Starquest Expeditions News

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July 23, 2008
Gorilla Trekking On Our Ultimate Africa Expedition

Starquest is excited to offer a rare and unforgettable opportunity to see one of the most endangered animals in the world, the mountain gorilla. During a scouting trip to help refine our plans for this fall’s Ultimate Africa program, Starquest’s Program Manager Jeff DuJardin got a first-hand look at one of the more exciting excursions on the expedition, gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. “Hiking to the mountain gorillas in the stunning scenery of the Rwandan Rain Forest, coming upon them, and then spending time with them in their natural setting is an amazing and spiritual experience,” reports Jeff. There are only a few spaces are left on both departures of Ultimate Africa: October 6 to 25, 2008 and October 21 to November 9, 2008.

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July 10, 2008
New Highly Personalized Options for Lands of the Great Buddha Expedition

Travelers on the Lands of the Great Buddha expedition in 2009 can look forward to yet another way to customize the itinerary to suit their interests. Starquest is pleased to now offer travelers a rare insider’s view into traditional Japanese culture: While in Kyoto, a limited number of travelers may take a class in traditional calligraphy or ikebana flower arrangement in the home of an esteemed sensei. Each instructor is a member of the Women’s Association of Kyoto, a renowned organization devoted to introducing Japanese arts to the public. There is only one Lands of the Great Buddha departure in 2009, and, with only 33 seats to fill, we expect this program to sell out more than a year in advance.

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July 1, 2008
Starquest Doubles the Medical Evacuation Insurance Coverage for All Expeditions

From the very beginning, Starquest Expeditions has made sure that medical evacuation insurance is included in the price of all trips. In addition, we are now pleased to announce that the value of the medical evacuation insurance has doubled, from $50,000 per person to $100,000 per person, for covered reasons, on all trips starting with Nomads, Traders & Conquerors in fall 2008. "This is a great addition to the other important protections included in the price of all trips, such as minimal accident, sickness, and baggage insurance," says Stevie Wooten, Starquest's Vice President of Client Services. For travelers who want even more protections, we offer many other options. Please call us to inquire about the details: 800-454-4149.

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May 6, 2008
Harvard Professor Joins Voyage of the Beagle Expedition

Starquest seeks out the most experienced and knowledgeable experts for our educational expeditions, and the Voyage of the Beagle expedition is no exception. Joining Stanford University’s Professor in Human Biology and Anthropology Bill Durham, and Stanford’s Professor Emeritus of Political Science David Abernethy, is Harvard University’s Professor of the History of Science Janet Browne. Dr. Browne is a leading scholar on the life, times, and works of Charles Darwin. She is the author of a 2002 book, Charles Darwin: The Power of Place, and of the award-winning biography, Charles Darwin: Voyaging. She rounds out a stellar team to lead what is perhaps the most extraordinary way to celebrate Charles Darwin’s legendary around-the-world expedition aboard the HMS Beagle. Our modern-day voyage, originally conceived of by Professor Durham, is aboard a specially-outfitted private jet and departs in 2009, the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s groundbreaking work, On the Origin of Species.

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February 5, 2006
Modern Marco Polos

In Modern Marco Polos, Myrta Pulliam reports on our Crossroads of Humanity by Private Jet expedition, in The Indianapolis Star. "To see the incredible places we did—forbidden places, places many people wouldn't think they'd ever get to see, to get a sense of so many cultures, such a variety of architecture —was simply astonishing," she said. Read on for her impressions of our services and expertise, and what it was like to be on this innovative expedition.

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August 28, 2005
Luxury Trips for the Studious

Read about us in the August 28 New York Times. In Vacation 101: Luxury Trips for the Studious, Luke Jerrod Kummer reports on the growing interest in luxury trips with an educational edge, and why travelers choose to go on the Starquest Expeditions private jet expedition, Crossroads of Humanity. Kummer observes that "Relaxation and indulgence are top attractions on most luxury travel itineraries. But for some wealthy vacationers, having a unique educational experience has become the most coveted souvenir."

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June 1, 2005
Five Continents, Ten Countries, and 36,000 Miles in 24 Days

We were featured in the May/June and July/August issues of National Geographic Traveler magazine in 2005. Covering 36,000 miles and five continents, Traveler contributing editor Pat Kelly reports on his experiences on our Legendary Places around-the-world expedition:

"Sunset on Easter Island and I'm hunched over a wobbly folding chair commemorating my journey by getting the ultimate travel memento — a tattoo. And why not? Sailors returning from epic voyages to the South Seas traditionally got Polynesian tattoos, and this journey was nothing if not epic. Pedestrian trinkets such as T-shirts or refrigerator magnets simply will not do for an adventure spanning five continents, ten countries, and wildly diverse cultures. "Breathe normally," I tell myself. "Embrace the experience. Besides, your 50-year-old hide could use a little enhancement." Hueso, a young Chilean tattoo artist, swabs my back with alcohol and hands me a mirror to inspect his work. Hello! They're bigger than I'd expected, but somehow the unique pictographs native to this island seem to belong between my shoulder blades. Maybe, I realize, I've gone a bit native myself. If so, this journey has made its mark on me in more ways than one."

— From "The Globetrotter: Our Writer Covers Five Continents, Ten Countries, Ten Cultures, and 36,000 Miles — in 24 Days" by Patrick Kelly for National Geographic Traveler magazine

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November 14, 2004
A Photographer Captures Legendary Places During Our Inaugural Expedition

Photographer Ceclia Lewis documented her travels with us on our inaugural expedition, Legendary Places by Private Jet. See her beautiful photographs and read about her extraordinary experiences in the Las Cruces Sun-News.