Travelers' Intercom

My husband, my parents and I departed on Dec. 16, ’02, for an 18-day trip to Egypt that included sightseeing around Islamic and Coptic Cairo; the Sakkara necropolis; the Giza pyramids; several days in Luxor to visit the temples and West Bank; a cruise down the Nile; the Aswan area; Abu Simbel, and diving in the Red Sea.

As we travel, we are always interested in local culture, history, art, unusual architecture, religion, geography and native plants and animals. Egypt does not disappoint in this regard.

We were fortunate to hire an extraordinarily knowledgeable private guide...

As my wife, Judy, and I traveled for 37 days in Central Europe, late August through early October 2010, we found a number of restaurants we would recommend.

In BUDAPEST, Hungary, we had dinner at Dunacorsa Étterem (1051 Budapest, Vigado tér 3; phone [+36] 1 3 186 362), Aug. 30 and Sept. 1. This restaurant, overlooking the Danube, offers fine dining inside and outside. There was a wonderful three-piece orchestra playing classical music. Our bill for two was $40, which included a bottle of Chardonnay. A great selection.

In the wine village of GRIN­ZING, outside Vienna, Austria...

My husband, Carl, and I took a private tour of Vietnam, Jan. 5-29, 2009, with All Asia Travel (57-59 Do Quang Dau St., Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; phone 84 8 39203 493 or 446, fax 203 886).

A major reason for choosing a tour company in the country you are visiting is cost. Our Vietnam trip cost about $3,000 per person for 24 days/nights, with comfortable hotels (designated “superior,” [comparable to a standard mid-level hotel in the US], except in Halong Bay, where we had deluxe accommodations), breakfasts, three flights within Vietnam and Laos, round-...