An article by Contributing Editor Randy Keck, “Building Your Travel Bucket List” (Jan. ’17, pg. 56), generated the following project. We asked ITN subscribers (March ’17, pg. 15) to each send in two lists of international destinations, excluding locations in Europe (which are so popular among travelers) and in the United States (which ITN does not cover).
11 days, 10 nights. Departures till October 2017. Highlights: In Tashkent, Hast Imam Complex, Chorsu Bazaar/fly to Khiva for blue-tiled Kalta Minar, Kunya Ark Citadel, Juma Mosque/at yurt village, picnic in chaikhana (teahouse)/in Bukhara, 17th-century Labi Khaus complex, folklore show/in Samarkand, Registan Square, Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble necropolis/Shakhrisabz, birthplace of Tamerlane. Land and internal flights, $3,479-$3,587. Single supp., $475. Silk Road Treasure Tours (Chester, NJ; 888/745-7670, www.silkroadtreasuretours.com).
Travelers deplaning from an international flight at Terminal 2 in Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City will no longer be required to go through random bag checks. Previously, arriving passengers each were required to push a button at Customs that would randomly flash a green (free to go on) or red (mandatory bag check) light.
A new mobile x-ray machine now checks bags between the aircraft and baggage claim. If successful, the program is expected to be expanded to other airports in Mexico.
Until July 30 2017, the “Lucent” exhibit at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (Stanley Place, Cultural Precinct, South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia; phone +61 3840 7303, http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au) showcases traditional arts of Australian Aboriginal and Polynesian peoples, highlighting the similarities and differences in their material culture. Items on display include jewelry, textiles and religious artifacts. The Gallery of Modern Art is open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
For my husband, Guy, and me, Colombia was one of the last places in South America we had not yet visited, but we had been seeing positive news about the country.
These are among cultural experiences offered to guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto (Kamogawa Nijo-Ohashi Hotori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0902, Japan; phone +81 75 746 5555, www.ritzcarlton.com/en/properties/Kyoto).
• “Samurai Experience” — learn kenbu techniques with real swords while traditionally dressed. ¥8,000 (near $67). 5-6:15 p.m. every Tues. and Thurs.
• “Sushi Masterclass” — make maki rolls with chef Masahiko Miura. ¥3,500. 3:30-4:30 p.m., second Sunday each month.
The Mobile Passport Control App allows US travelers to submit passport and Customs declarations information on their smartphones or tablets before encountering the Customs desk.
On the app (free on iOS and Android), a traveler creates a personal profile with his passport information and submits a Customs declaration in the “New Trip” section. A Customs receipt with a bar code will be downloaded onto the user’s phone or tablet to be presented at Customs along with a passport.
Visitors to the town of Arviat, on the west coast of Hudson Bay in Canada’s northern Nunavut province, can enjoy Inuit-operated cultural activities, including traditional hunting, dogsled rides and storytelling, trying foods like caribou and musk ox, and seeing places of historical interest, such as Qikiqtaarjuk, with evidence of 800-plus years of human occupation. Seasonal tours focus on wildlife, including caribou and polar bear migrations.
