International Travel News

Travel Briefs

August 2011 issue | Appears on page 75

Belfast airport smoking fee

In Northern Ireland, Belfast International Airport (phone +44 0 28 9448 4848) has constructed a smoking area inside the terminal. The area, located by the Bar des Voyageurs, can be accessed using a coin worth £1. This is the first smoking area within the airport’s security zone, past the checkpoints.

August 2011 issue | Appears on page 75

Immunizations app

The Healix Travel Vaccination app (compatible with iPhone, iTouch and iPads) lists all of the immunizations required of and recommended for visitors to any country. Information on health risks is included. The free app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.

August 2011 issue | Appears on page 75

Bermuda tee times

Bermuda features seven golf courses, six of championship caliber, and now tee times can be booked in advance, online, through Bermuda Premier Golf. Golfers can select a course, tee times and the number of players and pay securely online (Visa, MasterCard or AmEx).

A tee time voucher, sent by e-mail, is encoded with a unique bar code to eliminate fraud. Each voucher is presented to the golf course on the day of play. The site provides course descriptions, pictures and videos.

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August 2011 issue | Appears on page 76

Maldives submarine

The hotel Conrad Maldives (Rangali Island, 2034, Maldives; phone 960 668 0629, fax 960 668 0619) now offers guests daily private tours aboard its three-person submarine.

The German-built submarine can accommodate two passengers in addition to the pilot and can dive to a depth of 98 feet. Glass observation domes along the top allow views of the coral reef and aquatic wildlife. Tours last 30 minutes and cost $280 for one person or $495 for two. Hotel room rates run $490-$1,250 per...

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 19

London 2012 Olympics

• Any remaining tickets to the 2012 Olympics in London, July 25-Aug. 12, are being sold in a random-selection ballot and in “hospitality packages” from Authorized Ticket Resellers (ATRs). The ATR for the US and Canada is CoSport (Box 905, Far Hills, NJ 07931; 877/457-4647 or 908/326-2660).

CoSport packages range from $8,080 for two people for three nights’ hotel with breakfast and tickets for two events (badminton and beach volleyball) up to $32,555 for two people for four nights,...

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 58

Handicapped-adapted rental cars in UK

A range of vehicles with handicapped-accessible features now can be rented in the United Kingdom from Auto Europe. Among the options — a single lever to take the place of floor pedals; thumb controls on the steering wheel for turn indicators, wipers and horn, and floor pedals for people who have use of only the left leg.

Examples, each with full insurance and VAT included — from London’s Heathrow Airport, a week’s rental of a Nissa Micra economy car with hand controls and automatic...

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 67

SE Asian Games

The South East Asian Games will be held in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, and Jakarta, Indonesia, Nov. 11-22, 2011. Palembang, the main host, will welcome 6,000 athletes from the 10 countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations and Timor-Leste. Athletes will compete in 44 disciplines, including archery, diving, judo and volleyball, at various venues.

July 2011 issue | Appears on page 67

Windstar purchased

In a surprise purchase, Windstar Cruises has been acquired for $39 million by the financially sound Anschutz Corporation from its former owners, Ambassadors International, which filed bankruptcy in April 2010. TAC Cruises, LLC, a unit of Anschutz Corp., will continue to operate all scheduled cruises for the three Windstar sailing yachts: Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Surf.