Travel Briefs
No Saga Pearl II
As of Sept. 16, 2009, British-based Saga Holidays (Folkestone, Kent, UK; phone +44 [0] 1303 771 111; www.saga.co.uk) will be a one-ship cruise line.
Vienna New Year’s
Austrian Airlines Vacation Center (800/790-4682, www.austrianair-vacations.com) is offering a 6-day/5-night “New Year’s in Vienna” package, Dec. 28, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010.
TSA Secure Flight rules
A Transportation Security Administration requirement that all airlines operating within the US collect the full name, date of birth and gender of each passenger began to be phased in on May 15.
Thai ATMs
The Thai Bankers Association in April began charging a 150-baht fee (near $4.25) for ATM withdrawals made with a foreign debit or credit card at TBA member banks. You can find a list of member banks at www.tba.or.th/tbamembers.htm. Other banks in Thailand also may raise the rates.
Free in Switzerland
Free sightseeing and free activities are among suggestions from Switzerland Tourism (New York, NY; 212/757-5944, www.myswitzerland.com).
Drive race routes
Including photos, captions and maps, the book “Classic Motorsport Routes” by Richard Meaden (2008, Publisher Motorbooks.
‘Handel Reveal’d’
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) spent the last 36 years of his life in London.
Opera House High Tea
Each Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m., a “High Tea” is offered with a performance by an opera singer in the dining room of the Guillaume at Bennelong restaurant in the Sydney Opera House (phone +61 2 9250 7250, e-mail tourism@sydneyoperahouse.com or visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com)
Shanghai hotels checkout
Good news for tourists in Shanghai — as of May 1, checkout times in hotels, guest houses and hostels are negotiable. Previously, hotels across China’s mainland set noon as the checkout time.
Hong Kong light show
In Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, on every night with good weather there is a light show involving 44 of the city’s waterfront skyscrapers. The 14-minute “A Symphony of Lights” starts at 8 p.m. and uses orchestrated lasers and lights set to music.
Majestic Imperator
The railcars of the Majestic Imperator Train de Luxe (Vienna, Austria; www.imperialtrain.com) replicate those used by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and his wife, Elisabeth (Sissi), before WWI.
Helsinki beer tram
The 1950s red Spårakoff Beer Tram, a traveling bar, serves Finnish beer and other beverages while you tour Helsinki, Finland. The 40-minute ride starts from the Mikonkatu tram stop, near Helsinki’s Railway Square, and makes five stops, including the Helsinki Opera House.
Fun in feudal Japan
In Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo, the theme park Edo Wonderland Nikko (www.edowonderland.net) shows Japan as it was in the time of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868). Visitors can watch battles between samurai and ninja, try archery and see traditional plays, magic shows and acrobatics.
Sigiriya wasps
The rock fortress archaeological site of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka was closed temporarily in April after wasps attacked tourists three times in one week. Dozens of people who were stung were taken to hospitals. The problem occurred each of the previous two years in May.
Royal Caribbean International room service fee
As of January 2009, passengers aboard Royal Caribbean International cruises are required to pay a fee of $3.95 when ordering room service between midnight and 5 a.m.
Dahshur pyramids to open
The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities announced plans to develop and protect the site of Dahshur. The site has five major pyramids as well as many private tombs and some royal tombs.
Orient-Express in UK
Orient-Express (20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PF, U.K.; phone +44 20 7960 0500) offers train trips and tours in England.
Travel toesocks
The Travel Performance Toesock from Injinji provides light compression (to prevent deep-vein thrombosis) and has antimicrobial silver microfibers to prevent odor and a moisture-wicking fiber to keep feet dry.
Don’t feed the baboons!
An estimated 350 chacma baboons, a protected species under South African law, live in and around Cape Town. After years of being fed by tourists and tour operators interested in photo ops, the baboons have become dangerously aggressive, snatching snacks from people and even breaking into cars to steal food.