International Travel News articles from September 2002

International Travel News archives from September 2002

Boarding pass.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
September 1, 2002... Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 319th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine. Several people have praised the July '02 feature article on Malta by ITN reader Ken Harbinson of Alexandria, Virginia. In fact, ITN reader Douglas...

Postmark Report Cards: on-the-spot reports from around the globe.(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2002... 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 your travel impressions are fresh in your mind. To obtain your ITN Report...

The 'roof of the world' clings to its culture.(Tibet)
September 1, 2002... Ever since traveling for nine weeks in 1998 to India, Nepal and Thailand on a custom tour designed by Worldview Tours, my daughter Elena and I could only dream about repeating this very best travel experience of our lives. So when we decided to...

Travelers' intercom: readers' opinions, tips & recommendations.
September 1, 2002... Avignon rail station caveat My wife and I traveled by TGV train from Paris to Avignon in Provence, France, in early July '02. The train originated in Paris at the Gare de Lyon and terminated at the Avignon Central train station. After a week of...

Funniest thing.(travel stories from readers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... 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...

India's 'return to normalcy'. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The State Department notes that the high level of tension between India and Pakistan that existed at the end of May and the beginning of June has further subsided. This condition reflects continuing diplomatic activity and a return to normalcy...

Pakistan warning. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The high level of tension between India and Pakistan has subsided. However, in light of the conviction and sentencing of four men charged with the kidnapping and murder of an American reporter and the ongoing concern for further terrorist...

Madagascar on the mend. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The difficult political situation that gripped Madagascar since the Dec. 16, 2001, presidential election is over. However, the Department of State still urges Americans to exercise caution when traveling there. The government of President...

Kidnappings in Colombia. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to Colombia. Violence by narcotraffickers, guerrillas, illegal self-defense (paramilitary) groups and other criminal elements continues to affect all parts of the country, both urban...

Guatemala roadblocks. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... In mid-June, former members of the Guatemalan civil defense patrol blocked a number of roads in the Peten, including all roads to the airport in Flores and to Tikal Park. The airport was subsequently closed. Some tourists were stopped and...

Congo-Kinshasa caution. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Despite the slightly improved security situation in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, plus recent advances in the peace process and the authorization for minor children of Embassy employees to return to post, the...

Ghana emergency. (News Watch).(ethnic violence)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... In March 2002, Ghanaian authorities sent troops to the Northern Region of Ghana, imposed a curfew and declared a state of emergency to quell ethnic violence. The situation continues to be volatile, and the state of emergency remains in effect.

Fighting in Sudan. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Sudan. In addition to the ongoing civil war that affects both southern and eastern Sudan, the government of Sudan's control over its police and soldiers maybe limited. At...

Crime in East Timor. (News Watch).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... On May 20, 2002, East Timor became an independent nation governed by its people. While violence erupted throughout the country after the UN-sponsored independence referendum in 1999, stability has been reestablished throughout the territory....

Malaysia Airlines AccessAsia Pass. (Travel Briefs).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Malaysia Airlines, which recently reintroduced service from Newark Airport, gives Americans access to Singapore and 23 other destinations in Asia with their "AccessAsia Pass." Valid for 30 days from departure, the pass provides a fare of...

American Express replacement service. (Travel Briefs).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... In addition to replacing lost or stolen Travelers Cheques, American Express now will help customers replace their lost or stolen passports and credit cards as well. One phone call will connect AmEx Travelers Cheque customers with a...

Windjamming--on a on a Caribbean barefoot cruise.(Windjammer Barefoot Cruises)
September 1, 2002... A week in the Caribbean spent on board a 67-year-old sailing vessel was the perfect way to take a lesson in relaxation and to celebrate a 40th birthday. Making plans and getting there In October 2001, unwilling to let the events of...

Exploring Queensland's diverse destinations independently.
September 1, 2002... Beaches and islands, reefs and caves, damp rainforests and the Outback: I visited all. these Queensland pleasures with' Brisbane as my headquarters from March through May of 2002. Trains, buses, vans, boats, 727s and smaller planes zigzagged me...

Packing light--the bare necessities of travel.
September 1, 2002... Last month we consolidated the packing lists of dozens of readers into The Ultimate Packing List. Not that anyone ever could take it all, but just about everything you ever would want to remember to pack is on that list. This month we're going...

Viewfinders: share your travel photos.(France)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... We departed for a month-long trip to France on May 10, 2000, dividing our time between staying with friends and in hotels. We planned, everything. independently and found our hotels on the Internet or in ITN, with the exception of the one in...

Accommodations worldwide: hotels, B&Bs, homestays, apartments.(United Kingdom, Asia, Latin America)
September 1, 2002... 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. ...

Hiking the entire Cotswold Way from Bath to Chipping Campden.(related article: Contact information)
September 1, 2002... In the early 1200s, the right thing for a monk to do if his mission was in the Cotswolds was to make his 105-mile pilgrimage to the Royal Abbey at Bath... to renew his faith, rejuvenate his soul and possibly sit in the Roman Baths. Certainly,...

Tours in Review: candid appraisals of group tours.(letters)
September 1, 2002... The following are candid appraisals of some of the tours ITN readers have taken in the last year or so. Where possible, for comparison's sake, different readers' appraisals of a particular tour company are presented in tandem. When writing...

Not to be deterred cruising around the world in 49 days.(aboard Orient Lines' Crown Odyssey)
September 1, 2002... The sudden shock of the September 11 terrorist attacks raised appalling questions for us. How could we enjoy the luxury and adventure of a long ocean cruise while so many were grieving life and property losses and fearing the probability of...

All aboard: new European East Railpass.
September 1, 2002... Rail Europe introduced a new second-class version of their European East Railpass in January 2002 so that travelers under 26 now can save 30% over the cost of the first-class 5-country pass. A European East Railpass is a crutch to get you...

Cruises: fall canal cruise--but home for Christmas.(Holland America Cruises Inc.)(Celebrity Cruises Inc.)(Princess Cruise Lines)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Correspondents have recently queried about coast-to-coast trans-Panama Canal cruises which involve arrival and departure from U.S. ports only, and one mentioned that "home by Christmas" was essential. For consideration, here is a selection of...

Cruise Cavelcade: upcoming ocean, sea, river or canal cruises.(Caribbean cruising)(barge cruises in Scotland)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Caribbean golfing Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines kicks off this fall with a "Fresh Faces of the Caribbean" campaign geared to the interests of repeat travelers who seek new ports and special activities on Caribbean cruises. Braemar will be based...

Tours: a selection of escorted tours.(Ireland, France, Spain, Vietnam, Chile, Antarctica)
September 1, 2002... "CHRISTMAS IN DUBLIN"--8-day tour, Dec. 20-27, '02. Highlights: In Dublin, Book of Kells, National Museum, Dublin Writers Museum/attend a play at the Abbey or Gate Theatre/in Wicklow Hills, tour Kilruddery House, the private estate of the...

Reviewers' corner: the latest travel-book reviews.(Europe by Eurail)(Costa Rica Handbook)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Here are two of the latest travel-book reviews written by ITN readers. "Europe by Eurail" by Laverne Ferguson-Kosinski (2001, Globe Pequot, Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437. ISBN 0-7627-0830-1--513 pp., $16.95). This book is issued...

Focal point -- capturing travel images: confessions of a scofflaw photographer (reformed).(obeying "No photography" signs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Forty years ago, I made a photo graph that could have ruined a trip and made me look like a big jerk. On our first wedding anniversary, my wife, Betty, and I spent five weeks in Japan. One day we entered a Buddhist temple in Nara and. beheld...

The discerning--traveler: packing your travel medical kit.
September 1, 2002... To facilitate the packing of your medical supplies, .1 present an updated version of the previously published article "Suggestions for Your Medical Travel Kit" (July '97, pg 128). WARNING Since interactions between drugs can occur, and...

Around the Caribbean.(St. Martin, and children stay free at Hilton Caribbean and in Curacao)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Hilton Caribbean and children The eight Hilton Caribbean properties have introduced the "Very Important Children" program. Children under the age of 18 stay free in the same room with their parents. Children under the age of five eat all...

Gainsborough exhibit. (Brit Bits).(Thomas, 18th century)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... A major exhibition of the work of Thomas Gainsborough will be held at Tate Britain in London, Oct. 24, '02-Jan. 19, '03. Gainsborough (1727-1788) is widely acknowledged as one of the masters of 18th-century art. The exhibition will show...

Scotland planner. (Brit Bits).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The 2002 edition of "Scotland Vacation Planner" features sample driving itineraries that take in historic palaces, ancient sites and locations associated with writers and poets as well as distilleries. Sections in the 76-page guide profile...

Scottish mansion opens to public. (Brit Bits).(17th century Newhailes, Musselburgh)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... A 17th-century country mansion in Scotland has opened to visitors for the first time, its interior preserved just as the last owners left it. Newhailes is the 250-year-old home of a legal family; its purchaser, Sir David Dalrymple, rose to...

Hadrian's Wall by bus or bike. (Brit Bits).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... For the first time, a daily bus service is running the full length of Hadrian's Wall across northern England. The buses run daily until Sept. 8, then on Sundays until Nov. 3, 2002. An extension of the Hexham-Carlisle service, the service...

Rick Steves' Europe: South Ireland--beyond the Blarney Stone.(Kilkenny, Rock of Cashel, Waterford and Kinsale)
September 1, 2002... Many tourists make the mistake of allowing places into their Irish itineraries simply because they are famous--in a song or as part of a relative's big-bus-tour memory--spots like the slobbery Blarney Stone and the clogged Ring of Kerry. ...

Latin America: zone 10--where the action is.(Guatemala, part 2, Zona Viva!)
September 1, 2002... (Part 2 of 5 on Guatemala) Zona Viva (The Lively Zone) In Guatemala City, Zona Viva is where it's happening! A 15-minute drive from La Aurora International Airport, Zona Viva is an approximately 6-by-10 block area in the city's Zone...

Kilroy was here! South African overview.(Table Mountain, Durban and Richards Bay, South Africa and Mauritius)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Every visitor to Cape Town, South Africa, must take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. Your local hosts will be uncommonly disappointed if you don't. The view, of course, is splendid. And you are advised to be on the lookout for...

Sol Air begins service. (Travel Briefs).(Miami to Central America)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... A new airline, Sol Air (Aero Honduras S.A. de.C.V.), backed by a group of Honduran businessmen, started daily flights from Miami 'to Central America in July 2002. Sol Air has a fleet of Boeing 737-300 and B727 Super aircraft, configured with...

Great Barrier Reef HQ reopens. (Travel Briefs).(aquarium and education center, Queensland, Australia)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Reef HQ, the world's largest living coral reef aquarium and the education center for the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, reopened in July 2002 after a $2.7 million facelift. Located in Townsville, Queensland, the aquarium boasts...

FoolProof luggage theft alarm. (Travel Briefs).(FoolProof [R] Personal Security System)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2002... A new device will immediately alert you if your valuables are "walking a way." The FoolProof [R] Personal Security System consists of a master unit, about the size of a small cell phone, and smaller remote devices that are placed in or on the...

Day trip into Syria.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... In July '00 my wife and I hired a car and driver to take us into Syria from Amman, Jordan. A one-hour ride along the "Desert Highway" brought us to the border, where there were four separate detentions. The, first examined automobile ownership...

Person to Person: reader-to-reader info exchange.
September 1, 2002... Planning a trip overseas and need specific info? Let your fellow ITN readers provide the answers. Send your question to Person to Person, c/a ITN, 2120 28th St., Sacramento, GA 95818. Please indicate if you do NOT want your complete address...

Where in the world?(contest)
September 1, 2002... Your could win a year's subscription to ITN simply by identifying where the photos on the right were taken. The winning entry will be drawn from a pool of correct answers. Answers must reach the ITN offices by September 25. Send your...

Arne Jacobsen exhibit in Denmark.(Louisiana Museum of Modern Art)
September 1, 2002... The exhibit "Arne Jacobsen" at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek, Denmark, through Jan. 12, 2003, will be the largest showcase of the architect's work ever presented. In addition to drawings and architectural models, the show...

The ITN Globetrotter Award.
September 1, 2002... 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...

Following The Equator.(ITN award)
September 1, 2002... Taking the title from one of Mark Twain's books, ITN issues you the challenge of earning the Following The Equator Award. To receive it, you must have traveled to every country crossed by the equator. It is not, necessary to have actually...

The ITN 100 Nations Award.
September 1, 2002... If you have been to 100 or more of the countries (other than your own) on the list below, you are eligible (for a 5-dollar processing and handling fee) to receive a special certificate suitable for framing: the official ITN 100 Nations Award....

Do you qualify for ITN's traveled the continents award?
September 1, 2002... 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, just tell us one date of visit to...