I read Wanda Bahde’s article “Ultimate Africa — Going Beyond the Simple Safari in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe” (Oct. ’10, pg. 44), about the trip she and her husband took with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) in September-October 2009, and I could not concur more with their recommendation of this trip. My wife and I took the “Ultimate Africa” trip with OAT in July ’09 and had a superlative experience.
I have a few comments on Ms. Bahde’s assessment.
If you are going to mainland Europe and are concerned about the cost of extras, such as drinks and snacks during the day and wine with your meals, why not do as my wife, Vivien, and I did on our trips to Crete and Tenerife in late 2009, early 2010: choose the “all inclusive” option that is now offered by quite a few decent-quality holiday hotels.
Except for a stopover of a couple hours in 2008, a week-long visit to London, Sept. 14-21, 2010, was our first time there since 1997. My wife and I noticed a number of changes.
Report from India…
(part 1 of 2 on Kosovo & Albania)
For our 10-year wedding anniversary, in October ’09, we decided to go to French Polynesia. About seven months before our arrival, I booked a garden room (the lowest in quality) for three nights at the Hilton Moorea. I used points I had accumulated for the Hilton.
The reader’s contribution titled “Madrid, Prague & Budapest hostels” (Dec. ’10, pg. 29) confuses “hostel” with “hostal.” Hostal Gonzalo in Madrid is not a hostel; it is a hostal.
As the Lonely Planet guidebook “Spain” explains in the “Accommodation” section, “Spain’s 200 or so youth hostels, not to be confused with hostales (budget hotels)…” and “…places to stay are classified into hoteles (hotels; one to five stars), hostales (one to three stars)…”
On a two-week trip my husband and I took to Scotland in August 2010, the last five days were spent in Orkney.
ITN asked subscribers for advice on renting apartments outside of the US. A number of comments were printed in the December ’10 and January ’11 issues. Presented this month are things to consider and questions to ask a property owner or rental agency when booking a particular apartment, plus concerns about payments. Later issues will list dos and don’ts, practical matters and appraisals of specific apartments.
REPORT FROM MALTA…