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From here to there
One writer’s life in travel
BY TAMARA WIEDER

NO ONE EVER would’ve mistaken me for Christopher Columbus.

I can say this with the glint of a smile now, looking back, because so much has changed. But throughout my childhood and adolescence, it was common knowledge among those in my inner circle: I did not like to travel.

Of course, I did it anyway. Family trips brought me to a variety of destinations both exotic and inarguably unmemorable. We drove to Canada and ferried home; we exchanged houses — for what seemed, at the time, an interminably long July — with a family in Southern France; we drove a diesel Volkswagen to California and back, turning off the air conditioning to chug our way over the Rocky Mountains; we lolled about on the beaches at Martha’s Vineyard and the craggy Big Sur coast. I took my first plane flight at the age of two and was airborne often from that day forward. I was, it seemed, going places.

And yet, each trip only served to solidify what I always knew to be true: I preferred the comfort of my own block, my own house, my own bed. Driving down the winding, wooded roads of an unmistakably French village, I closed my eyes and pictured instead the precise curves and intersections of my beloved suburban neighborhood. Nightmares in which I roamed disoriented across unfamiliar landscapes kept me awake in a cousin’s bed in Northern California. Summers meant day camps rather than sleep-away; I busied myself with the neighborhood kids and went to bed with the soothing smell of charcoal wafting up from the grill in the yard. By the time a high-school trip with a European-born friend landed me on a tiny Spanish island in the Mediterranean, I should have known better. Yet there I found myself, adrift in acutely unknown territory, homesickness rendering my appetite nearly nonexistent. The scheduled three-week adventure lasted nine days and a plane flight home, alone.

My parents, I am certain, were convinced I was doomed to a life spent in a kind of New England paralysis. I was almost resigned to it myself.

And then.

And then one day, everything was different. I can offer neither explanation nor logic to account for the switch that seemed to flip, if not overnight, then at the very least unexpectedly and without warning. My shedding of the discomfiting travel mantle I’d worn for so long may have been owed to the simple fact of growing up; if it was more complicated than that, I don’t imagine I’ll ever know. What I do know is this: a friend packed her bags on a near-whim and jetted off for three months to South Africa to confirm that a love affair begun on a business trip was real. Six weeks later, I packed my own bags and jetted off after her on what was to become part visit, part adventure, and absolute turning point.

In the small handful of ensuing years, my proverbial travel bug has been virtually insatiable. There’ve been three continents, innumerable islands, excruciatingly long but ultimately worthwhile plane flights, unrecognizable and absolutely memorable meals. There’s been a blur of airports, hotels, restaurants, and faces; there’ve been — unfathomable to my former, travel-wary self — beds more comfortable than my own.

Here are some of the highlights.

South Africa

Where we stayed:

Shamwari Game Reserve (Port Elizabeth): a 49,000-acre private game reserve replete with luxury lodges, gourmet cuisine, and, most important, animals, including lions, zebra, hippos, rhinos, and elephants (www.shamwari.com).

Inyathi Guest Lodge (Knysna): a charming, affordable cluster of cabin-type accommodations that left our wallets healthy enough to check into our next destination (www.inyathi-sa.com).

Phantom Forest Eco Reserve (Knysna): featuring luxurious "tree suite" accommodations, gourmet Pan-African cuisine, and hilltop views (www.phantomforest.com).

Eikendal Lodge at Eikendal Vineyards (Stellenbosch): in the heart of South Africa’s vineyard region, this converted group of farm buildings has been open since 1998 and boasts rooms with terraces opening directly onto vineyard grounds (www.eikendal.com).

Victoria & Alfred Hotel (Cape Town): one of the city’s most renowned hotels whose spacious rooms overlook the harbor and Cape Town’s fabled Table Mountain (www.vahotel.co.za).

What we saw:

The Garden Route: running along the Western Cape coast, the Garden Route is considered one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world, bordered by the sand dunes and white beaches of the Indian Ocean.

District Six Museum (Cape Town): commemorating the area of Cape Town that was destroyed and whose residents were forcibly removed to townships (www.districtsix.co.za).

Table Mountain (Cape Town): an aerial cableway brings you to the top of the mountain, from which there are spectacular views of the city, ocean, and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 20 years (www.tablemountain.net).

What you should know:

Township tours offer needed insight into the substandard living conditions that continue to exist in post-apartheid South Africa — and many tour operators contribute some of their earnings to the townships they visit.

Australia

Where we stayed:

Fitzroy Island Resort (Great Barrier Reef): 18 nautical miles off the coast of Cairns. Most of the island’s 800-plus acres are national parkland; the resort, with its bunkhouses and basic private cabins, occupies the remaining space (www.fitzroyislandresort.com.au).

Gobles Mill House (Port Fairy): a charming bed and breakfast housed in what was once a bluestone flour mill (www.goblesmill.myportfairy.com).

Warrawong Earth Sanctuary (Mylor): accommodations are in bush cabins; guided wildlife walks take place at dusk and dawn, and meals are served fireside in the lodge (warrawong@esl.com.au; www.warrawong.com).

Sails in the Desert (Ayer’s Rock): the place to go for luxury and pampering in the middle of the red desert (www.voyages.com.au/destination_accomo_sails.cfm).

What we saw:

Sydney Opera House (Sydney): behind-the-scenes (and behind-the-seats) tour of the renowned Australian icon (www.soh.nsw.gov.au).

Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb (Sydney): guides lead groups of climbers over a catwalk, up a series of ladders, and across the arch to the summit of the bridge, more than 400 feet above Sydney Harbour, where stunning 360-degree views must be committed to memory since, for safety reasons, cameras are not allowed on the climb www.bridgeclimb.com).

Old Melbourne Gaol (Melbourne): the city’s first jail, now a museum. Evening candlelight tours are an appropriately offbeat and spooky way to learn about the Gaol, the place where infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly was hanged in 1880 (www.nattrust.com.au/pages/default.cfm?page_id=4822&menu=3798%0).

Great Ocean Road (Torquay to Allansford): one of the world’s most stunning coastal drives, with views of rainforests, rolling green hills, shimmering turquoise water, and breathtaking rock formations.

South Australia Museum (Adelaide): the museum houses the Australian Aboriginal Culture gallery, the largest collection of its kind in the world (www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/).

Kangaroo Island: a day trip helped satiate our wildlife cravings, offering up-close looks at kangaroos, koalas, sea lions, fairy penguins, and other creatures (www.tourkangarooisland.com.au/).

The Ghan (Adelaide to Alice Springs): this legendary train, named for the cameleers who blazed a trail into Australia’s Red Centre more than 100 years ago, took us on an overnight journey through the outback (www.gsr.com.au/ghan/index.htm).

Uluru (Ayer’s Rock): one of the world’s largest monoliths and a stunning vision of red rock rising more than 1100 feet from the desert floor.

What you should know:

Virtually everyone we encountered before arriving in Adelaide told us this South Australian capital city wasn’t worth visiting. If anyone tries to convince you of the same, don’t listen; with a plethora of restaurants, shops, parks, and cultural offerings, Adelaide is well worth a stop.

Jamaica

Where we stayed:

Grand Lido (Negril): part of the SuperClubs chain, the Grand Lido sits on a protected cove and offers myriad water sports and other activities (www.superclubs.com/brand_grandlido/resort_negril/gl_about.asp).

What we did:

Epicurean Escape (Grand Lido Negril): hosted by Food & Wine magazine, the annual event draws renowned chefs from across the United States for cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, seminars, grand buffets, and formal dinners.

What you should know:

Negril is a two-hour drive from the closest international airport in Montego Bay, but don’t let that deter you; the resort’s bus is a great way to see parts of the island you might otherwise miss if you hop a puddle-jumper and fly to Negril’s airstrip instead.

Egypt

Where we stayed:

Four Seasons at the First Residence (Cairo): utterly decadent, with marble-floored hallways, sumptuous food, and views of the Great Pyramids from our 11th-floor room (www.fourseasons.com/cairofr/).

Four Seasons Resort (Sharm El Sheikh): overlooking the Red Sea, this enchanting resort features secluded beaches, spa and wellness center, five restaurants, colorful flora, private pier, and the chance to unwind after the chaos of Cairo (www.fourseasons.com/sharmelsheikh).

Sun Boat III and IV (Luxor to Aswan): there’s perhaps no better way to see Egypt than on a Nile cruise, and there are perhaps no better Nile cruises than those on board Abercrombie & Kent’s Sun Boats. The five-star boats boast elaborate buffets, surprisingly spacious cabins, first-class service, and, most importantly, the chance to see village life as it happens along the banks of the Nile (www.akdmc.com).

What we saw:

Khan al-Khalili (Cairo): the mother of all marketplaces, and the place for intrepid bargain-hunters and shopaholics.

Great Pyramids of Giza (Cairo): one of the seven wonders of the world, where we were among the lucky — there are only 150 daily — to be allowed inside Khufu’s Pyramid for a harrowing (especially for the claustrophobic) but worthwhile climb to the King’s Chamber.

Egyptian Museum (Cairo): our personal Egyptologist, Mona, led us through the building that houses the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the renowned Tutankhamen collection (www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg).

Temples of Karnak, Luxor, Denderah, Kom Ombo, Aswan, and Edfu: the pyramids may be the most recognizable Egyptian icons, but the temples are perhaps even more awe-inspiring. Thousands of years old yet surprisingly intact, some of Egypt’s vast temples even have color remaining on their walls and ceilings.

What you should know:

"You’re going to Egypt?" was the refrain I heard with increasing frequency as my recent trip approached. "Is it safe there?" With reassurances from the Egyptian organizer of the trip, and from friends who’d lived in the country for several years and had nothing but praise for it, we accepted the invitation from the International Executive Service Corps to spend 10 days in the North African country. The trip went off without a hitch; never in Egypt did we feel unsafe or unwelcome. Security is tight; as a result, there have been no major tourist incidents since 1997. And as big cities go, Cairo is safer than most, with virtually none of the street crime typical of US metropolises.

Tamara Wieder can be reached at twieder[a]phx.com

Issue Date: February 20 - 27, 2003
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