Columns

by Sandra Scott

“The taro plant is important to the Palauan people,” explained Ann Singeo, our guide and the owner of the ecotour company Sense of Wonder. “The legend of Palau is based on food. A simple version of the legend has it that a giant by the name of Uab was consuming all the food, so the rest of the people were starving. The villagers placed him on a fire and he exploded, creating the islands of Palau.”

In the Western Pacific, Palau is an amazing group of 700 islands...

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Don't confuse the 2 euro coin (left, value $3) with the old 500-lira coin (right, value $0).

• Gelato in hand, you’re strolling down a street in Italy when suddenly an attractive woman starts arguing with a street vendor. A crowd gathers as he accuses her of shoplifting. To prove her innocence, she starts to strip. Once she’s down to her underwear, the vendor apologizes, the woman leaves and the onlookers disappear… and so have their wallets, thanks to a team of pickpockets working the show.

This is just one of the new, inventive ways that European...

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by Deanna Palic

Now that ITN is following the readers’ vote to include Mexico in our publication, I think it appropriate to reminiscence. In December 1983 I escorted a tour group to Mexico’s Copper Canyon (for a company no longer in business). The itinerary covered the route from Los Mochis to the canyon and on to Chihuahua, where we celebrated New Year’s Eve.

I term the Copper Canyon region “the other side of Mexico” because it is not a...

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The entrance to ornate Dolmabahçe Palace. Photo: Keck

by Randy Keck (part 3 of 3 on Turkey)

The final portion of my April ’09 exploration of Turkey began with a short drive from Bursa to Yalova, where we boarded a vehicular ferry for the 40-minute crossing to one of the world’s most populous (17 million) and most intriguing cities, Istanbul. The city is literally the crossroads between east and west, with the Bosporus dividing the city into two sectors, one in Europe and the other in Asia.

Istanbul’s four main...

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First, I wish to express our deep gratitude to those who take a copy of ITN on their trips, show it to other travelers, then gather up the names and addresses of those who would like sample copies sent to them. Thank you.

Next, there’ s an issue that seems to come up about every three years. Some of our cherished readers query about the suitability of ITN staffers and Contributing Editors going on reduced-rate or free trips and the credibility of the resultant articles.

Okay....

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Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 404th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine.

I have several warnings to pass along this month plus a couple of tips and then a special remembrance.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office warned UK citizens recently, about Trinidad, “There has… been a worrying increase in violent crime, muggings and robberies in all areas in 2009… including stabbings and violent attacks.” Further, “Cruise ship passengers should take particular...

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by Lew Toulmin

According to the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), only about 17 percent of the US population has ever been on a cruise. There are many reasons why some Americans shy away from cruising. Let’s tackle a few today, including too little to do, too much to do, stuffiness, companion problems and Norovirus.

Too little or too much to do?

Some ITN readers have told me they fear cruising will mean just sitting around looking at the horizon or playing...

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by Yvonne Michie Horn

Wrote an amazed Marco Polo of 13th-century Suzhou, “There are fully 6,000 stone bridges, such that one or two galleys could readily pass beneath them.”

He continued on with a detailed description of a noble city crisscrossed with canals — not unlike his native Venice — where “the citizens of this city,” men of enormous wealth and consequence, hobnobbed with philosophers, the literati and physicians schooled in nature. All dressed in the fine silk for...

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