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If you enjoyed "Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs" at the Omnimax Theater at the Carnegie Science Center, you can meet one of the stars of the documentary, Egyptologist Bob Brier, on a 10-day trip to Egypt. Brier is one of the guest lecturers on a fall trip to Egypt from Far Horizons Archaeological & Cultural Trips. A highlight of the trip, from Nov. 8 to 19, is sailing down the Nile while staying on the S.S. Karim, a Victorian paddleboat that Britain presented to King Faud in 1917. Guests will take shore excursions to temples, receive lessons in reading hieroglyphics and go birding on islands in the river. The trip ends with two days of sightseeing in London.

The cost of $8695 per person, double occupancy, includes round-trip airfare from London to Luxor, Egypt, all hotels, cabin and meals on board the S.S. Karim, guides in Egypt, ground transportation in Egypt and entry fees. The costs do not include airfare from the United States to London, a $150 donation for a private, behind-the-scenes tour of the Petrie Museum in London or ground transportation from London's Gatwick Airport to the hotel. Single supplement is $2,295.

Details: 800-552-4575.

A new food festival that offers a variety of active and outdoor programs in addition to the usual tastings is scheduled for Sept. 18 to 21 in the Poconos. The Delaware River Food & Wine Festival includes a "Brew Master for a Day" program, mushroom-foraging, guided pheasant hunting, and a bike ride with stops for farm tours. A 35-course tasting menu is scheduled for Sept. 20 at the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort. Tickets are $85.

Other fall events in the Poconos include the Harvest & Heritage Days in Honesdale, Oct. 11 and12, and the foliage festival in the historic town of Jim Thorpe, Oct. 18 and 19 . For another beautiful place to see autumn colors, head to the summit of Camelback Mountain in Big Pocono State Park for a view from the summit. Bring a picnic or dine at the Cameltop restaurant.

Calling all foodies. Here's a new way to get recommendations for where to eat when you're playing tourist. A new product called Mappetite combines a guidebook to basic landmarks with a restaurant guide, in a simple, lightweight fold-out map format.

The series offers $14 maps for New York and London now, with San Francisco due out in November and Chicago and Paris next year. For example, if you're on the East Side of Manhattan, fold out that section of the map to reveal listings for Grand Central, the United Nations, the Whitney Museum and the Frick Collection, along with recommendations for restaurants ranging from the Oyster Bar to Cipriani Dolci to Burger Heaven, Serafina and Payard. The maps also show subway stations.

What all tourists have in common is that they want to avoid places where other tourists congregate. Journalist Rob Kay has been covering French Polynesia since the '70s, so he knows the difference between tiki and tacky. In "Hidden Tahiti & French Polynesia" from Ulysses Press, Kay is your man on the ground, sharing the secrets of such hidden gems as Hakaui Falls, nestled in the tropical jungle of Nuku Hiva. Or, dine at La Mangue Verte, an oceanside restaurant frequented by locals, that serves Tahitian and French specialties.

Douglas Peebles provides vivid photos of fare, which are lagoon-front, thatched-roof, locally owned hotels that are significantly cheaper than the costly resorts. Also included are maps to secluded beaches and ancient marae, which are spaces devoted to ceremonial rituals.

Tahiti is the largest of an archipelago known as the Society Islands. With four other island groups, including the Marquesas, the Tuamotus, the Australs and the Gambiers, there are ample places to find tropical jungles, black pearl farms, exotic gardens and extraordinary snorkeling sites. (Ulysses Press, $19.95 softcover; 500 pages)

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