Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the 359th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine.
The world is keeping an eye on overseas outbreaks of bird flu. So far, fortunately, human cases are limited. To be better prepared to deal with any pandemic influenza that might occur, the White House in November released an outline of measures that could [...]
A very surprising highlight for us on our trip to New Zealand was Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World in Auckland. It features an excellent aquarium walk-through, a polar theme ride and a museum, all situated underground beneath a highway! — NORM LOEFFLER, Wichita Falls, TX
During our trip to New Zealand in March [...]
—Story and photos by Judith Anshin, Contributing Editor
Guatemala, after suffering years of civil war, is now beckoning. Peace accords were signed with the guerrillas in 1996, and they have held to today. In the hope of attracting more high-end travelers, new hotels have been built in the Flores/Tikal area, the airport is being upgraded, and [...]
Here are a few tips from our travels in late April-May ’05. We spent seven days in Budapest, three in Kraków, seven in Praha and five in Berlin.
Use ATMs to get local currency. Don’t get too much, because in getting rid of excess money you are hit hard. Hungary’s forints were hard to get rid [...]
In October-November ’05, Americans arriving on ships were being denied entry into Libya and Libyan waters. Despite proper visa applications, the ships Sea Cloud, Le Levant, Le Ponant and Marco Polo were told not to enter Libyan waters since the majority of passengers were Americans. The Minerva, with mainly European passengers, was allowed to dock, [...]
In September ’05, my wife and I began a trip that was supposed to last six and a half weeks and cover Jordan, Egypt and Libya. The arrangements were made by Rita Zawaideh, president of Caravan-Serai Tours (3806 Whitman Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103; phone 800/451-8097 or visit www.caravan-serai.com).
To save time and expense, Rita arranged [...]
I’m writing in response to the reader’s letter “Call for Airport-Ship/Hotel Transport,” regarding the exorbitant charges made by cruise lines for transit to and from airports (Nov. ’05, pg. 16).
On a cruise we took in October ’02, we disembarked in Osaka, Japan. As we had obtained our own air separately, transport to the Osaka Kansai [...]
My husband, John, and I have been on over 30 cruises, usually arranging our own transport to and from the ship rather than buying the cruise line package.
In June-July ’04 we did a 35-day freighter trip out of Southampton, England, to several countries in Europe. Our bible is the “Airport Transit Guide” (2004. ISBN 1890407070 [...]
The Florence tourist office (Ufficio Informazioni Turistiche, Borgo Santa Croce 29r, 50122 Firenze, Italy; phone 055 2340444 or visit www.tours-italy.com/florence/tourist_offices.htm) was really helpful when I wrote in March for maps to help me with my trip to Italy in September ’05. The office sent me not only maps but lists of museums (also showing opening [...]
In preparation for my trip to Japan, I wrote to the Japan National Tourist Organization offices in Los Angeles, Kumamoto and Kagoshima. Their responses were in the form of pamphlets, maps and a valuable Japan Rail timetable. The offices in Kagoshima and Kumamoto provided more details and gave us information of tours offered.
Next I bought [...]
South Africa is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world. There is a rumor that every other house in South Africa is a B&B. We are sure this is an exaggeration but only a slight one. There are literally thousands of B&Bs, guest farms, lodges, game parks and other variations on the [...]
On our trip to London in May ’05, we enjoyed the following restaurants.
• For a good Indian meal in London, we would highly recommend the Punjab Restaurant (80 Neal St., Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PA, U.K.; tel. 020 7836 9787 or 020 7240 9979 or visit www.punjab.co.uk).
It has been in the same family since being [...]
One of the best bakeries we found in all of New Zealand’s South Island on our visit in April ’05 was Picton Village Bakery (46 Auckland St., Picton; phone 64 [0] 3 573 7082). It’s on the corner of Dublin and Auckland streets, about two blocks from the train station and the ferry landing.
They bake [...]
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 [...]
I continue to be amazed at the number of people who travel a lot and are still unaware of UNESCO’s designated World Heritage Sites. ITN readers are undoubtedly exceptions, yet there are many others who are not aware of the criteria used by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for identifying the 812 [...]
ITN was mailed on Aug. 13 a copy of the following letter, sent by a reader to Latin Tour Dimensions on June 21, 2005.
I first contacted you on July 19, 2004, because your 800 number was listed in “Frommer’s Spain” for making reservations at Parador de Granada. I subsequently made an additional 13 calls before [...]
Since our retirement, every year we save for an international vacation. We always take out travel insurance. In November ’04 we went to Guatemala, and while at a friend’s country home in a remote area my wife slipped over some rocks. Where we were staying, there was no doctor, not even a telephone nearby. We [...]
When we decided to see the wildebeest migration in Tanzania, we researched different companies online and in ITN and decided on Africa Dream Safaris (4825 Torrance Blvd., Ste. l4, Torrance, CA 90503; phone 877/572-3274 or visit www.africadreamsafaris.com).
Michael Wishner arranged our entire trip, which went off like clockwork. He was easy to talk to and would [...]
My wife, Charlotte, and I (in our 70s) had a wonderful, unforgettable trip to Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin in January ’05. I had searched the Internet and contacted all of the reputable travel agents in Bamako, the capital of Mali, and the only one who would do exactly what we wanted was Toguna Adventure [...]
I spent two wonderful weeks on the South Island of New Zealand in March ’05.
On the Internet, I found South Sea Mermaids, Ltd. (55A Townsend Rd., Miramar, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand; phone [from the U.S.] 01164 973 0675, e-mail info@southseamermaids.co.nz or visit www.southseamermaids.co.nz), which advertises tours for women.
Liz Sullivan designed a custom trip for [...]
Having read another traveler’s comments (April ’05, pg. 35), we engaged a tour operator in Romania who turned out to be exceptional. Her name is Costela Petcu of AKS Tours (phone +40 21 313 6338, cell +4 0744 294 373 or e-mail costelape04@yahoo.com)
For our trip in Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria, Aug. 31-Sept. 22, ’05, she [...]
My wife and I would like to second Harriet Hughes’ warm endorsement (Nov. ’05, pg. 93) of Cristian Florea of Crif Tours (phone 40 722 606 610, e-mail remtours@digicom.ro or visit www.discoverromania.ro). We traveled through Romania with Cris on a modified “Classic Tour of Romania” in October ’04. The cost for two was €3,190 (near [...]
Based on a reader’s recommendation (March ’05, pg. 87), we hired Gabor Stern to drive us on a Danube Bend trip in Hungary in May ’05. We took the trip at a leisurely pace — nine hours — and spent slightly less than if we had taken a group tour: at $18 per hour, $162 [...]
We took a wonderful trip to the Czech Republic in July ’05. Since my husband’s hobby is genealogy, this theme has directed our last several trips.
We found, through ITN, a wonderful guide for our days in Prague. Sárka Pelantová (tel. [+420] 777 225 205, e-mail saraguide@volny.cz or visit www.prague-guide.info) continues to live up to her [...]
My wife and I took an excellent “Splendor of Ireland” tour with Harp & Shamrock Tours, June 7-19, ’05. (We opted for a 4-day extension, and our actual return was on June 23 because Aer Lingus had a mechanical problem that caused us to remain in Ireland a fifth day.)
Aidan Murray, the driver and tour [...]
My sisters and I traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia, independently in February ’05 and used Bun Pao Smith (e-mail bunpaosmith@yahoo.com) as a guide and driver.
He charged $25 a day for van transportation around Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. (We paid a little more to go to Beng Melea, which is a couple of hours away.) [...]
When we toured Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, we first spent an entire afternoon in the temple complex. Later, we went to see the sunset on a famous hill. You can climb the hill up a very rough, rocky (actually boulders) path or take an elephant ride up.
The sunset was something I have not seen the like [...]
In the central volcanic range in Russia’s Siberia, the town of Esso is on a tributary of the Kamchatka River. When we visited in July ’03 the streets were unpaved and without sidewalks.
Nearly everyone was using most of their yard for a large vegetable garden. Many kept chickens, rabbits, goats or cows. Buildings and greenhouses [...]
A few years ago, in the August-October ’02 issues, ITN printed “what to take along” lists. I would like to add my two cents’ worth about what to pack for a trip plus offer some trip suggestions. My wife and I can easily travel for 20 days on one carry-on and one small roll-along suitcase [...]
For a world cruise on Holland America’s Rotterdam, I packed just two suitcases for the 99-day trip. Here’s what I included: five pairs of shorts, 21 tops, 10 pairs of slacks, four formal outfits (for the 33 formal evenings), six pairs of shoes (two of which were sneakers), one hooded nylon jacket, one skirt, two [...]
I admit it. I am an overpacker. I used to read stories of how to pack light, but within a few paragraphs I would begin skimming the contents — looking not for helpful hints on how to slim my stack but for new items I might need to add.
I do not limit myself to logic [...]
Following on the “Thoughtful Gift” letter from ITN reader Charles Treadgold (Nov ’05, pg. 44), I offer this.
During the last two years, my travels have taken me on tours to Central and South America. Usually, a half day of each itinerary had us visiting an indigenous village in the jungle. The visit typically followed the [...]
by Ian McGary, Mountain View, CA
Continued from last month’s “Incredible India — The North”
After saying good-bye to our Philadelphia travel companions with whom we toured North India, my husband, Chuck, and I flew from Mumbai to Kerala at the southwestern tip of the country. The next two weeks of our tour were customized for just [...]
After Nancy Stott of Walnutport, Pennsylvania, asked readers to write about their experiences arranging around-the-world itineraries with airline alliances, we received a number of responses and printed several in last month’s issue. One reader took the task to heart, and we’re printing a portion of her letter here.
If you have anything to add on the [...]
by Judith Rosen, Alexandria, VA
Having completed a tour of Romania, Judith Rosen continues her month-long trip with a visit to Bulgaria.
Veliko Turnovo
Following our visit to the Thracian tomb at Sveshtari, it was another 160 kilometers through varied countryside to Veliko Turnovo, where we were warmly greeted by the owner of the Gyurko Hotel. Small and [...]
Having completed a cruise on the Caledonian Canal, the Betty and Dick Wood’s Scottish journey continues with an Orkney Islands extension.
Following a tour of the lovely city of Inverness, a group of 10 of us boarded a 37-passenger turboprop plane for a flight to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands.
This group of 70 islands, rising out [...]
My wife, Carol, and I booked a 54-night cruise on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Black Watch, leaving Jan. 5, 2005, from Southampton, England, and arriving Feb. 28 in Sydney, Australia.
We booked this cruise because of the ports of call: Málaga, Spain; Malta; Alexandria, Cairo and Port Said, Egypt; the Suez Canal and Sharm el Sheik, [...]
My wife, Eileen, and I enjoyed a holiday on the remote island of St. Helena, one of the last outposts of the British Empire, in the South Atlantic Ocean. We traveled July 13-Aug. 11, ’05, on the part-cargo and part-passenger vessel Royal Mail Ship St. Helena, the island’s only contact with the outside world. Everything [...]
My husband, Ken, and I visited Russia for the first time, Aug. 19-Sept. 3, ’05, taking the river cruise between St. Petersburg and Moscow. After doing much research on the Internet and reading appreciatively the readers’ comments in the March, April and June ’04 issues of ITN, we chose to go with Peter the Great [...]
The upside of high gasoline prices in Sweden is that it encourages people to bike to school, work or shops. And since southernmost Sweden, the region known as Skane, has so many cyclists, it has developed an extensive system of bike lanes and trails, including converted rail lines, to accommodate them. That plus terrain ranging [...]
In the Aragon region of Spain, we spent three days in Benasque, Huesca Province, in July ’05. This lovely town, surrounded by the highest peaks in the Pyrenees, is accessible only by car and provides a very interesting experience. The architecture of the oldest houses is unique, and the area offers trekking and fishing.
An excellent [...]
On a trip to Paris in April ’05, we came upon a small restaurant with terrific food and ate dinner there every night. It was the Café des Musées (49 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France; tel. 01-42-72-96-17), open every day.
My companion especially liked the fresh fig tart one night (warm from the oven), and [...]
If you are traveling to Russia, here are some things I learned during my trip in October ’04.
Take lots of single dollar bills. You will need them for tips and small items in flea markets and at stalls. But take ONLY new or almost-new dollar bills. The Russians will not accept any money that is [...]
Before traveling to Italy in October ’05, I phoned my local bank, through whom I have a combination debit/credit Visa card, to let them know I’d be using my card in Italy for the next four weeks. The information I received (and I hadn’t actually realized I should ask about any of this!) was that [...]
I believe the September ’05 “Boarding Pass” column has inadvertently pointed out the truth of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration): the TSA is not so much about passenger “safety” as it is about control and power over a, now, much less free citizenry.
What a sad state of affairs for a people founded in the belief [...]
I read with interest the tidbit by Iris Bing on carrying a second inexpensive watch to keep track of the time at home as well as where you are (Nov. ’05, pg. 4). I have done that for years but with an inexpensive Timex watch that has two time zones.
In St. Louis I use the [...]
Marilyn Chase, in her article “Buying the Wrong Medicine Overseas,” in the Aug. 16, 2005, edition of the Wall Street Journal, warns about buying brand-name prescriptions abroad.
She states, “Several drugs in foreign countries sometimes have the same brand name as U.S. medications but contain completely different ingredients.
“A safety alert issued to hospitals and doctors this [...]
When you are in small towns, remember that you are making it hard on some of the locals by not using crosswalks or following traffic rules. You may have all day to tarry, but locals don’t.
I remember trying to walk across a street in Brussels just as the light turned red. A cabbie tried to [...]
At the base of a pyramid near Cairo, Egypt, in January ’05, a young boy approached my wife, Mary, and me and asked if we would buy souvenirs. We smiled and said “No.” He thanked us for not ignoring him, gave Mary a small turquoise beetle and said, “You have a nice day. Smile at [...]
by Jay Brunhouse
While you feel the acceleration of your S220 Pendolino to Tampere leaving Hämeenlinna, Finland, look left for one of the most impressive sights you can see from a mainline train. The view across the narrow lake reveals the redbrick Hämeenlinna (linna meaning “castle”), dating from the 1260s. It was built by the Swedes [...]
The tragic death of popular cruiser, explorer and businessman Stephen Glyn Thomas in a hiking accident in Antarctica has fueled debate about the future of cruising and tourism in that region.
Stephen Thomas, 51, of Cambridge, England, was a successful businessman and multimillionaire who had launched three major information technology firms, including Geneva Technology, which he [...]
The President recently made an alarming statement that if Avian Influenza, or bird flu, reached our shores, infected Americans would be quarantined and, if necessary, military troops would be used to enforce this. Naturally, this has scared people, even panicked them, and quite unnecessarily.
Avian Influenza is a flu infection of birds. The germ responsible is [...]
ITN reader Donna Judd asked for tips on getting good shots in Antarctica and Alaska. In this column I’ll discuss Antarctica, as most visitors go there in the Austral summer, November to March, and many of the techniques apply to both destinations.
I recommend some preparatory reading. Photo books can be expensive, but many are available [...]
In last month’s issue I introduced myself and invited readers to submit travel questions. The deadline for this month came along before anyone had a chance to respond, so, rather than answer the kind I get every day, like “How far in advance should I check in at the airport?”, “What’s my baggage limit?” or [...]
by Julie Skurdenis
Nicaragua, wedged between Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south and with both an Atlantic and a Pacific coast, was a serendipitous discovery. I’m always on the prowl for archaeological sites and artifacts. Nicaragua did not disappoint in its variety: a rediscovered colonial-era settlement which was the country’s first capital; [...]
by Wayne Wirtanen (First of three parts, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3)
South African game reserves
Everything you ever wanted to know about South African game reserves but didn’t know what to ask!
Imagine that your very large, fenced-in backyard had wild animals in it. You could keep track of the animals, and you could [...]
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, [...]
Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the 360th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine.
360! We’ve come full circle. Well, it’s a full 30 years, anyway. Congratulations on keeping this travel forum going strong with your letters, articles and suggestions.
Nancy Stott of Walnutport, Pennsylvania, wrote to ITN, “First, I would like to thank you for publishing my request [...]
Sitting high above the Danube in Austria is the 900-year-old, baroque Melk Abbey. As we walked into its library, we were struck by the fact that, at the whim of a bygone archbishop, all the books have the same binding. The building features 365 windows, a magnificent carved pulpit and exquisite ceiling frescoes. — CARROLL [...]
—by Yvonne Michie Horn, Santa Rosa, CA
The stones were rough cut — some much larger than others, some demanding a bit of a stretch to get to the next — but each had a worn spot where one’s foot just wanted to go. The stones meandered in a sort of staircase, and indeed that is [...]
On our way to Africa on Sept. 24, ’05, and with a long layover at New York’s JFK, I tried to find a mailbox in the airport to mail some bills that would come due while we were gone. Lo and behold, I found out that all of the mailboxes had been removed after 9/11.
When [...]
My wife and I returned on Oct. 16, ’05, from an 18-day tour of China and Hong Kong. The trip, called “Yangtze River Splendors,” was operated by Orient Flexi-Pax Tours (New York, NY; 800/545-5540 or www.orientflexipax.com) and booked for us by our local travel agent. Our departure was from San Francisco on Sept. 29, with [...]
In Ho Chi Minh City in August ’05, we returned to a shop that sells embroidered pictures, XQ Silk Hand Embroidery (52B Pham Hong Thai St., Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet-Nam; phone [84 8] 8246144 or visit www.xqhandembroidery.com).
We had been in Viet-Nam four years earlier and were so struck by these wonderful pictures [...]
In September ’05, after staying in La Paz, Bolivia, at 12,600 feet, I spent two days at the Esmeralda Hotel (phone in Bolivia 010-221-36017, fax 36041 [from the U.S., phone ++591-221-36017] or visit www.hotelesmeralda.com) in Coroico, elevation 4,800 feet, to get warm and recover from the altitude.
My old guidebooks warned that the La Paz-Coroico highway [...]
Renting a car in Greece seems the best way to travel, as public transportation is limited. For our trip, our car rental was from Budget through Auto Europe (888-223-5555 or visit www.autoeurope.com). Driving was very easy and we never encountered traffic congestion except in leaving Athens and at the ferry crossings.
From the town of Rio, [...]
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 [...]
by Jim Sajo, Polcenigo, Italy
Italy’s Piedmont region hides anonymously in the extreme northwest, nestled against France. Anonymity will be lost in February, however, when the capital and most important city, Turin (Torino), hosts the 2006 Winter Olympics. The Games give Turin an opportunity to shake its less-than-accurate “motor city” image. During many stops there over [...]
I read International Travel News as soon as it arrives on my desk every month. Because of the open forum it offers its readers, ITN helps me stay tuned into what seasoned travelers want and expect from foreign travel and what they bring to the experience themselves.
ITN also offers us at Grand Circle another channel [...]
Following a “QM2” cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for which he paid $3,984 for a deluxe balcony cabin for two on deck B-2, a reader mailed to ITN a copy of the letter he sent to Cunard Line, as follows:
My wife, Helen, and I just completed a 7-day cruise on the Queen Mary 2. [...]
I am writing because, although Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in Ipswich was given the opportunity to reply to the specific complaints of one couple (“Black Watch Cruise Appraisal,” Jan. ’06, pg. 73), we, the North American representatives — and closest to the rest of the customers — were never given a chance to provide input. [...]
Holland America Line’s ms Maasdam does an annual summer round trip from Boston to Rotterdam: “Voyage of the Vikings.” While it is possible to take only half the cruise, most passengers go for the full 35 nights. My wife and I took the 2005 cruise, July 16-Aug. 20, at a cost of approximately $8,000 per [...]
Beth Habian’s article “Spain… plus Italy and Corsica — Cruising the Mediterranean with Swan Hellenic” (Nov. ’05, pg. 6) was right on target. The Minerva II offers a unique cruise experience. My 15-day Black Sea cruise, Aug. 20-Sept. 3, ’05, greatly exceeded my expectations.
We had six excellent guest speakers who greatly enhanced our ability to [...]
My wife and I drove a rental car through Slovenia, May 20-28, ’05. We traveled from Venice and drove most of the interesting roads in Slovenia, which is full of beauty in all varieties and can be visited at a very reasonable cost.
We contacted the Slovenian Tourist Office (2929 East Commercial Blvd., Ste. 201, Ft. [...]
On our visit to England, April 30-May 9, ’05, it was full spring with lovely weather. The exchange rate was the only chilling factor of the trip!
The Grange Blooms Hotel in Bloomsbury is in an excellent, convenient location behind the British Museum. Very comfortable, it’s part of a group of renovated townhouses, the Grange Bloomsbury [...]
Charles Treadgold’s letter about taking maps to Peru’s Taquile Island (Nov. ’05, pg. 44) got me thinking about other things that would be most appreciated by the people there. I visited in 1992, but from what I have read about the place it seems not to have changed much.
First of all, fruit would be very [...]
In ITN’s October ’05 “Person to Person” section, on page 126 Mr. William Suter asked for information on reasonably priced ways to get to the cruise ship pier near Osaka, Japan, from Kansai International Airport (KIX). I would like to give some suggestions.
First, be aware that near Osaka, which is farther inland, there are two [...]
Clean, modern and well-equipped, Venice, Italy’s, Marco Polo Airport (www.veniceairport.it) provides a convenient gateway to the city, but the transfer between the airport and your hotel certainly won’t be the highlight of your visit.
Any good, recent guidebook should detail the choices and direct you to the websites of the various service providers. During an October [...]
My wife, Mary, and I were in Cairo in January ’05 when we learned that our daughter Julie, back in Arizona, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. We became frequent customers in the Cairo Marriott gift shop, where they sold phone cards. The problem with the phone cards was that they each lasted only three [...]
by Roger Canfield, Contributing Editor
Seeing Macau’s more than 400-year-old European-style buildings is time travel accented by a 13-hour flight from Los Angeles. I saw newly restored evidence of Macau’s Portuguese and Chinese pasts: gothic, baroque, neoclassical and Chinese architecture plus modern and ancient art and exquisite exhibitions in many museums. Preserved are architectural landmarks of [...]
Purchasers of travel insurance are frequently disappointed (and/or irate) when a claim is denied, often swearing never to use that insurance company again and writing to ITN suggesting that its readers do the same.
In such cases, the policy holder usually receives a form letter from the insurance company stating, “We regret that we are unable [...]
What books or movies inspired you to travel to another country (outside of North America and the Caribbean)? ITN asked that question and received many responses, which were printed in the June through September 2005 issues. Here are a few more.
If you have suggestions to share, write to A Novel Approach to Travel, c/o ITN, [...]
—by Carol Coverly, South Yarmouth, MA
Mid-August seemed like a good time of year to visit friends in Minsk. The weather was perfect during our 5-day stay in 2005.
Lufthansa was the only commercial airline with a daily flight into Minsk International Airport. The terminal, a half hour’s drive from the capital city, was undergoing renovations, which [...]
Sixty kilometers south of Ajaccio in the seaside village of Propriano, Corsica, FRANCE, my wife, Christine, and I stayed in a wonderful apartment owned and operated by Marie-Francoise and Jean-Pierre Dereani, Villa les Lauriers (20110 Propriano, Corse du Sud, Corsica, France; phone/fax 00 39 04-95-76-29-60 or visit www.dereani.com).
We rented this 2-bedroom, ocean-view, fully equipped apartment [...]
I had the pleasure of traveling with my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter by car through the countryside of FRANCE in June ’05. We stayed in the following delightful homes.
• Les Gains (61310 Survie, Exmes, Normandy, France; phone 0033 [0] 2 33 36 05 56 or visit www. lesgains.tk).
Near Argentan in Normandy, this is the “hard [...]
A group of five of us traveled by car through Germany, Austria and Slovenia in May ’05. Most of our accommodations during the trip — guest houses, “Zimmers,” “sobe” (in Slovenia) or hostels — combined our double and triple rooms and gave us a per-person rate. All prices listed here include tax and breakfast. I [...]
We were looking for a hotel that would be close to the train station in Madrid, SPAIN, with easy access to downtown and also reasonably close to the airport. We eventually found a hotel on the Internet which seemed to come pretty close to our criteria.
Hotel Husa Chamartin (Agustin de Foxá s/n, 28036 Madrid, Spain; [...]
On our month-long trip to INDIA in November-December ’04, we found the Clarks Shiraz (54, Taj Road, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA; phone +91 05622 222 6121 or visit www.hotelclarksshiraz.com) to be a fine and efficient hotel, far better equipped to accommodate travelers than several of the other hotels we stayed in. But somehow it gave [...]
Here are two lovely B&Bs from our April ’05 trip to NEW ZEALAND.
• The Croft (Te Anau/Milford Sound Highway, No. 1 Rd. Te Anau, New Zealand; phone/fax 64 [0] 3 249 7393, e-mail jane@thecroft.co.nz or visit www.thecroft.co.nz).
Jane and Ross McEwan have built two modern, well-equipped, extremely comfortable and private cottages behind their lovely home with [...]
—by Vernon Hoium, Minneapolis, MN
When the temperature in Minneapolis reached 14 degrees below zero, it was time to think of visiting a warmer climate. In January ’05, my wife and I flew from Minneapolis to Malta via London. We purchased two separate tickets for the trip, traveling to London on Northwest Airlines and from London [...]
Eldertreks (597 Markham St., Toronto, ON M6G 2L7, Canada; phone 800/741-7956 or visit www.eldertreks.com) hosted my 20-day trip to BORNEO, Malaysia. It cost $2,195, not including international air; my total airfare from Denver was $1,461.
I traveled in October ’04, which was in the dry season, so it rained only in the mornings (in monsoon season [...]
The tour was labeled “Grand Tour of the Middle East” and that it was. Offered by the British company Explore Worldwide (in the U.S., book through Adventure Center,1311 63rd St., Ste. 200, Emeryville, CA 94608; phone 800/227-8747 or visit www.adventurecenter.com), it also was offered as three separate one-week tours in each country, but I took [...]
Greece Joyce Helfand of OPA Tours Greece (137 Genoa St., Ste. B, Arcadia, CA 91006; phone 800/672-7155 or visit www.greecetravel.com/opa) usually conducts only two tours a year, one in May and one in October, and limits her tours to 20 people or fewer. (Note: in 2006 there is also a tour in July.)
We toured with [...]
We’ve wandered much of the world since retirement, usually independently and on a modest budget. We decided to take the “Heart of India” tour from Overseas Adventure Travel (One Broadway, Ste. 600, Cambridge, MA 02142; phone 800/955-1925 or visit www.oattravel.com), Sept. 29-Oct.15, ’05. We’re glad we did!
India is indeed incredible. The historic buildings are magnificent, [...]
On our “Mini Tour 1” of Turkey with Pacha Tours (5757 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 645, Los Angeles, CA 90036; phone 800/722-4288 or visit www.pachatours.com), we flew from London to Istanbul on April 15, ’05, and returned April 25.
The land price was $620 per person plus $50 per person extra to stay in the Erboy Hotel [...]
by Jim Simpson, Wilmington, DE
She was there waiting for us when we landed at Panama’s Tocumen International Airport. Maria was no longer the 22-year-old newly minted schoolteacher who visited us 35 years before as part of an exchange program; she was now a 57-year-old woman with a husband and three grown children.
In 1970, Maria stayed [...]
My friend Edith Ann Pazmino and I took an adventure that included three unusual islands between Asia and Australia, July 6-25, ’05. Our 20-day trip took us from San Francisco to Hong Kong, Hainan Island (in the South China Sea), Singapore, Perth and, in the Indian Ocean, Christmas and Cocos islands.
The trip would not have [...]
My friend Edith Ann Pazmino and I took an adventure that included three unusual islands between Asia and Australia, July 6-25, ’05. Our 20-day trip took us from San Francisco to Hong Kong, Hainan Island (in the South China Sea), Singapore, Perth and, in the Indian Ocean, Christmas and Cocos islands.
The trip would not have [...]
Having made several past visits to tourist areas of Egypt and the Sinai, on our March ’05 trip my husband and I decided to explore the Coptic aspect of Cairo.
The Copts are the only Egyptian Christians. They believe that St. Mark established their church at Alexandria. The official “birth” of the Coptic church was in [...]
We had a 2-week stay in Provence, Oct. 5-19, ’05, with Idyll, Ltd. (Box 405, Media, PA 19063; phone 888/868-6871 or visit www.untours.com). We stayed in Velorgues, France, in the Oasis 2 apartment, a luxurious 2-bedroom rental with dishwasher, washing machine, patio and lots of privacy. The cost was $2,169 for apartment, car rental and [...]
After a tour of Greece in late June ’05, my wife, Dorothy, and I stopped in Brittany, France, to visit our daughter who resides in the small city of Douarnenez, which at one time was the sardine capital of Europe. We had the opportunity to try a few restaurants there.
• On the waterfront at the [...]
Before I leave on an extended tour, I stop at a bank and get a pack of new one-dollar bills. They come 100 to a bundle a little over an inch thick.
I then take this pack to a local print shop which prepares business forms and ask them to cut a piece of cardboard the [...]
My wife, Barbara, and I have been traveling the world for over 30 years, and I thought I had heard and seen it all.
On our visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September ’05, we wandered into a classy leather shop in the San Telmo district, Art Design Leather (Defensa 1170, Sala 2, La Candelaria; phone [...]
Digital photography beats film in lots of ways. Still, there’s “lag time,” that delay after you press the digital camera’s shutter button but before the picture is recorded. On my camera, the recording process takes five seconds — and during those seconds the electronic through-the-lens viewfinder leaves me “blind.” I see only the image being [...]
Cruising is looking good for 2006 and 2007. The cruise industry appears set to boom over the next two years, due to continuing economic prosperity worldwide; the aging of the world population and the resultant disposable income and time, and the creativity of the cruise lines in developing new, attractive ships and shipboard attractions.
I will [...]
Q
STEVE, what have you found to be the best way to minimize the effects of jet lag? — Henry Ebbets, Prescott, AZ
A
DEAR HENRY, I plan a full day’s worth of activities in advance for my first day. Also, I sleep on the plane, eat little, avoid booze and drink lots of water. When I get [...]
Where to look for authoritative medical information
“I have been bleeding from the gums for the past few days,” my friend Audrey blurted out when I telephoned her. “You know I am taking the blood thinner warfarin, and my INR (a test to evaluate the effectiveness of blood-thinning medications) was normal a week ago. I am [...]
by Deanna Palic
When I arrived in Peru in mid-September 2005 for the Latin America Travel Mart, Lima was in the last throes of winter. Spring was just one week away and temperatures were in the high 60s day, mid-50s evening.
Limeños boast that rainfall there is “less than a tear a year” and that there isn’t [...]
by Ed Kinney
First impressions set the tenor of an adventure. The sky may have been overcast that day in April 2004, but I was immediately charmed by Córdoba, Spain, a historic city of three cultures.
Our small van entered by crossing the Rio Guadalquivir via the 2,000-year-old Roman bridge (Puente Romano), built following Caesar’s victory over [...]
by Wayne Wirtanen (Second of three parts, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3)
The luxury train
Of the world’s few “luxury trains,” two are in South Africa and they follow similar itineraries. The Blue Train promises the pleasures of a modern 5-star hotel. In contrast, Rovos Rail claims to run the “most luxurious train in [...]
by Randy Keck (First of three parts, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3)
Since I had done some advance research, it is a fact that I had expected a lot from my initial exposure to Shanghai on my first visit to China, in November 2005. It is also a fact that my expectations were [...]
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, [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Travelers' Intercom, March 2006 issue
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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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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; [...]
