Travel Briefs

July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

Naypyi­daw’s debut

Naypyidaw, the new capital city of Myanmar that was built at the behest of the military ruling party, was opened to journalists for an Armed Forces Day parade in March.

Two years of construction have produced a military complex plus ministry buildings, hotels and apartment blocks for government workers. Employees who have been forced to relocate to the new city, about 300 miles north of the old capital, Rangoon, have complained about the lack of stores and restaurants.

July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

Slavery exhibit

“Breaking the Chains,” an exhibition about Britain and the slave trade, opened in Bristol in April 2007 and will run for two years. It occupies one floor of the city’s British Empire & Commonwealth Museum.

July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

Tours of the Royal Mews

Built in the 1820s, the Royal Mews at London’s Buckingham Palace is not only one of the finest working stables in the world, it is the department responsible for all road travel by Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Royal Family, whether by historic carriage or modern car. Throughout the day, guided tours are conducted by wardens in scarlet and navy livery.

The Royal Mews is home to the Cleveland Bay and Windsor Grey horses which pull coaches on ceremonial occasions, and it houses...

CONTINUE READING »
July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

Princess & NCL go ‘e’

Norwegian Cruise Line has followed Princess Cruises in converting to all-electronic cruise documents. Passengers receive e-mail messages directing them to the website for access to the documents.

July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

Crystal Cruises specials

• The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra will play nightly on select 2007 “Big Band and Ballroom Dance” theme cruises aboard the Crystal Serenity. There also will be afternoon dances, swing lessons and talks on big band history. Prices for a 10-day cruise from Lisbon to Miami, Nov. 9-19, 2007, start at $2,995 per person.

• On two Panama Canal cruises, children 11 and under can cruise for free when sharing a room with two adults. The Serenity sails from Miami to Caldera, Costa Rica, Nov. 19-30,...

CONTINUE READING »
July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

Deilmann golf cruises

MS Deutschland features a golf theme in 2007. Among others, the 11-night “Britannica Golf” cruise offers rounds of golf at the 18-hole course at St. Andrew’s in Scotland and rounds at five other courses in Ireland. On a 20-night sailing from Phuket, Thailand, to Hong Kong, another cruise wraps up with golf at Mission Hills in Hong Kong, the largest golf facility in the world.

Prices for a twin cabin start at $5,706 for the European cruise and at $9,570 for the Thailand cruise. A...

CONTINUE READING »
July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

easyCruise Greece

The 170-passenger easyCruiseOne is visiting 11 Greek islands on 3- to 14-night itineraries in 2007. Travelers can choose anything from a weekend break to a 2-week vacation by combining itineraries. A 3-night cruise is £35 (near $70) per person, and a 14-night cruise is £224 ($440) per person, double occupancy. Contact easyCruise (The Rotunda, 42/43 Gloucester Crescent, London, NW1 7DL, U.K.; phone +30 211 211 6211).

July 2007 issue | Appears on page 0

Italy cooking, wine

Orientarsi offers a 7-day/6-night course on wine appreciation in Italy and another on cooking, both in the Piemonte region bordering France. Each provides five days’ instruction for three hours a day; a gala dinner in Acqui, and free admission to a spa.

Each course costs €480 (near $637) per person, double, with a single supplement of €48 and an extra lunch at €24. Contact Orientarsi (T.O. Via Bari 17/a, Turin, Italy; phone +39 011 19508393).