Until Sept. 21, 2014, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (Cromwell Road, London, England SW7 2RL, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 20 7942 2211) is staging an exhibit about the playwright that includes props, costumes, set models, design sketches and printed ephemera. An audiovisual exhibit will show productions of plays.
Open 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. daily and till 10 p.m. Friday. Closed Dec. 24-26. Admission free.
More than five centuries ago, a huge deposit of pure graphite was discovered in Cumberland, England. Local shepherds used it to mark their sheep. Soon after, a cottage industry arose in pencil manufacturing.
In Québec City, the Musée de la civilisation (85 rue Dalhousie, Québec City, Québec, G1K 8R2, Canada; phone 418/643-2158 or, toll-free in No. Am., 866/710-8031) has added a new permanent exhibition, “This Is Our Story: First Nations and Inuit in the 21st Century.”
It showcases 400-plus objects, such as clothing, baskets, shell-bead wampum and a 36-foot rabaska canoe.
Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Sept. 2-June 22 and 9-5 daily June 23-Sept. 1. Closed Dec. 25. CAD15 (near $13).
The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, or Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Bandera 361, Santiago, Chile; phone +562 928 1500), reopened in January after having closed in late 2011 for an expansion.
The “Masterpieces” gallery contains an overview of pre-Columbian American art through the museum’s most iconic pieces. The other galleries are organized geographically, with artifacts from the same regions displayed together. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sun.
At the Mexican island of Cozumel, in the Caribbean, Dolphin Discovery (866/393-5158) offers visitors the chance to swim or dive with dolphins in Chankanaab National Park. Six different packages are available.
Example — “Dolphin Royal Swim” includes 40 minutes with the dolphins, which are trained to “shake hands,” to tow people with their dorsal fins and to elevate people above the water by swimming under their feet. The package is offered between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Mon.-Sat., and costs $139.
Cars from the 1920s through 1950s will parade through the medieval streets of Mdina on the island of Malta in the fourth annual Mdina Grand Prix, Oct. 9-12, 2014. In the main square, classic and contemporary cars competing for “best in class” prizes will be showcased in the “Concourse d’Elegance” event. Contact the Malta Tourism Authority (phone +356 22915000, www.visit malta.com).
Passengers flying through Doha, Qatar, on Qatar Airways (877/777-2827) who have between five and twelve hours’ transit time in Doha may now take a free city tour.
The 3-hour tour is on a coach with A/C and an English-speaking guide. On a first-come, first-served basis, the tour may be booked at the Doha City Tour counter at Doha International Airport (DOH).
Jordan raised its entry visa fee in April from JOD20 (near $28) to JOD40 ($56).
The cost of an entry visa to Egypt was set to rise to $20 (from $15) on May 1. In October 2013, the cost to visit each archaeological site in Egypt was raised by 40%.
After Dec. 31, 2014, any traveler to Turkey requiring a visa will need to have an e-Visa. Turkey’s e-Visa program started in April 2013 and is available to visitors from 94 countries, including the US.
The new visas are meant to be easier to obtain. If approved, travelers are able to receive their e-Visas immediately upon completing the applications. Travelers can also get e-Visas at kiosks upon arrival. The e-Visas are less expensive as well — $20 if purchased in advance, $30 if purchased on arrival.
Bavaria’s tourism board now lists on its website more than 30 certified-accessible hotels throughout the region and more than 40 sights and trips suitable for people with limited mobility (www.bavaria.by/accessible-tourism).
Each listing includes detailed descriptions (e.g., on the Forest Tree-Top Walk in St. Englmar, a 2-kilometer elevated walkway, there are no steps or obstacles — ideal for wheelchairs and pushchairs).