Yucatan’s ancestral ambience

MARVEL at ancient Maya ruins on weeklong tours of the lush Yucatan Peninsula with Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures.

The educational seven-night tours, scheduled Feb. 18, March 11 and April 8, begin in Cancun; participants spend five nights in Merida and one in Valladolid.

The group visits museums and cathedrals in Merida, explores the colonial city of Izamal, and visits the archeological sites of Uxmal and Kabah. The itinerary includes a tour of the markets in Uman and the Celestun Biosphere Reserve by boat.

The tour concludes with a visit to Chichen Itza, once the political and religious center of Maya culture in the region.

Cost: $1,199 per person, double occupancy ($300 single surcharge), including hotels, most meals, scholar lecturers and guides. International airfare from Los Angeles is not included

Contact: Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures, Pawtucket, R.I.; (800) 528-8147, www.smithsonianjourneystraveladventures.org.

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ASIA

Winter in Thailand and Myanmar

ESCAPE to Asia on winter trips to Thailand and Myanmar scheduled Feb. 15 and March 8. The 10-night tours, designed for women, visit Bangkok, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.

The group tours Bangkok, Thailand, including the temples Wat Traimit, Wat Po and Wat Benchamabophit. Other stops include the ruins of Ayutthaya, about 80 miles north of Bangkok, as well as Myanmar and the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. The group tours the ancient fortified city of Chiang Saen on the bank of the Mekong River at the southernmost point of the Golden Triangle in Thailand.

Participants will visit a Chinese refugee camp, the Mae Sa Elephant Training Center in Chiang Mai and craft villages.

Cost: $2,479 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, internal flights, most meals and excursions.

Contact: Gutsy Women Travel, Glenside, Pa.; (866) 464-8879, www.gutsywomentravel.com.

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INDIA, SRI LANKA

Subcontinent insider’s view

GAIN an overview of the vast subcontinent of India on a 19-day tour led by Indian-born physics professor Simon George, who teaches at Cal State Long Beach.

The Jan. 4 tour includes a day in Singapore before traveling to India and Sri Lanka.

While in India, the group tours Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai, Cochin, Trivandrum and Chennai. In Sri Lanka Colombo and Kandy are visited.

Cost: $6,795 per person, double occupancy ($1,520 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, meals, entrance fees, transfers, and lectures.

Contact: Simon George, (562) 596-8435, or Sita World Travel, (800) 421-5643, Ext. 1506.

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CALIFORNIA

Stalking the wild boar in Monterey

HUNT wild boar in Monterey County with a certified wild boar hunt guide.

Local rancher Ed Roth, a guide for more than 20 years, has access to 1,000 acres of private ranch land in the area.

The two-day hunts are offered year-round. Hunters must have a California hunting license and a pig hunting tag. For information, see www.dfg.ca.gov.

Cost: $800 for a trophy pig, $500 for a meat pig, includes hunting guide and dogs and four-wheel-drive vehicle. Lodging and meals are not included, although a dry camp for motor homes is available part of the year on the Roth property.

Contact: Ed Roth Hunting, Lockwood, Calif.; (831) 385-0978, www.edrothhunting.com. Accommodations are available at the Hacienda Lodge in Jolon (near King City), rates $40 to $170; call (831) 386-2900.

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ITALY

Rome, Capri and beyond

ENJOY favorite tourist sites without the crowds on seven-night winter tours to Italy.

The tours, scheduled March 3, 10 and 17, visit Florence, Sorrento, Capri, Naples and Rome.

Excursions include the ancient city of Pompeii and the gardens of Augustus on the island of Capri.

Cost: $1,999 per person, double occupancy ($600 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, some meals and sightseeing. Departure taxes are not included.

Contact: Troy Tours, Los Angeles; (310) 417-3460 or (800) 748-6878, www.troytours.com.

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The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or write via e-mail to [email protected].