Jetsettersblog

The eight member companies of Trusted Adventures are encouraging their staffs and guests to be ambassadors of goodwill wherever they go. “At Trusted Adventures, traveling sustainably and responsibly is intrinsic to the organization’s DNA,” said Brad Moss, executive director of Trusted Adventures. How can travelers make a positive difference in the places they visit? Moss said a good place to start is by leaving some baggage — like preconceptions of the world — at home.

“Our companies believe that to be a good traveler, what you leave behind is as important as what you bring along,” said Moss. “However we also feel responsibility to help educate our travelers in ways they can show respect for the host country, its cultural and natural resources. Long before we step out of the plane or tour van we encourage our guests to have read and become informed about the destination, its unique story, people, cultural diversity and fragile natural resources.” He said that extensive reading lists and helpful website links are essential components of all pre-departure packets.

Once at the destination, listening to and observing tour guides can help guests learn basic greetings such as how to say “please” and “thank you” or how to bargain for keepsakes in a fair and considerate way, said Moss.

“Many of our trips utilize local, homegrown guides who are anxious to help you embrace cultural traditions and learn the taboos of their host country.

Our ultimate goal is to return home from a trip with newfound knowledge and appreciation of a land and its people and to, in some small way, leave a positive impact by our presence,” Moss said.

Following are Trusted Adventures tips on how to travel responsibly: Travel in a constant state of awareness, acceptance and respect. Learn helpful phrases in the local language and speak in the native tongue whenever possible.

Read and be informed about the destination in advance. Respect local guidelines, regulations, customs and taboos and abide by directions of local guides. Support local artisans, businesses and communities, financially and socially.

Ask questions, listen well and observe. Protect flora, fauna and landscapes.

Respect traditions, religions and heritages. Conserve natural resources, from home and office to destination.

Minimize your footprint when it comes to noise, waste disposal, recycling and consumption.

Leave a positive impact by your presence.

Smile openly and often. More information for travelers can be found on the alliance website at www.trustedadventures.com/responsible-travel

Trusted Adventures also recommends reviewing the Ethical Traveler’s 13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador at www.ethicaltraveler.org/guidelines.php

The Trusted Adventures alliance is a partnership of eight travel companies: Austin-Lehman Adventures, Wildland Adventures, Western River Expeditions, Myths and Mountains, The Wayfarers, ROW Adventures, Great Alaska International Adventure Vacations and American Safari Cruises. United under a common mission to provide authentic, transformational travel experiences, Trusted Adventures a collection of active vacations.

For more information, visit www.trustedadventures.com

The Le Quartier Français Culinary Concierge has updated its offering to include a new introduction to winemaking and a program covering the basics of bread, butter and cheese making. These are in addition to already extensive LQF Culinary Concierge programs, which have been reworked ensuring that guests continue to experience unforgettable culinary adventures. The new programs include:

Back to Basics: A true artisanal experience. Discover how to turn dough into bread, cream into butter and milk into cheese. Spend time going back-to-basics in the owner’s kitchen. Learn how to use a natural starter to bake sourdough bread in a wood burning oven, discover the therapeutic nature of churning butter from farm cream and explore the art of making a selection of fresh cheeses.

The Lynx Experience: Wine is a life long love affair. Perfect for those who want an unforgettable introduction to wine, or those who want to reinvigorate their love affair with the grape.

Spend time at Lynx wine farm with Dieter Sellmeyer, Lynx proprietor and winemaker, and his assistant Inge Terrblanche, learning about the various steps and stages involved in winemaking. End off the experience with a relaxed gourmet picnic lunch on the Lynx lawn. Tailor made culinary experiences/personalized culinary adventures are available and created for a specific individual or group and designed to perfectly suit their tastes and interests.

Annemarie Steenkamp, under the expert guidance of Margot Janse, is the LQF Culinary Concierge. Annemarie’s training, as a former Tasting Room (voted 31st in “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants”) sous chef, ensures that she is perfectly equipped to lead the LQF Culinary Concierge Program.

Her role includes guiding guests on culinary excursions, teaching them various skills — including what to do and how to do it — and introducing them to the Franschhoek Valley and its many delights.

The LQF Culinary Concierge develops, brings to life and guides guests on a variety of unique and unforgettable culinary adventures.

Le Quartier Français (considered one of the “Top 20 Food & Wine Resorts” in 2009 by Andrew Harper Travel) is a luxurious Relais & Chateaux country inn in the French Huguenot valley of Franschhoek, in the Cape Winelands, South Africa.

The Auberge offers 15 en-suite bedrooms and two deluxe suites (with splash pools), which open onto a rose-filled central courtyard and swimming pool.

And for the ultimate in luxury, there are four state-of-the-art suites, The Four Quarters, overlooking a private pool and sun-splashed deck.

For more information, visit www.lqf.co.za

Mantis, manager of boutique hotels, resorts and game reserves in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Antarctica, added Royal Chundu Zambezi River Lodge in Zambia to its portfolio. Royal Chundu (meeting place of the chief) is in the Katombora Forest on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia, 18 miles downstream Victoria Falls.

The property has 10 brick-under-thatch villas on the banks of the river and four island villas built on stilts two-and-a-half miles upstream on the private island of Katombora.

Each villa features a lounge, en-suite dining area, glass-walled showers and private decks with views of the Zambezi, Africa’s fourth largest river.

The island villas are similar to those on the mainland, but the dining area is separate and the decks offer an open air bath and plunge pool.

Via teak walkways, the villas link to the main lodge which houses an indoor restaurant, library, TV lounge, boma, spa facilities and an infinity swimming pool with sun lounges and thatched umbrellas. Interiors, fabrics and fittings reflect the colonial history.

Available activities include game drives, boat cruises, canoeing trips, walks, fishing trips, bird safaris, exploring Katombora Island on foot, and visiting in neighboring Botswana, the world-famous Chobe National Park, which boasts impressive elephant and buffalo populations. And Victoria Falls is nearby.

Royal Chundu is 30 miles from Livingstone Airport and an hour and a half flight from Johannesburg. Transfers are offered from airports, hotels and lodges in Livingstone, Victoria Falls and Kasane areas or any other location within 50 miles of the lodge.

The Mantis Group is a collection of five-star properties located around the world. Divided into three distinct groups, specialist areas include Mantis Boutique Hotels, Mantis Game Reserves and Mantis Eco Experiences.

For more information, email reservations@mantiscollection.com  or visit www.mantiscollection.com

There are few towns in the Mediterranean that are quite as lovely or as perfectly positioned as Taormina! It has been a magnet for travellers ever since becoming part of the Grand Tour in the 19th Century and today it continues to be Sicily’s most popular destination.

A roll call of visitors reads like a who’s who of the arts: Goethe, Dumas, Brahms, Klimt, D.H. Lawrence, Wagner, Oscar Wilde, Truman Capote, John Steinbeck, Ingmar Bergmann, Francis Ford Coppola, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Federico Fellini, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Elisabeth Taylor and Woody Allen have all spent time or lived in Taormina!

Stunning panoramas take in smoking, snow-capped Mount Etna to the south and the sparkling blue sea far down below.

The old town centre remains perfectly intact, its pedestrianised labyrinth of streets nourishing a vibrant cafe society… And then there’s the stunning Graeco-Roman theatre, home to a series of annual film, music and arts festivals.

Think Sicily has a wonderful selection of villas in and around Taormina, including the following: hill-top Respiro boasts stunning views of Taormina, the Ionian Sea and the Italian mainland from its infinity pool (prices from £ 3,450 to £ 6,890 per week: sleeps 10), La Pergola sits on the bay of Mazzaro’, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the beach (from £ 2,600 to £ 4,130 per week: sleeps 6),

Borgo degli Aranci, a fragrant orange estate, is a great solution for large groups wishing to stay near Taormina (from £ 2,850 to £ 9,610 per week: sleeps 18), the aristocratic Villa Pietraperciata offers an excellent authentic Sicilian experience (from £ 4,140 to £ 5,190 per week: sleeps 8), while La Riva is a beach-house “a pied en l’eau” par excellence (from £ 1,740 to £ 2,720 per week: sleeps 5).

These are just a few examples: to see all our villas in and around Taormina, or to choose from our full range of exclusive villas in Sicily, go to

www.thinksicily.com ,

call +44(0)20 7377 8518 (or toll free from the US and Canada on 1-800-490-1107)

or write to info@thinksicily.com

The new Emerald Wing at Al Faisaliah Hotel, a Rosewood Hotel, will open later this year.

Designed by HRH Princess Al Anoud Bint Khaled Al Saud, owner and founder of Al Dar Designs, the new wing features touches of Arabian and Islamic culture throughout.

The new wing, an extension to the existing hotel, will include 106 rooms and suites, an exclusive and luxurious ladies-only spa and an exciting new Italian restaurant.

For more information, call 888.ROSEWOOD or visit

www.rosewoodhotels.com

After a six-month winter break, Swissôtel Göcek Marina & Resort has opened its doors again for the summer 2010 season.

Located on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, the fishing village of Göcek has long been recommended by those in the know as a place to spend a holiday away from the masses.

The hotel overlooks the bay, which features ideal wind conditions for sailing as well as clear water, Mediterranean scenery and a private beach.

Swissôtel Göcek Marina & Resort is the only hotel in the village, and has its own long private beach along with a marina with berths for 400 yachts.

The hotel has 57 bedrooms, equipped with balconies or terraces with a view of the sea or the surrounding mountains. Göcek is 25 minutes from Dalaman International Airport and can be reached easily by public transport.

For more information, visit www.swissotel.com

Great Southern Rail has just been awarded ‘best luxury rail journey’ in Luxury Travel Magazine’s Gold List Awards for two of its iconic trains, The Ghan and the Indian Pacific.

The annual Luxury Travel Gold List Awards are one of Australia’s most prestigious travel awards. Following Great Southern Rail’s win, Chief Executive Tony Braxton-Smith, said “It is very exciting to win recognition as the best luxury rail journey by Australia’s premier travel and lifestyle magazine.”

Other nominees for the award included famous international rail journeys such as The Orient Express, The Rocky Mountaineer and The Blue Train. The winner is based on a reader vote.

“Luxury Travel Magazine’s readers are well acquainted with high quality tourism services. Their vote is confirmation that our new Platinum Service on The Ghan and the Indian Pacific is a world-class offering when it comes to deluxe on-train accommodation,” said Tony.

Platinum Service was launched on The Ghan in 2008 and has been an overwhelming success.

The demand for this exciting new product has seen the luxury offering now being extended to selected Indian Pacific services from last year.

“Platinum Service has been designed to meet the needs of the discerning traveller who is looking for a world-class standard of rail travel,” said Tony.

The spacious new Platinum Service cabins reflect a distinctly Australian character and are approximately twice the size of Gold Service cabins, with a modern full ensuite bathroom.

As a private lounge during the day complete with ottomans and movable tables, guests have the perfect place to entertain fellow travellers, or relax and enjoy a panoramic view of the ever changing landscape.

In the evening, the cabin converts to double or twin beds, similar to a deluxe hotel room.

Platinum Service makes a journey on either The Ghan or the Indian Pacific the ‘best luxury rail journey’ and the best way to experience Australia’s vast interior.

A journey on The Ghan takes travellers through the heart of Australia, from Darwin to Adelaide (or vice versa) on a three day, two night journey of a lifetime.

The Ghan is a legendary journey; from the tropical splendor of the north, through the red centre to the temperate south, it is a journey of breathtaking diversity.

The Ghan’s sister train, the Indian Pacific, marks its 40th Anniversary this year and is celebrated for travelling the longest stretch of straight track in the world as it crosses the Nullarbor Desert.

From Sydney to Perth, guests experience three nights aboard a 4,352km transcontinental journey from the spectacular Blue Mountains to the arid plains of the Nullarbor Desert.

For further information on Great Southern Rail, its trains or service levels, call 13 21 47 or visit www.greatsouthernrail.com.au

Australia’s “Travel Professionals”, Harvey World Travel, has launched their exclusive collection of Personally Escorted Holidays, tours led by experienced Harvey World Travel agents with expert knowledge of tour destinations.

Managing Director of Harvey World Travel, David Rivers, says the collection was specially created and designed for travellers who enjoy a worry and fuss-free holiday.

“Personally escorted by their local Harvey World Travel agent, travellers will experience a superior level of customer service, and be able to take advantage of our passionate agents’ expert knowledge of the country,” says David.

“Importantly, this collection provides travellers with a premium product and unrivalled customer experience. Personally escorted holidays also give first time international travellers confidence and a sense of security.

“Travellers of all age groups enjoy being taken care of, especially when they are in a foreign land.

Having trusted and experienced person to ensure that things go as planned, or even rearrange the itinerary if necessary, allows travellers to be stress-free to enjoy their break.
“Harvey World Travel’s unique collection of Personally Escorted Holidays incorporates land tours and cruises and covers all corners of the world.

“Already, our shops are experiencing overwhelming client interest in these exclusive tours and we look forward to creating more unique holidays for this collection.”

The list of Personally Escorted Holidays includes:

Traditional Europe (departs 23 July)
Britain & Ireland (departs 29 July)
Okavango Delta & Victoria Falls (departs 19 August)
Eastern Europe at Leisure (departs 29 August)
East Coast USA & Canada (departs 28 September)
South America Discovery (departs 18 October)
Hawaii Golf Cruise (departs 26 November)
Christmas in New York & Caribbean Cruise (departs 22 December)

For information on the tours, visit www.harveyworld.com.au  or call 132 757.

Pinctada Hotels & Resorts today announced the launch of Children of the Lugger People, a three-day extraordinary experience which celebrates Broome’s rich pearling history and eclectic culture through the eyes of award-winning indigenous guide and third-generation pearlshell diver Neville Poelina.

Neville is a popular Kimberley personality and, a proud ‘child of the lugger people’.

He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and Timorese father to become one of Broome’s most acclaimed pearlshell divers before launching a successful cultural tourism business which embraces the rich and ancient Aboriginal culture of his mother’s Nyikina people.

Children of the Lugger People brings Neville’s story to life in a shared journey that explores the fascinating history of Broome, its people, art, culture, cuisine and pearling fleets.

It is also an intimate journey with numbers limited to a maximum of 16 people for each of the three Children of the Lugger People experiences that Pinctada will offer this year, from May to September.

Marilynne Paspaley AM, Founder & Managing Director of Pinctada Hotels & Resorts, said Children Of The Lugger People offers a rare opportunity for international and Australian experience seekers.

“Broome is a unique destination which attracts travellers from around the world, but they rarely have the opportunity to experience it with someone whose family has lived and worked here for generations,” she said.

“Neville’s story is fascinating and important because it embraces the three key elements that make Broome unique – its history, its culture and the spirit of its people.

Children of the Lugger People is an opportunity to see Broome through his eyes and hear first hand his stories about Broome’s past and present.” In keeping with the intimate and authentic nature of the experience, Children of the Lugger People will be based at McAlpine House, Pinctada’s award-winning boutique escape.

“McAlpine House is the ideal venue for this extraordinary journey,” Marilynne said. “It was originally built as the home of a Master Pearler, and its intimacy and atmosphere is ideally suited to this event.

We’ve also planned the Children of the Lugger People experiences to coincide with the full moon which again is so much a part of Broome’s story.”

Each day of the Children of the Lugger People experience will explore a different aspect of Broome.

Day one’s focus is on the past – Broome’s pearling story.

“Pearling is where it all started,” said Neville. “It’s also where our journey begins – Yarns with a Lugger Bugger over a relaxed dinner at McAlpine House on the first night. I’ll tell some yarns about my own pearling days as well as a few that were handed down by my father and grandfather.

Children of the Lugger People is a shared journey so the evening will unfold depending on what the group would like to hear.”

Day two explores the present and the legacy of Broome’s pearling pioneers.

“After breakfast, we’ll ‘seize the day’ with a tour of Broome’s famous sites like Streeters Jetty and Chinatown,” Neville said.

“But the focus will be on Broome’s melting pot of creativity and, its people – the writers who’ve penned plays like Bran Nue Dae, the acclaimed artists and songwriters, the talented chefs and also the business founders – so many are descendents of the lugger people and we’ll be meeting up with a few of them during the day.”

Day 3 starts with a free morning and then the focus is on food. Neville is not only a knowledgeable and entertaining host, but also a cook of bush and lugger repute. His special style of cuisine is influenced by his Aboriginal and Timorese heritage as well as his time on the luggers and the fresh seasonal produce, seafood and bush tucker of the Kimberley.

“Broome food is an art in itself and, another legacy of the lugger people,” Neville said.

“You can find styles of cuisine from around the world in Broome and the chefs are incredibly talented. We’ll spend the afternoon at McAlpine House talking about the history of Broome cuisine, the influences on it and the specialties of the town.

“Food links everything we’ve experienced during the past few days and in the same way we’ve shared the journey, we’ll share the cooking and create a dining experience based on typical lugger fare.

“Then we’ll enjoy it under the light of a full Kimberley moon nestled among the lush tropical gardens of McAlpine House – and, probably share a few more stories!”

Pinctada Hotels & Resorts will offer three Children of the Lugger People journeys this year on the following dates – May 25–28; June 25–28; September 22–25.

Prices start from $1749 and include:

o Three nights’ accommodation at McAlpine House

o Two Children of the Lugger People dinner experiences at McAlpine House with Neville Poelina

o Day 2 tour with Neville, including morning tea at Town Beach and lunch at McAlpine House

o Full cooked breakfast daily

o Return airport transfers in Broome

o Welcome drink on arrival

Bookings:
E: stay@pinctada.com.au

T: +61 (0)8 9193 8340 or 1800 PINCTADA, 1800 746 282 (tollfree within Australia)

Red Carnation’s newest hotel, The Oyster Box in Umhlanga Rocks near Durban, South Africa, made Condé Nast Traveler’s 2010 Hot List for both hotel and spa.

The Hot List choices, a list of 134 hotels and resorts in 55 countries, were selected by the magazine’s editorial staff based on “their blend of style, service, technology, and transporting aura.”

The Oyster Box stands on Umhlanga’s beachfront with views of the Indian Ocean and direct beach access.

Red Carnation recently finished a multi-million rand two-year rebuilding project to preserve its colonial charm. Originally opened in 1947,

The Oyster Box is a five-star hotel in KwaZulu-Natal’s tropical northern coast with 86 luxurious rooms and suites, including eight Garden Villas, each with own private plunge pool, and the split-level Presidential Suite.

It has a variety of dining experiences, indoors and outdoors; three bars; The Spa with traditional hammam; two heated swimming pools, including a rim-flow pool with ocean views; fitness center and children’s holiday club; 24-seat cinema screening room; and meetings, events and wedding facilities for up to 120 guests.

The hotel is located a short walk from Umhlanga Village Centre and is within easy access to Durban International Airport and shopping centers, including Gateway Theatre of Shopping.

For more information, call 27 31 514 5000, e-mail reservations@oysterbox.co.za  or visit www.redcarnation.com