Travel Briefs

With ShoreTrips (Milwaukee, WI; 888/355-0220, www.shoretrips.com), ships’ passengers or any travelers can book independent day tours and ground transfers at 420 river and ocean cruise ports in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia/Oceania and South and North America. 

All with English-speaking guides, tours offered are of all types, including driving, walking, cycling, historic, cultural, cooking, kayaking, fishing, whale-watching, etc.

Among excursions are a 7½-...

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More than 40 feet off the ground and running over 426 feet through treetops, the Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (Rhodes Dr., Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa; phone +27 21 799 8783, www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch) opened in 2014. Built of steel and wood, the uncovered walkway is in the shape of a gentle curve.

Outside of Cape Town, just east of Table Mountain, the 89-acre Kirstenbosch garden was established in 1913. Over 7,000 species of...

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In Prague, Czechia (aka Czech Republic), the largest and longest-duration Christmas markets in 2016 will be held in the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, Nov. 26-Jan. 1. Visit www.prague.eu/en and, in the “Events” heading, click on “Food & Markets,” then on “Christmas market (8).”

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After dining at the Little Zoo Café (Sukhothai Ave 99, Muangthongthani, Nonthaburi 11120, Thailand; phone +66 92 448 1116, www.littlezoocafe.com), guests can visit a few animals, including fennec foxes, meerkats and a raccoon. The animals, in a separate room, can be visited by only six people at one time. Guests must sanitize their hands and remove their shoes first. 

Purchase of food in the café is required of anyone wishing to visit the animals. Meal prices start at THB165 (...

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In a chest-deep pool, visitors to Australia can pet, play with and feed a platypus at the zoo Healesville Sanctuary (Badger Creek Rd., Healesville, Victoria, 3777, Australia; phone +61 3 5957 2800, www.zoo.org.au/healesville).

The “Wade with a Platypus” activity, limited to two people per visit (children under 12 not permitted), must be booked in advance and takes place at 11:15 a.m. Mon., Wed. and Fri.-Sun. Including park entry fee, it costs AUD175 (near $132) per person...

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On Cockatoo Island, the largest island in Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia, visitors can watch the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, roughly 2½ miles away, while camping in style. 

Visitors can choose a glamping (upscale) site that includes a tent with beds (AUD750-AUD2,195 [near $570-$1,667], total, for two to six people); a tent-and-sleeping-mats package (AUD650 for up to three people), or a bring-your-own-tent campsite (AUD545-AUD975, depending on...

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On June 6, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) approved six US carriers to begin scheduling commercial flights to Cuba. They are American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Jetblue Airways, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines. 

The approved destination cities in Cuba do not include Havana, but the DOT is expected to approve airline routes to Havana by the end of summer. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both have requested Havana routes.

As of...

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The first US-based credit card able to be used in Cuba was released on June 14 by Stonegate Bank (Pompano Beach, FL; 954/315-5500, www.stonegate bank.com). The Stonegate Platinum, World and World Elite MasterCards are the chip-and-PIN type and can be used at any point-of-sale (POS) terminal in Cuba. 

To apply for a card online, visit www.stonegatebank.com/credit_cards.htm and, from the red “Online Applications” menu, select “Consumer credit card.” ...

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