October 2006

I read with great interest the reader’s letter about Mali (July ’06, pg. 66). Our tour of Mali in February ’06 was considerably different, covering much the same venue but in a different fashion, with less driving and camping time. Our tour was with a group of 29 put together by Travel Dynamics (132 East 70th St., New York, NY 10021; 800/257-5767, www.traveldynamicsinternational.com), which we booked through Rex Travel (Chicago, IL; 800/777-7739, www.rextravel.com).

My husband, John, and I spent a wonderful 16 days in Italy with INTRAV (11969 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146; 800/456-8100 or www.intrav.com). We combined two tours, “Tuscany and the Cinque Terre,” Oct. 8-16, ’05, and “Apulia, an Undiscovered Gem,” Oct. 16-23, each with a land price of $2,495 per person.

The first tour was based in Lucca at Hotel Albergo Celide, a lovely small hotel just outside the city’s Renaissance walls.

The itinerary for our 12-day “Aegean, Danube & Black Sea Explorer” tour from Insight Vacations, Inc. (801 Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92805; 800/582-8380, www.insightvacations.com), while demanding, offered rewarding traveling experiences in each country. Our May 22-June 2, ’06, trip covered approximately 3,000 miles in its 12-day itinerary through TURKEY, BULGARIA, ROMANIA and GREECE.

My husband, Al, did his homework and found a tour company in Cairo that made all of the arrangements for a 19-day holiday go like clockwork.

by Jennifer Petoff, Blue Bell, PA

We asked you each to name, in English, the 25 core words and phrases that are the most helpful or important to know how to say in the local language before arriving at a new travel destination (outside of North America and the Caribbean). We also wanted you to share any special foreign words or phrases that are important or helpful to know in a particular country, explaining how to pronounce them.

by Paula Prindle, Orient, OH

Lobby/reception area of Grand Circle Travel’s River Harmony.

Between October ’03 and March ’06, my husband and I took five European river cruises. Although we are not experts, we are often asked our opinion of them. To be honest, we have to admit that WE LOVE THEM!

Choosing to cruise

Tussock Creek moleskins

Are you considering a trip around the world (Dec. ’05, pg. 53)? Our recommendation would be “Go for it!” In March-April ’05 we traveled around the world, spending five weeks in 10 countries, and it was truly the trip of a lifetime. Here are the particulars.

1. We used United Airlines and their Star Alliance partners. They have specially trained agents who assisted us with the itinerary and the details.

In the January ’06 issue, page 50, Cecilia Morrissey shared extensive advice on arranging flights around the world. Here she offers advice on other things to consider when planning months-long travels.

GETTING TASKS DONE AT HOME WHILE AWAY — What about the mail and paying monthly household bills while you’re away? You can 1) find some victim to take care of this for you, 2) do most of the arranging before you leave or 3) do a combination of both.