International Travel News

Columns

May 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Rio de Janeiro — so much more than Carnaval!

by Deanna Palic, first of four parts

Rio de Janeiro sits capriciously on a thin strip of land between the mountains and the sea. In my 40 years of visiting Rio, this astounding city has never ceased to dazzle. Rio is one of the world’s most colorful playgrounds, enhanced by its spectacular natural setting and exceptional weather year around. It’s a city with a rhythm of its own!

Nineteen glorious beaches, covering 23 miles, run through the very heart of the city and provide...

May 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

4WD hot springs day trip from Santiago

by Randy Keck

On my return from the Antarctic, I had the opportunity to stop over in Santiago, Chile, for a few days with friends Scott Jones and Anne Keller, whose large apartment tends to be a haven for a constant stream of globetrotting international visitors.

We decided on a free day to venture southeast of Santiago up the renowned Canyon del Maipo into the Andes in search of two hot springs: Baños Morales and Baños Colina.

The climb on our last leg to Baños Colina...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Boarding Pass

By David Tykol

Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 338th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine.

He had never missed a deadline in 24½ years of submitting columns to ITN, so when Kevin Keating’s “Kilroy Was Here!” was exceptionally late for this issue, I correctly feared the worst. Kevin had died on February 7th at his home in Sausalito, California. He had been suffering from prostate cancer. He was 74.

Kevin’s special brand of humor has brightened the pages of ITN since the September...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

You simply must visit South Africa

By Philip Wagenaar

by Philip Wagenaar, third of three parts

Last month I talked about my travel on the Blue Train and hopefully intrigued you with the idea of visiting Cape Town. This month I will discuss additional areas you may want to explore.

Wine country

To get away from the bustle of Cape Town, visit the picturesque wineries nestled in the magnificent rolling hills around Stellenbosch, the second-oldest town in South Africa, and the village of Franschhoek. Each community features...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Back to Bagan

By Julie Skurdenis

by Julie Skurdenis

I am standing atop Bulethi Pagoda in Bagan, Burma’s most important archaeological site. I’ve huffed and puffed up a steep staircase to the uppermost platform encircling the structure. The platform is narrow — only three feet wide — and I lean back against the stone to steady myself as I gaze out over the plain far below me.

No exaggeration — I am surrounded by an archaeological sea of stone temples and pagodas, literally hundreds of them dotting the eastern...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 104

Far Horizons

By Randy Keck

The first air cruise to Antarctica

It is commonly known and accepted in the realm of international tourism that in order to experience Antarctica one must first conquer the dreaded Drake Passage, perhaps the most consistently rough ocean crossing in the world. Little did I ever dream that I would have the opportunity to tame this monster crossing in painless fashion, by avoiding it altogether.

In early December of 2003 I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in...

March 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Boarding Pass

By David Tykol

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 28th anniversary issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine!

ITN subscriber Toby Carlson of State College, PA, hit a snag in his plans to join his daughter for a Sierra Club hike in the Italian Alps.

“All was going well,” he said, “until I reached the airline’s check-in gate at Gatwick Airport near London in preparation for my flight to Milan. The clerk scrutinized my passport, gave me a hard-eyed look and handed it back saying that...

March 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

You simply must visit South Africa

By Philip Wagenaar

by Philip Wagenaar, second of three parts

Last month I discussed my travels in Johannesburg. This month I will continue my travelogue of South Africa.

The Blue Train

If you want to splurge, take the 25-hour journey on the Blue Train from Pretoria, a little north of Johannesburg, to Cape Town. (If you desire, you can continue on the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth.) This luxurious but expensive train ride, which was started in 1997, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience....