SEATTLE–The National Public Radio (NPR) show "Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door" recently featured Armenia during a live webcast. The webcast–"Exploring Armenia," featured an interview with two Armenia travel experts and was conducted by Rick Steves. An edited and abridged version of the webcast will be broadcast on NPR later this summer.
Rick Steves is a syndicated journalist and the host of travel shows on both PBS-TV and NPR radio. He is also the author of a series of travel guides on countries from around the world. For "Exploring Armenia," he interviewed Armenia experts and author-photographers Robert Kurkjian and Matthew Karanian.
Kurkjian and Karanian are co-authors of the Armenia travel guide "The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh." They have published several books about traveling in Armenia and Karabagh and are also prize-winning photographers. Their stories about Armenia have recently been featured in Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine–and in CNN Traveller magazine–the UK’s largest circulation travel magazine. Kurkjian is also an international environmental consultant. Karanian is a lawyer in Los Angeles. Since 1995–they have each worked in Armenia and have traveled extensively throughout both Armenia and Karabagh.
Their Armenia travel guide–"The Stone Garden Guide," was the 2005 Award Finalist for Best Travel Guide by the Independent Publishers Association. It was also the best-selling English language guidebook on Armenia in 2004 and 2005. The book emphasizes sustainable and environmentally-conscious tourism–and includes features on nature and conservation.
"The Stone Garden Guide" is sold online at www.amazon.com and at independent bookstores such as Abril Books and Sardarabad Books (Glendale–CA); the AGBU Bookstore (New York–NY); and Artbridge Bookstore (Yerevan–Armenia). The book is available by mail order direct from the publisher for $32 post-paid by sending a check to Stone Garden Productions–PO Box 7758–Northridge–CA 91327. Orders shipped to California please add $2.05 State Sales Tax. Orders received before March 1–2006 will be shipped by Priority Mail with a FREE wall-sized map of Armenia (a $10 value).