YOU MUST BE DREAMING
The Papua New Guinea Tumbuna Sing-Sing trip offers the chance to mingle with hundreds of tribes speaking 850 languages over 16 days. Asia Transpacific Journeys takes guests on an anthropological quest through the relatively untouristed Tumbuna Sing-Sing, where the tribes gather for celebrations of dancging, singing, tribal arts and other rituals. Included in the trip is a three-night cruise on the Sepik River, where travelers will visit with remote cultures – including the Huli Wigmen and the Crocodile Peple – known for their complex ancestor cults, ancient agricultural practices and elaborate ceremonial houses, as well as intricate tribal art available for purchase. The area is rife with waterfalls, reef systems (snorkeling is planned) and exotic flora and fauna. The tour departs May 20 and costs $7,395 per person, including all land outlays such as tour leadership by a 30-year veteran, visits to area museums, meals and accommodations in eco-lodges. Call 800-642-2742 or visit asiatranspacific.com.
GEARING UP
Normally, an earworm is an annoying song you can’t get out of your head, like “It’s a Small World After All.” Sorry. But in the case of Earworms Musical Brain Trainers in Greek, French, Spanish and Italian, the earworm is a vehicle for putting foreign phrases in a singsong format so that you will more readily learn them. The idea is to help you handle the basics: ordering in a restaurant, asking for directions, simple conversations. Each of the two volumes comes with a phrasebook and CD, with native speakers repeating phrases with music in the background to match the cadence. The company recommends that you listen as you drive or do other activities so that the information seeps into your brain; we found that made sense because listening to the pleasant music after a day of work was so relaxing, we fell asleep. | $25, earwormslearning.com
BOOK YOUR VACATION
Frommer’s is really getting this whole guidebook thing down pat, and the travel aid’s new series of self-
guided tours, subtitled “day by day” ($12.99, Wiley), is further proof. Small enough to tuck into a pocket or daypack, the series so far takes on 15 cities or regions, including New York, Washington, D.C., Paris, and Napa and Sonoma. Included in each are clear, well-detailed maps attached to the book, as well as a removable, tearproof map in a plastic pocket in the back. The sections are tagged for tourists to break down cities by ways of visiting, such as historic sites, trips with kids, outdoor activities, museums, shopping, great neighborhoods and arts and entertainment. There also are chapters on hotels, restaurants, getting there and getting around. Photos are small but add to the appeal, and listings are succinct but informative.
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS | Top dive sites
The top spots in which to dive in the Caribbean/Atlantic, according to Scuba Diving magazine’s annual reader survey:
Bonaire
Dominica
Cozumel, Mexico
Little Cayman and Cayman Brac,
Cayman Islands
British Virgin Islands
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
The Atolls
Belize
Grand Turk and Salt Cay,
Turks & Caicos
Curacao
Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
MySpaVacations.com
It’s hard not to book immediately as you navigate your way around this site, which is all happy and flowery. From the home page on, it assumes you are here for one reason only: to book your stay at a spa. Start with flight, hotel or rental car needs, and then get down to the nitty-gritty: Do you want to lose weight? Go to an adults-
only spa for a romantic getaway? Scuba dive or golf between massages? The spas also are categorized geographically, and there is a link to deals.
GEO QUIZ | Where are these places?
1. Which country has the wetter climate – the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Morocco?
2. Which country is more frequently affected by volcanic activity – Iceland or the United Kingdom?
3. Which country has the larger number of people who speak Spanish – Ecuador or Malaysia?
4. Which country has the larger area of savanna grassland – Norway or Kenya?
5. Which country has the larger population – Argentina or New Zealand?
6. Which country has the greater percentage of its population living in urban areas – Uganda or Monaco?
7. Which country has higher mountains – Afghanistan or the Bahamas?
8. Which country has the larger Islamic population – Iraq or Paraguay?
9. Which country has the larger Buddhist population – Jordan or Laos?
10. Raising livestock is more important to the economy of which country – Uruguay or Barbados?
ANSWERS: 1. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2. Iceland 3. Ecuador 4. Kenya 5. Argentina 6. Monaco 7. Afghanistan 8. Iraq 9. Laos 10. Uruguay
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
