Behind The Scenes Adventures are specialty trips---

small groups of friendly people with common interests in traditional festivals and celebrations,

ethnic textiles and indigenous costume, archaeology, cultural history, art and architecture.  

If you love going "behind the scenes" to meet the people and experience exotic destinations, savory local cuisine, flamboyant festivals, gorgeous scenery and remote villages where the people still make all their own exquisite textiles, then BTSA is for YOU!

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September 13 through October 1, 2009                                                                          

This is a new trip for Behind the Scenes!!

Cynthia has just returned a fabulous trip to India to arrange our

tour, and she is thrilled with the textiles, delicious food and

wonderful people she met.

  CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE:  INDIA PHOTO GALLERY

We land in New Delhi, visit Red Fort and the market, then go to nearby

Agra to see the breathtaking Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Then we head west to the famous textile and art producing states of Gujarat and Rajisthan, where we will visit many textile artists in their workshops and homes. Three of the Master textile artists will hold private textile workshops with natural dyes, just for our groups! We tour the world-famous Calico Museum with its exceptional textile collections. We stay in fascinating Heritage hotels in towns, and new, traditional bunghas in the little-visited northern Gujarat area of Kutch.

When we have made some wonderful projects in our workshops, and have seen all the art that we can possibly absorb, we head south to relax a bit in the tropical state of Kerala. We land in Cochin and drive to the interior to visit plantations of rubber, tea, coffee and spices. Cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger all grow in the area; here we also take a boat ride in a freshwater lake, a birdwatcher's paradise. Finally wespend 24 hours floating in the gorgeous backwater lagoons/lake--on private handmade houseboats!

Thoroughly relaxed from out houseboat cruise, at the end of our wonderful tour, we fly home from New Delhi on October 2.

Price:  $5595 includes international airfare from San Francisco; 17 days, three hands-on workshops, all accommodations incomfortable boutique or heritage hotels, all meals, three interior flights, one overnight first-class A/C train ride, private van transportation, and expert English-speaking guides.

E-mail or call for more information.

Our exciting 17-day trip to Mali and Burkina Faso includes four UNESCO World Heritage sites, the famous painted houses of Tiebele, a dye workshop with a famous textile designer, the mysterious Dogon country, a mudcloth-painting class, the fabulous "Music Festival sur le Niger," the fascinating archaeological site of Jenne-Jeno, and many other unique artistic and cultural experiences. We also visit a puppet/marionette maker and a traditional pottery making village.

Price: $3595 Includes 14 nights accommocations in comfortable hotels, two nights in Dogon Country, and day room last night, R/T flight to Timbuktu, transport by private vehicle, all meals, bottled water on the road, all entries to museums and events on itinerary except as noted; all guide fees, airport pickup on arrival.

Not included: Segou Festival tickets, departure transport to airport, alcoholic beverages, snacks and drinks between meals, personal items such as laundry and telephone calls.

Travel with the Experts! Cynthia LeCount Samake, Andean textile expert, and Peruvian Master Weaver, Nilda Callanaupa accompany the group on this popular adventure with a small group of textile fanatics.  We land in Lima, visit great textile/ceramic museums, then fly north to Trujillo to meet Peruvian textile specialists, and visit several fascinating archaeological sites--the famous pyramids of the Lord of Sipan, Huaca del Sol, and the Brunig Museum. 

 Then we fly over the Andes to CUZCO where we visit highland textile villages with Nilda, Director of the Cuzco Center for Traditional Textiles. We'll meet the knitters and the weavers--and learn to dye alpaca yarns with natural dyes. We also witness the spectacular Lord of the Earthquakes procession which takes place in the beautiful Plaza de Armas.

We spend two days at mystical MACHU PICCHU, then fly back to Lima for an experience sampling local cuisine. Next day, we fly home. During the trip we travel by commercial jet and private van; all of our hotels are safe and charming and the food is delicious.

Price: $2995 Includes 14 nights accommocations in comfortable hotels, four R/T flights, interior transportation by private van, train to Machu Picchu, all meals except 2 lunches, entrances to museums and sites on itinerary, one day entrance and shuttle bus to Machu Picchu.

 

Textiles, Temples and Festivals of NE Thailand and Laos

June 14 through 30, 2009

Join Cynthia LeCount, textile author and expert on this adventure to little-visited areas of Thailand and Laos, and the unique Phi Ta Khon festival. This great trip includes one fabulous festival, lots of temples and even more textiles!!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE - LAOS/THAILAND  PHOTO GALLERY

We leave home on the 13th and fly into Bangkok, arriving on the 14th. Then we head for Luang Prabang, LAOS, the beautiful and laid-back former Royal Capital, and UNESCO World Heritage site. We will stroll around the calm and pretty town, visiting the market and photographing the dozens of glittering Buddhist temples.

We will visit silk and cotton weavers around Luang Prabang and in many other towns along our route. We head south to Vientiane by private van, visiting several well-known weaving stuios and temples. Crossing into northeastern Thailand, known as Isaan.

We'll meet the indigo dyers who make intricate blue cotton ikat cloth around Nong Khai, nice little town on the Mekong River. There we will also see the bizarre sculpture garden called Sala Kaew Ku Park, where scenes from Hindu and Buddhist folklore are interpreted in huge sculptures.

Then for the final highllight of the trip: Phi Ta Khon festival, an event so special that the spirit medium waits for an auspicious message to decide on the actual dates of the festivities.

Revel with the masked dancers at the flamboyant and joyous PHI TA KHON festival! This is a very raucous but safe celebration, where highly talented mask artists paint amazing creations and wear them in the parade through town. We will stay at the brand new resort near town, owned by Cynthia's friend, Neeracha.

All in all this will be a fabulous trip, full of variety--welcoming people, beautiful sights, comfortable hotels, and delicious food! We fly home from Bangkok on July 1.

This trip includes 17 nights in comfortable hotels (three nights in luxury resort, some best available traditional hotels in rural areas), all meals, two interior flights, in-country travel by private van with helpful driver, archaeological and museum site entry fees.

International airfare, alcoholic beverages, airport transport and departure taxes, and personal items such as visas, not included.

Price: $3395

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