Far Horizons Blog
Experience Magnificent Art along China’s Silk Road
Follow in the path of merchants, traders, and warriors at China’s Mogao Caves. Caves carved into the cliffs filled with brightly painted murals are some of western China’s best kept secrets. Located in the arid climate of the Gobi Desert, the Mogao Caves have...
South India: A Carnival of the Senses
As I unpack my suitcase, the scent of India permeates my room. All it takes is a momentary glimpse of a sparkling blue sari – an impulse buy in Tanjore - peaking out from under the pile of clothes and I am suddenly back to that place of vibrant colors, exotic spices...
Egypt with Bob Brier, An Insider’s Perspective
“Er-min-a-boo!” This is how I greet the man who is about to guide me through the desert on a camel. After a brief confused pause, he looks at our Egyptian guide and asks, “You taught her to speak Nubian?” That actually exhausted 50% of my Nubian vocabulary, but this...
The Vast and Varied Treasures of Turkey
By Garrett Fagan Turkey rivals only Italy in the depth of its cultural heritage; arguably, it even outstrips it. With a history traceable back into the Stone Age, few places you can visit lay claim to such a deep and rich historical tapestry. Three sites in particular...
Concerned about safety in Egypt? Please see what recent Far Horizons travelers have to say.
December 19, 2011 To All of Our Friends at Far Horizons: Traveling in Egypt at this time of emerging freedom for the Egyptian people was very exciting and insightful. Given all that is in the news, the traveler could be hesitant and wonder if perhaps a trip to Egypt...
How I Came to Know Belize
By Mary Dell Lucas When one of my professors asked me ‘Would you like to work on an archaeological project in Belize?’, my first thought was, ‘Belize – where’s that?’ But one of my excavator friends had worked there the year before, loved the country and the project…...
Ethiopia: A treasure trove of memories and surprises….
by Cinzia Perlingieri I have worked in Ethiopia as an archaeologist for many years. After a long break, I went back this April as a study leader for the tour “Ethiopia: The Wonders of the Horn of Africa” organized by Far Horizons, a visionary and brave tour company...
Voyaging Through History along the Western Coast of Turkey
The Lost Secrets of Ottoman Cuisine By Maud McInerney On the last day of our Far Horizons trip, we visited the Church of St. Saviour in Chora, which is one of the most exquisite of all Byzantine churches. It is decorated with mosaics and frescoes from the century...
Malta: Jewel of the Mediterranean
For such a tiny island country, Malta is without a doubt one of the most interesting places in the world. Its location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea has made it accessible to many different groups of people. Pottery found here by archeologists suggests that...
My World
By Dr. Gary O. Rollefson - Enthusiastic semi-resident, archaeologist, and fan of Jordan and its lovely people Welcome to my world! It's been mine as an archaeologist and part-time resident for 30 years, and I’d like you to share it with me. “My world” in Jordan...
The Splendors of Jordan: A Traveler’s Perspective
Join world-renowned scholar, Gary O. Rollefson, for a 14-day archaeological and cultural tour to Jordan including three full days in Petra.
Discovering the Treasures of Greece
By Dr. Kyra Nourse Far Horizon’s “Glorious Greece” trip couldn’t be more aptly named. While I could speak with enthusiasm and at length about any of the sites on the itinerary, I’ll restrain myself and focus on two of my personal favorites. The first of these is...
Uncovering Turkey’s Past
By Professor Andy Goldman, former Study Leader For those of you who have ever wondered about Turkey, it can be a challenging place to describe. Friends have often asked me to do just that, to try and encapsulate my various experiences there, having lived in Ankara for...
Hiking the Inka Trail
By Elise Gochberg, Trip Participant 2007 I did a trip to Peru in 2008 with Far Horizons and it was the most amazing trip/adventure I have ever been on to date. And, I have traveled with various groups and locations and nothing compares to my experience in Peru with...
Lima: La Cuidad de los Reyes
Lima is much more than just a one-night stand for travelers to Peru. Preferring to quickly move onto Cuzco and Machu Picchu, or even Iquitos, the gateway for Amazonian explorations, most people choose to bypass any city sight-seeing and use Lima simply as a necessary...
Surprising Finds at Ek Balam
By Stanley Guenter, Study Leader Over the last decade the site of Ek Balam has emerged as one of the great surprises in Maya archaeology. A relatively small site, although possessing sizeable mounds, excavations in Ek Balam's Acropolis have revealed one of the best...
Capital Cities of the Ancient Maya
No Bañarse! by Sara Barbieri, Tour Manager (on January 2009 trip) When you are traipsing through the jungle in the pouring rain feeling the water seep through your clothes, you do begin to wonder what you are doing—oh yes, stalking a Maya ruin at Yaxha! The world...
The World of the Maya
By R. Werner, Tour Member Pity the poor Maya archaeologists of yore who hacked their way through the dense tropical jungles of Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico for days, searching for some source of water to slake their parched throats or for a bite to eat. They...
Easter Island’s Tapati Rapa Nui
What is the Tapati Festival?
Excitement and Discovery on Easter Island
By Steven Roger Fischer, former Study Leader A 25-year-old Finnish tourist caused excitement on Easter Island in March of this year when he broke off part of the ear of a possibly 600-year-old statue at the holy site of 'Anakena on the island's northeast coast. The...
Cyprus – In the Footsteps of Aphrodite
By Sara Barbieri Whirling through the landscape of Cyprus, in the footsteps of St. Helena (mother of Constantine the Great), Hala Sultan (believed to be the wet-nurse to Mohammed), Berengaria (first-born daughter of King Sancho VI of Navarre who, incidentally, married...