Travelers' Intercom

Path to Cirque de Gavarnie in the French Pyrénées. Photos by Marcia Reynolds

When my husband, Roger, and I visited the Pyrénées for 10 days in late September 2019, we flew in and out of Barcelona, Spain. Upon arriving in the morning, we drove directly to Montserrat, where we stayed in one of the few hotels on site.

Attractions in Montserrat included a monastery and a stunning basilica housing a Black Madonna. There was also a funicular to the top of the mountain for wonderful views. It was a good stop for our first day.

Our drive to and through Andorra...

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I enjoyed reading about Dawn Vincent’s trip to Tunisia and Algeria (Dec. ’20, pg. 6). I’ve traveled extensively in the past 23 years and have enjoyed every minute, but I especially loved Algeria and Tunisia… for their culture, Roman ruins and mosaics, food, climate and, most of all, people.

I’ve been to both countries four times, and I have to say they are my favorites in the world.

I had no problems getting there with Air France, in Premium...

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Vilnius’ Gates of Dawn date back to the early 1500s. Photos by Stephen Addison

In the letter “Lux Express in the Baltics” (Dec. ’14, pg. 12), I extolled the virtues of Lux Express, which operated the buses that my wife, Paula Owens, and I took from Tallinn, Estonia, to Riga, Latvia, and then onward three days later to Vilnius, Lithuania, during a September 2014 Baltics trip.

At the end of that letter, I wrote, “In Vilnius we exited our bus at the city-center Panorama stop, which is much more conveniently located to the northern part of...

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My wife and I flew from Seattle to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in September 2018 for a group tour. Along with offshore islands, PNG comprises the eastern half of New Guinea, the second-largest island in the world. (Greenland is the largest.)

Located just south of the equator and north of Australia, PNG is one of the most culturally diverse countries anywhere. Only 18% of its nearly 9 million people live in urban areas, and at least 850 indigenous languages are spoken there. The date of our...

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Carole on the fantail of a ferry in the Wrangell Narrows — southeastern Alaska. Photo by Marv Feldman

ITN is temporarily accepting brief write-ups about the US. Information on independent travel, cultural and traditional sites and sources of handmade crafts plus little-known natural wonders are welcome. Avoid touting commercial theme parks, casinos or highly publicized touristy sites.

Email editor@intltravelnews.com or write to Travelers’ Intercom USA, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818.

MEMORABLE SITES IN TENNESSEE

I’d like to present you with a...

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Detail of a stucco frieze in El Mirador — northern Guatemala. Photos by Günther Eichhorn

The focus of my trip to Guatemala in November 2019 was remnants of the Maya.

Organized by Maya Travel (Antigua, Guatemala; mayatravelantigua@yahoo.com, www.travel-maya.com/en), my 10-day private tour cost $3,155 and included a guide. All food was included during a 5-day trek to El Mirador; otherwise, breakfast was included daily but not lunch or dinner.

Maya Travel was very responsive when I wanted to modify the itinerary, and everything worked out well. I visited three Mayan...

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My husband, Alan, and I wanted to go to Romania and Bulgaria in April 2020, so in October 2019 we went onto Vacationstogo.com and selected an Emerald Waterways (www.emeraldwaterways.com) river cruise from Bucharest to Budapest, planning an early arrival in Bucharest. We paid $11,970 for the two of us, purchasing our hotels and air separately.

We, being seniors, bought travel insurance, in this case with Generali Global Assistance (800/874-2442, www.generalitravelinsurance.com) through...

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Boys at a roadside market — Madagascar. Photos by Michael De Rosa

Madagascar is a “must see” for world travelers and anyone interested in wildlife. My wife, Norma, and I fit both of those descriptions, and we spent two weeks there in August 2018.

I did all of the initial planning and booking of our 2-week trip. Norma and I selected an itinerary along the RN7, a main highway, that would increase our chances of seeing wildlife.

In making inquiries to accommodations, I got answers from some after a week or more, and others never...

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