International Travel News articles from March 2004

International Travel News archives from March 2004

Boarding pass.
March 1, 2004... Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 28th anniversary issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine! ITN subscriber Toby Carlson of State College, PA, hit a snag in his plans to join his daughter for a Sierra Club hike in the Italian...

Missed manners.(Give us your input ...)
March 1, 2004... Even with extensive reading before a trip, it's still easy to commit a faux pas in a foreign country. Approaching someone improperly. Unwittingly making an improper hand gesture. Giving the wrong response upon receiving a gift. Is there a...

Report cards: on-the-spot reports from around the globe.(Give us your input ...)
March 1, 2004... 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, or e-mail...

Down the Danube--cycling from Germany to Hungary.
March 1, 2004... Reading about someone's adventures always makes us want to follow in their footsteps. In this case, we were inspired to follow in Thomas Stevens' bicycle tracks after reading his recently republished "Around the World on a Bicycle" (2001,...

Respect due.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... We spent a month in Thailand, November-December '03, traveling with a Thai woman who was very offended when, at the temples, monuments and ruins, tourists would jump up and stand behind statues of Buddha that were missing the heads in order to...

Trip enhanced with InfoRoma.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... In ITN's book on Italy I came across InfoRoma, experts on Rome. It was such a wonderful find that I'm writing to recommend this resource to readers, myself. Margaret Coffin of InfoRoma (Via Peltechian 42, 00173 Rome, Italy; phone/fax +39...

Transit visa needed on Warsaw-Moscow train.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... As part of a journey through east Central Europe in July '03, a friend and I boarded a train in Warsaw headed for Moscow, about a 25-hour rail trip. Part of the route entailed traveling through the country of Belarus, thus a stop was made at...

For travelers to northeast India.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... India In fall 2003 I led a group through the Himalayas on our "Jewels of the Himalayas" program, Sept. 23-Oct. 17. Among places we visited in India were Darjeeling, west and east Sikkim and Kalimpong, then we entered Bhutan at the southern...

Notes on Sweden.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... We wanted to share notes from a vacation we had in Sweden, July 16-28, '03. This trip certainly is one we will repeat. We gathered information from the Swedish Travel & Tourism Council (www.visitsweden.com) and from articles written by ITN...

Guide in Egypt.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... My wife and I took an extended business trip to Cairo in October '03. During our stay at the historic, downtown Windsor Hotel (al-Alfy Street, Cairo, Egypt--$54 for a double), which was the British Officers' Quarters prior to the '52...

Funniest thing.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... 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...

Re 'bird flu' in Asia.(News Watch)(travel watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The World Health Organization (WHO) is concurrently reporting on the outbreaks of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in poultry and humans in Asian countries as well as on normal human influenza activity involving currently circulating H3N2...

Laos attacks, bombings.(News Watch)(travel watch issued)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... In Laos, there have been public markets, transportation facilities and all forms of ground transportation. Between March 2000 and January 2001 and between February and November 2003, Vientiane and several other towns throughout Laos experienced...

Congo-Kinshasa security.(News Watch)(travel watch issued)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to Congo-Kinshasa. While the April 2003 signing of peace accords between rebel groups and Kinshasa authorities resulted in the formation of a powersharing government of transition and...

Threats in Djibouti.(News Watch)(travel watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The U.S. Government has received indications of terrorist threats aimed at U.S. and western interests in Djibouti. All American citizens considering travel to Djibouti are advised to reevaluate their travel plans.

Philippines dangers.(News Watch)(travel watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The terrorist threat to Americans in the Philippines remains high, and the embassy continues to receive reports of ongoing activities by known terrorist groups. Bombings have claimed many lives and injured hundreds in the Philippines...

Be ready in Tajikistan.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The political security situation in Tajikistan has improved in the last two years. Nevertheless, terrorist groups allied with al Qaeda, such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), remain active there and have been responsible for...

Yellow fever in Colombia.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... On Jan. 22, 2004, the Colombian Ministry of Social Protection reported 16 new confirmed cases of yellow fever and eight deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 27 since Dec. 28, 2003. Several hospitalized patients with suspected...

Cholera in Chad, Mozambique & Zambia.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Ministry of Health reported 3,699 cases of cholera and 19 deaths in three provinces of Mozambique (Maputo, Gaza and Sofala) between Dec. 20, 2003, and Jan. 20, 2004. As of Jan. 22, the ministry had reported 1,721 cholera cases,...

SARS watch.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Health authorities in China announced a second laboratory-confirmed case of SARS in the southern province of Guangdong on Jan. 17, 2004. The patient, a 20-year-old waitress, fully recovered, none of her known contacts have shown any symptoms...

Current warnings.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 26 destinations: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Nigeria, Nepal, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Libya, Turkey, Sudan, Bosnia, Iraq, Somalia, Israel/West...

Easter Island--where ancient mystery meets rugged natural beauty.
March 1, 2004... Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as it is known to locals, is the most remote inhabited place on Earth. Located about 2,200 miles from the coast of South America, its nearest neighbors are on Pitcairn Island about 1,300 miles to the west. Some...

Promoted offer for singles not available.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... In the past few days I have received so much mail from Grand Circle Travel that I wondered how they could offer a decent trip paying so much for mail. I get mailings from them at least twice every week. A couple of weeks ago (late June '03)...

Prefers Freestyle Cruising.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... Thank heaven for Norwegian Cruise Line and its imitators who have initiated Freestyle Cruising (Aug. '03, pg. 33). I enjoyed Freestyle Cruising on my 12-day cruise from Dover to St. Petersburg, June 3-15, '03, aboard the Norwegian Dream, booked...

Tipping on cruises.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... In the January '04 "Boarding Pass," the editor asked readers to comment on the trend among cruise lines to automatically add $10 per day for tips to shipboard staff. Having been a cruise lover for many years, I have witnessed several...

Re automatic charge for gratuities.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... With reference to the growing trend of cruise lines to charge each passenger $10 per day for gratuities to shipboard staff, we booked for September '03 an 18-day Mediterranean cruise on Cunard's Caronia and noticed in their brochure that they...

Re tips arbitrarily included.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... Regarding tips being placed on passengers credit card bills on cruises, we have encountered this twice recently. The first time was on an eastern Mediterranean cruise aboard the Azur of Festival Cruises (888/983-8767), Oct. 29-Nov. 8, '03....

Shipboard tipping.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... A tip is not a tip if it is mandatory or coerced. In that case it is a passenger service fee and should be listed along with port charges, transfer fees and whatever as part of the total cost of the trip. My own preference is for the cruise...

Re 'demanding tips'.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... I have always felt that the cruise lines' system of demanding tips from passengers is invidious. Why do they not pay their staff a decent wage and absorb the cost in the fares rather than expect the passengers to do this as a "kindness"? ...

Re mandatory tipping.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... I definitely object to cruise lines automatically adding. $10 per person per day (or any other amount) for collective tips for the staff. My husband and I tip according to the quality of service received. We recognize that some employees...

Novikov Priboy in Russia.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... My wife, Esta Lee, and I took a Russian river cruise between St. Petersburg and Moscow, June 4-18, '03. We used Vantage Deluxe World Travel (90 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114; phone 888/734-0188 or visit www.vantagetravel.com), which had chartered...

Canals of Champagne.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... ITN brought to our attention exactly the right barge trip for us. We were to be in France in April '03 to attend a World War I history conference, and French Country Waterways (Box 2195, Duxbury, MA 02331-9977; phone 800/222-1236 or...

Pickpocket ploy.(Traverlers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... Pickpocket ploy As an avid traveler and ITN reader, I thought I was familiar with most of the means by which people were separated from their money, but the following was a new one to me. In fall 2003, following disembarkation from our ship...

In Baden-Baden.(Favorite Hotel Dept.)
March 1, 2004... In Baden-Baden My favorite hotel would be the Hotel Colmar Garni (Lange Strasse 34, Baden-Baden, GERMANY; visit www.hotelsingermany.com) because it has it all. It's located on a walking mall in the heart of town with balconies overlooking...

Lebanon--brimming with timeless treasures.
March 1, 2004... If you have ever thought of visiting Beirut or wanted to see the archaeological ruins of Baalbek, Tyre or Byblos, I would say this is the time to go. The price is right, there are almost no tourists and the local people are very...

Accessibility assured on a New Zealand-Australia cruise.
March 1, 2004... Only a few short years ago, any traveler who used a wheelchair would weigh the advantages of cruising against the disadvantages of each ship. Older liners often were difficult for those in chairs to navigate because of their construction. They...

Tower of London salutes.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A number of parades, salutes and rituals are coming up in which traditional ceremonies will be held at the Tower of London. April 21--at 1 p.m. a 62-gun salute for HM The Queen's birthday. June 2--at 1 p.m. a 62-gun salute for the...

Favorite cities overseas.
March 1, 2004... ITN asked readers to name the three cities they most enjoyed visiting outside of North America. Responses were printed in the July '03 issue, inspiring more letters, which are presented below. You can send in your Top 3 list to Favorite Cities...

Royal Olympia ships in limbo.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Royal World Cruises and Olympic two ship-owning World Cruises, two ship owning subsidiaries of Royal Olympia Cruises, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December. In January, a settlement was reached in which the ships Olympia...

Cruises halted during dispute.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... At ITN's press time, three ships of Festival Cruises were immobilized pending negotiations with a shipbuilder and banks to settle contract disputes. The ships were Mistral (halted in Marseille), European Vision (in Barbados) and European...

Re fingerprinting in Brazil.(Travel briefs)(Brazilian ruling extends fingerprinting and photographing of American tourists)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A Brazilian judge in early January ordered police to stop fingerprinting and photographing U.S. visitors to Rio de Janeiro, arguing the practice might hurt tourism in the city. The judge, in Brasilia, overturned a Dec. 29 order by a judge in...

Cyclone rips into Niue.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A fierce cyclone hit Niue Island in the South Pacific, Jan. 6, leaving infrastucture disrupted and many vacationers' plans canceled until further notice. Some establishments were completely demolished, including Niue Hotel, Waimanu...

France, Spain tunnel.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A cross-border tunnel opened between France and Spain through the western Pyrenees on Jan. 17. The 5.3-mile Somport Road Tunnel starts near Urdos, less than two kilometers south of Fort du Portalet on the French side, and emerges near Canfranc,...

UK restricts free health care for visitors.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Britain's Department of Health is closing loopholes that allow foreign tourists to take advantage of free medical care in public hospitals. Some were abusing the system, including pregnant women who timed their 'visits to give birth in British...

Diphtheria booster advised.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... In October 2003, a man who had been working in a rural village in Haiti returned to Pennsylvania and was admitted to a hospital with a severe sore throat and respiratory distress. He was diagnosed with respiratory diphtheria and died. The...

Helmut Newton photos.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Scheduled to open in Berlin in June 2004 is an exhibition of works by photographer Helmut Newton, who presented 1,000 of his photographs to the city in October '03. Newton was born in the German capital in 1920 and studied photography...

Gardens in Britain.(Travel briefs)
March 1, 2004... 2004 marks the bicentenary of the Royal Horticultural Society, and Britain is celebrating with the Year of Gardening. Marking the occasion, the 2004 edition of a garden-visiting guide has increased the number of gardens featured to 1,250 and...

Discovering diverse landscapes and cultures on a six-country African rail journey.
March 1, 2004... An extended trip to Southern Africa: that's what my sister Patt and I took in January and February '03. The highlight would be a 16-day rail tour that departed from a Johannesburg and took us to a total of six countries. We began with a...

Doing the Baltic cruise ports on your own.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... We enjoyed a wonderful 10-day cruise aboard the Regal Princess in May '02, traveling round trip from Copenhagen. In addition to Denmark, we visited Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland and Norway. I would like to give some tips on doing the...

Grand dining on Ischia.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... I received an invitation to celebrate the 60th birthday of Kwabenar LaVerte Mathis, an old and dear friend of almost 50 years. The celebration was held on Ischia, a resort island off the coast of Naples, Italy, that is known for its thermal...

Following Pannir.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... It was through an ad in ITN years ago that we first found the greatest travel agent ever, Pannir Murugesu. In March of 1996 we (a party of four) went to Bangkok, Bali and Hong Kong; the package we booked was offered in an ad by Natrabu...

Surprise third party.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... ITN performed an invaluable service for travelers in publishing the reader's letter entitled "Mystery Charge on Credit Card" regarding Internet hotel reservations (Dec. '03, pg. 30). I, too, made a reservation over the Internet with a hotel...

Famous Swiss.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... In the article about the Swiss ICN tilting trains in the January '04 "All Aboard" column, Mr. Brunhouse states that the various trains are named after famous Swiss citizens. However, Heinrich Pestalozzi, who was an educator, was not the founder...

Crisp bills.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... I read the reader's letter titled "Money Laundering 101" (Oct. '03, pg. 45), on cleaning paper currency to use for travel. Fascinating. For those more slothful travelers, here is a suggestion. I would imagine most banks are like mine....

New bills for travel.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... Thought I would add a postscript to the letter "Money Laundering 101." Prior to several trips to Russia, I have simply gone by my bank and asked them for relatively new money with the "security strip" embedded in each bill. In Russia they...

Guide in Romania.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
March 1, 2004... We did a couple of tours of Romania with a young guide. Cristian Florea (Crif Tours, Strad Aleea Valea Viilor Nr. 2, Bloc. A53, Ap. 46, Sector 6, Bucuresti 77409, Romania; phone/fax 444 01 64, e-mail romtours@digicom.ro or visit...

Macau restaurant.(Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)(Henri's Galley)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... We were in Hong Kong in November '03 and took a day trip on the ferry to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. The ferry ride took just under an hour. After several hours of sightseeing in this unusual area, we got hungry and our guide dropped...

Europe by Voyager.(All Aboard!)(The Voyager)
March 1, 2004... I was honored to be invited for a prechristening shakedown cruise of the new Seven Seas Voyager under Captain Dag Dvergastein, and I was excited, too, because the 700-passenger cruise ship would be calling at ports where I could update sections...

You simply must visit South Africa.(The Discerning Traveler)(Second of three parts)
March 1, 2004... (Second of three parts) Last month I discussed my travels in Johannesburg. This month I will continue my travelogue of South Africa. The Blue Train If you want to splurge, take the 25-hour journey on the Blue Train from Pretoria,...

Paraty--a link to Brazil's colonial heritage.(Latin America)(Second of two parts)
March 1, 2004... (Second of two parts) History abounds at every turn The town of Paraty, a colonial relic and truly a work of art, has been declared a national monument. The 30 small blocks that comprise its historic center are lined with fine examples...

Cebu and Mactan.(Far Horizons)(Part 2 of 2 on the Philippines)
March 1, 2004... (Part 2 of 2 on the Philippines) The second portion of my recent visit to the Philippines focused on the island of Cebu, specifically on the area around Cebu City and adjacent Mactan Island, both rich in terms of historical significance....

By the dozen ...(Kevin Keating's--Kilroy Was Here!)(thinking about Ireland)
March 1, 2004... As this is the month we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I got to thinking about Ireland. "O Oysters, come and walk with us!" The Walrus did beseech. "A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk Along the briny beach." "It's a lovely...

India-Pakistan travel links.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Pakistan and India have agreed to continue cross-border bus service for five years. The resumption follows the restoration of regular airline service in early January. Train service between the two countries also was restored, and the weekly...

Visit Chile airpass.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... LanChile's Visit Chile airpass program allows passengers to purchase an airpass, valid for travel to 15 Chilean destinations, at up to 70% savings compared to the cost of purchasing separate tickets for each segment of a trip. And, for the...

Comet-watch Med cruise.(Travel briefs)
March 1, 2004... An approaching comet designated Q4 (NEAT) is expected to be more than 2 1/2 times brighter than Halley's Comet. It will be brightest May 5-15, 2004, and the Seabourn Legend is making a 7-day Mediterranean cruise in May to provide ideal viewing...

Length of the Nile.(Travel briefs)
March 1, 2004... On Jan. 20, two boats with explorers and film crews set off from Kampala, Uganda, on a journey that will cover 6,690 kilometers from the source of the Nile to the river's mouth in Alexandria, Egypt. The river connects East Africa with the...

Hampton Court cookery demonstrations.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Being celebrated in England as "Drama & Debate," 2004 marks the 400th anniversary of two auspicious events in King James I's court of 1604: Shakespeare's debut performance before the King in the Great Hall, and the Hampton Court Conference...

Person to person: reader-to-reader info exchange.(Travel briefs)
March 1, 2004... 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...

Where in the world?
March 1, 2004... You could win a year's subscription to ITN simply by identifying where the above photo was taken. The winning entry will be drawn from a pool of correct answers. Answers must reach the ITN offices by March 25. Send your postcard entry (don't...

Indonesia.(Viewfinders)
March 1, 2004... In May 2000, following a journey through Thailand, we traveled to Indonesia with visits to Java, Bali, Lombok and the small island of Gili Air. During our stay at the Prambanan Guest House on Jalan Prawirotaman in Yogyakarta, we took...