Travelers' Intercom
Warsaw, ‘a great city to visit’
My husband, Mike, and I began our May 17-June 2, 2015, trip to Europe with a visit to Warsaw, Poland, a city we had long wanted to visit because of its history in World War II and the Communist aftermath.
Food in the South Caucasus
While traveling in three countries of the South Caucasus in August-September 2014 (July ’15, pg. 15), I got to sample a wide range of foods.
Value provided by Nat’l Geo. Expeditions
In the Feature Article “One Trip, Two Experiences — a Group Tour of Ethiopia vs. a Private, Customized Journey” (July ’15, pg. 6), the writer reported on two trips he and his wife took in Ethiopia.
Post-its in passport
Philip Wagenaar keeps Immigration officers from using up his passport pages too quickly by putting rubber bands around the blank pages he doesn’t want stamped (Aug. ’15, pg. 49).
Thailand with Go See Touring
Having enjoyed many of the world’s great gardens and floral events, I found the Chiang Mai Thailand Flower Festival via the Internet and discovered that Go See Touring (4/99 Racecourse Rd., Ascot, Queensland 4007, Australia; phone +61 1300 551 997, www.goseetouring.com) had been offering tours to Thailan
Hotel Gletscherblick and Switzerland
Commanding a spectacular view of Switzerland’s Wetterhorn, the Rosenlaui Glacier and the Gadmen Valley, Hotel Gletscherblick (Urseni, 6085 Hasliberg, Goldern, Switzerland; phone +41 [0] 33 972 40 40, www.gletscherblick.ch) is situated on a bend in the road on the Hasliberg plateau above
Windy Hill Resort, Belize
After taking a group tour of Mayan ruins in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, I stayed six extra days in western Belize, Feb. 10-15, 2015, to visit more Mayan sites near the Guatemalan border.
If canceling, mention the reason
Knowing we are looking forward to our journey, sometimes we read a tour company’s fine-print terms thoroughly, but sometimes we “scan” them.
Gianni Franzi in Vernazza
In mid-April 2015, two of us took the early train out of Nice, France, several hours to Monterosso, Italy, where we bought a local ticket to another Cinque Terre town, Vernazza, one of the most beautiful villages I’ve ever seen.
Visiting PNG as a single
For a couple of years, I contacted many agencies about traveling to Papua New Guinea (PNG) as a single in a group or on an independent tour. Each time, I met with negative vibes.
Mexico City by taxi
After spending a week with seven others in a rented villa near Manzanillo, Mexico, June 20-27, 2015, six of us had a 7-hour layover in Mexico City on our way home to Chicago. Since we had never visited the cty, we inquired about a tour.
Viana do Castelo, Portugal
While visiting northern Portugal with my wife, Kay, in September 2014, we spent two nights at Casa do Ameal (Rua do Ameal, 119, 4900 – 585 Meadela, Viana do Castelo, Portugal; phone +351 91 420 62 27, www.casadoameal.com).
Un-Cruise Adventures Baja cruise
On a round-trip cruise off of Baja out of Los Cabos, Mexico, Jan.10-17, 2015, my wife and I sailed with Un-Cruise Adventures (Seattle, WA; 888/862-8881, www.un-cruise.com).
Travel Gadgets: Bose noise-canceling headsets
Since 2003, my wife and I have never traveled without our Bose noise-canceling headsets.
Heading to Cuba by cruise ship
A local newspaper mentioned a cruise ship that travels between Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Cuba, making five landings in Cuba.
In Namibia and South Africa
In May 2015, I traveled with Overseas Adventure Travel, or OAT (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925, www.oattravel.com), to Namibia, with side trips to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Chobe National Park in Botswana. It was an interesting itinerary, and Namibia is a worthwhile travel destination.
Aerial tram, Costa Rica
Taking the aerial tram with Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic (phone, in the US/Canada, 866/759-8726, www.rainforestadventure.com) was a great way for my wife and me to spend a few hours during our February 2014 visit to Central America.
Ideal Edinburgh neighborhood
The many historic sites along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile are the focus of many visitors to Scotland’s capital. Waverley Railway Station, just to the north, provides convenient rail access, and nearby is Waverley Bridge, the nexus of various tour bus routes and the express Airlink buses to the airport.