We just read the subscriber’s letter “Critique of ’Stans & South Caucasus tours” (July ’17, pg. 24). We were not on that subscriber’s tour, so we have no personal knowledge of her experience, but for those considering traveling with JMG Tibet Tours, or JMG Tours (Lauderhill, FL; 866/548-4238, www.jmgtibettours.com), we’d like to give our impression of the JMG “Five Stans Tour” that we took April 8-May 8, 2017.
Train Suite Shiki-Shima, a new luxury train operated by Japan Rail East (www.jreast.co.jp), made its maiden journey on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, on May 1.
The train’s 10 cars include seven 2-story sleeping cars (with three suite options), two observatory cars, a lounge car and a 2-story gourmet restaurant. Each car’s exterior and interior are designed by car designers from Porsche, Ferrari and Maserati.
12-day, 11-night “moderate”-level hike in JAPAN. Departures Nov. 5 & 12, 2017 & March-November 2018. Highlights: In Tokyo, Ueno, Meiji shrine/Nakasendo Trail/Torii Pass/train to Kiso-Fukushima/overnight in ryokan (traditional inn)/bullet train from Magome to Kyoto/in Nara Park, temples, Isuien Garden/train from Yoshino to Mt. Koya for Okunoin Cemetery/in Kyoto, rock garden of Ryo¯an-ji. $6,450 ppdo. Single supp., $625. Transfers, Tokyo hotels not included. Active Journeys (4891 Dundas St.
To celebrate my husband, Al’s, recovery from a near-fatal illness, we decided to return to Switzerland, our very favorite country, Aug. 4-19, 2015. However, we got off to a rough (and very sad) start on our departure day when we had to say a final ‘Good-bye’ to our beloved 16-year-old cat, Alexander. We buried him in our backyard and left a few hours later to begin our travel to Switzerland.
A publication that covers truly offbeat railways, focusing on historic places and equipment, is the British bimonthly magazine Locomotives International (Wiltshire, England; phone +44 1275 845 012, www.mainline andmaritime.co.uk/pages/welcome-to-locomotives-international).
Traveling by rail on narrow-gauge tracks or offbeat routes can provide fascinating insights into rural communities, not to mention incredible vistas. Some tourist spots can only be reached in this way. Whether it’s a route used primarily by locals for daily transportation or something that all visitors do, we would like to hear about any offbeat train trip that offers a special experience of some type.”
Early in my life, I learned how much fun it is to travel. I’ve decided that a love for travel must be a genetic condition; my mom and dad both loved to travel.
When I was a child, our family took summer vacations by automobile (before the interstate system), and by the time I was a teenager I had been in all of the lower 48 states.
