Across Russia by Train

Posted on March 11, 2009 by academictravel

The Trans-Siberian Express

Completed at the end of the 19th century, the Trans-Siberian Railway allows adventurous travelers to journey 6,000 miles across Russia’s great expanse. Smithsonian Journeys and Academic Travel Abroad offer a unique travel experience in 2009 aboard the newly-renovated, luxury Golden Eagle Express, traveling from the enigmatic Russian Far East and its legendary outposts to Moscow’s Red Square, crossing eight time zones and two continents. Along the way stopping in remote outposts to learn about the fascinating peoples and cultures of Siberia and Mongolia, visit museums, and enjoy a traditional meal in a private ger (tented home). Exclusive lectures by historian George Munro highlight Russian history from before the Romanovs to the present. Even the most experienced travelers will be spellbound by this special journey. Click here to read more…

The Trans-Siberian Expert:

George Munro

George Munro is Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University. He received his Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is the recipient of several Fulbright grants, fellowships, and distinguished service awards. George has lived and studied in the former Soviet Union and served as Study Leader for many Smithsonian Journeys.

In a recent interview, Dr. Munro reflected on train travel in Russia:

“For a century and a half trains have been one of the important means of transportation in Russia. Railroads figure largely in Russian literature-see Anna Karenina! Railroad workers and factories producing equipment for the railroads played a critical role in Russia’s revolutions in the early 20th century. From train windows one glimpses some of the most beautiful Russian scenes as well as the disadvantaged areas that no country deliberately shows its visitors. The view from the train combines a little bit of everything in Russia. To actually live on a train while seeing Russia is a real treat.”

Learn more about this unique adventure here

presented by Smithsonian Journeys
and Academic Travel Abroad

Ballooning over Egypt with Smithsonian Journeys

Posted on March 5, 2009 by academictravel

A view of where the desert meets the greens of the Nile basin.

Last Sunday, I was on the Nile with the Smithsonian Journeys “Egyptian Odyssey” tour group. It had already been an exciting day since five of us started the morning with a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. Delightful. Then the whole group toured Karnak Temple together, led by our guide Jihan Hussein. Magnificent! This was my fourth time through Karnak and I never cease to be dazzled by it. Then we spent the afternoon cruising upstream on the Nile on the M/S Tamr Henna toward the Esna lock.

The tour is over now and I am relaxing with friends in Cairo. This latest Egyptian Odyssey group was, I have to say, quite wonderful. Despite being focused on Pharaonic Egypt, they were very curious about contemporary culture. In the short couple weeks in this country, they started to really “get” modern Egypt. During the

Aloft over the Valley of the Kings

last few days of the tour, many of them expressed surprise, satisfaction, even joy at realizing how rich and varied is the culture of this crazy, gritty, delightful place.

When you first get under the surface a new culture, there is always a little bit of that feeling Howard Carter must have had when he first looked into the tomb of Tutankhamun. “Yes,” he is reported to have replied to Lord Carnavon’s eager queries, “I see wonderful things.”

Andrew Simon
Tour Manager
Smithsonian Journeys Egyptian Odyssey

ATA Opens Old Play Book to Survive in Today’s Economic Downturn

Posted on February 13, 2009 by academictravel

Chairman David Parry and President Kate Simpson need two hands to count the number of world crises they have weathered together as leaders of Academic Travel Abroad, a 59-year-old educational travel company based in Washington, D.C.

The OPEC crisis, Chernobyl, Tiananmen Square, Desert Storm, 9/11, SARS, and other world events are the backdrop upon which ATA has designed and operated innovative travel and study abroad programs for decades. Throw in the normal boom and bust cycles of the U.S. economy and both Dave and Kate agree that they can’t imagine a more interesting and challenging business to manage!

While ATA has “been there and done that” during previous downturns, the current crisis is a “perfect storm” of factors that have deeply affected the older, educated, affluent Americans who form ATA’s customer base. However, while other travel companies have panicked and slashed prices to improve bookings in the short term, ATA has taken its usual, “no drama” approach and has applied a set of timeless management techniques that have steered the company out of choppy waters in the past.

Here are a few secrets from their survival play book:

A diversified product line that caters to travelers at several different “life stages”
A commitment to superior customer service and strong value-added components in all of its programs
A strong investment in marketing
An innovative product line that meets the traveler’s need for shorter programs that don’t skimp on education
A long term plan to be prepared when the market rebounds
A relentless focus on strong business principles, such as containing overhead costs and maintaining a strong cash flow

Academic TravelAbroad

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Vietnam: My Experiences

Posted on February 9, 2009 by academictravel

vietnam-istock_000001893968medium1 I first visited Viet Nam in 1994 as a new employee of ATA and then again leading Smithsonian Study Tours’ first tour to country the following year. Since then, I’ve returned to graduate school, studied Vietnamese language, history and culture, and even started work on a doctoral dissertation examining border trade between China and Viet Nam. In all that time, I’d never actually made it back to Viet Nam. I’d come close – Cambodia, Thailand, even looked over into Vietnam from the Friendship Gate close to Pingxiang, China, but I hadn’t been able to make it back for nearly 14 years.

Finally, in October, 2008, I was able to make the trip. People who’ve traveled there a lot told me I wouldn’t recognize the place, and based on my experience in China, where I frequently visit, I was expecting a complete transformation. I was very pleasantly surprised. To be sure, there were changes – the ride from the airport into Hanoi at midnight was along an elevated highway, crowded at the time with motorcycles overflowing with flowers headed to the wholesale flower market. 14 years ago, the road to the airport was at places unpaved and meandered through villages and farms. There are now skyscrapers in Hanoi, mixed in with the elegant old French colonial buildings. But it’s still recognizable as Hanoi. Unlike their counterparts in Beijing, the Vietnamese haven’t torn down the vast majority of their city and replaced it with a hodgepodge of oddly shaped, hyper-modern buildings, or row after row of identical apartment buildings. The old quarter looks very much as it did when I first explored it: chaotic and colorful. There are more cars on the road, and many, many more motorcycles, but it still feels like Hanoi.

The biggest change I noticed was in the people. Part of what I loved about Viet Nam when I first visited was the people — friendly, smiling, welcoming. They’re still that way, thankfully, but now there’s a sense of optimism and confidence that I didn’t detect before. People in their 20s and early 30s have grown up and come of age in a period of relative openness and unprecedented economic growth, and they seem to have the feeling that anything is possible. In the early 1990s, there was a lot less certainty. Doi Moi had just begun, and no one was sure what would happen. They seemed tentative, wide-eyed toward the outside world. No more. At least in the places I visited – admittedly all very much on the beaten track – people were hip, connected, well-informed and cosmopolitan. I, being none of those things, felt a little out of place!

14 years ago on my first trip to Viet Nam, I received no fewer than 3 proposals of marriage from young women (none of them serious, but then again they probably weren’t completely unserious) who foresaw that their lives in Viet Nam would be bleak; this year I received none. I like to think that this is not (only) because I am old, fat and generally unattractive but rather because the Vietnamese themselves like where they are and where they are headed.

Chris Roper
Senior Program Manager

Academic Travel Abroad

ATA Chairman David Parry Reminisces About Traveling to Russia during glasnost.

Posted on January 15, 2009 by academictravel

Sneaking into Russia!

During the excitement over the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991 I attended a meeting of the American-Soviet Tourism Society in Tallinn, Estonia. With the breakup of the USSR, the three Baltic Republics were once again independent and now, I had to obtain a separate Estonian visa. When I arrived at the airport I encountered newly uniformed Estonian customs officials. Nearby stood several forlorn USSR border guards who no longer had a role to play.

I continued by air to Moscow and, at arrival at Sheretimevyo Airport, I was amazed that there was no immigration control. Clearly, the system still regarded Tallinn as an internal flight. So when I presented my passport and Russian visa at the Moscow hotel there was much discussion about the fact that all the parts of my visa were intact. (The Soviet system was to issue a separate paper visa with one part detached on arrival and, after providing authority for the hotel stay at each place, the remainder was kept upon departure. There was never a visa in the passport itself.

The same consternation occurred on check in at the Astoria Hotel in Leningrad or was it now St. Petersburg.

The finale came on departure at Leningrad’s Pulkovo Airport for home. I shuffled up to the border police stand and presented my passport and all the parts of the official visa. These passport control stands were and are booths where the shelf for presenting your passport is about 4 ½ feet high. Through the years this was usually the most uncomfortable encounter of a visit to the USSR.

The young and, as always, expressionless border guard took one look at my complete visa and rang for the supervisor. The supervisor appeared and went behind the counter where I could not see what they were looking at. There was much discussion and thumbing of my passport. My heart sunk because this meant I was going to miss my flight.

Finally, after about ten minutes, I heard the thump, thump of the official stamp on my visa and I knew that I would be free to go. As the supervisor left the booth she turned to me and exclaimed in disgust on word – Yeltsin!

Several months later the same thing happened on the night train from Vilnius, Lithuania to Moscow. But that is another story…

Dave Parry

Chairman
Academic Travel Abroad

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Why I Love Being a Program Manager

Posted on January 12, 2009 by academictravel

Emma Impavido reflects on how satisfying she finds her job as Program Manager, even in difficult economic times. ATA’s team of Program Managers are responsible for designing and operating ATA’s tours for its non-profit clients. Emma is ATA’s senior Program Manager for Italy, Greece and U.K. programs.

I am increasingly reflective about why I like my job as a program manager and why I think the travel industry will survive the current global economic crisis.

I have been creating enticing cultural group tours to Italy, Greece and UK for nearly 15 years, 8 of which I have been with ATA. (And I am one of the newer members to the department!) I enjoy putting itineraries together because I love being transported to a destination on a daily basis. There is excitement in designing a new culinary tour to Sicily; the need for a solution when dealing with an unexpected museum closure and there are decisions to make when analyzing what I can remove from the program to keep the costs down while still maintaining a first class educational journey.

Travel planning is in my blood. Friends and family are forever asking me (a Brit) for advice on where to stay or eat when traveling to Italy, and not my Italian husband! Many of us at ATA have this passion about travel and are sources of knowledge about the different regions of the world in which we operate.

But for those behind the scenes, travel is not always the glamorous job of jet setting around the world to check out elegant hotels and fine restaurants. When times are good there are still the issues that keep us on our toes: uprisings in Mongolia, a broken pelvis in Athens, a sick traveler on a Trans Siberian rail journey, not to mention the lost luggage and travel delays. These are perhaps nothing compared to the challenges the travel industry will face in 2009, but they are truly typical examples of what we encounter day to day.

Travel is the first luxury to go when finances are tight, but I am confident that people will still look to travel planners and travel agents, each experts in their own field, to assist with their travel decisions.

In this age of modern technology anyone can book a flight, hotel and rental car and have the basics for a vacation. Even I thought I could book a last minute family getaway to the beach recently on my own. Despite my husband and I being on the telephone simultaneously with different airlines and travel providers (and checking out different travel websites at the same time) we watched flight availability disappear before our eyes. Yes, people are looking for discounts but they are obviously still interested in traveling. This is encouraging. Gone are the days, perhaps, when people made plans months in advance, which is why we continue to see a rise in late bookings. In the end, a local travel agent was able to book a package to the beach for me and my family, cheaper than I could put the parts together myself. Trust the experts, I thought. They know the family beach package deals, and I don’t!

At ATA we are experts in sophisticated worldwide cultural group journeys. We also do so much more. Apart from the first class customer service, our tours are unique – they provide special access to historical sites that are either not normally open to the public or are opened at exclusive times for our group. Each of our tours is led by an expert leader and an elegant and organized tour manager that make for a hassle free experience. Individuals would be hard pressed to put this caliber of experience together on their own.

Discerning travelers will continue to look for life changing experiences to discover the world, and I hope they will seek out our expert knowledge and experience. We may have to amend our budgets, and some creative ideas will have to be curtailed (what not to include is always the greatest challenge on any itinerary ) but that’s what keeps the job of a Program Manager so interesting. This is a difficult time, but as challenging times often do, it brings home why I love this job and the experiences we create.

Emma Impavido
Senior Program Manager

Academic Travel Abraod

Paths we’ve travelled

Posted on December 30, 2008 by academictravel

With the turning of another new year, the Auld Lang Syne asks us,

“Should old acquaintances be forgotten?”

With the passing of time and the predictions of what the future may bring, we all tend to reflect on past memories and long-standing friendships as foundations for how we define ourselves and the paths we’ve travelled. We look to our family, friends and peers to grasp a measure of who we are and how to preceed.

Academic Travel Abroad has been very fortunate to have had developed such a solid path since beginning in 1950 and understands the value of building further on the future of strong relationships within the staff and among it’s valued partners. We now operate tours for many industry leaders in the world of educational travel such as; National Geographic, the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Brookings Institute, Yale and so many more and can’t help feel a certain level of privilege in this.

2009 is a new year and we look forward to working with our partners and sharing in all of our travelers unique experiences abroad. With a strong focus on our three primary goals of providing unique destinations, luxury travel accommodations and most importantly – quality service – we look forward to the new year and what lasting memories it will bring to all of our travelers.

Even in an unpredictable economy, we are still seeing that people understand travel opportunities as real investments in their personal ”stock” and are still choosing to commit to discovering new places and unique destinations across the globe.

One of our recent travelers mentioned that the added benefit of having a “tour expert” on the trip was something they truly underestimated and concluded that the added insights rendered tangible value that they would not have experienced by touring on their own. Another traveler recently mentioned that they not only met new people on one of our tours, but made life long friends with people that shared a mutual passion and expressed that this also would have been difficult to find on their own.

So venture into this new year with solid foundations of past memories, but seek to create new ones while traveling to hidden corners of the world and developing new life-long friendships.

Best wishes, and safe travels in the New Year!

Academic Travel Abroad

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Local travel renders unexpected results.

Posted on December 19, 2008 by academictravel

Some days we all envision traveling far and wide to unknown reaches of the globe to find that elusive hidden treasure of the like we’ve never encountered before. Well today was was one of those days.

Members of the staff pulled their resources together and collected warm clothing and small gift cards to local stores and eateries to hand out to the local homeless in and around our immediate neighborhood. We divvied up the goodies and headed out with the hopes that the loot would serve those less fortunate well in this bitter cold season of giving.

We traveled north and south, east and west and strangely had some difficulty finding those we had intentions of helping. We searched for blocks and they were simply not to be found. Eventually we found a few and offered them what we had. We took the remaining bags to a nearby rectory where we were told that our timing was perfect. Tonight they were having a gathering for underprivileged families and the items would be a welcome addition to the event. So we left knowing our small efforts just might have the warming effect we had originally intended.

Upon returning to the office from our trek, we discovered two remaining gift cards atop one of our desks. So we decided that one of us would carry them with on their walk to the metro that evening and hope to give those away to someone along the way.

Well I did just that. As I rounded a corner I noticed a homeless man sitting to the side of the walk. As I approached him, I reached in my pocket and pulled out one of the eatery gift cards and kindly asked if he could use it. He slowly looked up at me, smiled graciously and asked my name as he took the card. I told him as he reached around behind him and grabbed a small ruffled bag. He then pulled out his pen and a red envelope from the bag and carefully wrote my name on it without saying a word. He then lifted the envelope up to me and again thanked me graciously for the gift card and wished me a “warm and happy holiday.” I smiled and walked on, not wanting to open the envelope in front of him. He was clearly a man of pride.

I walked a block and opened the envelope. What I saw truly moved me. It was a simple holiday greeting card that read;

With best wishes
for the holidays
and happiness
in the new year

It wasn’t the words themselves that moved me, but the gesture. Here was a man who clearly had nothing but the clothes on his back, and yet he took some of his meager daily collections and bought holiday cards to give to those who gave to him.

As I said, some days we all envision traveling far and wide to unknown reaches of the globe to find that elusive hidden treasure of the like we’ve never encountered before. Well, during the holidays, sometimes we don’t have to travel far to find such hidden treasures.

Our best wishes to you too… “John”

Academic Travel Abroad

Colombia: Coming Full Circle

Posted on December 18, 2008 by academictravel

As my three-year-old daughter tested her dexterity by leaping from cobblestone to cobblestone in Villa de Leyva’s exquisite colonial plaza, I couldn’t help but remember how I explored this village nearly 15 years ago with a friend who declared that he wanted to have six robust sons. The well-preserved white-washed buildings graced with evergreen-colored shutters and doors enchanted me and shortly afterward so did the friend, who was now concerned that his daredevil daughter was going to twist an ankle.

Our trip back to Colombia filled me with nostalgia and also pleasantly surprised me about various changes I observed since my last visit two years ago.

Bogotá’s Gold Museum was just reopened and the newly renovated building has beautiful displays which showcase the priceless pre-Colombian metalwork.
Zipaquirá’s Salt Cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral constructed within a salt mine used by the indigenous Muisca culture before the arrival of the Spanish, has invested in tourist facilities such as parking, restrooms, and a cafeteria.
There is an increased number of international visitors and additional U.S. airlines serving the capital city.
Happily, Villa de Leyva is still as charming as it was fifteen years ago.

In addition, I discovered that the country’s tourism promotion campaign doesn’t exist in a void. They are also bringing in consultants from countries known for their excellent tourism to assist in training Colombian guides. Even before I married a Colombian, the country was already dear to my heart. The happy, spirited people, the breathtaking landscapes formed by the Andes Mountains and two oceans, the varied cuisine, colorful traditional festivities, and impressive pre-Colombian ruins clearly distinguish it from many other places I have visited. Knowing how much Colombia has to offer tourists, it was very exciting for me to witness these changes and see that Colombia is on the cusp of becoming the next up and coming destination to visit. I have no doubt that it will enchant others as it did me more than 15 years ago.

Michelle Korczynski
Senior Program Manager
Academic Travel Abroad

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The Sound of Salzburg

Posted on December 12, 2008 by academictravel

hills_lg Grüß Gott! For those of you who have ever wondered if the scenery in The Sound of Music can possibly be real, the answer is a resounding yes! As a German student, I traveled with classmates to Germany and Austria in 2001. Salzburg was our last stop on the trip and it did not disappoint.

I was excited to reach the city, not only because the travel bug had bitten me, but also because I had been in a production of The Sound of Music in my hometown. Singing “Do-Re-Mi” in the vibrant Mirabel Gardens, with their incredible symmetrical flower designs, was a dream come true. In addition, we saw the abbey where Maria was a novice, the fountain in the Residence Square where she splashes on her way to the Von Trapps’ house, the Rock Riding School where the Von Trapps performed “Edelweiss,” and the cemetery at St. Peter’s where Rolf betrays the family.

Once that was out of my system, I realized that Salzburg was an amazing place even without The Sound of Music. The city, surrounded by the magnificent Alps and built up on the banks of the Salzach, is truly a gem. The city’s narrow streets with elegant signs and storefronts exuded charm, while the market square lent an Old World feel to the place.

All the while, the Hohensalzburg fortress, accessible by funicular, stands guard over the city. As an interesting side note, if you look down from the back of the fortress, you will see a house sitting all by itself, with no neighboring houses surrounding it. This lonely house belonged to the executioner and, because of his status, no one wanted to live near him! It was in this fortress that I had the incredible opportunity to listen to a string quartet perform some of Mozart’s pieces. During the intermission, I remember walking over to look out of the window; the sun was setting as the Salzach lazily snaked its way through the city. Perfection!

For anyone interested in escaping the city for a day, I would highly recommend visiting the salt mines. Not only are these interesting historically, but they also offer the unique opportunity to slide down into the mines on wooden slides like miners used to! In addition, the ride through the countryside presents some spectacular scenery.

Overall, I had a blast in Salzburg and I would love to go back. I guess all that’s left to say is “so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu!”

Annabelle Peake

Tour Communications Specialist
Academic Travel Abroad

Our Christmas in Salzburg Tour