METRO DAY AT LIFE
22 Bucket list
The Himalayas This summer, head for the hills — you won’t find anything more achingly beautiful than Northern India. Always a top spot for committed backpackers and mountaineers, this remote region welcomes the regular traveller via the inventive Shakti Village Experiences. These adventures offer private tours through a paradise of pristine nature. There is rafting, camping, camel riding and cooking classes, along with hikes to villages and temples. You stay in a traditional Himalayan home with a porter, chef and guides who keep things safe and comfortable. It is off the beaten track, but with niceties you wouldn’t expect at 10,000 feet above sea level. Visit shaktihimalaya.com. doug wallace/metro
metronews.ca Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Your travel questions answered forgotten. I like to leave $2 to $5 per day, depending on extra touches provided, on the bed with a note of thanks. If you prefer to leave one tip at the end of a longer stay, leave an envelope at the front desk. Note your name and room number and dates of stay and ask to have it divided among all the staff who serviced your room.
What’s the deal? Metro’s globe-trotting columnist offers advice on common quandaries ON THE MOVE
Loren Christie life@metronews.ca
This week I’m answering some reader questions about travel. Heading to Europe this summer. Where can I get the best bang for my buck? According to Hotels.com’s Hotel Price Index, which pinpoints cities where you can find affordable hotel rooms, you should be looking at capitals that all start with the letter B for the best value: think Brussels, Berlin and Budapest. Lisbon also makes the under $200-per-night cut. Additionally, the Portuguese capital offers great restaurant food at reasonable prices. Can I get a prescription filled abroad?
Want to do Europe on the cheap? The cities that start with B — like Budapest — have the best hotel deals. istock
Pharmaceutical regulations are different in each country, so getting a supply of medicine on foreign soil isn’t simple. Ensure the pills you are looking for are legal in your host country and know the generic name and dosage for the medication. Find an accredited,
English-speaking physician through the local Canadian consulate or the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (iamat.org). Doctors, who are members, will often make house calls to hotels. Be sure to fill the prescription at a phar-
macy recommended by that doctor or attached to a clinic or hospital, as counterfeit drugs have become increasingly common abroad. Should you tip hotel room attendants? Absolutely, they’re often
Any tips on avoiding lost luggage? When booking your trip, try a direct flight. If it’s not possible, ensure you have ample time between flights for your bags to be transferred. Book your trip on the same airline so if a bag is lost you are dealing with one airline versus two that may try and push the blame onto each other. Label your baggage with your name and contact information including cellphone number. For security reasons, use your work address, not your home address, and put labels on the inside and outside of your luggage in case the tags get ripped off.