OAKLAND, Calif. -- Escape Artists Travel, based here, designed a
tour with an ecological slant called Farms & Fortresses of
Tuscany and Sardinia.
The program features
walking and biking outings in Italy's protected areas.
The tour was organized by a forestry expert who works with an
Italian nonprofit conservation group. The itinerary includes five
days in the Apuan Alps area of Tuscany, with its small villages and
farms. Participants can hike or cycle along trails that wind
through the park. Accommodations are in a farmhouse on the edge of
the park, near the Mediterranean Sea.
The nine-night program includes four days in Sardinia, based in
four villas at Porto Pino, in the southern part of the island, near
Cagliari.
"This really is a unique experience, especially in Sardinia,"
said Karen Killebrew, president of Escape Artists Travel. "Each day
will have activities based on the interests of the group."
Killebrew said that programs will incorporate the features that
everyone loves about Italy. "Wonderful meals are definitely a part
of the tours," she said, adding that the group organizers are
proponents of such organic produce as local cheese, bread and
wine.
The next available tour date is May 1. The land price of $2,100
per person includes all meals and air fare from Pisa to
Sardinia.
According to Killebrew, "The departure takes place during the
grape harvest, which will add a whole other element to it."
Killebrew, who also is a member of ASTA's environment committee
and the executive director of the conservation group Partners in
Responsible Tourism, said her foray into special-interest travel is
in response to the changing needs of today's travelers.
"I see a trend for unusual destinations and small group
departures vs. traditional bus tours," she said. "I have given
seminars for ASTA on ecotourism, for example, and I see a
commitment to the concept but a hesitancy on knowing what operators
to choose or how to put together tours. I'm hoping to add
agreements to represent more small companies so that we can be
a real resource for travel agents."
Escape Artists Travel, Phone: (510) 652-1700 or (800) 868-7710.
Fax: (510) 652-6510. E-mail: [email protected]. Web:
www.escapeartists.com