November 2010

Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience (Co. Clare; phone +353 [0] 65 7086141, fax 7086142, www.cliffsofmoher.ie) revised its entry fees in July, now charging a per-person rate of €6 ($8) adult; €4 senior, student or disabled, with child under 12 free. (It replaces the charge of €8 per car plus €4.95 per adult to the Cliffs Exhibition.)

A ticket allows access to the visitor center, the Cliffs Exhibition and outdoor areas. O’Brien’s Tower (limited capacity) costs extra (€2 adult, €1 child). Tickets online get 10% off.

With reviews of 285 ships, the “Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships - 2011” by Douglas Ward (www.berlitzbooks.com — 688 pp., £16.99 [near $29]) compares lines’ cabin facilities, food and service; reveals common ripoffs (such as hidden gratuities and overpriced bridge tours); offers tips on value; covers specialty cruises, and more.

The iPhone application “Visit-TLV” provides images, descriptions and locations of museums, restaurants, bars, parks and hotels in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is updated weekly re concerts, exhibitions and street fairs and also lists free guided tours and walking routes. For a free download, visit the Apple iTunes store.

In Beijing, China, Wan Feng Xiaochi (Snack Shop) (No. 306 Wan Feng Rd., Fengtai District; phone 6488 6868), is the only place where the cuisine of all 56 of China’s ethnic groups is represented. The three-story, more than 172,000-square-foot food palace seats 2,000, and its stalls have 3,000 selections, including samosas from Xinjiang, Tibetan wine and mutton from Mongolia.

In addition, folk art and jewelry are for sale and craftspeople demo cooking techniques.

Cruise West (Seattle, WA), a USTOA member, ceased operations on Sept. 18, canceling all cruises in 2010 and beyond. Their partner, Canodros (www.canodros.com), which operates the Galapagos Explorer II, is working on alternatives for passengers booked in the Galápagos in 2011.

For passengers booked on Cruise West cruises who have not yet traveled, steps to take are shown at www.cruisewest.com.

London’s historic hotel The Savoy (Strand, London, WC2R 0ET, phone +44 20 7836 4343, www.the-savoy.com), which first opened in 1889, reopened on Oct. 10 after nearly three years of restoration. All 268 rooms now include modern amenities. A new glass dome has been installed on the Thames foyer. The hotel’s frieze is restored.

Nightly rates range from £350 (near $540) up to, for the Royal Suite, £10,000 ($15,455).

At least 83 hippopotamuses died in Queen Elizabeth National Park in southern Uganda in June and July. An outbreak of naturally occurring anthrax was blamed. The park is home to over 5,000 hippos, and officials are working to prevent the spread to other animals.

The infection has stayed well clear of areas visited by tourists. The most likely way for a human to catch the disease in the park is by contact with or consumption of a diseased animal.