Tauck Adds New Itineraries in Morocco and Brazil to Exotics Collection for 2017

Tauck's new 10-day "Magic of Morocco" itinerary (from $5,490 per person plus airfare) begins with an overnight stay in the capital city of Rabat, where guests will gain an understanding of the country's political legacy during a visit to the mausoleum of former king Mohammed V, and at Dar al-Makhzen, Morocco's royal palace and residence of its current king. Traveling on to Fes, guests will visit the city's traditional tanneries, attend an exclusive lecture highlighting daily life in Morocco from a woman's perspective, and have their choice of three themed walking tours.

Guests will also travel outside Fes to experience the Roman ruins at Volubilis, and while en route to Casablanca, they'll visit the mausoleum and palace of 17th-century sultan Moulay Ismail in the walled city of Meknes. An overnight stay in Casablanca includes visits to the imposing Hassan II Mosque and Rick's Café, inspired by the classic Bogart-Bergman film set in the city. The journey concludes with a three-night stay in Marrakech, where guests will visit the city's souks and a theological college founded in the 14th century. Guests will also tour the 16th-century Saadian Tombs, visit the Gardens Majorelle (once owned by designer Yves Saint-Laurent), and travel into the desert for an afternoon and evening of Berber culture, including camel rides, tea with a local, and traditional music and entertainment in a tented setting.

Tauck new 12-day Brazilian itinerary, "Rhythms of Brazil: Rio to Iguazu Falls" (from $6,140 per person, plus international and on-tour airfare) begins in Rio de Janeiro. There, guests will enjoy a three-night stay at the Belmond Copacabana Palace overlooking Copacabana Beach, and travel to Tijuca Forest (the largest urban forest in the world), the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Hill, and the summit of 1,390-foot Sugarloaf Mountain, where they'll savor incredible views of the city and surrounding area.

Guests next fly to the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais for a two-night stay in the 18th-century gold rush town of Ouro Preto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its Baroque architecture. A guided walking tour in the town features the Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar church, a pair of cultural museums and the city's opera house, followed by a lunch of hearty regional specialties prepared using centuries-old techniques.

An overnight stay in the capital city of Brasilia highlights its modernist architecture and includes a tour showcasing its unique cathedral, Presidential Palace and the country's Supreme Court. A flight to coastal Salvador and a subsequent three-night stay there explores African influences in the city's music and Candomblé religion and reveals its Portuguese colonial architecture. The journey concludes in Iguazu National Park where guests will experience its majestic waterfalls from a helicopter sightseeing flight above the falls and during a jet boat excursion to the base of the cascade.

Included in the price of both new itineraries are all lodging and ground transportation, all sightseeing and admission to all attractions, most meals and gratuities, airport transfers, and much more. Tauck will operate seven departures of "Magic of Morocco" in February, March, April, November and December of next year, and seven "Rhythms of Brazil: Rio to Iguazu Falls" departures in March, April, May, September, October and December, 2017.

ENHANCEMENTS TO EXISTING ITINERARIES

Besides adding new trips, Tauck has also made major enhancements to a number of its existing Exotics journeys, including the addition of exclusive Tauck experiences, hotel and meal upgrades, and extended stays in certain featured locations. Among the enhanced itineraries are Tauck's "Essence of Japan," "Northern India & Nepal," "Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar," "Costa Rica – Pura Vida" and the company's "Costa Rica: Jungles & Rainforests," a Tauck Bridges trip designed specifically for families.

More than a third of Tauck's 29 Exotics journeys are included in its Earth Journeys partnership with the nature documentary filmmakers at BBC Earth, and feature exclusive content that adds context and fresh perspectives on the animal life and natural wonders Tauck guests experience during their travels. For example, each Earth Journeys itinerary features a number of original, exclusive films by BBC Earth that Tauck guests view on location. These brief (approximately 10 – 20 minutes) vignettes utilize BBC Earth's incredible resources, including the world's largest collection of nature film footage, plus insights and voiceovers from BBC Earth experts.

The Earth Journeys itineraries also employ some of the same cutting-edge technologies used by BBC Earth filmmakers in the making of their films. These technologies bring Tauck guests into more intimate contact with their surroundings, and include motion-activated camera traps, infrared night-vision cameras, long-range directional microphones, underwater cameras, and small fiber-optic endoscopic cameras. In addition, Tauck also works directly with BBC Earth filmmakers and naturalists to add additional original content and programming to its Earth Journeys itineraries.

Information on Tauck's entire collection of 2017 Exotics trips can be found on the company's website, www.tauck.com, and in a new 136-page brochure mailing to consumers and travel agents in the coming days. Those interested in more information can contact their local travel professional, visit Tauck's website, or call Tauck at 800 468 2825.