Academic Travel Abroad

Kalimera! ("good day" in Greek)

I recently had the distinct pleasure of traveling to Athens and the Cycladic Islands as a representative for Academic Travel Abroad with travelers from the Association of Yale Alumni and Smithsonian Journeys. If you’ve never been to Greece or the picturesque Cycladic Islands, this is the trip to take! We were accompanied by Eleni Zachariou, our Greek historian and local expert who added real value and distinct character to all the sights by giving us the historical background at each location.
Our tour started in Athens, where we visited the sights of the acclaimed Acropolis with the majestic Parthenon and Erechtheum temples and enjoyed a lecture by Elani which told the story of this location’s turbulent history through Greek, Persian and Mycenaean influences. We then proceeded to the famous Greek Agora site where we were introduced to the extravagant complex that was once a thriving Greek marketplace where trade, entertainment and politics were daily cultural activities.

We were also treated to some excellent traditionally local meals throughout the small back streets of Athens while enjoying some time to shop and see more elusive sites along the way. On the third day, we drove to the port of Piraeus where we boarded our ship, the S.V. Panorama and set sail for the much-anticipated Cycladic Islands.

Delos, the birthplace of Apollo, was an amazing landscape of ruins from 2000 -1500 B.C. Mykonos was an island of quaint villages and amazing vistas of the Aegean Sea with tiny streets filled with friendly locals and enticing shops. Naxos, the largest of the Cylcades islands, was covered in breath-taking views of mountainous landscapes and we had a unique opportunity to visit one of Elani’s friends who has refurbished a beautiful historical home on the hillside looking down over the island’s harbor. Santorini is simply amazing. An ancient volcanic caldera forms a partial ring of islands on which three beautiful towns line the cliff-tops and offer a photographers dream for finding that dramatic shot. We rode the mules up the caldera’s rim and enjoyed a day of sites and shopping while basking in the warm Greek sunlight.

The glories of modern and ancient Greece were truly magnificent. Between our boat staff, Elani Zacharriou – our tour expert and Marty Gane – our tour manager, we were professionally immersed into a culture and civilization that astounded us all. The memories, experiences and friendships we all came away with from this tour will be something we will keep with us for a lifetime.

To read more of our travel blogs, CLICK HERE.

To see a slideshow from my trip to Greece, CLICK HERE.

Steve Muth


Mongolia, the Land of the Blue Sky, is a destination that intrigues, delights, and rewards the adventurous traveler. This August, I had the pleasure of managing the fourth National Geographic group to Mongolia.

Having just opened up to tourism in 1990, Mongolia is the perfect destination for the adventurous traveler who arises each morning and asks, “What lies in store for me today?” Those who prefer a more structured itinerary may experience some frustration.

Our expedition began in Ulaanbaatar. We used the Hotel Ulaanbaatar as our base. The location of this hotel is perfect for exploring the capital. The property itself is quite comfortable. A number of services are offered including a spa. We returned to Ulaanbaatar at various points during the expedition. Each time it was a little like coming home. Ulaanbaatar is a city like many others. The infrastructure continues to develop. The services which one would expect in a capital exist. ATM’s can be found throughout the city. Quality restaurants abound. Our visits in Ulaanbaatar included the requisite museums and monasteries. I have two highlights from our time in UB. The first was very touristy. On our walk up Zaisan Hill, we came across a Kazakh man with a golden eagle. He allowed individuals to hold the eagle, tethered of course. I was impressed by both the weight and majesty of this bird of prey. The second highlight for me was our visit to the home of Tserendorj, a decorated Mongolian musician. He and his family warmly welcomed us and treated us to a wonderful concert.

Our time in Mongolia allowed us to see various parts of the country with vastly different landscapes and climates. Our first experience, which was truly delightful, was in the Gobi. There are no roads, per se, in the Gobi. There are simply van tracks which from the air look like so many veins and arteries. We lodged at the Gobi Mirage ger camp. This was my first time staying in a ger and I was not disappointed. The cuisine at the camp was quite good. This is how camping should be! The best part of staying at the ger camp was getting up late at night and seeing the canopy of stars which covers the desert at night. There is tranquility in the Gobi which cannot be expressed adequately in words. My favorite experience in the Gobi was our visit with a local family. They demonstrated various aspects of Mongolian horsemanship for us including lassoing.

From the Gobi, we traveled to the Lake Khuvsgul area. The contrast could not have been more pronounced. Lake Khuvsgul is one of seventeen ancient lakes worldwide and one of the most pristine. Our ger camp here, situated at the edge of the lake, was equally as comfortable as the one in the Gobi. Because of the much cooler climate, the evenings and early mornings were quite chilly. Fortunately there was someone to light a fire each night and each morning. How romantic it was falling asleep with a fire crackling in the fireplace.

Our group missed the official Naadam Festival in UB. To my mind, we had something better – a mini Naadam just for us in the Terelj National Park. The setting for our Naadam was spectacular. We were also able to visit with the athletes after the competitions. It was here in the Terelj National Park where we saw the milking of the mares. It was here, too, where we tasted the national drink – airag. Airag, for the uninitiated, is fermented mare’s milk. The conclusions you’re drawing are probably correct!

The people of Mongolia are historically nomadic. For this reason, time is relative. Not unlike the US, flights leave more or less when they want to. This can have a serendipitous impact on the itinerary. When traveling to Mongolia, it might be better to leave the watch at home!
Adventure awaits those traveling to Mongolia. It is a country that rewards its visitors richly. Hurry to Mongolia before progress steals the sense of exploration each visitor experiences. You won’t be disappointed.

To learn more about this tour, visit our website HERE

or visit: www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com

Safe travels,

John David Kling
Tour Expedition Manager

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