International Travel News articles from April 2001

International Travel News archives from April 2001

Boarding Pass.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Blue-footed boobie on Espanola Island -- Galapagos. Dear Globetrotter: Folks, you're in good company. Read what we got this month from one of your fellow ITN subscribers: "The enclosed 25 names and addresses are submitted for...

The Three Gorges Dam -- China's balancing act.
April 1, 2001... When a friend suggested putting together a trip to China, I agreed -- but only if it included the Yangtze river cruise and the Three Gorges Dam. Tour logistics We researched the last year of ITN for ads and articles; compared prices,...

Travelers' Intercom.
April 1, 2001... Readers' opinions, tips & recommendations Palate pleasers in Pattaya On a trip to Thailand in December '00 I was fortunate enough to spend a week in Pattaya. During my time there I discovered three fantastic restaurants which would...

Funniest Thing.
April 1, 2001... Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada or Mexico.) The ITN staff will choose each month's...

Slaughter in Borneo.(Dayak headhunters kill immigrant settlers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... In south-central Borneo in late February '01, gangs of Dayak headhunters armed with spears, machetes and blowguns hunted down and killed immigrant settlers from the nearby island of Madura. Estimates of 'the death toll' reached 1,000, including...

Thai-Burmese border caution.(from Department of State)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Department of State. advises U.S. citizens residing or traveling in northern Thailand to exercise caution if traveling to or through areas along. the Thai-Burmese border. On Feb. 11, three Thai citizens were killed when the Burmese army...

Viet-Nam Central Highlands.(scene of protests by ethnic minorities)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi reports that the provinces of Dakiak and Gia Lai in the Central Highland areas of Viet-Nam were the scene of ethnic minority protests in early February. American citizens are urged to defer travel to these provinces at...

Ecuador civil disturbance.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Americans traveling to or residing in Ecuador should be aware that Ecuador is experiencing disturbances and civil unrest as demonstrators protest government economic policies. The majority of the disturbances have been reported in areas...

Question of security in Haiti.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to Haiti due to the unstable security situation throughout the country. The Department authorized the departure of family members of U.S. Government personnel on Nov. l7 from Haiti....

Fed. Rep. of Yugoslavia travel warning.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the potential danger of travel" to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). The U.S. Government established diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of Yugolsavia on Nov. 17, '00. Persons...

Volcano in the Philippines.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Philippine government has issued a level-three alert for area around Mayon Volcano in Albay Province. This alert level reflects more frequent quakes and tremors and other geological unrest and warns that eruption is possible, within days to...

Port hopping -- Venice to Barcelona.
April 1, 2001... Venice, an aged wonderland seemingly adrift in a lazy lagoon barely above sea level, is a city of exquisite art and architecture that annually attracts three million visitors. We were among them last year on a Renaissance Venice-to-Barcelona...

An American in Pilsen -- on May 8.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... We drove into the main square of Pilsen, my young, enthusiastic guide, Katie, and I, and came upon a scene straight out of a World War II movie: Czech and American flags flying from every vertical pole around, lots of American jeeps of that...

ACCOMMODATIONS WORLDWIDE.(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... Hotels * B&Bs * Homestays * Apartments Great Britain & Ireland Moriarty's Farmhouse (Rahanane, Ventry, Kerry, IRELAND; phone 001-353-066-9159037) -- situated outside the little village of Ventry eight kilometers from Dingle. A great...

SAUDI ARABIA.
April 1, 2001... My images of Arabia were formed many years ago. It was in Brooklyn, and I was in Mrs. Miller's fifth grade geography class. We were each assigned a country to write a paper about. Mine was Saudi Arabia. My text wasn't much to boast about,...

Keukenhof open spring and summer.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Renowned for its millions of tulips, narcissi, hyacinths and other bulb flowers, the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, Netherlands, will be open in 2001 from March 22 through May 24. The summer garden "Zomerhof" will be open Aug; 2-Sept. 16,...

Heidi Year 2001.(celebration in Switzerland)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... On July 7, 2001, it will be 100 years since Johanna Spyri, author of "Heidi," died. However, the story of Heidi is alive and well in Switzerland. In celebration, a new Heidi movie opened in Swiss moviehouses in February, three Swiss...

Most unusual carry-on.
April 1, 2001... ITN asked readers, "What is the most unusual thing you've ever seen a passenger bring onto an airplane (as a carry-on)?" We asked them to include, if possible, details of when it happened, the departure and arrival cities and which airline it...

TOURS IN REVIEW.
April 1, 2001... Candid appraisals of group tours TURKEY Contiki Holidays (355 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, M4P 1M5, Canada; phone 416/932-9449... or, in the U.S., Contiki Holidays, 2300 E. Katella Ave., Ste. 450, Anaheim, CA 92806; phone...

Heading 'home': starting with Ireland.
April 1, 2001... (Part one of two parts) My husband has Scottish roots and I have Irish and Welsh ancestors, so last year we decided to head home. We weren't searching for long-lost relatives or old family homes, just getting acquainted with the lands...

Cruises Critiqued.
April 1, 2001... Reader comments on ships, boats and cruises Almost fed up with big-ship cruises In September '00 I took a 14-day Mediterranean cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Dream. I feel compelled to make comparisons between my...

San Blas Panama's bit of paradise.
April 1, 2001... On the edge of the Caribbean, the Kuna Indians are a tribe unto themselves and the women are dressed to the nines. Orientation The Panama Canal runs from Panama City northwest to the port of Colon, cutting Panama roughly in half. ...

All Aboard!
April 1, 2001... Railpass roundup 2001 The radical new Eurail Selectpass, first offered travelers. on Jan. 1, promises to turn upside down traditional railpass buying and the travel habits that have gone with it. The cheaper, new Selectpass by Eurail...

Cruises.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Duplicating the world's largest ship On Oct. 21, 2000, Jackie-Joyner Kersee, one of the 20th century's most famous athletes, christened the latest megaship of the Royal Caribbean International fleet as Explorer of the Seas. This ship and...

Cruise Cavalcade.(in Europe)
April 1, 2001... Europe river cruises The cost of all shore excursions and sightseeing has been included in the fares of KD River Cruises of Europe's 2001 sailings -- 32 cruise itineraries with more than 330 departures -- throughout its regular cruising...

TOURS.
April 1, 2001... A selection of escorted tours Hever Castle, located in Kent. Photo courtesy of Lucas & Randall European Tours "GARDENS OF KENT & SUSSEX" -- an 8-day tour of public and private gardens in southeast ENGLAND, July 2-9, '01. ...

Reviewers' Corner.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The latest travel-book reviews Here is one of the latest travel-book reviews written by ITN readers. "Independent Traveler's Greek Island Hqpping 2000," 10th edition, by Frewin Poffley (2000, Thomas Cook Publishing/Globe Pequot Press,...

The Discerning Traveler.
April 1, 2001... Corsica -- a fabulous isle (Second of two parts) This month, I continue the description of our marvelous trip through Corsica. Sagone From Porto, the pretty D81 leads to Cargese, a pleasant town on the Golfe de Sagone. The...

Visit Korea Year 2001.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A guide listing major events for Visit Korea Year 2001 is available. Among 10 major events are the World Ceramics Festival. (in Gyeonggi-do) and the World Taegwondo Culture Festival (in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do). Popular tourist...

Rick Steves' Europe[c].
April 1, 2001... Open-air folk museums You're headed to Europe, leaving the New World ready to discover the Old World. You hope to find traditional culture in action: black-clad old women hobbling down cobbled lanes, grizzled fishermen tending nets, locals...

European Potpourri.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Euros in Greece Greece joined the single European currency, the euro, on Jan. 1, 2001! This brings to 12 the number of European countries in Euroland. Informed sources are now predicting a stronger euro with an increase in the value of...

Africa.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Plethora of safaris There are many alternatives for travel to Africa. Here are some safaris being offered in 2001. Abercrombie & Kent offers a 13-day safari to Kenya called "The Adventurer Safari." You arrive in Nairobi on day...

Caribbean Corner.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Festivities in St. Maarten Among events in Dutch St. Maarten this year is the 32nd anniversary of Carnival, April 15-May 3. The island-wide celebration of culture and tradition will feature talent shows, reggae and calypso...

Timeless Roads of the Mideast & Mediterranean.
April 1, 2001... Visiting Dogubeyazit, Turkey, in Mt. Ararat's shadow Dogubeyazit in eastern Turkey is drab, similar to towns seen in old movie classics, e.g., John. Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." Most likely, historians and photographers would be the...

CORRECTION.
April 1, 2001... Contrary to what was printed on page 167 of the February '01 issue, the photos for that "Mideast & Mediterranean" column were actually taken by Ed Kinney.

Far Horizons.(airlines have varying policies regarding carry-on bags)
April 1, 2001... The debacle of carry-on bags Among the topics related to travel that evoke sharp and spirited debate is the debacle of greatly varying airline policies regarding carry-on baggage for both domestic and international flights. What seems,...

Airline luggage restrictions online.(www.auroraluggage.com offers comprehensive listing of airline baggage restrictions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Visit Aurora Luggage's website www.auroraluggage.com for a comprehensive listing of airline baggage restrictions. Luggage requirements of all major airlines are detailed and kept current. Find the size and weight restrictions of luggage...

Adventure Travel -- for the Mildly Adventuresome.
April 1, 2001... Rio de Janeiro (Last of four parts on Brazil) Rio de Janeiro is a dynamic, modern, New York City-sized metropolis with a world-famous waterfront and the world's largest urban forest. It considers itself "The Most Beautiful City in the...

Kilroy Was Here!(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Odd encounters... Several of my friends think I'm a travel writer. I'm not. I'm a writer who travels. There's a big difference. A travel writer advises you to wear a nice, warm sweater to McMurdo Sound and explains how many lire you get...

Viewfinders.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Share your special travel photos In October 2000 I visited Bhutan, which is a small, landlocked country in the Himalayas. It has high peaks, broad valleys and forested hillsides. The king and top government officials strive to preserve the...

Firefly festival in Korea.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Hoping to catch a glimpse of the magnificent light show presented by the area's native fireflies, thousands of visitors will travel to Korea's Muju city June 16-20 for this year's Annual Firefly Festival. The fireflies, which are nearly...

Singapore brings back open-air cooking.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Singapore's Chinatown, abustling retail and tourist district renovated in recent years, will soon return street hawkers to Smith Street. Open-air cooking and dining was last seen in the district in 1982. Eighteen self-contained mobile...

BenchART Zurich 2001.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... For the entire summer of 2001, Zurich, Switzerland, will be filled with unusual and amazing benches. Hundreds are being created or remodeled by a group of sculptors, painters and graphic artists to be placed on sidewalks, at train stations, in...

Kenya reinstates visa requirement.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... On Feb. 1, 2001, the government of Kenya reinstated visa requirements for tourists visiting Kenya. Available information indicates that the visa fee is US$50 per tourist. This applies to all the countries that were exempted and affects...

Current warnings.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 27 destinations: Indonesia, Somalia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Haiti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel/West Bank & Gaza, Afghanistan, Sudan, Burundi, Bosnia &...

Report Cards.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... On-the-spot reports from around the globe From Rome, ITALY, Feb. 10, '01 * Delta Airlines, Chicago-New York (Kennedy)-Rome flights. Business Elite service (New York-Rome) unbeatable. Service excellent. On time. Can't say enough. *...