My husband, Carl, and I took a private tour of Vietnam, Jan. 5-29, 2009, with All Asia Travel (57-59 Do Quang Dau St., Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; phone 84 8 39203 493 or 446, fax 203 886).

A major reason for choosing a tour company in the country you are visiting is cost. Our Vietnam trip cost about $3,000 per person for 24 days/nights, with comfortable hotels (designated “superior,” [comparable to a standard mid-level hotel in the US], except in Halong...

My wife, Gail, and I are both snorkelers, big time, and had read about divers swimming with whale sharks. We had the opportunity for such an experience during an eight-day tour of the Philippines in March ’09.

Whale sharks are not mammals like whales but are, instead, fish, belonging to the shark group. However, whale sharks are not predators; they feed mostly on plankton sieved through their gills as they swim. It is the largest fish in the world, growing to over 40 feet and weighing...

I spent 26 days in Turkey in May ’09 traveling solo and on the cheap. Excluding airfare, my total expenses were $951. I wrote about my visits to Bodrum (Oct. ’09, pg. 14) and Selçuk (Jan. ’10, pg. 30) and now cover Marmaris.

On day eight, I walked to the bus station in Selçuk and picked up a ticket to Marmaris (TL30, or about $19). The bus company was Pamukkale (phone 0 232 892 3961). I would have to go to the town of Ayden first and then switch to a bus that went straight to Marmaris...