Features

July 2009 issue

Inca ruins and animal encounters in Ecuador

by Joyce Bruck, Ocean Ridge, FL

Ecuador is a fascinating country of varied topography and climates. In the space of two hours, one can go from high volcanic mountains to lush jungle vegetation with winding rivers. And then, of course, there is the famous bird habitat of the Galápagos Islands.

I had been to Ecuador twice before, but when Nova Southeastern University professor Barry Barker, representing the Wild Spots Foundation (Fort Lauderdale, FL; 954/816-1974, www.wildspotsfoundation.org), proposed an inexpensive March ’08 trip that included an opportunity to interact with...

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May 2011 issue

The Faroe Islands plus day-tripping in Greenland

by Bill Reed, Denton, TX

After our time in Iceland (April ’11, pg. 6), my wife, Betty, and I continued our 16-day journey with a flight from Reykjavík to the Faroe Islands on Atlantic Airways. They, apparently, have not learned how to charge their passengers for an aisle seat, extra bags or a drink or even for boarding with the first group.

The flight was a short hour and 15 minutes, and about 20 minutes into the flight they came around with a sandwich big enough for a meal, followed by a drink, for each of us. I saw that they had beer, wine and other beverages and asked...

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October 2009 issue

Making the most of three days in Hong Kong

by Inga Aksamit, San Rafael, CA

Many travelers to Asia find themselves with a layover in Hong Kong, a thriving metropolis of seven million people where East collides with West. Reclaimed by China in 1997 but still a melting pot of international commerce, Hong Kong is awash in gleaming highrises and blinking neon signs touting some of the biggest names in business.

If you arrive in Hong Kong after a long flight en route to another Asian destination, there are worse places to sleep off jet lag and begin acclimating to the time zone and culture changes. Hong Kong has a...

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September 2011 issue

Enchanted by the serenity and beauty of Burma
The gilded Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
My wife and I visited Burma (Myanmar) in October of 2010 on a small-group tour sponsored by Original World. Before I describe our marvelous trip, the fantastic sights and the beautiful, gentle people, let’s take care of the elephant in the room: the country’s ruthless regime.
January 2010 issue

Discovering Mexico’s San Luis Potosí

by Cesar Beltran, Contributing Author

I traveled to the state of San Luis Potosí in central Mexico in mid-June ’09 for a tour billed as a mix of nature, culture and adventure. In 1984 I had traveled independently through the southern part of the state, so I was looking forward to seeing how the area had changed and to making new discoveries.

Getting there

Our group of 25 people, from both the US and Mexico, was interested in Mexican culture, and we were able to choose the level of adventure we wished to experience during the trip. The US members of the group arrived...

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December 2011 issue

Off-season in Sardinia
One of the many beaches south of Castelsardo.
My husband, Lynn, and I are timeshare owners and frequently peruse the website of Interval International seeking a suitable swap. When La Fenice Resort in Sardinia, Italy, became available for a week in mid May ’11, we pounced, ultimately making it the centerpiece for a three-week trip to southern Italy. Fast-forward to May. After spending a week in Italy visiting Rome and Pompeii, which we found exhilarating, we were nonetheless ready for a change of pace: fewer crowds, with more wonders of nature rather than of man. Sardinia, we hoped, would fit the bill.
March 2009 issue

Argentina — apartment living in Buenos Aires

by Jennifer Petoff, San Francisco, CA

My husband, Scott, and I visited Buenos Aires in April ’08. It was our first trip to South America and we wanted to make it memorable.

For a number of reasons, we decided to rent an apartment for our 10-day trip rather than stay at a hotel. We expected it would give us a more authentic and local experience and hoped it would provide us the opportunity to be a part of one of the unique barrios that comprise Buenos Aires.

In addition, renting an apartment would cost about half the price of a comparable hotel, making it affordable to...

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February 2008 issue

Searching for family ties in Scotland

by Richard Reid, Clarkston, WA

Since the mid-18th century, Scottish immigrants have contributed to the growth of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere. For those wishing to discover their Scottish heritage, there is no better way than to go to the country from which those immigrants originated.

What usually is discovered, however, is that these ancestors came from small, isolated villages or towns. With that being the situation, the best approach is to develop your own itinerary and work with an in-country tour operator.

My own journey of...

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