TOURS, ETC. : SEE ASIA FROM PRIVATE TRAINS.

Byline: Daily News

Travelers can follow the ancient Silk Road through China and central Asia on two 1997 trips that begin in Beijing and wind up 23 days later in Moscow.

The TCS Expeditions tours are scheduled April 18-May 9 and Sept. 12-Oct. 4. Travel is aboard two private trains, the China Orient Express and the Nostalgic Istanbul Orient Express. Both trips include sightseeing in Xi'an, Jiayuguan, Liuyuan/Dunhugang, the Magao Caves, Turfan, Kazakhstan, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Bukhara and Khiva.

Costs start at $11,895, including air fare from Los Angeles, double-occupancy lodgings, train travel, excursions and most meals. Information: [phone].

Arizona visit: Through Dec. 31, Pointe Hilton Resorts in Phoenix offers guests a choice of seven recreational activities and spa treatments, including a four-hour jeep tour, two-hour horseback ride, 50-minute massage, one-hour golf or tennis lesson, or manicure, pedicure and hair styling. Per-night rates are $316 double occupancy, $243 single. Information: [phone].

African adventure: Visits to Masai Mara, Samburu and Lake Nakuru National Parks are on the itinerary for a Feb. 3 departure to the game parks of Kenya and Tanzania offers by Zebra Productions. Costs start at $3,950 per person, double occupancy, for 14-day trips and $4,850 for 19-day trips, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, ground transportation, hotels, all meals on safari and museum and park entrance fees. Trips also are scheduled in June and July. Information: [phone].

Panama cruise: Between Dec. 20 and March 14, American Canadian Caribbean Line's 92-passenger Mayan Prince will depart on seven cruises that include a sail through the Panama Canal, visits to the San Blas Islands, Cuna villages, Portobelo, Taboga and Contadora Island. Costs for the 12-day trip range from $1,599 to $2,699, double occupancy, and include meals, an overnight in Panama City and ship transfers. Air fare from Miami costs an additional $329 per person; an optional tour up the Samba River costs $25 per person. Information: [phone].

Follow the whales: A seven-day, six-night tour will depart Feb. 24 from San Diego and travel Mexico's Baja Peninsula by motorcoach. Three days' whale watching is scheduled in Scammon's Lagoon, Lopez Mateos and San Carlos, and overnight stays will be in Catavina, Guerrero Negro, Loreto, Puerto San Carlos and La Paz before the group flies to Tijuana on the return trip. Cost is $999 per person, double occupancy, and includes transportation, hotels and some meals. Information: [phone].

French pilgrimage: Regina Tours will lead a seven-day Catholic pilgrimage to Paris that includes visits to the Rue du Bac Chapel, Notre Dame Cathedral and Sacre Coeur Basilica, plus the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. The trip departs March 9. Cost is $1,099 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York. Information: [phone].

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Photo: Sightseeing in Samarkand is featured on two 1997 Asia tours.