Hotels and Lodging

From BUJUMBURA, Burundi, July 17, 2007. . .

by Tom McKenna, Montpelier, VT

We wish to commend Margo Wilson on an excellent report, “The South of India — a Good Choice for the First-time Visitor?” (June ’07, pg. 44). Also for the first-time traveler, our comments apply mainly to northern India.

Four of us visited the Czech countryside during the first week of May ’07. We had a guide who was passionate about his country and made sure his guests experienced the real Czech Republic. His name is Petr Zidek. We found him through Original World (131 Camino Alto, Ste. E-3, Mill Valley, CA 94941; 888/367-6147, www.originalworld.com).

(part 3 of 4 on Vietnam and Cambodia)

My friend Kathy, a computer whiz, went online and checked locations and ratings from the past guests for bed-and-breakfasts in ITALY. For our March ’07 trip we stayed in Rome, Naples and Venice, and all three B&Bs were great and affordable.

My husband and I stayed at the Duodo Palace Hotel (Calle Minelli San Marco, 1887/1888, 30124 Venezia, ITALY; phone +39 041 5203329, fax 041 2415940, www.duodopalacehotel. com), April 10 and April 18-19, 2007.

In a very convenient location between San Marco and Rialto, it’s a charming little hotel with a helpful, English-speaking staff.

I don’t remember the price, but it was around $250 a night, with breakfast, but that might have been a special deal.

ANNE HELMS

Salinas, CA

Here are four recommendations from a July ’06 trip to GERMANY.

In FRANCE, we chose the Churchill Hotel (14-16 rue Saint Jean, 14400 Bayeux, France; phone +33 2 31 21 31 80, fax 2 31 21 41 66 or visit www.hotel-churchill.fr. Reservations for the hotel can also be made through www.france.com) largely on a recommendation in answer to our “Person to Person” query in ITN. The praise given for the hotel was right on the mark.

Visitors to Amsterdam with a sense of humor might like the Lloyd Hotel Amsterdam (Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 1019 BN Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS; phone +31 [0] 20 561 3636, fax 3600 or visit www.lloydhotel.com).