Travel Briefs

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 67

India’s first cruise ship

The AMET Majesty, the first cruise ship registered in India and flying the Indian flag, took her maiden voyage in June 2011 from Chennai, India. The 35-year-old ship was previously owned by Star Cruises and has been refurbished.

Carrying up to 1,000 passengers, AMET Majesty currently runs weekend and overnight cruises from Chennai, five-day cruises between Chennai, India, and Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and a 10-day Chennai/Port Blair/Phuket/Chennai cruise.

With the target market...

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July 2011 issue | Appears on page 68

Australia Rail Plus

Australia Rail Plus passes allow unlimited travel during a three- or six-month period, including travel on trains like The Ghan and The Sunlander.

Four passes focus on Australia’s east coast, with routes between Melbourne and Cairns, while four others cover tracks heading west or north. They range from the Backtracker Rail Pass (three months, US$301 per adult, or six months, $422) to the Ausrail Pass (three months, $716, or six months, $980).

Contact ACP Rail (Montreal,...

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July 2011 issue | Appears on page 68

Huge cave in Vietnam

In Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam, Thien Duong (Paradise Cave) has been opened to visitors by the Truong Thinh Group (50 Nguyen Huu Canh St., The Palace, Dong Hoi, Quang Binh City, Vietnam; phone 052 3820024, fax 052 3823859 or e-mail info@truongthinhgroup.com.vn).

The 36-kilometer-long cave, part of which is 60 meters high and 30 to 150 meters wide, contains numerous limestone formations. Guided tours along a 1.1-kilometer walkway inside the cave cost VND120,000 (...

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July 2011 issue | Appears on page 68

Check a wine bottle

A bottle of wine, perfume, etc., can be transported in checked baggage with a JetBag (Lathrup Village, MI; 248/891 8939). At 18 inches tall and 0.3 ounces, it easily holds a wine bottle. The bag, lined with absorbent fibers in the event of bottle breakage, closes with a reusable zip seal. A pack of three JetBags costs $15 plus $2.99 shipping.

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 68

Missionary museum, Rome

Rome’s Museo Missionario di Propaganda Fide (Via di Propaganda, 1/C), housed in the 17th-century Palazzo di Propaganda Fide (designed by Bernini and Francesco Borromini), contains documents, sculptures and photographs that recount four centuries of missionary work by the Catholic church. Visitors also have access, for the first time, to the halls and chapels of the Baroque palazzo. €8 ($11.75). Museum open 2:30-6 p.m. Mon., Wed., Fri.

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 75

Computer games, Berlin

Showing the evolution of video games, the Computerspielemuseum (Computer Game Museum, Karl-Marx-Allee 93a, 10243 Berlin, Germany; phone +49 30 60988577) has opened in Berlin, featuring over 300 games, interactive installations, computer hardware and art. Among exhibits are about 50 influential gaming machines, a 3-D simulator and a restored prototype virtual-reality system. Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. except Tuesday. €8 ($11.30) adult or €5 senior.

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 75

Cayman Motor Museum

On Grand Cayman, the Cayman Motor Museum (864 North West Point Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman KY1-1202, Cayman Islands; phone, in the US, 345/947-7741), near Boatswain’s Beach, has 80 vintage vehicles on display. This private collection includes the “very first automobile ever produced,” an 1886 Benz, and the original Batmobile from the 1960s television show.

Open 9-5 Mon.-Sat. $15 adult or $7.50 child under 12.

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 76

HK junk cruises

Departing from Stanley, Hong Kong, 30-minute sailings in a 28-meter junk around Victoria Harbour are run by Aqua Luna (Pier 1, near the Cultural Center, & Pier 9, Central Ferry Terminal; phone +852 2116 8821).

Afternoon sailings (HKD150, near $19) Tues. & Fri. at 1:30 & 2:30 p.m. Evening sailings (HKD190) daily every hour from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., with “Symphony of Lights” harbor show sailing (HKD240) at 7:30.