Travelers' Intercom
India with Vantage
My wife, Ione, and I highly recommend the 14-day “Crown Jewels of India” tour from Vantage Deluxe World Travel (Boston, MA; 800/322-6677). Land costs and internal air plus three optional tours, visa fee and optional travel insurance cost $5,760 per person.
Mérida, Mexico, hotels
My wife, Kathryn, and I stayed in two wonderful hotels in Mérida, Mexico, in June ’10.
Guide in Nicaragua
My wife and I were assigned Juan B. Padilla (mobile phone [505] 86641048 or e-mail juansinmiedo44@hotmail.com) as our guide on four days of our visit to Nicaragua, Dec. 27, 2010-Jan. 3, 2011.
Cut ’em off at the pass
My husband, Tom, and I are in our eighties and, while it’s true that people drive fast in Italy, we had no problems driving there in September 2010. My husband is 86 and did most of the driving in Italy, though I did some.
For HK, consider Sha Tin (suburb)
First-time visitors to Hong Kong usually stay on Hong Kong Island or just across the harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui, on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, and that’s as it should be.
Disappointments with Morocco tour
After reading “1,000 Places To See Before You Die,” our hearts were set on going to Morocco. Because Sarah Tours was so highly recommended by the author, in mid-August 2009 I called Hamid Mernissi, the owner, and our conversation about his tour certainly enticed our decision that Sarah Tours was the way to go.
Sicily tips
My husband, R.C., and I celebrated our 40th anniversary in the fall of 2009 with a trip to Slovenia, Croatia (May ’11, pg. 12) and then to Italy for Sicily.
England’s Lake District
My husband, Lou, and I spent a sunny week in England’s Lake District in June ’10, taking advice we’d read in a Rick Steves column to make Keswick a home base.
Seeing Panama
My husband, Bill, and I took a great tour to Panama, “A Continent Divided, Oceans United,” with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/493-6824), April 18-May 1, 2010. A good value — the 11-day trip cost $3,495 including air from San Francisco, and a pretrip cost $595.
Curtain of water
CLARIFICATION — Regarding the article on Zambia in the April ’11 issue, subscriber Christopher Hartley of Ormond Beach, Florida, wrote, “I enjoyed reading about Ms. Schumacher’s visit to Zambia and Vic Falls.
Montevideo visit
Stephen O. Addison, Jr., wrote about the Radisson Montevideo Victoria Plaza in Montevideo, Uruguay (Feb. ’11, pg. 74).
Sailing the Bering Sea
The lonely, obscure islands in the 878,000-square-mile Bering Sea — situated between Alaska and Russia — had always drawn me, but the difficulty and expense of visiting them had kept me from making the trip.
Moments in Patagonia
My husband, Earl, and I took the 18-day “Patagonia Frontiers” tour from Odysseys Unlimited (Newton, MA 888/370-6765), March 22-April 8, 2010. The price was $9,990 for the two of us (international air not included).
In and out of Buenos Aires
I agree 100% with the subscriber’s comment in the letter “Security Absurdity” (March ’11, pg. 29): EZE Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is inconsistent with security.
Croatia and Slovenia Experiences
Articles my husband, R.C., and I read in ITN helped us plan our fall ’09 trip to Croatia and Slovenia. We went to Plitvice National Park because every article we’d read about Croatia mentioned this destination. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen another place quite like it.
Game of Kenya
Our first game drive in the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya was very exciting!
Antigua café
While in Antigua, Guatemala, in November ’10, my travel partner, Eilieen, and I had a delightful lunch at Café Condesa (Central Park, 5a Avenida Norte, Numero 4, La Antigua; phone/fax [502] 7832 0338 or e-mail lastrescondesas@hotmail.com), which was recommended by another ITN subscriber (
Oceania’s Regatta
I took a 12-day Caribbean cruise, “Sun-Splashed Holiday,” on the Regatta of Oceania Cruises (Miami, FL; 800/531-5619), Dec. 22, 2010-Jan. 2, 2011.