Travelers' Intercom
From Reykjavik on Icelandair
Icelandair (www.icelandair.us) recently canceled its summer morning flights from Reykjavik, Iceland, to New York City and bumped people with bookings to the 5 p.m. flight, which arrives at JFK Airport at 7 p.m.
On bin hogs
I read, in the Travel Brief “Delta Bag-check Fee” (Feb. ’18, pg. 4), that on flights to/from Europe and North Africa, Delta Air Lines and partners will soon start charging each Basic Economy passenger a $60 fee for the first checked bag.
London’s village of Hampstead
North London’s village of Hampstead first caught my attention when I learned that the tour “Old Hampstead Village,” offered by London Walks (London, England; phone
Namibia with Cardboard Box
My husband, Gerald Liedl, and I took a 6-day safari in Namibia, “Dunes & Wildlife,” in March 2017. We booked it online through The Cardboard Box Travel Shop (15 Bismarck St., Windhoek, Namibia; phone +264 61 256580, www.namibian.org).
Assessing SE Europe tours
My significant other, Abram Engelman, and I traveled to Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova, May 22-June 15, 2017, on a trip arranged by Original World. The itinerary was good, our guides were excellent, and most of the accommodations were very good as well.
Quelling jet lag
Here are some ideas I’ve used for avoiding jet lag. • Beware of long eastbound flights, especially overnight flights. They are the worst. • If you can afford it, fly business class to be better rested.
Five ’Stans with JMG
During the 4-week “5 Stans Tour” that my husband, Bob, and I took with Jeff Garrett of JMG Tibet Tours (Lauderhill, FL; 866/548-4238, www.jmgtibettours.com), April 10-May 7, 2017, we visited a part of the world I knew almost nothing about.
Return to Keflavík
My friend Dan and I went to Iceland in August of both 2016 and 2017, flying Delta from Minneapolis, with connections in Albany, New York.
Swimming with whale sharks, Cancún
In 2016, my wife, Susan, and I received a brochure from a highly regarded travel company advertising snorkeling with whale sharks off the Yucatán Peninsula.
No surge protectors at sea
In the letter titled “Traveler’s Power Strip” (Nov. ’17, pg. 49), a subscriber recommended packing the Simran SM-60 power strip with three universal outlets and surge-overload protection.
Dancing Bear Tours in St. Petersburg
As part of a 3-week, self-planned trip to Northern Europe, my husband, Steve, and I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, staying only three days, Aug. 23-26, 2017.
Lowest-airfare searches
A subscriber suggested using Matrix.itasoftware.com simply to find out which airline partners fly to particular destinations (“Mileage-award-ticket Secrets,” Dec. ’17, pg. 11).
Parque Nacional da Serra da Capivara, Brazil
My husband, George, and I returned on Sept. 20, 2017, from a 26-day trip exploring the beautiful country of Brazil. We think this wonderful place is seriously underrated by many travelers.
Cape Town highlights
I am a longtime resident of Cape Town, South Africa, and have the following suggestions for places to visit.
Kish Island, Iran, and Kuthar, India
While heading to India in October 2017, my travel buddy, Bob, and I had a stopover in Dubai, and we US citizens decided to try the visa-free trip to Kish Island in Iran. Details were scarce, so we went to Terminal 2 at Dubai International (DXB) and started asking questions.