Considering that University of Houston students hail from 133 different countries, it’s only fitting that the Houston Alumni Organization have a travel program that mirrors that same cultural appreciation. Open to alumni, friends of the university, and their guests, the 2009 Alumni Travel Program offers experiences in:
| Peru: February 5 – February 12, 2009 |
From its surf-friendly, penguin-dotted Pacific coastline, to the metropolitan buzz of Lima—from ancient ruins hidden beneath veils of mist and the Andean peaks, to remote tributaries of the Amazonian Basin—Peru offers the cultural and geographical diversity typically found only in entire continents.
Highlights of the eight-day journey include:
- Three nights in Lima, the City of Kings, at the Jose Antonio Executive Lima
- Four nights in Cuzco, the historic capital of the Incan empire, at the Jose Antonio Cuzco
- Walk among the dry-stone walls of Machu Picchu
- Browse the vibrant market of Chinchero, a small Andean village that overlooks the Sacred Valley
- Traverse stone terraces in Ollantaytambo where Spanish and Incan warriors once clashed
- Follow an expert guide through the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History
Learn more about our Peru trip!
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| Holland & Belgium: April 10 – April 18, 2009 |
Float past tulip-dotted river banks and working windmills aboard the five-star M.V. Heidelberg cruise ship. Watch a Belgian chocolatier demonstrate his confectionary secrets, and of course, sample some.  Tour the Royal Deft porcelain factory, where processes haven’t changed since the seventeenth century.
Highlights of the nine-day journey include:
- A round trip cruise from Amsterdam with port calls at Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Middelburg, Volendam, Ghent, and Antwerp.
- A tour of the Kinderdijk windmills
- Excursion to the Dutch Deltaworks
- A visit to Antwerp’s Cathedral of our Lady
- The Keukenhof Gardens, one of the world’s great floral exhibitions
- A private tasting of select Belgian beers
Learn more about our Holland & Belgium trip!
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| Chianti, Italy: April 26 – May 4, 2009 |
Famous for its food, wine, and charming villages, Chianti shares the rustics of Italy that make travelers yearn to call it “home.”  Whether it’s a spread of antipasto or reverent frescos that leaves you in awe, “la dolce vita” lies just at the next village.
Highlights of the nine-day journey include:
- Seven nights in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa at the Vila Borgo di Cortefreda
- Learn wine making at the Castello di Monsanto, and of course, taste the fruits of the labor
- Explore the Renaissance wonders of Florence
- Walk the cobblestone paths of Siena
- Observe an exclusive cooking demonstration with the Villa Borgo di Cortefreda executive chef
Learn more about our Chianti trip!
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| China and the Yangtze River: May 20 – June 1, 2009 |
With a history that stretches longer than its Great Wall, China has a culture and landscape that can accommodate the metropolitan shopper and the spiritual sojourner with equal satisfaction. Come see why China was chosen as the 2008 Olympic stage. 
Highlights of the thirteen-day journey include:
- Three nights in Beijing at the Hilton Beijing
- Two nights in Xi’an at the Sofitel on Renmin Square
- Three night Yangtze River cruise
- Three nights in Shanghai at the Hilton Shanghai
- Experience imperial palaces, the Great Wall, a traditional Peking Opera, a performance at The Shanghai Acrobatic Theater, and so much more
Learn more about our China trip!
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For more information on any of these trips, or general questions about the Alumni Travel Program, email UHAOtravel@uh.edu or call 713.743.9550
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© 2005 Houston Alumni Organization | 3100 Cullen Blvd, Rm 201 Houston, TX 77204-6000