International Travel News

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February 2012 issue | Appears on page 16

Parish holidays in UK

For many years throughout the British Isles, the “parish holidays” program was a fund raiser for Anglican churches. For many American visitors, it offered a joyful way to participate in local life and customs at a very reasonable cost. Since 2005, my husband, Lou, and I have enjoyed three parish holidays. The program officially came to an end in 2010, but I was happy to learn that in 2011 an independent parish holiday was being offered in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, July 5-12. Nine of us, from...

February 2012 issue | Appears on page 16

More on Tottori, Japan

I have a bit more information regarding a couple of the places mentioned in the article on Tottori Prefecture in Japan (Nov. ’11, pg. 6). I visited the area Nov. 1-7, 2011. Regarding the Uradome Coast boat excursion with the San’in Matsushima Yourun Company (Iwami-gun; phone 0857 73 1212 or e-mail info@yourun1000.com), the small-boat ride described in the article runs only from April to October and lasts 50 minutes, while the large-boat ride runs from March to November and lasts 40 minutes....

February 2012 issue | Appears on page 17

Be aware in Argentina

On Nov. 30, 2011, while visiting the beautiful “Paris of South America,” as Buenos Aires is justly called, members of our tour group went exploring on their own. At around noon, one couple was waiting at an intersection to cross Avenida 9 de Julio, with many other Argentineans around, when the woman’s purse was grabbed. The thief got money and a copy of her passport (she had left the original in the hotel room’s safe). Another couple was going down to take the subway when a similar incident...

February 2012 issue | Appears on page 18

Cueva de la Pileta

A highlight of my two-month trip to Spain in February and March ’11 was a day trip from Ronda to Benaojan to see La Cueva de la Pileta, which contains some of the oldest cave paintings found in Europe. Amazingly, the public may view the original prehistoric paintings (not reproductions). I visited the cave in the first week of March. I took the train from Ronda (round trip fare, €5). Guided tours of the cave are about an hour long, cost €8 (near $10.50) and are limited to 25 people. Tours...

February 2012 issue | Appears on page 26

Emirates flight failings

I am writing in regard to Emirates flight EK225 on May 31, 2011, from Dubai to San Francisco, on which I was a passenger in economy class. During this 15½-hour flight, I saw the flight attendants come around on only two occasions with water and juice, once on my side of the aisle and once on the other side of the aircraft. Three hours into the flight I still hadn’t received my headset. It took three requests of three different attendants to finally get one.

I was served a meal...

February 2012 issue | Appears on page 27

Narrow boat, auto, barge in UK

Carol Mullett raising a bridge on the Llangollen Canal.

Narrow boating is the ultimate do-it-yourself activity. You not only run the boat, cook and housekeep but operate the locks and raise the bridges on the canal or river. And “narrow” means just that, as the locks are as little as seven feet wide, which calls for a boat that is long and narrow, like a horizontal Ichabod Crane. My wife, Carol, and I have taken narrow boat vacations in England, Ireland, France and the US. On a trip in fall 2010 — when we were 77 and 80 — we visited three...

February 2012 issue | Appears on page 32

SE Asia with Green Papaya

My husband, John, and I found Green Papaya Travel (21B Lo Duc St., Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi City, Vietnam; phone +84 391 323 4507) in ITN’s The MART classifieds and would recommend them to anyone who wants to see Southeast Asia. Green Papaya was great. We communicated by e-mail and they made all the arrangements (except international flights) for our 17-day trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, Sept. 23-Oct. 11, 2011. We asked for, at least, three-star hotels, a car with air-conditioning, a...

February 2012 issue | Appears on page 32

Panama and Kuna Yala

I took the 11-day land tour of Panama, “From the Pacific to the Caribbean,” in March ’11 with Explore! Worldwide (based in the UK, with an office in Oakland, CA; 800/715-1746). It was a good experience. The land cost was $1,670 plus a single supplement of $505. There were nine participants: four from the UK, two Canadians and three Americans. With a good background in the history and natural history of Panama, our local guide, Kenny Weeks, was excellent and accommodated our special interests...