Jetsettersblog

The Nicaragua Tourist Board has launched a US$14.7 million project to promote tourism in the San Juan River area.

A new “Water Route” is being developed with local operators to take visitors to the Solentiname Archipelago on Lake Nicaragua, home to a bohemian artists’ community, and then follow the San Juan River to the Caribbean, travelling through pristine jungle and visiting important archaeological sites.

Do lazy days lounging by the pool leave you yearning for some fast-paced excitement? Action-loving guests at the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona can hire one of a selection of top of the range Harley-Davidson® motorcycles for some adrenaline-pumping fun – what better way to discover the sunny Costa del Sol and beyond?

The five star Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona provides Harley-Davidson® motorcycle rental on request for one full day or longer – giving our guests the opportunity to command the breathtaking roads in our region.

The fleet comprises a selection of models, including the V-Rod, Road King, Heritage Softail Classic, Fat Boy and Softail Deuce models.

The hotel concierge can advise on the best routes for bikers – a favourite is to travel the curving, scenic route to Ronda, which is about a 50-minute drive from the hotel, perched on top of a steep hill with amazing panoramic views along the way. Ronda is famous for its bullfights and its romantic past of highway banditry that fascinated Hemingway and Rilke.

Visit the oldest bullring in Spain and travel across Ronda’s famous ancient bridge which stretches over a breathtaking canyon.

Once you have found a suitably scenic resting place, dismount and enjoy a picnic packed by the hotel’s chefs – expect an Iberian charcuterie board, delicious manchego cheese, home-made breads, and a chilled beer – alcohol free of course!

Motorcycle and helmets are provided – all drivers should be 25 years of age or above, already know how to ride a motorcycle and must have an appropriate licence.

 The bikes can be booked for one day or more, and for groups of up to 8 individuals – so rally up your friends and take to the roads en-masse!

Harley-Davidson hire costs 185 Euros per day, for two people, with a distance limit of 200km. This price includes VAT, third party insurance, two helmets, sidebags for storage and locks. Guests should book a minimum of 2 days in advance to ensure their planned riding day is available. Bikers must be 25 years of age or over and have a valid large motorcycle licence. Picnics can be prepared by the hotel for bikers on-request.

Other activities for adrenaline-seekers at the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona include jet skiing, water skiing, and Ferrari or Lamborghini rental.

Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona (0080 04 26 31 355; www.kempinski-spain.com) offers nightly rates from €175 based on two sharing a standard double room, buffet breakfast included. All rates subject to availability and exclude 7% VAT.

www.kempinski-spain.com

Guarding The Santa Fe Trail

With nine beautifully restored buildings Fort Larned offers the opportunity to experience military life on the Santa Fe Trail. Established on the vast prairie in western Kansas, troops stationed at Fort Larned protected mail coaches, freighters and other Trail traffic. As the site of an Indian Agency, the Fort was also instrumental in maintaining friendly relations with Plains Indians.

As Fort Larned closes in on its 150th anniversary in October 2009, park staff and community leaders are planning a series of special events focusing on celebrating the Fort’s history throughout the year. As the best preserved Indian Wars military post on Santa Fe Trail, Fort Larned National Historic Site is one of the Nation’s most compelling places to tell about that turbulent era of two cultures fighting for control of the West. For the Plains Indians, it is a story of fighting for homelands in the face of overwhelming numbers and superior weapons. For the military, it is a tale of hard fought battles and skirmishes, some won and others lost, eventually leading to “Winning the West”.

Admission to Fort Larned NHS is free throughout the year and events as now planned include:

Santa Fe Trail Days (May 2)- Supporting Larned’s Santa Fe Trail Days, Fort Larned presents Santa Fe Trail living history. Hosts U.S. military band concert and sponsors U.S. military band participation in Santa Fe Trail Days Parade.

May 24- Emphasis shifts to the “Indian Village on Pawnee Fork”, where Custer first met Plains Indians, Presentations and demonstrations focus on Indian village life and military and Indian Agency relations with Indians.

Custer on the Plains (May 23 thru May 25)- This largest living history event in Kansas focuses on the “Hancock Expedition”, a military campaign intended to “shock and awe” the Plains Indians into peace with a show of overwhelming military force.

Although lead by General Hancock, that dashing young Civil War hero General Custer was a major actor in this important expedition into Plains Indians homelands.

The Fort Riley Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard will set up a horse soldiers camp and perform cavalry demonstrations on the 23rd and 24th.

May 23- See Fort Larned much as General Custer saw it. Activities at Fort Larned include artillery, cavalry and infantry encampments and demonstrations. Dinner and period dance. Visit the soldiers in the barracks, the blacksmith, officers wives and many more in the Fort. General Custer himself will be on hand for a presentation.

Volunteers on the Plains 1859 to 2009 (July 3 & 4)- This special event honors volunteer units manning Fort Larned during the Indian Wars and 21st Century heroes. Special ceremonies and living history memorialize contributions by volunteer state militia replacing regular army troops redeployed east to fight in the Civil War. 21st Century military and civilian disaster responders will demonstrate equipment and field operations.

 A special program recognizing Medal of Honor recipients will be presented.

Labor Day Celebration (September 5 thru 7)- This event continues living history presentations of daily life at Fort Larned, including Buffalo Soldier cavalry. A dinner theater and presentations on “Galvanized Yankees” are also planned.

Fort Leavenworth Memorial Service (September 19)-

A memorial service honoring the 65 soldiers moved from Fort Larned and reinterred at Fort Leavenworth in 1888 will be conducted in the Fort Leavenworth cemetery.

Activities to include an infantry firing salute, chaplain, guest speaker, color guard and more. Congressman Moran is invited.

150 Years Guarding the Santa Fe Trail (October 10 and 11)- This two-day event is the final in a series of events commemorating Fort Larned’s role as “Guardian of the Santa Fe Trail”.

Offerings over the two days include:

Oct 10- Telling the story of Fort Larned from its beginning as a tiny isolated camp on the vast Plains to its full development through a series of living history stations and demonstrations. Special presentations continue at the “Little Red House” and Camp Sibley in Larned. A special Candlelight Tour program will be conducted in the evening.

Oct 11- Rededication Ceremony activities include reenacting the arrival of troops establishing Fort Larned, rededicating the Post Cemetery, military displays, artillery salute, parade, military flyover and more. President Obama is invited.

Fort Larned National Historic Site is located six miles west of Larned on Kansas Highway 156. Admission is free. The park is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the year.
Visit Fort Larned on the internet at www.nps.gov/fols

Visit Austria’s major cities and save money on sightseeing and public transport. There are a number of discounts cards with attractive value-added opportunities. Explore the splendor and cultural delights of the cities with significant discounts.

Vienna Card

Reduction or benefits at 210 museums and sights, theaters, concerts, shops, restaurants, cafés and Heurigen (wine taverns)… valid on day of issue and the following 3 days. Save on your next stay in Vienna!

Salzburg Card

The city of Salzburg offers two great discount cards: the Salzburg Card as well as the Salzburg Plus Card. All the sights and public transport on one card!

Linz City Ticket & Museum Card

Save twice in Linz with the Linz City Ticket and the Linz Museum Card. This way you can enjoy the sights and culinary delights of Linz even more!

Innsbruck Card & Club Innsbruck Card

Innsbruck offers an All-inclusive Card as well as the Club Innsbruck Card, which makes it easy to explore the attractions of Tirol’s capital..

Danube Bicycle Path

offers nearly carefree cycling and an ideal way to view the region. It’s downstream all the way, passing through picturesque towns and villages until you reach the wonderful city of Vienna at tour’s end…

Along the way down the majestic river, you pass romantic castles, cozy villages and sprawling vineyards.

Nearly the entire route is on dedicated bike paths – so you’re away from traffic. It’s well-marked, paved and almost traffic-free, following an old horse path where teams of horses once struggled to tow barges upstream. So it’s an ideal tour for first-timers and families.

The tour can be tailored to your preferences: number of days, daily distance and built-in rest days. We can also make sure that your overnight stops reflect any special interests. The Danube also offers good “bail-out” options if you get tired: In some places you can hop on a train or boat. It’s an easy process: Most trains have separate bike cars, and you can just roll your bike onto one of the river boats.

Included services:
• hotels
• luggage transfers
• rental bikes

Biking: it’s an ideal tour for first-timers and families, easy biking

Duration: One-week (number of days can be tailored to your preference)

Cost: One-week tours start at EURO 555

Season: Daily April to October

Notes: Guided tours are also available.

This tour is offered by BikeTours Direct.

Salzburg Lakes Bike Tour

A tour through the Salzburg Lakes region provides quiet bicycling along lake shores and through pristine countryside. Not far from the city of Salzburg, the landscape of Alpine foothills has a charm of its own.

Small peaks tower above the background of the clean lakes and invite you again and again to stop and take in the scenery. You bike past lush green meadows, mighty woods and jagged rocks and through pastures and moor lands, imperial towns and picturesque villages.

On the lake shores and along the Salzach River, the bike routes are completely flat. In-between the terrain is hilly. Depending on the route you take, one third is on cycle tracks, almost all the rest on meadow and wood paths and country lanes and on side streets with light traffic. Only a few, short sections are on streets with traffic. The tour starts and ends in Salzburg.

Included services:

hotels
luggage transfers
rental bikes

Biking: Relaxed cycling with occasional hills. Average physical condition required.

Duration: One-week

Cost: One-week tours start at EURO 565

Season: Daily mid April – mid October

Notes: Guided tours are also available.

This tour is offered by Bike Tours Direct.

Click here for more information or to make a reservation

River Mur Bicycle Path

Cycling along the river Mur is a trip from the high-mountain region of the Lungau, Salzburg to the wine-growing region of Styria and from gentian flowers to Riesling vineyards.

You’ll ride from the secluded farms of Lungau farmers via the lively and historic Styrian capital of Graz to the thermal spring region of Southern Styria. You’ll cycle past castles and ruins, through valleys and wide plains on an old roman trading route towards the south.

Austrians liken the rolling hills and vineyards of the southern part of Styria to Tuscany. Indeed, the landscape really does look something like the Italian region of Tuscany. Located on the border with Slovenia, the southern Styrian countryside is a blend of crescent hills, tall singular poplar trees, the occasional farmhouse, and vineyards one after the other.

On a summer day the view is a palette of innumerable greens – the rolling fields, the shimmering leaves of the poplar trees and the broad pointed leaves strung along the vines. In fact, it’s perfect weather to sit in the shade of a vine arbor and enjoy a cool, refreshing glass of fruitful Styrian white wine.

Although Graz doesn’t attract the attention of Salzburg or Vienna, it has its admirers, among them UNESCO, which has designated the city’s Old Town a World Heritage Site, and the European Union, which named it Cultural Capital of Europe for 2003.
The tour starts in the Lungau region south of Salzburg and ends in Bad Radkersburg.

Included services:
• hotels
• luggage transfers
• rental bikes

Biking: Relaxed cycling with occasional hills. Average physical condition required.

Duration: One-week

Cost: One-week tours start at EURO 526

Season: Daily end of April until mid September

Notes: Guided tours are also available.

This tour is offered by Bike Tours Direct.

LAKELAND CAMPING BARNS FROM £7 PER NIGHT

Often described as ‘stone tents’, the Lakeland Camping Barns are a watertight alternative to sleeping under canvas and don’t need to be transported from one overnight site to the next. Priced from just £7 per person per night they are also great credit crunch beaters!

In a former life the twelve Lakeland Camping Barns might have been a stable, corn store or a cattle byre, now cleverly converted to provide simple, roomy self-catering accommodation. They are popular with walkers but also have growing family appeal since their affordable price opens up the opportunity of a holiday in the Lake District to everyone.

Owned and run by farmers, each has a character of its own but in common they all have sleeping, cooking/eating and washing areas and are in stunning locations with walks from the doorstep. For those not wishing to self-cater, cooked Cumbrian breakfasts might be on offer from the owner farmer, as are packed lunches and very occasionally an evening meal but usually guests will take a trip down to the nearest good food pub or cook a BBQ and dine al fresco under the stars.

Most of Lakeland camping barns lie within the scenic National Park. Some are on either the Coast-to-Coast or Cumbria Way national long-distance paths while others are close to the Cumbria Cycleway. The Lakeland Camping Barns network has compiled a series of circular barn-to-barn walking and cycling routes enabling guests to stay at a different barn each night without using a car or public transport.

Eco-Barn

The Wythmoor camping barn is in an environmentally sensitive area north east of Kendal.

Sleeping twelve and converted with sustainability in mind, the 19th century barn uses solar panels to provide free hot water and has underfloor heating via a ground source heat pump, while electricity is from a wind turbine.

The price of £7 covers the accommodation; electricity, heat and any meals are usually additional.

For sole use the £7 charge should be multiplied by the maximum number the barn can accommodate, i.e. sole use of a barn sleeping eight would be £56 per night. Individual barns may be reserved for stays of up to one week and they all have car parking areas.

An adult must accompany all young people under the age of eighteen and families with children under five and those with pets are required to book the barn for sole use.

To take a virtual tour of each barn, check availability and book online visit www.lakelandcampingbarns.co.uk  

or for a brochure and to make a reservation by telephone call 01946 758 198 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday).

Details and descriptions of facilities at each barn, including how far they are from the nearest pub and shop, can be viewed on the website or in the brochure.

Marriott International is adding two properties to its portfolio on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The new 250-room JW Marriott and the 50-unit Marriott Executive Apartments are set to open in 2013, under a long-term management agreement with Fawaz Abdul Aziz Al Hokair and Associates Hotels Company, LLC. The owner has seven other Marriott International-branded hotels under construction in Saudi Arabia, all of which are scheduled to open through 2011. Both properties will share the same footprint and will be located approximately 20 kilometers north of Riyadh’s central business district as part of a large suburban master plan that will also include a business park consisting of a huge cluster of office buildings, a shopping mall planned to accommodate 450,000 visitors a week, five residential compounds comprised of 1,300 units, a nine-hole golf course and a water park.

The JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh will offer an all-day dining restaurant, two specialty restaurants, a lobby lounge and a themed lounge. Recreational amenities will include two full spas with separate men’s and women’s facilities, two health and leisure clubs with separate men’s and women’s facilities including separate locker rooms, sauna, whirlpool and fitness room. An outdoor swimming pool and access to the nearby nine-hole golf course complete the recreational offerings. Additional amenities will include a business center, an executive level and lounge, 24-hour room service and a selection of retail shops. For social events and conferences, the JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh will have 29,500 square feet of space consisting of two 10,000-square-foot ballrooms, a 5,000-square-foot primary meeting room that will be divisible into five sections, six 500-square-foot breakout rooms, two board rooms and landscaped gardens providing space for seasonal outdoor events.

The Marriott Executive Apartments Riyadh will share the same building as the JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh but will have its own exclusive entrance. The property will feature 50 one-, two- and three-bedroom stylishly-furnished apartments that include a fully-equipped kitchen, high speed Internet access, telephone with two lines and flat-screen television. Among the property’s amenities will be a coffee shop serving three meals daily, a Grab & Go kiosk for resident’s on-the-go, an Internet corner, a shopping service, maid service and an exclusive resident’s lounge.

The property will also have its own exclusive, gated outdoor swimming pool and health club with separate men’s and women’s facilities. By the end of 2013, the Marriott International portfolio in Saudi Arabia will total 13 hotels. Fo

Luxury travel operator Travcoa, celebrating its 55th year in business, is going back to its expeditionary roots with the launch of a new product line, the African flying safari, which combines a grand expedition with private air service linking remote destinations and the continuous company and expertise of an African pilot, crew and guides.

Each expedition explores the African continent with an emphasis on exposure to the places and people who define Africa’s culture and future, among them the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Rev. Claude Bouchet, a missionary and anthropologist.

While the flying safaris are true expeditions at the core, creature comforts haven’t been overlooked. Travelers will fly directly between small, regional airports and private airstrips, and stay in some of the finest lodges, camps and hotels on the continent, such as the five-star Relais & Chateaux Plettenberg Bay property in South Africa and the Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia.

A private Douglas DC-3 airliner carries up to 18 travelers and flies directly between distant destinations, it’s also rugged enough to land on bush airstrips in the Zambian bushveld or the islands of Mozambique.

A business jet or bush air taxi could not offer the same combination of capabilities. In addition to private expeditions, where friends or family choose the destinations, experiences and dates of interest to them,

Travcoa also will offer two scheduled, 19-day departures. Limited to 18 travelers, both scheduled expeditions will visit more than 10 ecosystems and explore more than 3,000 miles of Africa’s most interesting regions by land and low-level flight, and combines Southern Africa’s best game reserves, coastal retreats and cultural events.

The Once in a Lifetime Africa expedition is priced from $34,400 per person, and departs from Johannesburg on Sept. 21.

Hosted by Durband and Patricia Shultz, best-selling author of “1,000 Places To See Before You Die” and led by Dr. Loel Fenwick, the expedition visits Cape Town, Kwandwe Game Reserve, Phinda Private Game Reserve, Zululand, Plettenberg Bay and Oudtshoorn in South Africa; Okavango Delta in Botswana; Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe; South Luangwa National Park in Zambia; Lake Malawi and Mua Mission in Malawi; and Bazaruto Island in Mozambique.

The By Royal Invitation expedition is specifically timed for guests to accept a special invitation to the Zulu King’s Reed Dance festival, an annual, invitation-only celebration recognized as one of Africa’s most significant cultural events.

The expedition costs from $34,900, and departs from Johannesburg on Aug. 30. The expedition includes Cape Town, Phinda Game Reserve, Zululand, Plettenberg Bay and Oudtshoorn in South Africa; Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe; South Luangwa National Park in Zambia; Lake Malawi and Mua Mission in Malawi; Bazaruto Island in Mozambique. Travcoa has been leading in-depth explorations of the world’s most exotic destinations since 1954.

For more information, call 800-992-2005 or visit www.travcoa.com

Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau
CONTACT: Bonnie Char
TEL: 435-586-5124, ext. 15
maria@netutah.com
www.scenicsouthernutah.com

CEDAR CITY, Utah–Thousands of visitors come to southern Utah for its vast scenery and national parks, such as the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Cedar City is often the hub for visitors to these areas and the staff of the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau spends a lot of time in them. They have used their vast experience to put together insiders’ tips for travelers.

Kolob Canyon is the most convenient national park, right off I-15, and is less crowded than the main canyon of Zion, yet offers up stunning scenery with finger canyons of soaring red Navajo sandstone.

Kolob means “residence closest to heaven” and this area offers diverse animal and plant life along with a unique geological history.

Kolob has the largest free-standing arch in the world. It takes some effort to get to it, but seeing it makes it worth the hike. Because the canyon faces west, photographers will want to visit in the late afternoon to capture the rich red rock as it lights up with the setting sun. A great view of the canyon is from the small town of New Harmony, located directly across from the canyon.

Cedar Breaks is a large, natural amphitheatre about three miles wide and 2,500 feet deep. The walls of Cedar Breaks are eroded into carved spires and dazzling rock formations.

The scenic byway traverses the rim of this amazing natural wonder with several pull-outs points along the way.

The meadows that surround the Breaks are famous for their incredible variety of wildflowers July and early August, plus fabulous fall colors in late September. Cedar Breaks and highway 14 was rated by USA Today and NBC Today Show as one of the “Top Unique Destinations for Fall Colors”. The park even stages a Wildflower Festival on July 3-19.

Monthly “Star Parties” start with a program at the amphitheater, followed by star viewing through large telescopes at Point Supreme. Because of the lack of light pollution, stars are visible that aren’t in most areas of the country.

Although the road is closed in the winter, the park isn’t. The yurt stays open with hot cocoa for snowmobilers and Nordic skiers.

In the summer the yurt is used as an education center.

The cool elevation of Kolob Canyons and Cedar Breaks National Monument make both areas a great place to beat the summer heat, avoid the large crowds of Bryce and Zion all the while taking in the stunning scenery of southern Utah.

For more information on the national parks, as well as lodging and events, call the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau at 800-354-4849.

With summer travel planning underway, Wild Planet Adventures wants to let readers in on a little known secret:

The best wildlife viewing in Costa Rica occurs in July during “Veranito” a little-known, month-long break in the country’s rainy season, literally meaning “little summer.”

Wild Planet specializes in wildlife viewing, so it is offering five departures of its Costa Rica

“Ultimate Wildlife” eco-tour to allow travelers to take advantage of this wildlife-rich phenomenon.

 It’s during this time that travelers will find the most abundant wildlife viewing of the year – including rare and endangered species.

Big cats like jaguars and pumas have been spotted on this eco-tour, as well as three-toed sloths, monkeys, and resplendent quetzals.

Departure dates for the 14-Day and 9-Day Costa Rica:

Ultimate Wildlife Eco-tour include:

June 27, July 1, July 6, July 11, July 20 and July 31, (2009).

Fodor’s named this value-packed itinerary one of the top “10 Must-Do Trips” in the world.

www.wildplanetadventures.com