After a wonderful 14-day cruise around Cape Horn to Buenos Aires on the Norwegian Crown in December ’03, a friend and I took the advice of an ITN reader (April ’03, pg. 70) and stayed at B&B Olleros 3000* (Olleros 3000 Colegiales, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA 1426; phone 54 0 11 4554-7269, fax 54 0 11 4554-1097, e-mail info@olleros3000.com.ar or visit www.olleros3000.com.ar).
On a cobblestone street in the heart of Sultanahmet, the historic Old City of Istanbul, is Special Artemis Hotel (Kücük Ayasofya Cad, Cayiroglu Sok, No. 25, 34400 Sultanahmet-Istanbul, Turkey; phone +90 212 516 58 65, fax +90 212 638 25 58, e-mail artemis@artemishotel.com or visit www.artemishotel.com).
Indeed a special hotel in every way, this is a relatively new, 24-room boutique hotel (which was being refurbished and renovated).
In September ’03 my wife and I stayed seven nights at the Jedermann Hotel (Bayerstrasse 95, 80335 München, GERMANY; phone +49 89 54 32 40, e-mail info@hotel-jedermann.de or visit www.hotel-jedermann.de).
The Jedermann has been owned and operated by the Jenke family for over 40 years. It is located a 5- to 10-minute walk from the Munich central rail station and within a short walk of the Oktoberfest field and the not-to-be-missed Augustina brewery, beer hall and restaurant.
The Arosfa Hotel (83 Gower St., London WC1E 6HJ, ENGLAND; phone/fax 020 7636 2115), located a 5-minute walk from Goodge Street Underground Station, is more a B&B than a hotel, in my opinion. It is one of several small hotels along busy Gower Street. I would recommend requesting a room in the back of any of them, as Gower Street has traffic noise most of the time.
The rate was £45 ($83) per night, single. All rates posted at the Arosfa refer to rooms with facilities en suite, and accommodations range from singles to quads. Breakfast is included.
My two adult daughters and my wife and I returned from three magnificent weeks in Thailand (Bangkok and Chiang Mai), Vietnam (Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City) and Cambodia (Siem Reap and Angkor) on Jan. 19, ’04.
Initially, we contacted several travel companies with a desired general itinerary; however, eventually we had our tour set up by Phuong Chi of All Asia Travel Company (274 Cong Quynh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; e-mail allasia@hcm.fpt.vn).
My husband and I enjoyed a tour of Costa Rica and Panama, Nov. 6-15, ’03, with Cruise West (2401 Fourth Ave., Ste. 700, Seattle, WA 98121; phone 800/426-7702 or visit www.cruisewest.com).
From Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS, Feb. 4, ’04. . .
• Hotel Istmania — at Calle Buenos Aires and Lempira Avenue, about five blocks from the center of Tegucigalpa.
I read in the October ’03 issue, page 65, about Los Alpes Hotel (233 Tamayoy George Washington, Quito, ECUADOR; phone [593-2] 2 561-110, e-mail losalpes@ecuadorexplorer.com or visit www.hotellosalpes.com). The reader said it was his favorite place in Quito — and now it’s my favorite, too.
I booked a reservation starting Dec. 15, ’03, and a taxi was waiting for me at the airport in Quito ($7 to the hotel; Ecuador uses only American currency). I was royally greeted and accommodated.
After almost 40 years of travel in Southeast Asia, I’ve found a new candidate for the region’s most beautiful hotel-room view. Yuzana Hotel (130 Shwe Gon Dine Rood, Bahan Township, Yangon, BURMA) has some rooms looking directly upon the huge, golden Shwedagon Pagoda, the spiritual center of Burmese Buddhism. This close-up view is truly awesome both day and night.
The cost? In July ’03 it was only about $20 per night, single or double, and that included breakfast!
On a trip I led to Sikkim state, northeastern India, in fall ’03, I found that the Norkhill Hotel (phone 910 3592-25637) in Gangtok has upgraded its guest rooms and bathrooms. In addition, the front office manager, Gyan Thapa, is a very capable person. The rack rate for a room, including breakfast and dinner, is 4,300 rupees (near $95) plus 13.2% tax and service charge.
Just off the main lobby is an excellent dining room that serves Western and local cuisine. The restaurant staff was friendly and attentive.