Travel Briefs | International Travel News

April 2012 issue

UK airports in comfort

Travelers with connecting flights at any of three London airports can reserve a stay in airside (i.e., past security checkpoint) lounges and, at Heathrow, guest rooms operated by No.1 Traveller (phone 08442 64 64 40, www.no1lounges.com).

• Airport lounges are in Heathrow Terminal 3; Gatwick North and South terminals, and Stansted gates 16 and 49. Amenities include cinema, bistro, game room, business center and free WiFi. £25 (near $39) for three hours; £7.50 for each extra hour. Champagne and spa services cost extra.

• In Heathrow Terminal 3, for a minimum stay of two hours,...

June 2012 issue

Air Zimbabwe grounded

After 32 years, Air Zimbabwe ceased flying in March due to financial problems. A debt of over $150 million, labor strikes and aging planes all played parts. The airline may close completely or be purchased by another airline. The airline never had a major air disaster. Other international airlines continue to service Harare.

February 2012 issue

Royal oils

Queen Margrethe II, celebrating 40 years on the throne of Denmark in 2012, is a respected artist, textile designer and book illustrator (she illustrated two Danish editions of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”).

Works of hers — oil paintings, watercolors, church textile designs, décopage, scenography and embroidery — can be seen in the exhibit “Essence of Colour,” Jan. 28-July 1, 2012, at the Arken Museum of Modern Art (Skovvej 100, Ishøj Municipality; phone 43 54 02 22), 15 minutes south of Copenhagen.

Open 10-9 Wed., 10-5 Tues.-Sun. (closed Mon.). DKK85 (near $15) adult or...

June 2004 issue

<em>Nordnorge</em> to Antarctica

Norwegian Coastal Voyage has reduced the rates on its air-inclusive 19-day NCV Expedition Voyages to Antarctica and the Chilean fjords, including 15 days aboard the 464-berth MS Nordnorge, between Nov. 3, 2004, and Feb. 9, 2005.

The biggest reductions apply to large outside ship cabins and suites and coincide with holiday periods. In 2004, cabins are $4,445 to $5,630 and suites $6,385 to $7,135. In 2005 the rates increase to $4,775 to $5,875 for cabins and $6,940 to $7,445 for suites.

AARP members save $150 per cabin.

Expedition voyages include round-trip LanChile...

July 2004 issue

Deluxe ‘flotel’ on the Amazon

A deluxe ecocruise vessel is navigating Ecuador’s Rio Napo in the Amazon jungle. Big Five Tours & Expeditions’ Manatee Explorer is a modern, 3-deck vessel with air-conditioning, 13 en suite cabins, dining room, bar and lounge.

The exclusive “flotel” offers a full-service crew plus expert naturalist guides for excursions.

Four- and 5-day cruises may be combined with other tour programs. The 4-day “Amazon Cruising in Ecuador” departs every Friday from Quito and costs $799 per person, sharing; price includes internal flights from Quito, transfers, a 3-night ecocruise, all...

June 2004 issue

Airport Parking Reservations

AirportParkingReservations.com offers travelers departing from 65 airports throughout the U.S. and Canada the ability to make advance, guaranteed reservations for long-term parking.

The lots are secure, and most offer complimentary luggage assistance and free shuttle buses to and from the terminals. Some operators even offer oil changes or interior/exterior detailing services for an additional fee.

Look online or call a toll-free number to review the prices and the options offered (valet or self-park, indoor/covered or outside, etc.). When you reserve a spot in a lot, you are...

July 2004 issue

The night sky in Africa

Orient-Express Safaris’ luxury tented safari lodges Khwai River Lodge, Eagle Island Camp and Savute Elephant Camp in Botswana now offer guests the use of high-level telescopes to view the night sky. Four of the larger moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, scores of galaxies and innumerable other objects are among the spectacles to see.

The powerful Meade Digital Electronic Series (DS) 114 telescopes are refracting telescopes, each featuring a preprogrammed auto star controller that can easily identify 1,500 celestial objects. The telescopes can accommodate lens doublers (Barlow...

March 2012 issue

Himalaya trek and homestay

Custom packages for traveling in the remote Indian mountain regions of Kuamaon, Ladakh and Sikkim are offered by Shakti Tours (903-904, Vatika City Point Sector 25, MG Road, Gurgaon 122002 India; phone, in India, +91 124 456 3899, fax 456 3801 or phone, in US, 866/401-3705). Using the services of local guides and porters, travelers walk from village to village, staying in traditional homes. A sample eight-day/seven-night itinerary in Ladakh might include attending morning prayers at Thiksey Monastery in Stok, Zanskar River rafting, visiting 11th-century Alchi monastery and Saspol painted...