IBEX Worldwide Tours

Tour Belize - Chocolate, Nature and Culture

Explore cacao farms, learning how cacao is grown and its role in traditional and modern Maya culture and economy.  Then learn modern day methods of making your own chocolate at the Cotton Tree Chocolate factory.  Visit ancient Mayan ruins and meet with modern Mayan villagers in their homes.  Identify some of Belize’s nearly 600 bird species with a local expert.  Learn about Mayan bush medicine with a traditional Mayan healer.  This trip will bring you to the unspoiled Toledo District of southern Belize, offering you unique opportunities to see wildlife and enjoy genuine cultural interactions with the local people.

Next tour to Belize: November 7 to November 14, 2010.

Bhutan Tour - Journey to Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon

IBEX is privileged to offer a unique tour to Bhutan, offering an insider's view of this exotic Himalayan Kingdom. The tour to Bhutan includes a visit to the highlands surrounding Paro, to the haunting natural and cultural beauty of DochuLa, Wangdue and Punakha farther to the East. Consistently ranked as one of the most interesting travel destinations on Earth, Bhutan was recently featured in Vanity Fair and the New York Times. IBEX brings you the insider's view of Bhutan with Preston Scott, who has worked directly with several ministries of the Royal Government of Bhutan. Join IBEX on this extraordinary tour of Bhutan.

Next tour to Bhutan: April 10 to May 1, 2010.

Ecuador Tour - Mysteries of Ecuador's Cloud Forest

This tour of Ecuador will immerse you in the unique and fascinating atmosphere of a cloud forest ecosystem and local communities located between 800 meters and 2500 meters elevation in the Andes Mountains. The Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve is less than a two hour drive from Quito, in the northwest Pichincha Province. The bio reserve and surrounding privately protected areas offer opportunities to learn about the flora and fauna of this special environment, in which the epiphytic flora is considered the most diverse on the planet. You will visit a butterfly farm, orchid reserves, and meet local people involved in environmental education and sustainable living. Join IBEX on this extraordinary tour of Ecuador.

Next tour to Ecuador: October 28 to November 7, 2010.

Kamchatka Tour - Volcanoes, Geysers, Salmon, Bears and the Inhabitants of the Peninsula

Kamchatka is a 780-mile long peninsula located in the Far East of the Russian Federation. The size of California, it is a hundred times less populated with less than one person per square mile. The most spectacular volcanic region in the world, with a high density and a variety of active volcanoes, the Peninsula contains the Volcanoes of Kamchatka UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Valley of Geysers, the second largest concentration of geysers in the world, stretching 6 km (3.7 mi) along the peninsula. On this tour, you will observe Kamchatka's diverse ecosystem, mass salmon migration, photograph giant brown bears fishing salmon at Lake Kurile and meet local peoples residing in the region. Join IBEX on this extraordinary educational trip to one of the most remote places in the world. Join IBEX Tours on this extraordinary tour to Kamchatka in the Russian Far East.

Next tour to Kamchatka: August 2 to August 14, 2010.

Kazakhstan Tour - Hidden Zhetysu Wonderland

Kazakhstan's Zhetysu region lies between Lake Balkhash and the North Tian Shan mountains, spread over 400 kilometers and is the South-Eastern part of modern Kazakhstan. The name, Zhetysu, means seven rivers and refers literally to the rivers that flow into Lake Balkhash.

On this tour you will explore history, culture, and biodiversity of the region especially with regards to vertical zonality and the ecosystem’s gradient. We will discuss habitat preservation, plant communities including pristine apple and apricot forests, birds (including a visit to a falcon breeding center, Sunkar), mammals, and centuries-old Kazakh traditions. Join IBEX Tours on this extraordinary tour of Kazakhstan.

Next tour to Kazakhstan: May 21 to May 30, 2010.

Kyrgyzstan Tour - Kyrgyz Land of Wonders

This tour to Central Asia is a unique opportunity to explore the incredible natural beauty and authentic culture of Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz culture is deeply rooted in proud nomadic traditions. Even in the Stone Age, cattle-breeding nomads and Indo-European tribes lived in this area. Deserts, steppes, coniferous and deciduous forests, and alpine meadows can all be found within a few kilometers of each other. You will visit Lake Issyk-Kul, the second largest salt water lake in the world. The extraordinarily beautiful Lake Sary-Chelek lies hidden in the northern flanks of the Fergana Valley amid groves of wild walnuts and fruit trees and will be one of our stops.  The Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve is part of UNESCO’s Western Tian Shan Biodiversity Project, designed to conserve lynx, maral deer and bears. Jalal-Abad Province in Kyrgyzstan is home to unique extensive walnut forests. This is an extraordinary region waiting to open its wonders to you. Join IBEX Tours on this extraordinary tour of Kyrgyzstan.

Next tour to Kyrgyzstan: August 5 to August 14, 2010.

New Zealand Tour - Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud

Travel to the South Pacific and learn what elements, both natural and man made, have come together to give New Zealand its world wide reputation as a ‘Green’ tourist destination. Discover for yourself how its mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and stunning coastline provide a unique habitat for an incredible diversity of plant life. Observe how this in turn has influenced the development of native animals such as the Kiwi.

Join IBEX Tours on this extraordinary tour of New Zealand.

Next tour to New Zealand: March 14 to March 25th, 2010

Sweden Tour - In Linnaeus' Footsteps: Orchids, Fossils, and Birds of Southern Sweden

This early summer tour to Sweden will be a course in discovery of the native land of the Norse seafaring traders and warriors known as the Vikings. We will retrace the footsteps of the world-famous naturalist Carl Linnaeus, the world’s first ethnobotanist and the father of modern taxonomy. The areas of Skåne, Småland, and the island of Öland in southern Sweden are famous for their migrating birds, orchid meadows, and rich cultural history, reaching back 10,000 years to the stone age. The area is characterized by its large biodiversity, both living and fossilized, and variety of habitats, from sandy beaches to limestone cliffs, meadows, steppe, and deciduous or conifer forests. Join IBEX Tours on this extraordinary tour of Sweden.

Next tour to Sweden: May 29 to June 6, 2010.

Tanzania Tour - History, culture, and wildlife safari

This wildlife safari to Tanzania will include visits to a variety of East Africa’s wildlife habitats, each with its own unique community of birds and mammals, scenic attractions, and cultural components. The Great Rift Valley, the vast savannas of the Serengeti, Olduvai Gorge, the Ngorongoro Crater and visits with the Maasai, Iraqw, Hadzapi and Datoga tribal groups are all included in this 11 day safari program. Environmentally sensitive travel to East Africa’s parks and cultural centers is an important aspect of the country’s long-range challenge, to manage its wealth of wildlife in a sustainable manner, and to utilize its resources in a way that will create optimum living conditions for all its inhabitants. Join us on a special IBEX Tours safari in Tanzania.

Next safari to Tanzania: October 12 to October 22, 2010 with 2 possible extension, one pre-tour and one post-tour.

Uzbekistan Tour - Central Asia and The Silk Road

Immersed in ancient atmosphere of booming Silk Road trade, Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country dominated by the Kyzyl Kum (Qizilqum) desert. Central Asia played an important buffer role between Europe and China with prominent trade routes collectively known as the Silk Road for a thousand years. Ancient oasis cities in Uzbekistan are well preserved and many are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The region flourished during the 10th-12th century period with several independent states culturing an unprecedented rise of ethical regulations, philosophy, science and medicine. Bukhara, Samarkand, Merv, Urgench and Khiva became widely popular cities in the Muslim world where crafts and architecture thrived. Under the direction of Mamun Khorezm-Shakh, the first academy in Central Asia was established in Khorezm at the beginning of the 11th century. Join IBEX Tours on this extraordinary tour of Uzbekistan.

Next tour to Uzbekistan: September 16 to September 26, 2010.