My wife, Danielle, and I took a segment of the Seven Seas Voyager’s 2008 world cruise, sailing from Singapore to Mumbai, in March ’08. It was scheduled to stop March 22 and 23 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but two days before our arrival the captain canceled the port, citing security concerns.

We had already made arrangements with a Colombo tour operator, Nizam Lantra of Silan Travel Services (264/11, Artigala Mawatha, Talangama North, Sri Lanka; phone +9411 4935387, fax +9411 2790482, e-...

My husband, Steve, and I have had very good luck with hiring our own private guides when disembarking from a cruise ship, rather than paying the exorbitant prices for the line’s shore excursions.

What we do is ask around the area as we disembark; there are always local tour guides wanting business. We find one who speaks English and has a decent car, decide on a price for the day and off we go. We tell the guide we don’t want to go to the touristy places or the government-run stores...

During a short stay in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in March ’07, my travel partner, Frank, and I took a private tour to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre. The reserve cares for homeless elephants and relocates elephants from areas where crops, people or the beasts themselves are at risk.

While in Bangkok preparing to head for Singapore, I found the tour on the Internet offered by Endemic Guides (No. 40, Jalan 8/20, Section 8, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia; phone +6 03...