Jetsettersblog

Golfers around the world agree that St. Kitts is a “must play” for enthusiasts of the sport.

One of the most scenically beautiful courses in the world, the 18-hole championship Royal St. Kitts golf course features a magnificent layout on 125 acres with two full holes on the Caribbean Sea and three complete holes on the Atlantic Ocean.

The course is par 71 and is considered challenging enough for pros yet still enjoyable for novice players.

Redesigned in 2003 by famed architect Thomas McBroom, it also features water hazards on 10 holes, 80 bunkers and a multitude of gently swaying coconut palm trees along the shoreline.

There’s also a great clubhouse with an elegant grille, driving range, putting green and golf pros on site who can provide private or group instruction and tee times can be reserved in advance for reasonable greens fees.

Plus, eco-conscious players will love that it recently became the first golf course in the Caribbean to achieve Audubon certification for its environmental practices.

Additional courses are under construction on St. Kitts, so stay tuned for more golf-related news.

If you’re a golf-lover, St. Kitts’ greens offer an experience not to be missed!

Hotel Encanto, a dazzling new 44-suite boutique property in Acapulco, Mexico is inviting travelers to pack their bags and jet set to the Mexican Riviera to experience the glamour of Acapulco firsthand.

Perched atop the exclusive Brisas Marques area, Hotel Encanto offers unobstructed views of the Puerto Marques Bay and the Pacific Ocean, transporting guests to a serene, relaxed state within minutes of arrival.

The new “Encanto Pack Promotion” allow guests to experience the property’s intimate luxury and unique design for an unmatched value.

The “Encanto Pack Promotion” includes:
Accommodations for two nights in a Corner Suite
Roundtrip airport transportation
Daily breakfast for two
Welcome amenity
Late checkout

Price of this package is $825 including tax and tip and is valid from now through July 15, 2010

To book this package please contact Hotel Encanto at 52 (744) 446-7101 or at reservaciones@hotelencanto.com.mx

The newest way to explore Jamaica’s undiscovered lush North east coast

Jamaica’s No 1 eco boutique lodge, Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, has joined forces with Strawberry Fields Together to create a Caribbean adventure for those seeking an active yet laid-back holiday to uncover Jamaica’s 7 shades of blue: hiking, biking, rafting and snorkelling along costal trails, freshwater rivers and the Blue Mountains themselves.

This 10-night all-inclusive package based on Jamaica’s north east coast ensures a holiday off-the-beaten-track that mixes ‘more than the beach’ with a healthy dose of tranquil luxury and outstanding cuisine that has been acclaimed by the likes of the The Guardian and Fodors.

A diverse itinerary has been carefully crafted to appeal to the independent ecological traveller as well as culturally & socially oriented tourists curious about their holiday location. Rejuvenating coastal trails that lead to deserted beaches or picnic hikes to grand mountain ridge waterfalls for a rather different type of afternoon swim; a hike to the ruins of C18th coffee estate led by the leader of Jamaica’s autonomous Maroon community, inventors of the now legendary jerk style of cooking, are just part of what this amazing Jamaican experience has to offer.

Rafting down the Rio Grande, a hike in the beautiful Blue Mountains to a Blue Mountain Coffee farm to discover where the world’s most expensive coffee is grown, following in the footsteps of Errol Flynn and discovering Frenchman’s Cove where the sea merges into river inlets of a spring and a river ramble to Reach Falls in the middle of the Jamaican tropical Rain Forest are a further taste of the opportunities this holiday will give you.

Guests will be picked up and driven to the 18 acres that is the Strawberry Fields estate in the little fishing village of Robin’s Bay, Parish of St Mary.

Staying in Moonlight Magic, an airy bay-fronted first floor room of a cottage overlooking the private cove & 500m sandy beach, guests will be able to take full advantage of its Jacuzzi bath after spending time discovering secret Jamaica.

From the North East Coast, guests will be driven to the organic Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, Jamaica’s award-winning boutique eco-lodge, home to the Mille Fleurs Restaurant, voted Jamaica’s Best Kept Secret and recommended green hotel by OK Magazine. This intimate 10 room-400m hotel sits in 6.5 acre gardens listed as one of the top birding sites within the island.

The parish of Portland offers visitors unparalleled natural beauty, rugged, exciting coastlines, a romantic beaches, hidden coves, rivers, and waterfalls with the Blue Mountain range providing a spectacular backdrop; Port Antonio, as the capital of Portland, has retained its charm as a quiet rural township and is home to one of the most beautiful harbours in the Caribbean.

For further information contact
Shireen Aga

info@hotelmockingbirdhill.com  

001-876-993 7134

Guests Can Expect American Fusion Fare, a Playlist of Classic to

Contemporary Rock, and One of the World’s Largest Selection of Draft Beer

Dedham, MASS – Yard House, an award-winning, Southern California-based restaurant known for its extensive menu of American fusion fare, contemporary playlist of music and one of the world’s largest selections of draft beer, will make its northeast debut on March 14 at Legacy Place in Dedham, a suburb of Boston.

The restaurant will celebrate is pending opening with a few invitation-only events including a 9-1-1 For Kids gathering on Friday morning, March 12, to honor the region’s young heroes, as well as dispatchers, who have helped save lives as a result of knowing how to use the 9-1-1 emergency system correctly. Underprivileged children from a local school will be on hand to learn the correct way to use the emergency system in a crisis situation. Local dignitaries, police officers, and firefighters are also expected to attend and a luncheon will take place following the presentation.

A whirlwind of pre-opening parties will also take place on Friday and Saturday evenings, March 12 and 13, where invited guests can preview the restaurant, sample items from the menu created by Executive Chef Carlito Johnson, and sample some of the beers on tap, signature house martinis, well drinks, and wines by the glass.

Sunday, March 14 at 11am Yard House wopened its doors to the public for lunch, dinner and late-night dining. The restaurant’s concept has revolutionized the restaurant industry with its simple concept of great food, classic rock, and the world’s largest selection of draft beer. Residents and visitors to Dedham will be treated to a menu of American fusion fair, 130 taps of beer, and a playlist of music that ranges from classic to contemporary rock.

The restaurant, which caters to an eclectic mix of guests, from professionals and singles to families with small children, offers a prix-fixe children’s menu, weekday and late-night happy hours featuring select half-price, full portion appetizers, daily late-night dining, and take-out party platters for small or large gatherings.

Executive Chef Carlito Jocson takes American classics and infuses them with Asian influences.

More 100 items, including appetizers, salads, sandwiches, rice and pasta dishes, as well as steak and seafood, grace the menu. Bite-size desserts, such as chocolate soufflé and crème brulee, are also available.

Signature dishes include a California Roll, Sashimi, succulent steaks and ribs, and much more.

A prix fixe children’s menu, printed on a 12-page activity book, features a selection of items found on the regular menu only served in age-appropriate portions and accompanied with an assortment of side dishes, a mix and match flavored beverage, and fresh fruit dessert bar.

Perhaps the pulse of the operations is the glass-enclosed keg room, which houses as much as 400 kegs and some 1,000 gallons of beer at any given time. An intricate network of more than five miles of tubing stretches from the keg room to the signature island bar and its fleet of taps.

In addition, an assembly of individual pumps circulating as much as 2,000 gallons of coolant every hour keeps the liquid consistently fresh and perfectly chilled at all times.

“We’re excited to make our New England debut here in Dedham,” says Harald Herrmann, partner and CEO of the company. “We selected the Boston area as our first foray into the northeast because it’s the region’s epicenter. Our aim is to provide the Dedham community, along with the entire Boston metropolitan area, with a fun, quality dining experience.”

Yard House at Legacy Place will span nearly 9,000 square feet with a 363 guest capacity that includes both indoor and outdoor seating plus a count of 130 taps that encircle the island bar.

The restaurant’s design of warm woods, coupled with stainless steel accents and a collection of original, abstract artwork, is aesthetically pleasing. Sports fans can catch the latest game on one of the many flat screens strategically positioned throughout the restaurant, while enjoying the strains of the restaurant’s vast music library, which is played on a state-of-the-art sound system and features more than 6,000 titles of tunes spanning five decades, from the 1960s to the present.

While known for its half-yard and pints of beer, Yard House is equally popular with martini and wine aficionados. A full bar of libations is also available. Weekday happy hour takes place from 3-6pm and includes a variety of half-price, full portion appetizers, including a variety of individual gourmet pizzas. The ritual is repeated Sunday through Wednesday from 10pm to midnight during late-night happy hour.

Both Nation’s Restaurant News and Cheers Magazine have lauded Yard House, which first opened in Long Beach, California, in December 1996, as having the “Best Beer List”.

The company’s long list of accolades includes a high ranking among the nation’s Top 100 Independent Grossing Restaurants by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine, as well as being recognized as a Concept of Tomorrow by Restaurant Hospitaliy, a trade magazine which also named the Yard House among the nation’s 50 fastest Growing Full Service Chains.

The Los Angeles Business Journal has also ranked Yard House as the third highest grossing independent restaurant in Los Angeles County, which is a major accomplishment in a town known for its many restaurant casualties. Yard House has also been voted consecutively as The Best Place to Meet People in Orange County, California.

In addition to being among the top dining destinations, Yard House is also among one of the best places to work.

The company, recently featured on My Fox Houston’s Job Shop, received hundreds of inquiries from people seeking jobs at the new restaurant.

For those interested in a restaurant career, Yard House is among one of the best company’s to work for. The company offers equity stake to key members of its staff; an uncommon practice among casual restaurant chains.

Among the first recipients was a former line cook, now a vice president of operations, who started with the company the day the very first Yard House opened in 1996.

Other benefits available to managerial staff include performance-based promotions, 401(K) plan, comprehensive training, a 50-hour/5-day workweek, two consecutive days off, family health benefits, life insurance, paid vacations, and dining privileges.

Yard House, which is located throughout Southern California, Greater Phoenix, south Florida, Waikiki Beach, Las Vegas, Kansas City and suburban Denver and Chicago, and San Antonio and Houston, Texas, is set to open at Red Rock Casino in Summerlin, Nevada, and Hallandale Beach, Florida, later this year.

Yard House is located at Legacy Place in Dedham near Cinema du Lux at 950 Providence Highway.

For more information, visit online at www.yardhouse.com

This week’s record-breaking snowstorm in the Northeast has left many commercial flight passengers stranded at airports across the Eastern seaboard. According to USA Today, more than 4,800 commercial flights were canceled on Wednesday, creating the biggest travel disruption since the 9/11 attacks. Stratos Jet Charters, Inc., a national jet charter company, announced today that it is currently capable of arranging private jet charter flights to and from New York and Philadelphia municipal airports for commercial passengers on a tight schedule.

In the Northeast, the winter storm has finally moved offshore, but commercial flight delays still linger in its wake. According to the FAA, current Northeast airports with reported flight delays are at Teterboro and Philadelphia International airports are experiencing delays due to heavy amounts of snow and ice piled up on the runways. Currently, departing flights from Philadelphia and Teterboro are reportedly delayed at least one hour and 30 minutes.

With as little as four hours notice, Stratos Jets agents can arrange an immediate one-way private jet charter from the Philadelphia Municipal Airport to any destination in the country. For commercial passengers stuck at Orlando International or Tampa International, Stratos Jets can coordinate a private jet charter flight to private jet charter flight to Newark Liberty International and arrange convenient ground transportation into the city.

Stratos Jets specializes in offering point-to-point pricing and can provide the best possible price for charter flights in and out of the Northeast. In addition, all charter flights booked through Stratos Jets meet with the strictest safety standards in the industry. Stratos Jets only arranges charter flights on the safest and most well-maintained jet aircraft. Stratos Jets expert air charter agents have been specifically trained to handle all weather-related flight complications, ensuring the safe travel of their clients during inclement weather.

To learn more about Stratos Jet Charters, visit them on the web at www.stratosjets.com

Blists Hill Victorian Town Joins National Museums at Night Campaign
Saturday 15th May, 6 – 9pm

On Saturday 15th May, Blists Hill Victorian Town near Ironbridge in Shropshire is taking part in the national Museums at Night campaign, when cultural and historic attractions across the country will open their doors to visitors after dark. For the second year, Blists Hill will be raising funds for Hope House Children’s Hospices by inviting visitors to join in an evening of traditional Victorian fun and games at the open-air museum.

Doors will open at 6pm for three hours and visitors are encouraged to come dressed in Victorian costume, with a competition for the best outfit. They will also be able to have a go at china smashing and skittles, and to enjoy the various craft stalls that will be selling wooden artefacts, home made cakes and a variety of other treats. In addition the shops along the top half of Blists Hill will remain open and visitors will be able to chat to the costumed townsfolk about their life in Victorian times.

For this special charity event, entrance into the museum has been reduced to £5 for adults, £3 for children aged up to 18 years and £10 for a family of two adults and up to three children, under fives go free. This covers admission to the top of the town.

For more information please call Hope House on 01691 671671, www.hopehouse.org.uk; details about Blists Hill can be found at www.ironbridge.org.uk or contact the Ironbridge Tourist Information Centre on Tel: 01952 884 391.

If You Take My Advice, There’s Nothing So Nice, As Messing About On The River.”

Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire have a selection of cottages dotted along the river that provide a wonderful “wind in the willows” feel to them allowing guests to enjoy the peace and tranquility of river life.

Secret Water is a delightful timber clad barn conversion, set on the owners 40 acre smallholding which includes 10 acres of woodland and tidal river frontage. The area teems with wildlife yet is only a 5 minute drive from the county town of Haverfordwest with its castle, shops and leisure centre. Wonderful rural views can be enjoyed from some of the rooms, stretching as far as the Preseli Hills. This lovely property is highly recommended for those looking for something different. It is in an ideal central position for accessing all of Pembrokeshires beautiful coastline and there is lots to do in the surrounding area, great walks, birdwatching, bass fishing, smallholding activities and boating.

Sleeping eight the cottage is ideal for holidays with family or friends! Prices range from £407 in early March to £1022 in mid summer.

Tel: 01437 772760, www.coastalcottages.co.uk

Tall Ships Adventures (023 9283 2055 www.tallships.org ) is expanding its choice of sailing opportunities for 2010 with the addition to its fleet of a 62 foot catamaran. It is also extending its upper and lower age limits – this means those as old as 80 and as young as 12 will now be able to go to sea – as will young people with special needs.

The Tall Ships Cat, to be launched in the spring, provides an excellent and stable platform for sail training and will be used for voyages for 12-13 year olds and those with special needs. The boat joins the fleet of four 72-foot, ocean-going Challenger Yachts and the traditional tall ship, the 200 foot long STAVROS S NIARCHOS.

Voyages for 2010, which have been specially tailored to meet the needs of different age groups, are included in the new Summer 2010 brochure. The choice includes youth and adult voyages, maritime festival voyages, regatta weeks, a Fastnet Challenge and five-day Academy voyages which enable trainees to gain the RYA Competent Crew Certificate.

To help keep connecting travel costs down, the majority of sails will start and finish in Portsmouth or Southampton.

Voyage examples:

• Buccaneer voyages for 12-13s: Learn to sail a 62 foot Catamaran and gain an RYA Start Yachting qualification on a series of sails from 2 to 4 nights. From £199pp

• Young Explorer Voyages for 14-15s

A choice of sails on the Tall Ship or Challenger yachts including RYA Competent Crew Academy voyages – from £299pp for 4 nights

• Adventurer Voyages for 16-25s – UK and Continent

Likewise a choice of sails on the Tall Ship or Challenger yachts including taking part in the annual summer Tall Ships Races on STAVROS S NIARCHOS being held this year in the North Sea – from £599pp for 7 nights.

• Pioneer Voyages 18-80

Join the crew of Stavros and take part in the Captain Scott centenary celebrations on a 5-night voyage from Cardiff to Dartmouth in June (£399pp). Or choose from a variety of sails on the Challenger yachts from day sails (£99pp) to 4-night voyages in the Channel (from £299pp).

Before the summer in March experienced sailors can join the 2010 Fastnet Challenge and race the Challengers on a 9 night sail around the famous Fastnet Rock (£1495pp), while in April and May the yachts will take part in the RORC Race Weekends (from £299pp).

All Challenger Yacht and Tall Ship voyages include full board and training, but do not include travel or flight connections, either in the UK or abroad.

Opening April 2010 at Edinburgh’s Our Dynamic Earth will be 4DVENTURE – Scotland’s first permanent 4D theatre.

The theatre will be an exciting addition to the five-star visitor attraction’s story of planet Earth and will redevelop and bring to life the ‘Journey of Contrasts’ gallery. Through beautifully rendered animation, 3D projection and innovative 4D technologies, visitors will learn about the diversity of habitats that sustain life on earth.

The journey starts from a realistic and interactive Earth Matters Arctic Research Base for a pre-flight briefing before visitors enter the theatre to ‘fly’ from the arctic tundra to the tropical rainforests. Along the way, the various habitats will be brought to life through graphic animation and stereoscopic sound, combined with a range of 4D effects such as special lighting, seat movements, snow, wind and realistic smells. With an entertaining script and storyline, visitors are guaranteed a memorable journey – and a greater understanding of the fragility of life on earth.

Blue Chip Vacations has released its top ten new Cornish properties for 2010 including stunning period houses, cosy cottages, chic coastal apartments and contemporary custom-built lodges, all of which are available for press visits and reviews.

1. By Farthi Best – New for 2010
Farthings is a stunning three bedroom cottage, which features a charming additional child’s room and bed.
Located right on the beach at Ready Money Cove in Fowey, Farthings house has good access to the National Trust Coastal Path, the beach, which is 30 yards away, and Fowey town centre.

Inside, Farthings has a beautiful open plan living, dining and kitchen area on the first floor, which has double doors that open up onto a balcony overlooking the sweet and secluded beach. A lovely wood burning stove keeps guest toasty and warm at night, and the flatscreen TV, DVD player and IPod sound system help to entertain in the brief moments away from the beach. The bedrooms are quirky and use the unique shape and features within this wonderful house to stunning effect.

Outside, Farthings has a hot and cold outdoor shower, perfect for washing off sand, and an enclosed courtyard, which acts as a perfect sun trap.

Farthings sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights from £788 (£131pp), or for three nights from £557 (£92pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/penzance/golden-sands.html

2. Grand Design – New for 2010
Curlew Point is one of those properties that could so easily have featured on Grands Designs. This amazing four bedroom house enjoys uninterrupted views of the South Cornwall Coastline and is only a short walk from the traditional Cornish village of Downderry, situated on the outskirts of Looe between Saltash and Liskeard.

Inside, the spacious living spaces each have access to the impressive balcony, which leads out to the lower decked and garden areas. A wood burning stove helps to make for a warm and cosy atmosphere during the winter months, and the 42” flatscreen TV, DVD player, CD player and IPod docking station provide plenty of entertainment at night or on wetter days. The open plan kitchen and dining areas each enjoy spectacular views. The bedrooms are large and spacious and the bathrooms have every convenience imaginable.

Outside, the property has direct access to the South West Coast Path. The beaches of Whitsand Bay and Seaton are both within a short walking distance, and Whitsand Bay Golf Course at Portwinkle, is close by.

Curlew Point sleeps eight and can be booked for seven nights from £788 per week (£98pp), or for three nights from £557 (69pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/whitsand-bay-downderry/curlew-point.html

3. Classic Cornish Cottage – New for 2010
Bryher Cottage is a beautiful barn conversion situated in the picturesque village of St. Mawgan. It has beams throughout, large bright and airy rooms, a toasty log burning stove and a fabulous 70 foot enclosed garden, which is a great sun-trap during the warm Summer months. A travel cot, high chair, stair gate, night lights, children’s cutlery and crockery are all provided, making this the perfect spot for a family getaway.

St Mawgan has a popular pub with a lovely beer garden and a great little village shop. For those looking to build sandcastles, swim, learn to surf or just relax, Mawgan Porth Beach and Watergate Bay – home to the Extreme Sports Academy and the Jamie Oliver inspired ‘Fifteen Cornwall’ – are within a five minute drive. Alternatively, the pretty harbour town of Padstow, home to Rick Stein’s sea food restaurants, is just a short trip around the coast.

Bryher Cottage sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights from £678 (£113pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/watergate-bay-mawgan-porth/bryher-cottage.html

4. Stunning sea views – New for 2010
28 Mount Brioni is a Mediterranean-styled self-catering house, which is situated in the village of Seaton on the coast of South Cornwall. It has stunning sea views and is thoughtfully designed to an exceptional standard, including lavish internal fixtures and fittings. Features such as under floor central heating, which is fuelled by a green ‘air exchange unit’, help to keep this property’s carbon footprint low.

Set in beautiful South-facing gardens and spectacular coastal surroundings, Mount Brioni is within yards of the Coastal Path. The beach is a 100 yard stroll away, where rock pools that are ideal for crabbing can be found. The beach is also a popular spot for anglers throughout the year.

28 Mount Brioni sleeps four and can be booked for three nights from £398 (£99pp), or from £418 (£104pp) for seven nights.
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/looe-polperro/28-mount-brioni.html

5. Way impressive!- New for 2010
Wayside Cottage is a delightful single-story cottage, which is nestled on a country lane on a cliff above the beach at Cawsand. Inside, the living and dining rooms both possess impressive coastal views, while outside the real winner for this property is its large sea-front decking area and landscaped gardens.

Situated in the pretty village of Kingsand and Cawsand on the Rame Peninsula, Wayside Cottage is set in haven of peace and tranquillity. The beach is just a few minute’s walk away as is the village, which is blessed with pubs, narrow streets, charming colour washed cottages and a lovely selection of local shops.

Wayside Cottage sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights from £548 (£91pp), or for three nights from £389 (£64pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/kingsand-cawsand/wayside-cottage.html
 

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