Travel Briefs | International Travel News

January 2013 issue

Derry, UK City of Culture

The UK’s first designated City of Culture is Derry, Northern Ireland, with more than 266 events scheduled in 2013, including sports, dance, theater, art, film, storytelling and historical reenactments. Most are free.

For example, the city will host the Highland Dance Festival in April. In August, the Derry Regatta will hold a month-long rally of traditional sailing yachts, and the Fleadh Cheoil na h’Éireann, the world’s largest festival of Irish music, will be held.

For four nights, Nov. 28-Dec. 1, “Lumiere” will feature neon lights and LEDs decking the city’s walls, streets...

July 2013 issue

Surf school, Costa Rica

Guests at the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica (Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste; phone 506 2696 0000) located on the northwestern coast, may take surf classes through the Four Seasons parner Tropicsurf. Classes range from a 2-hour lesson ($220 per person) to a full-day trip of about seven hours ($490 per person, two people minimum).

Suitable for beginners or advanced surfers, the classes are taught by expert guides. Room rates at the hotel run $475 to $2,395 a night.

December 2012 issue

Chilean Andes activities

High in the Andes of Chile and three miles from the Argentinean border, you can stay in one of the geodesic domes ($121, full board) set up by Nevados de Sollipulli (Temuco Region IX, Chile; phone [56] 45 276000). Alternatively, a B&B room costs $84 per night at the resort, which is closed May and June.

In the summer (December-March), among the resort’s expeditions, you can try the 3-day, 2-night, guided “Overnight Stay in the Volcanic Crater” camping experience ($345).

At Sollipulli, you can scale the glaciers on foot or by 4-wheel-drive vehicle or go horseback riding or...

April 2013 issue

ZürichCard

The ZürichCard offers visitors to Zürich, Switzerland, unlimited second-class travel by tram, bus, rail, boat and cable car for 24 or 72 hours as well as discounts at museums, shops and restaurants. A 24-hour card costs CHF24 or €20 (near $26) and a 72-hour card, CHF48 or €40.

One thing the card offers is a 25% discount on a 90-minute guided rickshaw tour of the city that normally costs €98 for two passengers. Cardholders also get a 10% discount on a helicopter tour of the city normally starting at CHF250 (near $265) each for a 30-minute flight.

The card can be purchased at...

November 2013 issue

Strauss’ 150th

To celebrate the 150th birthday of Richard Strauss, the Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhaus ticket hotline +49 341 1270 280) in Leipzig, Germany, will perform a series of Strauss works from April 3, 2014, until the special birthday concert on June 11.

The Leipzig Opera will perform the Strauss operas “Elektra,” “The Knight of the Rose” and “The Woman Without a Shadow.” Contact the Gewandhaus and the Leipzig Opera (Opera ticket hotline +49 0 341 12 61 261).

June 2013 issue

Bad monkeys in Thailand

In the Krabi province of southwestern Thailand, signs posted on popular beaches warning visitors of aggressive monkeys have had a positive effect. The signs were placed at Long Beach, Monkey Bay and Phi Phi Island, where bites and attacks have been fairly common.

In 2012 more than 600 people were treated at Phi Phi Island Hospital for monkey attacks, and 75% of the cases were tourists. Since the posting of the signs, the incidents have decreased, with only 50 cases in the first three months of 2013.

Monkeys that are fed by tourists develop a habit of becoming hostile to...

November 2013 issue

Whale shark swim, Belize

In Belize, Francis Ford Coppola’s Turtle Inn Resort (Placencia Village; phone 011 501 523 3244 or, in the US, 800/746-3743) offers 2-tank dives off Gladden Spit, where whale sharks swim in the spring. The world’s largest fish, the filter-feeding whale shark, has been recorded to reach as long as 41 feet and weigh up to 21½ tons.

Dives take place from two days before to 10 days after the full moon in March, April, May, June and July. Dives cost $215 per person per day, or you can snorkel for $140 per day. The price includes tanks, weights and gear but no taxes, entry fees or lunch....

March 2013 issue

72 hours visa-free in China

Effective Jan.1, 2013, Americans traveling through China to another country via Beijing or Shanghai may stay in their transit city for 72 hours without securing a visa. In Shanghai, transit travelers holding third-country visas and plane tickets can enter the city through two airports: Hongqiao (SHA) or Pudong (PVG). In Beijing, transit passengers can enter only through Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).