Features

November 2010 issue | Appears on page 20

Tracking the Royal Bengal tiger in India’s Bandhavgarh National Park
My journey to India began when my wife, Peggy, an ardent wildlife photographer, read an article in the May ’09 issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine. The article, called “The Quest for Tigers” and written by Susi Allison-Lama and Butch Lama, described where to find and photograph the elusive Royal Bengal tiger. Featured was Bandhavgarh National Park in central India. We had been to Africa twice to photograph the large mammals there, to Alaska several times to photograph grizzly and brown bears and to northern Canada for polar bears. One of the few remaining large mammals for Peggy to photograph was the Bengal tiger, and what better time to go than 2010, the year of the tiger?!
November 2010 issue | Appears on page 34

Reveling in the Christmas spirit – Germany during the holidays
I love Christmas and everything about it — the card writing, the frenzied shopping, having friends over to share Yuletide cheer, the Nutcracker performances we haven’t missed in 30 years, and putting up a live tree and decorating it with the hundreds of ornaments we’ve collected over many years. My husband, Paul, laughingly claims I am the only one he knows who starts preparing for Christmas in the middle of summer. He exaggerates. I really don’t begin planning in the heat of a New York summer, although it is true that by Halloween, at the latest, preparations are well under way.
November 2010 issue | Appears on page 46

Discovering an island paradise in the Philippines
In my opinion, El Nido is absolutely the world’s best tropical island getaway. Located in the Philippines’ Palawan islands, it actually comprises two resorts, each located a short boat ride from the other. Among its many virtues are accommodations that rank with the world’s most highly rated resort hotels; an international menu featuring delicious selections, and activities to satisfy the most adventurous traveler as well as visitors seeking relaxation and pampering — all included in the price.
October 2010 issue | Appears on page 6

Discovering ‘la dolce vita’ in Italy’s Umbria region

by Inga Aksamit, San Rafel, CA

As the lengthening shadows crept up the ocher hill, a slight breeze drifted through the open windows of the stone farmhouse carrying the scent of lavender and rosemary. An iron door creaked open followed by the sound of wood snapping and crackling.

Drawn to the window, I observed Dina deftly whipping the fire into a blazing inferno within moments, suddenly snapping the oven door shut to seal in the flames. I shivered in anticipation of the...

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October 2010 issue | Appears on page 20

Visiting Guizhou — Connecting with China’s ethnic minorities

by Cornelia Sulzer, Mill Valley, CA

So many people are traveling to China these days, either for work or for pleasure, but do many people know the southern part of China, where the ethnic minorities live?

I am always looking for trips “off the beaten track,” so I was very pleased to discover that Arts et Vie Voyages Culturels (phone +33 1 40 43 20 21, www.artsetvie.com), a company based in Paris that offers only French-language tours, at reasonable prices, offered a trip to...

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October 2010 issue | Appears on page 22

A five-country tour of the Balkans

by Claus Hirsch, New York City, NY

In October 2009 I embarked on a five-country guided tour of the Balkans. Starting in Montenegro and ending in Serbia, the tour was spread out over a period of three weeks. During this time, the tour operator, Original World (Mill Valley, CA; 888/367-6147, www.originalworld.com), arranged for several groups, varying in size from three to eleven, to hop on or off the different “modules” that comprised the total experience.

General observations...

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October 2010 issue | Appears on page 44

Ultimate Africa – going beyond the simple safari in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe

by Wanda Bahde, Summerfield, FL

For years, my husband, Ray, and I debated whether or not we should take Overseas Adventure Travel’s “Ultimate Africa” tour to Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Acquaintances who’d already taken the tour either raved that it was the best or warned that we’d be disappointed with the fewer animal sightings. We vividly recalled wildebeest migrations in Eastern Africa’s Kenya and Tanzania as a favorite travel memory.

Negative news reports about...

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September 2010 issue | Appears on page 6

A tale of three cities: Recounting a journey to Prague, Vienna and Budapest

by Marvin Herman & Judy Licata; Delavan, Wisconsin

Firm in the belief that during the month of February most people would like to escape the Midwest for a warm climate while waiting for spring to come, my wife, Judy, and I felt that there was no better time to visit some of the wonderful old cities of Central Europe.

To take advantage of lower off-season prices and avoid the crowds, our plan for 2010 was to visit Prague, Vienna and Budapest, spending four nights in a...

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