Features

by Steven Cole, Lowell, MI (Second of two parts, jump to part 1)

Flying into Kathmandu from Bangkok at the beginning of my trip three weeks earlier, I had my first glimpse of the mighty Himalayas and the Everest region from the seat of a Thai Airways 747. I’d been told to request a seat on the right side of the plane for the best view.

Roughly two hours into the 3-hour flight, there appeared on the horizon to the north what looked to be jagged teeth in a very long jawbone. Although the plane did not fly close enough to identify any of the mountains, I nevertheless got an...

by Margo Wilson, Scottsdale, AZ

India is HOT! No, not that kind of hot, although you wouldn’t want to travel there in the summer. No, India is a hot, get-there-now travel destination. It is also economically hot, with one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia.

North versus south

The strides in economic development were apparent to us as we traveled for 23 days in southern India in January-February ’06, but the travel boom doesn’t seem to have hit that region yet. Although we met many independent British, Scandinavian and Swiss travelers who have made...

by Jane Albusche, Contributing Editor

I’d wondered why Grand Circle Travel named its European river cruise ships after composers or musical terms (Debussy, Ravel, Concerto, Harmony and so on). After the first few days aboard the M/S River Melody, the answer was obvious: our September ’07 cruise, “Romance of the Rhine & Mosel,” had a soothing yet swinging rhythm and was as fun as a German beer hall song.

It’s incredibly relaxing to have your “hotel” travel with you from stop to stop; you unpack only once and you have a convenience of choice, 24/7.

Want to go on the...