Best Adventure Travel Companies {On Earth}

Grand Holiday Ethiopia guides the Rift Valley's national parks and volcanic lakes and goes trekking in the over 15,000-foot Simien Mountains, but it also goes farther afield to places even Ethiopians consider remote, including the far western stretches of the country, where the last Ethiopian king presides and the Wonchi Crater harbors islands and mineral pools. There are 80-plus tribes still living traditionally in Ethiopia (using vegetable-pigment body paint, or leading semi-nomadic lives in the desert), and all trips involve meetings with them. You'll do some combination of camping, overnighting in ecolodges, and relaxing at the best available hotels.

New in 2009

• Name:Classic Pick: Simien Mountains Trekking
• Destination:Ethiopia
• Duration:13 days
• Price:$2,573