Boarding Pass

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 364th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine.

The results of a recent study are based on the typical expenses of business travelers rather than tourists, but Oslo is now reportedly the most expensive city in the world, displacing Tokyo. Trailing those two are Reykjavik, Osaka, Paris, Copenhagen, London, Zürich, Geneva and Helsinki. The rankings were derived by the consulting firm Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), based in London.

Other firms arrive at different rankings. Mercer Consulting (New York; www.mercerhr.com) still has Tokyo at the top of their Cost of Living Survey, then Osaka, London and Moscow, while the Swiss Bank UBS (www.ubs.com) places London first, followed by Oslo, New York and Tokyo.

The EIU also produces the Big Mac Index which, as it turns out, is a fairly accurate indicator of how far a dollar will go in various countries; it lists what the actual burger costs when converted to U.S. currency.

A Big Mac currently costs $3.15 in the U.S., while it is the most expensive in Switzerland (converting to $4.93), followed by Denmark and Sweden. It is the least costly in China ($1.30; “this implies that the yuan is 59% undervalued”), with Malaysia and Thailand just above. Find out more at www.economist.com.

In late March and early April each year, several areas of China suffer from yellow-dust sandstorms that originate in the Gobi region at the China/Mongolia border and in western China, an area of expanding desert.

In mid-April, Beijing had its eighth, and worst, sandstorm of the year. This year, too, busloads of tourists in northwestern Xinjiang Province had to be rescued from a highway when their vehicles became stranded during a heavy sandstorm.

The storms have been growing more intense. Even neighboring Korea this year reported its worst sandstorm since 2002.

In a few sections of this issue, the subject of tour guides is discussed. As you read what various people suggest to do when there is a problem involving a guide, keep in mind that there is another option to consider, as we learn from the following.

An ITN reader and his wife took a private tour in Bhutan in November ’05. They booked through a company in the U.S. and were set up to travel with a ground operator based in Bhutan. The couple was totally dissatisfied with the guide who was assigned to them.

The reader wrote, “For six days we put up with this guide’s harassment and neglect. . . It all made for a miserable trip, especially when all of the other tourists we came in contact with were having such a rewarding experience and going out of their way to compliment their guides.

“We convinced the guide to take us back to Thimphu a day early, then we went to the tour operator’s office and they arranged for a new guide, who was terrific. . . . The last several days of the trip were a real joy.

“I must emphasize that the country, its scenery and the people were fantastic.”

ITN wrote to the U.S. tour company, who replied, “Our Bhutan agency has always had high expectations of the guides and held them to high standards. They are normally gracious, courteous and helpful hosts to our guests and normally carry out their duties in an outstanding manner. To behave otherwise is contrary to the Bhutanese tradition of hospitality.

“I suggested that the (couple) send a copy of their letter to the Department of Tourism, and I also took up the issue with my Bhutan agency, who selected and assigned the guide to the (couple). The guide was called up by the Department and asked to present a defense of his actions. It appears that the guide and his guests simply did not get along, or understand each other, and I am very sorry that the (couple) did not simply request another guide sooner, before they left Thimphu for the countryside. They had been given a list of emergency phone numbers.

“I can only reiterate that for a guest not to get along with a Bhutanese guide is unusual, but if it should ever happen, they are welcome and entitled to request a replacement.”

That’s not something that would have immediately occurred to me to do or that I would have known was allowed. Ask the firm for a different private guide.

Travel Photos Fight Tooth Decay — That’s what Philip Shart of Tamarac, Florida, titled his letter to ITN: “Over the years, I have visited all of the continents, including Antarctica more than once. After each trip, I share my travel photos with my dentist, Dr. Dulay, and her staff. She has started a monthly newsletter and, beginning with the March issue, for several months she is running a ‘Where’s Phil?’ contest.

“Each month, a photo of mine is printed in the newsletter as well as posted in the office. Patients each try to identify the landmark, city and country when they come in for an appointment, or they can answer using e-mail. Five winners are picked each month to win prizes: dinner for two, movie tickets or a gift basket!”

Wow! I can’t even get a lollipop from my dentist. Keep ’em guessing, Philip.

J.T. Cunningham of Delmar, New York, wrote, “One of many wonderful features about ITN is that it accommodates everyone’s travel needs, from shoestring to sumptuous. Many thanks for providing such a wonderful travel publication.”

Estelle Burdige of Spring Valley, New York, called ITN “the ‘brown paper bag’ of travel news — no fancy 4-color ads, just terrific coverage.”

Julie Baker of Rapid City, Michigan, wrote, “On a trip to China that included Yunnan, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Zhongdian, a few of my fellow travelers were unfamiliar with ITN and all it has to offer. Enclosed, please find their names and addresses and put them on your mailing list to each receive a free sample copy. The proof is in the pudding, and I’m sure they won’t be disappointed.”

Thanks, Julie. They’ll get the next-printed issue.

Renée Walker of Long Island, New York, would like to read more travelers’ suggestions and recommendations on travel for the handicapped.

What overseas destinations are great for mobility-impaired travelers? What are some good tour companies they may enjoy traveling with? What tips can you offer a disabled person with wanderlust?

If any of you has something to offer Renée, write to ITN and we’ll share your info with everyone.

When sending any letter to ITN for publication, remember to keep it short, and be sure to include the dates of your trip, contact info for any travel firms mentioned and an idea of the price of your tour, cruise, room, meal, ride, etc.

The idea is that if someone is inspired by a trip you took and wants to go there too, most of the information they’ll need will be right in front of them. ITN — the travel magazine with more than pictures.

— David Tykol