Travelers' Intercom

May 2013 issue | Appears on page 51

‘Wonderful’ Iran
By Peggy Scanlon
I was very pleased to read Marvin Primack's letter "Misconceptions of Iran" (March'13, pg. 26). How lovely to read of someone else's pleasant experience in that wonderful country.
May 2013 issue | Appears on page 52

Iran ‘interesting’
By Nicky Baker
I agree with the letter written by Marvin Primack (March '13, pg. 26) concerning misconceptions about Iran.
May 2013 issue | Appears on page 52

Pleased with Tauck, United
By Clara Roth

I was booked to go to Cuba with Tauck (800/788-7885) at the beginning of November ’12, but Hurricane Sandy closed Newark Liberty Airport. Tauck allowed me to cancel and applied all the money I had paid them to my next trip with them. 

United Airlines waived all fees for canceling my air tickets, Newark/Miami, so I was able to apply that money to a ticket for a future flight.

All I lost was the opportunity to visit Cuba in 2012 — that and my electricity, heat and hot water for...

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May 2013 issue | Appears on page 53

Asian airports’ good impression
By Steve Lopes

My wife, Lois, and I traveled in Asia for five weeks, June 24-July 27, 2012. Organizing 35,000 miles of travel on 15 flights was a challenge met by our travel agent, Dorothy Pogge of Lawrence Travel Leaders (785/842-4000), and all flights went smoothly, with acceptable delays.

Service on Korean Airlines, our main overseas carrier, was fabulous, and Seoul’s Incheon Airport provided entertainment, making it a delightful place to enjoy a layover, as were the Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and...

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May 2013 issue | Appears on page 73

France’s Château de Chambord
By Jack & Yvonne Prevo

With 440 rooms, France’s Château de Chambord is one of the Loire Valley’s most impressive châteaux.

JACK & YVONNE PREVO

McKinney, TX

April 2013 issue | Appears on page 12

Amsterdam recommendations
By Vicki Stowell

In Amsterdam, 12 of us girlfriends stayed at Hotel Fita (Jan Luykenstraat 37, 1071 CL Amsterdam, Netherlands; phone +31 [0] 20 679 09 76, fax 664 39 69), Dec. 28-31, 2012.

This delightful, 15-room hotel is in an excellent location near the museums and a tram stop. The owner, Roel, and his staff made us feel so welcomed and were helpful with suggestions and maps.

Our twin-bedded rooms of “Type A” (€169, or near $224, per night) and Type B (€159, or $208) were roomy and light...

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April 2013 issue | Appears on page 12

Sights of Saudi Arabia
By Doris Neilson
Patti and Doris at the Al Hamsan traditional village. Photo: Khaled Al Took

When it was determined that my friend Patti and I were the only two people signed up for a Nov. 4-18, 2012, tour of Saudi Arabia with Spiekermann Travel (Eastpointe, MI; 800/645-3233), we were given the option of going without the usual tour leader who was a college professor but with a private guide. We accepted, and our guide, Khaled M. Al Took, was probably the best in the country. The all-inclusive land price for each of us was about $7,000.

So there were just three of us, with...

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April 2013 issue | Appears on page 15

Feeding elephants in Myanmar
By Patricia Mastrobuono

In the course of making plans with an in-country guide for a tour of Myanmar about four months later, my husband and I signed up for a day program at Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp (17 [5A], Kyaung St., Ahlone Township, Yangon, Myanmar; phone +95 9 73107278 or 4923284 or 5170687).

The camp offers a variety of programs, and for $100 per person, we opted for a half-day introduction to the seven elephants that lived in the camp (Nov. 25, 2012).

After feeding the elephants, we...

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