February 2011

The boutique hotel Jake’s (Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica; phone 876/965-3000, fax 965-0552), on Jamaica’s south coast, offers a “farm dinner” once a month. Served on a white-linen-set table surrounded by lanterns in the middle of a working field, it begins at sunset and features organic dishes prepared at local farms.

A 60-page walking map traces the Camino Francés section of the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain. Beginning in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, this is one of the oldest and most popular sections of the 1,200-year-old pilgrimage track.

The 5"x9¾" map, printed on waterproof plastic paper with UV-resistant ink, includes a 3-D aerial map of the terrain (scale: 1cm = 1km) along the 800-kilometer trek. Information on recommended refuges, hostels and eateries along the route is included.

The world’s largest aggregations of whale sharks (the largest fish) are in the Caribbean off of Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The season for swimming with them is May 15-Sept. 15, with best sightings late July through August.

On trips of five to six hours offered by Ceviche Tours (Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo; phone [044] 998 135 4787… and in New York, NY, at 631/470-6315), up to 10 guests cruise for eight to 25 miles to find whale sharks, then swim with them or take photos from the boat.

Organized by the Amsterdam Canal Museums, Open Garden Days (phone +31 [0] 20 3203660) features 30 canal gardens open to the public, June 17-19, 2011 (10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day). A three-day pass (€15, or $20) provides access to all participating gardens, which can be reached on foot.

Tickets, when available, can be purchased at selected gardens. Advance purchases can be made at the I Amsterdam Ticketshop (Leidseplein 26, terrace side).

British Airways and Iberia Airlines have merged, becoming the third-largest carrier in the Europe market (Air France-KLM is first and Deutsche Lufthansa is second), pending approval from the UK High Court on Jan. 19.

Though the new corporation will be called International Airline Group, the two airlines will continue to operate under their respective brand names, coordinating flight schedules and providing more code-sharing flights.

American Airlines (AA) no longer will list its flight information nor sell tickets through the travel websites Orbitz and Expedia, and Delta Air Lines has stopped providing rate and flight information to CheapOAir, OneTravel and Bookit.

AA said it can make more personalized offers on its own website and cited a need to stop paying fees to companies that distribute flight info.

Consumer advocates claim that this trend will reduce the ability of people to compare fares and book separate legs of a flight on different airlines.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and Keukenhof garden near Lisse are offering, from March 24 through May 20, 2011, a one-day “Van Gogh in Bloom Package.”

The ITN game currently in play is “Which Countries Did You Visit in 2010?” There will be a bevy of prizes for the lucky selectees. E-mail your entry to ArmondNoble@yahoo.com or write to Country Game, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818-1940. Be sure to include your name and ZIP code. Don’t be tardy; deadline is February 28, 2011.