Jetsettersblog

A new Seafood Discovery trail has been launched showcasing the best seafood dining options in the Southern Gold Coast and Tweed regions.

The free 32 page guide features options to suit every budget, from fish and chip takeaways, cafes and beachfront surf clubs to fine dining restaurants along the 35km stretch of coastline from Currumbin to Cabarita. Aquatic activities are also featured and include deep sea fishing, river cruises, kayaking, whale watching and snorkelling.

The Seafood Discovery Trail guide can be downloaded from www.seafooddiscoverytrail.com  and links are available to online booking systems for accommodation reservations.

Libya Expeditions is celebrating the tale of courage honor, and comradeship during the Siege of Tobruk with its historic five-day ANZAC Libya World War II Remembrance Tour.

“Every April, ANZAC Day is commemorated in Australia and New Zealand, and the legend of the ‘Rats of Tobruk’ and their valor has made Tobruk extremely popular with Australian and New Zealand tourists,” said Ryad Sunusi, Libya Expeditions founder and CEO.

“In Tobruk, the past comes alive with World War II memorials, memorabilia and relics, where the deeds and hardships of those who fought and died thousands of miles from their homes and loved ones are forever enshrined.”

The ANZACS, an acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, were known for their tenacious fighting spirit and courage during the World Wars, often overcoming tremendous odds to win key victories. In Libya, where the besieged ANZACS — dubbed the “Rats of Tobruk” by the impressed Germans — achieved legendary status for their heroism and ferocious resistance against Rommel’s forces during the Western Desert Campaign.

The Libya World War II Remembrance Tour is a step back into time and the battles between Allied and Axis forces in North Africa.

The tour visits Tobruk and its memorials and cemeteries, including the Commonwealth War cemetery, Knightsbridge Acroma, and Bar Hakim.

Interesting side excursions include Rommel’s massive underground bunker, the Fig Tree Hospital, the “Lady Be Good,” and the German Memorial. April is the most popular month for the ANZAC Tobruk tour, coinciding with ANZAC Day and the Siege of Tobruk, on April 25 and 10, respectively.

Libya Expeditions is a full-service Libya tour operator that provides Libya travel services, focusing on escorted Libya cultural, archeological, and desert adventure tours and holidays. Libya Expeditions is committed to promoting responsible tourism and supporting the local Libyan economy while retaining respect for traditional customs and way of life.

For more information, visit www.libyaexpeditions.com

Explore The Lifeblood of Southeast Asia

The Mekong River is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia. In this exclusive Signature Tour from award-winning company Journeys Within, guests will be escorted down this amazing river from Yunnan Province, China to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

Along the way you will visit highlights of China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam as well as see daily life as it happens on the river. With Western tour leaders as well as English speaking local guides, no question will go unanswered, and the beauty, history, and activities of the people and places will be brought to life.

From traditional villages to bustling capitals, from ancient temples to modern palaces, you will pass through or along the borders of six countries on everything from a 34-foot cruise boat to a local long tail boat.

The only tour of its kind, the Journeys Within Mekong Experience is an exploration into culture, tradition and history all with the comfort and safety of experienced tour leaders.

For the first time, on the 2010 Mekong Experience, Journeys Within Tour Company will donate a portion of each traveler’s fare to different regional projects, and guests will visit these communities to see the results of their donations as part of the tour. Tour is 28 days. Cost is $6595 per person, $700 Single Supplement. Group size is 12 travelers or less.

www.journeys-within.com

Many travelers are more familiar with Thailand’s magnificent islands, beaches, Buddhist temples, massage, and colorful cuisine, but Thailand’s rainforests are also home to many bird and mammal species; elephants, tigers, 13 species of primates and 900 species of birds.

On Wild Planet Adventures’ 11-day and 15 day Thailand / Laos programs, travelers enjoy itineraries that include Thailand’s best wildlife destinations plus a cooking school, Buddhist temples, floating markets, and more including one of the most unique eco-tourism projects in the world — the Gibbon Experience.

The national parks of Kaeng Krachan, Pa La-U, Sam Roi Yot, Doi Inthanon and Khao Yai harbor some of the most diverse and fascinating wildlife on earth, including populations of wild elephants, guars, tigers, gibbons, langurs, macaques, barking deer, flying foxes and unique birds such as hornbills and Indian rollers.

You’ll also find wildlife experiences that are uniquely Thai: a tiger sanctuary where you can play with baby tiger cubs, an elephant camp where you can bathe elephants in a river.

And of course Thailand’s famous islands, beaches and karst. Choose from a variety of itineraries including the single most unique ecotourism experience we’ve ever encountered: a system of ziplines and tree-houses where you can see gibbons sing duets to each other.

The Gibbon Experience is offered either as part of our award-winning 15-day Ultimate Wildlife eco-tour or as a 5-day tour by itself.

Josh Cohen, 415-925-4300, josh@wildplanetadventures.com, www.wildplanetadventures.com

Since its construction in 1884, Falaknuma Palace has rarely been open to visitors, save for special guests of the Nizam like the king and queen of England. All that will change this spring when Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces opens Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad.

Set on a hillock, Falaknuma means “heavenly abode” and the architecture is a blend of Italian and Tudor design.

In keeping with Taj’s mission to sensitively restore authentic palaces to their former glory, Taj Falaknuma Palace limited accommodations to 60 rooms and suites.

Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo, leveraging their 50 years of experience in high-end design consultancy, created the conceptual architecture and sourced specialists from across the world to recreate old artifacts and structures.

The grandeur of Taj Falaknuma Palace is best represented in its detailing. Built in the shape of a scorpion over the course of nine years, the palace retains priceless collections of Belgian Osler chandeliers, paintings, statues, English furniture, stained glass windows, leather upholstered rosewood chairs, gold and crystal tables, ivory figurines and an Italian white marble fountain at the entrance, for starters.

The library has a walnut carved ceiling (a replica of that in Windsor Castle) and houses one of the finest collections of the holy Quran in India.

Construction of Falaknuma began in 1884, the same year Sir Vicar-Ul-Umra became prime minister of the Hyderabad State. Completed in 1893, the palace became the last word in eastern opulence and luxury. Sir Vicar made Falaknuma his home and played host to dinners, house parties, hunt breakfasts and visiting European royalty. All the furniture, paintings and other articles were made to order, as Sir Vicar wanted to create an ambiance of heaven. Unfortunately, the palace eventually led the prime minister into bankruptcy.

Since then, Falaknuma Palace has had many masters, from Nizam Mahboob Ali Pasha to Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur.

This spring it will join the ranks of Rambagh Palace, Taj Lake Palace, and Umaid Bhawan Palace in the Taj Luxury Hotels’ segment. Hyderabad is well connected by air and rail to all the major cities, and is 75 minutes from Mumbai and two hours from New Delhi by air.

For more information, visit www.tajhotels.com

Langham Hotels International launched Langham Touch, the world’s first hotel iPhone app that offers voice-enabled travel phrases, ensuring the guest will never get lost in a city where there’s a Langham property.

The voice-enabled phrases which include directions to the hotel from virtually anywhere in the city and simple phrases form part of a suite of services that can be accessed at the touch of a screen, allowing users to see and hear the phrases in the city’s local language.

If all that fails, there’s a hotline to the local Langham property. Langham Touch is an all-in-one app that enables the guest to search and view all vital location information without going online which will save heavy international roaming charges.

The app includes a mini-city guide and includes recommendations to cultural must-do insider tips including attractions, restaurants and bars.

Members of the 1865 loyalty program can also check their membership account details and update their personal information.

The iPhone app also includes hotlines for room reservations via convenient toll-free lines, essential hotel information, as well as the ability to order room service, ask for a wake up call and make restaurant reservations.

Download the app at www.langhamhotels.com/apple

For more information, visit www.langhamhotels.com

The Halekulani in Waikiki has announced that reservations for its La Mer and Orchids restaurants are now available via OpenTable.com.

Diners are now able to utilize the capabilities provided by OpenTable.com to book tables at La Mer and Orchids with access to real-time availability. Individuals looking for an elegant dining experience can reserve a table at La Mer, Hawaii’s longest consecutively ranked AAA Five Diamond restaurant.

Those who want a more casual dining experience can book Orchids, which serves contemporary seafood dishes in an oceanfront setting.

For more information, call 800-367-2343 or visit www.halekulani.com  or www.opentable.com

Chicago Neighborhood Tours is offering 25 tours, including five new ones, for 2010.

The half-day bus tours explore many neighborhoods as well as offer insight into famed Chicago architect Daniel Burnham or the old U.S. Steel South Works site slated for reuse in South Chicago.

New Neighborhood Tours this year include the “Jefferson Park, Portage Park & Six Corners” tour on April 17, July 10 and Nov. 6.

The new “Wicker Park & Ukrainian Village” tour will operate June 5, Aug. 21 and Oct. 9.

The new “Daniel Burnham’s Chicago” tour on June 19 and Aug. 14, explores the accomplishments of the architect responsible for Chicago’s unobstructed lakefront and numerous parks.

The new South Chicago tour on June 26 and Oct. 2 visits a National Shrine at Chicago’s oldest Mexican parish and a Chicago landmark, the Calumet Park Field House.

Returning Neighborhood Tours include the “South Shore Neighborhoods” tour on March 27 and July 17; the “Hyde Park & Kenwood” tour on April 24, July 24 and Sept. 25; the “Devon Avenue” tour on June 12 and Sept. 18; the “Land of Lincoln” tour on May 8 and Aug. 14; and the “Great Cemeteries of Chicago” tour on June 12, July 10 and Aug. 7.

Chicago Neighborhood Tours is a division of the Chicago Office of Tourism. All tours depart by motor coach from the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. at Michigan Avenue, at 10 a.m. (check-in at 9:30 a.m.) and include some walking.

The cost for each Neighborhood Tour is $30 ($25 for seniors/students) and includes refreshments.

For a complete lineup and description of tours, call 312-742-1190

or visit www.chicagoneighborhoodtours.com

Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas, managed by Aramark Parks and Destinations, renovated 25 Discovery XL houseboats.

The new 59-foot Discovery XL Platinum houseboats, which sleep up to 12 people, will be ready in time for the 2010 season.

Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas is offering discounts of 25 percent in the spring and 20 percent in the fall on the newly refurbished models.

“The new Discovery XL Platinum houseboats feature top-quality facilities without compromising the roomy living space and affordable price,” said David Sloma, vice president of operations. “The Discovery XL has been one of the most popular houseboats at Lake Powell for the past 10 years, and we wanted to take a winning houseboat and make it even better this year for guests.”

The Discovery XL Platinum houseboats are equipped with two staterooms, two lower berths, two bathrooms and an upper-deck driving helm.

New heating, ventilation and air conditioners have been installed, along with a new spiral staircase from the lower to upper decks.

The remodeled kitchen includes new appliances, flooring, upgraded cabinets and a kitchen island.

The salon area features a new 40-inch flat-screen television with surround sound.

The bathrooms have also been refurbished with new floors, walls, a vanity base, sink and faucet hardware, shower doors and mirrors.

For more information, call 888-486-4665 or visit www.lakepowell.com

Ramada Worldwide announced its return to Hawaii with the opening of the 198-room Ramada Plaza Waikiki in Honolulu.

Owned and operated by California-based Cal-Dynasty International, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of China Airlines Ltd., the hotel is the second Wyndham Hotel Group property to open in Hawaii in the past six months and gives the Ramada brand a presence in 48 states.

Located at 1830 Ala Moana Blvd., just a short walk to local beaches, shopping and restaurants, the Ramada Plaza Waikiki is a newly renovated, 16-story hotel featuring 196 guest rooms and two junior suites.

Property highlights include free high-speed wireless Internet access, on-site business and fitness centers, outdoor swimming pool, gift shop, conference room, room service, Chinese and American buffet restaurant and bilingual tour and travel concierges.

For reservations or more information,

call 800-272-6232 or visit www.ramada.com