Jetsettersblog

Turns Guests Into Experts on the Cultivation and Culture of Coffee

Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn
www.fincarosablanca.com

Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn Turns Guests Into Experts on the Cultivation and Culture of Coffee

Santa Barbara de Heredia, Costa Rica—Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn is commemorating their 20th anniversary in 2009 by launching a new website and image that reflects their commitment to sustainability and an unforgettable guest experience. Situated above the beautiful Central Valley of Costa Rica,

Finca Rosa Blanca is an exclusive hideaway that was built with the goal of creating an ecological haven and a sustainable tourism destination in a high-quality, aesthetic environment for visitors who want to experience the biodiversity of Costa Rica. The inn has 30 acres of hard bean coffee which is certified organic by an international organization called OKO Garantie and is certified sustainable by the Rain Forest Alliance and CICAFE, the Costa Rican National Organization for Coffee.

Guests are encouraged to participate in the hands-on production and cultivation of the coffee in order to gain an appreciation for coffee and the local culture.

The inn is located 4000 feet above sea level on a temperate plateau in an environment that is ideal for producing some of the world’s best coffee in the lush volcanic soil, and this coffee is an integral part of the guest experience. Guests of the inn are encouraged to participate in the picking, processing and roasting of Finca Rosa Blanca coffee. Visitors can take a tour of the farm and learn about the history of the coffee including how coffee was discovered, traded, and consumed, while touring the stunning landscape.

They are shown the entire process of organic cultivation and harvest, including participating in the picking of coffee during the harvest season which takes place during the months of October through January.

Visitors are shown the processing of coffee, including cleaning the berries and drying the coffee, and ultimately roasting their own coffee

Visitors also learn how the experts discern and rate gourmet coffee by participating in a “coffee cupping” session with famous Barista and Tour Guide, Leo Vergnani.

The walk ends with a visit to their famous coffee bar participants learn to make cappuccino, café latte, and espresso coffee. After a tour, guests can sit out on the spacious deck and enjoy the views of the volcanoes above and coffee fields below while learning more about the benefits to the environment and the community of an organic sustainable coffee farm.

This tour plus the cupping session and the coffee break and pastries session lasts about 2 hours. Cost is $25 per person including coffee break beverage and pastries. As the tour includes some hiking, the inn provides visitors with hiking sticks, and slickers in case of rain.

For more information about Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn and to schedule a tour, visit the website at www.fincarosablanca.com  or call 617-395-1175.

Dinknesh Tours, Ethiopia’s leading tour operator, today announces that their new Buska Lodge will open April 1, 2009.

The Buska Lodge is set to meet the increased demand for a more comfortable level of accommodation in this increasingly-visited remote region of Ethiopia. “There was a very clear need for a new accommodation option for travelers to the South Omo Valley,” says Mulugeta Mersha, President of Dinknesh Ethiopia Tours. “With a significant percentage or our clientele coming from North America, we clearly understand the desires of these travelers and the existing campsites and very basic guest houses in the South Omo River Valley simply were not meeting this demand.

“We are excited to invest in this spectacular region of our country and provide a new opportunity for the local communities there to benefit from the tourism industry.” Buska Lodge, named after Buska Mountain where the lodge is located, rests just outside the town of Turmi and sits on the banks of the Keske river.

The lodge offers twenty en suite rooms, including eleven twins and nine single units, as well as two restaurants and a bar area.

There is also a separate camping area near the lodge. The lodge is providing permanent employment for twenty members of the local community, including lodge management, a shop keeper, gardener and other staff. Dinknesh will also provide formal tourism training to four local students who will then return after training to work in the lodge.

Preliminary lodge photos are available here:

www.hamerlodge.com

This region is home to the Hammer, Karo, Dassenetch and Bume cultures, and is attracting travelers in increasing numbers as an opportunity to learn about African anthropology as well as to journey to one of the last remaining “off the grid” global destinations.

As the cultural tourism experience continues to develop in this region, investment in accommodation and training for the local communities will help ensure a fascinating travel experience for intrepid travelers from across the globe.

Dinknesh Ethiopia Tour is Ethiopia’s premier tour operator.

The word “Dinknesh” is the Amharic name for “Lucy” (directly translated to “you are special”), or scientifically called Australopithecus Afarensis, the first known hominine.

Ethiopia boasts anthropological history, stunning landscapes, unique cultures and historical sights including ancient monasteries and the famed rock hewn churches of Lalibela which have been intriguing travelers for hundreds of years. Dinknesh Ethiopia Tour offers authentic cultural and historical travel experiences with outstanding service.

 To learn more about Dinknesh Ethiopia Tour please visit www.DinkneshEthiopiaTour.com

New Elite Suites

The sunny isle of Rhodes has long been a holiday favourite amongst the British. 2009 looks set to welcome a new type of guest to the island as the five star Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes opens the most luxurious new accommodation in the area, in the form of 37 dazzling new Elite Suites, on the 1st April 2009 following a 15 million Euro investment.

Located in the picturesque resort of Ixia on the west coast of Rhodes, Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes is set upon a hillside amidst green forests with uninterrupted sweeping views of Ixia Bay. The Elite Suites, which are housed within a brand new annex to the existing hotel, will raise the bar in terms of luxury on the island.

The new Elite Suites are housed within a newly built low-rise wing of the hotel, set apart from the main building. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer uninterrupted views of the Aegean sea and most suites open onto a large terrace with a large 25 square metre private pool – some even have private garden areas.

The beautifully appointed suites offer 44 square metres of space with wooden and marble floors, soft colours, a living area with sofa-bed and fantastic modern bathrooms. Guests staying in an Elite Suite will benefit from VIP privileges including private check-in and check-out in a dedicated reception and lobby area, champagne and strawberries in-suite on arrival, complimentary manicure and pedicure for ladies and pedicure for gentlemen, an exclusive breakfast lounge and complimentary airport transfers. Elite Suites sleep up to two adults and two children or three adults in high comfort.

In addition to the new suites, Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes has also created an impressive new spa below the Elite Suites within the new wing, replacing the old spa in the main hotel. The Amathus Spa & Wellness Centre is the only one of its kind in Rhodes. With a total area of 1,300 square metres it provides a hammam, steam bath, sauna, Jacuzzi, as well as luxuriously appointed treatment rooms.

Unwind before your treatment in the three relaxation pools – the reflective pool, the salt water pool and the romantic bath. One luxury treatment room is designed especially for couples while the multi-function massage room is designed for Ayurveda, shiatsu, and Indian head massage. Elite Suite guests are able to waft from the spa to their room with ease as they are a stone’s throw away.

With three restaurants serving varied cuisine ranging from fresh fish and seafood meze to à la carte fine dining options, four lively bars, three outdoor pools, a private tennis court, a host of watersports and a children’s playground, Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes offers a wide range of facilities and activities to suit every taste. Other improvements for 2009 include the expansion of the Varkarola Taverna to include a new à la carte restaurant, the extension of the main swimming pool and the creation of a new artificial beach by the poolside.

Location and getting there:

Unspoilt villages nestled in the hills and centuries-old culture combined with a fabulous warm climate make Rhodes one of the most popular of the Greek islands. Must-see attractions in the area include the Medieval Old Town and the Grand Masters Palace, now a UNESCO World Heritage Centre; the town of Lindos, with its white buildings and ancient Acropolis; and the Valley of the Butterflies in the west of the island. Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes is located 4km from historic Rhodes Town and 10km from Diagoras international airport.

Sovereign Holidays (0871 664 0227; www.sovereign.com) offers 7 nights Half Board at the new Elite Suites, Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes, from £689 per person. Price includes return flights, private in-resort transfers, 24-hour Sovereign Concierge service and free UK VIP airport lounge passes.

Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes (+30 22410 89900; www.amathus-hotels.com

From Geogad

Geogad has released a new mobile tour that explores Jack the Ripper’s London. Using their mobile phones and media players, travelers can follow in the footsteps of the world’s first serial killer.

SANTA CLARA, CA – Geogad, Inc. today introduced a new Geogad Mobile Tour for Jack the Ripper’s London to its collection of free self-guided, multimedia walking tours. To view the virtual Jack the Ripper tour in its entirety, a traveler just has to sign in to their free Geogad account, and the complete tour is available for free for viewing or for downloading. This tour can be taken whenever travelers have time during their day in the East End of London. It provides the same detailed local history and tour information that are provided by an expensive, personal guide. Busy travelers can view Geogad’s new Jack the Ripper tour in the format that works best for them: on the Internet, on an MP3 player, on a cellphone via the Geogad mobile site or through Geogad’s application for Google Android-enabled phones. Travelers can check out all of the Geogad Mobile Tours for free from the Geogad website at http://www.geogad.com  or on the Geogad Mobile site at http://m.geogad.com

Geogad’s Mobile Tour of Jack the Ripper’s London make it easy for travelers to explore both the places tied to the murder spree of Jack the Ripper and the history of Victorian London. This tour guides travelers to the locations of six murders associated with Jack the Ripper.

Just about every location linked to Jack the Ripper and his victims has been transformed over the 120 years since the East End was a killing ground for the world’s most notorious murder. Geogad leads travelers to these locations and shows what the locations were like when Jack walked the streets of the East End.

The tour explains how the police tried to catch this new type of criminal, the serial killer. During the tour, you can also learn about the unfortunates who were Jack’s victims and what life was like for them and others in the East End of London during the golden reign of Queen Victoria, when England’s empire was at its height of wealth and power. The tour also introduces the most popular suspects for Jack the Ripper, both then and now.

This new Geogad Mobile Tour winds through the East End and visits the sites of Jack the Ripper’s kills in the same order as the murders occurred.

The tour consists of approximately two hours of audio narration and can take around three hours to walk, assuming no breaks.

All Geogad Mobile Tours contain descriptions and photos of the tour stops, which include places that are very popular and off-the-beaten path. The tours are designed to be completely self-contained. They include photos of maps to direct the traveler from one tour location to the next. To make it easy to recognize the tour stop, each tour section begins with a photo of the tour location. Other photos in the tours show interesting physical details that could be missed if not pointed out. Some of the included photos show the tour locations in the past and the people that shaped the history of the area.

Geogad Mobile Tours are designed for accessibility for all travelers over multiple distribution formats. The tours are available on the Internet, on mobile phones, as downloads to mobile media players and over wireless connections to GPS-enabled Google Android-powered phones through Geogad’s Android application.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

Geogad Mobile Tours for Jack the Ripper’s London that include sponsored advertisements are available for free at the Geogad website. The Geogad Mobile Tours are also available without advertisements at a U.S. list price of $9.99. The tours can be downloaded and purchased directly from the Geogad website at http://www.geogad.com

ABOUT GEOGAD

Geogad, Inc. is a private company based in Santa Clara in California’s Silicon Valley. Geogad helps travelers explore the world by making digital tours that are fun and easy to use. News and information about Geogad are available at http://www.geogad.com

The Residences at The Little Nell have opened at the base of Aspen Mountain in Colorado. The 26-unit property features ski-in/ski-out access to Aspen Mountain, a health center and rooftop pool, valet parking, slope-side ski lockers and personal storage, and 24-hour services including maid, concierge (pre-arrival also available) and in-residence dining.

The property has 208 fractional ownership interests. Of the 26 residences, 19 are three-bedroom units averaging 2,800 square feet and seven are four-bedroom units averaging 3,800 square feet.

For more information, call 888-843-6355 or visit www.thelittlenell.com

Elite Sportbike has been officially sanctioned by WERA as a motorcycle race school. Using Elite’s Trackskillz program, riders can be on their way to racing motorcycles with WERA.

DULUTH, GA – Elite Sportbike has been officially sanctioned by WERA as a race school. WERA (West-East Racing Association) can be found here: http://www.wera.com

This is a one day school only and is an add on package to the normal track day price. The program includes classroom and on-track certification course, with a mock race, approved by WERA.
In addition, it includes a school certificate, letter (for WERA provisional novice license requirements) and school T-shirt.

Please note that there are limited spots available per day and once they are filled, those dates will be removed from sign up. You can take the school in conjunction with a two day event (full weekend), but there is only 1 charge for the race school. Two day participants can continue to receive instruction for the 2nd day at no additional charge.

Normal price for the race school is $250.00 with track day prices dependent on the facility being used.

Elite Sportbike will also honor a 10% discount for active military members.

About Elite Sportbike
Elite Sportbike is an Atlanta, Georgia-based premier track day organization hosting track day events throughout the Southeast United States.

Elite strives to provide the new or newly initiated track day rider, as well as experienced riders, with an environment where all riders feel safe and secure on their motorcycle while improving their skills on the racetrack.

Elite Sportbike also has a race school certification program, Trackskillz, which provides race certification for various race organizations around the country.

Elite’s team is comprised of highly skilled instructors with years of experience teaching all levels, from the entry level to the more experienced rider.

Additional information on Elite Sportbike is available on their website, http://www.elitesportbike.com  or by calling 1-88-TRACKDAY (1-888-722-5329).

SWISS will be gradually introducing a new First Class cabin from this spring onwards in parallel with its fleet renewal programme. The centrepiece of the new cabin product is the new SWISS First Seat, which offers exclusive design, top inflight comfort and extensive privacy and can be individually adjusted to travellers’ specific wishes and needs. The new ‘suite above the clouds’ marks a further milestone in SWISS’s ongoing quality drive.

With its numerous settings and comprehensive adjustability, the new SWISS First Seat offers excellent inflight comfort that can be specifically tailored to each guest’s individual preferences. The spacious surroundings and adjustable sidewalls provide extensive privacy, while sophisticated lighting and the contemporary-yet-warm SWISS design combine to create a pleasant sense of space. As a further bonus, the unique guest seat, complete with backrest and armrests, enables the First Class customer to dine or work with a fellow traveller at a generously proportioned table.

The SWISS First Seat can be reclined at the touch of a button into a totally lie-flat bed that is more than two metres long. It is also equipped with a down-filled duvet, and incorporates an innovative pneumatic air cushion whose softness can be adjusted to individual preferences in any seating position. Further extras include a 23-inch (currently the world’s biggest) inflight entertainment screen and generous work surfaces and storage facilities.

In visual terms, the new seat picks up on the design elements and colour scheme that have already been adopted for the new SWISS Lounges to sizeable effect.

“With our new First Class, we’re setting new benchmarks for individual travel in an exclusive inflight environment,” says Christoph Beckmann, chief marketing and product officer. “Our ‘suite above the clouds’ underlines SWISS’s positioning as a top quality airline, and marks a further consistent step in our ongoing quality drive, both on the ground and in the air.”

Roger Federer impressed

In creating its new First Class seat, SWISS has worked closely with its customers, whose wishes and needs provided key parameters for the new seat’s development.

Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer has already inspected it, and the winner of 13 Grand Slam titles was quick to voice his approval. “When I want to recover from the rigours of a long tournament, the new SWISS First Seat will offer me everything I need to rest and relax undisturbed,” he enthuses. “I’m looking forward to my first flight in the new SWISS First cabin.”

The world’s only airline with First Class on all long-haul flights

The gradual replacement of its current Airbus A330-200s with new and more fuel-efficient A330-300s from this spring onwards is a major investment for SWISS. And, once all the new A330-300s are in service, the airline will be the only one in the world to offer a First Class cabin on all its long-haul aircraft.

“SWISS today is a healthy company that stands on sound foundations in a turbulent operating environment,” CEO Christoph Franz underlines. “We will continue to make strategic investments in our future, and intend to further strengthen our market position; and every one of our personnel is working day in, day out to keep our company in prime business shape.”

Animated video available on swiss.com/uk at http://tinyurl.com/dx2spk

The new Allegria Hotel & Spa, scheduled to open in spring 2009, will be a 143-room hotel that will front the Atlantic Ocean, on the south shore of Long Island, and will be less than 30 miles from Manhattan. Allegria Hotel & Spa will represent the redesign of an existing seven-story, oceanfront structure.

The property will include 112 guestrooms, 31 suites, a restaurant and bar, a ballroom that seats 200, three meeting rooms, a fitness center and a roof-top spa and pool.

The ground floor will also have a retail outlet. Chef Todd Jacobs, owner of the Atlantica and Tierra Mar restaurants in the Hamptons, will open a second Atlantica at the hotel. The Atlantica menu will feature Jacob’s American cuisine, relying largely on locally grown and organic ingredients. The 143-seat space will also include a private dining room with a chef’s table for 16.

The hotel’s lounge, L’Onda, will feature a large double-sided fireplace clad in mirrors, a 24-seat communal table, a circular bar made of glass mosaic and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the beach, making it the quintessential setting for waterfront play or cocktail parties.

Diners will get to choose from an assortment of specialty cocktails and a menu of 100 wine varietals with 15 offered by the glass. Selections will hail from the North and South Fork wineries as well as international vineyards. The Allegria Spa will operate under the direction of Joseph Christopher, well known in the community for his other award-winning spas on Long Island. The roof-top spa will also include a full-service fitness center as well as a sushi and juice bar lounge. This area will serve light spa fare and organic juices and smoothies, all prepared under the direction of Chef Jacobs.

Apart from three rooms for breakout meetings, a ballroom that can accommodate 200 guests will be incorporated into the design of the property.

For more details, call 888-ON-BEACH or visit www.AllegriaHotel.com

If couples book their wedding through a UK wedding planner or Tour operator or Travel agent, all the paperwork should be taken care of so there is no requirement for the couple to get there 10 days before. HOWEVER there are some town halls and some wedding ceremony types where couples need to be there one or 2 days before the wedding as they will be required to take part in a declaration which is a legal formality in Italy.

 This however does not apply to every wedding or ceremony type.

Here are some samples of places where you cannot arrive on the day of the wedding itself.

Lake Garda – Malcesine: 1 day before the wedding
Liguria – San Remo 1 day before the wedding
Tuscany – Florence 2 days before the wedding
Umbria – Perugia 2 days before the wedding

Sorry for the nag and I promise next week I will be concentrating on nicer things, new venues, new supplies, gifts and discounts.

Alfresco pursuits are ‘order of the day’ this summer at France’s premier outdoor playground, the Best Western Premier Chantemerle, as it opens its doors in Serre Chevalier.

The destination, renowned for its winter sporting activities becomes Europe’s nucleus of outdoor activities from late March onwards.

As the snow subsides, so arrive the lush hues of spring meadows, the riotous colours of mountain top villages and piercing blue skies.

The Best Western Premier Chantemerle is set to be the bolthole of choice for outdoor enthusiasts.

With over 300 days of sunshine throughout the year, restorative fresh air and a low rate of relative humidity, Serre Chevalier has long been on the ‘must do’ list for travellers ranging from the most athletic to the leisurely aesthetic.

With its 51 bedrooms/apartments/suites, the Best Western Premier Chantemerle offers couples, families and groups of up to 12, stylish accommodation that blends sympathetically with the local architecture of Serre Chevalier. Each room / apartment offers a balcony with a panoramic mountain view making it the idyllic space to relax, soak up the tranquillity or gear up for an invigorating day in the mountains.

Guests can choose activities whilst on site or bring their own equipment, bicycles, mountaineering equipment, etc. all of which can be stored securely in the hotel’s specially designed boot room.

The destination offers a multitude of outdoor pursuits suitable for the most sedate to the hardened adrenalin junkie. Activities range from mountaineering, kayaking, paragliding, mountain running – the region’s summer sporting legacy is affirmed by events which include:

• Merrell Sky Race, the “Trail des Cerces” which belongs to the major trail running events in France
• The World Climbing Meeting, the most famous event for climbing in the Hautes Alpes
• Nearby Briancon is the self proclaimed capital of the bike and has featured over 50 times on the itinerary of the Tour de France
• Golf courses close to the hotel cross borders with holes in France and Italy!

Summer rates at the Best Western Premier Chantemerle are from 100 Euros. The hotel is easily accessible from Turin, Grenoble and Lyon airports with direct flights from all major international airports.

Claire Lacassagne, Director of Sales said: “The hotel is an ideal base for both ardent outdoor enthusiasts and those who simply want to relax and enjoy the fresh air. The brand new property has been designed with today’s traveller in mind and marries local architecture with world class facilities you would expect from a Best Western Premier”.