We were inspired by Beth Habian’s article in the September ’09 issue about her trip to the Dordogne region of France — so much so that we immediately contacted George Nevin, the owner/operator of Intimate France, to ask about his 2010 tour of Normandy and the Loire Valley. We were pleased with his prompt and informative responses to our inquiries, so we booked the 12-day tour departing Sept. 12.
In August 2010 I began an unforgettable safari with Nomad Adventure Tours. This 42-day journey began in Cape Town, South Africa, taking our group to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and on to Nairobi, Kenya — a total distance of 6,600 miles.
Years ago I took a trip through the mountainous area of Sierra de Gredos in central Spain and was enthralled by the crystalline waters, wild rocks and green pine groves of the region. During that trip I ended up in a village called Navarredonda, and, while I was looking for a place to spend the night, I was advised to choose the local parador.
Using Globetrotter Guides’ “Turkey Travel Guide” to compare the itineraries offered by several large tour companies, my parents and I started planning our 2010 vacation. We decided on smarTours’ 14-day “Treasures of Turkey.”
My 19-day trip to Vietnam in June 2010 was a revelation. Naively, I expected to see the country that was depicted on television 40 years ago during the Vietnam War, but, today, the Vietnam reality is much better than my long-ago memories led me to believe it would be.
“You are American?” asked the young man behind me in the passport control line at the Damascus airport. “We get few Americans. You will be very welcome.” The two men checking my passport echoed this sentiment. “American? Welcome, welcome!” So started an exciting trip to Syria in April 2010.
