Travelers' Intercom
Little known but fine places
Here are some small towns that stand out in my mind for their beauty or other unique characteristics.
Lighten the load
As a seasoned traveler, I find traveling with dirty clothes very annoying. Now when I travel, I go through my closets and chest of drawers and pack only items that I plan to leave behind.
Theater + shopping in Osaka
Namba is the heart of the shopping and entertainment area in Osaka, Japan. On a trip in September ’05, my husband, Don, and I took the Chuo Line subway from Osaka to Honmachi, then boarded the train on the Yotubashi line (blue color code).
Bhutan’s fall festivals
Approximately 2,500 visitors visited the kingdom of Bhutan for the late September/early October festivals in 2006 — a record-high attendance. Despite full flights and hotels at capacity, the festival season was one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever experienced.
Dealing with glitches in London
Crowds everywhere. Queues everywhere. And glitches galore. Has London always been like this? Has travel always been like this?
Inconveniences, annoyances on flight
My wife and I in May ’06 flew Virgin Atlantic out of Orlando, Florida, to London (Gatwick) with a connection to Malta.
Penguins in Africa
Why go to Boulders Beach, south of Cape Town, South Africa? To see the African penguins, of course. Formerly called jackass penguins (for their donkey-like braying), they are native to South Africa, and this beach is one of their three breeding grounds.
RMS St. Helena
I have individually thanked the readers who answered my request in the November ’06 ITN for information on the RMS St. Helena, a “mail packet” which sails from London to South Africa via the island of St. Helena, and now for all ITN readers I offer the address of the current booking agent for the ship.
Getting a hotel’s best rate
In the following, I haven’t identified the hotel or hotel chain because it’s not my purpose to single them out for criticism (the hotel staff was very accommodating).
Indonesia & Cambodia with Asia Connect
My wife and I took a 3-week vacation in Indonesia and Cambodia, Jan. 11-Feb. 2, ’06. At a total price of $8,085 out of Birmingham, Alabama, all arrangements were made through Asia Connect Tours (10 Morning Watch Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470; 800/803-3656, www.asiaconnecttours.com).
Australia on a self-drive itinerary
Normally, my wife, Patricia, and I do our own travel planning, relying heavily on the Internet and reading ITN.
Quito snacks
My wife, Barbara, and I visited Quito, Ecuador, in January ’06. The places to eat are endless and we found most quite adequate.
Unspunnen in Switzerland
My wife, Mary Ellen, and I were in Switzerland for 10 days in September ’06. We stayed in Merligen, which is on Lake Thun and near Interlaken. We had been in this area before and basically were interested in hiking in the beautiful mountains of the area, which was marvelous.
Guide for Spain and Brazil
We took a trip to Brazil with Elderhostel (Boston, MA; 877/426-8056, www.elderhostel.org), Sept. 30-Oct. 20, 2006. It was a great trip with fantastic sites, excellent and delicious food, good hotels and terrific local guides.
The ‘real’ Orient Express
The so-called Orient Express leaves Paris every evening at 5:16 p.m. and arrives in Vienna at 8:30 the next morning. We traveled on this train on May 11, 2006, and returned on May 20 (only because we had nonrefundable tickets).
Down in front!
I am curious to find out if any other travelers feel the same way that I do regarding this subject.
Pepto-Bismol seems to help
I’d like to second the recommendation made by Dina Fulmer in the letter titled “Fending Off Diarrhea” (Aug. ’06, pg. 85). When I was preparing for a trip to Guatemala in 1998, the group leader suggested Pepto-Bismol tablets (which don’t turn your tongue black; the chewables do that!) to prevent stomach disorders.
ATMs in Tokyo
I was very impressed with Susan Benton’s article “Traveling Solo in Tokyo” (Jan. ’07, pg. 46). Her tips and anecdotes were well-geared toward first-time visitors to Tokyo. In particular, I liked her suggestion of exploring Kichijoji, since suburbs like this often provide a view of the real Japan.
For a Tuscany day trip
While on a 2-week independent trip to Italy in June ’06, my two girlfriends and I found a wonderful company providing day trips into the Tuscan countryside outside of Florence: Doors To Italy (27500 Pinyon St., Murrieta, CA 92562; 951/704-5729, e-mail doors2italy@verizon.net).
Most beautiful or unusual place of worship
In our September ’06 issue we printed several readers’ selections of special places of worship. Here are a few more.