Travelers' Intercom
ToursByLocals port guides
Planning for a Black Sea cruise, Sept. 22-Oct. 2, 2014, my wife, Barbara, and I weren’t interested in tours arranged by the ship, as the number of people in each group would preclude any individual attention. After speaking to a number of people, we learned about ToursByLocals.com (1112 W.
Hurricane Odile ordeal
My husband, James, and I arrived at the lovely Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort (Carretera Transpeninsular Km. 19.5, Los Cabos, BCS, Mexico 23447; 877/354-1399, www.hilton loscabos.com) on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014.
Driving in New Zealand
I read the item about the increase in traffic accidents in New Zealand involving foreign drivers (Dec. ’14, pg. 2). I would point out that the main problem for Americans driving in New Zealand is that New Zealanders drive on the left (“wrong”) side of the road.
Saving money in Copenhagen
Before boarding a ship for a Baltic cruise, my friend and I, along with my daughter and her husband, spent four days and three nights (Sept. 1-4, 2014) in Copenhagen, a city with a reputation for being one of Europe’s priciest.
Clothing for Travelers: A fan of L.L.Bean
L.L.Bean (800/441-5713, www.llbean.com) sells a line of men’s UNDERWEAR called ExOfficio (800/644-7303, www.exofficio.com). It’s made of a loosely woven synthetic fiber that wicks away moisture in humid climates.
Used BA miles for hotels
A few years ago I got the British Airways Chase Visa card, since I had been promised 100,000 bonus miles and was told that it would charge no foreign transaction fees. I quickly racked up 150,000 miles and a companion voucher for British Airways. However, this turned out to be worthless.
The UK with Explore!, Rabbie’s
I spent five super-great weeks in the UK, mostly in Scotland, in late summer of 2013. Two of those weeks were spent doing tours with Explore! (Nelson House, 55-59 Victoria Rd., Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7PA, U.K.; phone 0843 634 5157, www.explore.co.uk). one in Orkney and one in Hebrides and Skye.
No tripods at Machu Picchu
My wife and I visited Machu Picchu, Peru, in May 2014. We had read on different online forums and were advised by more than one tour company that a special permit was required for lenses over 200mm long.*
Weight-conscious packing
Over many years of travel, I’ve learned to plan carefully in terms of how much clothing I really need and what can be pared down, such as as for those low luggage-weight limits on small-plane trips between safari lodges (when, with fewer items, it becomes necessary to wash clothes every night).
Kenya with Road Scholar
I traveled to Kenya, June 12-24, 2014, with Road Scholar (Boston, MA; 800/454-5768, www.roadscholar.org) and I want to commend the company for not canceling this tour even though there were only four of us.
Clothing for Travelers: Seeking Security
Ever since I had a passport stolen at Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris, France, I’ve purchased travel clothing with security in mind. Number one is my SCOTTeVEST (866/909-8378, www.scottevest.com).
Long walk from Heathrow’s T2
I returned from London, flying to Los Angeles on United Airlines out of the airline’s new Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport, on Oct. 22, 2014. After walking forever and ever from security to the gates in Terminal 2B (Gates B31-B49), I wondered just how far it was.
Squeegee solution
When Julane Anderson described the hotel showers without curtains in Bulgaria (Oct. ’14, pg. 55), she could just as well have been describing a bathroom arrangement we frequently encounter in India. We call these bathrooms “self cleaning,” a term we borrowed from our friend Esther Perica.
‘Mind-stretching’ trip to Turkey
Following a barge trip in Burgundy, France, in celebration of my husband, Steve’s, 80th birthday, we flew to Istanbul, then to Antakya (ancient Antioch), located on southern Turkey’s easternmost Mediterranean coast, about 30 miles from the Syrian border.