Travel Briefs
London Pass
Offering free entry and priority access to 55 major attractions, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and the Churchill War Rooms, “The London Pass” costs £40 (near $59) plus shipping for one day up to £90 for six days.
Espionage in London
“The Intelligence Trail” is a guided walk that visits sites in London where key intelligence decisions and operations took place over decades in MI5 and MI6 history.
Europe Travel Pass
Discounts in Europe on guided coach day-tours and walking, biking and boating trips plus cooking classes and more are available with the “Europe Travel Pass” from Travel to Europe (Box 439, Lexington, MA 02420; 781/863-0125).
Seniors: free Irish Rail
Through Dec. 31, 2010, people 66 years of age or older from any country can ride Irish Rail-operated trains in Ireland (but not Northern Ireland) for free with the “Golden Trekker” pass.
Edible plants, Cornwall
Seek out and identify native edible plants in the Cornwall countryside in classes offered by the Wild Food School (phone 01208 873788). A half-day introductory session costs £30 ($44) per person and a weekend-long course, £140 ($206).
Smoking ban in Syria
In April, Syria became the first Arab country to implement a ban on smoking in public places. Smoking is now outlawed on public transportation and in schools, cinemas, theaters, restaurants and cafés. The traditional Arab nargile, or hubble-bubble pipe, is included in the ban.
TaxBack in Mexico
With locations in nine Mexico airports, TaxBack (www.taxback.com.mx) refunds travelers’ value-added tax (VAT) for purchases made in stores displaying the orange TaxBack sticker.
In the treetop…
Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica (Lima, Peru; phone 51 1 610 0400 or, in the US, 800/442-5042), adjacent to Tambopata National Reserve in southern Peru, has constructed a Canopy Tree House perched 90 feet above the rainforest floor to complem
Another click in The Wall
The Wall, an outdoor interactive panel created by the Museum of Copenhagen, has been installed at Kongens Nytorv square in the city’s center. Opened on April 24, The Wall comprises four interactive picture-window-size touch screens stretching nearly 40 feet.
Green light for dam in Amazon
Brazil has granted the environmental license to build the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River, a tributary to the Amazon, in the northern state of Pará. Construction is expected to start in 2015.
Israel flightseeing
SunAir (P.O.B. 10250, Jerusalem 91102, Israel; phone +972 54 5818883, fax +972 2 6717775 or e-mail gilaviv@zahav.net.il) offers flights over the Dead Sea and surrounding area.
Topography of Terror
Topography of Terror (Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit, Britzer Straße 5, 12439 Berlin, Germany; phone 030 6390288 0), a three-story exhibition and documentation center focusing on the atrocities of World War II, opened on May 7.
Stamps of Macau
At the Macau Communications Museum (Estrada S. Maria II No. 7, Macau SAR, China; phone +853 2871 8570), more than 100 years of stamps are on display, many relating to the city’s history.
Hong Kong airport rest
For those with long layovers at the Hong Kong International Airport, the 1,171-room Regal Airport Hotel (9 Cheong Tat Road, HKIA, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, China; phone [852] 2286 8888) has a flexible &ldquo
Tokyo International Airport
Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport and located 30 minutes from central Tokyo by car or train, is opening some of its gates for international flights to/from the US starting in October 2010.
Zeppelins over Tokyo
Air tours over Tokyo in helium-filled zeppelins holding 12 passengers and two crew members are offered by Nippon Airship Corp. (St. Luke’s Tower 27F, 8-1, Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan; phone +81 3 5148 2650).
Macau Science Center
Designed by I.M. Pei, the Macau Science Center (Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Macao Science Center; phone +853 2888 0822) opened along the waterfront in January.
Avoiding DVT
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in the lower leg (usually between the ankle and the upper calf) and which can occur when someone sits in the same position for a long time.
Guide on food allergies
For people with food allergies, the 400-page book “Let’s Eat Out with Celiac/Coeliac & Food Allergies!” offers guidelines for eating safely anywhere, covering seven international cuisines and hundreds of menu items.
ElBulli sabbatical
Cited as of the world’s best restaurants, elBulli, located beside Cala Montjoi bay on Spain’s Catalan coast, will be closed during 2012 and 2013, Chef Ferran Adrià announced.