Jetsettersblog

Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic will explore the rarely traveled Northwest Passage and Kamchatka this year.

The Northwest Passage itinerary will depart Kangerlussaq, Greenland, on Aug. 16 for a 24-day voyage to Nome, Alaska. Planned highlights include a visit to a former whaling base in Herschel Island; a landing in Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, including a visit to the wreck of the Maud, in which Roald Amundsen conquered the Northwest Passage; Zodiac landings in Peel Sound, the Franklin Strait and Larsen Sound; and a stop in Barrow, Alaska, the most northern city in the world.

Shore excursions are offered at an additional charge.

The itinerary is priced from $21,000 per person, based on double occupancy for an outside cabin.

Charter flights from Hanover, Germany, to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and from Nome to Vancouver are included in the cruise price.

This Sept. 9 voyage takes guests along the “Pacific Ring of Fire” to Japan’s northern islands, through the Kuril Islands and along the Kamchatka coast.

The 19-day cruise will be bilingual, from Nome to the Chukchi Peninsula, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, the Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Sakhalin and Yokohama, Japan.

Highlights of this cruise include the following optional shore excursions: a helicopter flight over the Kamchatka volcanoes, a visit to the remote fishing village of Meynipilgino, a drive up to the Avacha Volcano in Kamchatka, and a walk around Atlasova, an uninhibited island with the biggest active volcano of the Kuril Islands.

Fares start at $12,240 per person, double occupancy, for an outside cabin and including a complimentary charter flight from Vancouver to Nome.

For more information, visit www.hl-cruises.com  or call Air Travel Marketing Services at 800-888-0200, Euro Lloyd Travel Group at 800-782-3924 or Kartagener Associates at 877-445-7447.

Windstar Cruises is offering a variety of extra services designed to complete a voyage.

The service, called WSC Personalized Services, is designed as a guest’s personal concierge, assisting them with pre- or post-cruise arrangements and any requests during their cruise.

Among the services that can be provided are hotel accommodations, villas or apartments rentals, car rentals, rail tickets, transportation, bike rentals, golf tee times, car and driver hire, private tours, private guides, sightseeing, event tickets, city stopovers, customized shore excursions, restaurant reservations, airline arrangements, transfers, group services and pre- and post-cruise packages.

WSC Personalized Services uses a list of local merchants and service providers where Windstar sails. The WSC Personalized Services team is well-traveled and experienced in concierge services.

For more information, call 866-766-3873 or visit www.windstarps.com

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is a historic landmark, located in the Blue Ridge Mountain section of the Appalachian Mountain Range in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, making it an ideal excursion from its neighbouring cities or integrated into a state tour.

Just 65 miles northwest of Washington DC, (an hour’s drive from Washington Dulles International Airport), and 80 miles west of Baltimore, Maryland, visitors can visit exhibits and museums, or hike the trails and battlefields as well as visit neighbouring historical towns.

This picturesque village of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, clings to the rocky slopes of the promontory between the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers overlooking steep wooded river valleys. Many of its shops and houses have been restored and preserved in the conditions of the Civil War era.

Historical exhibits have been constructed in a number of the old buildings and houses have been converted to quaint restaurants, shops and galleries.

Besides sightseeing, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park offers hiking, bird watching, fishing and wildlife viewing. The great Appalachian Hiking Trail passes near the town.

There are a number of bed and breakfast establishments in Harpers Ferry and a selection of hotels located in the nearby towns of Martinsburg and Shepherdstown and colonial Charles Town.

Harpers Ferry National Historic Park has many natural resources. Visitors can hike to Jefferson Rock to enjoy the view of the water gap where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet.

Seventy percent of the land in the park is covered with eastern deciduous forest, consisting of species such as chestnut, oak, tulip, poplar, red maple, spicebush and pawpaw.

There are over 170 bird species and more than 30 mammal species in the park.

These include the bald eagle, white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawk and the southern flying squirrel.

The Appalachian Trail runs through Harpers Ferry.

A short walk along the trail from the lower town to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal leads visitors from West Virginia to Maryland in just a few minutes.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) headquarters is located in Harpers Ferry and the town is one of only a few that the Appalachian Trail passes through.

Visitors can access the area from Amtrak’s “Capitol Limited” which stops in Harpers Ferry, seven days a week as it travels between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Illinois.

Luxury hotel brand Ritz-Carlton has announced plans to open an exclusive 320-room oceanfront resort situated on Aruba’s famed Palm Beach.

The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba will bring a new level of elegance in accommodation and amenities to the island. It will offer several restaurants, a luxurious spa, two swimming pools and a 24-hour casino.

In addition to spacious rooms and suites, the hotel will include The Ritz-Carlton Club Level, a private floor accessible only by elevator key, offering light fare and dedicated concierge service throughout the day.

The property will be located in Palm Beach, which is home to some of the island’s finest beaches, with lush tropical surroundings and a balmy temperature that allows for swimming, sunbathing and relaxation by the water all year round.

The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is projected to open in late 2012 and will be the seventh property in The Ritz-Carlton portfolio in the Caribbean.

Aruba Tourism Authority UK director Joanna Walding said:

“Aruba is renowned as a quality welcoming destination. The island is home to some of the world’s most highly regarded brands and the addition of a prestigious hotel such as the Ritz Carlton raises the standards of our tourism industry even higher.”

For more information on visiting Aruba please go to www.aruba.com. For more information on the Ritz-Carlton brand please go to www.ritzcarlton.com

Pure Entertainment Group, a bespoke entertainment and luxury concierge service based in Montreal, unveiled a new VIP Membership Program that provides a selection of high-end experiences including the following: Historic South Beach Mansion Getaway (Miami) –

Rest your head in Gianni Versace’s mansion, at The Villa by Barton G, which just recently opened in March 2010 after a $1 million renovation.

Each custom suite is outfitted with Italian marble. Every luxury is taken care of, from British-trained butlers, an Art Deco walking tour, helicopter rides and spa treatments. Rates start at $12,500 for three nights/two people.

Seaside Villa in the British Virgin Islands –

On the western coast of Virgin Gorda at Mahoe Bay lies Aquamare, an 8,000-square-foot villa with 30-foot vaulted ceilings, overlooking the Drake Chanel. Rates start at $31,500 for seven days/ five people.

High Roller Weekend in Las Vegas –

Play and party like a pro in Sin City. Take your pick of any hotel on the strip and stay for two nights in a suite or penthouse.

Receive a private Texas Hold ‘em tutorial in your room, VIP table and bottle service at hot spot XS nightclub at Encore, nighttime helicopter tours, dinner at l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (named chef of the century), and many more VIP accommodations, including pool-side cabanas to nurse that Sin City hangover.

Rates start at $22,000 for two nights/six people. Formula 1 Grand Prix Race and Nightlife (Monaco) — View the race from a VIP terrace or aboard an exclusive yacht and party in the fast lane. After the race, don’t slow things down; settle in for your VIP access and table at the Amber Lounge parties. Rates start at $2,800 for VIP terrace/person and $6,900 for a table/eight people.

Drive Six Supercars in One Day (United Kingdom) — Drive six iconic cars through famous landscapes.

Spend six hours behind the wheel of your selected cars, including an Aston Martin DBS, Audi R8, Lamborghini Gallardo LP-560, Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari F430, and others. Rates start at $2,500 per person ($1,500 double).

Sailing Experience on the French Riviera — Experience the Cote D’Azur on a luxury yacht on the Mediterranean, for a seven-day sail. When on land VIP transportation in Monte Carlo, a suite at Hotel de Paris, dinner reservations at Alain Ducasse Louis XV Michelin-starred restaurant, and spa treatments are just a few of the opulent inclusions. Rates start at $140,000 for 10 days/eight people.

Pure Entertainment Group offers customized packages and lifestyle experiences in cities spanning the globe, including Los Angeles, Cape Town, Marrakech, London and Rome.

Pure Entertainment Group is a bespoke event management and luxury concierge company based in Montreal, Canada. Steve Edo, CEO and founder, launched the company in 2006.

For more information, call 514-866-8979 or visit www.purentonline.com

Blue Waters Hotel in Antigua today launches the sale of ‘Blue Waters Residences,’ a limited collection of luxury villas in the grounds of the award-winning boutique resort.

The privately owned hotel, has played host to many A list celebrities over the last 27 years of its operation and is now offering an opportunity to others to live the celebrity lifestyle by owning their own piece of Caribbean paradise.

Celebrities that have stayed at Blue Waters include John Barrowman (February 2010), Piers Morgan, Caprice, Paul Young, Robbie Fowler, Pauline Collins and George Graham. Piers Morgan, who stayed at the hotel’s Rock Cottage, said: ‘It was as close to perfection as a Caribbean holiday could get.”

Blue Waters is a British-Colonial style boutique resort nestled into a secluded sandy cove in 17 acres of lush tropical gardens, on the North coast of Antigua.

The hotel is owned by the British born Ronald Randall, a self made and successful entrepreneur, who acquired the hotel 27 years ago from a local Antiguan who was given the land by the Queen for his duties during the Second World War on the proviso that he built a 30 bedroom hotel.

The hotel has since extended to 77 rooms and has won many awards over the years, such as Antigua and Barbuda’s Leading Hotel in the World Travel Awards in 2006, and was voted by Virgin Holidays as the ‘Best Hotel’ in the Caribbean and Mexico’ in 2006.

The decision to launch Blue Waters Residences, was made as a result of the family’s successful sell out of 24 properties in an incredible six weeks in 2007 with The Cove Residences, a development adjacent to the hotel.

The Blue Water Residences will comprise of eight freehold villas (5 three bedroom villas, 2 two bedroom villas and 1 one bedroom villa) which will be extensively refurbished and are available to purchase on a buy-to-let basis.

The villas will be finished in a colonial style, in keeping with the rest of the hotel, with interiors featuring natural stone worktops and tiles in the kitchen, a Victorian style bathroom suite with free standing baths in the bathroom, and carved wooden furniture throughout the villa. Outside a 200 sq. ft plunge pool will provide a welcome cooling respite to the hot Caribbean sun.

Owners can enjoy hassle free ownership and can utilise the property for up to two months per year (one month in high season and one month in low season).

The property is maintained and rented out in the owner’s absence and the villas are expected to provide a minimum of 6% rental yield, based on previous hotel occupancy records that have averaged 80% over seven years up to 2008.

The residences are metres from a beautiful white sandy beach and calm, clear Caribbean waters, and a few steps away from three restaurants, seven pools, gymnasium and spa.

Antigua is a 108-square mile limestone and coral island recognised for its numerous coves, bays, 365 white sand beaches and clear turquoise colored waters. The climate is sunny and warm all year round and the average temperature ranges from the mid-seventies in the winter to the mid-eighties in the summer. Annual rainfall averages only 45 inches, making it the sunniest of the eastern Caribbean islands.

Antigua’s rich history and spectacular topography provide a variety of popular sightseeing opportunities. Nelson’s Dockyard, the only remaining example of a Georgian fort commissioned by the British in 1755, is perhaps the most renowned landmark.

Getting to Blue Water Residences is easy as the resort is only 20 minutes drive from St John’s International Airport which has daily direct flights from the UK with British Airways and flights three times per week with Virgin, both from Gatwick.

Prices start at $500,000 (£320,000) and go up to $1,050,000 (£672,000). For more details see www.bluewatersresidences.com

South Australia – Arkapena Homestead

Travellers to South Australia (www.southaustralia.com ) seeking a traditional, yet luxurious Outback experience will be able to stay at two-bedroom Arkapena Homestead when it opens in April 2010.

Featured as an extension of Rawnsley Park Station’s existing accommodation options, Arkapena Homestead dates back to the 1950s. It will offer all the ambience of a traditional Australian Outback home, including wide verandas, thick walls and galvanized roof, combined with a spacious, contemporary interior renovated in the same style as Rawnsley Park Station’s eco-villas.

Highlights include:

• Spectacular views of the colourful Chace Range
• Completely self-contained property with living area, gourmand’s kitchen, dining room and two queen bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms
• Private outdoor shower
• Al fresco entertaining area with barbecue
• Ideal for one or two couples holidaying together or a family
• Full access to Rawnsley Park Station’s facilities including the Woolshed Restaurant, 4WD tours, scenic flights and bushwalking trips

The homestead is located on 9,000-hectare Arkapena Station – a sheep station neighbouring Rawnsley Park Station which was acquired by the owners in May 2009. Now, Rawnsley Park Station comprises 12,000-hectares of land in a prime environmental zone of the Flinders Ranges.

Arkapena Homestead will take bookings from 1st April 2010 – prices are as follows:

• AUS$490 per night (approx £269) for two adults including continental breakfast provisions
• $AUS590 per night (approx (£325) for four adults including continental breakfast provisions
• Full dining and tour packages are available on request

Rawnsley Park Station is located in the heart of the Flinders Ranges only 400 km from Adelaide overlooking Wilpena Pound, the 83 square km amphitheatre formed 640 million years ago.

As well as offering eight luxury eco-villas and Arkapena Homestead, Rawnsley Park Station has 28 holiday units (3.5-4 star), a caravan resort and bush camping sites. Highlights below:

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS – LUXURY ECO VILLAS
Whilst contemporary in design and décor, the eco villas boast the latest environmental features including rendered straw bale walls for insulation, polished timber floors over suspended concrete slabs, and overhanging eaves and wide verandahs, which provide shaded walls. Other unusual features include retractable fabric ceilings which provide a magical night viewing panel from the bedroom, allowing guests to lie back in bed and gaze up at the stars in the clear southern skies above.

Rawnsley Park’s eco-villas have achieved Advanced Ecotourism accreditation which recognises Australia’s leading and most innovative eco-tourism products. They provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about the environment with an operator who is committed to using resources wisely, contributing to the conservation of the environment and helping local communities.

The first four eco-villas proved to be so popular since their introduction in 2006, that a further A$1 million was invested in four additional villas, which were completed in April 2009. Each one of the eight eco-villas (six one-bedroom and two, two-bedroom) offers the same stunning views, secluded location, stylish interiors and quality facilities.

APARTMENTS in the holiday village are ideal for both families and groups. The 25 units range from one to three-bedrooms and are equipped with full kitchens.

THE CARAVAN PARK, dotted with native pines and gum trees, offers cabins, powered sites and bush camping, all catered to by a licensed shop, covered camp kitchen and modern amenities block.

ACTIVITIES
Visitors can enjoy 4WD tours, scenic flights, mountain bike treks (including a 200kms cycling track) and bush walking trails, whilst daily guided walks leave the Station early each morning. These three-hour “High Life Walks” showcase the region’s unique flora, wildlife and geology, taking participants through exposed spinifex, mallee ridges and sheltered woodland, providing stunning views across the Outback landscape.

Other tour options include the daily two-hour “Sunset on the Chace”, a 4WD tour followed by dinner under the stars, and the four-course, silver service “Starlight Dinner” set amongst gumbarked trees under a canopy of stars. Developed in conjunction with the Woolshed, the dinner showcases in-season produce with dishes like fresh asparagus wrapped in smoked salmon; herbed lamb cutlets seasoned with pepper leaf and fennel served on potato and pumpkin rosti with red wine jus; and layered two chocolate ganache served with pistachio biscotti. This dinner is offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, or on selected dates.

Wildlife spotting is another drawcard for the region as gorges have running water most of the year and it is possible to spot a yellow footed rock wallaby, one of the area’s endangered species. The plethora of birdlife ranges from the common ringneck parrot and the noisy galah to the elusive short-tailed grasswren and Australia’s largest bird of prey, the wedge-tailed eagle.

Additional touring can be undertaken in Flinders Ranges National Park, Wilpena Pound, the heritage town of Hawker and the Pichi Richi steam railway.

THE WOOLSHED RESTAURANT, open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, offers al fresco dining overlooking Rawnsley Bluff, with the added attraction of an authentic shearing shed attached and visible from inside the restaurant courtesy of glass doors. The constantly changing menu includes dishes like balsamic onion and feta tart with roast pumpkin, pine nut and roquette salad, marinated kangaroo, and stuffed Tommy Ruff (Australian herring) with lemon caper sauce.

THE OWNERS
Fourth generation Flinders Ranges residents, Tony and Julieanne Smith are passionate about the Flinders Ranges and represent one of the first tourism operators in South Australia to gain official eco-tourism accreditation, as well as being active in the development of the region’s ‘geo-tourism’ sector. The Smiths have also contributed significantly to the Flinders Ranges’ recent declaration as a ‘National Landscape’ by Tourism Australia.

The couple is committed to environmentally responsible and sustainable tourism and has a Heritage Agreement with the South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage in order to protect the diverse vegetation of Rawnsley Bluff. As part of this commitment they have ensured that there is a dedicated eco-tourism officer on site.

The Smiths have always been very aware of the fragile nature of the native vegetation on the eco-villa site where the principal plants are native pine and shiny-leaf hopbush. Both of these are arid zone plants that are very slow growing and Tony and Julieanne took great care to ensure that only the minimum vegetation clearance took place during construction of the eco-villas, since most of these plants are 50-100 years old and still only 1-3 metres high.

Chesterfield’s only 4 star hotel will bring contemporary Spanish flair and passion to Derbyshire in 2010.

A brand new £20million hotel will open in Chesterfield later this year. It will be the town’s only 4-star hotel, where visitors will be able to enjoy unrivalled luxury accommodation, state-of-the-art facilities and a touch of Spanish flair.

‘Casa’ is the Spanish word for ‘home’, and this is at the heart of the hotel’s aspirations, to create a welcoming atmosphere for guests to relax or enjoy a special day. The new development offers 100 luxury bedrooms complete with state-of-the-art technology, facilities for weddings, 176 free car parking spaces and a number of bars to unwind in. The Spanish theme runs throughout the decor and interiors, to help create a vibrant, warm ambience.

The 96 deluxe bedrooms come complete with rain-showers, 32″ flatscreen televisions, Wi Fi, Super King size beds and stunning floor to ceiling windows. For that extra special break or simply for those who prefer the finer things in life, treat yourself to a stay in one of the 4 stylish suites. These ultra-luxurious suites include Jacuzzi baths, a lounge and dressing area, separate shower cubicle, double basins, super king or four poster beds and balconies. Two suites boast hot tubs on the balcony, which are perfect indulgence for any guest seeking the ultimate retreat and relaxation.

Guests can also enjoy a wide range of facilities: a 100-cover restaurant which will serve top-class traditional Spanish tapas, the latest leisure facilities in the Boost Gym, open terraces and landscaped gardens. And with the picturesque Peak District National Park on the doorstep, guests can easily access a host of attractions, including Chatsworth House, Bolsover Castle and the neighbouring towns of Matlock Bath, Buxton and Bakewell.

Key to Casa’s experience is quality, a consistent ingredient which will run throughout the new development. From the Spanish marble fittings of the Reception area, to the plush furnishings, Hypnos beds in the deluxe bedrooms, from the warmest welcome from the staff, to the finest traditional tapas, guests can expect the best.

For further details about Casa Hotels call 01246 275302 or visit www.casahotels.co.uk

South Australia (www.southaustralia.com) has approximately 800 known shipwrecks off its coast, most of which can only be explored by qualified divers. Now non-divers have the chance to see wrecks located in sites along the State’s coast and waterways and known as Ships’ Graveyards of South Australia(www.shipsgraveyards.sa.gov.au).

A total of 19 sites have been identified as having the remains of one or up to 25 deliberately scuttled vessels. Many were abandoned on muddy shores so can easily be viewed by land, kayak or small boat, giving maritime enthusiasts an interesting and rewarding experience that is usually only available to qualified divers.

Wrecks abandoned at these official graveyards demonstrate shipbuilding technologies from the 1850s to the 1960s and represent the diversity of craft that plied South Australian waters during the 19th and 20th centuries. They range from majestic windjammers, steamships and motor vessels that travelled international waters, to coastal traders, fishing boats, ferries, tugs, dredges and barges.

A new trail booklet, en route land-based interpretative signs and a web site all feature non-diving ships’ graveyard sites which include:

GARDEN ISLAND SHIPS’ GRAVEYARD MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL – Wrecks along this trail represent a unique collection of craft which sailed in South Australian waters during an era when the maritime industry dominated transport, trade and employment.

JERVOIS BASIN SHIPS’ GRAVEYARD MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL – The Jervois Basin region lies within the upper reaches of the Port Adelaide River where for more than a century this area was a busy commercial and industrial centre.

The largest concentration of graveyard sites is near Adelaide on the mudflats of Port Adelaide or the shallow coastal waters of Gulf St Vincent. Five individual sites are in the Port Adelaide area, containing a total of at least 40 vessels, the largest is at Garden Island in the North Arm of the Port River with 25 known vessels abandoned between 1909 and 1945. Other sites are at Jervois Basin, Mutton Cove, Broad Creek and Angas Inlet.

Learn the art of underwater photography in Taba Heights

Say “cheese!” – Taba Heights, one of the world’s top diving locations, is offering underwater photography courses.

The area’s crystal clear water, calm seas and impressive underwater life – including green turtles, frog fish and even whale sharks – provide the rare conditions and perfect backdrop necessary for diving photography. Guests learn techniques from an expert while completing PADI digital underwater photographer level one and two courses.

The workshops are led by Stuart Philpott, writer of Taba Heights’ first dive guide and a professional diving instructor with two decades’ experience. Former owner of the photo centre based in Red Sea Waterworld and having completed over 1,000 dives in Taba Heights, his knowledge of the local waters and photography expertise are unrivalled.

The workshops are run in conjunction with Longwood and are part of a luxury holiday package. Including a five day diving and workshop pack with Red Sea Waterworld and accommodation in the luxurious, five-star Intercontinental, rates start from £899 for seven nights.

The underwater photography trips will take place on 26 April, 12 July and 18 October, lasting seven nights. Guests should be at least PADI open water dive qualified with ten logged dives or equivalent rating.

The package includes return flights from London Gatwick, all teaching and workshop fees, ground transfers, seven nights’ half-board accommodation at the five-star Intercontinental and a five day diving pack (includes two dives per day; a third dive is charged at 22 Euro per person). Please note camera hire and dive kit hire are not included.

Situated against a natural backdrop of untamed desert, cinnamon mountains and vibrant sea, Taba Heights claims an exceptionally picturesque location on the Sinai Peninsula. With award-winning golf courses and some of the world’s best diving, a stay in Taba Heights is an experience in natural luxury.

For more information contact Longwood Holidays (www.longwoodholidays.co.uk) on +44 (0)20 8418 2570 or diving@longwoodholidays.com.