Travelers' Intercom

July 2004 issue

Enamored of Iceland

My husband, Compton, and I wanted to get away to gain new perspectives and hoped to find some peace in Iceland. We found that and much, much more. The one week we spent there in September ’03 was most memorable and exciting. We only regret that we did not have more time.

Ours was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Through Iceland Saga Travel, LLC. (3 Freedom Square, Nantucket, MA 02554; phone 866/423-7242 or 508/825-9292, e-mail info@icelandsagatravel.com), we found what we wanted: eight days with two tours. The cost was $2,546 for both of us and included air from Boston, guest house...

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August 2004 issue

Mixed view of Lirica cruise

I took a Caribbean cruise aboard Mediterranean Shipping Company’s Lirica, Jan. 26-Feb. 6, ’04, and wish to give my impressions. My perspectives come from over 50 cruises, including canal and Atlantic crossings.

The Lirica left Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cartagena, Colombia; the San Blas Islands and Panama Canal; Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, and then back to Florida to Key West and Ft. Lauderdale. The fare was $1,995 for the first passenger and $700 for the second (special AARP rate).

Following are some good points:

• The cabin service was the best...

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February 2012 issue

SE Asia with Green Papaya

My husband, John, and I found Green Papaya Travel (21B Lo Duc St., Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi City, Vietnam; phone +84 391 323 4507) in ITN’s The MART classifieds and would recommend them to anyone who wants to see Southeast Asia. Green Papaya was great. We communicated by e-mail and they made all the arrangements (except international flights) for our 17-day trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, Sept. 23-Oct. 11, 2011. We asked for, at least, three-star hotels, a car with air-conditioning, a driver and English-speaking guides. We wanted to go by car from Danang to Hanoi (466 miles), as we...

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August 2012 issue

Impressed at Insight’s tour leader
Daghan (Han) Erdogdu at the Green Mausoleum (Yesil Türbe) in Bursa, Turkey. Phot

That the 16-day “Treasures of Turkey” tour of Insight (Rye, NY; 888/680-1241) was sold out and there would be 40 travelers plus a tour director and driver on the motorbus was daunting news.

Not to worry! The tour members turned out to be a very interesting and diverse group of travelers, with nary a complainer among them. The other English-speaking tour members came from eight countries.

Including airfare from New York’s JFK Airport, airport transfers, single supplement and a 2-night extension on my own in Istanbul, the cost of my trip, Nov. 7-20, 2011, was $3,670.

...

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March 2012 issue

A glimpse at Macedonia and Kosovo
I took a fascinating trip to Macedonia and Kosovo, March 10-20, 2011. These countries were the two components of the former Yugoslavia that I had never visited, and I explored them with Dzengis Patel, an outstanding guide and driver.
April 2012 issue

Charming San Marino

A tiny, picturesque country encircled by Italy, San Marino is the oldest surviving constitutional republic in the world, dating back to AD 301. It’s noted for its postage stamps and tax-free shopping.

For my son, Mark, and myself, I arranged a two-day trip to San Marino for October ’11 through Hotels.com (800/246-8357). For two people, round-trip air from Rome to Rimini, Italy, and two nights in San Marino, including breakfast, cost $1,100.

This was my first experience with Hotels.com, so I called Alitalia to verify the reservation and e-mailed the hotel. Everything went as...

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March 2012 issue

Try Daily Market in Otavalo
Four blocks south of the Otavalo Craft Market is the Otavalo Daily Market. This is where locals food shop. It’s not as big as the Ben Thanh Market in Saigon, Vietnam (which we visited in 2009 and September 2011), but we felt it was well worth the visit.
June 2004 issue

Enjoyed river cruises in Russia

In reading the March ’04 issue, on page 32 I came across a reader’s comments concerning a cruise aboard the Novikov Priboy in Russia. Contrary to the general impression left by those comments, I found my two Russian river cruises — on a different ship — to compare favorably with any.

I took my first trip to Russia with GT Cruises (2610 E. 16th St., Brooklyn, NY 11235; phone 800/828-7970), embarking the M/S Russ in Moscow on Aug. 12, 1995, and disembarking in St. Petersburg on Aug. 26. This company, which for a while was known as GT Corp., is now called Peter the Great Cruises and...

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