International Travel News articles from November 2003

International Travel News archives from November 2003

Boarding pass.(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 333rd issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine. She learned it the hard way, and now ITN subscriber Rosemary Richter of Milltown, NJ, is passing along this important lesson for all of us: "After...

Report cards: on the spot reports from around the globe.
November 1, 2003... 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...

Limitless hospitality enriches a self-drive trip through Turkey.
November 1, 2003... As independent travelers, my husband, Mack, and I know from past experience that we do not enjoy being in a hurry or on the road every single day. For use it is more comfortable to find base locations," settling in for a few days and making...

Taking notes during an emergency.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... When I saw the readers'letter titled "Assisting During an Emergency" (Sept. '03, pg. 38), I read it to my husband and he told me about a practice that Sierra Club outing leaders always follow in an emergency: the leader assigns someone to be...

International cellphones.(Travelers' Intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... International cell phones I offer this alternative suggestion for travelers needing an international cell phone. On your next trip, stop at a company-owned cell phone store and purchase an inexpensive prepay cell phone; a unit generally...

Havoc of credit card minimums in UK.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... I took an 18-day, escorted "Britannia" tour of England, Scotland and Wales in August '03 with Trafalgar Tours (Long Island City, NY; phone 800/854-0103 or visit www.trafalgartours.com). I selected this tour because it included tickets to the...

Convenience of ATMs.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... I have belonged to a credit union for too many years to remember (I joined it as an aerospace employee when I found I could get free checking with a direct deposit). I have used my ATM card, which draws directly from my checking account, in...

Accessing stored private info while overseas.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... On page 2 of the September '03 issue I read the following: "Before you leave, send yourself an e-mail with all your important personal travel information: passport number, itinerary, addresses, etc. You can log on anywhere in the world in an...

Chess mates in Santo Domingo.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... My wife and I and another couple were aboard the freighter Zim Carib IV On a Caribbean cruise in March '03. We stopped at the Dominican Republic for one day and did some sightseeing. In Santo Domingo at the central plaza I saw two chess...

Funniest thing.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Tell ITN about the funniest thingSthat 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...

Nepal safety concerns.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Maoist rebel violence has increased in Nepal since the end of the ceasefire on Aug. 27. Rebel tactics include attacks on Nepalese government facilities, indiscriminate bombings, assassination attempts and calls for localized or nationwide...

East Africa caution.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Department of State has rescinded the authorized departure of nonemergency employees and family members of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. However, the U.S. Government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats in East...

Liberia advisory.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Department of State has lifted the ordered departure status of nonemergency employees at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia. However, the Department continues to advise U.S. citizens to defer nonessential travel to Liberia. ...

Threats in Indonesia.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Aug. 5, 2003, bombing at the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta reminds U.S. citizens of ongoing terrorist threats in Indonesia. The Department of State continues to recommend that U.S. citizens defer all nonessential travel to Indonesia.

Solomon Islands.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In February 2003, a member of the national peace council and former police commissioner was assassinated in Auki, Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. As of July 24, the Australian government has been helping the islands restore law and order...

Measles outbreak in Marshall Islands.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In July 2003, the Republic of the Marshall Islands experienced its first measles outbreak since 1988. As of mid-September, a total of 647 cases had been clinically diagnosed, 58 patients had been hospitalized and three had died. Most of the...

Current warnings.(News Watch)(State Department travel warnings)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 25 destinations: Liberia, Kenya, Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Yemen, Cote d'Ivoire, Saudi Arabia, Burundi, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Colombia, Iran, Lebanon, Israel/the West Bank/Gaza,...

Far & Wide in Chapter 11.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... FAR & WIDE Travel Corporation, a holding company of tour operators, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 24, 2003. It is requesting approval for other providers to take over the operations of most of the company's business units....

Observe the chef on QM2.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Cunard Line's $800-million liner Queen Mary 2 will be the first ship to debut a "Chef's Galley," whereby passengers are taught by the chef how their meal is prepared. A mirrored work station will make it possible for diners to observe the...

North-South rail route across Australia.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... On Feb. 1, 2004, the tourist train The Ghan will leave Adelaide, South Australia, on an inaugural journey north to Darwin. Until now, The Ghan went only as far as Alice Springs, but with the Great North-South line completed the journey becomes...

Embracing an independent spirit on a group tour of Ireland.
November 1, 2003... I was a tour guide for five years with Heritage Tours, Ltd., operating solely in Ireland. When I was asked to conduct-a "reunion" tour for 22 returning guests in May '03, I gladly agreed. A group tour can be efficient, practical and...

Departure date changes.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... Departure date changes As a sequel to my letter about tour operators' changing the departure dates of tours (July '03, pg. 16), I have been following this problem in the "Terms & Conditions" of several tour operators' brochures and noticed...

Yangtze cruise curtailed.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... My international travels have gained in momentum in recent years. As a result, I undertook my second trip to China, March 26-April 16, '03. Friends of mine had recommended Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT); accordingly, I signed up for their...

Felt group members fared better on cruise.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... We requested our travel agent book us with FOS Tours & Travel for a Russian River cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg aboard the Peter the Great, May 16-31, '03. It was a great trip with excellent accommodations, good food and wonderful...

Praise for Olympia Voyager.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... This is in response to an ITN Report Card on the Olympia Voyager in the May '03 issue, page 4. On June 8, '02, my mother, my sister and I cruised from Houston for a week aboard the Olympia Voyager calling at ports in Mexico, Honduras and...

Appreciated travel insurer.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... On April 28, '03, my wife, Mary K, and I had just completed 41/2 weeks of a 6-week tour of Australia when she suffered a moderately severe stroke. We had just returned from three tough days of sightseeing and hiking in Kakadu National Park in...

On insurance/credit cards.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A lot of travel insurance policies have changed this year. Now there are policies that are all-inclusive, covering items from missed planes to returning with a broken leg, and prices have increased. A "best buy" is CSA (800/348-9505), which...

European Horizons & airport-shuttle Rome.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... My husband and I have been working with a college student who has cerebral palsy. The family has not traveled anywhere except to the Bahamas once, and they asked us to serve as guides on a visit to Rome in December '03. Their budget is...

Cambridge summer study.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Every year since 1991, I have attended 2-week courses offered through the Cambridge Summer Study Program at Cambridge University. The 2004 program is scheduled July 11-24 at Downing College Subjects include "The English Country House,"...

The friendly Gambians.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... The friendly Gambians If your main focus in going to Africa is to see the big animals, the so-called "big five," then read no further. I saw all of them, but they were not the highlight of my 41-day trip in April '03. To my surprise and...

Counting one's blessings.(Travelers Intercom: readers' opinion tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... One night in February '02 1 was surfing the Net and found an incredible airfare to Tokyo and back for $330! The offer expired the next day at midnight, a little like Cinderella. Of course, I booked it. Japan is my favorite destination in the...

Semester at sea--an academic voyage around the world.
November 1, 2003... Part one of two) On a ship for 106 days? With over 600 university students? How boring!" My friend's prediction of my 'round-the-world voyage with Semester at Sea (phone 412/648-7490 ok visit www.semesteratsea.com) couldn't have been more...

Travel insurance: little-known sources of emergency medical evacuation coverage.
November 1, 2003... Among the choices to be made regarding travel insurance, emergency medical evacuation coverage continues to be what I recommend most. I believe that emergency medical evacuation coverage is a must for overseas travelers (and especially for...

Accommodations worldwide: hotels * B&Bs * homestays * apartments.
November 1, 2003... 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 approximate. ...

Top-notch dining, fantastic beaches and must-see sights: Sydney has it all.
November 1, 2003... In Sydney, the seafood is so fresh it tries to make an escape. Really. We were witnesses to a daring jailbreak at a downtown sushi bar, in which a not-quite-dead lobster lunged from the display counter and over the conveyer belt of plated...

Internet cafes overseas--a link home.(travelers)
November 1, 2003... A few months ago, ITN printed the following information request from Hugh Wilkes of Watervliet, NY: "Recently, .while in Amsterdam, I was tempted to send a greeting home via e-mail. I finally found an Internet cafe, but it didn't look inviting...

Wildlife park in Tasmania.(Hobart, Tasmania; ecological center)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ninety minutes northwest of Hobart, Tasmania, on the road to Mt. Field National Park, there is a new ecological center, Something Wild. The sanctuary is a halfway house for orphaned animals which, once recovered, are released back into the...

Tours in review: candid appraisals of group tours.(travel, international)
November 1, 2003... The following are candid appraisals of some of the tours ITN readers have taken in the last year or so. When writing to ITN about a tour, please keep it as brief as possible (200-400 words) and include the ADDRESS and/or phone number of the...

The road less traveled--biking to Suriname to French Guiana.(travel)
November 1, 2003... After 12 hours and three flights on American Airlines and Surinam Airways from Chicago to Paramaribo, Suriname, I found myself in a country that was a funky combination of Dutch civilization and lush, verdant jungle. The plan was to ride a...

Remedy for stress: the Dominican Republic.(Travelers' Intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... Though I had traveled to many places in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic was not one of them... until I arrived in December '02. I was unusually surprised at what I found. American Airlines provided good service across the way, with...

Grand Cayman over the holidays.(Travelers' Intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... Another Christmas, another island! As readers may recall (Dec. '01, pg. 64 & Dec. '02,pg. 96)., I like to take my children and grandchildren to warm air and water for Christmas week. For 2002 we clime Grand Cayman for its reputation for good...

Enthralling visit to Meyer Werft shipyard.(Travelers' Intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... In late July '03 I had the opportunity to visit the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. For a visit, reservations must be made beforehand. Tickets cost 10 [pounds sterling] and can be obtained aboard one of Meyer Werft's early...

Guides in Russia, Cambodia.(Travelers' Intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... I am writing to recommend two guides, one in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, and one in St, Petersburg, Russia. * In Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) I recommend Sopheap Ngan as a guide. A young woman who is the sole supporter of her family, she speaks English...

Cakes and desserts in Ireland.(Travelers' Intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations)
November 1, 2003... While in Cong, Ireland, in May '03 .we stopped at the Hungry Monk Card (Abbey Street, Cong, Co. Mayo, Ireland; phone 094 9546866 or 086 2756680). They serve homemade cakes and desserts. In addition to salmon sandwiches on brown...

Travel clubs update.
November 1, 2003... * We would like to see if there is sufficient interest in SAN DIEGO to start an "ITN travel club" here. We understand that there was one in our area some time ago, but when the organizer moved, no one stepped up to take over. Give us a call....

New Virgin Pendolino.(All Aboard!)(Virgin Trains is launching new Pendolinos every two weeks and replacing well-used trains)
November 1, 2003... Virgin Trains (www.virgintrains.co.uk) began their new Pendolino services in January 2003, but it is unlikely you were aboard the single train running once on Thursdays only. Now Virgin is launching new Pendolinos every two weeks and...

Hadrian's Wall path complete.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... For the first time visitors to Britain are able to walk the full length of what was the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empirer Dating from the second century Hadrian's Wall is a World Heritage Site crossing wild, unspoilt countryside from...

Tours: a selection of escorted tours.(Christmas Markets, Germany & Austria and China Silk Road + Shangri-La are mentioned, as are others )
November 1, 2003... "CHRISTMAS MARKETS, GERMANY & AUSTRIA"--6-day tour, Nov. 28-Dec. 4, '03. Starts in Frankfurt and ends in Munich. Includes Christmas markets in Ulm, Augsburg and Garmisch, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. Stay in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and...

A 4-week trip through South India.(The Discerning Traveler)
November 1, 2003... The following is a Continuation of excerpts from my daily journal during our 4-week trip to South India, December 2002-January 2003. In this installment of my travelogue, I cover the state of Tamil Nadu. TAMIL NADU From Periyar , where...

Accommodations in Germany.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The pocket-sized brochure "Impressions Unlimited: Germany--Youth on Tour" includes a chapter on 300 places to stay, from modern to historical towns, from green countryside to pleasant villages, all over the country. For a free copy, call...

Welsh castle restored.(Brit bits)(Carmarthen Castle)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Carmarthen Castle, in the center of the South Wales market town, has reopened after a 2-year, 1[pounds sterling] million restoration, The fortress, originally founded by King Henry I in 1109, witnessed several fierce battles, notably in the...

Winter cruises.(Brit bits)(Visitors to Lake Windermere in England's Lake District still will be able to take weekend steamer cruises from Nov. 3 to Dec. 28, 2003)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Visitors to Lake Windermere in England's Lake District still will be able to take weekend steamer cruises from Nov. 3 to Dec. 28, 2003. As well as a regular motor launch service, there will be 2-hour Christmas lunch cruises on Nov. 28 and...

Walk cattle rustlers' trail.(Brit bits)(Scotland )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Cateran Trail, a 63-mile circular, way-marked walking route of footpaths and minor roads through. Scotland's Perthshire and Angus glens, has opened to the public. Following the ancient drove routes used by cattle rustlers (or Caterans) in...

Shropshire, the gourmet county.(Brit bits)(Has three Michelin-starred restaurants: Hibiscus, Mr. Underhill's and The Merchant House)
November 1, 2003... The Shropshire market town of Ludlow is the only country town in Britain to boast three Michelin-starred restaurants: Hibiscus, Mr. Underhill's and The Merchant House. The South Shropshire Tourism Association has published "Eat the View,"...

Coming up in February.(Brit bits)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The following events are taking place in Britain in February 2004. * St. Ires Feast and Hurling of the Silver Ball, Feb. 10 (throughout St. Ives; phone [01736] 797840)--held annually on Feast Monday. The silver ball is thrown from the wall...

Stresa and Lake Maggiore's Borromeo islands.(Rick Steves' Europe)
November 1, 2003... Italy's Lake Maggiore is ringed by mountains, snowcapped in spring and fall, and lined with resort towns. While crassly touristic, the lakeside town of Stresa, a fast 50-minute train ride from Milan, is a handy base from which to explore the...

Fireworks in Madeira.(Rick Steves' Europe)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In June 2004, the third annual Atlantic Firework Festival will take place in Madeira, Portugal, and guests at the clifftop Reid's Palace will have ringside-seats. Each Saturday evening the skies will light up with fireworks visible from the...

Australia's seafood & aquaculture trail.(Far Horizons)
November 1, 2003... Sometimes the most rewarding travel experiences come from unexpected sources. While attending a tourism conference in Melbourne, Australia, in June, I was finishing a few notes on my just-completed preconference visit to the Great Barrier Reef...

Keck's beyond the garden wall.(Eyre Peninsula in Australia)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Sparsely, hospitably populated, possessing of unlimited natural and human-inspired attractions, abundant in pristine seascapes and, for the window of time that is now, virtually undiscovered by visitors from afar." --Randy's working...

Kevin Keating's Kilroy was here!(Cruises are discussed; Cruise Lines International Association is official "voice, of the cruise industry")
November 1, 2003... Sail ho! My first deepwater vessel sailed from San Francisco's Fort Mason. The ticket was free, courtesy of my grateful government. It was in 1950 and the ship was the General Pope, a troop transport, bound for Korea. The skipper was...

Viking river cruises into China.(Travel briefs)(Viking River Cruises )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Beginning in March 2004, Viking River Cruises will offer itineraries in China. Five allinclusive cruise/tours each will include a 7-night voyage along the Yangtze River. The company currently is building the 186-passenger Century Star,...

Olympics in Greece.(Travel briefs)(Ya'lla Tours USA offers packages)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ya'lla Tours USA is offering packages for the Olympic Games in Athens, taking place Aug. 12-29, 2004. Ten-night packages include six nights in Greece and four nights in Istanbul, Rome, Prague or London. $4,995 per person, double occupancy,...

E&O 'Thai Explorer' route.(Travel briefs)
November 1, 2003... Orient-Express has a new "Thai Explorer" itinerary in northern Thailand in its Eastern & Oriental Express program for 2004: Bangkok-Ayutthaya-Chiang Mai-Lampang-Kanchanaburi (River Kwai)-Bangkok. The luxury E&O will also continue its...

The ITN Globetrotter Award.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Travelers have many different goals. Some are determined to set foot on every country on Earth; others want to visit all seven continents or all of the time zones. Then there are those who want to "take the time to smell the roses," in many...

Bed & Breakfast (GB).(Travel briefs)(Arranges accommodations at select homes, farmhouses, private hotels, university campuses, etc., in Great Britain)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The service Bed & Breakfast (GB) arranges accommodations at select homes, farmhouses, private hotels, university campuses, etc., in Great Britain. Among their listings, the designation "Club Class" is given to very special hosts offering...

Macao info hot line.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Visitors to Macao now can dial a hot line number, 333000, for information on tourism programs and activities around town. The hot line provides information in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Portuguese and Japanese and is open around the clock,...

Korea's travel phone 1330.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Visitors to Korea can dial 1330 for travel information, and the service has been extended to 24 hours a day from the previous 9 a.m.-8 p.m. From anywhere in Korea, visitors dial 1330 without an area code (except when using a mobile phone,...

Visit DMZ with North Korean escapees.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Guided by someone who escaped North Korea, visitors can gain escapees special insights on a new oneday tour of the Korean demilitarized zone. One of the sites on the tour is the. Third Tunnel, discovered 44 kilometers north of Seoul in...

Steam locomotive in Tasmania.(Travel briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... After 40 years, Tasmania's West Coast Wilderness Railway is running again. The historic steam locomotive carries passengers 35 kilometers through pristine wilderness, crossing rivers, mountains and 40 bridges on its way from Queenstown to...

Museum FlexiMaps.(Travel briefs)(Langenscheidt Publishing Group)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... New from Insight Guides are Museum FlexiMaps that not only help you chart your course to and within many cultural institutions, using a thematic directory and floor plans of major art galleries and museums, but provide background information...

Person to person: reader-to-reader info exchange.
November 1, 2003... 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, ore-mail editor@intltravelnews. com (please include your...

The ITN 100 nations award.
November 1, 2003... If you have been to 100 or more of the sovereign nations (other than your own) on the list below, you aye eligible to receive a special certificate suitable for framing: the official ITN 100 Nations Award. Make a list of the countries you...

Slovenia.(Mountain resort town of Bled)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The mountain resort town of Bled, which we visited on our tour through Croatia and Slovenia in May '02, was an unexpected treasure. Sitting just south of the towering Alps that form Slovenia's northern border with Austria, this quiet spot is...

Where in the world?
November 1, 2003... You could win a year's subscription to ITN simply by identifying where the photo on the right was taken. The winning entry will be drawn from a pool of correct answers. Answers must reach the ITN offices by November 25. Send your postcard...