Watch a Taste of Italy with Insight  then call Travel Masters 604-659-4176 or 1-877-659-4176

For more information on travel to Israel, visit Go Israel and call Travel Masters 1-877-659-4176 or 604-659-4176.  Come find the Israel in you.

In a unique tourism experiment, guests on guided walks throughTasmania’s remote Tarkine rainforest will help scientists track local populations of the Australian island state’s most iconic creature by collecting data from 45 motion-sensing cameras set up along the trails.

The world’s largest surviving carnivorous marsupial is endemic toTasmania, and the pristine wilderness in the island’s north-west corner is one of the last areas to remain untouched by an aggressive facial cancer that has obliterated overall devil numbers by more than 80% over 15 years.  

The size of a small dog with powerful jaws, the animal was thought to live only in dry, coastal or open woodland. But the discovery of a thriving and disease-free population in Tarkine’s dense rainforest offers scientists a valuable new opportunity to study their behavior in the wild and develop a better understanding of how the disease is spread.

The decade-long Tarkine Devil Project is being funded by the Tasmanian government as part of a broader rescue program begun in 2003 that includes captive breeding of immune animals, habitat management and laboratory research into the disease.

First identified in 1996, Devil facial tumor disease causes growths around the mouth that hinder the animal from feeding, so it eventually starves to death. The mysterious and rare form of contagious cancer is thought to spread through the devils biting each other while squabbling for food.

Until the late 1990s, Tasmanian devils were commonly found all over the island. But the illegal introduction of the red fox, increased road traffic accidents and the rapid spread of facial cancer have seen its numbers plummet to just 10,000, with the species being declared in 2008 as endangered.

Introducing two expertly planned itineraries which include the internationally famous Floriade—a world horticultural exposition that happens only once a decade.

NEW Gems of Germany, Belgium & the Netherlands with Floriade | Cologne to Brussels | 8 Days

NEW Grand Treasures of Europe | Brussels to Prague | 17 Days Personalize their river cruise experience in more ways than ever

NEW “Choice is Yours” shore excursions offering more sightseeing options for well-traveled guests

NEW “Go Active” program for guests wanting to experience a destination in an active style

NEW “Gentle Walking” tours with guides for guests who prefer a more relaxed pace

Luxury and value always go hand-in-hand with Uniworld With Uniworld, you will always be treated to the most luxurious boutique cruise ships designed with your comfort in mind. And with our all-inclusive, value-packed programs with virtually everything they need included, you’ll have nothing to worry about except enjoying award-winning hospitality, world-class cuisine, captivating excursions, and the finest river ships in the industry.

 Click here to view the 2012 Europe & Russia eBrochure.

 PradoMuseuminforms the world of art about a new discovery of Da Vinci’s famous master piece Mona Lisa copy, thought to be the earliest.

The work offers art-lovers a tantalizing hint of what the model for the world’s most famous painting really looked like.

 Conservators found the portrait hidden beneath layers of black overpainting during restoration work on a picture initially thought to have been a later replica of the “Mona Lisa.”

 The restored version shows the same woman that Leonardo depicted, against a landscape similar to that shown in the background of the original, which now hangs in the Louvre inParis.

 And while the features of Leonardo’s subject have been dulled by centuries of dirt and layers of cracked varnish — which are unlikely ever to be removed — in the recently-rediscovered copy, she appears fresher faced and younger than her better-known “twin.”

 News of the find was revealed at a symposium atLondon’s National Gallery, linked to its blockbuster “Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan” exhibition, and reported in the Art Newspaper.

 “This sensational find will transform our understanding of the world’s most famous picture,” the Art Newspaper reported, adding that the underdrawing found on theMadridversion “suggests that the original and the copy were begun at the same time and painted next to each other, as the work evolved.”

 Miguel Falomir, curator of Italian painting at the Prado, told a press conference at the museum expert analysis suggested a strong link between Leonardo and the artist who painted the copy.

“The painting was done in the painter’s own workshop,” he was quoted by AFP as saying.

 “It is absolutely consistent with Leonardo’s work,” he said, but he added: “It is a work in which Leonardo himself did not intervene.”

 The painting is expected to be unveiled to the public at thePradoMuseumlater this month.  It will then go on display at the Louvre in March, as part of the “Leonardo’s Final Masterpiece” exhibition, which focuses on his work, “The Virgin and Child with St. Anne.”

Centuries-old historical structures over an area of 2.7 hectares will be restored to boost cultural tourism in Central Anatolia’s Cappadocia region, one of Turkey’s most popular tourism regions.

The “Kayakapı Cultural and Natural Environment Protection and Revival” project envisages the restoration of 1,215 houses carved from the rock, historic mansions, churches, mosques, as well as the historic Kayakapı neighborhood, where the house of Saint John is located.

Ürgüp Mayor Fahri Yıldız and the project’s manager, Kayakapı Tourism Investment A.Ş. General Manager Mustafa Dinler, organized a visit for press members in the Kayakapı neighborhood on Jan. 30.

Speaking at a press conference after the visit, Dinler said the project focused on Göreme Natural Park, which is on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list, and Kayakapı.

A significant part of the project will be directed toward a rural area that includes 20 structures such as fountains and historic Roman baths, said Dinler. The estimated cost of the project is 30 million dollars, according to officials.

He said that in the first stage of the project, mosques, rock churches, St. John’s Church, a handicrafts center, cafes, restaurants and agricultural fields in the skirts of Kayakapı would come into use.

“These places will be open to the public. When the project is done, it will not only be a profitable tourism investment but will also contribute to the social-economic and cultural life of Ürgüp and the whole Cappadocia region. The number of tourists and employment rate will also increase,” he said.

Mayor Yıldız said the region had been left to its fate in 1970s, when it was declared a “disaster area.” “The region was declared a disaster area because there is a danger that a big rock mass can fall. Those living in the area moved to houses built by the state in another neighborhood. Afterwards this place was left to its fate,” he said.

“Muslims and Christians had lived in peace in the Kayakapı neighborhood. “There is a centuries-old history in this neighborhood. There are traces of many civilizations, from Roman baths to Selçuk mosques and rock churches.

Thinking of a tour to Turkey – check out Treasures of Turkey from Insight Vacations.

check out the tour details Call 604-659-4176 or
1-877-659-4176 to Book Now!  Avoid the single supplement – ask us about the single share program. Email whiterock@travelmasters.ca

Saudi Arabia leaders will allow women to watch football matches in new stadiums to be designed exclusively for them.

Officials in the kingdom said women will be able to watch matches at the Jeddah stadium after specially constructed private cabins and balconies are completed in 2014, local media reported. 

“Sources close the stadium said more than 15 percent of the facility will be allocated for families when the facility is fully completed in 2014,” the Arabic daily Al Sharq said, quoting unnamed sources. 

“Besides families, female journalists and photographers will also be admitted into the stadium and will be allocated exclusive places away from male journalists so they can cover local and international events,” it added.

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s two holiest sites inMeccaandMedina, applies the austere WahhabischoolofSunni Islam. Liberal activists have long called for greater rights for women who cannot travel or work without the written permission of a male relative. The oil rich Gulf state also bans women from driving. 

While the ruling Al Saud family has always maintained a close relationship with the ultra conservative Wahhabi clerics, the government is pushing for reforms that give women more rights. 

King Abdullah in September announced a “cautious reform” in which he gave women the right to vote and stand for election in future local elections and to join the advisory Shura council.  

“Because we refuse to marginalise women in society in all roles that comply with sharia, we have decided, after deliberation with our senior ulama [clerics] and others … to involve women in the Shura council as members, starting from the next term,” he said in a speech.  

Saudi clerics were reportedly upset they were not consulted about the move prior to the announcement. “I wish the king did not say that he consulted senior clerics… When I heard the speech and what was said about consultation, without a doubt I had no knowledge of it before hearing the king’s speech,” Sheikh Saleh Al Lohaidan, one of the kingdom’s most senior clerics said in October.

 
 
Hitler, evil personified, has been a puzzle for many historians and the interested public. His Wolf’s Lair in Poland has been attracting WW II devotees and a potential make over may lure a great many new visitors.

Hitler remains one of the most cruel, bloodthirsty military leaders of all time. His persona has been a fascinating subject for many history fans and devotees and monitoring his life and death has become an obsession for many.

Those who are aware of his histories will have heard about the Wolf’s Lair, a fortress where he and many of his men spent several years during WW II. It is located in Polish northeastern woodlands and what now are more or less ruins was a sturdy military headquarters. While currently owned by local forestry authority, the area is available to anyone willing to invest and turn Hitler’s fortress into a tourist magnet.

While the offer has been on the table for some time now, the reactions have been very scarce. It is a demanding project, featuring the refurbishment of nearly 80 buildings, divided into several Security Zones based on who was staying in them.

Wolf’s Lair, or Wolfsschanze was built in 1940 and the first time Hitler personally visited here was in 1941. Within three years, he spent some 800 days here and Wolfschanze functioned as his military headquarters.

The bunker system proved more than adequate and the area was self sufficient; there was a power plant and train station within the complex. It took massive amounts of TNT to destroy most of the area – a rather tiring effort of the retreating German forces in 1945. And even now, many of local bunkers still exist thanks to their firm ferro-concrete skeletons.

Wolf’s Lair has also become known as the place where Col. Claus von Stauffenberg attempted to assassinate Hitler, a plot popularized by the 2008 Tom Cruise film ‘Valkyrie’ which certainly raises its appeal to the general public.

 Check out a new tour from Insight Vacations – Highlights of Poland.  Various dates available for May, June, July, August and September.  After the ravages of war and the yoke of Communism, Poland is now experiencing a renaissance.  This tour looks beyond its stormy past to the rich culture and proud history.  

 Call Travel Masters – 604-659-4176 or 1-877-659-4176 Or you can email us at whiterock@travelamsters.ca

  Welcome to the “other” Europe.  For clients who want to slow down and see some of Europe’s most untouched scenery at a human pace, this 10 day walking tour is just the ticket. Amazing value, undiscovered history, and a great introduction to a charming corner of Eastern Europe! This part of the Balkans will not disappoint any adventure client looking for an active holiday in while taking in surreal scenery, historic sites and delicious cuisine!.

Your clients will start their trip walking through Bosnia & Herzegovina, plus the beautiful renaissance city of Dubrovnik. The true highlight is the walking / trekking experience in Sutjeska which is Bosnia & Herzegovina’s oldest national park, encompassing 17,500 hectares of magnificent wilderness and one of Europe’s last primeval forests.

This itinerary includes some of the best trekking the region has to offer: ascending Bosnia’s highest peak, Maglic Mountain; passing hidden waterfalls and glacial lakes; and heading into the Perucica Forest with its thriving wildlife.  The trip starts and ends in the beautiful Croatian city of Dubrovnik, situated on the shores of the warm Adriatic.

 Highlights

• Explore Sarajevo, Mostar and the history left by the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
• Sightseeing in Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Enjoy a beautiful peaceful walk through the ancient beech and spruce forest of Perucica.
• Half day walk through the beautiful Rakitnica Canyon.
• Explore Lukomir, Bosnia’s highest village.

Pricing: Land only
$1,840 - 22 Jun., 20 Jul., 3 Aug., 17 Aug.