Best Of
Re: Scandinavia Tour 11 July 2018
thx, kfnknfzk. I remember how much you have enjoyed Bergen, so decided it was time to revisit...though it's a bit mixed up in my mind with Stavanger, since it was last century lol, when I spent 3 weeks in Scandinavia. This is just a short visit, so no worries. I've been to Copenhagen several times since.
Re: Timing of Acropolis Visit
Normal opening time, but since it is just as it opens or a few minutes before, you beat most of the crowds- I think our bus was the first to arrive in the lot. We had plenty of time for a guided walk around the exteriors of the Parthenon and the ruins of a few other structures, and see a few features often missed by others. You can't enter any of the building ruins. The site is littered with exposed rock and limestone rubble of old structures so not that easy to negotiate. There was actually a temple that pre-dates the Parthenon underneath of it and you can see some of the foundation that has been exposed during previous excavations. I think what and how much you see is highly dependent on the local guide and crowds. We also had a brief period to investigate on our own. You'll see the Propylaia entrance, the nearby small temple of Athena Nike, the partially reconstructed (always with scaffolding somewhere) Parthenon, the Erechtheion, famous for its porch of the Caryatids (you'll see copies, the originals are in the new museum which you visit next), and you'll look down on the remains of the Odeion and partially rebuilt Theater of Dionysus (Google Yanni Live at the Acropolis 
) on the hill sides. By the time we left, large groups were arriving and which actually made it hard to exit! The timing was perfect, however, because after leaving the Acropolis we went down hill to the New Acropolis Museum which wasn't crowed- maybe the throngs were headed there next?
AlanS
Re: Biking on Danube
Did not try the Petrin tower nor did we seek out a nighttime tour, but it is a safe and great city to walk at night. The Charles Bridge is a must and very popular place to visit in the evening.
AlanS
Re: Thoughts after just returning - 8-20 June 2024
Has anyone used the laundry services at the hotels/lodges (K&T Classic Safari), and if so, did that work out well?
PBartsch
Re: K&T Safari June 29
We decided to get up early to search for lions In Ngorongoro. Five AM wake-up and six for breakfast. Six there out the door.
Descending into the caldera at seven.
At shortly before eight.
Sealord
Re: Anyone have experience with Android trackers?
Hi...I have 2 of the SmartTag2 and didn't have any issues w/them. I have to rely on wifi when I travel internationally, but when I was able to connect, I was able to see my bags. I've only used them on 2 trips so far.
Travelling Light: Compact Noise Cancelling Ear Buds + Bluetooth (BT) Adaptor (Airplane IFE or other)
I wanted to pass along some research that I did this year when trying to think about how to make long haul and ultra-long haul flights more comfortable on my ears while being compact and not breaking the bank. Flying solo is one thing. Flying as a family of 4 is another. I know many on here fly business class, and airlines often provide some nice amenities (sometimes including nice noise cancellation headphones) to those passengers while those in economy often get the cheap and uncomfortable wired headphones or ear buds. I have always wanted to get a decent pair of active noise cancellation (ANC) headphones or ear buds. But as an Apple family, I simple just can't justify spending that much on AirPod Pros - especially when the kiddos have a knack for losing or destroying ear buds. My son has lost at least half of 2 sets of cheap ear buds and my daughter left a set in the yard for a rainstorm and my irrigation system to drown. 🙄 Add to that, say you do have a nice pair of fancy BT headphones or earbuds - how can you use them on airplane in-flight entertainment (IFE) devices when they use a single or dual 3.5 mm audio jacks? Sure I can watch stuff on my phone, but sometimes you would just like the flexibility to use the IFE.
Well...
Ear Fun Air Pro 3 - highly rated, low cost, active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 43dB, BT 5.3 supporting aptX- Adaptive with an ultra-low latency mode, 45 hours of battery, come in 4 colors, wired and wireless charging, pairing to 2 devices, and can be tuned/adjusted easily with supported app. Wt. 1.8 oz. They can be bought for $56-64 on Amazon.
Plus
Avantree SoundJet R2 - a BT adaptor that has excellent design (small, compact, with a dual 3.5mm adapter, and comes with a small pouch), supports BT 5.3 aptX-Adaptive and low latency, 30 hours of battery, and can pair to 2 sets of BT headphones should you want to share 1 screen. Great customer service as well. Wt. 2.0 oz. They can be bought direct from Avantree or on Amazon for about $40.
Full disclosure: I had pre-ordered their new R1s (slightly smaller design, 20 hours of battery) coming out back in March for $32. But as each month passed after May, the release date got pushed back, until just a few weeks ago it got pushed to the point that it would not be released/shipped until after we got back from Africa. Disappointed, I reached out to their customer service and they verified the delay. I countered with a request of would they ship me 4 R2s at the pre-order price of the R1s due to the delays. They were very quick to oblige and today I spent the day pairing the Air Pro 3's and R2 for the family. I tested the R2s out on my laptop and I was easily able to switch connecting the ear bud to my phone or to the laptop with ease. A very slick system if you ask me.
With the shortest flight being a little over 8 hours and the longest flight being 13.5 hours, this will hopefully allow some comfortable sleep as well as comfortable entertainment enjoyment and reduction of ear stress due to the benefits of being able to use BT noise cancellation ear buds with both with our phones as well as the IFE systems.
I am so looking forward to experiencing Qatar Airways for the first time, in economy (extra legroom), in 2 weeks!
Re: Pre-Tour Recommended Activities for Venice and Dalmatian Coast
I'd like to thank everyone who gave their input about visiting the Jewish Ghetto in Venice. We are back from our trip (which was great) and did visit the Ghetto. The museum is currently under renovation, so there was less to see. For sure one can visit the area and the synagogues without a guide, and there are also inexpensive group tours from the likes of Viator, so there is no need to pay for an expensive private guide. There is a public waterbus stop nearby, and it is also walkable, albeit a long walk, from the Marriot hotel's shuttle drop off. Thanks again - your assistance as always is appreciated.
Re: K&T Safari June 29
Don’t think we still have any of those anymore. Mr. B takes charge of paperwork thank goodness. Now collecting them from everyone else, oh dear! We are having a final family get together next weekend before our trip. Have waited for this for so very long and now the time is finally going fast.
British
Re: Spain & Portugal Small Group October 2024
Her flamenco performance on the bus was an unexpected treat.
