{"id":50604,"date":"2025-04-17T09:20:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T13:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=50604"},"modified":"2025-04-17T09:20:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T13:20:12","slug":"alumni-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/alumni-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Red, Big World: How Alumni Travel Curates Varied Voyages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">For six decades, the popular programs have helped Cornellians hit the road\u2014and the skies, rails, and water\u2014with fellow Cornellians<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By <strong>Joe Wilensky <\/strong>&amp;<strong> Beth Saulnier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse\u2014the first to be viewable in parts of mainland Europe since 1999\u2014will pass over the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, northern Spain, and the northeastern edge of Portugal. And among the millions experiencing it will be voyagers with <a href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/learn-and-travel\/travel-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cornell Alumni Travel<\/a>, which is offering its first-ever \u201ceclipse tours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Founded nearly six decades ago, the Alumni Travel program is aimed at fostering Big Red connections through trips with fellow Cornellians. Its small-group tours\u2014open to alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the University, as well as to their families and guests\u2014generally comprise about two dozen people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 1,000 travelers take some 50 trips through the program each year, including a number of faculty-led study tours run by <a href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/cau-summer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cornell\u2019s Adult University<\/a> (CAU). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A group of tourists views a pyramid in Egypt\" class=\"wp-image-50443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-608x342.jpg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-304x171.jpg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-152x85.jpg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-1184x666.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-592x333.jpg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-296x166.jpg 296w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-1264x711.jpg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-632x356.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-316x178.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Egypt-20.3-1686x1080-A.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Viewing an Egyptian pyramid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Destinations and experiences range from the Silk Road of Central Asia to a Tanzanian safari; a rail trip through Canada to a theater seminar in NYC; a food and wine tour of the Spanish coast to a sampling of New Zealand\u2019s natural splendor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have trips on every continent,\u201d says Beal St. George, the program\u2019s associate director. \u201cIf there\u2019s somewhere you want to go, it\u2019s likely we\u2019re headed there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Richard Williamson \u201966 embarked on his first Cornell trip\u2014to Cuba\u2014several years ago with his freshman roommate; he and his wife have since taken numerous others, including to Ireland, New Zealand, Patagonia, and Japan, plus a tour of England and France focused on World War II and D-Day history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve really enjoyed the added bonus of having classmates who coincidentally signed up for some of the same trips; it gave us a chance to catch up on what we\u2019ve been doing since graduation,\u201d says Williamson, an Arts &amp; Sciences alum who\u2019s an attorney in NYC. \u201cOf course, I\u2019ve also gotten to meet many other alumni\u2014an impressive group, I might add\u2014and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to converse with them.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I\u2019ve really enjoyed the added bonus of having classmates who coincidentally signed up for some of the same trips.<\/p>\n<cite><strong>Richard Williamson \u201966<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>(Among Williamson\u2019s favorites: a journey to Ethiopia. \u201cIts history\u2014with its rock churches everywhere\u2014was awesome, as was hiking among the terrain,\u201d he recalls, \u201cand the people were friendly and welcoming.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, who organizes the myriad logistics of such varied and far-flung voyages, from itineraries to meals to accommodations and beyond?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not the University itself, but rather established tour companies\u2014including Odysseys Unlimited, Lindblad Expeditions\u2013National Geographic, Orbridge, Royal Adventures, and Arrangements Abroad\u2014with whom travelers book directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"People wearing aprons, standing around the kitchen table in Sicily during a cooking lesson\" class=\"wp-image-50444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-608x342.jpg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-304x171.jpg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-152x85.jpg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-1184x666.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-592x333.jpg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-296x166.jpg 296w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-1264x711.jpg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-632x356.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-316x178.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Flavors-of-Sicily-CookingClass-A.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An in-home cooking lesson in Sicily.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As Travel Program director Anna Pollock \u201994 notes, the journeys are aimed to be culturally immersive: they feature local cuisine, meaningful interactions with residents, and accommodations that are authentic to the place (rather than U.S. chain hotels).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, she says, tours are designed to benefit the visited areas economically, and to spark a deeper understanding of the local culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTime and again, we hear stories about the life-changing impact of these travel experiences,\u201d says Pollock, an Arts &amp; Sciences grad who also directs CAU and the Alumni Wine program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignwide is-style-solid-color\"><blockquote><p>Journeys are aimed to be culturally immersive, featuring local cuisine, meaningful interactions with residents, and accommodations that are authentic to the place.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor instance, a 2023 tour to Morocco inspired an alumna to conduct graduate-level research on the implications of American tourism on medinas, the labyrinthine bazaars featuring kiosks offering local wares and crafts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the conventional trips, a small number of offerings\u2014run in conjunction with CAU under the slogan \u201clearning on location\u201d\u2014are study tours led by faculty from Cornell (and occasionally, from other peer institutions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a <a href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/learn-and-travel\/cau\/tours\/chile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trip to Chile<\/a> in January 2026 will feature <a href=\"https:\/\/history.cornell.edu\/raymond-b-craib\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Raymond Craib<\/a>\u2014the Marie Underhill Noll Professor of History and author of <em>The Cry of the Renegade: Politics and Poetry in Interwar Chile<\/em>\u2014who\u2019ll teach about the nation\u2019s 20th century politics and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"Tourists in orange life jackets on a boat viewing icebergs in Alaska\" class=\"wp-image-50442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-608x342.jpg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-304x171.jpg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-152x85.jpg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-1184x666.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-592x333.jpg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-296x166.jpg 296w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-1264x712.jpg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-632x356.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-316x178.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Discover-Southeast-Alaska3-A.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Floating by glaciers in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And on top of two conventional trips to view the 2026 eclipse (one to Iceland, another to Spain), a third will be a CAU study tour featuring <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.cornell.edu\/heather-j-huson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Heather Huson \u201997<\/a>, an associate professor of animal genetics in CALS; the itinerary, to Iceland and Greenland, includes a cruise tracing the path of totality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of the costs of Alumni Travel trips: per-person pricing\u2014which is set by the tour operators themselves\u2014varies widely according to destination, timing, departure city, category of accommodation, and myriad other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But to give a rough sense of the range: a 15-day Odysseys Unlimited tour to Vietnam is around $5,300, with deluxe-level accommodations and airfare from several West Coast cities; a small-ship river voyage in Colombia, run by the boutique operator Arrangements Abroad, is around $16,000 (not including airfare) for a balcony cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Time and again, we hear stories about the life-changing impact of these travel experiences.<\/p>\n<cite><strong>Anna Pollock \u201994<\/strong>, Alumni Travel Program director <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have been known to sing the \u2018Alma Mater\u2019 on the top of a Saharan sand dune while sipping Champagne at sunset, and we might play Cornell trivia on the ride from Grand Canyon National Park to Lake Powell,\u201d Pollock says, \u201cbut each journey is unique, shaped by the people who come along.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, she stresses, travelers comprise a wide Cornellian circle that encompasses not only alumni, but family and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A tour group holding a &quot;Cornell University&quot; banner standing in front of Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Japan\" class=\"wp-image-50440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-608x342.jpg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-304x171.jpg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-152x85.jpg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-1184x666.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-592x333.jpg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-296x166.jpg 296w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-1264x711.jpg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-632x356.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-316x178.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/at_Nijo_Casle_in_Kyoto_2024-A.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Big Red pride at Kyoto&#8217;s Nij\u014d Castle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Big Red dad Premjit Halarnkar, for instance, has taken numerous tours\u2014including to Tanzania, Vietnam, and Croatia\u2014with his wife and daughter, mechanical engineering alum Natasha Halarnkar \u201916.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> \u201cWe have always enjoyed traveling with other Cornellians,\u201d he says. \u201cThey are very pleasant, broad-minded, well-educated, and eager to learn about other people and cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Top: A tour group in the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands. (All photos provided)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Published April 17, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For six decades, the popular programs have helped Cornellians hit the road\u2014and the air, rails, and water\u2014with fellow Cornellians<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":50445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alumni_hub_syml_posts":[47198,39832,33912],"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-50604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-beyond"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Big Red, Big World: How Alumni Travel Curates Varied Voyages - Cornellians | Cornell University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For six decades, the popular programs have helped Cornellians hit the road\u2014and the air, rails, and water\u2014with fellow Cornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/alumni-travel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Big Red, Big World: How Alumni Travel Curates Varied Voyages - 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