Travel Tidbits

January 2007 issue

We took an exhilarating, 2-hour white-water rafting trip down Chile’s Sarapiquis River during a December tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (800/221-0814 or www.oattravel.com). We were told the Sarapiquis was a Class III river (medium to moderately difficulty). We would experience a few minutes of rapid paddling on our trip interspersed with periods of calmly floating down the river. Many of us thought that, if these were Class III rapids, we were ready to challenge Class IV or V. The expert boatmen on our rafts made the experience seem easy. — MASAO MATSUMOTO, Arlington, VA

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November 2005 issue

Travel Tidbits

On my tour of the Dalmatian Coast in July ’03, I took a day trip to Pula, Croatia. I think the best bet once there is to take a taxi to the coliseum. It’s too easy to get lost, otherwise. I arrived in the early morning and caught the last of the good light to photograph and also beat the tourist buses’ arrival. This is a good place to just sit and soak up the atmosphere for about an hour. A 15-minute walk up the hill takes you to the castle — only mildly interesting. If you’re in a time crunch, give it a miss. — SAMANTHA SARTAIN, Colorado Springs, CO

On a tour of Russia’s...

December 2005 issue

Travel Tidbits

The Palámidi fortress in Nafplio, Greece, was the best of all the fortresses we visited in that area on our trip. It was built by the Venetians from 1711 to 1714 but was seized by the Turks the following year. My wife and I must have burned up four rolls of film between us on the structure. Adding to its appeal were all the colorful spring wildflowers coming up in crevices between the rocks. If you’re more ambitious and have the time, you can walk up 999 stairs from the town to the fortress. — RICHARD BERNER, San Diego, CA

I spent the night at a farmhouse in the Burren,...

January 2006 issue

Travel Tidbits

A very surprising highlight for us on our trip to New Zealand was Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World in Auckland. It features an excellent aquarium walk-through, a polar theme ride and a museum, all situated underground beneath a highway! — NORM LOEFFLER, Wichita Falls, TX

During our trip to New Zealand in March ’03, we were determined to find a yellow-eyed penguin on our own. Locals suggested Allen’s Beach (near Dunedin, South Island) at 6 p.m. Alone, we hid behind the rocks and blinked as a penguin swam in on a wave, stood up, waddled ashore, preened and...

May 2004 issue

30-day tour of Turkey with Cultural Folk Tours International

A friend and I went on a 30-day tour of Turkey in July ’03 with Cultural Folk Tours International (5631 Lincoln Ave., Ste. B, Cypress, CA 90630; phone 800/935-8875 or visit www.boraozkok.com).

The total cost, including the flight from San Antonio to Istanbul and return, was $5,720 per person plus travel insurance. We were given a $250 deduction because we paid in full in January.

The tour was led by Bora Özkök and was all we had hoped for. We chose “Bora’s Grand Tour,” which starts in Istanbul and goes along the borders of the country and inland to Ankara and Cappadocia. One...

July 2005 issue

Travel Tidbits

I visited Petra, Jordan, while on a cruise ship in 2000. You can travel through the Siq on foot or in a horse-drawn cart. Note the number of your cart to insure a return trip. If you choose to walk down the Siq and through Petra, then return to the Siq and walk back out, understand that it is a trip of four or five miles. You’d better be in excellent condition. — LESLIE STEVENS, Raleigh, NC

On a trip in France in April ’01, we decided to travel on local roads from Provence to Grasse, famous for its perfumeries. We stopped on the way at the quaint hilltown of Le Bar sur Loup and...

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