Travel Briefs | International Travel News

September 2011 issue

Hurricane season

The Department of State alerts travelers to the hurricane season in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. In general, hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15 and ends Nov. 30.

If a situation requires evacuation from an overseas location, the Department of State will not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. The State Department recommends obtaining travel insurance to cover unexpected expenses...

August 2011 issue

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.

July 2011 issue

Cayman Motor Museum

On Grand Cayman, the Cayman Motor Museum (864 North West Point Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman KY1-1202, Cayman Islands; phone, in the US, 345/947-7741), near Boatswain’s Beach, has 80 vintage vehicles on display. This private collection includes the “very first automobile ever produced,” an 1886 Benz, and the original Batmobile from the 1960s television show.

Open 9-5 Mon.-Sat. $15 adult or $7.50 child under 12.

December 2011 issue

Nouvel Orsay

Paris’ Musée d’Orsay (62, rue de Lille; phone +33 [0] 1 40 49 48 14) unveiled, in October, the results of its 18-month-long, €20-million renovation. The Pavillon Amont now has four new levels of gallery space, while the museum’s fifth-level Impressionist space has been redesigned, with pieces rearranged.

The exhibition “The England of Oscar Wilde” runs to Jan. 15, 2012, followed by “Akseli Gallen-Kallela, A Passion for Finland,” Feb. 7-May 6, and “Degas & the Nude,” March 13-July 1. Open 9:30-6 Tues.-Sun. General...

June 2011 issue

Orangs with Orion

Along with primatologist Dr. Biruté Galdikas, up-close interactions with orangutans in Borneo are featured with three sailings to Indonesia by Orion Expedition Cruises (New York, NY; 877/674-6687).

Dr. Galdikas, who founded the Orangutan Foundation 40 years ago, is guest lecturer, and passengers may spend two days at her base in Tanjung Puting National Park.

The 10-night cruise departs Bali Sept. 30 and Dec. 29, 2011, and Jan. 8, 2012, visiting Kalimantan, Tanjung Puting and Gunung Palung national parks, Kuching and Sarawak, ending in Singapore. Cruise prices run $6,930-$13,...

October 2011 issue

‘Antarctic Wildlife’

The first third of “Antarctic Wildlife: a Visitor’s Guide” by James Lowen (2011, Princeton University Press. Stiff, large-format paperback, 240 glossy pages, $22.95) has general tips on spotting wildlife, then it lists plant, sea and bird life by geographic regions. Densely illustrated with photos (both juvenile and adult animals), the rest tells how to identify varieties of seals, whales, dolphins, gulls, penguins, ducks, etc., with short text descriptions of their behaviors.

September 2011 issue

St. Patrick’s trail

A downloadable brochure lists 15 sites associated with Ireland’s patron saint along a 92-mile driving route in Northern Ireland. Among sites are Armagh, where Patrick founded his main church, Struell Well, blessed by Patrick, and Down Cathedral, his gravesite.

Including a map, descriptions of each stop and 14 two-for-one entry vouchers, it’s available free from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board website.

August 2011 issue

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.