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The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai, Thailand is offering four Wellness Retreats from November through to February 2010.

Led by internationally recognized health specialists, the Wellness Retreats have been created specifically to help participants navigate through some of life’s important issues and, at the same time, achieve a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.

The first Wellness Retreat, titled Winds of Change, will take place from Nov. 8 to 13.

This five-night/six-day program offers new ways and techniques of empowerment to live a healthier and more fulfilling life.

The facilitators are Sylvia Leela Isani and Frank Weckesser – managing partners of “Self” The Empowerment Company – who will draw from their more than 20 years of experience in human potential training and holistic healing.

From Dec. 3 to 6, the resort will host the Spiritual Laws of Success Wellness Retreat. According to the ancient holistic healing science of Ayurveda, everything within and without is comprised of energy.

This three-night/four-day program will help participants to understand the nature of this energy. Facilitating the journey will be Dr. Rajeev and Dr. Suchada Marwah, who work with the Dheva Spa as experienced consultants.

The Timeless Magic of Feminity Wellness Retreat will run from Jan. 17 to 22 2010, and aims to empower women to move towards an ageless, conscious and joyful lifestyle.

Facilitators Sylvia Leela Isani – managing partner of “Self” The Empowerment Company – and Satya Sabine Wilmsen, the company’s trainer will lead this empowering retreat.

From Feb. 1 to 4, 2010, the three-night/four-day Herbs, The Magic Healers Wellness Retreat offers the chance to find out about 30 life giving herbs including their history and curative powers.

Herbs have been used for centuries to revitalize body, mind and soul and the science of Ayurveda emphasizes ‘Kaya Kalp’ or secrets of rejuvenation through herbs. Facilitating the program are Dr. Suchada Marwah – doctor of Ayurvedic medicine and director and co-founder of the International Research Center of Natural Sciences – and Dr. Rajeev Marwah, the center’s president and founder.

href=”http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/gear/suntan/deadsea.html” target=”_self”>Each Wellness Retreat includes a Deluxe Villa (single occupancy); roundtrip airport transfer from Chiang Mai International Airport; healthy meals at designated restaurants during each stay; participation in daily wellness activities; lifestyle and group discussions; health consultation and three spa treatments as recommended by the resort’s Health Specialist; Spiritual Laws of Success also includes a personalized fitness program and a spiritual workshop/activity; and Herbs, The Magic Healers also includes a diagnostic health assessment, three customized Ayurvedic and holistic treatments and a personal health plan.

Pricing for each retreat is as follows: The Winds of Change $5,515; The Spiritual Laws of Success $4,572;

The Timeless Magic of Feminity $5,515; and Herbs, The Magic Healers — $5,000. All prices are net, inclusive of service charge and tax. Extension of stay is available at $458 – net per night including American Buffet Breakfast for one or two persons.

Call 011-66-53-888-929, email mocnx-reservations@mohg.com  or visit www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi -   Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi > CNX > 51/4 Chiang Mai – Sankampaeng Road > Chiang Mai > > 50000>5>From Chiang Mai International Airport: Turn right onto the superhighway toward new Chiang Mai Sankampaeng Ring Rd and turn left. Continue on Ring Rd until the underpass, then turn left again to Chiang Mai city. The hotel is on the left.

The Micronesian island of Kosrae is working with the Nature Conservancy and other groups including the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC),

U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Micronesian in-island Conservation (MIC), Micronesian Conservation Trust (MCT), European Union (EU), German LifeWeb, Global Greengrant Fund (GGF), Pacific Development and Conservation Trust (PDCT), to preserve the island’s ancient stand of terminalia trees in the Yela Ka Forest.

In early 2009, three Kosrae conservation agencies — the Yela Environment Landowners Authority (YELA),Kosrae Island Resource Management Authority (KIRMA), Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization (KCSO) formally established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen their collaborative partnership for a conservation easement to protect the Yela Ka Forest, its pristine watershed, and surrounding ecosystem.

Left undisturbed, the Yela Ka watershed will continue to provide a healthy mangrove forest, fish from its offshore waters and habitat for the endangered Micronesian pigeon that has few refuges on the island.

Kosrae is served six times weekly by Continental Airline’s Island Hopper via Hawaii and Guam. For more information, visit www.Kosrae.com  Read the Jetsetters Magazine feature about Diving in Kosrae.

Victoria Cruises’ new Victoria Jenna will depart Sept. 6 on its first cruise on China’s Yangtze River. With 189 cabins and a passenger capacity of 378, the Victoria Jenna will become the largest ship in the company’s fleet, which will grow to eight vessels.

The room breakdown is 149 standard cabins, 35 junior suites, three deluxe suites and two Shangri-La Suites. “As we expand our fleet, we do so with the intention of going above and beyond that which made our previous five-star vessels exceptional,” said Larry Greenman, manager of public relations and customer service for Victoria Cruises.

At a gross tonnage of approximately 8,000, the five-passenger-deck Victoria Jenna will be 438.9 feet long and 61.7 feet wide with a draft of 8.5 to 8.8 feet.

All cabins will have televisions with HBO and CNN broadcasts, private bathroom with a shower and bathtub, and a private balcony.

The Victoria Jenna will feature two dining rooms (a single-seating main dining room and an a la carte restaurant), four elevators, a fitness room, lecture room (for talks about the river’s history and lessons in Tai Chi, Mandarin language and mah jong), library/reading room, a nightclub with theater-style seating, cocktail lounge, beauty parlor and mini-spa, gift shop, observation deck, business center, Internet access, health clinic and an atrium lobby.

The ship’s decor will be highlighted by rich colors, woods, chandeliers, and American and European influences with Asian accents. The Victoria Jenna will sail the “Three Gorges Highlights” program between Chongqing and Yichang, as well the round-trip “Three Gorges Explorer” itinerary sailing from Chongqing.

For more information, call 800-348-8084 or visit www.victoriacruises.com

On April 1, Ayana Resort and Spa Bali was launched as an independent hotel under the management of U.S.-based West Paces Hotel Group, which is led by hotelier Horst Schulze. Named after a “place of refuge” in Sanskrit, Ayana is perched on limestone cliffs up to 30 meters above the Indian Ocean near Jimbaran Bay on Bali’s south-western peninsula.

The 77-hectare property enjoys views and a secluded location with its own beach, 15 minutes from Bali’s airport.

The 368 guestrooms — comprising 219 rooms and suites, 77 one-bedroom and two-bedroom private villas and the three-bedroom Ayana Villa — offer guests the seclusion and space of their own Balinese-style villa or room, and access to the facilities and services of a world-class hotel.

Resort highlights include the Thermes Marins Thalasso spa complex with the world’s largest Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pool and the Spa on the Rocks set amidst the Indian Ocean.

There are 13 dining venues including the Dava, five purpose-built wedding venues, and the Champa Garden for events of up to 2,000 people. There are four freshwater swimming pools including a children’s pool, and a salt-water, infinity-edged Ocean Beach Pool at the cliff’s base, accessed via an inclinator. There is also an 18-hole golf putting course, tennis pavilion, jogging/cycling path, fitness center, children’s center, seven boutiques, comprehensive meeting facilities and high-tech business center, and resort-wide Wi-Fi.

The resort also features the Rock Bar, an innovative open-top bar perched 42 feet above the ocean on a rocky outcrop at the base of the resort’s towering cliffs. Accessed via an inclinator that traverses the cliff-face, the Rock Bar is a feat of architecture and engineering. Designed by Yasuhiro Koichi of Japan’s Design Studio SPIN, whose works include NOBU Tokyo and NOBU Hong Kong, it offers uninterrupted, 360-degree views from every single vantage point.

“The Rock Bar is the only venue of its kind in the world, and is sure to become a must-see destination in Bali,” said Marc Dobbels, Ayana’s food and beverage executive assistant manager. “Yasuhiro Koichi has created a true masterpiece using the natural formation and location of the rock, providing million-dollar views of Bali’s famed sunsets from a dramatic and unforgettable venue. ”

“You couldn’t get any closer to the horizon without setting sail.”

“The venue is not the only thing “on the rocks.”

A DJ booth has been built high amongst the rocks in front of the bar, with an outdoor Bose stereo system. Guests are offered a selection of tapas served on natural stone plates.

However, the menu’s focus is of the liquid variety, with a comprehensive list of classic and contemporary cocktails that makes the Rock Bar. It is also a venue for private functions and wedding parties, with a kitchen discreetly concealed beneath a nearby rock formation. Either side of the main rock, timber platforms featuring comfortable sofas provide additional viewing points across the ocean. One is accessed via a natural cave, an entrance that leads to the terrace and a “secret” garden over the beach. ”

As you emerge from the softly-lit cave and the mist, a large crystallized rock hundreds of years old is displayed in a wall panel as a piece of natural art.

The West Paces Hotel Group based in Atlanta, Ga., was founded in 2002 by Horst Schulze along with several former Ritz-Carlton executives. In less than six years, West Paces has successfully launched two hotel brands, is operating 15 properties and with its Singapore-based affiliates West Paces Hotel Group Asia, and is on course to operate or have under contract at least 50 hotels by 2010.

For more information, visit www.westpaceshotels.com

For the 13th consecutive year, Jamaica has been named to Modern Bride’s “The World’s 50 Best Honeymoons” list from the annual survey of Virtuoso travel specialists. Jamaica also ranked in the “Top 10 for Affordability,” at number 3, a desirable spot in today’s economy.

Jamaica’s listings are published in Modern Bride’s August/September issue, now available on newsstands.

The survey represents an expert polling of a panel of 6,000 Virtuoso travel specialists across the U.S. and is designed to help couples select the ideal honeymoon destination.

Agents recommended destinations based on the following 12 categories: romance, beaches, food and wine, mountains, sexy ambience, adventure, nightlife, affordability, seclusion, culture, snorkeling and diving, and up-and-coming locale.

For more information, call 800-526-2422 or visit www.visitjamaica.com

Greenjets shared-ride service gives private travelers the ability to arrange to purchase a seat on a private jet. Greenjets has repackaged the private jet into a more affordable consumer unit — the seat rather than the entire jet.

A seat on a flight through Greenjets will cost only $3,000, and frequent flyers can get the Greenjetcard, the industry’s first and only shared-ride private jet discount card, which saves travelers 60 percent or more off the already affordable seat prices.

Flights between New York and Florida, for example, are available for as low as $1,200 per seat with a Greenjetcard Black level membership.

Greenjets service between New York and Florida began in June, and service to Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Washington and Atlanta will become available during 2009.

Throughout 2010 and 2011, 27 markets including Dallas, Houston, Los Vegas and Phoenix will form part of the Greenjets Shared-Ride Network. Greenjets does not own or operate aircraft; travel service is provided by FAA part 135 air charter operators who maintain operational control at all times.

For more information, visit www.flygreenjets.com

Costa has introduced online check-in for guests at www.costacruises.com

The new web check-in system is available on all of Costa’s itineraries worldwide.

To begin the online check-in process, guests will need to first enter their seven-digit booking number and last name. From there, they may access their boarding form, which they need to fill in with information needed for sailing.

This includes the names and travel documentation information for all guests that are part of the booking.

Once all information is filled in, guests need to check that the boarding form is complete.

If so, their boarding documents are ready to print.

The service is available from the time guests have booked and paid for their cruise in full up until the day prior to departure.

Costa also offers electronic check-in kiosks for guests departing from Port Everglades on Caribbean routes.

It was the first cruise line at Port Everglades to offer this service, beginning in spring 2008.

The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., is offering Advance Purchase Rates on their premier oceanfront and ocean-view rooms.

Guests who make a 14-day advance purchase can save up to 35 percent; guests who make a 21-day advance purchase save up to 40 percent; and guests who purchase 30 days in advance can save up to 45 percent.

The offer is available Sunday through Thursday through Aug. 27, 2009, and Monday through Sunday Aug. 28 to Dec. 30, 2009.

For reservations or more information, call 866-934-7467 or visit www.shoresresort.com/florida-vacation-packages.php

Carnival Cruise Lines has created “Behind the Fun,” a guided tour of the company’s shipboard operations.

Currently available on the Carnival Valor and Carnival Conquest, the program will be rolled out to all 12 ships operating voyages of seven days or longer by the end of September.

The 3.5-hour tour offers participants a behind-the-scenes look at shipboard venues that are normally off limits to guests.

During the tour, key shipboard personnel, including the captain, chief engineer, chef de cuisine and other department heads, share their expertise.

“Behind the Fun” begins with a stop backstage in the main show lounge and then moves on to the laundry room, crew galley and dining room, crew gym, and crew training center. Next it’s on to the expansive main galley where the culinary team prepares upwards of 12,000 meals and snacks a day.

The tour also includes a visit to the ship’s bridge and engine control room.

Participants also receive commemorative gifts, including a baseball cap and lanyard, a Team Carnival Picture Perfect book with photographs of Carnival ships and destinations taken by the line’s employees, and complimentary photos with the captain on the bridge. The tour can be booked at the ships’ shore excursion desks.

The cost is $95 per person, and capacity is limited to 16 guests per tour. Participants must be 13 or older.

The Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, slated to open in early November, has launched its reservations system and is now accepting bookings starting Nov. 16, 2009, at www.trumpwaikikihotel.com  and by calling the toll-free reservations number at 877-683-7401.

Special introductory rates for the hotel’s 463 hotel rooms and suites start at $255 per night for spacious studio accommodations and range to $8,000 for a Penthouse Suite.

Situated steps away from the beach in the most coveted location in Waikiki, Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk is a major new building development for Oahu.

At 38 stories, the Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk features views of Diamond Head, the Honolulu skyline and the Pacific Ocean. The contemporary tower is designed to seamlessly blend indoors and outdoors, incorporating traditional Hawaiian building techniques that respect local climate and environmental considerations, and taking advantage of prevailing winds and natural cooling.

Among its amenities: Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Steak will be his first restaurant in this region. The Lobby Bar will feature a commissioned mural inspired by murals in the great hotel and ocean liner bars of the 1930s. An outdoor cafe will offer open-air dining throughout the day.

The Spa at Trump will bring signature and island-inspired services and treatments to Hawaii.

And the Trump Attache will offer a proactive approach to personalized service, including a Beach Attache to attend to guests’ needs while partaking in oceanfront activities.

The hotels also will offer a water wall and infinity plunge pool, a fitness center, and a library.

For more information, call 877-683-7401 or visit www.trumpwaikikihotel.com