Great adventure cruises

All across the globe, exploration ships — outfitted with a high capacity for fuel and food and made with shallower hulls to ply previously uncharted waters — are more in demand than ever. Read on for cruises to Bali, Iceland, Burma and beyond that prove “adventure” and “roughing it” are no longer synonymous. | By Jane Wooldridge, Travel + Leisure


Burma

The country also known as Myanmar is becoming more accessible, opening up its Buddhist temples and 1,000-year-old pagodas to Westerners — and beginning in January 2014, to passengers aboard Viking River Cruises’ Mandalay. In 15 nights on the Irrawaddy River, you’ll shop in rural markets and villages devoted to pottery. vikingcruises.com; from $5,000 per person.

(Photo: Viking Cruises)



Peru

As rain forests worldwide diminish, there’s no better time to explore the world’s largest remaining tropical rain forest, along the Amazon River. Daybeds on the observation deck of Aqua Expeditions’ 16-suite Aria Amazon let you observe the landscape as towering rubber trees, palms, and fig trees slip past. aquaexpeditions.com; seven-night voyages run year-round; from $6,615 per person.

(Photo: Aqua Expeditions)



Galápagos

A trip aboard the 96-passenger Celebrity Xpedition is manageable enough for a multigenerational crowd—but that doesn’t diminish the thrill of watching 800-pound tortoises lumber near you. At night, head to the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail and a talk by a naturalist about the next day’s activities. celebrity.com; seven-night cruises run year-round; from $3,200 per person.

(Photo: Celebrity Cruises)

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