I am not a tour person. I’m not into “Everybody out for volleyball,” stops at the tour guide’s brother-in-law’s shop, 5 o’clock dinners at senior center mess halls and having my luggage ready to go outside my hotel door at 6 a.m.
by Judith Anshin; Contributing Editor
European bathrooms can be quirky. Just keep an open mind, and remember that nothing beats a good bathroom story when you get home.
First, don’t expect big spaces. Over the years, hotel owners have carved chunks out of elegant bedrooms to shoehorn in prefab private bathrooms, and they can be very tight. Be careful bending over in the shower to pick up a dropped bar of soap; you might hit your head on the sink or toilet.
We took a 3½-week trip to northern Vietnam and Indonesia, April 3-28, 2014. The tour was with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925), which did a very good job and which we’re happy to recommend.
Our hotel experience, however, brought to mind a persistent question we’ve had for many years. Why is it that hotels offer space for only one suitcase in each room?
Having lived year-round in Mexico for the past 10 years and during the 10 winters before that, I was delighted to read Marvin Delavan’s appreciation of Mexico City (officially, Mexico, D.F.) in his article (April ’14, pg. 46). I regard it as one of the grandest of the 49 capital cities I’ve visited around the world.
Mr. and Mrs. Delavan paid $18 for a taxi from the airport into the city and $160 per night for their hotel, but travelers on a tighter budget can also enjoy the city.
My husband, Ed, and I spent four nights in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in April 2013 prior to a cruise. Arriving at the airport at night helped immensely with jet lag (May ’14, pg. 14). When we reached our hotel, the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa, we got a light snack and went straight to bed.
Steven Emmet, Solana Beach, CA
My wife, Yuki, and I hadn’t been in Bhutan for 18 years, so in October 2013 we decided to revisit it and spend some time with friends we had made during that previous visit. After a quick email to our friend Rinzin, he said he’d take care of the arrangements.
The website VeggieHotels (phone +49 30 3680 29 29) has listings of more than 500 vegetarian and vegan hotels, B&Bs and guest houses in more than 60 countries. Hotels listed must serve no meat or fish.
Selections range from the hostel Dharma in Croatia, with singles for HRK135 (near $24) and doubles for HRK185 ($33), to Lancrigg Vegetarian Country House Hotel in England’s Lake District, at £79-£140 ($132-$221) per night for a double.
During my September 2013 stay at the Swissôtel Amsterdam (Damrak 96, 1012 LP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; phone +31 20 522 3000, fax +31 20 522 3223), just off Dam Square, I found its location convenient for walking to the Centraal Station, the Jordaan area and the Hermitage area. In back was a small alleyway to the pedestrian-only shopping area behind the hotel. For most, however, reaching the three major museums in town would likely require a tram trip.
During our 4-day stay in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in April 2013 prior to a cruise, my husband, Ed, and I chose the Bur Dubai area for lodging, rather than the other historic area of Deira, because of its access to many of the attractions we wanted to visit.