Features

by Marvin Herman & Judy Licata; Delavan, Wisconsin

Looking for a different style of travel for our first visit to a country where we felt we would need some on-site guidance, my wife, Judy, and I opted for a journey through India with a private car and driver. With our accommodations all booked in advance, we hoped we would be allowed to set our own pace and avoid the “bags out by 7 o’clock” grind of group travel.

Making arrangements

Through a reference from friends, we booked our trip with Royal Expeditions (phone 404/993-6116 [No. America sales office], www....

by Elaine Lavine

During the summer of 2007, my nephew pursued a study program in Fès, Morocco. Some of my family joined him in August for a one-week tour of the main cities, and I became so intrigued by the travel stories they told that I made up my mind to go.

I’ve done a moderate amount of traveling, primarily in Europe, and I often travel solo, but for my first foray into North Africa I felt more comfortable going with a group. I booked my one-week March ’08 “Imperial Cities” tour of Morocco through IsramWorld (New York, NY; 800/223-7460, www.isram.com).

My family’...

by Donna Judd, Fullerton, CA

On March 28, 2009, I stepped off the cruise ship, alone, into the exotic chaos that is Mumbai — nearly 17 million strong — for a memorable travel experience, my first in India. This was the termination point of my cruise from Mauritius, and I hoped to meet Mr. Santosh Sharma, with whom I’d developed a recent e-mail friendship through an international photography group.

After a few sweltering minutes spent ignoring a beggar and aggressive taxi drivers, I met Santosh’s friend, Mr. Shalar, who arrived with a car and driver. He was very kind, but the...