Travel Tidbits

April 2008 issue

From the Malabar Hills in Mumbai, India, at night one catches a glimpse of “Queen Victoria’s Necklace.” This is Marine Drive, a curved roadway whose lights become the glittering “necklace.” The Bay View Bar was a good place from which to see this beautiful sight. — BETTY SILANDER, Ludington, MI

Apoyo Lagoon, in an ancient volcanic crater in Nicaragua, was absolutely beautiful. We had a wonderful lunch at the top of the rim and enjoyed the view. The water was deep blue in the bright sun. A young man was hang gliding, soaring with the birds. — PHYLLIS CORRIGAN, Valley...

May 2008 issue

Travel Tidbits

If you’ll be shopping overseas and want to know the Customs regulations on what you can bring back, visit the website www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel. — CLAUDIA REED, Las Vegas, NV

In Angara on the Azorean island of Terceira, the Festival of Saint John takes place for nine days in late June. Unfortunately for the jet-lagged, parades, concerts and festivities take place from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.! At the festival, we came upon a “blessing the cattle” ceremony, where six young steers, decked out in crowns and paper streamers, led a procession with a band, guitar player and...

June 2008 issue

Travel Tidbits

We found Bali, Indonesia, a wonderful location to visit. The only caveat from our trip is that it was hot and humid in April, although we experienced no rain. We would recommend a Bali visit, particularly in combination with a trip to Australia or Asia. — MYRNA PLOST, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

In the harbor on São Jorge, Azores, they were celebrating the Feast of the Holy Spirit during our visit (in June). Large tents were erected to serve as restaurants, and our group ate traditional Azorean fare, including pork, linguica, blood sausage, octopus and taro root, not to...

July 2008 issue

Travel Tidbits

In western Ukraine, the island-town of Kamyanets-Podilsky is a genuine geographic wonder. The old town is on an island with a river that loops almost completely around it. Cliffs rise on both sides of the river, thus the town itself is a natural fortress. It is full of old, decaying structures and only now is getting the attention it deserves. Across the Turkish Bridge, which spans the river ravine, is the town’s 14th-century fortress. — BERNARD BERICH, Philadelphia, PA

On our March visit to Rome, there was a line six or seven blocks long to get into the Vatican Museum as...

March 2007 issue

Travel Tidbits

Although we found the weather in May very unpleasant, it did not deter us from enjoying our trip to Denmark. Daytime temperatures were 50°-55°F and it was windy, with rain showers, some of them heavy. Our daily attire consisted of heavy sweaters or sweatshirts with raincoats. Locals told us that April weather is very unpredictable: cold and rainy, then warm and sunny. — WALTER HUSE, Fort Meyers, FL

I would highly recommend visiting Mount Floyen in Bergen, Norway — if the weather is good. Don’t waste your money if visibility is poor. (In 2007, funicular tickets cost NOK70 [near $...

August 2008 issue

Travel Tidbits: the Mursi, JetRest, and Luang Prabang

We visited the Mursi people of Ethiopia. The women stretch their lower lips and insert wooden or terra-cotta discs. We found this, along with corncobs in their hair, quite unattractive, but to the Mursi, the larger the lip plate the more desirable the wearer.

The Mursi were quite aggressive in wanting their pictures taken, for which payment was required. A thoughtful gesture of our guide was to get us new, small-denomination birr notes, as that is what the tribal people wanted. — NELL Q. McCOMBS, Ventura, CA

I found a wonderful travel pillow called JetRest in the...

April 2007 issue

Travel Tidbits

When I went to the post office in Tbilisi, Georgia, to mail packages home in April ’05, each of my bags was measured, and then a lady sewed muslin covers for each one. These were then stitched up and sealed with hot wax. It was expensive, but my packages were waiting for me when I got home. — SAMANTHA SARTAIN, Colorado Spring, CO

If you are prone to having your luggage lost, pack half of your things in your spouse’s luggage, and he or she can do the same. That way, neither of you will be without clothing if a suitcase is lost. — CLAUDIA REED, Las Vegas, NV

On a December...

May 2007 issue

Travel Tidbits

Online at www.airtreks.com, Airtreks (San Francisco, CA; 877/247-8735) will plot and plan your round-the-world trip for free, giving you the latest prices and best routes to take. — CLAUDIA REED, Las Vegas, NV

We liked Lviv, the capital of western Ukraine. Just over 50 miles from the Polish border, it has, like Poland, been overrun by foreigners for centuries. The effects of this are seen in its assortment of architectural styles. Before WWII, the population was about 50% Polish; today, almost all of the million or so residents are Ukrainian. I would like to return to this city....