A friend and I traveled to Yemen, once known as the Land of the Queen of Sheba, Nov. 3-17, ’08. It is a country of vast physical diversity, with deserts, mountains, volcanic wastelands and beautiful beaches, and it maintains a strong sense of its rich past.

We hired a local driver with a car, Mohammed Ghanem (phone 733206983 or e-mail mghanim2004@yahoo.com), who had come highly recommended by other tourists, for a 2-week trip around Yemen. He made every effort to meet our requests....

My family (two adults and a child) traveled to Panama, June 18-July 1, 2009, having utilized EcoCircuitos (Hotel Country Inn & Suites, Ground Floor, Ste. 3, Amador, Pelican Ave., Amador Causeway, Panama; phone +011 507 314 0068, vwww.ecocircuitos.com) to arrange a custom trip for us.

The cost was roughly $7,000 for three people and included domestic airfares, ground transfers, many of the meals, guides (except in Bocas del Toro) and entry fees. We went to Panama City, Boquete,...

I traveled from Santiago to Easter Island with my friend Teresa for a visit, March 13-17, 2009. What we learned may prove useful to others planning a visit.

• Distance — Easter Island is one of the most remote islands in the world. It’s about 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile, which translates to a 5- to 6-hour flight from Santiago or Tahiti… on a regular jet, not a small commuter plane.

• Luggage allowance — Everywhere else in Chile we were allowed one 20-kilogram suitcase to...