Travel Briefs
Best of Barbados
The “Best of Barbados” program, available through June 30 and from Sept. 7 to Nov. 30, 2004, offers a true savings of approximately $600 per couple by providing the following:
Day trips from Gleneagles
The resort Gleneagles is celebrating its 80th birthday in 2004 with “Classic Scottish Sojourns,” in which guests can explore Scotland via private chauffeur-guided tours.
Chimps in the wild
At Kibaale National Park in western Uganda, near the municipality of Fort Portal, visitors can join a guided trip to observe chimpanzees in the wild.
Classic cars in Coventry
The Coventry Transport Museum relaunched in March following a major refurbishment. It displays the world’s largest collection of British vehicles, with over 230 cars and commercial vehicles, 90 motorcycles and 250 cycles. It’s open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and admission is free.
Freestay Coins
Cruise passengers arriving at St. Kitts’ Port Zante pier will see an 8-foot-tall column that has a welcome message on one side and, on the other, an invitation to return and use Freestay Coins. St.
Turkey lowers visa fee
The visa fee for American citizens wishing to travel to Turkey was reduced on April 1, 2004, to $20, down 80% from its previous cost of $100.
Provence 6-waterways cruise
In 2004, Go Barging’s newly renovated, 12-passenger hotel-barge L’Impressionniste, sister ship to La Belle Époque, will cruise on a unique itinerary in the Provence region of France, taking in six waterways, including rivers, canals and lakes.
Stay in a historic building
The Landmark Trust is a preservation charity which restores architecturally interesting and historic buildings in Britain and offers them as self-catering holiday homes. Prices vary according to the size of the property and the season, averaging about £25 (near $42) per person per night.
Airport Parking Reservations
AirportParkingReservations.com offers travelers departing from 65 airports throughout the U.S. and Canada the ability to make advance, guaranteed reservations for long-term parking.
Carriacou Regatta
The 39th annual Carriacou Regatta will take place July 25-Aug. 2, 2004. The most southerly of the Grenadines, Carriacou is the largest of the chain of islands between Grenada and St. Vincent. The festival is a salute to its sister island of Grenada’s art of boatbuilding, handed down by Irish and Scottish ancestors.
‘Britain’s Gardens’
VisitBritain has a new brochure on beautiful and historic gardens of Britain. It includes info on events and festivals (2004 is the “Year of Gardening” in Britain); insider tips from head gardeners; garden tours and holidays; courses throughout Britain, and seasonal information on which gardens to see and when.
‘Iceman’ on view
Over 5,000 years ago, a man climbed up to the Schnalstal glacier in what is now Italy’s Dolomites and died. He was found by two hikers in 1991, with his clothes and equipment, mummified and frozen. Since March 1998, the “Iceman” has been on exhibit at the Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano.
Gardens in Britain
2004 marks the bicentenary of the Royal Horticultural Society, and Britain is celebrating with the Year of Gardening. Marking the occasion, the 2004 edition of a garden-visiting guide has increased the number of gardens featured to 1,250 and reduced its price to £12.99.
Cyclone rips into Niue
A fierce cyclone hit Niue Island in the South Pacific, Jan. 6, leaving infrastucture disrupted and many vacationers’ plans canceled until further notice.
Comet-watch Med cruise
An approaching comet designated Q4 (NEAT) is expected to be more than 2½ times brighter than Halley’s Comet. It will be brightest May 5-15, 2004, and the Seabourn Legend is making a 7-day Mediterranean cruise in May to provide ideal viewing conditions.
Diphtheria booster advised
In October 2003, a man who had been working in a rural village in Haiti returned to Pennsylvania and was admitted to a hospital with a severe sore throat and respiratory distress. He was diagnosed with respiratory diphtheria and died.
Tower of London salutes
A number of parades, salutes and rituals are coming up in which traditional ceremonies will be held at the Tower of London. April 21 — at 1 p.m. a 62-gun salute for HM The Queen’s birthday.
India-Pakistan travel links
Pakistan and India have agreed to continue cross-border bus service for five years. The resumption follows the restoration of regular airline service in early January. Train service between the two countries also was restored, and the weekly train is running between Lahore in Pakistan and Attari in India.
France-Spain tunnel
A cross-border tunnel opened between France and Spain through the western Pyrenees on Jan. 17. The 5.3-mile Somport Road Tunnel starts near Urdos, less than two kilometers south of Fort du Portalet on the French side, and emerges near Canfranc, the terminus for trains from Jaca in Spain.
Length of the Nile
On Jan. 20, two boats with explorers and film crews set off from Kampala, Uganda, on a journey that will cover 6,690 kilometers from the source of the Nile to the river’s mouth in Alexandria, Egypt. The river connects East Africa with the Mediterranean Sea.