Twelve of us from across the U.S. met tour organizers Judy Slattum and Made Surya of Danu Enterprises (Box 156, Capitola, CA 95010; 888/476-0543, www.danutours.com) at the Zephyr Hotel in downtown Hanoi. Our group started together, then split into two smaller groups, one focusing on arts and culture (that was my group) and the other taking treks to visit hill tribes. We joined up again in Hoi An, Vietnam, and also in Laos at the end of the tour.
For our trip to Normandy, France, in May-June ’04, we wanted to have one base for our 5-night/6-day stay plus a guide who would provide transportation and be familiar with the area. Martin Reeve’s Normandy Safaris (57 Raley Rd., Locks Heath, Southampton S031 6PB, England; phone 01489-576081 or visit www.normandysafaris.co.uk) provided a perfect match for our requirements.
Martin Reeve proved to be well informed and an excellent driver. He takes no more than six adults in a very comfortable minibus.
East of Amman, Jordan’s capital, stretches the desert, a seemingly endless empty expanse of land wedged in between Syria to the north, Iraq to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south. It’s mostly flat, dotted with low-growing shrubs, bushes and cacti. There are few roads here, but there are dozens of desert tracks crisscrossing the expanse. They’ve been used for hundreds of years by pilgrims en route to Mecca and by caravans carrying goods from one trading post to another.
by Susan Fogwell, Princeton, NJ
Our getaway to Lisbon in early March 2006 was intended as a late winter escape from New York’s prolonged freezing temperatures. Lisbon’s temperatures were in the low 60s during the day and the flight from New York less than seven hours, making it ideal for my daughter Katie and me with only four days to spare.
Ronciglione, about an hour’s drive north from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, is near Lake Vico, a summer playground for Italians from Rome. It was early November when we visited, and the town was bustling during the day and quiet at night. Some of the restaurants were closed for the season.
by Harvey Hagman, Fort Myers Beach, FL
