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Sri Lanka is an often forgotten but absolutely fascinating travel destination. A friend and I were most fortunate to travel there for 10 days in April ’03 with Ceylon Tours, Ltd. (8A Sir Ernest de Silva Ave., Colombo 07, Sri Lanka; phone +94-75-531611, e-mail info@ceylontours.com).
Many of the monasteries listed in Elizabeth Barish’s “The Guide to Lodging in Italy’s Monasteries” (ISBN 1-884465-19-6 — 512 pp., $22.95) and “The Guide to Lodging in Spain’s Monasteries” (ISBN 1-884465-17-X — 480 pp., $22.95) are hundreds of years old but provide visitors with modern and updated accommodations. Rates can be as low as $30 per day, and many include meals.
Obtain the guides at major bookstores or from the publisher (800/496-2665) or visit www.monasteriesofitaly.com and www.monasteriesofspain.com.
Founded in 1981, Wolsey Lodges is a consortium of 188 privately owned houses providing lodging in England, Scotland and Wales. Arrivals are treated as family or friends, rather than guests, and often dine with their hosts.
Entries include stylish houses in London and Edinburgh, but most are in the countryside. Even a Scottish castle is listed.
Bed and breakfast ranges from £25 (near $45) to £90 ($161) per person per night, with an average of £38-£40 ($68-$72). Optional dinners average £25.
As a teenager, I read Roy Chapman Andrews’ books about his expeditions to Mongolia in the 1920s and 1930s and dreamed of someday traveling there. That became a reality when I joined the MIR trip “The Gobi Desert and Beyond” in July ’03.
When visiting Tongariro National Park on NEW ZEALAND’S North Island, my husband and I highly recommend staying at the Cairnbrae House (140 Mangawhero River Road, Ohakune, New Zealand; phone 06 3853002, fax 06 3853374, e-mail peterm@cairnbraehouse.co.nz).
We spent the night of March 5, ’04, at this B&B, the lovely home of Peter and Devon McKay. It’s located in a rural area, and there is a small deer enclosure on the property plus several pets.
In April ’04 my husband and I stayed 10 nights at Dive 7000 Resort (Anilao, Batangas, PHILIPPINES; In the U.S., call Bob Furlong at 773/791-1898 or e-mail furlong20@hotmail.com) — a 2-hour drive south of Manila.
The rooms are basic, with two single beds and private baths. Most have air-conditioning. The nightly rate of $115 per person includes the round trip from Manila, all meals and two boat dives a day.
On a quick trip to Portugal and Spain in November ’03, we discovered two beautiful palace hotels.
During our independent driving tour from Prague to Rome in May-June ’03, Europe was experiencing record high heat.
Four of us took a 5-week trip to Germany, Switzerland and Austria, June 3-July 10, ’03. We had first-class railpasses and by the end of the trip had taken 74 trains, 12 local buses, one tour bus, seven taxis, five trams, eight boats, four subways, four funiculars, two cable cars, five personal cars and four vans. The following establishments were the ones that were most outstanding.
My husband and I prefer an apartment to a hotel when we visit our favorite city of Paris, FRANCE, so in October ’03 we signed a contract with Barclay International and made full payment for a one-week stay in April ’04. Two weeks before our trip, the apartment was removed from the market and Barclay was unable to find an equivalent place.