Nature

by Philip Wagenaar, M.D. (Part 2 of a series)

For our winter getaway, my husband, Jerry, suggested we go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. Although Iceland sounds so cold, the average temperatures in February aren’t worse than New York City’s, and when I read up about the lights, I was hooked.

My husband and I took the eight-day “Paris & the Heart of Normandy” cruise with Viking River Cruises (Woodland Hills, CA; 800/304-9616). Excluding air, we paid $5,211 for two plus, for a three-day pretour in Paris, $1,398.

On shore excursions, passengers each had a portable receiver so we could hear the guide wherever we were standing. I have walking limitations, so the earphones made it possible to keep up.

by Lynn Remly, Hudson, OH

My wife, Joy, and I had a great experience in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia with Wildlife & Nature Travel Club (East Lansing, MI; 517/303-5394).

We took the 12-night “Land of the Orangutan, Borneo & Brunei Wildlife Expedition,” Sept. 16-28, 2009. It began in Kuching, Malaysia, and ended in Kota Kinabalu and took in the states Sarawak and Sabah as well as the country Brunei. That was followed by the five-night “Komodo Islands Extension,” Sept. 28-Oct. 3, ending in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.

by Deanna Palic

Getting around in Hong Kong is not bad if you’re walking, even with a walker (like me) or wheelchair. The subway entrances have elevators to the station. Always go to the information office to get a map of the subway and info on the handicapped entrances. The Star Ferry building has a great information office, and the ferry people are very helpful to us handicapped seniors. — VIVIAN WILDER, San Francisco, CA

White Island, in the Bay of Plenty 30 miles off the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand’s North Island, is an active volcanic site. On a December ’07-January ’08 tour, my wife, Eva, and I arranged for a helicopter tour to the island with White Island Volcano Adventure (Box 10, Waimana, Whakatane, North Island, NZ; phone/fax +64 7 308 4188 or, toll free in NZ, phone 0800 804 354, www.vulcanheli.co.nz).

This is a “must see”! You walk about, and the scenery and colors are fantastic.