Travel

Nothing opens your mind quite like travel—it's truly an unparalleled experience. Through the Tartan Travel Program, you are able to explore exciting destinations in the company of fellow alumni and friends of the university, meet old friends and make new ones! Are you ready for your adventure?

Tartan Travel is designed to ensure a unique experience and offers a wide variety of land tours and relaxing cruises. Tours are carefully chosen for their quality, exciting destinations, educational components and interesting itineraries. On some tours, we also offer educational opportunities through stimulating lectures and insights by local experts or university professors.

We hope you will join us for a unique and wonderful experience. Questions? Visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. Please email Jahna Steiner (HS'00) or call at 412-268-1603 for general travel or specific trip information.

Upcoming Travel Programs

Antiquities of the Nile Valley and the Red Sea: January 20-30, 2010

This eleven-day exploration encompasses the unrivaled traveled treasures of Egypt, the Red Sea and Petra. Stand face-to-face with the Sphinx in the shadow of the Great Pyramid in Giza. Walk in the footsteps of Ramses II in ancient Thebes. Journey to the birthplace of monasticism in Egypt's Eastern Desert. Travel to the monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Experience the authentic Bedouin culture and marvel at the grandeur of the long-lost Nabatean of Petra.

Tanzania Safari During the Great Migration: February 7-17, 2010

This eleven-day safari offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the beauty of the natural amphitheater of Tanzania's fabled Ngorongoro Crater, the sweeping plains of the Serengeti, and the snowcapped peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This unique program offers both the first-time visitors and repeat travelers the ultimate safari experience.

While timing will not work out for students, faculty or staff to join alumni on this program to Tanzania, we thought you might be interested in learning about interesting work being done. Carnegie Mellon University has recently developed new research projects using computing technology in collaboration with communities in Tanzania! The TechBridgeWorld research group at Carnegie Mellon launched three such projects in Tanzania in Summer 2009 through its new iSTEP internship program. iSTEP, short for innovative Student Technology ExPerience, is an internship opportunity that gives Carnegie Mellon students and recent graduates real-world experience in the field of ICTD information and communication technologies for development). This internship program provides an experience for interns to work in a multidisciplinary and globally-distributed team to develop needs-based solutions in collaboration with developing communities. This summer, TechBridgeWorld's main community partner was the University Computing Center (UCC), based at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

In collaboration with TechBridgeWorld and the UCC, Carnegie Mellon interns conducted the following three technology projects designed to meet the needs of social workers, primary school students and teachers, and visually impaired students and their teachers at Dar es Salaam:

Developing an information exchange protocol for para social workers to report and receive information about AIDS orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) via SMS on mobile phones
Creating and evaluating a culturally-relevant educational technology game for enhancing children's English literacy
Enhancing and evaluating a low-cost Braille writing tutor for visually-impaired students

Additional iSTEP 2009 Links:

Web site Blog Twitter Facebook

Cruising the Canary Islands, Madeira, Morcocco, and Gibraltar: April 8-16, 2010

Join this nine-day journey to the beautiful Canary Islands, Madeira, Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula. View the natural and cultural treasures of Tenerife and La Palma; sail to the rugged island paradise of Madeira; discover the allure of Casablanca and Rabat; and explore the storied British Crown Colony of Gibraltar, "Gateway to the Mediterranean."

Celtic Lands: May 25-June 3, 2010

From the Landing Beaches of Normandy to the Outer Hebrides' Neolithic Monuments, this twelve-day program encompasses unique coastal destinations that can only be visited by a small ship. Voyage aboard the deluxe M.S. Le Diamant along the coasts of France and England to the legendary Celtic heartlands of Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

Italian Lake District: September 26-October 4, 2010

Enjoy a nine-day sojourn in Italy's romantic Lake District where Alpine peaks overlook pristine lakes, charming villages, tropical orchards and grand Renaissance palaces. Journey to the legendary village of Bellagio on a private cruise across Lake Como. Stroll through the immaculate gardens of Isola Bella and explore Italy’s legendary cuisine during an exclusive hands-on cooking class.

River Life Through Burgundy and Provence: October 1-9, 2010

Join this delightful seven-night cruise along the Rhône and Saône Rivers through the legendary French regions of Burgundy and Provence. Walk in the footsteps of medieval popes in Avignon and explore the ancient monuments of Cluny and Arles. Enjoy and private wine-tasting in the hills of Burgundy and savor the world-renowned cuisine of Provence and Lyon, gastronomic capital of France.