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June 2011 issue

Packing tips

When packing, always put shoes in shoe bags. I make my own shoe bags from soft fabric, such as a thin flannel, as the plastic ones do not pack as well. Wipe off shoes, when needed, with wet wads of toilet paper, then dry them with additional sheets of the paper.

For a long trip, carry mothballs in small cloth bags, especially in damp climates, to get rid of mustiness. I usually use them in my shoes. Put them into zip-lock bags until you’re ready to bring them out. Use them, then pitch them as they lose their strength.

GLORIA HELMUTH Tulsa, OK

February 2010 issue

What to expect on India tour

India offers an exotic kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells. The contrasts are amazing. People still use water from public wells to wash their storefronts and trucks, as cows pick through garbage along the curb. Women wear bright, colorful saris while going about their daily activities.

My husband, Ray, and I experienced this during the “Heart of India” tour with Overseas Adventure Travel, or OAT (Cambridge, MA; 800/493-6824, www.oattravel.com), Oct. 22-Nov. 7, 2008. (In 2010, the tour price, land only, is $3,095 per person.)

Our itinerary focused on Delhi, Jaipur, Agra...

January 2010 issue

Pleasant layover work-over

If you have a long layover, even when flying domestically, seek out the international terminal or check out another international terminal.

While my two teenage sons and I were in the Washington Dulles airport in August ’09, we walked over to terminal B, where there was a better choice of food and amenities. With its high skylight ceiling, the ambiance was much nicer as well.

We all had relaxing, 20-minute foot massages (reflexology) at the Massage Bar (Concourse B; phone 703/572-6075 — foot massage, $19 for 10 minutes, 12-8 p.m. daily). We felt great when we got on our...

September 2011 issue

New Zealand Travellers

New Zealand’s South Island has it all: alps, glaciers, rainforests, sandy beaches and swinging bridges, just to mention a few. And an excellent way to see it all is with Jan King’s New Zealand Travellers (169 Cable Bay Road, RD1, Nelson 7071, N.Z.; phone [64] 3 545 2546), an advertiser in ITN.

I had done this itinerary in ’97 with the previous owner of New Zealand Travellers and was so taken by the experience that I decided to do it one more time while this 72-year-body could still get around reasonably well. So on Jan. 5, 2011, I boarded Holland America Line...

November 2009 issue

One crooked cabbie

I spent three weeks with a group in Hanoi, Vietnam, starting Nov. 3, 2008. Some of us frequently took a cab between our hotel and the Old Town shopping center. Usually the cab cost around 45,000 dong (near $2.50).

One time we took a cab back to the hotel and the meter showed 91,000 dong ($5). Obviously, a crooked meter! We refused to pay, settling for, I think, 50,000 dong.

Be aware!

VAUGHAN PARKER

Santa Barbara, CA

March 2009 issue

SteriPEN® sterilizes water

During my four weeks in Vietnam and one week in Cambodia, Nov. 28-Dec. 10, 2008, I was very pleased with a product I had purchased prior to leaving, the SteriPEN® Traveler (Hydro-Photon, Inc., Box 675, Blue Hill, ME 04614; 888/783-7473, www.steripen.com).

Throughout the trip, I did not buy any bottled water and instead drank tap water or ordered just “a glass of water” with each meal, in each case sterilizing it with the SteriPEN® before drinking.

Claiming to destroy 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa when used as directed, the SteriPEN® exceeds the US EPA Guide Standard...

December 2009 issue

Uncomfortable in Moscow

My two daughters and I traveled to Moscow in October ’08. Via the Internet, we had arranged for an apartment with Uncle Pasha, aka Paul or Pavel or Pasha Voytinsky (www.unclepasha.com). His website was attractive and he quickly answered our e-mails. We requested a room for three people, close to the metro, at $100 per night.

When we finally arrived at the apartment (identified as “Street Skakovay, the house 15/1, apartment 5. A floor 1 — underground stop ‘Belarussky’”), we were met by Valentina, who spoke no English. My daughter had to talk with a translator on the phone.

The...

April 2009 issue

Zeiss binoculars

A short time ago I decided to evaluate a range of upper- to middle-price compact binoculars best suited for travel. My final choice was the quality, ultraclear Zeiss Conquest Compact, 8x20 model.

Priced around $330, it is sold at select camera and sports stores and at www.zeiss.com. To compare prices from various sources, Google “Zeiss Conquest Compact binoculars.”

RANDY KECK

Contributing Editor