Travelers' Intercom
China arrangements
For the independent portion of a 6-week September-October 2012 China trip, I used Ctrip to book six hotels and four internal flights.
A studio in Paris
My wife, Anne, and I spent a week in Paris in April ’12 prior to taking a superb trip with Road Scholar (Boston, MA; 800/454-5768) to the battlefields of Normandy.
Moorea’s Club Bali Hai
I made my 24th annual visit to the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, March 3-31, 2012. Tahiti and its neighbors in this archipelago are the loveliest islands I’ve visited in the South Pacific.
B&B near Hjo, Sweden
My wife, Jan, and I and our 12-year-old granddaughter, Paige, traveled independently in Scandinavia for a month in summer 2012. We made advance reservations in only three cities (Oslo, Göteborg and Bergen), where accommodations were reported to be tight and expensive.
‘Fantastic’ gîte in Brittany
My husband, Mike, and I stayed in Brittany at Gîte Lapin Kerguedalen (Kerguedalen, 56160 Ploërdut, Bretagne, France; phone +33 [0] 297394228). During planning, e-mails were answered promptly, and the owners accepted PayPal, which makes things easier.
Wildlife not guaranteed
I read the subscriber’s article “Searching for Wildlife in Three of India’s Top Tiger Reserves” (Aug. ’12, pg. 44), in which the writer described his disappointment.
Italy and UK hotels
My two daughters and I stayed in three hotels in September-October ’11. (All prices given are current as of September ’12.)
What else to do in Beijing
I took my children and grandchildren, 10 of us, total, to China, June 18-30, 2012. T.E.I. Tours & Travel (Pleasant Hill, CA; 925/825-6104) made all the travel and hotel arrangements for us except for the international flights, and we were extremely happy with their services.
Touring Trieste
Having paid $24 for a first-class one-way ticket, I was enjoying a relaxing train ride in Italy with no worries about when and where I was supposed to get off because my destination, Trieste, was the end of the line.
Guide and driver in Senegal
During a trip to West Africa in June ’12, I spent 11 days in Senegal. In Dakar, I was fortunate to use the guide services of Massaer Dieng (e-mail dieng.massaer@yahoo.fr), who goes by “Ali.” He is knowledgeable, experienced, very personable and speaks English well.
A night out in San Miguel
The Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende offers a number of cultural events every week, as my husband and I found in February and March 2012 (Nov. ’12, pg. 14).
‘Outstanding’ in Canada
We stayed in an outstanding B&B in South Rustico, Prince Edward Island, in April ’12. The Barachois Inn (Prince Edward Island, Canada; 800/963-2194) was a splurge, at about $240 per night, but a memorable one.
International Expeditions in India
My husband, Ed, and I chose “Tigers & the Taj” for our fifth trip with International Expeditions (Helena, AL; 800/234-9620). Our trip, March 10-25, 2012, cost $6,680 per person, excluding international air but with a discount for having traveled with the company.
Tips for an Ireland visit
My wife, Paula, and another couple and I visited the Republic of Ireland, June 14-25, 2012. I have a few tips on topics that did not receive sufficient coverage in the guidebooks and Internet resources which we consulted pre-trip.
Market visit and lunch in São Luís
After a morning walking tour of the historical section of São Luís, Brazil, our guide, Juan Pitacco (jmpitacco@hotmail.com), showed us the central market square, or Praça do Mercado Central.
Engine failure in Antarctica
Oceanwide Expeditions’ m/v Plancius departed Ushuaia, Argentina, with 74 passengers on March 29, 2012, for what was to have been a 38-day, end-of-season Antarctica cruise that would end at Cape Verde in the Central Atlantic, the ship then being repositioned to the Arctic for the summer cruise season.