Travel Briefs

January 2009 issue

Historic Dockyard

A one-hour drive from London, the Historic Dockyard Chatham (Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ, England; phone info line +44 [0] 1634 823807 or Trust office 823800, fax 823801, www.chdt.org.uk) is an 80-acre complex with historic warships, historic buildings and museum galleries. Among displays are a WWII destroyer, a Cold War submarine and a Victorian naval sloop.

It is signposted from the A2/M2 (junction 1). An entry fee of £13.50 (near $24) adult or £11 senior is valid for one year, excluding two events in April and September.

July 2009 issue

No Saga Pearl II

As of Sept. 16, 2009, British-based Saga Holidays (Folke­stone, Kent, UK; phone +44 [0] 1303 771 111; www.saga.co.uk) will be a one-ship cruise line.

Saga had planned to acquire Club Cruises’ M/S Astoria, then refit it and name it Saga Pearl II in time to replace the Saga Rose, which will sail its final cruise Sept. 8-16. However, the sale encountered legal snarls and stalled when Club Cruises went into administration (the British equivalent of bankruptcy) in December 2008.

The 655-passenger Saga Ruby has a full schedule of cruises planned for 2010.

May 2008 issue

Mobile translator

With the service chinaONEcall, travelers in China trying to understand someone who speaks only Chinese (a taxi driver, for instance) now can call a translator to interpret over the phone. The company is based in the U.K., and service is available 24/7 through mobile phones.

Prepaid packages of minutes are available starting at £39 (near $77) for 60 minutes. You can add more minutes in 30-minute segments while on the road. For info, in the U.S. call 877/660-2838 or visit www.chinaONEcall.com.

September 2009 issue

Guide Gecko.com

There are many online booksellers (Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.). With search results on Amazon.com, you may have to sort through 30 pages of used copies to find that one useful book.

What sets GuideGecko.com apart is it pulls up manageable 2- to 11-page lists without all the repeats and older-edition clutter, AND it includes major publishers (Frommer’s, Budget, etc.) as well as smaller publishers with more esoteric and specialized guides.

There are multiple filters, allowing you to trim a list from “Asia” to “Indonesia” to “Indonesia, luxury” or “Indonesia, low budget...

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August 2010 issue

Sambor Prei Kuk

Predating Angkor Wat by 500 years, the Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological site — halfway between Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat, Cambodia — contains over 100 temples and other structures dating from the seventh century AD.

Located in Kampong Thom province, the complex consists of three groups of temples spread over a three-square-mile area. The temples are dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The site, once called Isanborei, was the capital of the kingdom of Isanapura.

English-speaking guides are available for a small fee, as are bicycle rentals. Entry to the complex costs $3. There is...

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October 2010 issue

Gmail international calls

Users of Google’s free e-mail service Gmail, with accounts registered in the US or Canada, now can make free or low-cost calls. (Log in to your Gmail account and use the “call phones” button on the left side.)

The service allows free calls to the US and Canada as well as rates as low as two cents per minute to landlines in France and the UK and six cents per minute to India, etc.

Credit can be bought in increments of $10 via a credit card, and calls are conducted through one’s computer’s microphone and speakers. For more info, visit www.google.com/chat/voice.

January 2009 issue

Lake District steam Railroad

The 7-mile Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1SW, U.K.; phone 01229 717171, fax 717011, www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk) shows the sights of England’s Western Lake District from Ravenglass to Dalegarth year-round.

The world’s oldest working, 15-inch-gauge steam locomotive departs multiple times every day from April to October; other months (except January) have departures only on weekends. A ticket costs £10.20 (near $18) for one day’s unlimited rides or £6 ($11) for a single ride (children £5.10 or £3, respectively).

April 2008 issue

Jewel River Cruise Line

The new Jewel River Cruise Line (401 East Las Olas Blvd., Ste. 2270, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301; 866/342-7607, www.jewelrivercruises.com) will launch its first ship on May 15, 2008, offering 7- and 10-day cruises along the Seine between Paris and Rouen until Nov. 20. The 80-passenger, 45-suite Jewel Imperial Blue will have undergone a $3.5-million redesign. Prices start at $5,129 per person.