Rundown for the week of October 24, 1998
Travel Update
The phone number for reservations at the Kennedy Space Center for John
Glenn's October 29 return to space is 407-449-4444. To contact Access
Alliance, the gay-friendly consortium of travel agents, call
800-464-1829.
Borneo
Just the word "Borneo" triggers images of steamy jungle, swollen
rivers, pirates, rajahs and headhunters. Well, nowadays the reality of
life on this island is a bit tamer. But the lure and the mystery are
still there. If you don't know much about the place here's a quick
lesson: Borneo sits between the Phillippines, Indonesia and the Malay
Peninsula and is surrounded by the South China, Celebes and Java seas.
The Southern half of the island is part of Indonesia and on the
northwest coast are tiny oil rich Brunei and two states of Malaysia,
Sabah and Sarawak. Ancient rainforest still covers the land. There are
vipers, pythons, flying squirrels, orchids, orangutans and tribes of
people who live off the bounty of the jungle. So for the traveler,
there is endless adventure. Judith Ritter and her teenage daughter,
Devorah, visited Sarawak, Malaysia's largest state and traveled up
river to the Seruba Longhouse, home to 42 families of Iban people, a
tribe that has lived on the river for 600 years.
Q & A I -- Considerate Travelers
Rudy talks to listeners about being a considerate traveler. The
etiquette expert he talks to is Letitia Baldridge, editor of the
newletter "Executive Advantage." You can visit her website at www.letitia.com.
Tim Cahill Interview
The last time we spoke with travel writer Tim Cahill, he talked about
his adventures in Mongolia: riding across vast expanses of eastern
China on the back of a pony and eating something unidentifiable he
decided to call, "noisy cheese." Today Tim's come to talk about an
adventure that's even more outrageous: swimming with great white
sharks in South Africa that probably weigh as much as your car! After
reading his article in the August issue of Outside Magazine, we just
had to know: Tim, what in the world were you thinking?
Deal of the Week: Cheap Flights
Two deals, from two very different airlines. From Alaska Airlines,
book by December 9 and two can fly for the price of one through early
April. Purchase tickets at least seven days ahead of time and stay
over one night. Or maybe you have Hawaii on your mind. You can take
an unlimited number of flights between California and Hawaii during
1999 for a flat fee of $1300. It's Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays'
AirPass. There are some blackout dates during holidays, and seats are
limited on some weekend and summer month flights. But you can fly
standby any time.
- The phone number for Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, seller of the AirPass offering unlimited travel
between California and Hawaii during 1999, is 800-2-HAWAII.
- Alaska Airlines can be reached at 800-426
0333.
Q & A II -- General Questions
Rudy takes listeners' general questions about travel. He mentions:
Restaurants and day excursions in the San Francisco Bay area
- Some restaurants Rudy recommends are Chez Panisse, 510-548-5525 or
548-5049; Farallon, 415-956-6969; Aqua, 415-956-9662 and Wolfgang
Puck's Postrio, 415-776-7825.
- Take a day trip to Marin County: Muir
Woods, Muir Beach and Muir overlook. Pick up a good map before you
leave, and be at the overlook for the sunset.
- Hit Mill Valley for a
nice meal and some music at the local club, Sweetwater, 415-388-2820.
- For a quick afternoon San Francisco-style trip, visit the Anchor
Brewery, 415-863-8350. It's credited with starting the microbrew
craze.
- Head to wine country, Napa Valley, and take tours of some
wineries. St. Supery Wine Discovery Center and Winery, 800-942-0809.
Schramsberg Vineyards, 707-942-4558. Robert Mondavi, 888-RMONDAVI.
Other Mondavi wineries: Opus One, 707-944-9442; Byron, 805-937-7288
and La Famiglia, 888-4LF-WINE.
Rome for Christmas
- On Christmas day at noon, the Pope delivers his blessing from St.
Peter's balcony. Come early for a good view.
- Go straight to Enjoy
Rome on Via Verese. Phone: +011-39-06-1843. They'll give you a room in
a nice hotel as well as advice on where to eat shop, and have a quiet
dream.
- Al Piccolo Arancio, a little restaurant tucked near Via
Scanderbeg near the Trevi Fountain. Meals $25-35 per person. Phone:
+011-39-06-786-139.
- To get outside Rome to some of the less touristy
parts, visit Ostia Antica. Just south of Rome, the Roman mosaics will
make you feel like you've stepped into the second century A.D.
Admission is about $6 and available at the site.
- Tivoli, just 23
miles northeast of Rome, was home to the famed tiered water park
emulated throughout the world. Also find Emperor Hadrian's estate.
Hotel and Travel Industry Customer Service
Rudy recommends politely requesting to speak to the employee's
supervisor if you ever encounter difficulty. Emphasize that whether a
hotel is $40 a night or $400, there should never be attitude. The
customer is always right.
Peanut-Free Zones
A couple of months ago the Department of Transportation sent a letter
to the largest U.S. airlines calling for them to institute three
peanut-free rows in their planes. The reason: well, apparantly a lot
of folks are dangerously allergic to peanuts. There's been a lot of
controversy over this little snack since the directive went out.
Concerned consumer Russ Theibault put in his two cents with a letter
to the secretary of transportation.
Next Week on The Savvy Traveler
Come along with us again next week as we venture into foggy London in
search of the spookiest castles in town.
"Back in Tudor England it seems it was quite easy to lose your
head...literally."
And if you're already concerned about what to do with those leftover
Halloween pumpkins, you might get a few ideas from the townspeople in
Lewes, Delaware.
"You fill the tank up with air, put a pumpkin in the barrell and
you just wick the air to it and watch her go."
We're punkin' chunkin' in Delaware, chasing rickshaws around Asia and
hearing about the places where you've had harrowing experiences with
the law, in next week's edition of The Savvy Traveler.
For tapes of the show...
If you want your very own copy of The Savvy Traveler, order an audio
cassette. It's easy. Just call 303-823-8000. The price is $15. As Rudy
says, it's a steal.
The Savvy Traveler Newsletter
The Savvy Traveler newsletter is now available. For more information,
call toll-free, 888-SAV-TRAV (888-728-8728), extension 3, or e-mail mail@savvytraveler.org.
