Jetsettersblog

As its name suggests, Crown Spa’s newest signature treatment, “Feel Good” leaves guests, quite simply, feeling good.

The new two hour full body ritual addresses everywhere from the top of the head to the tip of the toes and leaves no skin un-touched.

For the first time at an urban deluxe spa in Melbourne, Crown Spa is working with leading aromatherapy and British brand, Aromatherapy Associates, to offer essential oil-based treatments and products for complete physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

The “Feel Good” treatment begins with a heady, sensory journey where, as part of the client consultation, the spa guest experiences a “smell test” to ensure the most suitable oil is selected for their needs. This may be relaxation, rejuvenation or any of the other 9 sensory solutions that target specific ailments from exhaustion to hormonal imbalances.

A gentle olive grain exfoliation is followed by an application of vitamin-rich wheat germ oil to cuticles and dry skin in need of attention.

A pressure point massage that targets the vagus nerve as well as cranial pressure points uses oils known for their uplifting qualities, such as geranium, frankincense and rose.

These oils are know to encourage feelings of inner harmony. “On an emotional level, the aromas of essential oils can have a dynamic effect. The sense of smell is the most primitive of our senses, and is linked to the deepest parts of our brain which govern basic instinct, memories and emotion,” says Geraldine Howard, Co-Founder and President of Aromatherapy Associates, established since 1985.

The massage also addresses the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for organs such as gall bladder and liver and systems including the reproductive, lymphatic and digestive systems. The massage aims to bring the body back into balance and achieve a state of homeostasis.

A warm white clay mask with rose essential oil is applied to the face. Not only is rose a proven mood enhancer, it is also known for activating capillaries and stimulating the lymphatic system. Some guests report a definite glow on their face after the rose oil has worked its restorative magic.

Meanwhile, a relaxing scalp massage using a rich, conditioning hair oil infused with coconut and pure essential oils of geranium, ylang ylang and rosemary ensures a sense of deep relaxation is reached. Lack lustre locks will simultaneously benefit from these nourishing oils and massage technique, promoting a healthy scalp and hair. A word of advice, it may be beneficial to request a late afternoon or an early evening appointment and allow the hair oil to work overnight for intense moisturisation and vitality.

At the end of the “Feel Good” treatment, guests report that they feel “uplifted and nourished, both body and soul.” For best results, clients are advised to avoid showering or swimming for two to three hours afterwards, to allow complete absorption of the oils at the skin’s deepest layers.

Overall, the goal of the treatment is to provide immediate and long-lasting results for a more balanced and radiant body, both inside and out.

The “Feel Good” treatment is available in a beauty suite for $270.00, a pampering suite for $320.00 or a deluxe suite for $370.00.

Bookings may be made by contacting Crown Spa on 03 9292 6182 or by

emailing crownspa@crownmelbourne.com.au . Further information is available at www.crownspa.com.au

KOSRAE, Micronesia – Mix one part relaxation and rejuvenation at award winning Kosrae Village Ecolodge & Dive Resort with one part stunning tropical Pacific island beauty of the rainforests, mangroves and mountains and one part amazing sea life in the incredible, pristine Micronesian coral reefs for the perfect vacation cocktail.

Kosrae Village Ecolodge and Dive Resort is THE place to stay in Micronesia.

For those who prefer a green vacation, Kosrae Village has been green long before it was popular to be and has won numerous awards for its efforts.

Those awards include:

- Top 50 Eco-Lodges 2009 by National Geographic Adventure magazine
- 2007 Islands Magazine Responsible Tourism Blue Award awarded for the ongoing sustainability in Kosrae Village operations and community based environmental activities

- 2007 EcoHotels Awarded Kosrae Village 4 Stars

- 2007 National Geographic Adventure Magazine Sustainable Outfitter Award awarded for the sustainable educational tours run by Kosrae Village and community based tour operators.

- 2006 Project Aware Environmental Achievement AwardAwarded for the 10 year Kosrae Village Ecolodge Reef Protection Project.

www.kosraevillage.com

Fit for Trips
CONTACT: Marcus Shapiro
TEL: 888-318-1742
E-MAIL: marcus@fitfortrips.com
WEB: http://www.fitfortrips.com

In a perfect world everyone would be physically fit before participating in an adventure travel trip. Many travelers then ask “How do I get fit for my trip?”

A few over simplified tips may be found by visiting a tour provider’s FAQs page, but many questions remain unanswered which may leave travelers physically unprepared.

This is why Fit for Trips was created, to partner with adventure focused tour operators to provide comprehensive, yet easy-to-follow pre-departure fitness programs for clients wanting to be in the optimal physical condition possible so they can make the most of their trips.

Fit for Trips provides tour operators, at no cost, a turn-key way to offer clients comprehensive travel-fitness programs.
Founded by fitness trainer and adventure enthusiast Marcus Shapiro, Fit for Trips is quickly emerging as the go-to company for itinerary-specific resistance and endurance programs.

With over twenty years of fitness experience and a love for adventure travel, Marcus decided to meld these two passions into Fit for Trips.

He has been developing the concept since 1999, and in 2004 decided to harness the power of the Internet to create FitForTrips.com ;

after years of hard work FitForTrips.com launched in June 2009. Interviews with adventure travel company owners and industry leaders confirmed that Fit for Trips could contribute to strengthening the adventure travel industry.

A survey of adventure travel enthusiasts confirmed that adventure travelers are eager for pre-trip workout programs targeted to the activities on their itineraries.

Fit for Trips strongly relies on tour operator partnerships.

Partners refer clients; the Fit for Trips staff reviews the itineraries, and then creates programs so the travelers can physically prepare for the activities on their trip.

This dedication to improving the physical fitness of adventure travelers worldwide has allowed Fit for Trips to create pre-departure fitness programs for tour operators that have been recognized as some of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Current tour operator partners include: Thomson Safaris; Ciclismo Classico; Adventures in Good Company; Terra Incognita Ecotours; Myths and Mountains; The World Outdoors; Explore Beyond; Hidden Trails; and O.A.R.S.

Individual travelers not affiliated with a partnering tour company are also encouraged to utilize Fit for Trips services.

Fitness programs can be created for an easy adventure vacation, a multi-day moderate intensity adventure, or an epic challenge and everything in between.

Options are always available for either home or gym training. Easy online-virtual tools, (i.e., videos and photos) also make the programs easy-to-learn. The straightforward programs are revolutionizing how travelers prepare for their adventurous trips.

“The adventure travel industry has established a high level of service and an array of trips that are really dreams manifested in the form of an itinerary,” says Mr. Shapiro.

“Why the industry has not produced a company that provides travelers with the highest quality pre-departure fitness information and support is not clear.”

“By the tour operator’s own standards,” continues Mr. Shapiro, “providing an over simplified answer or no solution for getting in shape should be considered unacceptable.”

Fit for Trips is headed toward setting a new precedent by providing comprehensive pre-departure fitness programs to any traveler that is serious about getting the most out of their adventure vacation.

For more information on the specialized programs offered by Fit for Trips and partnership opportunities, please visit the website: www.fitfortrips.com

Estonia’s colourful, pocket-sized capital is fast becoming a culinary centre for food lovers. Restaurants specialising in a new, modern style of Estonian cooking now proliferate and 4* and 5* hotels, spas and manor houses with award winning chefs and restaurants can easily be found.

Visitors to the capital can also try their own hand at chocolate making, making marzipan sweets, cooking Estonian cuisine and visiting vinoteques and breweries.

Tarmo Mutso, a spokesperson for the Estonian Tourist Board said “Estonians love their food, but today’s menus are often an adaptation of the hearty meals that yesterday’s locals would have tucked into. There are also many cosmopolitan and international restaurants in the capital and immediate surroundings, as well as restaurants serving traditional Estonian country-style cuisine, but the trend is for a lighter, modern interpretations.

We also have some wonderful specialist food producers, such as companies and individuals making hand made chocolates, wines, beers, marzipan confections, and places to learn to cook, such as the Food Academy, Köök, and a number of restaurants, including Museum and the very contemporary MEKK”.

For visitors wanting to taste the source of food in Estonia, specialist and locally produced food can be purchased from local growers and suppliers at the Rotermann Market, which rubs shoulders with historic conversions and high tech buildings in the Rotermann Quarter. There are also smaller specialist food outlets, such as NOP (www.nop.ee), an organic shop and cafe which plans to organise foodie events, such a Saturday morning “Morning at Gourmet Market”, offering produce directly from manufacturers and importers.

Chocolate & sweet production:-

Anneli Viik Chocolate Café (www.anneliviik.ee/?lang=en)  promotes the production, and consumption, of fine chocolate and hand-made sweets. Run by a former successful financier who fancied a career change, the venue combines a café, chocolate shop and the opportunity to see the chocolatiers at work, and for small groups to pre-book to join them in creating hand-made chocolates.

Chocolate and coffee is at the heart of two `Chocolaterie de Pierre’s’ cafés in Tallinn and one in Tartu in southern Estonia. (www.pierre.ee)

The first Chocolaterie de Pierre café opened in Tallinn’s Old Town in 2003 and has since been offering hand made chocolate, coffees and light snacks, with the opportunity for small groups to create their own confections.

Kalev Ltd (www.kalev.eu ) are an Estonian firm that hase been making chocolates and sweets for over 200 years. The company welcomes visitors to buy its chocolate bars, boxed chocolates and marzipan figures, and to its marzipan exhibition and a sweet museum that exhibits 180 marzipan figures, cards and cakes, made from 100 year old moulds.

Guests are invited to watch experts painting marzipan by hand and can also take part in the fun.

Restaurants:-

Modern Estonian cuisine can be found at many hotels and restaurants in and around Tallinn, including Kaerajaan in Tallinn’s Town Hall square, (www.kaerajaan.ee/eng , tel 00372 615 5400), named after a traditional dance and song, about a man who spent all his time in his kitchen eating.
Grilled ostrich filled served with forest mushrooms in filo dough and red wine sauce costs around £16.

Traditional menus are found at Kuldne notsu (www.notsu.ee) in the vaulted cellar of the St. Petersbourg Hotel which specialises in Estonian country cuisine using recipes from centuries old cook-books and sourcing produce from local farms and growers. Traditional pork roast with baked potatoes, sauerkraut and mushroom sauce costs 12.15 € (c. £11)

Olde Hansa (www.oldehansa.ee) is built in the style of the home of a wealthy 15th C merchant at the time of the Hanseatic League, Northern Europe’s successful trading alliance, and serves typical menus from that period, with a speciality in game. For example, Grand merchant von Hueck’s mild game pot around £11.

Learn to cook:-

A three hour cookery course at Köök – http://www.kook.fi/en , with trained chefs to teach everything from Italian, French and Estonian cuisine to Sushi, costs just £75 per person, for groups from 6 – 12 people, and includes a three course meal with wine.

Cookery courses for groups are also run at a number of restaurants, including Museum (www.museum.ee)  and the modern MEKK (www.mekk.ee), which specialises in modern Estonian cooking.

Wine & beer tasting and making:-

Balthasar (www.balthasar.ee ), Estonia’s first garlic restaurant (opened 1999), not only uses garlic in virtually all of its dishes, but expertly blends wines with menus so that guests are advised on complimenting tastes. The restaurant is in the medieval building of the Town Hall Apotecary in the heart of Tallinn’s Town Hall Square.

Estonia’s Saku brewery, 10kms south of Tallinn, offers both tastings and tours. Beer in Estonia was brewed at home, in abbeys and castles as early as 500 AD. Breweries sprang up in larger villages the 13th C and by the 16th C it was the main drink of farmers. Today there are five breweries, of which Saku is one. It is Estonia’s oldest brand of beer and dates back to 1821. Tours are organised by Saku Manor www.sakumois.ee

Visit THIS LINK.

Food shops and markets:-
NOP (www.nop.ee)  is a cosy, organic shop and café a few tram stops from the centre of Tallin serving organic produce to diners and shoppers.

The firm recently organised a “Morning at a Gourmet Market” to allow visitors to buy produce and products directly from manufacturers and importers.
Gardeners and small farmers alike take their produce to the newly restored and refurbished Nomme Market, a 25 minute bus ride from Viru or Vabaduse väljak stop.

The market with its fountains and friendly buzz makes a pleasant excursion and is open from Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm, www.nommeturg.ee

The Rotermann organic and handicraft market, between the Old Town and the port in the trendy Rotermann Quarter rubs shoulders with bars, cafes, boutiques, high tech office buildings and restored historic factories.

Up to 20 producers sell locally produced foods, including meat, fish, pastries, dairy produce, fruit and vegetables, from gardens and farms right across Estonia. Open from Wednesday to Friday, 10am – 7pm and Saturdays from 10am – 5pm. Each Sunday the market is replaced by a Handicraft and design market. www.rotermanniturg.ee

Geotourism – tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place,its environment, its culture and the well-being of its residents – is becoming an increasingly popular holiday choice for many European tourists.

With the 8th Annual European Geoparks Conference held in Portugal from 14 to 16 September, the country is fast establishing a reputation for itself as a world class geotourism destination.

In particular, the 4617 square km Naturtejo geopark supported by UNESCO , boasts a rich geological heritage. The geopark, located approximately 200 km from the Portuguese capital Lisbon, is characterized by a range of ancient landscapes including river gorges, waterfalls, granite landforms and a historical Roman gold mine – the Conhal do Arneiro.

Activities on offer here include a 439 km trekking network made up of short and long walking trails, boat trips, and kayaking opportunities in the River Tagus and River Zêzere.

For the less adventurous, a minibus tour taking in some of the geological highlights of the park can be arranged, as well as stopovers in historical villages that surround the area. The Azores and Porto Santo Islands also offer similar geotourism opportunities.

Miguel Perestrello, the Portuguese Director for Tourism in the UK, said, “Geotourism is an effective way of stimulating economic activity whilst promoting sustainable tourism.

“We want to want to offer a whole range of tourism products, starting from the typical sun and sea holiday to the Geotourism or Ecotourism nature breaks which encourage the preservation of our geological heritage and natural surroundings.”

Portugal’s varied landscape also makes it possible to participate in bird watching programmes across a whole range of natural habitats including mountain ranges, estuaries, cliff tops, cork oak plantations and coastal lagoons. Just minutes away from Lisbon, the River Tagus Estuary is home to over 100 species of birds and a bird watching experience can be easily built into your travel itinerary.

Booked your holiday but not sure what to do when you get there? Travelling on a budget and want to get your “extras” accounted for before you travel?

Visit the new excursion website from leading travel company Thomson, www.thomsonexcursions.co.uk to research and book activities across the globe.

Open to everyone, whether they’ve booked a Thomson holiday or not, the website currently features some 631 excursions and experiences across 55 destinations!

Activities range from swimming with dolphins and horse riding on the beach, to hot air balloon rides and a safari on the Masai Mara.

There are also excursions with a sustainable focus, with an emphasis on helping the local community.

In Zakynthos, staff from the Turtle Protection League join our Turtle Island Cruise to ensure guests are informed about turtle conservation. In Kenya, our boat excursion ‘Swahili Blue’ to Wasini Island is run in conjunction with a local company with nearly 100 local employees. Proceeds go towards a community fund run by the ladies of the village.

In addition, the restaurant on the island where many guests choose to eat operates a project which supplies some of the schooling needs of the children and the salaries for two teachers.

www.thomsonexcursions.co.uk  has been designed to make the search process as easy as possible: enter your destination and then select what type of activity you’re looking for with options including ‘history & culture’, ‘young & lively’, ‘families’ and ‘once in a lifetime’.

To help narrow down your choice, a whole variety of information on each excursion is included, such as a tour overview, full itinerary, availability, photos and full details of what is/isn’t included in the price.

In addition to helping you budget and plan ahead, booking your excursion before you travel will also ensure that you’re not disappointed when you arrive on holiday as the popular activities do book up quickly!

You’ll also have the piece of mind which comes with booking via the UK’s leading tour operator, as all our excursions are led by fully licensed and qualified guides.

Bookings can be completed online, or if you need further information to help you choose, you can contact the team at Thomson via phone.

Tickets are emailed out prior to travel, and should your plans change once you arrive in resort, you will be able to contact the Thomson team to discuss your excursion at anytime during your stay.

For further information and bookings visit www.thomsonexcursions.co.uk

BMI – Flights to Russia & Ukraine       As the 518-room Warsaw Marriott Hotel celebrates the 20th anniversary of its grand opening this month, Marriott International, Inc. heralds two decades of solid growth in the region by announcing the signing of two more hotel operating agreements.

The two newly signed hotels bring the company’s development pipeline in the region to 10 properties due to open through 2012. The Warsaw Marriott was Marriott’s first hotel in the former Eastern Bloc and was the first western-managed hotel to open behind the then-Iron Curtain.

Since then, Marriott’s hotel portfolio in the region has grown to include 24 operating properties and more than 5,500 rooms in seven countries. Six lodging brands are represented: JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton in the luxury tier; Marriott and Renaissance in the full-service, upscale deluxe category; Courtyard by Marriott in the moderate tier and Marriott Executive Apartments for extended stay travelers looking for upscale accommodations.

The 150-room Courtyard by Marriott Kazan, Russia, is due to open in early 2010. The hotel is owned by OOO Dynamics Group and will be situated on Karl Marx Street in the heart of Kazan, in the Republic of Tartarstan.

It will be the first Marriott-branded hotel in Tartarstan. The 204-room Courtyard by Marriott Irkutsk, Russia, is scheduled for opening in 2011.

The hotel is owned by OOO Hotel Service and will be located in central Irkutsk near the central square and main regional government buildings as part of a mixed-use development that also includes office space.

When opened, both the Courtyard by Marriott Kazan and the Courtyard by Marriott Irkutsk will have an open lobby lounge and bar area that will flow into its casual, all-day restaurant that will serve a mix of fresh international and authentically local cuisine.

The colorful and informal ambience of this public space will invite guests to linger over a cup of coffee or to gather with friends and colleagues for impromptu meetings.

For recreation, each hotel will have a fitness center.

Marriott International has eight additional properties currently under construction in the former Eastern Bloc nations including the Courtyard by Marriott Budapest and the Renaissance Budapest Hotel in Hungary;

the JW Marriott Hotel Almaty in Kazakhstan; the Courtyard by Marriott Bucharest in Romania; and the Renaissance Moscow Monarch Center Hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre;

the Krasnodar Marriott Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott Moscow Paveletskaya Station in Russia.

All are expected to open now through 2012.

For more information, visit the link below.

The Grand Hotel Anthelia, located on the southern coast of the island of Tenerife, is the perfect destination for all those golf lovers who wish to enjoy first-class facilities and quality services within a unique environment close to the golf course.

The Grand Hotel Anthelia’s commitment towards golf and its fans is reflected in the various events in which the resort plays a key role in, such as the staging of its amateur Grand Open -now in its seventh year- or its being chosen as this years Official Hotel of the Tenerife Ladies Open 09, a professional tournament valid for the Ladies European Golf Tour.

In addition to its privileged location overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, around the resort there are up to eight golf courses: Costa Adeje, Las Américas, Del Sur, Amarilla, Los Palos, Tecina (in La Gomera), Buena Vista and El Peñón; making it an ideal destination for the most demanding followers of this sport who might want to enjoy first-class facilities and quality services at a short distance from the course.

In order to cater for their utmost comfort during their stay, the hotel has a shuttle-bus service available to guest, running from the IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Anthelia to the Las Américas and Costa Adeje golf courses.

For guests willing to improve their handicaps while enjoying some days of sun and relaxation in the Canary Islands, the hotel also has a Golf School with lessons available in Spanish, English and German.

The ample gardens and swimming pools of the Grand Hotel Anthelia offer visitors the chance of taking a walk and unwinding whilst getting ready to play on the courses. When they return, the Thai Zen SPAce shall be ready to help them recover the energy lost between holes thanks to the wide range in choice of millenary Eastern massages and treatments, which are applied by expert Thai therapists to give guests the perfect end to their long, hot, summer days.

The Grand Hotel Anthelia’s commitment towards golf and its fans is reflected in the various events it hosts, such as the staging of the Anthelia Grand Open that commences on 5th September at the Las Américas Golf Course, and is yet more proof of the commitment undertaken by the hotel to ensure it’s the perfect destination for enjoying the pursuit.

The hotel has also been chosen as the official lodging of the Tenerife Ladies Open 09, an international professional tournament that is part of the Ladies European Golf Tour. This year 126 golfers will be coming from all over the world to enjoy the resort’s 5-star facilities.

About IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Anthelia

Grand Hotel Anthelia has been designed for enjoyment of five-star holidays for couples, families and business customers with a full, truly luxurious service offering:

Thai Zen SPAce and Wellness thermal centre for relaxing, spacious gardens and swimming pools, extensive range of activities and sports, an attentive restaurant service and delicious food specialties, and five-star rooms and suites.

Situated just by the shore in Costa Adeje, between the Duque and Fañabé beaches on the south of Tenerife, its privileged location offers guest the possibility of relaxing in the island’s best beaches, discovering its varied landscapes and enjoy the sun all year round.

Visitors interested in Key West’s seafaring history can discover artifacts, historic photographs and other items recalling the island’s once-vital turtle-fishing industry at the new Key West Turtle Museum.

The museum is located at the site of a former turtle cannery building, beside one-time turtle holding pens or “kraals,” at the foot of Margaret Street in Key West’s Historic Seaport. It was developed by the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and Heritage Society after museum officials and volunteers performed an archaeological excavation of the pens that yielded thousands of artifacts.

The museum exhibit includes vintage photographs, audio recordings and even a display of original cans of Key West turtle soup.

Attention also is paid to the turtle industry’s environmental toll and scientific evidence of the species recovery since the end of the trade.

Admission to the museum is $5 per person for adults and $2.50 per child age 12 and younger.

For more information, visit www.keywestturtlemuseum.org and www.melfisher.org