Jetsettersblog

The Hawaii Island Retreat at Ahu Pohaku Ho’omaluhia, a boutique, eco-friendly lodge and destination spa, has opened on 50 oceanfront acres in North Kohala on Hawaii’s Big Island.

The property’s architectural style is reminiscent of royal Hawaiian summer palaces.

The 15,000-square-foot main lodge features archways, a porte cochere, winding staircases and wood floors.

Each of the eight guest suites, including the Gold Penthouse, offers a large soaking tub.

The 1,200-square-foot yoga studio overlooks the ocean, and an outdoor amphitheater is meant for hula performances, luaus and other gatherings.

The property produces its own electricity via solar cells, catches and uses soft filtered rainwater, and grows much of its own food, flowers and herbs on property.

The lodge offers spa treatments inside and out, such as Hawaiian lomilomi (kneading) massage. Customized retreats can include yoga, tai chi, hula and other health-oriented and cultural practices. Introductory rates start at $250 per suite, per night with a three-night minimum through June 30.

For more information, call 808-889-6336 or visit www.hawaiiislandretreat.com

Los Angeles-based K Hotels, a collection of exclusive and diverse boutique hotels throughout the world, announced the addition of the Hotel Shangri-La, in Santa Monica, Calif., to their collection.

The Hotel Shangri-La is finalizing a $30 renovation and has emerged as a chic sanctuary of style, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California.

For more information, visit www.k-hotels.com

Natural, Eco-Friendly Anti-Insect Camouflage From Incognito Is Loved By Celebrities On Their Tropical TV Travels

Davina McCall, Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor and the England Cricket team have all declared how impressed they are with incognito 100% natural, ethically produced anti-insect products, gentle enough for the most sensitive skins yet powerful enough for use even in the deepest tropics.

Davina McCall is currently using incognito in Africa during her filming for Comic Relief, saying “it’s brilliant”, and Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman used only incognito products on their recent TV show ‘Long Way Down’ charting their motorcycle trip down the length of Africa.

Says Charley, “we used incognito on Long Way Down and it was fantastic.

It worked really really well against the mosquitoes and does everything it says on the bottle.” Charley is intending to go incognito again on his next trip when it begins filming later this year in Papua New Guinea.

The England Cricket team is using incognito products on their current tour in Antigua, West Indies to great effect. With DEET being implicated as a serious health threat and even being linked to Gulf War Syndrome, incognito’s Directors are confident that the use of their natural products may even help the team’s performance!

So how does incognito work? Says Patricia Carter, Director, “A female mosquito can detect human kairomones (similar to pheromones) up to one kilometre away! Our products mask these kairomones, camouflaging the wearer so they remain incognito – unrecognisable – to the blood thirsty mosquito! They also do not have the unwanted negative side effects and health risks associated with chemical repellents such as DEET.”

Selling both in the UK and abroad, including recently in Hawaii and the Caribbean, the fresh, pleasant smelling incognito products use a secret blend of 100% natural ingredients, all containing an organically certified citronella only found on the volcanic island of Java, which is much more effective against insects than ordinary citronella found elsewhere.

As well as smelling much better than pungent chemical-based repellents, incognito camouflage products are ideal for people, especially babies and young children, who do not wish to expose themselves to the potential hazards of chemically manufactured toxins. They prefer to invest in an infinitely safer product. Those with sensitive skins or skin conditions will also benefit from the gentler, natural formulations, without compromising on efficacy.

Rigorously tested by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, incognito works on all insects, not just mosquitoes. The range includes a 100ml camouflage spray, citronella incense sticks, after-sun moisturiser, and a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and camouflage, as well as soaps: jasmine rice, ginger and citronella; lemongrass and citronella; and luxury loofah soap, which contains skin conditioning loofah for exfoliation as well as cleansing, and therefore the perfect minimalistic product for light travelling – you can even recycle the loofah as a gentle pan scourer when all the soap is gone!

All soap packaging is made from biodegradeable Saa paper, made from sustainable mulberry bark harvested in fair trade conditions by impoverished Thai women.

incognito products are transported ethically, fashionably and practically in their roll-up travel bags which can be hung on a wall or door, or unrolled flat.

Incognito is sold direct through their website www.lessmosquito.com or through Wholefoods in Kensington, Fresh n Wild, Planet Organic, John Bell & Croydon, airport outlets of Harrods and most chemists. All products except the luxury loofah soap (which contains honey) are certified by the Vegan Society.

Radisson Hotels & Resorts is launching a new promotion to provide Radisson guests 500 frequent flyer miles from United or American Airlines for each night of their stay.

Under the new Earn Every Night program, guests who stay at any Radisson property in the Americas between May 1 and July 31, 2009, will receive 500 frequent flyer miles for each night of their stay, up to a maximum of 2,000 miles.

Radisson is extending this generous offer to members of American Airlines’ AAdvantage program and participants in United Airlines’ Mileage Plus program. Guests must show their airline membership card at check-in to earn the bonus miles. Earn Every Night is valid at participating Radisson hotels and resorts throughout the Americas. For more information, visit www.radisson.com/earnnightly. For reservations or more information, call 800-333-3333 or visit www.radisson.com.

For a limited time, Delta Vacations is offering a free Disney Dining Plan ($200 savings per adult) on Walt Disney World Resort bookings made through June 21, 2009. Featuring five-night packages as low as $475 per person, rates include a Magic Your Way Base Ticket (for five days) and a complimentary five-day upgrade to a Disney Dining Plan valid at over 100 restaurants. Reservations must be made by June 21, 2009 for travel Aug. 16 to Oct. 3, 2009.

As part of the free Disney Dining Plan, travelers can enjoy one table-service meal, one quick-service meal and one snack for each package night purchased at over 100 restaurants.

A minimum of three nights is required to qualify for the free Disney Dining Plan. Through this promotion, guests can stay three to 14 nights with package prices and Dining Plan savings varying according to number of nights booked. More than 20 resort hotels are participating in this promotion.

Six-day/five-night sample pricing is as follows: Disney Value Resorts from $475 per person; Disney Moderate Resorts from $665 per person; Disney Deluxe Resorts from $919 per person; Disney Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground from $989 per person; Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts from $1,075 per person.

All rates quoted are per person (based on double occupancy) and include six-days/five-nights at a Disney World resort; Disney’s Magical Express roundtrip airport/hotel transportation service; five-day Disney Dining Plan; $10 certificate for Planet Hollywood; two-for-one Wet ‘n Wild admission; and hotel taxes. Rates vary based on travel dates. Airfare can be added from gateways nationwide.

To book a Delta Vacations Walt Disney World Resort package, call 800-221-6666 or visit www.deltavacations.com

on Caribbean, Latin American Flights

JetBlue has begun offering customers on flights to any of its 14 Caribbean and Latin American destinations where DirecTV service is not accessible a selection of “JetBlue Features” premium in-flight movies free of charge.

Additionally, one title on these flights will be available in Spanish in both directions.

Each month, six movie choices are hand-picked from top Hollywood studios, with three selections available in each flight direction on channels 38, 39 and 40.

On all other flights longer than two hours, JetBlue Features movies will continue to be available for a nominal $5 fee.

Destinations now offering complimentary in-flight JetBlue Features movies include: Aruba; Nassau, Bahamas; Bermuda; Cancun; Bogota, Colombia; San Jose, Costa Rica; Puerto Plata, Santiago and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica (service begins May 21); Aguadilla, Ponce and San Juan, Puerto Rico; and, St. Maarten.

The following movies will be available in April: “Yes Man,” “Seven Pounds,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Marley & Me,” “Defiance” and “Revolutionary Road.”

The 29th Big Game Trolling Sport Fishing World Championship takes place, Oct. 24 to 29, 2009, in Mazatlán, Mexico.

Sanctioned by the International Angling Confederation (CIPS), this five-day tournament is expected to draw more than 200 competitors representing 21 countries in the organization’s worldwide membership.

Participating countries include the United States, Greece, France, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Italy, Costa Rica and Egypt.

An estimated 5,000 spectators will watch as teams compete in Mazatlán’s calm, azure waters for a prize-winning catch and the prestige of the championship title. The Big Game World Championship is presented by the National Federation of Sports Fishing of Mexico, in partnership with the International Sea Sport Fishing Federation (FIPS-M).

Participating members of FIPS-M and CIPS are allowed three teams from each representative country, with a maximum of four sport fishers per team.

Points are scored based on fish species and weight. Medals will be awarded to international teams finishing in first, second and third place overall on behalf of the International Sea Sport Fishing Federation.

Additional tournament trophies and catch division medals will be awarded by the National Federation of Sports Fishing of Mexico.

The Marina Mazatlán and Marina El Cid will set the stage for reel action and adventure throughout the Big Game Trolling World Championship. More than 50 boats will depart from the Marina Mazatlan each day of the tournament, as teams set out for the designated fishing zones located 50 nautical miles from the main navigation channel.

Onshore, participants and spectators will enjoy a full schedule of daily activities, ranging from cocktail receptions to weigh-in festivities, award ceremonies and more.

For more information about the FIPS-M 29th Big Game Trolling Sport Fishing World Championship in Mazatlan, visit www.gomazatlan.com

Country Walkers unveiled a new line of culinary adventures. Italy:

Tuscany Fall Harvest & Tuscan Cooking with Chef Claudio is a 10-day journey through the hill towns of Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra.

It’s all an appetizer for the main course: hands-on instruction in the kitchen of Claudio Piantini, chef/owner of Torre Guelfa Restaurant in Florence. The noted Tuscan chef will teach the art of traditional Italian cooking through preparation of authentic dishes such as ribollita (Tuscan vegetable and bread soup) and castagnaccio (chestnut flour cake enriched with nuts).

Priced from $6,448 per person; departs Sept. 13. Italy: Sicily & Sicilian Cooking in Modica is a moderately paced, 10-day tour through scenic Sicilian countryside that includes visits to Syracuse, picturesque Taormina, and the volcanic Aeolian Islands.

Guests will savor a four-day culinary exploration of Sicilian cuisine with hands-on cooking lessons as well as wine, cheese and chocolate tastings.

Walks in prehistoric burial grounds, 7th-century palaces, and cobbled medieval routes are sure to work up the appetite. Priced from $6,948 per person; departs Sept. 17. France: Provence & Provencal Cooking at the Domaine de Valmouriane is a 10-day Provence adventure with walks through the countryside from Vaison-la-Romaine to the foothills of Mont Ventoux, the vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape to the Lubéron, and the village of Gordes to the market town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provenance.

Walkers will enjoy hands-on French cooking lessons at charming hotels in medieval towns; a wine estate tour and tasting; and visits to colorful markets and an artisanal chocolaterie.

Priced from $6,948 per person; departs Sept. 14.

For more information, visit www.countrywalkers.com

With five fee of powder the past nine days, Steamboat couldn’t think of a better time to roll back the price of its 2009-10 season pass products to the lowest levels in nearly a decade, including the 2009-10 Steamboat Adult Season Pass available for $879 during a new pre-season savings period through June 1.

Steamboat Season Passes will be offered at $879, the lowest level in nearly a decade. The new pre-season saving period is unique because pass holders lock in the special rates with simply a $100 non-refundable deposit;

and, then pay the remainder of the balance by Oct. 1.

In addition, the pre-season exclusive savings go even further as adult pass holders are eligible to purchase four special $50 lift tickets for friends and family, valid any day of the 2009-10 season.

Skiers can “ultimize” their Steamboat season pass and add unlimited access to both Copper Mountain and Winter Park for just $40.

These are special pre-season perks that are only available until June 1.

For more information, visit

www.steamboat.com

Save US$2,000 per person when booking a cabin onboard the Hirondelle -the luxurious Orient-Express river barge that floats along the picturesque Burgundy canals of France. The all-inclusive price is US$3,400 per person for a week, based on two people sharing a cabin. 2009 cruises must be booked before May 31, 2009. www.orient-express.com

GET A BREAK OFF SPRING WEEKENDS AT LAUSANNE’S BEAU-RIVAGE PALACE

For each weekend through June 15, 2009, Switzerland’s renowned Beau-Rivage Palace is offering significantly discounted rates in the Comfort Room category — CHF 400 (US$355) — a US$110 savings — along with various themed advantages. Guests choose from five themes – Culture, Wellness, Gastronomy, Family and Romantic – and then receive three related perks.

The Family weekend offers guests two tickets to one of Lausanne’s many museums, a pastry course with the hotel’s Pastry Chef (for kids), and one in-room movie.

The Culture theme includes a cruise on Lake Geneva, daily buffet breakfast — a CHF 46 (US$40) value — a public transportation pass for Lausanne and free access to the property’s Cinq Mondes Spa.

And since Switzerland uses Swiss Francs (not Euros), with a favorable exchange rate for guests spending US dollars, the savings promise to be even greater.

www.brp.ch