Travel Briefs
Seeing evil monkeys in Delhi
With half a million new residents each year, New Delhi, India, is sprawling into the natural habitats of Rhesus macaques, and now the monkeys are moving into neighborhoods and wreaking havoc.
Inspect hotels from home
The website www.TVTrips.com offers video tours of many hotels in Europe. On city maps, visitors to the site can click on a numbered hotel and a video pops up showing the surrounding area, the hotel’s public areas and each class of room. Sample prices are listed.
Plot pix on maps
The GPS-CS1KS is a small GPS module that allows photographers to plot their digital photos onto Google Maps.
Zambia visas
Zambia has waived visa fees for travelers visiting on package tours. The government hopes to grow the country’s tourism industry.
Port call info online
A series of free, downloadable travel guides aimed at cruise passengers gives information on things to do and see during short-stay port calls. Along with local history and essential background info, topics covered include public transport, local tours, recreational activities, shopping and eating out.
TSA search rules
In August, the Transportation Security Administration imposed at U.S. airports an additional security screening of persons wearing head coverings such as turbans, scarves, cowboy hats or berets, and people who refused to remove them could be denied boarding. However, in October the guidelines were modified.
Solar eclipse 2009
Several companies are quickly selling trips for the July 22, 2009, total solar eclipse, which will be visible for nearly five minutes on a path through China and the Pacific Islands.
Ice village, Japan
On Shikaribetsu Lake in western Hokkaido, Japan, a kotan (village) of snow is built every year, with igloos, ice houses and an ice bar (with ice glasses). The village, open Jan. 27-March 31 in 2008, also offers outdoor hot springs on top of the frozen lake.
Venice’s 2-tier pricing
In Venice, Italy, every bar, restaurant, café and hotel is required by law to post a price list, but many do not, and some charge tourists more than locals, adding small surcharges to the bill. The Guardia di Finanza has investigated hundreds of complaints.
Singapore Ferris wheel
The Singapore Flyer, a state-of-the-art, luxury Ferris wheel, will open in March 2008. Rising 541 feet (42 stories), it will provide panoramic views of Marina Bay and the Singapore financial district skyline.
Upscale London B&Bs
Any of 80 upscale bed-and-breakfasts around London can be booked through Uptown Reservations (8 Kelso Place, Kensington, London W8 5QD, U.K.; phone 0044 020 7937 2001, fax 7937 6660, www.uptownres.co.uk).
M/S Explorer sinks
The M/S Explorer, the famous Little Red Ship, struck ice in the waters off Antarctica, near the South Shetland Islands, on Nov. 23, 2007, and subsequently sank. The 154 passengers and crew were safely evacuated to lifeboats and picked up within five hours by the cruise ship MS Nordnorge.
Phrase books
Lonely Planet has released three pocket-sized phrase books: ”Fast Talk French,” “Fast Talk Italian” and “Fast Talk Spanish.” Each has essential tourist phrases plus an audio CD so travelers can actually hear the phrases.
Schiphol smoke-free
As of Jan. 1, 2008, there is no smoking allowed in any public area of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. This includes bars, cafés, restaurants, airline lounges and passageways to/from the parking area. There will not even be any “substitute smoking facilities for passengers.”
Disney Australia tour
Disney Destinations is offering a 9-night, family-based, guided tour, “Discovery Down Under Australia,” that includes Sydney, Ayers Rock, a Great Barrier Reef catamaran, Aboriginal cultural centers, a Mossman Gorge hike and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
Trackstick II GPS
Trackstick II is a personal GPS data logger that uses the Google Earth 24-satellite network to store its location at preset intervals. It can record your position every five seconds or up to once every 15 minutes.
Subway in Seoul
In 2008, subways that serve Seoul, South Korea, will include cars for women only. The move is an effort to tackle subway crime, nearly half of which is sexual in nature. In Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, women-only cars have been used on subway lines during rush hour.
Ponta Delgada trolley
Travelers to Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, can explore the city and the surrounding area by trolley and see historic and natural sites. Riders can choose any of five tours: Historical, Heritage, Gardens, Outskirt and Beach. All include an English narration.
Kenya Air crash
A Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 crashed on May 5 after taking off from Douala, Cameroon, on a stop en route from Ivory Coast to Nairobi. There were no survivors among the 114 people from 27 countries. The cause is unknown. The aircraft was six months old, and the airline has a good safety record.
Tewkesbury central
In Tewkesbury, England, the 16th-century half-timbered property known as The Hat Shop is now a Tourist Information Centre and the hub for all events, walks and tours. Visit www.tewkesbury.gov.uk or www.cotswolds.com.