Best Of
Re: TSA precheck and Global Entry suspended
This is just part of the DHS budget debate. They've turned off TSA-PRE and Global Entry to inconvenience travelers so that the travelers will put pressure on Democrats to approve the DHS budget without limitations on ICE.
[But I suppose everyone knows that.]
Re: Great Migration Trip Report
STM: We chose this tour over the others based on a recommendation from a former Tour Director. It was our first time visiting Africa. As others have stated, you'll see abundant wildlife on any of the Tauck tours. One of the members of our tour had been on the K&T about ten years prior and said both were good, but they were different. He had gone on the K&T in the spring when the crater was lush and green, whereas we visited in the fall.
The cost of the GM tour is driven by the internal flights, on which there are five, including three in a single day. The first is to get from the northern Serengeti to an airport where you can get your exit stamp, then a flight to a Kenyan airport where you can get an entry stamp, then to the small airport in Kenya where the last camp is. Interestingly, the two camps we stayed at were only about 30 miles from each other; we visited the same border line twice, once from Kenya and once from Tanzania.
The flights enable you to go to places that are less crowded. In the crater, a lion sitting on a rock will have maybe 30 vehicles around it. Meanwhile, in the northern Serengeti there were just three vehicles (two Tauck) watching a cheetah feast on a gazelle. Based on what I've read here, it seems like GM may have more similarities with the SA tour: open-sided vehicles, off-roading.
You won't be disappointed by any of Tauck's Africa trips, but I do think there was something magical about the GM trip, particularly our time at Legendary.
PGH
Re: Free time in Amsterdam
Andrea, As mentioned above doing all three may be really difficult. The first question should be, will I ever be back in Amsterdam. If yes then it is an easier to choose since you will be going back. If no, then you will need to make a decision very soon since the Anne Frank tickets for this April will be on sale very soon.
For Anne Frank tickets you need to book online through their website. Tickets typically go on sale Tuesdays at 10 AM. This is AMSTERDAM time not US time. You need to be online then. However occasionally I have seen tickets go on sale a day or two early. Starting today check every day at your time that corresponds to 10AM AMSTERDAM time. Just to hedge your bet try 9 AM as well.
Transportation from the museum area, both the Van Gogh and Rijks is simple. Grab tram 2 or 12 just outside either museum heading towards central station. Tap in with your credit card, and then tap out with your credit card at Dam station. !0 minute walk to the Anne Frank house across three canals. You can either walk back to the ship or take the the same tram to Centraal station where the boat dock is close by either to the right or the left.
The canal cruise is ok but it is on the larger boats and I found the smaller boats such as Amsterdam Boat Adventures a better tour. Your choice on museums. You will need advance tickets to the Van Gogh museum.
If you are never going to go back to Amsterdam I would skip the museums(you will already seen some great works of art and you can see Van Gogh's elsewhere but you will never see the Anne Frank house or take a canal tour, I am not a huge museum person,) get tickets to the Anne Frank House, take a small boat canal tour, walk through the canal district, eat apple pie at Winkel 33 or a brown pub, and see the House in the Attic.
Ben
Re: Shopping in India - what I wish I knew before the trip
Hi! I thought this was a valuable post for most of us whether we’re shoppers or not. Sometimes we’re on the lookout for a few specific items and this list helps you save time and target your shopping. I’m no longer shopping for relatives but I love to bring home spice packets and local tea for friends. Thank you, Mary, for taking the time to compose your list and shame on some of you for those snarky comments.
Passing of Arthur Tauck Jr.
Arthur Tauck Jr. passed away a week ago. My sympathy goes out to his family, friends and to others whose lives he touched. While I never met him personally, I feel as though I knew something about the man through my many travels with Tauck and the environmental causes he and his company were involved in.
vivian
Re: Cuba
According to the U.S. Department of State website, Cuba currently has a "Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution" advisory.
This advisory was issued on MAY 7, 2025. The Tauck agent was probably unaware of any new advisory that might affect the travel...and they were correct. There are no new ones. Tauck has taken many groups to Cuba since the advisory was issued.
Incidentally, other countries that also have a Level 2 Advisory are:
Antartica, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Turks and Caicos, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vatacan City.
As far as I know, U.S. travelers are still going to all of these countries.
Regarding travel insurance, Mike is correct. You chose to purchase travel insurance when you booked your trip. You have chosen to make an insurance claim (cancel your trip and request a refund). Of course the insurance premium itself would not be refundable; that's how insurance works.
I am guessing that you aren't comfortable going to Cuba right now. That is completely understandable. Everyone has different comfort levels. Just be thankful that you were wise enough to purchase a high-quality travel insurance, and that you are getting a full refund for the tour cost!
R_from_S
Trip Report: Essence of Japan April 9, 2023
Just returned from Essence of Japan early yesterday morning. It was a delightful trip led by the best TD, Larry Abbott. We were a group of 21 terrific travelers, with everyone getting along and always on time. This is a long report, so settle down with your favorite beverage!!
My two friends and I arrived a day early to Haneda Airport. We got through customs and immigration easily, because we had our QR codes printed and ready to go. Be sure to visit JAPAN WEB a several weeks before to upload everything needed. We were met by our Tauck rep and driven to the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku. We had a light dinner in the hotel French restaurant that evening. If you plan to dine at the NY steak restaurant at the Park Hyatt, make the reservations well before you go. We could not get in when there.
The first morning, even before our welcome reception our TD offered a walk into the Shinjuku section of Tokyo to get our bearings, which was appreciated. Our welcome dinner was very nice, with a demonstration by two Sumo wrestlers, who almost fell into my lap!! The Park Hyatt is lovely, with beautiful rooms and a wonderful breakfast. Tokyo is huge, with 14 million people, tons of high rises and traffic.
On our first day of touring we visited the Meiji Shrine and garden with our wonderful local guide, Harumi-san….she was conversational and well spoken in her knowledge. We toured the local Tsukiji market, full of fresh fish, seafood and veggies/ fruit. Japan is THE MOST IMPECCABLY CLEAN country I have ever visited, and it was evidenced everywhere. Markets, streets, trains….all extremely clean and schedules well ordered. And of course we all know about those intelligent TOTO toilets everywhere!!
We had our first lunch at Nobu, which was fun, but honestly, underwhelming. The sea bream and tuna raw fish was scrumptious, but the rest was very ordinary. However, if you have not ever had sushi, this is a great introduction. Personally, I found the bits of fried spring roll and tempura, along with the California roll disappointing. We then did the Taiko drumming, which woke everyone up. Many people enjoyed it, however IMO the best part was the demo and songs by the teacher.
Dinner was not included, so my friends and I went to “ Gucci Osteria” in the Ginza for a ten course dinner advertised as an Italian with a Japanese twist. This one star Michelin restaurant is gorgeous, with impeccable service, but most of the courses were adventurous including raw cuttlefish and eel gelato. It was an experience.
Our second full day in Tokyo we went to the Tokyo Museum, which was very impressive with lots of Samurai armor, beautiful kimonos and art, as well as gorgeous painted screens. Lunch was a Teppanaki beef lunch, similar to what we get in the US at Benihana, tasting Australian beef and Wagyu beef, with some veggies. No rice….instead they served us rolls and butter!! Once again, I felt the experience was “ dumbed down”… but okay…. I had purchased tickets to the Tokyo Kabuki for the three of us for a 4:00 pm show. It was really interesting, as men are all the characters, including the females. They change the story every month, and if you want to go, be sure to buy tickets way in advance. We had dinner at a cute French bistro around the corner, which was quite good. The Japanese love French food, which was evidenced many times during our trip.
The final Tokyo morning we boarded the Shinkansen to get to Lake Ashizawa for a short cruise to Hakone. It was a bit rainy and cloudy, so we could not see too much. The highlight of the day, and one of my favorite stops was at the Hakone Open Air Museum, a wonderful site with some of the most interesting outdoor sculptures! Don’t miss the fried eggs and the column. Also, we were blessed with seeing tons of cherry blossoms at their peak!!! We were too late to see them in the city, but at a higher altitude it was breathtaking. The hotel in Hakone was very nice, and our first chance to dress in yukatas. Try the Japanese restaurant there, the sushi and food was extraordinary. Only four of us from the group went but it was delicious.
The second day in Hakone was bright and sunny to enjoy the glass museum. We also visited a gallery of the most beautiful hand dyed and embroidered kimonos. One of my favorite stops.
Off to the Matsumoto Castle and an overnight in the Ryokan the next day. On the way, we had the best, clear, unbelievable and close views of Mt. Fuji. We stopped for pictures, and all agreed how fortunate we were. The Matsumoto castle is stunning, but be forewarned if you want to explore inside….shoes off, and climb several stories of old, worn wooden steps, carrying your shoes in a bag. I did not go in because of my bum left knee. Many who did said it was a tough climb, but somewhat interesting. Your choice. We arrived at the Ryokan late that day, and it was drizzling. Lovely place, but too quick a visit IMO. We all dressed in our Yukatas and had a very traditional Japanese dinner and entertainment, but left early the next morning. I might have liked to stay a bit longer, but we needed to keep the pace of our tour, with so much to see.
On our way to Kanazawa for two nights, we stopped in Takayama. The rain prevented us from seeing many of the mountains, but we saw lots of beautiful varied cherry trees in bloom. To me, Takayama was a filler and waste of time. Lost of shops, with all junk souvenirs, made in China. On to Kanazawa and the next morning a walk through Kenrokuen garden. Just gorgeous! Lots of azaleas and camellias in bloom, with beautiful trees and bushes, bridges and lovely views. We had a tour of the Samurai area, which was very interesting, and a nice lunch at Paul Bocuse and another market walk and a Samurai show in a Buddhist temple. It was fun and had many in our group participate. The Nikko hotel was fine, even though other previous travelers disliked it. The rooms were smaller, but very clean.
The next day, we took two different trains to Hiroshima and had the ill fated Bento box lunch. All I can say, is buy snacks BEFORE you get on the train. We gave hefty feedback for a change in that lunch. BLEH!! On arrival, we visited Miyajima Island, with its red floating shrine. The tide was out, so the shrine was on sand, but still impressive. Expect to walk over 4 miles this afternoon to the Shinto temple and walk through, and come back through the tourist focused shops on the way back to the ferry. Lots of tame deer begging for food on the island, and more junk shops.
More on the next post.
Marla526
Re: Americans and their treatment in Europe now
Can I remind everyone that his is a TAUCK TRAVEL forum.
Final thoughts on this tour.
Jordan and Egypt -Final thoughts about this trip
If you’re going to fly to this part of the world, it is worth it to combine Jordan with Egypt. Obviously there are time and cost considerations, but all things being equal, it was definitely worth the extra time and money to go to Jordan. The Kempinski resort is lovely on the scale of the Four Seasons resorts with a zen- like vibe. People seem to really enjoy swimming in the dead sea, and covering themselves up with mud. It seemed quite therapeutic for some. Getting in a day early and taking an independent tour to go into Amman was an excellent expenditure of time since Tauck doesn’t include it as part of the tour. The baptismal site on the Jordan River was worth seeing even if just for viewing how narrow the distance is from Israel at that site. If you are a John the Baptist fan, you can see the cave where he supposedly lived that has become an altar of a church.
Petra was definitely one of the highlights of this trip. The long walk through the slot canyon gave it the feel of hiking in a national park . The size and extent of the ruins was totally unexpected. What a beautiful and interesting place. The 4 x 4 experience in Wadi Rum , which was actually sitting on fixed upholstered benches on the back of Toyota pick up trucks, was fun, but I guess due to the size/ width of the actual valley, it was not as impressive as I expected it to be. (That’s just my personal impression…..) Petra, on the other hand, definitely made it worthwhile.
It was very cold in Petra so we all bundled up . If you come here in January or February, you definitely need winter clothes. The day we were in Petra it was in the 40s with 17 to 23 mph winds and a windchill in the low 30s. When I tell you, it was cold, it was cold. Our Bedouin evening that same day was moved into the hotel and it was just as well. Everyone was happy. The show was good. People were dancing, and no one had to be cold. The day at Mount Nebo we experienced a Noah’s Ark- type deluge complete with floods which closed some of the roads in the direction of Petra. When we finally ended up on the appropriate highway, the sun came out and then we found ourselves in the middle of a dust storm. There certainly is a lot of weather.
The flights in Jordan and Egypt were charters, except for the flight from Aswan to Cairo . On the charters No one weighed our bags. On the commercial flight they weighed our large bags but did not weigh our carry-ons. Our local tour guide in Jordan, Aziz, was fabulous. We were very sad to leave him behind. The tour guides in Egypt, though highly informative, lacked his pizzazz and gave excruciating details. People’s eyes were glazed over…….
In Egypt, tour members uniformly loved the time that they spent at the Old Cataract hotel. The rooms were beautiful, the views are spectacular, and the food is really good. The Nile River boat cruise covers a distance of what could be done in four hours in a car over three days on the boat. Most of the time the boat is docked. The boat is beautiful, and comfortable (aside from the rock hard mattress we had). The service is excellent, and the food is good, although there is a definite Indian lilt to it.
The antiquities in Egypt are breathtaking in size and scope. The surrounding squalor, garbage, air pollution, and abject poverty are very difficult to take. The Marriott Mena house is in Giza, which is 45 minutes from downtown Cairo. After spending the day in downtown Cairo yesterday, I would question the safety of going down there unescorted to be doing any sightseeing.
The Mena House is very close to the grand Egyptian museum . One person in our group did not go to downtown Cairo with the rest of us yesterday, but stayed back and took an Uber to go back to the Grand Egyptian museum. The Uber driver he had on the way back to the hotel tried to force him to give him an additional $50 to let him out of his car. Thus, when we planned an extra day at the end of the tour to go again to the grand Egyptian Museum, we took a hotel car for the outrageous sum of $75round trip. At least we felt safe, and the transfers were seamless. We bought our tickets for the GEM online. They were $31 each. The concierge arranged the car. We were very happy that we went back to the GEM because our visit with Tauck there was quite rushed, and was actually not a complete viewing of the King Tut exhibit. Additionally, there is a secondary building with
King Khufu's solar boat , a 4,500-year-old vessel now housed in the dedicated Khufu exhibit.
As for practical considerations, you really don’t need walking sticks for this tour. If you have no trouble ambulating on regular sidewalks and steps, you won’t need walking sticks. We brought them and never once used them. They were a waste of weight and space in our suitcases. Do NOT bother bringing water bottles. Bottled water is always available.
Food is generally good, however, it is heavily weighted towards Middle Eastern food. (big shock) If you don’t like Middle Eastern food, you probably won’t be happy.
Alcohol is ridiculously expensive in Egypt. A mixed cocktail at the old cataract hotel is $40. Because we had just flown in from Jordan we were able to buy duty-free liquor at the airport in Aswan. The line of travelers from Tauck in that shop was quite extensive and quite giddy . 😂
While staying at the Kempinski outside of Amman, one realizes how eerily close one is to Israel. Despite the conflicts that are going on there, we did not feel affected by it . In Jordan, as well as Egypt, the so-called tourist police are conspicuous. In addition, in Egypt, there was a very conspicuous police presence wherever we went and very extensive security screening which included metal detectors and cursory bag searches wherever we went . Also, during the time we were away, particularly during the first week , it looked as though the United States might be attacking Iran. Although it didn’t come to pass, we weren’t particularly concerned. When you look at the map, you realize that Jordan and Egypt are nowhere near Iran. (Duh..). Egypt is very dependent on tourism and it really seems as though they are doing everything they can to prevent terrorist incidents. In addition, we had our own Vin Diesel packing automatic weapons under their cashmere coats watching over us. No one seemed at all concerned and there were no incidents ( aside from the cab ride of the person who went out on his own). When you leqve Egypt, the Tauck fixer will meet you at the airport and fast track you all the way to passport control.
In our list of favorite Tauck tours, this is in the top tier with Antarctica, Australia/ New Zealand, Morocco and Vietnam/ Cambodia and Thailand. It was awe- inspiring in terms of grandeur, and shockingly sobering in terms of seeing how residents of the Cairo metro area live.
Edit add on: I just received the Tauck global journeys book for 2027 in the mail. This tour no longer stays at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. Instead they use the Movenpick. That is too bad. It was a highlight.
Re: Shopping in India - what I wish I knew before the trip
I totally agree with the “nice people” on this thread. Of course, it’s the usual suspects who continue to snark & belittle others. I call them the “Tauck Troll Patrol.” Enjoying a unique shopping experience in an exotic location does not preclude immersing oneself in a foreign culture, nor does it diminish the enjoyment of visiting awe-inspiring sites. I also think I’m “done” with the Tauck Forum until Tauck does a better job of monitoring the comments.
dwannand