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A query in ITN’s “Person to Person” section led to a deluge of recommendations for Africa 2000 (P.O. Box 1204, Hilton 3245, South Africa; phone +27 33 3433911, fax 3431786).
My husband, Frank, and I and three other couples (a very nice group size) worked for many months with the Africa 2000 owners, Gill and Graham Maskell, to develop a trip which suited all our interests and budgets. The result was the trip of a lifetime, March 25-April 17, 2008.
by Jack & Yvonne Prevo, McKinney, TX
On a 10-day trip to Paris, France, in May ’08, we spent a day outside of Paris that included a visit to Château de Malmaison in Rueil and a nice meal at Le Restaurant de la Fournaise in Chatou.
The City Lodge (150 Vincent St., Auckland, New Zealand; phone 64 9 379 6183, www.citylodge.co.nz), where I stayed for a week, Jan. 31-Feb. 7, 2008, is in the heart of Auckland, a 5-minute walk from the free bus or from the Sky Tower.
The trip reviews we had read for the Jerusalem Gold Hotel (234 Jaffa Road, Jerusalem, Israel 94383; phone +972-2-501 3333, fax 501-3344, www.jerusalemgold.com) were mixed. However, we need not have feared; we had a wonderful experience at this hotel.
My wife, Jane, and I stayed there for one week in March ’08. Our room cost $106 per night and I felt that we received good value for the money.
The rooms were comfortable and clean.
When our family of nine — grandparents and two grandchildren (15 and 11) along with parents, aunts and uncle — ended a transatlantic cruise in Rome, ITALY, in April ’08, we wanted to reasonably enjoy a few days of touring and still be together. An apartment rented through the website www.RomeRents.com more than met our expectations.
We stayed at two wonderful small hotels in ITALY the first week of April ’08. This was slightly early in the season, which meant lower rates. We enjoyed good weather and fewer crowds than during the high season.
• Il Casolare di Libbiano (Loc. Libbiano 3, 50053 San Gimignano [SI], Italy; phone/fax 0039 0577 946002, www.casolarelibbiano.it) is a charming farmhouse eight kilometers from San Gimignano in Tuscany. The inn has its own vineyard and vegetable garden, lovely views and a nice swimming pool (in season).
Here are tips from my trip to SWITZERLAND in May ’08.
The Honey Pot (Polgwyn, Castle St., Bodmin PL31 2DX, Cornwall, England; phone +44 [0] 1208 77553, fax 77885, www.thehoneypot-bodmin. co.uk) — located in Polgwyn, a Victorian house five minutes’ walk up a fairly steep hill from the Bodmin city center (three minutes’ drive from the A30).
The Honey Pot is an outstanding self-contained, first-floor apartment comprising two double bedrooms, a bath, a large sitting room with TV and DVD player and a kitchen fully equipped with dishes, silverware, pots and pans, microwave and stove.
Rob Sangster, Memphis, TN
I joined a group of 35 seasoned travelers on Nov. 5, 2007, for the 16-day tour “Vietnam Discovery” offered by SmarTours (501 Fifth Ave., Ste. 1402, New York, NY 10017; 800/337-7773, www.