International Travel News

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May 2009 issue | Appears on page 18

Frugal trip to NZ

New Zealand, an expensive country, can be done on the cheap. I spent $2,200 plus my grocery costs on my trip from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Day 2007.

Air New Zealand e-mailed my round-trip ticket, which cost $710 plus the usual fees for a total of $935. My Magic Bus pass for the North and South islands cost about $500. Thirty nights at hostels (there are over 200 available) cost me about $450.

I stayed in bunks and dorms in hostels in 23 towns and cities. The driver of the...

May 2009 issue | Appears on page 20

Lightweight walkie-talkies

While spending several weeks in Spain in March-May 2008, my husband, Duane, and I found walkie-talkies to come in very handy for keeping in touch when apart.

A last-minute decision that Duane thought of while packing, we purchased a set of professional, 22-channel, 2-way, voice-activated BellSouth Walkie Talkies (model 2276GY) at a Walgreens drugstore for only about $20.

Palm-size and lightweight, they use four AAA batteries and have a 5-mile range. We used rechargeable...

May 2009 issue | Appears on page 31

Billed for tour before accepting it

In December 2008, I called Grand Circle Travel to arrange March 2009 travel for two to Sicily. GCT calls the basic trip a “14-Day Extended Vacation.” They also offer a 6-night pretrip to Malta and a 7-night post-trip on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. I had hoped to arrange for air transportation and all three trip elements, which would include hotels and some meals plus travel insurance.

I provided credit card information, then asked to review the charged elements of my trip. As I was...

May 2009 issue | Appears on page 31

Found ‘deficiencies’ on ship

I found sailing from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco on a Panama Canal cruise aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Infinity, April 13-28, 2008, to be a horrendous experience. For a suite with balcony, the cost was $8,328 per person, double occupancy, excluding airfare.

In our suite, the toilet was broken and took four days to repair. The sink drain mechanism did not work. In the tub Jacuzzi in our cabin, the water came out black and brackish.

The television set did not...

May 2009 issue | Appears on page 33

Paul Gauguin cruise

We took a superb cruise in French Polynesia, Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2008, with Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA; 800/248-3737, www.gct.com). The ship was the Paul Gauguin of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. It carries 330 passengers and is truly a luxury vessel, featuring a state-of-the-art retractable water sports platform, with complimentary water-skiing, windsurfing and kayaking.

First we flew Air Tahiti Nui to Papeete, Tahiti, where we stayed at the Sheraton for two days before boarding the...

May 2009 issue | Appears on page 34

Art Nouveau in Riga

When my wife, Kathryn, and I visited the ancient port city of Riga, Latvia, in July ’08, we were particularly interested in its Art Nouveau architecture, the best in Europe.

We stayed at the 4-star Hotel Avalon (70 Kaleju St., Riga; phone +371 671 69999, fax 671 60571, www.hotelavalon.eu). Its bright, airy courtyard atrium takes your breath away. A fine buffet breakfast comes with the room ($130 per night, double), a restaurant and bar are available, and the sixth-floor terrace...

May 2009 issue | Appears on page 36

Guide in China

When my wife, Margi, and I toured China’s Silk Road with Pacific Holidays in 2006 (Aug. ’07, pg. 59), our guide in Dunhuang was the informative Steven Kang, a very pleasant, thoughtful man, fun to be with. With a good command of English, he gave us great information about the historical significance of the sights in the area. Also, we would never have made it aboard the overnight train to Turpan without his personal assistance!

I recently found out that this entrepreneurial young man...

May 2009 issue | Appears on page 37

Eastern Turkey’s ties to the world

When I signed on for the 22-day/21-night “Turkey’s Biblical East” tour organized and led by Tamer Teoman of Teo World Culture Tours (New York, NY; 888/444-1110, www.teoworldculturetours.com), I knew little about that part of the world. Anatolia? I can’t say I even knew what part of Turkey that was. As I studied a map and pinpointed the towns and places we would visit, ghosts from my old schoolbooks came marching out of the past.

Anatolia is what we called Asia Minor. The Tigris and...