Features

May 2005 issue

Immersed in the diverse culture of Vietnam

by Lee Daley, Sausalito, CA

On a month-long trip in Southeast Asia, we spent two weeks of December ’04 in Vietnam, a time of warm and balmy weather. Our trip culminated in a festive Christmas Eve celebration in Ho Chi Minh City, still colloquially called Saigon by visitors and residents.

For my traveling companion, it was a return to memories of a people and country that, in the early ’70s as an Army soldier, had charmed and captivated him with its natural beauty. For me, it was a chance to visit a place I had experienced only from a distance when, as a young woman, I watched...

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October 2006 issue

European river cruises — how do they measure up?

by Paula Prindle, Orient, OH

Lobby/reception area of Grand Circle Travel’s River Harmony.

Between October ’03 and March ’06, my husband and I took five European river cruises. Although we are not experts, we are often asked our opinion of them. To be honest, we have to admit that WE LOVE THEM!

Choosing to cruise

Before discovering river cruising, we would only travel independently. We loved the freedom of our own itinerary, our own schedule and our own rental car — not to mention our own company.

We had taken our share of group tours. In fact, I had...

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October 2005 issue

Looking for Leonardo da Vinci … in France?

by Harvey Hagnan, Fort Myers Beach, FL

Soon we’ll all be in the da Vinci mode as Dan Brown’s page-turning “The Da Vinci Code,” a tale of conspiracy, art history and clandestine societies, comes to theaters.

The book is based on the premise that a find in Paris’ Bibliotheque Nationale suggests Leonardo da Vinci was a member of a European secret society, the Priory of Sion. Brown’s main character follows a trail of murder clues found in da Vinci’s paintings.

True-life mystery

When we visited Amboise, France, in June ’05, we joined the millions who have followed...

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January 2006 issue

Bulgaria — embracing tradition with an eye on the future

by Judith Rosen, Alexandria, VA

Having completed a tour of Romania, Judith Rosen continues her month-long trip with a visit to Bulgaria.

Veliko Turnovo

Following our visit to the Thracian tomb at Sveshtari, it was another 160 kilometers through varied countryside to Veliko Turnovo, where we were warmly greeted by the owner of the Gyurko Hotel. Small and cozy and overlooking a hillside panorama, here we would spend three nights.

Our room was posted at $75 a night and included free laundry and Internet. Its snug restaurant was considered one of the best in town...

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April 2006 issue

A wee taste of Scotland

by Steve Venables, Contributing Editor

I flew to Scotland in April ’05 for a travel exposition in Aberdeen. Aberdeen is Scotland’s third-largest city, but the locals I talked to said that tourists often skip it. There’s actually quite a lot to see, however. With dozens of nearby castles, distilleries and golf courses, Aberdeen is a good center from which to enjoy this part of Scotland.

Aberdeen

We stayed at the Norwood Hall Hotel (fax +44 1224 869868 or visit www.norwood-hall.co.uk) in Aberdeen. Located in the country and set back from the road, it is about five...

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July 2006 issue

Thailand — An elephant-driving school experience: what a mahout!

by Esther Perica, Arlington Heights, IL

If you think there are no thrills left in life, enroll in the elephant-driving school at Anantara Resort Golden Triangle’s elephant camp in northern Thailand. Not only is a stay the perfect antidote to transpacific jet lag (mahout training sessions begin at 6:30 a.m.), but visitors have an opportunity to spend extended quality time with one of the most spectacular animals in Asia.

Getting started

The animals based at Anantara officially belong to the government of Thailand, and, like many government employees, they have good...

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May 2005 issue

The chimpanzee experience — living with primates in Uganda

by Lillie Echevarria, Livermore, CA

Africa is a mysterious continent providing diversity of culture, landscape and wildlife. May ’04 marked the start of my fifth trip back. This time the focus would be on great apes and their conservation.

With a frequent-flyer ticket from San Francisco to Entebbe (via London), two rolling duffel bags, three cameras, 50 rolls of film (800ASA) and plenty of mosquito repellent, I was ready for my adventure to begin. Welcomed by muggy weather and a curtain of lake flies, I queued at the airport to receive my 30-day visa for $30.

I was...

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October 2006 issue

Imagining a Nobel experience in Stockholm

by Jennifer Petoff, Blue Bell, PA

As a scientist, I have always been enamored with the Nobel Prize. There is a certain magic associated with these elite awards and the pomp and circumstance that goes along with them.

Sweden’s own Alfred Nobel, a fellow chemist and a pioneer in the field of explosives, left funding for prizes in chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature and peace upon his death at the end of the 19th century. Stockholm is the center of the Nobel festivities (the Peace Prize is the lone Nobel awarded in Oslo). When my husband and I visited the city...

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