Features

September 2010 issue | Appears on page 22

Finding a superb home base in northern Thailand

by Henk Bouwman; Apeldoorn, The Netherlands

During our April ’10 trip to northern Thailand, my wife, Chanjira, and I visited the city of Chiang Mai. Located 700 kilometers north of Bangkok (a one-hour flight away), Chiang Mai is a charming and relaxed city with a pleasant climate — not as hot as Bangkok because of the elevation. There are lots of things to see and do there.

Where to stay

We spent four days at U Chiang Mai (70 Ratchadamnoen Rd.; phone +66 53 327 000,...

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September 2010 issue | Appears on page 34

Touring and tasting in Argentina’s Mendoza wine region

by George & Elena Vander Voort, Wadsworth, IL

Argentine wines have improved dramatically over the past 15 years, moving from predominantly cheap, rustic vino de mesa (wine of the table) to world-class quality. In the late 19th century there were only about 6,000 hectares, or 14,830 acres, of wine vineyards in Argentina. Today there are about 208,000 hectares of wine grapes in over 26,000 vineyards, with about 900 actual wine producers.

The principal wine-producing bodegas...

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September 2010 issue | Appears on page 46

The Road to the Isles—A driving tour of Scotland

by Barbara Glavish; Incline Village, NV

“Sure, by Tummel and Loch Rannoch and Lochaber I will go…” and, as in the traditional Scottish song, I did. But I didn’t walk by heather tracks, nor did I have a cromack. What I did have was a luxurious minivan from Midway Motor Travel, a very knowledgeable driver/guide with an irrepressible sense of humor, and five delightful traveling companions who, like myself, were “women of a certain age.”

Getting there

My “road to the...

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August 2010 issue | Appears on page 6

Cruising Portugal’s Douro River

by Walt Huse, Fort Myers, FL

A cruise on the Douro River, in the heart of Portugal’s port wine district, offers visitors many opportunities to taste both red and white port wine as well as explore several historic places.

Lisbon

In mid May ’09, my wife, Dorothy, and I left for Lisbon, where we were met by a Uniworld representative and taken to our hotel. We would spend two days in Lisbon before boarding our ship.

Since we arrived early in the day,...

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August 2010 issue | Appears on page 20

From island to desert — an exciting journey through Senegal and Mauritania

by Harriet Hughes, Alexandria, VA

In February 2010 I toured Senegal and Mauritania with Spiekermann Travel (Eastpointe, MI; 800/645-2323). The food was good and the weather great, and our small group had a wonderful time exploring these two off-the-beaten-path countries.

Getting started

Due to the usual problems at Paris’ CDG airport, we arrived in Senegal late, but the local transfer agent was ready and waiting to take us to Hotel Pullman Teranga in downtown Dakar. A...

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August 2010 issue | Appears on page 32

Days and knights in northern Poland
Spotting the ad in The New York Times travel section was serendipity. I had wanted to visit several sites in northern Poland for a long time, but the challenge of renting a car and driving in a country where I don’t speak the language had slowed me down. Fortunately, “Gems of Northern Poland,” a seven-day, six-night trip offered by American Travel Abroad, agents for Orbis Travel, Poland’s largest travel agency, proved to be just the boost I needed.
August 2010 issue | Appears on page 46

Guatemala & Mexico: Meanderings in Mayan country

by Ann Cabot, Austin, TX

For our Christmas break of 2009, my family of three adults spent two glorious weeks shuttling between colonial towns and Mayan ruins in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico.

Making arrangements

The trip planning began with a detailed wish list of destinations. After contacting several agents via the Internet, we settled on Duende Tours (Cozumel, Mexico; US phone, 512/961-7024) because they could arrange both the Guatemala and Mexico segments of our...

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July 2010 issue | Appears on page 6

Austria — Dawdling along the Danube

by Joan Hansen, Sacramento, CA

Some people prefer to see the Danube River by boat, but my husband, Claude, and I decided that a leisurely drive along its banks, stopping at picturesque medieval villages along the way, would be our cup of tea. We found Austria in the springtime to be magical.

Vienna

We landed in Vienna on April 2, 2009, having decided to spend a few days in that beautiful city before picking up our rental car to tour the Danube region. As our arrival...

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