Travel Briefs

July 2007 issue

Deilmann golf cruises

MS Deutschland features a golf theme in 2007. Among others, the 11-night “Britannica Golf” cruise offers rounds of golf at the 18-hole course at St. Andrew’s in Scotland and rounds at five other courses in Ireland. On a 20-night sailing from Phuket, Thailand, to Hong Kong, another cruise wraps up with golf at Mission Hills in Hong Kong, the largest golf facility in the world.

Prices for a twin cabin start at $5,706 for the European cruise and at $9,570 for the Thailand cruise. A discount for nongolfers is available. Contact Peter Deilmann Cruises (Alexandria, VA; 800/348-8287).

April 2011 issue

Het Grach­t­enhuis

Het Grachtenhuis (Herengracht 386, Amsterdam), a 17th-century mansion designed by Philips Vingboons, the most famous Dutch architect of the Golden Age, will open to the public on April 1, 2011.

It will feature interactive exhibits on the history of Amsterdam’s canals and of the canal house mansion, which was visited several times by President John Adams, who used Dutch funds gathered by one of the home’s former owners, banker Jan Willink, to lay the foundation for the independence of the United States.

April 2012 issue

Brussels’ Flower Carpet

Every two years, the Grand’Place in Brussels, Belgium, is transformed into a 2,000-square-meter carpet of almost a million brightly colored begonias, laid down in one day by 100 craftsmen.

Each carpet has a different theme; 2012’s will have an African motif. The carpet will be open to the public at 10 p.m. on Aug. 14 and daily Aug. 15-19. Each night there will be a 5-minute sound-and-light show beginning at 10, 10:30 & 11.

Viewing at street level is free. A panoramic view from the balcony of the Town Hall, 9 a.m.-11 p.m., costs €3. For info, phone 02 513 89 40 or visit...

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July 2004 issue

A nice breeze in Curaçao

In January ’04 we spent 15 nights at the beautiful Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino (phone [599-9] 736-8800, fax [599-9] 462-7502). This 5-star resort is first class. We paid $229 for a nice double with a beautiful view of the blue and green waters of the Caribbean.

The open-air lobby, typical of hotels in this area, was so pleasant to walk through anytime of the day or night.

The resort’s open-air Palm Café faced the lovely pool area and Caribbean and offered breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Emerald Bar & Grill was also excellent, serving lunch and...

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February 2012 issue

Vue Zone home monitor

Vue Zone wireless video-monitoring systems allow people to check on their home or pets while traveling. Through cameras placed in your home, video images (live or recordings) can be accessed over the Internet with a laptop or smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry or Android).

Priced $150-$240, the various packages include cameras, wall mounts and a base unit. Each system can handle up to 50 extra cameras (plain camera, $79.95, and motion-activated, $99.95).

The free “Basic” service plan includes the live feed and up to 25 e-mail alerts each month. “Premier” service, $49.95 per...

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June 2004 issue

Freestay Coins

Cruise passengers arriving at St. Kitts’ Port Zante pier will see an 8-foot-tall column that has a welcome message on one side and, on the other, an invitation to return and use Freestay Coins. St. Kitts is one of eight islands participating in the Freestay Caribbean Coin program, geared to encourage visitors to return and stay over.

The coins — and each island has its own coin design — entitle the bearer to discounts at shops, hotels, restaurants and attractions. The St. Kitts coins are imprinted with a toll-free number and website URL offering more info.

July 2004 issue

Chefs of London teach

The chefs of some of London’s finest restaurants are passing on their knowledge at a series of master classes arranged by Tasting Places. They are being held at a designer kitchen in Holland Park and at several restaurants.

The morning sessions in Holland Park cost from £100 (near $179) per person, with a 2-hour hands-on master class followed by lunch with fine wines.

The master classes in restaurants are mainly limited to seven to 12 people and start at £140 ($250) per person. Among the famous kitchens in which students learn are Bibendum (July 26 & Nov. 1), the Blue...

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October 2012 issue

Machu Picchu tickets

Since mid 2011, the number of visitors at Machu Picchu has been capped at 2,500 per day, and Peru requires tickets to be purchased in advance. While tour operators will handle that for their clients, independent travelers need to make their own arrangements.

However, the official ticket website of the Peruvian Ministerio de Cultura is difficult to navigate and currently is not accepting payments by credit cards. Reservations can still be made on the website, but payments for the tickets must be made in country at one of several Banco de la Nación de Peru locations. A ticket costs...

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