Thailand will indefinitely close the island of Koh Tachai, in Similian Islands National Park, to the public starting on Oct. 15, 2016, so that its ecology can recover from damage done by the many tourists it attracts. Thai officials have stated that tourism has eroded the island’s beaches and damaged its coral reefs.
The entire park regularly closes May 16-Oct. 15 due to the monsoon season. All of the other islands in the park will reopen as usual on Oct. 15.
Thousands of protesters rallied in Cairo and Alexandria on April 15 against Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s plan to give two Egyptian islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia. During the protests, at least 80 people were arrested, with tear gas being fired into the crowds in Cairo.
The islands, Tiran and Sanafir, are uninhabited and once were part of Saudi Arabia. They were transferred to Egyptian control in 1950 to protect them from Israel, which, nevertheless, twice captured the islands.
After a rigorous winter in January and February 2015, with record snowfall and cold in Massachusetts, we decided that a visit to the tropics looked good, so we booked a week’s trip on the Paul Gauguin, sailing on March 28 from Tahiti to other islands in French Polynesia.
On 13-day, 12-night cruise, Aug. 12-24, 2016, learn effects of plastics on wildlife from marine scientists on 92-passenger Akademik Sergey Vavilov. Highlights: Fly Ottawa, Ontario, to Kangerlussuaq, GREENLAND, and sail for Ilulissat/Devon Island, CANADA, home to musk ox/Beechey Island grave markers of “lost” 1845 expedition/bird cliffs on Prince Leopold Island/at PEI, Conningham Bay, home to polar bears, beluga whales/fly Nunavut-Edmonton. $8,895-$15,795 ppdo. Single, 1.5 times ppdo rate for twin cabin or twice ppdo for suite. Charter air package, $1,200. Expedition fee, $500.
Two hundred years ago, Prince Bagyidaw of Burma (today called Myanmar) began building the structure shown in the mystery photo in the November 2015 issue. He dedicated the white pagoda — located in Mingun on the banks of the Irrawaddy River north of Mandalay — to the memory of his first consort and cousin, Princess Hsinbyume (White Elephant), who died in childbirth.
(First of three parts)
5-day, 4-night tour of TASMANIA. Departures through May 23, 2016. Highlights: Travel from Hobart to Kettering/ferry to Bruny Island/bike the countryside, stopping to sample oysters, cheese, whiskey/boutique chocolate factory, “help yourself” berry farm/walk on Fluted Cape/on Adventure Bay cruise, view sea stacks and caves/lighthouse in South Bruny National Park. Ferry to mainland, bike to Huon Channel. Land, AUD2,495 (near $1,800) ppdo. Tasmanian Expeditions (3/33 Churchill Park Dr., Invermay, Tasmania, 7248, Australia; phone, in No.
