Travelers' Intercom
All Asia Travel Company
My two adult daughters and my wife and I returned from three magnificent weeks in Thailand (Bangkok and Chiang Mai), Vietnam (Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City) and Cambodia (Siem Reap and Angkor) on Jan. 19, ’04.
Avoiding x-ray damage to film
If your trip is going to cover three weeks or more, here is an option which guarantees no film damage by x-ray machines at airports.
The Discerning Traveler » Charming Madeira
by Philip Wagenaar, M.D., first of two parts “Money,” the young crook hissed, aiming the rock at my face. Scared out of my wits, I uttered, “I have no money.”
Scammed at Bucharest rail station
On Feb. 3, ’04, a friend and I were victims of a scam in Bucharest, Romania, inside the main entrance to the Gare de Nord and outside of Wasteels Ticket Agency.
Left ‘in the dark’ re train change
During a trip in Japan, I rode on Haruka train No. 7 from Kyoto to Osaka Kansai Airport on the rainy morning of Oct. 13, ’03. The train stopped at Hinero Station. I saw everyone get off the train and I got off too, however my intended destination was the airport.
A great restaurant for a 'splurge'
To celebrate an anniversary or a spouse’s birthday while traveling overseas, have you ever decided to hang the expense and really “splurge” on a meal? We asked those of you who did so — and found that it was worth every euro, pound or whatever — to write in about the experience.
Sour welcome to Rio
On Feb. 3, ’04, as a traveler with the “Tango and Samba” group of smarTours (800/337-7773), I entered Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, coming from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Costa Rica & Panama with Cruise West
My husband and I enjoyed a tour of Costa Rica and Panama, Nov. 6-15, ’03, with Cruise West (2401 Fourth Ave., Ste. 700, Seattle, WA 98121; phone 800/426-7702 or visit www.cruisewest.com).
Trusts Adventure Center
I always have Adventure Center (1311 63rd St., Ste. 200, Emeryville, CA 94608; phone 800/228-8747) arrange my air tickets when I book air and land together; it may cost me a few bucks more, but it is well worth it!
Argentina and Uruguay
In January ’04 we took a self-directed trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and to Montevideo and Punta del Este, Uruguay. We experienced a delightful and safe adventure at a very reasonable price.
Budget Europe Travel Service
My husband and I like to travel by rail when we are in Europe, and we have found that a wonderful place to purchase rail tickets is Budget Europe Travel Service (Ann Arbor, MI; phone 800/441-2387 or 800/441-9413). There are no handling fees and your tickets are sent by certified mail at no cost.
Surprised at bill for call from hotel
During the latter part of October ’03 we visited London and stayed at the hotel De Vere Cavendish St. James’s, located just behind Fortnum and Mason. In general, we were very pleased with our hotel stay. . . until we received the final billing.
Tips for visiting Spain
My husband and I spent three weeks in Spain in April ’03. We made all of our lodging and car reservations online or by phone. Although we usually prefer to be less restricted schedule-wise, we were there during Holy Week and Easter and rooms would have been hard to find in our price range without reservations.
Tips for a Prague visit
In September ’03 my wife and I took a train from Berlin Ost Bahnhof to Prague, a 5-hour trip.
Pacific Islands Festival
I’d like to alert fellow ITN readers to the upcoming 9th Pacific Islands Festival of the Arts. It’s held every four years by 27 island nations (including Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia) to meet and greet each other and share their traditions and cultures.
Cruise aborted
On our way to St. Barts and ultimately Manaus, Brazil, aboard the Olympia Voyager in December ’03, our eagerly awaited “Grand Amazon Cruise” was aborted — a great disappointment to most of the passengers (and we never used our Brazilian visas).
Travel is...
ITN asked its readers to write essays on the subject “Travel is. . .” in 250 words or less. Originally, we were going to print only the top five, but your words were so inspiring that we decided to print the top 10 essays. We featured half of them in the February issue.
Re currency conversion charges
A letter in the November ’03 issue, page 38, stated that MBNA does not charge for foreign currency conversion. That’s true. What it doesn’t say is that the various credit card companies themselves are the ones that charge; e.g., Visa, 2%; AmEx, 2%, and MasterCard, 1%.