Best Of
Re: Kingdoms & Dragons: Singapore to Bali Review - Part 3 Sights and Activities
Day 14 - Fly home day. We check out at noon, no late check out was available, and spend the afternoon at the poolside bar/restaurant until our 6:30 PM pickup for transfer to the airport and the start of the long journey home.
End of Review!
Re: Any alternatives to the Komodo Dragon day?
Komodo dragons tomorrow. Here’s the view from our room on Flores Island.
Re: New to Tauck and wonder if our expereince was typical
I am finding all of this quite amusing…..just live and let live. No judging, but if you ever want to talk about “being needled” on this forum, then I’m your spokesperson. 🤣
Re: Trip Report, Patagonia Feb/March 2025
Part 2
Day 6: Puerto Natales to El Calafate. Fairly early start for the bus ride to Argentina. Very smooth border crossing. We had a later lunch at a restaurant in El Calafate - very good - I had the trout. We checked into the Hotel Xelena - lovely water views. I liked the Hotel. I have read comments about thin walls, but that was a non-issue for us, as everyone staying there appeared to be similar tourists who were early to bed and early to rise.
At 4:45 p.m. the group went by bus to the Glacier Museum. Very informative and fun visit. Back at the Hotel, we were provided a snack in our room with a bottle of wine. We supplemented with a salad we bought at the bar area and split. Very pleasant to relax and enjoy while watching the sun fading over the Lake.
Day 7: Upsala Glacier and Estancia Cristina. We had another good day for a cruise to a glacier. It was partly cloudy and there was no wind. The cruise on Lake Argentino was nice, and then we headed to the Upsala Channel, where we could view the glacier and many stunning icebergs. Lots of picture taking. Then, we sailed to Estancia Christina.
Our TD had previously advised us of an option of a long hike at the Estancia. It is a 9 mile hike above the Lake and then down into Fossil Canyon and then to the Estancia. We were advised that the hike is challenging because the hikers needed to move quickly to get down to the Estancia for the sail back. Four from our group, including my husband and me, chose to take this optional hike. (Sometimes there is no availability and sometimes the weather precludes it). Our TD discussed it with the group a couple of days prior, as it needed to be reserved.
The four of us were driven in a 4 by 4 to the Upsala Viewpoint area, and 4 non-Tauck people joined us for the hike. The guide recommended using one hiking pole. The rest of the Tauck group said they also was driven up to the viewpoint, then to the Estancia for a nice lunch, lots of wine. a mate tea demonstratiion and a visit to the museum. Positive reports from the group.
The hike we took was not as difficult as the one we took two days earlier (although there were a couple of rocky areas where the guide recommended sitting down and sliding). As we were told, it was challenging because the guide kept a very fast pace. She did stop several times in Fossil Canyon to discuss the many marine fossils we could see. Between the fossils and the changing colors of the rocks, the canyon was beautiful and otherworldly. The latter part of the walk was through streams and meadows and trees starting to show their fall colors. We did have some drizzle at around the halfway point. I really enjoyed the hike, and appreciate being given the choice to take it. We made it back to the Esctancia for a quick refreshment and then back to the boat. Dinner at the Hotel at either the bar or the restaurant at previously reserved time. We chose the restaurant, and were able to enjoy the Thursday night Tango show. A great day.
Day 8: Perito Moreno Glacier. Very nice day, partly cloudy, no wind. This glacier is amazing and spectacular. It was calving quite a blt. Our guide led the group around the walkways and there was free time to just wander and watch the glacier. We had a designated time to meet up at the Park restaurant, which we could walk up to (30-40 minutes) or take our bus. We walked, wanting to savor every moment of the views. Good lunch at the restaurant with wine. We went back to the Hotel and rested/napped before our group dinner in town. Others chose to be dropped in town for shopping and meet the group at the restaurant. Good dinner at the Mako restaurant.
Day 9; Our flight to Buenos Aires was rescheduled to 2 hours later, so we had a relaxing early morning. It was another nice day, and my husband and I took a long walk along the lakeside promenade prior to the group's 10:30 departure for the airport. We arrived in Buenos Aires at 4:30 p.m. Traffic was heavy on Saturday evening, but we did have a short tour of the sights. Very good included dinner at the Sofitel. Nice room and the Sofitel is in the nice Recoleto area.
Day 10: The group had a very full day tour to, first, San Antonio de Areco to visit a silversmith. I found it interesting. It was another lovely day and we had time to walk around the small town, visit the Church, enjoy the ambience. Then, we drove to an Estancia, where we had an excellent barbeque lunch and gaucho show. Back to the hotel to freshen up. We had our farewell reception at the Hotel, and then were transported to the dinner and Tango show, which was outstanding.
Day 11: We had a leisurely last morning because we had a 4:00 p.m. pickup for an evening flight. We took our time with breakfast and then walked over to the nearby Bascilica and Cemetary and visited both. The Cemetary, where Eva Peron and other notables are entombed is very interesting. We then went back to the Hotel and checked out (late checkout not available) and left our luggage with the bellmen. We enjoyed a light lunch and walking around the Recoleto area, and through some of its beautiful parks and the shopping center across the street from the Sofitel. Back at the hotel, we freshened up and changed clothes in the spa area. The pickup was early and we had a smooth ride to the airport. Uneventful trip home on American Airlines to JFK and then Chicago.
Clothing: we were prepared for windy, cold and rainy weather. While we were remarkably fortunate to have good weather, we still used most of the outerwear that we brought, sometimes alone and sometimes in various combinations. We both brought a puffer jacket, a fleece and a good raincoat. We both brought good hiking pants and I had a pair of stretch hiking pants that can be worn alone or layered. For the two long hikes, we wore lined water resistant hiking pants, and they worked out very well. Many in the group had rain pants that they wore as a second layer. We brought both hiking boots and hiking shoes and wore both. At times I wore a buff, a beanie and light gloves. I brought, and did not use, a wool scarf and heavy gloves. My husband also brought and used a baseball cap and I did sometimes wear a sun hat with chin strap.
Trip Report - Venice and Dalmatian Coast September 2024 (part 1)
Venice and Dalmatian Coast September 2024
What a wonderful trip! I wanted to share some of our experiences, particularly information about selecting shore excursions to those who may consider this trip in the future. This tour includes a couple days in Venice and then a Ponant small ship cruise along the Dalmatian Coast.
For our tour the Ponant ship L’Austral had over 200 Tauck guests and was not a “shared ship” with other non-Tauck guests. Tauck personnel included 6 tour directors and a cruise director. Slightly over half of the group stayed at the Venice Stuckey Hilton on Giudecca Island and the rest stayed at the Excelsior Hotel on Lido Island in the Venice lagoon. The welcome dinners were held at the respective hotels, so we didn’t meet the other guests and 3 of the tour directors until we boarded the ship on the 3rd day. We chose to stay at the Hilton as it is a bit closer to the main part of Venice, but Lido Island has better beach facilities if that is of interest. We found the Stucky to be very accommodating with a great breakfast buffet. Also not to miss is their rooftop bar with a breathtaking view of Venice at sunset. We also appreciated onsite restaurants (especially on arrival evening) and the selection of local restaurants along the shoreline of Giudecca island only a short distance away.
One key consideration for taking this trip would be mobility. Aside from the usual European caveats of walking over cobblestone streets, steps without handrails, and standing, I must mention the need to get on and off small vessels throughout the trip. As noted, both hotels are on islands, so the small boat experience begins on the way from the airport in order to check into the hotel. It was the first time we’ve ever pulled up to a hotel in a speedboat. Gondola rides also require balance and mobility -- think of getting into a canoe. Transportation around Venice is provided by small water taxis, and floating public bus-boats (called in Italian a vaporetto). . Lastly many of the ports require access by a ship tender (aka lifeboat) to reach shore. A couple of these rides were over very choppy water. All types of vessels had an attendant to lend a steadying hand for getting on and off, but it is something to be aware of to fully enjoy all parts of this journey.
Day 0
We arrived a day in advance of the tour, so we headed out in the morning to explore the sites of Venice after checking with the TD’s to not duplicate the Tauck walking tour scheduled the next day. Buying an all-day vaporetto pass was a great investment and I would recommend taking a few moments to review the map for routes and stops of these water taxis before you head out to tour. It is also important to allow time for transportation and to note the Stucky hotel’s complimentary taxi-boat intervals were every 30-45 minutes.
Out first stop was the small island of San Giorgio Maggiore to see the Basilica built by the Renaissance architect Palladio that contains artwork by Tintoretto (father and son) and Sebastion Ricci. We opted not to scale the tower with reported impressive views, but did enjoy an art exhibit held in the nearby buildings.
We then took the vaporetto across the lagoon and then switched to Line 1 to get an overview going up the Grand Canal. One of the best ways to see Venice is from the water. I really appreciated the cooperation and skill of the operators navigating on the canal. After a brief pizza break for lunch, we then did an informal walking tour of the Jewish ghetto (a small island) provided an overview of the history of this community, museum, and synagogues.
Then back to the hotel to enjoy a lovely outdoor reception to meet the other tour guests staying at the Hilton hotel. The dinner (inside) was lovely, and I especially enjoyed my panna cotta (as well as half of my wife’s). To note my wife comments that this was a dressy affair – most men wore jackets, some with ties, and the women mostly wore dresses.
Day 1
The next day, Tauck offers either a morning or afternoon tour of St Marks Basilica and square and then an inside tour of Doges palace, including a view from the Bridge of Sighs and a tour of the jail area. They also divide each session into smaller groups that are of a good size for these venues. This tour is led by local guides and was informative and well presented. At the end of the tour, we were presented with an opportunity to ride in a gondola, four guests per boat. It was a nice experience as they also included a gondola with every third boat having two guests plus two musicians to accompany us. It was fascinating to watch the gondolier duck under the bridges, some being quite low while continuing to paddle the boat!. One thing that I wished I brought along was a lanyard for my phone as the best shots were when we were on the water, but I was always worried about dropping it into the canal.
The rest of the day was free time. We headed out for lunch (yes to more pizza!!) and then navigated our way to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. This required some assistance from our morning local guide to find one of the four bridges across the Grand Canal to reach the museum. The collection of European and American 20th century art was presented in her former mansion which alone was an amazing visit to see the view into the canal. If you enjoy this period of art, it really is an amazing collection and glimpse into her life in Venice. Although we considered having dinner in Venice, we decided to head back to Giudecca and have our meal at a local restaurant (Trattoria Ai Cacciatori) along the waterfront. It was delicious and had a varied menu, including non-seafood options. If you dine later in the evening (we ate at 7 as we were still getting used to the time change) you may want to make reservations.
Day 2
This day began early as the luggage needed to be outside our hotel door by 7AM. After a quick breakfast, all of the Hilton guests headed out on a bus-like boat to Murano, a small Venetian Island famous for glassworks. The glass blowing demonstration was very informative and entertaining. We then toured their shop, or it seemed more like a museum for some of the pieces of glass artwork. My wife did find some more affordable jewelry downstairs that will make memorable gifts. Our group then re-boarded the boat to head to Burano, another island known historically for lace products. We had a leisurely lunch with some folks from the tour, so we didn’t investigate the lace products or other offerings from the local shops.
Our small tour boat then took us to the cruise terminal in Venice to begin embarkation to Ponant’s L’Austral cruise ship. After touring the ship and settling into our cabin, we had a lovely dinner in the main dining room. Overall, the food was very good to excellent, with a seemingly large selection of items for each course, given the size of the ship. There also was a casual buffet-type restaurant on the top deck that did not require a dress code. We had a few lunches and breakfast there during the cruise and found the food to be very good with a large selection, as well as a featured entrée for lunch.
Re: Advertising
😂😂😂. BKMD … if you don’t think that post was ‘political’, you need to learn how to read your own lips. Once again … put it to bed. We talk about travel here, and the ‘majority’ couldn’t care less about your political perspective.
Sealord
Re: Yet another Tauck Freebie
I disagree with the poster who thought all Tauck guests should be treated equally. I have completed over 45 tours with Tauck and have two more scheduled this year. I think those of us who have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars with Tauck should receive an occasional recognition. In fact, I recommended this to Tauck on my review cards for the past few years. I travel frequently with an upscale cruise line and they have had a recognition program for years - the more cruises you buy the more "goodies" you receive. As it should be, in my opinion - we deserve to be rewarded for our loyalty. In fact, I think Tauck should take this a step further and reward guests for every 25 trips, or something similar.
smarks50
Re: Advertising
MS78
I would imagine they’re choosing the network that gives them the most exposure to target demographic. I see my Viking ads on PBS which would also be a great place to reach those over 55
That's what I don't get about Tauck choosing Fox News. It's clearly a Trump-centric network, and the polls showed the vast majority of his supporters are lower income and less educated, which certainly isn't the Tauck demographic. Of course there are exceptions to that, but the key word is majority. If I were Tauck, I'd go after the Masterpiece Theatre crowd, rather than the Nascar crowd. To those of you who think this is a political comment, it's not. It's about demographics.
BKMD