Photo Gallery: Peru, the Easy Way!
Peru is an incredibly rich country—rich in heritage, rich in its people, rich in scenic beauty, and rich in adventure. Of course we all know Machu Picchu, but that’s not the whole story in Peru. Machu Picchu is the icing on the cake that is the Valle Sagrado—the “Sacred Valley” of the Incas, or Urubamba—a...
Photo Gallery: The Magic of Cuba
In 2012, we had the very great opportunity of sharing the magical land and people of Cuba with our Trip Members over the course of three sold-out departures. Top MTS Trip Leader Sergio Fitch-Watkins escorted two of those departures, and brought back some beautiful photos. Here are some of our favorites from the 500 or...
Photo Gallery: Morocco—From Dunes to Kasbahs
Morocco is a photographer’s dream come true. Vivid red-orange dunes contrast with stunning azure skies, and souks filled with colorful wares and even more colorful atmosphere make for striking compositions that convey not only the beauty of objects, but a sense of the romance and antiquity that permeates every nook and cranny of this desert...
Global Kitchen: Flavors of Morocco
Some of you may remember our “Adventure Chef” feature from years ago. We’re happy to announce that we’ll be reprising it as the “Global Kitchen” feature of the MTS Travel Blog. And we’d be hard pressed to think of a better destination to feature for this first post than Morocco. Mmm…pass the b’stila, please!...
Recipes from Turkey
This time of year we all seem to be surrounded by recipes for turkey, mouthwatering photos of turkey and cranberry sauce, even toll-free numbers for “How to Cook Your Thanksgiving Turkey” help lines. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’re even experiencing a wild turkey population boom. And they are, needless to say, more...
Photo Gallery: Pearls of Southeast Asia
Strung like pearls across the Indochina Peninsula, the countries of Southeast Asia have always evoked images of the mysterious and exotic. Steeped in Buddhist culture and brimming with ancient monuments, each site and landscape is more dazzling than the last, and our Treasures of Indochine adventure is the perfect introduction to this scenic and cultural...
Our Newest Trip in Nepal: Tsum Valley
Mountain Travel Sobek was born in 1969 in the mountains and valleys of Nepal, and we’ve never lost our passion for these sublime landscapes and the charming, spiritual people who inhabit them. We’ve also never lost our love of discovering new and newly opened destinations. So we’re very excited to inaugurate our newest journey to...
Photo Gallery: The “Other” Africa
When one thinks of Africa travel, perhaps the first thing to come to mind is the traditional wildlife safari. But there is so much more to this vast and varied continent. Look past the wildlife of East and Southern Africa to the people and cultures that embellish its other corners, from the animist religions of...
Hidden Corners of Asia
Mention “Asia adventure” and most people will think of well-known places like Nepal’s Everest, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and the Indian subcontinent. But there are other, less obvious corners of this enormous continent that harbor gems no less spectacular and enchanting. We got our start in Nepal in 1969, running the first commercial treks there....
Exploring the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon
Bhutan, or Druk Yul (Land of the Thunder Dragon) as the Bhutanese themselves refer to their homeland, is a little piece of heaven on earth. Still largely untouched by the outside world, it is a place where spirituality is still the way of life. Time moves more slowly here, and nature is afforded the respect...
Photo Gallery: The Many Faces of Asia
Perhaps no continent is as steeped in notions of the mystical than Asia. Millennia of history, legend, and myth mix with the realities of the modern world to create an often vibrant, occasionally precarious, but always interesting mix of the old and new. For more information on these or any of our more than...
Andean Explorer: Exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Text and photos by Chris Bettencourt For many, the trip to Peru is really a de facto pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. Whether the site holds spiritual significance for the traveler or, as in my case, simply the promise of experiencing one of those quintessential National Geographic magazine icons, at some level all other aspects...
