My husband, Ed, and I spent four days in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in April 2013 (May ’14, pg. 14). Our final full day there was special.
On its website, we learned about a tour at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding, or SMCCU (www.cultures.ae). We made reservations via email (smccu@cultures.ae) for the 90-minute “Heritage Tour,” which cost AED55 (near $15).
During a visit to Iceland in August 2014, I took a tour out of Reykjavik called “Inside the Volcano.” This tour of a hollow, dormant volcano has been operating for only about three years. I had read about it in ITN (July ’14, pg. 76) and was intrigued.
There are two ways to reach the volcano: (1) from the city center, ride a tour bus to a trail, then walk for 45 minutes over an uneven lava field or (2) from the domestic airport, take a 7-minute helicopter ride to the volcano.
A friend and I took an English garden tour in May 2011. We did research in English magazines at our library and on websites and settled on one with Brightwater Holidays (Eden Park House, Cupar, Fife, Scotland, KY15 4HS, UK; phone +44 01334 657155, www.brightwaterholidays.com).
While in Seoul, Korea, in August 2014, I went on 10 or so free walking tours, each led by an English-speaking volunteer guide. Each tour lasted two to three hours.
Reservations must be made at least three days ahead of time. I made reservations two to three weeks in advance by going to Visit Seoul: The Official Travel Guide to Seoul (www.visitseoul.net). After clicking “English,” select “See & Do,” then click on “Must See & Do,” then “City Walking Tours,” then “Course Introduction.”
In Prague, Czech Republic, Corrupt Tour (phone +420 739 99 00 80) leads day tours to landmarks of corrupt politicians and business owners who have profited at the expense of the city since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The tours visit ornate houses, over-budget construction projects and government offices.
Metropolitan Touring offers expeditions in Ecuador on their Chiva Express one-car trains. The 38-passenger railcars each have large windows, a bar, a toilet and a rear platform. An outside ladder gives access to the roof, where there are securely attached seats and a guardrail.
10- and 14-day tours of South Island. Highlights: Day cruise, trek Abel Tasman National Park/wine tasting in Blenheim/seals in Kaikoura/on 14-day tour, add Doubtful Sound, Mt. Cook, Christchurch. Land only for 10-day tour, NZ$4,200 (near US$2,366), or 14-day tour, NZ$5,400 (US$3,043). Single supp. for both, NZ$875 (US$493). New Zealand Travellers (169 Cable Bay Rd. RD-1, Nelson, New Zealand; phone 64 3 545 2546, www.nztravellers.co.nz).
Just wanted to follow up on the letter “Alsatian Wine Route with LCA Toptour” (June ’14, pg. 12) in which Stephen O. Addison, Jr., wrote about his excellent experience with LCA Toptour (8 Place de la Gare, 68000, Colmar, France; phone 03 89 41 90 88).
Valparaíso, Chile, is a gorgeous walking town. Northwest of the capital city of Santiago, it’s a relaxing, less-than-two-hour bus ride away on any of the large, comfortable Pullman or Tur Bus coaches that leave every 15 minutes from the Alameda Bus Terminal (3850 Alameda Street; metro station Universidad de Santiago). In this short time, I was transported to one of the friendliest and most welcoming cities of Chile.
An efficient and economical way to visit the South Pacific islands is by cruise ship. You unpack once, and the per-diem cost is usually less than flying to these destinations and staying in a hotel. The downside is that, generally, you have less than a day in each port.
Twice a year, major cruise lines reposition their ships from summer runs in the northern climes to the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. In 2013, I took the repositioning voyage of the MS Volendam of Holland America Line (877/932-4259).