cruisingbarb

We did the Godfather tour from the port of Messina with Sicily Life and really enjoyed it. We ended up in Taormina and felt we had enough time there. It was a good day.

We were just there and decided to stay in town. We were surprised at how much there was to see. We did take advantage of the HOHO bus. We really enjoyed our time there.

We were just in Salerno and did a boat tour to Capri with Joe Banana and had a wonderful day. We were transported to Sorrento by bus where we boarded a boat for a ride over to Capri. We stopped at the blue grotto, then continued around the island with a stop for swimming off the boat. There were 13 of us on a 32 foot boat. He also has a smaller boat for 6. You might see if you can do find anyone on your roll call to join you. It was one of the highlights of our cruise.

We will be going to the Picasso museum in September. For those who have gone, is it worth getting the audio guide?

We used them several years ago for a tour of Ephesus. The guide was very good and personable and the owner was very responsive to all my emails. I don't think you can go wrong using them.

Any suggestions on how to get to and from the hotel? There will be six of us. The hotel wants to charge $43 for two people/car. Sounds a little high to me. Are taxies readily available?

Glad to know we picked a good hotel. I did get the breakfast package. Thought it would be easier than trying to find a place to eat. Is the museum worth a visit? We need something to do before we leave for the airport on Friday.

Sue, good to know we picked a good hotel. I did get the breakfast package. Since there are six of us, it makes it easier than trying to decide where to go. Is the museum worth a visit? We need something to do Saturday morning before we head to the airport.

Thank you for the great information. Now I'm feeling better about being there on a Friday. We booked the Arabian Courtyard which seems to be in a good location. Looking forward to our trip.

What is there to do on Friday morning in Dubai? Can you do a marina cruise? What time do the gold and spice souks open back up? Is there enough to do on Friday morning or should we change our flights to avoid Friday? I hope I'm not over thinking this.

I'd have to agree with the above posters. I wouldn't spend the money for the short amount of time you will have at MP. Much too rushed. You could look at pictures in a book for what you would really get out of such a short trip. There is too much to see and do in Peru. Better to make it a separate trip if possible when you can spend more time and truly experience Peru.

We are on the Emerald Princess in September and they have now canceled the stop in Tunisia and we will be going to Salerno instead. However, on the first leg of the cruise we will be in Naples and are planning on going to Pompeii, Positano and Sorrento. It looks like we can do similar things from Salerno but since we will have just done them, any suggestions as to what to do in and around Salerno. FYI, we have been to Capri before so that's not an option. Thanks.

When we flew from Lima to Cusco and spent the night, we took Diamoxx. Don't know if we would have had any problems but figured it was better to be safe than sorry. We also drank the coca tea and took a nap before venturing out. Again, everyone reacts differently to the attitude. If it's on your bucket list, go for it.

We are in our mid-60's. I've been to Peru and Machu Picchu twice. The first time, we flew into Cusco in the a.m. and then immediately went to the Sacred Valley (2 nights); MP (2 nights), and then back to Cusco for 2 nights. The second time, we flew into Cusco in the afternoon, rested, then drove to the Sacred Valley the next day, took the train to Aquas Calientes, then back to Cusco. Neither time did I experience any altitude sickness but I agree that you should probably go immediately to the SV to avoid the possibility of.

We decided to spend two nights in MP so that we could get up early to see the sunrise. We had a guide for 3 hours but then spent another 5 to 6 hours on our own. It was a long day so we spent a second night in MP so we could get a good night's sleep, and then got up and took the train back to Ollantaytambo where we had a driver to take us to some of the sites on the way back to Cusco (Moray and Maras salt mines which were very interesting). We spent two nights in Cusco before flying back to Lima.

There is where I have to disagree with you. If you spend some time in the SV, I think it's easier to acclimate to the altitude in Cusco. Also, we enjoyed our time in Cusco. There are things to see in Cusco (the Spanish church built on top of the Incan ruins; the Plaza de Armas; some interesting museums) and just outside of Cusco, such as Sacsayhuaman. Unless you plan on going back to Peru again, I would see as much as you can see. I've been fortunate enough to go twice and wouldn't hesitate to go again.

We did a private tour to Ovieto and Bagnoregio and had a great day. The bridge is totally doable if you don't have any mobility problems. Our friends did it and they're in their 80's. We also saw a bridal party walking back down the bridge in heels, which was very impressive.

This is also a vote for the Attalos. We stayed there several years ago. Location is good, view from top of the Acropolis is amazing. Staff was friendly. Not fancy but the price was right.

Greg: I think your trip sounds prefect. You can always spend more time in a place but if you only have a short amount of time, then you just need to maximize your time. Did you make your arrangements through a tour company, and if so, which one? We used Escaped to Latin America/Condor Travel last year and were very satisfied with them. Would love to do the Galapagos. Who are you using for the cruise?

We are debating between the north and south route. Do we want to see Mdina (north route) or Tarxien Temples, Vittoriosa and Marsaxlokk (south route)? I know this is somewhat subjective and a matter of personal choice but since we haven't been there before, just wondered if anyone had a preference. I know we can do both but we also want to have some time to spend in Valletta. We are in port until 6:00.

Any reason to get tickets in advance?

Would you suggest the north or south route? Do you need to get your tickets in advance?

We will be docking in Valletta and plan on going to Mdina for several hours and then back to Valletta. Should we take the local bus or the HOHO bus?

If you still want to go with a private tour company and include Portovenere, you might check this one out: http://www.papillonservice.com/tours_cinqueterre.php. We used them several years ago and were very happy with our day. We enjoyed Portovenere. They're still showing the Via dell'Amore walk but it sounds like that's not doable at this time. And we did make a stop at Pisa to get some pictures but you can probably make it as short or as long as you want.

We booked through OAT. We flew into Lima and spent two days there before we took the flight to Iquitos which is in the Peruvian Amazon and is only reachable by boat or air. We spent one night in Iquitos before boarding the La Aguamarina. We spent six nights on the boat and each day we took one or two skiff rides. We visited a school in a village and had lunch with a local family, we fished for piranha, took a canoe ride, we swam in the Amazon. We had a great time. The boat could use a little work and the rooms and bathrooms are pretty basic. We saw some of the other boats (Delfin for one)and they look a lot nicer (goggle them--some are downright luxurious) but you pay a lot more for the a similar experience. We had booked a post-trip through OAT to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu but because they didn't have the numbers, they had to cancel it so I made our own arrangements through another company for the four of us and it was perfect. If you would like to see a couple of pictures or want some more information about our trip, you can email me at travelbug1948@hotmail.com and I would be happy to respond.

We did the OAT Amazon River cruise in June/July and loved it. The boat isn't as fancy as the Delfin or others but then again, it cost a lot less. We loved our tour guide and naturalist. They were very informative. The food was good and we had a nice group of people. Although the boat can hold 24, there were only 19 of us. Let me know if you want any additional information.

That sounds like a plan but so far, there's only about 8 people on the roll call. Hopefully, more will join. The cruise isn't until next September so we still have time.

We are a party of 10. We are looking to do private tours in several ports, including Naples, Liverno and the port for Rome. The problem is most companies accommodate 4, 6, 8 or 15. I realize we can go in two cars: 4 and 6 but would rather be all together and the cost for a 15 person vehicle is not cost effective. Has anyone had any experience finding a tour company who can accommodate 10?