Hotels and Lodging

In Negril, guests of the Rockhouse (West End Rd., Negril, Jamaica; phone +1 876 618 1533, www.rock house.com) each receive a “passport” with which to build up points — by purchasing or participating in local activities and visiting sites — to redeem at the hotel for rewards.

Among many activities listed are cooking classes, reggae concerts, cliff diving and day tours. A guest gets a stamp for each activity, and his reward is based on the number of stamps in his passport. For example, 25 stamps will earn a complimentary spa treatment. 

As part of a 3-week holiday in France that I took in September 2015, I decided to return to Provence, where I have spent time in the past. I have rented apartments in Provence on previous trips, in the towns of Arles and Mougins, so I decided to rent an apartment for the one week I allotted to this visit to the area.

In Latvia, more than 1,000 bells are displayed in the Museum of Bells in the old stable house of the 15th-century Blankenfelde Manor (Jelgava district, Vilce parish, Blankenfelde, LV-3026, Latvia; phone +371 27810348, http://blankenfeldes muiza.lv/en).

From around the world, the bells vary in age, style and material — commemorative bells, figural bells, gongs and even bells recast from metal from Lenin monuments. Including a tour, a museum visit costs €3 adult or €2 senior or student, and you must call in advance. 

What should I do with my $219 American Airlines voucher? That was the question. 

I didn’t want to have to add on too much more in cash, but I was definitely in the mood for some interesting international travel. Hmmm.

It was way back in 1999 when my wife, son and I stayed in central Java, Indonesia, at the resort Amanjiwo (https://www.aman.com/resorts/amanjiwo), the best Aman property we have ever visited and one of the best splurges for the money that we’ve ever experienced (room rates now run $847-$3,872). 

As arranged by the property, one morning we left at 4 a.m., riding elephantback toward Borobudur, the 9th-century Buddhist temple that looks like a wedding cake. We arrived in time to see the sunrise with Borobudur as a backdrop. It was unbelievable!

I spent four nights in Tokyo in July 2015 on my annual world trip. After collecting my checked bag from the carousel at Narita International Airport, I walked into the lobby, where there are signs for different types of transportation. I wanted the Friendly Bus (yes, that’s its name). 

A ticket for a ride into the city cost $40. The bus departs almost every hour from just outside the airport lobby. It’s very well marked, and there are people who speak a bit of English to help you.

The theme of 2015’s world’s fair and exposition, Expo Milano 2015, held May 1-Oct. 31 in northern Italy, was “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” (Dec. ’14, pg. 14). My wife, Ging, and I visited in June, and it provided a taste of what people may experience at the next expos, in Kazakhstan in 2017 and in Dubai in 2020.