Hotels and Lodging

My wife, Kathryn, and I stayed in two wonderful hotels in Mérida, Mexico, in June ’10.

My companion, Judith Martin, and I aren’t drawn to charmless chain hotels, but for a stay in Amsterdam we were intrigued by the name misc eatdrinksleep (Kloveniersburgwal 20, 012 cv, Amsterdam, Netherlands; phone +31 0 20 330 62 41). We stayed in this delightfully offbeat small hotel, on a canal near the red-light district, in September ’10 and were not disappointed.

First-time visitors to Hong Kong usually stay on Hong Kong Island or just across the harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui, on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, and that’s as it should be. But for repeat visitors on a budget or those planning a long stay, Sha Tin, just 20 minutes by train from Kowloon, might be a location to consider. My wife, Maria, and I stayed there in January 2011 to be near friends who live in Tai Po, the next suburb over.

After taking the 22-day “Eastern Turkey and the Black Sea” tour from Treasures of Travel (Edmonds, WA; 800/572-0526), we’re convinced that the region has it all: dramatic scenery, antiquities, archaeological sites dating back to perhaps 9,000 BC reflecting the various empires that once ruled in the area and, today, a fascinating variety of ethnic cultures.

by Fran Marshack; Walnut Creek, CA

This month, we’re wrapping up our five-part series on renting apartments outside of the US. We’ve got a few more tips from subscribers followed by recommendations of specific apartments. Anyone with something helpful to add may write to Apartment Rental Tips, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews.com (include the address at which you receive ITN).

Tips for when you get there —

by Dorothy Chang-Van Horn; Manhattan Beach, CA

While planning a trip to the south of Italy recently, I thought about all the ways that my traveling differs today from back in the “old days.”

My wife, Arlene, and I went to Frankfurt, Germany, for the Christmas markets and were surprised to find a paucity of hotels in Old Town.

My wife, Lynda, and I took a wonderful, 14-day independent tour of the state of Rajasthan, India, plus the cities of Delhi, Agra and Varanasi beginning in late February 2010.