Features

June 2016 issue | Appears on page 34

Soaking in the energy of Peru’s sacred sites
By David Collins

My 2015 “bucket list” trip to Peru came into focus in mid-July, when I realized that I would be turning 80 at the end of September of that year. 

I do a lot of traveling around the world for both business and pleasure, so when my wife and I travel for fun and discovery, I usually do the planning and bookings. Unfortunately, my wife was not physically able to go with me on this adventure. 

Making plans

I did my initial research looking at tour...

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June 2016 issue | Appears on page 43

Monuments, monasteries and mountains – a well-guided journey through the Caucasus
By Mark Nelson

Having traveled much of the civilized world on all seven continents, I hungered to journey someplace that would open my eyes to new cultures. The Silk Road, traversing the Caucasus and five of the ’Stans in Central Asia, offered a rich blend of architecture, people, philosophies, history, landscapes and food.

Many travelers take either a Caucasus tour or a ’Stans tour, but I was able to enjoy both destinations on back-to-back tours in September-October 2015. After several...

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May 2016 issue | Appears on page 6

A wonderful week in Nicaragua
By Theodore Liebersfeld

What should I do with my $219 American Airlines voucher? That was the question. 

I didn’t want to have to add on too much more in cash, but I was definitely in the mood for some interesting international travel. Hmmm.

Nicaragua was the only Central American country that I had not yet visited, and I had seen several good reviews of this increasingly popular travel destination, so I handed over my voucher along with my credit card for the $565-round-trip fare for my...

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May 2016 issue | Appears on page 18

French Polynesia, Easter Island and Ecuador – a trifecta of tours in 2015
By Dusty and Margi Miller

After a rigorous winter in January and February 2015, with record snowfall and cold in Massachusetts, we decided that a visit to the tropics looked good, so we booked a week’s trip on the Paul Gauguin, sailing on March 28 from Tahiti to other islands in French Polynesia.

The cruise

Getting to the ship at Papeete, Tahiti, was not difficult via a transcontinental flight to Los Angeles and a transfer to Air Tahiti Nui for an 8½-hour flight across the Pacific. We...

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May 2016 issue | Appears on page 32

An apartment in Provence
By Marvin Silverman

As part of a 3-week holiday in France that I took in September 2015, I decided to return to Provence, where I have spent time in the past. I have rented apartments in Provence on previous trips, in the towns of Arles and Mougins, so I decided to rent an apartment for the one week I allotted to this visit to the area.

Reasons for renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel include lower cost and more comfort and convenience plus the opportunity to spend time with local...

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May 2016 issue | Appears on page 42

An enlightening visit to the West Bank
By Nancy and Ed Norberg

Traveling with another couple with whom we have been friends for many years and who share our enthusiasm for travel and adventure, we took Oceania Cruises’ “Jewels of the Aegean” in early September 2015. The cruise included a 2-day stopover in the port of Haifa, Israel, located approximately 100 miles north of Jerusalem. 

To make the most of the short period we would be in Israel, we developed a list of sites we wanted to visit and activities we wanted to...

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April 2016 issue | Appears on page 6

Learning to expect the unexpected on a tour of Taiwan
By David Patten

Taiwan was not a country I had expected to visit. I was planning a trip to South Korea, but when I saw a tour from Adventures Abroad (Blaine, WA; 800/665-3998, www.adventures-abroad.com) that included Taiwan, I thought, ‘Why not include another country?’ So I chose the Oct. 7-22, 2015, “Taiwan and South Korea” tour.

A bumpy start

Booking the trip proceeded flawlessly with Adventures Abroad agents Christine and Charlene. They also booked all of my domestic and international...

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April 2016 issue | Appears on page 20

Island hopping in the North Atlantic
By Seth Sherman

Stretched out across the North Atlantic from North America to Europe are the amazingly beautiful destinations of Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland, each separated from the next by less than 500 miles. While Iceland and Scotland see frequent visitors, the Faroe Islands and Greenland (especially eastern Greenland) are less frequently visited. Although these destinations are relatively close to each other, flights between them are sporadic, if offered at all, and visitors...

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