfa (1904) Leoš Janáček