January 2011

“Christ the King,” a 118-foot-tall, white-plaster-and-fiberglass statue with a golden crown, was completed on Nov. 6 in Swiebodzin, Poland (about 50 miles east of the German border).

ITN is presenting subscribers’ advice on renting vacation apartments (outside of the US). Last month we covered the advantages and disadvantages of renting. This month we’re listing the sources travelers use to find vacation rentals. In later issues, readers suggest questions to ask the property owner or rental agency, cover practical matters and give appraisals of specific apartments.

by Bill Altaffer, San Diego, CA

My husband, Bernie, and I love flying, not only in big jets but by many different methods.

If you’d like to visit a destination that offers good weather, beautiful countryside, plenty of shopping and some of the best surfing in the world — and you don’t like rubbing elbows with other tourists — El Salvador is hard to beat.

But it’s not a place to go if you want a relaxing, hassle-free, pampered trip. El Salvador doesn’t have much of a tourism infrastructure, and few of the people speak English. Crime is a problem also; the country has one of the highest homicide rates in the world.

For my grandson, Kent, and myself, in the fall of 2009 I booked June ’10 tours with Overseas Adventure Travel (the 16-night “Machu Picchu and the Galápagos” plus the optional, five-night “Amazon Rain Forest of Peru”). I purchased our air separately, planning to spend a few days in Bolivia before the tour began.

In December I was notified by OAT that they were canceling the tour. They offered a substitute date, but it conflicted with our Bolivia plans and Expedia wanted $1,000 per person to change the flights.

We’ve traveled three times to Myanmar and have made our arrangements through a local agency which we recommend without hesitation, Tour Mandalay Co., Ltd. (No. 02/03, 2nd Floor, Pearl Condominium A, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd., Bahan Township, Yangon 11201, Myanmar; phone +95 540 475 or 541 428 or 543 801).

We have dealt with Ms. Phyu Phyu at the agency, who has always shown a high degree of professionalism. She responds quickly to e-mails, provides excellent recommendations for trips and accommodations and will arrange a visa on arrival.

My husband, Bob, and I were introduced to Vin Marottoli’s outstanding Tours for Wine Lovers (New Haven, CT; 800/256-0141) in 2002 and have taken six tours with him since then, in the US and abroad. Our most recent was an eight-day tour in Italy, April 15-23, 2010, which cost $3,199 each, excluding airfare.

Out of 33 trips in 14 years, one of the best-conducted and -managed small-group tours I’ve taken was “Algeria’s Roman Heritage” with Patrick Syder Travel (Zenobia House, 23 Bowmans Close, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3SR, U.K.; phone/fax +44 [0] 1903 879737).

The fabulous 10-day trip, April 24-May 3, 2010, cost £1,795 (about $2,710) (single supplement, £300), including two internal flights. We traveled in a roomy, air-conditioned bus. Several of our meals could almost be classified as gourmet.