International Travel News

Travelers' Intercom

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 13

Exploring Belize

My wife, Renate, and I traveled to Belize, Jan. 16-31, 2008. All arrangements for this trip were made through companies found on the Belize Tourism Board’s website (www.travelbelize.org; click on “Places to Stay”). The site offers hundreds of hotels, resorts, etc., and we were really lucky with the ones I mention and recommend them.

We spent the first three days at the Embassy Hotel & Mission House (Airport Ring Road, Ladyville, Belize; phone 011 501 225 3333, www....

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 14

Audio guide advantages — London

My wife and I visited London in April ’07 for the 11th time. On our first trip, in 1984, we were with a hosted group. We learned that we prefer to have the freedom to explore in more detail, so we have been traveling independently ever since.

At Westminster Abbey, the group entrance is on the north side; however, independents enter at the front, where you can either pick up a map and wander on your own or rent an excellent audio guide for £5.

These guides provide directions,...

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 15

Gliding through time

An Amsterdam-Budapest cruise on Viking River Cruise's (877/668-4546) Viking Pride one May evoked these observations:

The Danube, immortalized as “blue,” is actually a dirty gray color.

There is no more relaxing moment than reclining on the ship’s sundeck while ancient castles and fortresses float by on pristine hilltops. The only interruption was the waiter who dropped by occasionally to offer a cool one.

A river cruise boat is literally a floating hotel where each...

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 26

Uncomfortable on board

Experienced river cruise travelers, we took the 12-day Ukraine trip “Footsteps of the Cossacks” on the Viking Lavrinenkov with Viking River Cruises, Sept. 24-Oct. 6, 2007.

The cost was about $2,900 without airfare, and we also had several discounts given at different times. Most shore excursions were included, the exceptions being concerts, wine tasting, etc.

We traveled from Kiev to Yalta and back on the Dnieper River. The trip was interesting and informative. The staff, crew...

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 28

72-person ‘small-group’ tour

My husband, Steven, and I took the 10-day “Life in Japan” tour, May 13-22, 2007, with General Tours. The cost was $6,328 for both of us, including one extra day in Tokyo, another in Kyoto and the optional tour to Nikko. We purchased airfare separately.

In two phone conversations with General Tours representatives, we were told that our group would have only 13 people. Upon meeting the tour in Japan, we found that five General Tours groups (on the tours “Life in Japan,” “Inland Sea of...

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 30

Insurance came through

Four of us were scheduled to depart Sydney, Australia, March 9, 2008, on a month-long cruise. However, on Jan. 9 one member of our party suddenly died.

We were insured with STA Travel (800/781-4040, www.statravel.com), which was notified on Jan. 11. They were so sympathetic and compassionate and immediately helped us on the steps to be taken.

Our friend received her husband’s death certificate on Feb. 5, and the process of recovering our losses began. We had checks in hand by...

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 32

Planning for three weeks in Norway

My sister, Judy, and I agreed that July ’07 was the right time for us to tour the land of our paternal grandparents: Norway.

Looking over travel brochures, Judy fell in love with a 15-day escorted vacation featuring a northbound cruise on a Hurtigruten ship. Though I wasn’t that enthusiastic about seeing the Laplanders (now called Sami) or eating reindeer stew (quite good, actually) or sleeping on flea-bitten rugs (of course we didn’t!), I agreed, with the proviso that she spend an...

July 2008 issue | Appears on page 34

Guide in Georgia

In Tbilisi, Georgia, in February ’08 I had the best personal guide I have ever had: Anna Uturgauri (Str. R. Eristavi 9, Apt. 1, Tbilisi, 0179 Georgia; e-mail annau@caucasus.net).

She is not quite 23 years old, but I found her, oh, so knowledgeable about Tbilisi and Georgia and any topic that arose.

What made her special, besides being so ebullient, was her desire to help me do what I wanted to do, not what the travel book suggested I should do. I told her I didn’t want to go to...