International Travel News articles from January 2005

International Travel News archives from January 2005

Boarding pass.
January 1, 2005... Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 347th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine. An ITN reader and her husband, senior travelers who had some difficulty walking, were on a 16-day river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest in...

Report cards: on-the-spot reports from around the globe.
January 1, 2005... FIRST, FAST & FURIOUS--The following is a sampling of reports received from ITN readers around the globe. ITN invites you to join our corps of reporters --just drop a card in the mail while the travel impressions are fresh in your mind. To...

Skiing to the North Pole--at 73.
January 1, 2005... I love to travel. Since I have visited about 75 countries, I am constantly on the lookout for new and unusual experiences. About a year ago I was thinking about going to the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago, located between...

The Opera, Copenhagen.(new opera house)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Copenhagen's new opera house, known simply as Operaen and featuring a "floating" roof above a 4-story foyer, will open Jan. 15, 2005, on the small "finger" of land called Dokoen in Copenhagen Harbor. To be used by both the Royal Danish Opera...

Hertz delivery in outback.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... My husband and I were traveling independently in the Outback of Australia's Northern Territory in July '04. Suddenly my husband and I looked to the side of the road and both said, "Oh, no, that 'roo' is going to jump right into us." Within...

On procuring visas.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... On our trip to Southeast Asia in January '05, we will be visiting Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia and Hong Kong. While we are independent travelers, we purchased package deals for Thailand, Cambodia and Hong Kong with Pleasant Holidays...

Hell Fire Pass Museum, Thailand.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... My wife and I were very interested to read Dennis Cavagnaro's article on the River Kwai (Nov. '04, pg. 24), as we had made a similar trip in September-October '03. I must admit that since we were on the "Discover Thailand" tour of Overseas...

The art of discovery cruising.
January 1, 2005... With over 50 years of experience, Swan Hellenic has been committed to offering discovery cruises that visit the world's most inspirational destinations. Their planners seek to identify not only celebrated cities and beautiful bays, but to...

Wasn't told new phone needed code.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... In March '04 I purchased a new Motorola V-400 "World Class" phone and opened a new Cingular line to use it. (My existing Cingular phone would not work with the new GSM services.) The new phone was purchased for use on a trip to Sweden planned...

A gite can't be beat.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Inspired by the article on renting "a home away from home" (Aug. '04, pg. 38), I am sending some comments concerning renting gites in France. You can get information on or book one of the 50,000-plus gites by contacting La Maison des Gites...

Booked European hotels.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... For a recent trip to France and Italy, arranged on short notice, I decided to book all hotels ahead of time. I had considerable benefit from using a site called Venere.com. The site is not a "bargain" or auction site. The hotel presents...

Ely's Octagon.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Ely, Cambridgeshire, in England, is a beautiful small city with a glorious 12th-century cathedral whose most outstanding feature, to me, is the Octagon Tower. Constructed of eight massive pillars which support 200 tons of timber, glass and...

Funniest thing.
January 1, 2005... 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, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose...

Guatemala highway robberies.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... A State Department public announcement cautions that although most tourists visit Guatemala without mishap, violent criminal activity on the highways has increased. Buses of all categories, tour vans and private vehicles have been stopped on...

Cote d'Ivoire violence.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Cote d'Ivoire. On Nov. 4, 2004, Cote d'Ivoire government forces launched aerial attacks on cities in the north controlled by New Forces. The attacks resulted in the deaths of...

Ukraine demonstrations.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Following Ukraine's Nov. 21, 2004, disputed presidential elections, there were massive rallies in Kiev. At press time, the situation was fluid and American citizens were being urged to avoid areas affected by demonstrations and, in fact, to...

Vigilance in Malaysia.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... There are indications of planned additional kidnappings in Malaysia in eastern Sabah's coastal areas, especially at resorts frequented by foreigners. Since 2000 there have been several kidnappings and incidents of piracy in this area. Since...

Threat in Philippines.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The terrorist threat to Americans in the Philippines remains high, and the embassy continues to receive reports of ongoing activities by known terrorist groups. U.S. citizens are urged to defer nonessential travel to central, southern and...

Lebanon dangers.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Lebanon. In past years, bombings have been directed at U.S. franchises. Anti-American demonstrations have occurred in the last 12 months in refugee camps, in the...

Yemen warning.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Department of State warns that the security threat to all U.S. citizens in Yemen remains high due to continuing efforts by Al-Qa'ida to reconstitute an effective operating base. This could lead to possible attacks by extremist individuals...

Defer travel to Saudi Arabia.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Due to targeted attacks against American citizens, resulting in deaths, injuries and kidnapping, U.S. citizens are warned by the Department of State to continue to defer travel to Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia remains an...

Nepal watch.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Department of State continues to urge U.S. citizens to defer nonessential travel to Nepal due to ongoing tensions between that country's government and Maoist rebels. However, on Oct. 26 the Department of State lifted the ordered departure...

Cholera in Senegal.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... As of Nov. 10, 2004, WHO had received reports of 861 cases of cholera plus six deaths in Dakar, Senegal. At press time, the incidence of the disease appeared to be decreasing.

Current warnings.(News Watch)
January 1, 2005... As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 26 destinations: Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan, Cote d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Iraq, Haiti, Pakistan, Cayman Islands,...

February in Paris--a perfect time for a family visit.
January 1, 2005... "Je voudrais pasta avec fromage, s'il vous plait." Eight-year-old Taylor, who at home is highly suspicious of anything stranger on her plate than noodles with cheese, had practiced her dining-out phrase to perfection. Her brother, 12-year-old...

Flights spoiled a good trip.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... A couple mailed to ITN a copy of their letter to Grand Circle Travel, as follows. My wife and I were on your "Great Rivers of Europe" riverboat cruise from Vienna to Amsterdam, embarking July 2, 2004. We are "Inner Circle" members. ...

Wanted flight itinerary printout.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... We are using our frequent-flyer miles for the first time for a trip to Antarctica in January 2005. We had enough miles with both Delta and United. I started calling more than a year early to book our flights and learned that you can't book more...

Silver Whisper cruise appraisal.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... On Jan. 29, '04, we embarked on a 9-day cruise on Silver Whisper, which took us from Colon, Panama, to Callao, Peru. We had cruised quite frequently on the smaller Silversea ships and were curious if, the newer, larger ships would also become...

Trip to Argentina.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... We took a trip to Argentina, March 23-April 4, '04, booked through our travel agent, Keka's Travel (9600 NW 25th St., Ste. 4-C, Miami, FL 33154; phone 800/593-5352 or visit www.kekastvl.com). We flew Aerolineas Argentinas round trip from...

For Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... My fiance and I took a wonderful 2-week trip to Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet in September '04. The itinerary was designed by Nino Mohan of Worldview Tours (Box 11417, Newport Beach, CA 92658; phone 800/373-0388 or visit www.worldviewtours.com) to...

Felt like 'marks' in Barcelona.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... We visited Barcelona for four nights in September '04. We stayed at a delightful, newly renovated apartment near the end of Las Ramblas. We shared with two other guest rooms a self-service breakfast, a well-stocked kitchen, a large sunny dining...

Armenia visit.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... I went to Yerevan and Gyumri, Armenia, for three weeks in April-May '04. In each city I stayed in a guest house. The one in Yerevan was owned by Kaikush Kambartsumyan (or it may be Haikush Hambartsumyar; the writing is hard to read) and cost...

Southern Africa--the benefits of visiting in the 'wet season'.
January 1, 2005... My husband, Jerry, and I live in New York City. As much as we love the city, we do like to get to a warm climate for a while each winter. Southern Africa seemed a logical choice until I started to read the guidebooks. They all warned that...

Accommodations worldwide.
January 1, 2005... Europe The following is a listing of some of the hotels, B&Bs, etc., in which ITN readers have stayed over the past year or so plus restaurants or sights nearby. Prices are those paid at the time of the visit and conversion rates are...

Ukraine--in the wake of Catherine the Great.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2005... As a docent at Washington, D.C.'s, Hillwood Museum, featuring fabulous Russian treasures, I have been fascinated with a trip Catherine the Great made down the Dnieper River in 1787. Accompanied by the Austrian emperor and other diplomatic...

Tourist office directory 2005.(Directory)
January 1, 2005... The following is a list of foreign countries/ destinations and their tourist information offices in the United States. Where available, the address, phone number and website of each are included. Some countries have no tourist office in the...

Hans Christian Andersen.(Travel briefs)
January 1, 2005... 2005 marks the 200th anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's birth. Andersen enjoyed traveling, and from Feb. 12 to June 12, 2005, Denmark's national gallery, Statens Museum for Kunst, will present "Hans Christian Andersen and Italy,"...

Copenhagen weekend.(Travel briefs)(Ice-landair Holidays )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Until March 31, 2005, Ice-landair Holidays has a fly-and-hotel package to Copenhagen, Denmark, from $499 per person, double occupancy, that includes round-trip airfare from Minneapolis, Boston, Baltimore or Orlando and two or three nights'...

Chinese New Year in HK.(Travel briefs)(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Ring in the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong on a 7-day/5 night package from Gate 1 Travel departing Feb. 8 (subject to availability). Priced from $779 per person, double, it includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, arrival transfer, 3-star...

Connecting with the animals at Nepal's Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge.
January 1, 2005... My wife, Connie, and I, in planning our Southeast Asia trip with our son Jon and his wife, Kendra, in late 2003, originally intended to include only Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia (the countries included in our special Cathay...

Coffee with kangaroos.(Travel briefs)
January 1, 2005... Experience three of the icons of Sydney --breakfast with the kangaroos, a visit to the Blue Mountains and the Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb--all in one day with Aussie Bush Discoveries. Tours include transport in an air-conditioned vehicle to...

Haunted inns.(Travel briefs)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
January 1, 2005... "Haunted Inns of Britain and Ireland" by Richard Jones (published, Oct. 31, 2004, New Holland Publishers, Ltd., U.K. ISBN 1843307324) has 120 listings. The book is illustrated and features maps. 12.99 [pounds sterling] from British bookshops.

Attended the Summer Olympics.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... My wife and I had no plans to go to the Olympics. Neither of us are big sports fans. In fact, I had never been drawn to any sport on TV until they started televising poker. That's my kind of sport! Our decision was made while watching the...

Hitting the museums in Germany.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... We traveled to Germany, May 7-June 2, '04. We had seen much of the country's natural beauty, the Romantic Road and other attractions on a previous trip. This one was planned with art as the main objective. In FRANKFURT we were booked at...

Smoking aboard airliners.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... I'm writing in response to a reader's inquiry regarding flights that allow smoking (Oct. '04, pg. 84). Please be aware that smoking on airlines was not banned simply due to its being considered "socially incorrect." My father worked in...

Smoking and air travel.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... In response to the inquiry about smoking in air terminals, as recently as September '04 people. were smoking in the airports of the Azores. These are, obviously, small places; smokers were not confined to designated sections but present even in...

Protecting valuables.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... In response to William Hollifield's letter "Valuables Put in Peril" (Nov. '04, pg. 18), the security procedures at the Frankfurt, Germany, airport are still a nightmare. I passed through there on Oct. 17, '04, on my way home from Italy. Flights...

Re valuables at x-ray.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Re the letter "Valuables Put in Peril," about losing sight of items going through the airport x-ray... Your passport, the majority of your money, all your credit cards, I.D., tickets, etc., should never ever be in a coat, pants pocket or...

Taking care while traveling.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... I use the following technique to prevent being separated from my essentials at airport security (Nov. '04, pg.18). Before I leave for the airport, I transfer all items that I normally carry in my pockets, with the exception of my wallet, to...

Madeira driver-guides.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... I would like to add some information to the excellent articles on "Charming Madeira" by Philip Wagenaar in the May and June '04 issues. I made a trip there a few years ago. I agree that Madeira is a beautiful and wonderful place to visit. ...

Guide around London.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Before our visit in October '02 I had never been to London, and we three girls were a little nervous about a private tour guide; I was traveling with my daughter and my sister. So I got on the Internet to find a tour guide and came up with a...

Flower shows in Britain.(Travelers' Intercom)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... I attended the Chelsea Flower Show in London on May 25, '04, and found it a big disappointment. This was my second visit and the crowds were such that we could barely view the gardens and exhibits. The Royal Horticultural Society bragged that...

Pipes in Paris.(Encore! Encore!)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Each Sunday afternoon at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, there is a free organ concert for about an hour. Starting between 4 and 5 p.m., depending on the time of year, each concert presents a guest organist from one of the cathedrals of...

Taiwan's Neiwan Railroad.(All Aboard!)
January 1, 2005... Costumed greeters wearing comic heads dance before the crowds passing out of Neiwan's modern train station in the high hills of Taiwan. Children squeal happily at the sight. The street is lined with endless stalls offering delicious treats,...

A credit hold is not a credit charge.(The Cruising World)
January 1, 2005... Recently, a sharp-eyed ITN reader booked a Holland America Line cruise to Alaska for 18 days, paying for herself and her roommate. Three weeks before the cruise, she received from the cruise line a puzzling document requiring her to sign and...

Tours: a selection of escorted tours.
January 1, 2005... "ROCKY COASTS & GREEN VALLEYS"--6-day, "easy to moderate" walking tour of IRELAND, Geared to families. July 18-23, July 25-30, Aug. 22-27, 2005. Among highlights: Climb the 100-step "Stairway to the Sky" on Bantry Bay to the Napoleonic...

"Fodor's '04 Italy".(Book Review)
January 1, 2005... "Fodor's '04 Italy" (2004, Fodor's, LLC, Fodor's Travel Publications, New York, NY. ISBN 1-4000-1262-7--748 pp., $21.95 paper). What distinguishes "Fodor's '04 Italy" from other guidebooks is its well-rounded approach: a good mix of...

"Let's go Brazil".(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2005... "Let's Go Brazil," Luis Rego, Editor (2004, St. Martin's Press, New York, NY. ISBN 0312320043--542 pp., $19.95 paper). This is the first edition on Brazil in the Let's Go publication series. This guide is much improved over others in the...

Mosquitoes, too, like Latin America.(Travel & Health)(Column)
January 1, 2005... In February a few years ago, a group of middle-aged novice travelers ventured to Costa Rica to tour Braulio Carrillo National Park, which rises and falls between cool, high mountains and low, torrid jungles, all of it washed by swift, curving...

Crafts trail online.(Brit bits)(www.artsandcraftsmuseum.org.uk and www.24hourmuseum.org.uk)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... A Britain-wide trail of 19th-century arts-and-crafts-movement collections and connections, celebrating the work of William Morris and others, has been set up. The "International Arts and Crafts" exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum,...

'Secret gardens' in London.(Brit bits)(B&B booking service Uptown Reservations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The B&B booking service Uptown Reservations says many of its 80 properties are located in London's garden squares to which residents alone have access. Though barred to the general public, guests of residents can wander into these green oases...

York convent B&B.(Brit bits)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... England's oldest working convent now provides bed-and-breakfast accommodation from 30 [pounds sterling] (near $54) per person per night including breakfast. Ten minutes' walk from York's city center, the Bar Convent was established in 1686....

Haunted welsh mansion.(Brit bits)(mansion in Mold, northeast Wales)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... A 17th-century mansion in Mold, northeast Wales, claims to be one of the most haunted houses in the U.K., with many ghostly apparitions. Plas Teg is a recently restored Jacobean house with antique furniture and textiles. Interior designer and...

Whisky website.(Brit bits)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Scotch Whisky Association and the tourist board VisitScotland have set up a website which provides information on Scotland's whisky and also lists distilleries (many of which provide tours and tastings), whisky festivals and "Scotch Whisky...

Italy's Cinque Terre--take a vacation from your vacation.(Rick Steves' Europe[c])(Genoa and Pisa)
January 1, 2005... "A sleepy, romantic and inexpensive town on the Riviera without a tourist or turnstile in sight." That's the mirage travelers chase around busy Nice and Cannes. Pssst! The most dream-worthy stretch of the Riviera sleeps in Italy just across the...

Cinque Terre cuisine.(Tuscany)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... While antipasto means cheese and salami in Tuscany, here you'll get antipasti di mare, a plate of mixed "fruits of the sea"--a fine way to start a meal. Accuighe are anchovies, a local specialty--always served the day they're caught. If...

With a camera over my shoulder.(Albarracin to Cuenca)
January 1, 2005... (Part 4 of 6 on Spain) As reviewed previously, in April '04 I traveled with six photographers on a 16-day tour with Close-Up Expeditions (800/457-9553 or www.cuephoto.com). Entitled "Spanish Explorer," it began in Marseille, France, and...

In search of Chinggis Khan.(Focus On Archaeology)
January 1, 2005... (First of two parts) By all accounts, Genghis Khan was not a nice guy. Nice guys finish last, and Genghis Khan was determined not to be at the back of the pack. In the late 1100s and early 1200s, this Mongol warrior carved out a vast...

Botanical garden in Korea.(Focus On Archaeology)(Hantaek Botanical Garden )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Located at the foot of Mt. Bibongsan in Yong-in, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, the Hantaek Botanical Garden is a world-class institution with 24 years of history. Having undergone a dramatic transformation, the garden is home to some 6,000 species of...

SmartVisit Cards in Australia.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... SmartVisit Cards offer visitors to Australia free admission to a variety of attractions. Cards for one, two, three, seven or 10 days can be purchased. The "See Sydney and Beyond" card includes entry to over 40 attractions in Sydney and the...

Singapore Air remote check-in.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Singapore Airlines passengers now can check in for their flights remotely using the Internet, fax or the SMS (short message service, or text messaging) function in mobile phones. After checking in remotely, on the day of departure passengers...

Web access on JAL.(Travel briefs)(Japan Airlines)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... On Dec. 9, 2004, Japan Airlines launched an in-flight Internet service, JAL Sky Online, on its Tokyo-London route. Passengers are able to use their own wireless LAN compatible laptops for Internet access during flight. JAL said it plans to...

Buddhist temple stays, Korea.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Many Buddhist temples in Korea have begun offering temple stay programs to visitors. There are three types of programs: 1) the traditional temple stay, providing overnight accommodations along with Buddhist cultural experience programs; 2) the...

Person to person: reader-to-reader info exchange.(International Travel News)
January 1, 2005... Planning a trip overseas and need specific info? Let your fellow ITN readers provide the answers. Send your question to Person to Person, c/o ITN, 2120 28th St., Sacramento. CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews.com (include your...

Do you qualify for ITN's Traveled the Continents Award?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Have you been among the few to have visited all seven continents... or among the select travelers who have been to six? If so, you deserve an award and ITN has one for you. For the seven-continent award, tell us one date of visit to lust...

The ITN 100 nations award.(International Travel News)
January 1, 2005... If you have been to 100 or more of the sovereign nations (other than your own) on the list belong, you are eligible to receive a special certificate suitable for framing: the official ITN 100 Nations Award. Make a list of the countries you...

Travel crossword.
January 1, 2005... ACROSS 1. This city has a long beach set against white houses in Morocco 5. Italian city with Vesuvius in the background 10. Over, prefix 13. Retirement fund account 14. Tulip capital of Europe? 16. Latvian port that has...

Departure lounge.
January 1, 2005... As so many travelers are now using videocameras, I thought I'd pass along some, hopefully, helpful hints. Please accept them in the spirit in which they are meant. It isn't what your friends say to you after watching your video that really...