Best Of
Re: Kempinski Ishtar Hotel
Mike - I loved " men wake up, look in the mirror and say I get better looking every day" 😂😂😂
Re: Received the 2026 preview brochure
What is a tractor!
The vehicle Oliver Wendell Douglas rode in the opening to Green Acres.
BKMD
Re: Restaurants for Grand Australia and New Zealand
Yes! We had a wonderful meal at Aria, and enjoyed a window table with an amazing view of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor & Bridge. In Melbourne, we had a memorable lunch at Donovan’s by St. Kilda. It’s right on the beach. St. Kilda is also where you may see Fairy Penguins (we didn’t, but they have a colony there). Food was great and the staff was super friendly. Also really enjoyed lunch at Chin Chin, a casual SE Asian inspired eatery, and a lovely dinner at long-standing upscale Chinese restaurant, Flower Drum. Each restaurant had its own unique character. In Wellington, NZ, we had a dinner in town funded by Tauck - they gave us options, and we chose Monsoon Poon. We went with friends we met on tour, so we got a wide variety of food. Loved it! In Queenstown, we had dinner at Madam Woo (Malaysian inspired hawker food) one night, and for a takeout casual lunch, we tried the famous Fergburger. The line for Fergburger was out the door, but it was festive! Lots of great choices in the cities. Have fun!!
Re: Serengeti and great migration
We have never done this tour, but we have done K&T several times, and we have seen the migration across the Mara River which was spectacular. On our last trip, last summer, we saw the migration on land about two hours drive west of the Four Seasons. I think the migration is more or less continuous and where you find it will largely depend upon the rainfall patterns. It’s a matter of being at the right place at the right time.
Sealord
Re: Abercrombie & Kent - Comparison with Tauck
Honestly really getting tired of the constant put down of Tauck guests and the tours by Henrypoon. Serious if you find us so offensive and mundane, you should seek out exciting friends elsewhere. We aren’t here for your derogatory comments.
MS78
Re: Abercrombie & Kent - Comparison with Tauck
I'm not a foodie so I have never signed up for a tour because of the food. I'm interested in the itinerary and what I'll see and do on a tour.
So far, I haven't had any real issues with the food on any of the Tauck tours, although in India a lot of the cuisine is spiced (hot) more than I prefer. I'm sure the intent was to give us experience with the local cuisine and I accepted it as such, even though I didn't enjoy it that much.
If food is your major concern about a tour, you should search for foodie tours, or, at least, those tours that concentrate on the meals instead of the other things you’ll do on the tour.
[Added note: I can have a wonderful meal in my home town - there are restaurants of every ethnicity you can imagine. I don't need to travel halfway around the world for a meal. I travel half way around the world to see and do things that I can't see and do in my home town.]
[We're not foodies, but we were in Cremona many years back and went to Dal Pescatore Restaurant in a small town outside of Cremona. Highly rated, but VERY expensive. https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2015Italy-01.htm#DalPescatore ]
Re: Just finished the Nov. 15 Patagonia tour
The yearly COVID and flu updates have become routine for us. The RSV is still a one-time only inoculation—at least for now anyway.
I'm winding up my NYC holiday and was surprised to see how few masked people there were in the subways. We continue to wear masks in airports, on planes until boarding is complete and at theatrical performances—wherever large groups of people congregate. It's just a way of life now.
kfnknfzk
Re: Kempinski Ishtar Hotel
We just did the tour in October and we arrived 2 days early as did another couple who shared the ride from the airport. Our flights were delayed and instead of arriving at 10 pm we arrived at 7am. When we arrived at the hotel we were taken to our rooms fairly quickly, and the room was fabulous. I believe all the Tauck guests were in the same row overlooking the swimming pool with a gorgeous view of the Dead Sea and the West Bank. I was very impressed with the Kempinski as they tried so hard to make everything so nice. It is a beautiful resort and so relaxing. Don't miss a day at the spa-its amazing!!
Re: Abercrombie & Kent - Comparison with Tauck
Just returned in October from an A&K Greece land tour and it was phenomenal. Since Tauck does not have land tour to Greece, I thought it best to take A&K and was not disappointed. The food was better than I'd had on almost all my other Tauck trips. I think Tauck is often quantity, not quality when it comes to food. Must say, very disappointed with most of the food on Portugal tour and the food on the Swiss tour was awful. Italian destinations have proven to be good. The A&K tour guide was one of my favs although Maria on the Tauck Amalfi Coast tour remains my all-time favorite. No complaints about A&K. My hotel rooms were better with A&K as well. Tauck is less expensive and often better fits our schedules but I really liked A&K and was happy I decided to try them out.
