Crystal Broadens Overland Adventures for 2008 World Cruise

Crystal Cruises has announced 10 new Overland Adventures for its 2008 108-day world cruise aboard Crystal Serenity, which ships out January 19 from Los Angeles. The luxury cruise operator said the tours were added due to record participation in 2007. (There are 34 such excursions available.) While a world cruise will touch at many different ports of call, Overland Adventures add to even more discovery because they, in some cases, take you far away from the original touchdown port, the cruise line said. "While the cruise itinerary may list Cairns, Phuket or Cochin," says John Stoll, Crystal's director of land programs, "a Crystal travel adventure can take you thousands of miles away to Ayers Rock or Mandalay or Jaipur." Cruisers can take part in a fully escorted two- to six-night tour that departs from one port of call and rejoins the ship at another. Hotel accommodations are also planned and include stays at the likes of Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental and Oberoi properties. Highlights of Crystal's 2008 new Overland Adventures include a Borneo Kota Kinabalu rainforest and orangutan experience in Sandakan that covers over 2,000 miles; an excursion to Ayers Rock, the world's largest monolith, in the Australian outback; and treks in India, showcasing the Ajanta and Ellora caves and the Pink City of Jaipur and Udaipur. Visit [www.crystalcruises.com].