Travelers' Intercom

July 2017 issue | Appears on page 15

Advice on visiting Morocco’s medinas
By Kimberly A. Edwards
View of a narrow medina street. Photos by Kimberly Edwards

I toured northern Morocco, along with my significant other, in October 2016 on a trip arranged through Julia Travel (C/ Pablo Iglesias, 84 [Poligono Pedrosa], 08908 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; phone +34 93 402 69 00, julia travel.com). 

This was a side trip to a stay in Spain, and we purchased the trip through our hometown travel agent. The cost of our 6-night Morocco tour was about $800 per person. Most meals were included, as was a choice of 3- or 4-star...

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July 2017 issue | Appears on page 17

Warnings about ATMs
By Albert Podell

In countries where there are no ATMs, cash is king. In about half the countries in Africa, there are no ATMs or establishments that accept credit cards outside of the capital or main financial city. This is also true in many Pacific island nations. I’ve found that establishments in the Pacific islands tend to prefer dollars from Australia, New Zealand or the US. Almost all of the countries where you will need cash prefer brand-new bills in high denominations.In some countries with...

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July 2017 issue | Appears on page 24

Critique of ’Stans & South Caucasus tours
By Patricia Kuta

My husband, Greg Fearon, and I visited five of the ’Stans plus the South Caucasus, April 12-May 25, 2016, on back-to-back tours led by JMG Tibet Tours (www.jmgtibettours.com). The company’s Caucasus tour was featured in an article written by an ITN subscriber, a group member from a previous tour (June ’16, pg. 43). I must report that I could not have had a more different experience than what was reported by the other subscriber.Our tour leader for both tours was the company...

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July 2017 issue | Appears on page 25

Praise for Gorilla Trek Africa
By Norman Dailey
Norman Dailey posing with a member of the Umubano family group of gorillas in Rwanda.

I loved reading Esther Perica’s letter about visiting the mountain gorillas in Rwanda (April ’17, pg. 27). My wife and I saw the gorillas in March 2016, incorporating the visit into a ’round-the-world ticket on Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com/en/home) airlines.

We talked to a number of companies in trying to arrange our time in Rwanda, and prices from representatives in the USA were in line with what Esther paid. It wasn’t a one-to-one comparison, as her...

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July 2017 issue | Appears on page 28

Insólitours in Mexico 
By Anne Lesnet

My husband and I decided to spend Easter 2017 in Mexico City as our part to advance positive relations with our friends south of the border.

We had been to CDMX* before but wanted to return specifically to go back to the archaeological site of Teotihuacán. We also hoped to add the site of Tula, which is a bit farther north of the city.

We travel independently, so I was looking for a knowledgeable guide to give us a private tour. I found what I was looking for, and more, with...

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July 2017 issue | Appears on page 28

Yellowknife in NWT, Canada
By James B. Oerding
Skyline of Yellowknife. Photos by Grant Oerding

I have a goal of visiting all the provincial capitals in Canada, and in October 2015 my son, Grant, and I traveled to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. 

Traveling from Sacramento, California, to Yellowknife and back required two long stopovers in Edmonton, Alberta. Hotel rooms there were expensive, over $245 per night plus shuttle expenses and meals. The flight to Yellowknife from Edmonton International Airport took about two hours.

Legends say that Yellowknife...

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July 2017 issue | Appears on page 30

Enjoyed Grand Circle tour of Italy & France
By Iris Bing

My husband and I, along with another couple, enjoyed a wonderful 3-week trip to Italy. Prior to starting a tour, we spent five nights in Bologna, Italy, at the Palazzo Trevi B&B (Via Frassinago 31; www.palazzotrevi.it), arranged on our own through Booking.com, which worked very well. Our stay cost the two of us a total of $735.This was a lovely B&B with wonderful owners who helped us with bus and train travel and with getting a car for our trip to Florence. We highly recommend the...

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July 2017 issue | Appears on page 32

The Momiji Tunnel and Mt. Fuji
By Jane B. & Clyde F. Holt
Mount Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi seen through momiji (colorful maple leaves) at the Momiji Tunnel — Lake Kawaguchi.

We’d like to say a bit more about the Momiji Tunnel in Kawaguchiko in Japan, mentioned in our letter “Mt. Fuji from Hotel New Century” (Dec. ’16, pg. 49), and clarify that the traveling we did through the “tunnel” was on foot.

Having missed seeing Mt. Fuji on a March 2014 stay in the town of Kawaguchiko (aka Fujikawaguchiko), due to three days of solid clouds and fog, we were determined to get it right that autumn. 

So, during a visit...

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