Travel Briefs
Antarctica sailing bonus
Bonus savings of up to $1,000 per person are being offered by Radisson Seven Seas Cruises for bookings made by Aug. 15, 2004, on the Jan. 15 and Jan. 26, 2005, sailings of the Explorer II from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Antarctica, the Falklands and the South Shetland Islands.
Week-long walk in Scotland
Walkers are invited to join a 7-day walk in the steps of 18th-century Scottish cattle drovers from Spean Bridge to Crieff. It is part of the Crieff and Strathearn Drovers’ Tryst hill walking festival, Oct. 9-16, 2004.
Forum Barcelona 2004
The Universal Forum of Culture is taking place in Barcelona, Spain, until Sept. 26, 2004.
Tropical health consultants
The “Directory of Clinical Consultants in Tropical Medicine & Travelers’ Health” is a resource for travelers seeking referral to a specialist in tropical medicine and/or travelers’ health, whether for pretravel counseling and immunization or post-travel evaluation, consultation and treatment.
Deluxe ‘flotel’ on the Amazon
A deluxe ecocruise vessel is navigating Ecuador’s Rio Napo in the Amazon jungle. Big Five Tours & Expeditions’ Manatee Explorer is a modern, 3-deck vessel with air-conditioning, 13 en suite cabins, dining room, bar and lounge.
Roof collapses in Paris’ CDG Airport
Four people were killed when a 98-foot section of a departure lounge roof collapsed in Terminal 2E at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport on May 23 at about 7 a.m.
Dining in England
Two free guides provide details of 43 places to eat in the English counties bordering Wales.
Wolsey Lodges private homes
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.
Royal Oak Foundation
The Royal Oak Foundation is the American membership affiliate of Britain’s National Trust. The National Trust owns and operates over 200 historic houses, gardens, castles and sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Royal Oak members enter these properties free of charge, saving on admission fees.
Colombia kidnappings
According to government figures released May 3, a total of 317 people were kidnapped in Colombia in the first three months of 2004. That’s a decrease of 46% compared to the same period in 2003.
Castles in the sand
In Travemunde, north of Lübeck, Germany, 70 sand sculptors will use over 70,000 tons of sand to create sand castle masterpieces at a beach festival, July 9-Aug. 22, 2004. In fact, 2-hour workshops in sand sculpting will be held twice a day, Monday through Friday.
‘Movies Under the Stars’
Princess Cruises ships in the Caribbean now are showing up to three feature-length films a day on deck at poolside, using a 300-square-foot LED screen and a 69,000-watt sound system. Chaise lounges can be reserved. The first movie to be shown was “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Sail to eclipse in South Seas
Passengers on the MV Discovery will have the best vantage point to witness a rare annular total solar eclipse in the South Pacific near Polynesia on April 8, 2005. The ship will maneuver to find clear skies under the 15-mile-wide path of the eclipse.
Chefs of London teach
The chefs of some of London’s finest restaurants are passing on their knowledge at a series of master classes arranged by Tasting Places. They are being held at a designer kitchen in Holland Park and at several restaurants.
The Hermitage Amsterdam
In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Neerlandia Building (part of the 17th-century Amstelhof building) is the first phase of the master plan for the Hermitage Amsterdam, which in six galleries will present small, temporary exhibitions drawn from the collection of The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
A nice breeze in Curaçao
In January ’04 we spent 15 nights at the beautiful Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino (phone [599-9] 736-8800, fax [599-9] 462-7502). This 5-star resort is first class.
Three Gorges cruises
On its “Three Gorges” cruises on the Yangtze River in China, Victoria Cruises now begins and ends in Yichang rather than Wuhan. The upstream trip now takes five days instead of six, while the downstream voyage is still four days.
Burma visas online
On Jan. 21, 2004, Burma (Myanmar) began offering online visas, one of the few countries in the world to do so. Visit www.visa.gov.mm. There are instructions in English. Most applications are approved and returned via e-mail within 24 hours. Travelers show a printout and pay the fee once they reach Burma.
The night sky in Africa
Orient-Express Safaris’ luxury tented safari lodges Khwai River Lodge, Eagle Island Camp and Savute Elephant Camp in Botswana now offer guests the use of high-level telescopes to view the night sky.
Hampton Court Palace gardens
Hampton Court Palace, the former home of King Henry VIII, has a new permanent gardens exhibition. Situated off the East Front Gardens, it shows how the palace gardens evolved from the early 16th century up to the present day.