Travel Briefs

April 2018 issue | Appears on page 65

Houdini museum, Budapest

Famed magician and escape artist Harry Houdini was born Erich Weiss in Budapest in 1874, and one of the largest collections of Houdini artifacts can be found there in the House of Houdini (11 Dísz Square, H-104 Budapest, Hungary; phone +36 1 9518066, houseofhoudinibudapest.com), located next to the funicular at the foot of Buda Castle.

Artifacts on display include handcuffs, straitjackets, movie posters and memorabilia such as a replica of the water-torture cell he escaped from in his...

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April 2018 issue | Appears on page 65

Desert boat races, Australia

In the landlocked desert city of Henley-on-Todd, Northern Territory, Australia, the Henley-on-Todd Regatta is held every year on the third Saturday of August (in 2018, Aug. 18).

In multiple competitions, participants race on foot while carrying facsimile boats. At the end, a Battle of the Boats is held in which three motorized land-boats fire cannons full of flour and water at each other.

Visit henleyontodd.com.au or call the Henley-on-Todd Rotary Club (phone +61 417 864 085...

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March 2018 issue | Appears on page 4

Saudi Arabia OKs solo women

Saudi Arabia announced on Jan. 11 that it would begin accepting applications for tourist visas from solo women travelers over the age of 25, allowing them to travel to and within the country without male escorts. The visas are single-entry and good for 30 days.

Also, the Saudi visa form no longer requires the applicant to declare a religion.

March 2018 issue | Appears on page 4

Colosseum’s upper deck opens

The fourth and fifth levels of the Colosseum in Rome opened to visitors for the first time in 40 years in October 2017. These top levels, reserved for lower-class citizens when the Colosseum was operational, are about 260 feet above the ground. 

The upper decks can only be visited on a guided tour, which costs €9 (near $11), booked in advance by calling +39 06 399 67 700 or online at www.coopculture.it/en/colosseo-e-shop.cfm. 

The tour includes a previously...

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March 2018 issue | Appears on page 4

100 years’ women’s vote, UK

In celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the People Act 1918, which gave women the right to vote in the United Kingdom, events are scheduled throughout the country.

• At the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster Hall, the exhibition “Voice & Vote: Women’s Place in Parliament,” June 27-Oct. 6, 2018, will feature three restored rooms of significance to women in politics, including “The Tomb,” a separate room created for women members of...

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March 2018 issue | Appears on page 4

Latvia centenary

In celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the founding of an independent Latvia, the National History Museum of Latvia (Brīvības bulvāris 32, Rīga; phone +371 6722 1357, lnvm.lv/en) has collected historical artifacts from around the country for the exhibition “Latvia’s Century,” running May 4, 2018, through the beginning of 2021. Open 10 a.m.-5p.m. Tues.-Sun. €3 (near $4) adult or €1.50 senior or child.

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March 2018 issue | Appears on page 4

Louvre Abu Dhabi

In a partnership with France, the Louvre Abu Dhabi (Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi, UAE; phone +971 600 56 55 66, www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en) opened to the public in November 2017. In addition to temporary exhibits, it features 12 permanent galleries, with works of art from the ancient world to the modern. 

Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tues.-Wed. & Sat.-Sun. and 10-10 Thurs.-Fri. AED63 (near $17). 

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March 2018 issue | Appears on page 4

Waltzing Matilda Centre

Australia’s Waltzing Matilda Centre (50 Elderslie St., Winton, QLD, Australia; phone +61 07 4657 1466, www.matildacentre.com.au) is scheduled to reopen in April 2018, almost three years after being completely destroyed by a fire. 

The museum is dedicated to the song “Waltzing Matilda,” written by Banjo Paterson in 1895 and considered Australia’s unofficial national anthem. Also housed at the center will be the Qantilda Pioneer Place Museum, which displays...

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