When flying into Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a visitor can buy a KL TravelPass that provides not only a rail transfer from the airport into the city but two days of unlimited rides on the LRT, MRT and KL Monorail lines within the city.
Sept. 16, 2020, marks 400 years since Puritan pilgrims boarded the Mayflower and sailed from Plymouth, England, eventually landing in what they would name Plymouth in Massachusetts colony. A number of events will be held in the UK leading up to the date; visit www.mayflower400uk.org/events.
On April 1, 2020, the Mayflower Trail will be unveiled in Plymouth, England. The trail, which will pass relevant sites in Plymouth’s Barbican area at Sutton Harbour, will include works of art and historical markers.
At the Southern Hemisphere’s largest private-collection museum, The Museum of Old & New Art, or MONA (655 Main Rd., Berriedale, Hobart, Tasmania 7011, Australia; phone +61 3 6277 9900, mona.net.au), works of antiquity can be viewed side by side with modern art. The esoteric building, itself, is a work of art, with most of the exhibit space underground.
For travelers with mobility issues, Italian tour company Roma Experience (phone, in the US, 719/266-2360) introduced two private tours in September: “Accessible Vatican” (including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel) and “Accessible Rome” (including the Colosseum and Roman Forum).
A 3-day wolf-tracking experience in Abruzzo National Park, Italy, is offered year-round by European Safari Company (Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, Netherlands; phone +31 68 3583 623, www.europeansafaricompany.com).
Led on hikes by a local guide, participants follow trails in search of wild wolves while also experiencing the natural beauty of the park. If spotted, wolves will be observed from a distance.
Reefworld, a pontoon hotel with two underwater suites, is scheduled to open off the coast of Airlie Beach in the Whitsunday islands of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in late 2019.
Guests have a choice of a Reefsuite, an underwater room with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the abundant sea life, or the deck-level Reefsleep, with a special “reef bed” under the stars.
In August, the city of Rome, Italy, banned sitting on the famous Spanish Steps and imposed other rules of order. Other activities banned include using wheeled suitcases on the steps of monuments, eating at monuments, attaching “love locks” to bridges and walking around bare-chested. Fines for breaking any of these rules can run up to €400 (near $444).
The Italian government announced on Aug. 8 that cruise ships will no longer be allowed to travel through the city of Venice’s main canal; they now will be rerouted around the city.
Venice has been fighting to keep cruise ships out of its canals for years, citing damage to buildings from the wakes of ships plus the unsightly image of cruise ships towering over its picturesque setting.
Nepal announced on Aug. 22 that it will ban all single-use plastics on and around Mt. Everest starting Jan. 1, 2020. This ban, which includes single-use bottles and bags, covers the entirety of the mountain, from its base to its summit.
Travelers flying to Jamaica can eschew the traditional paper Immigration/Customs forms by filling the forms out in advance online. It is the first Caribbean island nation to offer an online Customs form.
To fill out the digital form, visit https://c5online.pica.gov.jm/apply. Flight information and the address of your accommodation in Jamaica are required.