Informing the international traveler since 1976.
Mar 2006 issue.
Boarding Pass
Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 361st issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine. This is our 30th anniversary issue! The following was sent to us by one of your fellow ITN readers, Robert E. Pine of Boulder, Colorado: “As a longtime subscriber to International Travel News, I thought you might be interested to know that my wife, [...]Travel Tidbits
My wife and I spent a week touring Sicily’s highlights with our daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons (ages 11 and 14) in the latter part of March ’04. The people were most friendly, the accommodations were very good and the food and ice cream were terrific. The temples at Segesta, Selinunte and, in particular, Agrigento [...]Tuva — way off the beaten path
by Bill Altaffer, Mammoth Lakes, CA A bit about Tuva Northwest of Mongolia, in the Russian Federation, is the autonomous region formerly known as Tannu-Tuva. Its native people are related, ethnically and culturally, to Mongolians. They practice Buddhism and shamanism, often blending the two religions in daily practice. The area, being part of Siberia, is also populated by [...]International cell phone
Number one on my list of things which get packed is an international cell phone. I have one from Mobal Communications, Inc. (171 Madison Ave., Ste. 300, New York, NY 10016; phone 212/785-5800, fax 212/681-7431 or visit www.mobal.com). You can order the $49 or $99 phone based on where you are traveling; the website will tell [...]Mobal GSM phone
A recent television program listed things one should have for traveling, including the best shoes, the best white shirt, the best go-everywhere black pants, the best backpack, etc. What was omitted was something I consider essential: a Mobal GSM phone (Mobal Communications, 171 Madison Ave., Ste. 300, New York, NY 10016; phone 888/888-9162 or visit [...]Burundanga dangers
Colombia is the center for another type of drug crime. Burundanga, a relative of the sedative and motion-sickness drug scopalamine, has been implicated in date rapes and robberies. Its effect is to block the victim’s memory and reduce willpower. In November ’05 my sister-in-law, Sally Mejia, who lives in Bogota, was approached by two women and [...]Motoring in Morocco
I took my sixth trip to Morocco in October ’05 and chose to rent a car for the first time, after reading in a recent issue that another subscriber enjoyed driving there. (I usually use the trains and have found them almost comparable to those in Europe.) The car was delivered with no fuss at Casablanca’s [...]Driving in Poland a tight fit
On our first trip to Poland, in October ’05, I read that the road fatality rate in that country is one of the highest in Europe. We found that cars in Warsaw and on the highways were not being driven recklessly, and the roads as far as Zakopane in the southern Tatra Mountains bordering Slovakia were [...]Rethinking Bhutan
I have been traveling independently to Bhutan as well as taking groups there since 1999. Having returned from my 26th visit, I feel the need to try to advise those people intending to visit this tiny kingdom in the next few years that they need to go to see Bhutan for the right reasons. A [...]Consider Guatemala
Having made three trips to Guatemala, when I read Judith Anshin’s story in the January ’06 issue it brought back many happy memories of this beautiful land and of the wonderful people who live there. I was, however, saddened that no mention was made of the devastation that hit Guatemala during the recent hurricane season. Mudslides [...]The ZürichCARD
I trust Rick Steves, so when he suggested in his “Switzerland 2005” guide that travelers should pick up a ZürichCARD, I listened. In November ’05 I purchased a 72-hour card, and I am very glad I did. The card is an inexpensive way to see the city’s sights. The 72-hour card costs CHF30 (about $22) for [...]Armenia’s Military Highway
On the last day of our trip to Armenia we traveled the Military Highway. This road began as a track used by invaders in the first century. Later, as part of the Silk Road, it was an important link between Europe and Asia before becoming the main link with Russia. Following it along the Aragvi River [...]Funniest Thing for March
Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries [...]Norman landscapes along the Seine
by Deanna Palic, Contributing Editor While I was contemplating where to go for my 2005 vacation, an invitation to travel as a guest of Peter Deilmann Cruises on their new Seine River program solved my dilemma. Scheduled cruises included sailings from Paris to Rouen, Rouen to Paris and Paris to Paris, all enjoying the same ports [...]Found inefficiencies in booking
ITN was mailed a copy of the following letter, sent by a reader to Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). This is to notify you that we want to be removed from any (lists to receive) announcements or promotional literature coming from any of your offices. The following outlines the experience that we had leading us to this [...]Sapphire Libya & Med cruise
I took an 8-day cruise to Libya and the Mediterranean aboard the MS Sapphire of Louis Hellenic Cruises (Athens, Greece) in April ’05. I booked it through Advantage Travel & Tours (Poway, CA; 800/882-2098 or e-mail advantaget@aol.com). The brochure price was $1,499 for an inside cabin or $1,699, outside, and included air from New York. Since [...]Setting the pace
I read with great interest Wesley Wilson’s letter regarding his handicapped wife’s negative experience with Vantage Deluxe World Travel on their September ’04 river cruise in Europe (July ’05, pg. 27). Although Mrs. Wilson often stayed on board rather than take shore excursions that required considerable walking, the cruise company nevertheless asked her to leave [...]Amazon jungle cruise
A small ad in ITN caught my eye and my imagination. Who hasn’t dreamed of taking a small boat cruise on the Amazon? Two friends and I contacted Explorations, Inc., agreed to the $2,295 cost and signed on to what would be one of our favorite adventure trips — and that’s saying something, since we have [...]Archaeological Tours
In his August ’05 “Far Horizons” column, Randy Keck asked readers to recommend long-haul, single-destination group tours. Most of our organized touring has focused on single destinations. The Smithsonian features such visits but ordinarily would not meet Mr. Keck’s criterion of a minimum of 21 days. Archaeological Tours (271 Madison Ave., Ste. 904, New York, NY 10016; [...]Summer in the Baltics
My husband and I took a trip with Elderhostel (Boston, MA; 877/426-8056 or www.elderhostel.org) to the Baltic capitals — Vilnius, Lithuania; Riga, Latvia, and Tallinn, Estonia — plus St. Petersburg and Moscow, June 23-July 11, ’05. It was a great trip, very informative, and the lectures by local professors were quite enlightening as to the [...]Custom India
My friend and I, who both qualify as seniors, first traveled to India in January ’03 for a month. We paid for the car and driver and then just arranged things as we went along, charging hotels and meals. Sometimes we looked at as many as three hotels before we chose one. At other times [...]Paris and Nice notes
We took an an excellent trip to Paris (six nights) and Nice (three nights), May 23-June 2, ’05, arranged by France Vacations (Chatsworth, CA; 800/332-5332 or www.francevacations.net). Round-trip air from San Francisco to Paris, Paris to Nice and return via Air France plus hotels in Paris and Nice and all airport transfers cost $1,649 per [...]Money Matters: trimming wallet, PIN security, rubles vs. dollars
Trimming waist and cost I have been following the “Money Matters” correspondence with interest (October-December ’05 & Jan. ’06, pg. 92). In the December issue, Edward Lifset (pg. 73) recommends one-dollar bills and a USAA MasterCard; Robert Hersch (pg. 74) found he needed a Visa card in Tahiti, and David Williams (pg. 75) says he prints [...]Windsor — Beyond the castle
by Marisue Pickering, Orono, ME As our well-used guidebook to Britain states, “Berkshire has one major tourist attraction: Windsor and its famous castle.” Although my husband and I agree with our travel guide about the premier status of this magnificent castle overlooking the Thames, we delight in discovering minor attractions of the area. We have enjoyed the [...]Sri Lanka with Ceylon Express International
Varini de Silva of Ceylon Express International (9542 Dumbreck Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92646; 800/423-9566 or www.ceylonexpress.com) carefully planned my trip so I would see Sri Lanka at the time of the Kandy Perahera, continuing from there on a ’round-the-world trip. She arranged for part of the tour money go to the Foundation for Coexistence, [...]Poland, Slovakia, Hungary with Exodus Travel
“Heart of Central Europe” from Exodus Travel (based in London; in the U.S., book through Adventure Center, 1311 63rd St., Ste. 200, Emeryville, CA 94608; phone 800/228-8747, e-mail exodus@adventurecenter.com or visit www.exodus.co.uk) featured lots of variety, lots of walking, beautiful scenery, caves and a few city driving tours. We always had clean rooms, centrally located [...]Costa Rica with Get to Costa Rica Tours
From our initial contact with Get to Costa Rica Tours (624 Pecan Blvd., McAllen, TX 78501; 877/877-8666 or www.gettocostarica.com) to arrange a 9-day/8-night customized tour of the country, I was impressed with the company. Scheduling concerns limited the dates we could travel, and Get to Costa Rica worked within our “set” dates when most other [...]Turkey with Insight Travel
Turkey My sister and I spent five days in Istanbul in September ’04, and on two of those days we scheduled private tours of the city with Insight Travel (Akbiyik Caddesi No. 104, 34400 Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey; phone 90 212 638 6310 or visit www.tour-turkey.com). Rina Svensson Tirasoglu and Suleyman Tirasoglu own the agency. Rina answered [...]China + Vietnam & Cambodia with Orient Odyssey and Travel Indochina
When the original agent with whom we worked at Orient Odyssey (1385 Gulf Rd., Ste. 203, Point Roberts, WA 98281; phone 800/637-5778 or visit www.orientodyssey.com) was poorly handling arrangements for post-tour accommodations, our file was taken over by the very competent owner, Thomas Cheng, who also saw us off in Los Angeles. (We did have [...]Central America with Overseas Adventure Travel
I had some concerns about crime in Guatemala after reading reports in ITN and other publications about bandits and attacks on tourists. I hope these reports do not discourage people from visiting this country. My friend Roni and I never felt unsafe or threatened on the 14-day “Route of the Maya” tour that we took [...]Papua New Guinea with Trans Niugini Tours
As a serious amateur photographer, I had seen many portraits of the colorful painted faces of the tribal people of Papua New Guinea. Finally, I had the opportunity to go see for myself. I joined Greg Stathakis of Trans Niugini Tours (408 East Islay St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101; 800/676-1241 or www.pngtravel.com) on a 2-week [...]Turkey with Treasures of Travel
My wife and I traveled to Turkey with Umit Dogan, the owner of Treasures of Travel (Box 714, Edmonds, WA 98020; 800/572-0526 or www.treasuresoftravel.com). The land price of our 21-day tour was $2,800 per person. We used frequent-flyer miles to fly Air France to and from Istanbul. Because we wanted to book the tour as early [...]Jewelry Shopping
Where do you most enjoy shopping for jewelry (outside of North America and the Caribbean)? That’s the question we presented in a previous issue. We asked you to be specific about where you bought favorite pieces of jewelry, whether in a store or from hawkers on the street, for instance, and to include when you [...]New Zealand’s Akaroa
by Todd Vogel, Silverton, OR In 2005, my wife, Pattie, and I flew from Portland, Oregon, to Los Angeles for our direct overnight flight to Christchurch, New Zealand, on Air New Zealand ($1,032 per person). We had 12 hours of relative calm and indolence, punctuated by drinks, snacks, drinks, washcloths, drinks, meals, drinks, candies and, of [...]Schoolhouse B&B in Scotland
On a trip to SCOTLAND in November ’05 we stayed at the Schoolhouse B&B (Caroline St. Dornie; phone 01599 555 482 or e-mail leigh@eilan.freeserve.co.uk). This is a recently renovated former schoolhouse with four individual rooms to accommodate twin, double and families. The double room, with a large walk-in shower, is designed for disabled visitors. £40 ($69) [...]Harbour View Apartments in Ireland
Just wanted to share a great apartment in Baltimore, West County Cork, Ireland: Harbour View Apartments (phone 353 [0] 864029566 or 2820142, e-mail info@harbourapartments.com or visit www.harbourapartments.com). The owner is Sarah Connolly. A very short walk from the store and from restaurants of Baltimore, these apartments are new, with a lovely view of the Baltimore Harbor [...]France’s Château de Labessière
Château de Labessière (55320 Ancemont, FRANCE; phone 33 3 29 85 70 21, fax 33 3 29 87 61 60 or visit www.labessiere.com or www.au-chateau.com) is a wonderful bed-and-breakfast near Verdun. The château is easy to reach by car or train. The accommodations, in a restored château, are perfect. The price, €65 ($76) per person when [...]Hôtel de Sonloup and Hôtel Seeburg in Switzerland
I enjoyed a 2-week trip to SWITZERLAND in September ’05 and recommend the following places to stay. They are each a great value in a country where a small bottle of water sells for $4 and mailing a postcard costs $1.44. • Hôtel de Sonloup (1833 Les Avants sur Montreux, Switzerland; phone 011 41 21 964 [...]Hotels in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Bali
During a 10-week trip to Asia, January to April ’05, we had the pleasure of staying in several excellent hotels. • In Hong Kong, CHINA, Harbour Plaza Hong Kong (20 Tak Fung St., Whampoa Garden, Hunghom, Kowloon; phone 852 2621 3143 or visit www.harbour-plaza.com) had an elegant lobby with spectacular views of Victoria Harbour, especially from [...]Warwick Hotel near Hong Kong
We spent three days on Cheung Chau, CHINA, a small island that is a 40-minute ferry ride from Hong Kong Central, in early December ’05. We stayed at the Warwick Hotel (East Bay, Cheung Chau; phone [852] 2981 0081, fax 2981 9673 or visit www.warwick hotel.com.hk). We were personally greeted by Maggie Ma, Director of Sales [...]A semi-independent tour of China
Over the last 20 years, China has built up its infrastructure so that it is quite reasonable for individual travelers to tour on their own. Still, there is some risk and one can have some trepidation in undertaking this adventure, especially outside of the big cities. There is an alternative to using a group tour [...]Château de Veauce
Most travelers in France are familiar with the châteaux at Chenonceau and Chambord, but the Château de Veauce? Not likely. So Carole and I didn’t have high expectations when in July ’05 we spied Veauce on the IGN 1:100,000 map we were using to explore the Allier area north of Clermont-Ferrand and west of the [...]Dining by the Dom
Alter Wartesaal (Johannisstrasse 11, Cologne, Germany; phone 49 [0] 221-912 885-0 or visit www.wartesaal.de [in German only]): located adjacent to Cologne’s Hauptbahnhof, this fine restaurant is in the rail station’s old first-class lounge. To get to the restaurant, exit the hauptbahnhof through the doors that face the Dom (Cologne’s cathedral). As you exit, the restaurant will [...]Southern Chile agent
My husband and I were in the southern part of Chile in January ’05 and found the best tour operator we’ve encountered in our years of travel. He is Enrique Pavez of Lagos Andinos (Antonio Varas 445, Puerto Montt, Chile; phone/fax 56-65 254988 or mobile [9] 7079445, e-mail sales@lagosandinos.cl or visit www.lagosandinos.cl). Enrique speaks excellent English, [...]Easter Island guide
My wife, Mary, and I took a 35-day cruise on Holland America Line’s Statendam, embarking Nov. 17, ’05. This was a wonderful experience for us, even though we had traveled on many shorter cruises. The stops in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Easter Island, Tahiti, Bora Bora, American Samoa and New Zealand all were excellent, but I [...]Olympia and Delphi
Ancient Olympia and Delphi were two sites out of antiquity that my wife and I visited on an April trip to Greece. At Olympia, both of us were in awe. There isn’t a whole lot left, but what is there is impressive when you consider the history. We burned up several rolls of film. Delphi is [...]Warsaw Camera Market
We visited the camera market in Warsaw, Poland, in June ’05. With new and used cameras, computer equipment, cell phones, etc., it’s open only on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ask the taxi driver for Gielda Fotograficzna (Photographic Market), located in the Centrum neighborhood at the Stodola Students Club (ulica Batorego 10, Warsaw 02-591, [...]Shopping for furniture: Fiji, Orkney chairs
Fit for Fiji I took my first trip to Fiji in August ’05. Our group of six flew from Los Angeles to Nadi, changed planes and flew to the second-largest island in the Fijian chain, Vanua Levu. We spent the next week at the wonderful Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa (in the U.S., call 877/567-6786 [...]Hidden pocket
Protecting your money while traveling abroad has gotten more complicated over the years, but not for me. Before I travel, I always hand-stitch a small pocket, about 4″x 3″ or so, into the bottom section of my bra cup. I use it to hold folded-up twenties and one credit card. I take the bra off at [...]The Tin Shed in NZ
The Ostheimers mentioned The Tin Shed Sheepskin Shop (Rangitata 22 RD, Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand; phone +64 3 693 9416 or, free within N.Z., 0508 504 006, fax 693 9531 or visit www.thetinshed.co.nz) on the South Island of New Zealand (Dec. ’05, pg. 103). I’ll second their recommendation. The place is literally a tin [...]To help clothes dry
To limit luggage to “carry-on” only when traveling over an extended period, I pack three shirts, three sets of underwear and three pairs of socks and wash soiled items nightly. Washing is easy, but wringing sufficient water from my wash has been a problem. I now extract water using a lettuce spinner. This method removes [...]All Aboard! » Finland’s King’s Road West
by Jay Brunhouse Pilgrims, royal couriers, soldiers, merchants, postmen and even Czar Alexander I trudged along the muddy, medieval path that connected Stockholm through southern Finland with St. Petersburg. It has become known as Finland’s King’s Road because the crown maintained it. The Russian emperor traveled in an ermine fur-lined sledge from Turku to Helsinki with [...]Ask Steve » Air routes, Guyana travel, Mediterranean cruises
Q STEVE, except for a JetBlue flight that leaves at midnight, there are no nonstop flights from Denver to New York’s JFK Airport, and as a traveler who is sick and very tired of flying to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Dulles, Boston or Detroit to get to JFK (to connect with an international flight), I would really [...]Travel & Health » Japanese Encephalitis hits Asia hard
Heavy rains poured down upon most of the tropics this past year; we saw numerous hurricanes in the Caribbean while Asia suffered heavy monsoons and cyclones. There has been much human suffering as a result. During the rainy season, and for many weeks after, standing water serves as the perfect environment for mosquito larvae. As you [...]Better Travel Photography » Making lemonade: overcoming obstacles
Having just returned from leading a photographic adventure tour, some important issues are fresh in my mind. First of all, if you are enthusiastic about bringing home pictures to share and cherish, take a backup camera. On the first day of our trip to colonial Mexico, I discovered that my Pentax 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) [...]Focus on Archaeology » Beyond the Panama Canal
by Julie Skurdenis Mention Panama and most people think Panama Canal. There is no doubt that the 50-mile-long canal, completed in 1914, that cuts across Panama from the Atlantic to the Pacific is one of the most spectacular feats of modern engineering. It would be a mistake for any visitor to Panama to miss at least [...]Far Horizons » China adventure: The Yangtze River and the Three Gorges
by Randy Keck (Second of three parts, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3) The second stage of our China journey commenced in the bustling port town of Yichang, where, after dinner at a local restaurant, we boarded the MS Victoria Star, one of the 5-star cruise ships in the American-managed Victoria Cruises fleet used [...]March Report Cards
FIRST, FAST & FURIOUS ? The following is a sampling of reports received from ITN readers around the globe. ITN invites you to join our corps of reporters ? just drop a card in the mail while the travel impressions are fresh in your mind. To obtain your ITN Report Cards, send a self-addressed, stamped, [...]
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