Jetsettersblog

In February, the Paradise Point Resort & Spa (800-344-2626, www.paradisepoint.com ) along Mission Bay unveiled a new look to its 462 bungalow-style guestrooms and bay-front meeting facilities.

Featuring a South Pacific motif, guestrooms now offer hardwoods; handcrafted, Batik-style bed throws; large windows; and contemporary artwork and furnishings.

In addition, each room features a marble or granite bathroom, a flat-screen TV, wireless Internet access and a private patio.

The meeting space renovation includes
The San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina (888-236-2427, www.marriott.com ) in downtown San Diego is currently undergoing a $51 million renovation, which began in November 2009.

The hotel’s 1,362 guestrooms and suites will be completely transformed to incorporate an urban beach-style décor with colors of sand and sea.

Rooms will be accentuated by granite countertops and wood furnishings and will feature versatile love seats that transform into twin beds, as well as leather ottomans, wireless technology and other amenities.

In February, the Handlery Hotel & Resort (800-676-6567, www.handlery.com/sd ) in Mission Valley completed a $4 million renovation throughout the property.

Improvements include a complete renovation of all 217 guestrooms, as well as the hotel’s public and event space. The pool deck was resurfaced, and the property underwent a complete landscape redesign.

For general San Diego information, visit www.sandiego.org

The Cosmopolitan Hotel is set to open in San Diego in June.

The property is located in Old Town State Historic Park in a historic building that dates back to 1827 and was once home to one of San Diego’s earliest settlers.

Its three-year restoration is creating 10 guestrooms, an indoor and outdoor restaurant, and several meeting rooms.

The building is recognized as one of the most historically significant structures in California, and many aspects of the original building are remaining intact, including Adobe brick walls dating back to the 1820s, a wood exterior dating back to 1869 and a balcony that wraps around the building and once served as a vantage point for watching local bullfights in the streets below.

For more information, call 619-297-3100 or visit www.fiestadereyes.com

Intrepid travellers are being invited to explore some of Africa’s less trodden paths with the new Kamili (www.kamili.co.uk  ) Rwanda and Zambia itineraries.

From orchids and islands in Rwanda to often inaccessible Kafue wetlands, the itineraries offer wonderful wilderness and an authentic, intimate Africa experience at an affordable price.

• 5 night Rwanda Thousand Hills Gorilla Safari from £2,695 per person
• 9 night Northern Kafue Safari from £3,350 per person

Rwanda is famed for its gorillas but Kamili is inviting travellers to explore further afield in the ‘land of a thousand hills’, with a range of new tailored itineraries from Thousand Hills Expeditions.

Rwanda is packed with treasures including Nyungwe Forest, the largest track of montane rainforest in East and Central Africa with its colonies of colobus monkeys, over 100 species of orchids and 250 species of birds; and Lake Kivu – ’a veritable inland sea’ dotted with picturesque islands.

Thousand Hills Expeditions is a wholly Rwandan owned company offering an intimate knowledge that they’re keen to share with guests.

Opulent Africa (www.opulentafrica.com  / 01604 949491) offers a 5 night Gorilla Safari to Rwanda from £2,695 per person based on a family of two adults and two children (minimum age is 15 for gorilla trekking).

The price includes international flights, transfers, full board accommodation at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, bed and breakfast accommodation at the Kigali Serena and bed and breakfast at Lake Kivu Serena, exclusive use of 4×4 vehicle, professional trackers/guides whilst trekking and two gorilla permits per person.

Kafue National Park is nearly 23,000 kms2 – roughly the size of Wales and more than half the size of Holland. Kamili has two new Kafue camps, offering the ideal circuit to explore this remote wilderness.

Situated inside the National Park on the banks of the Kafue River, Mayukuyuku Camp is 250km from Lusaka, just four hours’ drive.

It is one of only four campsites situated actually inside the National Park and is an ideal location to explore north and south Kafue, as well as areas to the west and north-west.

The camp benefits from excellent game viewing, fishing and year round access, remaining open throughout the green season.

Plains Camp Busanga must rank as one of Africa’s most remote and beautiful spots, set in a wetland area of the far north of Kafue that is only accessible for four months of the year (July-October).

The Plains Camp is the only independent camp in the area. Lions are abundant as well as cheetahs, huge herds of buffalo and wildebeest.

Accommodation is charming and rustic with four safari tents complete with en suite bush bathrooms and bucket showers. The size of the camp ensures an intimate and personal service.

Opulent Africa (www.opulentafrica.com  / 01604 949491) offers a 9 night Kafue safari staying at Mayukuyuku Camp, Plains Camp Busanga and Hippo Lodge from £3,350 per person.

Price includes international flights, road transfers from / to Lusaka and full board accommodation.

For further information on the Kamili portfolio please visit www.kamili.co.uk

The Moon Bar at the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza in San Juan, Puerto Rico, recently opened a contemporary lobby lounge, offering innovative cocktails and drink specials in a contemporary setting featuring space vibrant colors, modern décor and cutting-edge design.

The Moon Bar is the newest addition to the hotel’s “ETERNAL” lobby lounge complex, joining the Ice Bar and Fire Bar lounges. Open daily from noon to 1 a.m., the Moon Bar caters to guests and locals looking for a fashionable spot to relax or meet friends or business colleagues.

The Moon Bar features crystal chandeliers and offers live music; its 360-degree shape offers lobby views from all angles. Hotel accommodations start at $179 per night.

For more information, call 888-722-1274 or visit www.condadoplaza.com

With six new summer exhibitions featuring one of the most recognisable printmakers of the 20th century, M.C. Escher, The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons and work from 24 Albertan artists, this summer the Art Gallery of Alberta will stir the imaginations of both young and old. The AGA, based in Edmonton, is a must see whilst in the city and will give you a chance to experience art from Alberta, Canada and from around the world.

Summer openings include:

29 May 2010, TIMELAND: 2010 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art, featuring work by 24 established and emerging Albertan artists. This will be the 7th incarnation of this scheme in Canada, which brings national attention to the Alberta art scene. The exhibition will run until 29 August 2010.

19 June 2010, M.C. ESCHER: The Mathemagician, PIRANESI’S PRISONS: Architecture of Mystery and Imagination, featuring 54 works selected from the National Gallery of Canada collection including world famous works from the “impossible architecture” series and other iconic images. Exhibition runs until 11 October 2010.

19 June 2010, The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons traces the development of the studio’s cartoon stars, providing a step-by-step breakdown of how classic cell animation was made.

The exhibition will allow older generations to reminisce while younger audiences get to know the groundbreaking, irreverent animation crafted by the Warner Brothers’ Studio between 1935 and 1964. The exhibition runs until 11 October 2010.

26 June 2010, Rounding off the summer schedule is Reframing a Nation, an exhibition showcasing works from the AGA’s permanent collection which explore the myths about Canada. Exhibition runs until 7 November 2010.

The AGA will continue to offer its diverse array of exciting public programs for families, youth and adults. For more information on the AGA upcoming exhibitions and related programming please visit the AGA website at www.youraga.ca

Love island hopping?

Join the nisophiles and round the world junkies fleeing Europe to the powder white shores of the South Pacific, thanks to better air connections and low fare deals.

First stop? The ‘Ten Treasured Islands’ of Samoa – reached faster, via the weekly route from Hawaii to Apia (every Friday, launched Sept 09, Air Pacific)

It means the journey will be over four hours quicker than the daily route via Auckland.

This Pacific hotspot waiting to happen has powder fine beaches, limpid waters and feisty cultural action.

Stay in rustic beach fales from as little as £14 per night, or the stunning Sinalei Reef, due to open on 1 April (closed for rebuild after last year’s tsunami).

Next, combine Hawaii’s sophisticated spa resorts and Honolulu shopping – just in time for the relaunch of ‘Hawaii Five-O’.

More info on www.samoa.travel

Sofitel Luxury Hotels has signed two new management contracts in China for the Sofitel Haikou, slated to open in 2014, and the Sofitel Lianyungang Suning Galaxy, to debut in 2013. With a network of 23 hotels behind it, the brand is thus boosting its presence in China.

During 2010, Sofitel will also open up two new properties — the Sofitel Dongguan Humen Oriental and the Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich.

In the heart of the Haikou business center, also considered the financial center of Hainan Island, the Sofitel Haikou will be established in an up-market district of the city along Seaside Avenue.

In addition to its 398 rooms, a business center, So Spa, So Fit and inside and outside swimming pools, the Sofitel Haikou will have a ballroom, eight multifunction rooms and numerous bars and restaurants which uphold the standards of quality of Sofitel Luxury Hotels. Situated in the center of China’s east coast, in the north of Jiangsu province, Lianyungang is a city of 4.86 million inhabitants and a strategic port for the country.

The Sofitel Lianyungang Suning Galaxy will be situated on Hai Lan Road, the city’s main highway, just 5 minutes from the financial district and the main shopping streets.

The hotel will comprise 280 rooms, three restaurants, two bars, a ballroom, eight conference rooms, a business center, a spa, a fitness center and an inside swimming pool.

Langham Place hotel has become the first hotel in the world to offer guests iPod tours of their contemporary Chinese art, which is one of the world’s best collections. The hotel owns more than 1,500 pieces of contemporary Chinese art estimated to hold a readily increasing value of more than HK$20 million ($2.57 million).

The collection includes pieces by numerous legendary Chinese artists including Wang Guangyi, Yue Minjun and Jiang Shuo.

The iPod art tour takes guests from the ground level to the 41st floor highlighting the hotel’s top 21 pieces. Via the iPod, Angela Li, Langham Place’s art consultant guides the guest explaining the philosophy and history of the art and artist and the key contributors guiding the artist.

Each level of the hotel carries a different theme designed to suit the likely state of mind of the guest.

As an example, the entrance to the hotel (lobby level) is all about the essence of life while signature bar Portal — Work & Play (level 5) looks at humanity and the exhaustion of the modern world. The tours are conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese and are free for all guests to experience.

The iPod tour is accompanied with a complimentary take-home petite box-set guide with image prints and written explanations in English and Traditional Chinese. Guests can do the tour at their own leisure seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

For more information, visit hongkong.langhamplacehotels.com  or www.cbal.com.hk

Starting in late May, Ireland’s Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort will launch regular hot air balloon flights.

The flights, which take-off directly from the grounds of Adare Manor, will be the only balloon flights to travel that far south in Ireland, floating over the 840-acre Adare estate for aerial views of its French formal gardens, grounds and River Maigue.

The slow and steady speed of the flights allow for superb picture taking opportunities and panoramic views of south Ireland’s green landscapes.

The flights will usually land in a field up to 20 miles away from the take off point, where a bus waits to transport passengers back to Adare Manor for the traditional champagne toast associated with hot air ballooning that dates back to the first flights.

The flights, which last approximately one hour, are priced at 240 euros per person and operated by Irish Balloon Flights, a company that’s been offering balloon flights throughout Ireland for over 20 years.

The flights from Adare Manor will be offered one weekend per month, with two balloons operating simultaneously.

The schedule includes two flights on Friday and Saturday evenings, three hours before sunset; and two flights on Saturday and Sunday mornings at dawn.

Each hot air balloon can accommodate up to 12 passengers.

For more information, visit www.adaremanor.com

For more information about Ireland visit http://www.discoverireland.com or for a free vacation planning kit call the NY office at 800/223-6470.

Read Ireland feature stories from Jetsetters Magazine.

Food and drink lovers can experience the taste of Cornwall without worrying about their waistline thanks to a specialist holiday operator.

Cornish Cycle Tours offer an eight day self-guided cycling tour of Cornwall, taking in many of the county’s best known eateries, from the best pasty shops to Rick Stein’s restaurants and classic Cornish pubs.

Foodies can enjoy the critically-acclaimed culinary delights guilt-free: according to Government statistics four hours of cycling will burn nearly 1,500 calories, equivalent to four medium-sized Cornish pasties.

With so much excellent food to devour, an eight-day, 177 mile ride has been devised to combine the stunning beauty of the Cornish coastline with indulgent restaurants.

The route follows country lanes and dedicated cycle trails as much as possible, making sure guests see a side of the county that most visitors miss. As each night’s accommodation is pre-booked and luggage transfers taken care of, cyclists can stop wherever their taste buds take them.

Lanyon Rowe of Cornish Cycle Tours provides a brief slice of each day of the eight-day Cornish Tour and the treats on offer:

Days 1 & 2 – Wadebridge to Charlestown

“After settling in to your accommodation on day one, day two sees you hop in the saddle. There’s no better way to start your tour than with a glass of wine at the award winning Camel Valley Vineyard.

If food becomes more a necessity as a result, there’s the Crown Inn, in Lanlivery, a 12th century longhouse and an ideal place to stop for a spot of lunch.”

Day 3 – Charlestown to Falmouth

“After finishing the 26 mile route from Charlestown to Falmouth, you’ll deserve a treat. Fortunately, Rick Stein has recently launched his first restaurant outside of Padstow with the opening of Rick Steins Fish & Chips on Discovery Quay, near the Maritime Museum, offering both dining in and takeaway options, and an oyster bar.”

Day 4 – Falmouth to Porthleven

“Half-way through your holiday and the recently renovated Amélies at The Smokehouse provides the perfect opportunity to reflect as the boats go to and fro and the sun sets in the background. In addition, this restaurant has green credentials and a focus on the freshest ingredients, cooked on a purpose built wood-fire.”

Day 5 – Porthleven to Porthcurno

“Day five sees the tour enter Marazion, grab a Philps Butchers pasty as a snack, (you deserve it).

Then an easy, level ride around Mount’s Bay to Penzance and neighbouring Newlyn; both are famous for their fish.It’s also an ideal place for lunch, ending the day at Porthcurno; the Beach Café provides a brilliant place to stop for a tasty cream tea.”

Day 6 – Porthcurno to St Ives

“Day six is one of the shortest days on the tour which affords plenty of time to stop for a drink at The Beach Cafe, Sennen and enjoy the surfers in the sea.

Whilst in the area, Gurnards Place Hotel is one of my favourite places to stop for hearty, wholesome food and local beers.

Nearby, Moomaid Of Zennor sell lovely ice-creams. Finish the day with a plate of the freshest fish at the famous Porthminster Beach Café, St. Ives.”

Day 7 – St Ives to Perranporth

“First stop of the day is Hayle, which is known for its three miles of golden sands. Philps the bakers in Hayle produce a top drawer pasty.

By now you’ll have pedalled over 100 miles – to celebrate, as you roll in to St Agnes head to The Meadery, a fantastic family restaurant serving locally-made mead and fruit wines. Not too much though, you’ve still got to make it to Perranporth.”

Day 8 – Perranporth to Wadebridge

“The final day of the tour should find you both fuller and fitter than ever as you arrive at Padstow. Whilst the picturesque port is famous as the home of Rick Stein, those in the know nip next door from his café to Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 where lunches start at £5.”

The 8 day/7 night Cornish Tour costs £590 per person, including accommodation and luggage transfers.

For more details on this and other tours visit www.cornishcycletours.co.uk  or call 01637 880710.