The Department of State alerts travelers to the hurricane season in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. In general, hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15 and ends Nov. 30.
The hotel Conrad Maldives (Rangali Island, 2034, Maldives; phone 960 668 0629, fax 960 668 0619) now offers guests daily private tours aboard its three-person submarine.
The German-built submarine can accommodate two passengers in addition to the pilot and can dive to a depth of 98 feet. Glass observation domes along the top allow views of the coral reef and aquatic wildlife. Tours last 30 minutes and cost $280 for one person or $495 for two. Hotel room rates run $490-$1,250 per night, double or single.
Bermuda features seven golf courses, six of championship caliber, and now tee times can be booked in advance, online, through Bermuda Premier Golf. Golfers can select a course, tee times and the number of players and pay securely online (Visa, MasterCard or AmEx).
A tee time voucher, sent by e-mail, is encoded with a unique bar code to eliminate fraud. Each voucher is presented to the golf course on the day of play. The site provides course descriptions, pictures and videos.
The Healix Travel Vaccination app (compatible with iPhone, iTouch and iPads) lists all of the immunizations required of and recommended for visitors to any country. Information on health risks is included. The free app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.
In Northern Ireland, Belfast International Airport (phone +44 0 28 9448 4848) has constructed a smoking area inside the terminal. The area, located by the Bar des Voyageurs, can be accessed using a coin worth £1. This is the first smoking area within the airport’s security zone, past the checkpoints.
The St. Petersburg Guest Card, the first city discount card available in Russia, provides a free city tour by bus or boat, free entry into 17 state museums and a 10%-50% discount with participating hotels, restaurants, taxi services and cultural and entertainment centers.
Among special privileges it offers to travelers, at the State Hermitage cardholders may participate in tours and have the opportunity to take photos and video footage.
“TITANICa: The Exhibition,” on display in the Transport Galleries at Northern Ireland’s Ulster Folk & Transport Museum (phone +44 [0] 28 9042 8428) — on the main Belfast-to-Bangor road [A2], near Holywood — features 500 artifacts, including items from the Titanic’s parent company, White Star Line, as well as objects recovered from the wreck site of the ill-fated ship.
Rodeo China (1 Apple Orchard Ln., Clover, SC 29710), along with the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, will be holding a Western-style rodeo in Beijing, Oct. 3-10, 2011.
The event will be held in the National Stadium, the “Bird’s Nest,” with over 150 horses, bulls and livestock. 105 competitors will attempt to win $8 million in prize money.
China’s new high-speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai began commercial runs in July. The new bullet trains can travel 190 mph, and the average trip time is five hours 30 minutes.
As of Feb. 9, 2011, the departure tax charged to passengers on international and domestic flights departing Ecuador is included with other taxes in the price of the airline tickets. (Out of Quito, the tax is $40.80 and from Guayaquil, $29.78.) Previously, passengers had to separately pay the departure tax in cash within the airport.
(ITN thanks Mark Grantham of Galapagos Travel [Aptos, CA] for bringing this to our attention.)