My grandson John and I flew to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to join a tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (oattravel.com). I had always wanted to visit Mongolia, imagining big skies, horses, great scenery, and interesting people. It was all of this and more. We were 12 all together and John, at 22, was by far the youngest.
It is indeed an exciting time with International Travel News coming back to life after a four-year hiatus, under new ownership and editorial management. It is an honor, as a former longtime ITN columnist, to be a part of this important relaunch adventure.
In my Far Horizons column, I will continue to address topics of interest to international travelers, as well as report on my own international explorations.
Friends urged, “If you loved Africa and Antarctica, you’ll love the Galápagos!” So, after much research, I found a cruise that fit my criteria. The 10-day “Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II,” with Lindblad Expeditions (New York, NY; 800/397-3348, www.expeditions.com), was an expedition of a lifetime.
I departed Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 26, 2019, and met my cruise companions at the comfortable Hilton Colon Guayaquil in Ecuador.
10-day, 9-night “medium”-level tour. Departures June 2021-December 2022. Avg. 16 miles biked daily, over 4 days (bikes provided). Group limit, 15. Highlights: In Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels/in Hội An, biking, noodle-making demo/train to Hanoi to tour Old Quarter/Mai Châu hiking and homestay/Hạ Long Bay for islands, caves, kayaking, overnight on boat. $1,649-$1,849 ppdo (based on dates). G Adventures (Toronto, ON, Canada; 888/800-4100, www.gadventures.com).
Off the coast of New Zealand’s South Island, visitors can paddle up close to fur seals on a “Guided Seal Kayaking Half Day Experience” with Kaikoura Kayaks (19 Killarney St., Kaikoura; phone +64 21 462 889, kaikourakayaks.nz). Kayakers also may see blue penguins, dusky dolphins and, possibly, whales.
The 3- to 3½-hour tour is offered multiple times daily throughout the year. NZD110 (near $71) per adult and NZD70 per child 12 and under. Single and double kayaks are available.
11-day, 10-night adventure tour (“moderate”). Monthly departures. Group limit, 12. Highlights: In Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Confucian Temple of Literature, bike around West Lake/Sapa village/hike Lao Chai to Ta Van for homestay/bike to Mai Châu/karst mountains in Ninh Bình/Cat Ba Island in Ha Long Bay. $1,375-$1,585 ppdo per date. Single supp., from $200. Intrepid Travel (New York, NY; 800/970-7299, www.intrepidtravel.com).
This month’s winner is MICHELE SMITH of Hickory Corners, Michigan:
While I was kayaking on the River Avon in England during vacation, the British kayak leader kept referring to me as “The American.”
We were about an hour into our trip down the river when he turned and yelled to me, “We’re ahead. Pass it on!”
I turned around in my kayak, facing aft, and shouted, “We’re ahead. Pass it on!,” and heard the echo refrain go down the river while watching the British tourists quickly paddle toward the shore.
