February 2012

by Randy Keck (Second of two parts)

Many people travel across the Atlantic in search of “Old World” Europe and to witness traditional culture in action, but with most of Europe firmly entrenched in the modern world, travelers are getting fewer opportunities to glimpse the old way of life.

by Yvonne Michie Horn

Every year in Jukkasjärvi, near Kiruna in northern Sweden’s Lapland, a hotel sculpted out of snow and ice is built in stages, with all rooms of the art project completed by late December. The current ICE­HOTEL (phone +46 0 980 66 800) opened on Dec. 3 and should close April 14, 2012.

Room rates are SEK1,250-2,900 (near $182-$423) and, for a deluxe ice suite, SEK7,000 ($1,022).

by Philip Wagenaar (Part 1 of 4)

As I was busy preparing yet another journey, my 14-year-old grandson asked me if I followed a certain routine when researching a trip.

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is MARK CRAWFORD of Whittier, CA:

My wife, Gail, and I were walking in a small village in the backwaters of Kerala, India, back in January ’07 when a pleasant barber beckoned me into his little shop and, using gestures, offered to trim my beard.

“One hundred rupees,” he said in English.

Over the past 33 years I have used many beauty salons all over Europe, and I have nearly always found that European hairdressers do a very poor job when compared with most American hairdressers.

I read with great interest Yvonne Michie Horn’s article on Kings Landing Historical Settlement (Dec. ’11, pg. 60). ITN readers may also like to know about the Acadian Historical Village (14311 Rte. 11, Rivière-du-Nord, N.B., E8N 2V6, Canada; 877/721-2200 — open 10-6, June 10-Sept. 22; $16 adult, $14 senior, and children six and under free).

For independent travelers who drive, Japan and Russia would seem to offer some obstacles, but I would dismiss these, as there are great benefits to driving in both countries. The independence factor is what applied in our experience.