CRAFT WORLD TOURS
HANDCRAFT, FOLK ART & VILLAGE LIFE TOURS

We offer small-group international travel programs that have been specially designed for persons with an interest in the handcrafts, folkarts, village life & customs, and traditional lifeways of peoples of the world.  Maximum group size ranges from 10-18 traveling companions, depending upon the destination and facilities.  The focus of Craft World Tours' international travel programs is to meet craftspeople and village people to see how and where they work, how they live, their way of life...  "to go behind the wall".  We hope our traveling companions will be influenced by the range of handcrafts, the people we meet, the cultures, the food, architecture and landscape.  As our travel programs focus on meeting people, visiting villages & markets, they are also ideal for persons interested in photography.

Prof. Tom Muir Wilson & Sherry Clark Wilson
Prof. Wilson has been designing and running special-interest travel programs since 1969.  Tom and his wife Sherry formed CRAFT WORLD TOURS in 1984 to share their love of travel, the special craftspeople they have met and the unique places they have found over the years.  Both Tom and Sherry were educated as craftspeople...  Tom a woodworker and furniture designer, and Sherry a weaver and feltmaker.  Educator for 35 years, Tom has retired from 22 years of teaching Photography and Art at Rochester Institute of Technology's School for Photographic Arts & Sciences.  Tom designs & accompanies most of CWT's travel programs, Sherry keeps the office running, and occasionally accompanies Tom on the trips.

For detailed itineraries, call or write:

CRAFT WORLD TOURS
6776 Warboys Road
Byron, NY  14422
tel:  585-548-2667     fax:  585-548-2821

TomAndSherry

Join Tom as he returns for our 19th journey exploring Morocco's exotic treasures... a land of incredible and diverse beauty, the kingdom of Morocco maintains much of its traditional culture in the inner old cities and the countryside. Focusing on Morocco's folklife and her people, we wander the labyrinth of the medinas of ancient Fes, Taroudant and Marrakech visiting small colorful shops and workshops of carpetweavers, wool dyers, woodworkers, potters, brass and copperworkers... in the countryside, we see Berber people and traditional weekly markets, a colorful reflection of Moroccan life. Journey from Rabat to Chechaouen, Fes and Marrakech, through the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate and Taroudant in southern Morocco before continuing on to the coastal town of Essaouira. Wonderful photographic opportunities!

Ceramics

Come join us as we return for our 9th trip celebrating the Winter Traditions of Bucovina, Transylvania and Maramures in Romania! For persons with an interest in traditional folklife, the remote mountainous regions of Bucovina and Maramures are living ethnographic museums. Between Christmas and the New Year, days are filled with fun-loving activities intended as a good omen for the New Year. Connected with the Winter Solstice, the dances with masks are visible remnants of pagan processions of the past... the country's Romanian Orthodox background blended with these pagan remnants manifests itself in the colorful winter traditions of today. One of the organized festivities is the Maramures Winter Festival where villages are represented by men, women & children in traditional dress singing and dancing. For hardy, interested persons, we would love to have you join us! While hotels are well heated, much time will be spent out-of-doors in cold, sometimes snowy weather and performances are held outdoors. Weather is similar to that of the northern U.S... cold, snowy and unpredictable. And hopefully with a fresh snowfall, Romania's traditional regions of Bucovina, Maramures and Transylvania are magical! Because of the personable nature of this trip, and our many visits to village homes, group size will be limited to 10 trip participants.

Ceramics

Join Lesley Robin in exploring the rural life and traditions of Gujarat & Rajasthan with diverse and exciting textile visits, meeting with Master Craftsmen - tie-dyers, blockprinters, leatherworkers, double ikat weavers -- and village people in their homes and workshops. Travel through a landscape of legendary forts, palaces and lively bazaars... an endless pageant of people and color! From Mumbai (Bombay) fly to Bhuj in Kutch (Gujarat) where we base ourselves for several nights and travel off the beaten track with Judy Frater, our personal guide throughout our time in Kutch... visiting desert communities that still maintain their strong traditions and culture, where embroidery is a celebration of their everyday lives. Journey to Ahmedabad to visit the Calico Museum of Textiles, and meet the Salvi family in Patan renowned for their famous "patola" (intricate double ikat). Continue overland into Rajasthan visiting tribal villages where women adorn themselves in traditional clothing & exotic silver jewelry. Stay in an old palace, and at the home of a local noble family... visit a myriad of wonderful sights, including remote Jaisalmer, described as "the most perfect jewel shimmering above the hard sand like a fairytale mirage"... and Jodhpur on the edge of the Thar Desert. A very personal journey through the richness of craft with wonderful photographic opportunities!

Gujarat

Join Tom on his 15th journey to Myanmar (Burma), a fascinating land stopped in time... a land of spontaneous smiles and giggles, of temples and pagodas... of incense and temple bells, of monks in burgundy-colored robes... of haunting images of temples dotting the Pagan plain overlooking the Ayeyarwady (Irrawady) River... of simple, village handcraft workshops. Beginning in Yangon (Rangoon) we visit the Shwedagon Pagoda with its gold-plated stupa. Flying to Heho in the hilly north we explore Inle Lake located in the Shan states, known for its unique leg-rowers and lakeshore villages built on stilts. Continue to Mandalay, an important center for traditional crafts... visit a puppet factory, tapestry "kalaga" workshop, a handwoven silk workshop, a papier mache village, woodcarving & stone carving, a bronze foundry, bamboo & rice straw papermakers, an artist who does reverse painting on glass... and see the making of gold leaf. Board the Pandaw 1947 Riverboat for a magnificent journey on the Irrawady River from Mandalay to Bagan (Pagan), stopping to visit villages along our route. Explore the important temples of the vast archaeological site of Bagan, one of the most remarkable sites in Asia. You will find a refreshing charm and local warmth to this unique country! Outstanding photographic opportunities!

Woman

Join Tom & Florencio for our journey into the beautiful highlands of Guatemala, exploring traditional villages & meeting local crafts-people producing outstanding handwork. The World Heritage Site of Antigua with its colonial architecture and cobblestone streets will be our base for eight nights (6+2) as we explore this historic town and surrounding villages, meeting weavers, woodworkers, and naive painters. Continue to Chichicastenango for their fabulous indigenous market, and to visit a workshop of maskmakers. We spend two nights on the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan, a caldera lake surrounded by volcanoes, visiting a quiltmaker and villages of potters, weavers & embroiderers. Traveling during the dry winter season, temperatures in the highlands of Guatemala remain fairly constant year-round with lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s & 80s. Outstanding scenery and experiences!

Guatemala

Join Tom & Florencio for our 4th journey into the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state. Explore the beautiful colonial city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas and surrounding traditional villages populated by Tzotzil and Tzetzal Indians, descendants of the Maya. San Cristóbal de Las Casas is located at about 7400 feet, offering a moderate climate year-round with daytime temperatures in the 60s-70s and nighttime temperatures in the 50s. In addition to exploring San Cristóbal's historic colonial center and museums, our days will be filled with excursions into the countryside to visit weekly markets, traditional villages, and to meet local weavers and potters. Continue into the jungle lowlands to visit the ancient Mayan archaeological sites of Palenque and Bonampak, and to visit a Lacandon village. Join us in exploring the wonderful ambiance of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.... and in savoring some very special experiences in the surrounding countryside with some very special people!

Michoacan Woman

Travel in Central Asia is a bittersweet mix of old and new, with pockets of "gems" scattered throughout this region located between the Caspian Sea and Western China. Ashkhabad in Turkmenistan and Tashkent in Uzbekistan have been destroyed by earthquakes in the 20th century, so these cities are modern. Uzbekistan is by far the most diverse and exciting country... in Samarkand and Bukhara the old cities are magnificent with fabulous architecture! Textiles are plentiful... carpets & suzanis wall hangings, traditional dress, embroidery, silk ikat, hats, animal trappings, felt rugs... as well as jewelry, ceramics, wood and metal. In Ferghana Valley, the small Uzbek villages of Margilan and Rishtan are home to potters, a jeweler, silk ikat weavers and a master blockprinter. Words cannot express the incredible beauty of the historic old walled village of Khiva. Join Tom & Raisa on our 8th journey into Central Asia... come with a spirit of adventure!



Centra Asia Photo

Join Tom & Sherry on our 10th journey exploring the beautiful Ecuadorian Highlands with colorful indigenas markets, traditional villages & handcrafts, and magnificent Andean landscapes. Throughout our journey we'll meet craftspeople in their homes & village workshops... ikat and backstrap weavers, embroiderers, knitters, totora reed weavers, a forged metal workshop, naive painters, musical instrument makers, horsehair weavers, and shigra makers. Beginning in the capital city of Quito, situated on a high plateau surrounded by Andean mountain peaks, we fly to provincial Cuenca in the Southern Highlands to explore Cuenca's cultural and architectural treasures. Our journey continues overland, north through the "Avenue of the Volcanoes", as we make our way into the Central and Northern Highlands. Ecuador's weather is spring-like year round due to the altitude combined with its location on the equator. Many of our overnights are in unique small hotels and haciendas with great ambiance. Come join us as we venture into the magical world of the Andes!

Ecuador woman

The Balkans... a land of rich folk traditions and ancient cities. Join Tom & Sasha as we come "full circle", returning for our 17th trip to the lands of the former Yugoslavia, CWT's beginning and the core of our trips from 1984 through 1990. While Yugoslavia has now broken up into many countries, we return to explore portions of Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia. We begin in Novi Sad, Serbia with its Austro-Hungarian architecture and ambiance, and regional handcrafts. Morning cruise on the Danube River as we journey from Novi Sad to Belgrade. Visit the homes & studios of naive (primitive) painters in outlying villages near Belgrade. Journey overland into the moutainous regions of Serbia to visit a cooperative of handknitters before we continue through beautiful mountainous countryside to Kotor. Visit Mostar with its famous single arch stone bridge before we continue to Kotor on the coast of Montenegro. Our journey ends with beautiful Dubrovnik on the Adriatic coast of Croatia.

Balkans image

Our journey includes the important cities of Durban and Cape Town, but mainly focuses on rural South Africa, its nature and tribal traditions. From the capital city Johannesburg, travel into the countryside and visit an Ndebele cultural village giving an insight into the customs and culture of this colorful indigenous tribe, and visit a Shangaan tribal village. On to Lukimbi Safari Lodge, part of the world renowned Greater Kruger Park, staying in an exclusive family-owned Lodge where experienced rangers bring us into close proximity with the "Big Five"... elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard. Travel into the highlands in the heart of the Royal Kingdom of Swaziland. Continue to Zululand through the beautiful Mfule River Valley to Durban, one of the busiest ports in Africa. Fly to Cape Town with breathtaking scenery of the Cape Peninsula. Our visits include Table Mountain, Bo-Kaap and the Malay Quarter with its brightly painted 19th century houses, the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point where two oceans meet. Visit the winelands and the historic villages of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Throughout our travels we visit markets and self-help projects focusing on crafts. Come discover the vibrancy and spirit of the New South Africa, a truly "Rainbow Nation".

South African Woman

Join Tom & Sherry & Florencio in celebrating the colorful Christmas festivities of Oaxaca! Beginning in Mexico City, we visit the new Folk Art Museum and the outstanding National Museum of Anthropology. Continue to the colonial city of Tlaxcala before we journey through the Sierra Madre mountains to Oaxaca (pronounced "wah-HAH-ka"). Mexico City and Tlaxcala are located at about 7300 feet, and Oaxaca is about 5000 feet, providing a moderate climate year-round with December daytime temperatures in the 60s-70s and nighttime temperatures in the 50s. In addition to visiting the historic colonial districts, our days will be filled with excursions into the countryside and villages to meet folk potters, ceramic artists and artisans, blacksmiths, embroiderers, woodcarvers, candlemakers and rugweavers. Join us in enjoying the wonderful ambiance and the festive Christmas season in Oaxaca which is based around family tradition and their indigenous values. We'll enjoy a village procession & fiesta called a posada... the famous Night of the Radishes , a uniquely Oaxacan expression of the holiday season... a Christmas parade.... and in savoring some very special experiences with some very special people!

Oaxaca Xmas