Jetsettersblog

Anchorage, Alaska – New shops, restaurants, attractions and the final phase of the Anchorage Museum expansion will all be ready when summer visitors arrive in Alaska in just a few short weeks. Anchorage, Alaska, has seen phenomenal growth in the past few years, and whether it is a first visit or a return trip, there’s something innovative and exciting in the city this year.

Anchorage Museum
The Anchorage Museum completes its 80,000 square foot expansion in May of 2010 with the opening of three new exhibits. The new space includes the Thomas Planetarium, interactive science exhibits at the Imaginarium Discovery Center, and the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. The Smithsonian Institution will loan more than 600 indigenous Alaska artifacts to the exhibit, including rare cultural treasures like an 1893 Tlingit war helmet. The exhibit is designed to allow researchers, artists and Native Elders hands-on access to artifacts. Advanced touch screens allow other visitors to study each item in stunning detail as well. The expansion is evident beyond the walls of the museum too.

A new, two-acre outdoor common area filled with young birch trees opens into downtown Anchorage. The common will be a special space for events, performances, or just a sunny afternoon. “Habitat,” a stainless steel installation by English artist Antony Gormley was recently hoisted into position near the northwest corner of the space.

The massive seated human figure is the artist’s first permanent installation in the United States.

For more information on the museum, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org.

New Restaurants & Shops

Return visitors will notice a host of new shops in downtown Anchorage.

Octopus Ink joins the galleries and studios downtown along G Street, showcasing hand printed organic bamboo and cotton clothing and other distinct finds. Just around the corner, ShuzyQ’s is a haven for fashionistas in need of a new set of heels or a colorful pair of kicks.

The Cake Studio fronts Fourth Avenue, with enough cakes, cookies, cupcakes and other treats to attract anyone with a sweet tooth.

Midtown favorite Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge has expanded to a second location downtown.

They offer artisan chocolates, including handmade truffles and drinking chocolate.

Wine lovers can explore a pair of shops devoted to the vine; Grape Expectations offers beer, spirits, and a vast selection of fine wines and Crush Wine Bistro’s new cellar holds an expansive selection of bottles. Midtown Anchorage has a new culinary lure all its own.

Thirty Six Bistro is the joint venture of two veteran Anchorage chefs and offers locally sourced dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as desserts that have already inspired emphatic praise. In South Anchorage, Midnight Sun Brewing Company has opened the doors to LOFT, adding a great menu of local food alongside their winning roster of rotating brews.

Alaska flavors will be available as soon as visitors arrive in Anchorage. This July Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse, a longtime fixture downtown, will bring longtime favorites to a new location in the B concourse of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. And Chef Al Levinsohn, perhaps the most lauded chef in Anchorage, will design the menu for Norton Sound Seafood, which opens in August in the airport’s C concourse. Find more tasty places with the Anchorage Dining Guide.

New Attractions & Events

The Alaska Experience Theater has finished renovations to their space in the historic Fourth Avenue Market Place downtown and offers Alaska films and 3-D features.

Their Alaska Salmon Bake Dinner Theatre runs throughout the summer and includes dinner, Alaska Native dancing and special film screenings. For show times, visit www.alaskaexperiencetheater.com

Lifetime Adventures brings their bike rental expertise to the Copper Whale Inn. The downtown Anchorage office allows cyclists quick and easy access to the Tony Knowles Coastal trail, and Anchorage’s parks system. Visit www.lifetimeadventures.net

The Ascending Path has expanded their hiking and climbing packages with a new one hour Naturalist Rainforest Stroll in Girdwood, Alaska.

The Ascending Path is already known for ice and rock climbing trips as well as glacier hiking.

The new rainforest stroll is a great fit for non-hikers, families with young children and visitors on a tight schedule. Visit www.theascendingpath.com

The newly combined Solstice Festival and Hero Games take over downtown June 19, 2010, for a celebration of the longest day of the year.

A jovial atmosphere overwhelms the festival in Town Square, while just a block away on Fourth Avenue local police, fire and military units compete for top honors in competitive events designed to test the skills of first responders.

The Anchorage Downtown Partnership adds Mondays to the Music in the Park program this summer.

Local musical acts perform at Peratrovich Park on Fourth Avenue every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, filling downtown with music all summer long.

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by lodging associations. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund, and one-third to service the bond debt and operations of the Anchorage Convention Centers. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. 2010 marks ACVB’s 35th year of bringing business to Anchorage.

Explore www.Anchorage.net  for more information.

International tour operators are now able to use Ski.com to arrange world-class NorthAmerican mountain vacations for their clients

Aspen, Colo. – Ski.com (www.ski.com), North America’s
largest provider of mountain vacations, today announced a new division of the company focusing on receptive international travel. This new division will allow international tour operators to book winter and summer mountain vacations in the United States and Canada through Ski.com, offering the company’s industry-leading North American mountain product inventory, preferred lodging, lift ticket and equipment rental rates and access to Ski.com’s proprietary reservation system, technology and infrastructure.

“Ski.com has the travel industry’s most established relationships with mountain lodging, lift ticket and ancillary vendors, guaranteeing a seamless booking experience for our international tour operators and their clients.” said Kris McKinnon, Ski.com vice president of marketing and operations.

“Through this new division, we are making it easier than ever for international travel companies to send their clients to ski destinations in North America. This provides another opportunity for us to continue to deliver incremental business to our resort and lodging partners in the United States and Canada.”

According to the National Ski Areas Association’s 2008/2009 National Demographic Study, international visitors accounted for nearly three million skier visits last season.

By entering into this segment of the ski-travel industry, Ski.com’s goal is to contribute to the growth of international skier visits in the United States and Canada.

International tour operators with questions or interest in working with Ski.com should contact Diana Carey by calling 970-925-9500 ext 3630 or by e-mailing Diana@ski.com.

About Ski.com

Established in 1971 and headquartered in Aspen, Colo., Ski.com is the largest provider of mountain travel in North America.

Ski.com is the only travel company specializing in mountain destinations to offer the unsurpassed first-hand knowledge and experience needed to present travelers the most options at the best value.

The company has the largest mountain lodging inventory, offers the most ski-related package components in the travel industry and customizes complete vacations to 100 of the most popular resorts in the United States, Canada, Europe and South America.

San Francisco – PIER 39 is packed with fun. Take the family or grab some friends and enjoy a day on San Francisco Bay.

Visit with the popular sea lions, check out Players Arcade, bounce your heart away on Frequent Flyer’s bungee trampoline, find your way out of Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze, journey through Aquarium of the Bay or TurboRide 4-D Experience featuring SpongeBob SquarePants, to name just a few attractions.

Hungry? Enjoy a hot bowl of clam chowder, a delicious seafood meal or a scrumptious burger with fries. PIER 39 has themed restaurants such as Hard Rock Cafe, Bubba Gumps and Players Arcade & Sports Grill as well as local seafood restaurants with bay views.

After your meal (or before) enjoy ice cream, chocolates, warm mini donuts, cookies and other tasty treats.

Stroll the PIER as you take in spectacular views along the waterfront.

Get closer to the water on RocketBoat, our new thrill ride on the Bay or take a Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise that ventures under the Golden Gate Bridge and circles Alcatraz.

Oh, and one last thing… the shopping! PIER 39 is known for locally owned specialty shops that offer unique merchandise that appeal to both the tourist and local visitor.

Visit us at www.pier39.com

According to research released today by the Tirol Tourist Board, one in three Brits allow international stereotypes dictate where they travel, but when it comes to their own regional stereotypes, two in five are proud of where they are from, with more than half saying stereotypes are just a bit of fun*. To encourage Brits to cast off their reservations, the Tirol Tourist Board is embracing its stereotype, with the launch of a competition to get the nation yodelling.

In the search for Britain’s Yodel Idol, people are invited to join the biggest yodel-off battle ever heard by submitting their entry at www.yodeloff.co.uk  to be in with a chance of winning a fantastic holiday to an Alpine mountain hut for the winner and five friends in August. Not sure how to yodel or simply want a laugh then watch our ‘How to Yodel’ video to make sure your entry gets noticed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Kr546w4X0**

Yodelling originated as a way of communicating between the mountain valleys, before developing into a popular form of music and entertainment in Alpine regions across Austria and Switzerland. Eckard Speckbacher, Tirol Tourist Board, says “We decided to celebrate yodelling and use it as a fun way to picture the beauty of our region. If you observe a yodeller’s voiceprint and you can compare it to the mountainous topography of the Tirol’s landscape as it gravitates from peak to peak.”

When most people think of the Austrian Tirol, images such as cow-bells, Lederhosen and Edelweiss spring to mind but there is so much more besides.

In summer you can find so many diverse activities, suited to all levels of fitness and abilities.

Gentle ramblers to dedicated hikers will find something to suit their style, with hut to hut tours, glacier walks or Via Ferrata for the more adventurous.

In addition to alpine walking there is a huge choice of activities from cycling and mountain biking to horse riding or golf.

There is white-water rafting, canoeing or canyoning for water-sport lovers whilst adrenaline junkies can get their hit paragliding, climbing or bungee- jumping.

*The research for the Tirol Tourist Board was carried by Opinion Matters between :11 / 03 / 2010 and 15 / 03 / 2010 on a sample of 1260 UK adults.

** This is a FLV video to download and host:

This is a WMV to download and host:

For further information on the Austrian Tirol – www.visittirol.co.uk

Four-star Nidd Hall Hotel near Harrogate has joined the growing number of Warner Leisure Hotels to win a top accolade for fine dining.

Executive Chef Jason Wardill and his team are celebrating after the recently refurbished Terrace Restaurant at the Grade-II listed mansion was awarded a Rosette by the AA.

Nidd Hall is the third out of nine Warner Leisure Hotels to win an AA Rosette in the last six months. The popular leisure hotels have been raising the standard of their dining experience with the appointment of top quality chefs and a programme of improvements to their restaurants.

Set in 45 acres of parkland at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, Nidd Hall, which dates back to the 1820’s, joins Thoresby Hall Hotel near Sherwood Forest and Holme Lacy House Hotel in the Wye Valley as holders of the prestigious award for fine dining.

The Terrace Restaurant, which is also open to non-residents, offers the best of modern British cuisine with a hint of French flair.

The mouth-watering menu also reflects some of the world-class cuisine Jason Wardill has acquired during a highly successful 20-year career as chef including five years at an award-winning deluxe hotel in Sydney where he was influenced by many of the exotic flavours found in the Pacific rim countries.

Yorkshireman Jason, who joined Nidd Hall Hotel last September, is no stranger to awards having previously won two Rosettes at the White Bear gastro-pub in Stretton, Derbyshire, which he owned, and similar accolades at a four-star hotel in Harrogate where he was Head Chef and at the Michelin-starred Rascasse restaurant in Leeds.

He said: “I joined Nidd Hall just after they had finished a major refurbishment of The Terrace and it is a really lovely restaurant. It’s fantastic news to achieve the Rosette so soon and is a tribute to the amazing team we have here.”

Among dishes on the menu are main courses such as sesame encrusted sea bass fillet, lemon noodles, oyster mushrooms and tom yum sauce, while the dessert menu includes delights such as vanilla & griotine cherry-baked cheesecake with lemon dressing.

Three night weekend breaks at Nidd Hall cost from around £309 per person including breakfast and dinner in an ‘Ambassador Room’ and include an extensive range of leisure facilities and entertainment. There is a supplement for dining in the Terrace Restaurant – or guests can book an ‘Historic Room’ and enjoy a meal in the Terrace Restaurant as part of the package.

For more information click on www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk/nidd-hall

Warner Leisure Hotels is part of Bourne Leisure Ltd who own Haven Holidays and Butlins Resorts and were awarded Best UK Operator 2009 by Travel Trade Gazette.

Warner Leisure Hotels offer ‘adult only’ leisure breaks at seven country and six coastal locations and include three four star properties, listed historic buildings and coastal resort villages.

Response to Changing Needs of Customers

Eurostar announces important change to its class of service range in response to changing needs of customers.

LONDON, ENGLAND — Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train operator between the UK and France and Belgium, has announced an important change to its class of service range.

In response to the changing needs of customers, Eurostar is introducing Standard Premier – a ‘mid-class’ designed to appeal to not only the more cost-conscious business traveller, but also leisure travellers who want that little bit extra space and service.

Standard Premier tickets have now gone on sale for travel from 1 September. The new class will replace Eurostar’s existing Leisure Select class, which has been on offer since 2005.

This change comes as a result of extensive customer feedback and market research and sees Eurostar’s class offerings move towards a more intuitive structure with Standard Premier perfectly complementing the existing Business Premier and Standard classes.

Commercial Director Nick Mercer said: “Following extensive research and feedback from our corporate clients and business travel agents, it became very clear that there was a strong appetite for a mid-range product pitched between our fully-flexible Business Premier and Standard classes.

“We have taken this on board and have now introduced a new class which not only meets the needs of our more cost-conscious business customers but also appeals to the leisure traveller looking for a bit of extra comfort and service on board.

“With the introduction of Standard Premier, we now have a range of products that meets the differing needs of all our customers.”

These changes bring the current service offering to Business Premier, Standard Premier and Standard Class, along with special Lille, Brussels and Paris travel deals.
Standard Premier flexible fares are refundable with a deduction of 15% off the full value of the ticket, or off the outstanding ticket value if one of the legs has already been travelled.

About Eurostar:

Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.

This makes it ideal for those looking to travel to Bruges from the UK or wanting to take a Lille city break or a Paris city break.

Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s leading high-speed train operators that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast-expanding, European high-speed rail network.

Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies.

Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates vehicle shuttle services and the Channel Tunnel itself.

Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.

The beautiful Hamilton Island Yacht Club on the Great Barrier Reef will “open the gangway” to its new collection of luxury private waterfront villas, which offer casually elegant interiors featuring stunning, postcard views of the green-blue waters of the Coral Sea and lush landscape of adjacent Dent Island

www.hamiltonislandyachtclubvillas.com.au

Guests will feel like they own the island as they enjoy an uninterrupted panorama of Dent Passage, the Hamilton Island Marina, and the surrounding Whitsunday Islands from the spacious four-bedroom, four-bathroom stand-alone Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas.

Ideal for families, groups, or those who prefer the independence of a self-contained stay, guests who book the “Nautical Reef Resident” package by Monday, May 31, 2010, can take advantage of a special introductory rate of AUD $4,050* for one villa including:

• Three-night stay for up to eight people
• $1,000 worth of complimentary activities and dining
• A round of golf for two on the exclusive new Hamilton Island Golf Club course (the only championship island golf course in Australia)
• 90 minute Mala Mayi massage at Spa qualia
• $400 for dinner at Hamilton Island’s signature restaurant, Boomies

Villa guests also have access to an exclusive waterfront lagoon pool, private use of a four-seat golf buggy, and complimentary movies on demand.

Members of the island concierge team offer the utmost in customer service making themselves available to guests before their arrival and throughout their entire stay.

Among other services, the concierge can arrange for priority bookings for tee times on the new Hamilton Island Golf Course as well as reservations at qualia’s restaurants and Spa—exclusive facilities that are available by invitation-only to non-qualia guests.*

The villas were designed by renowned Architect Walter Barda to have an informal ambience that makes the most of the uniquely beautiful island setting.

With over 20 years of experience and a diverse portfolio ranging from architecture to landscape and interior design projects, Barda chose to create the Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas with natural timbers, sweeping lines, and a spacious open floor plan to complement the beautiful surroundings.

The comfortably elegant accommodations are furnished by leading design group, Coco Republic.

Celebrity green thumb Jamie Durie, well known as a regular guest on NBC’s “Today” show and host of many top-rated Australian TV programs, crafted the tranquil landscape surrounding each villa.

* Package and concierge reservations are subject to availability. All prices are listed in AUD.

About Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island is one of 74 tropical islands in the Coral Sea between the Queensland coast and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The largest inhabited island in the Whitsunday Islands, Hamilton Island is on the same latitude in the southern hemisphere as Honolulu in the north with an average of 81F temperatures year round.
With more than six accommodation choices, 10 restaurants and varied water and beach activities, the Island makes the perfect launching pad for US travelers to enjoy Australia’s most spectacular beaches, explore the Great Barrier Reef and create an unforgettable vacation in tropical Australia.

For more information about Hamilton Island, visit www.hamiltonisland.com.au

About the Hamilton Island Yacht Club & Villas
Hamilton Island Owner Bob Oatley and famed yachtsman Iain Murray have come together to create the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, which opened in August 2009 with the Hamilton Island Race Week—Australia’s largest offshore keelboat regatta.

It is a design masterpiece and celebration of marine lifestyle inspired by the soaring silhouettes of full sails. With the new villas opening in May 2010, this waterfront destination is set to further define Australia as an international boating mecca.

For more information, visit www.hamiltonislandyachtclubvillas.com.au

The PuLi Hotel and Spa (The PuLi) has been recognised as one of the world’s best new hotels by the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Hot List 2010.

As Shanghai’s first luxury urban resort, The PuLi has been the proud recipient of several annual awards awarded by Trends Magazine, Travel & Leisure Magazine and Tatler Travel Guide.

Published annually for the 14th year, the Condé Nast Traveller Hot List is the insider’s guide to the newest, hottest, sexiest hotels, restaurants and spas, opened all over the world in the past year.

To develop the list, the magazine’s editors checked out hundreds of new properties around the globe, rigorously evaluating each one on a standard set of criteria. The result is a definitive guide to the world’s most exciting new establishments, setting new benchmarks in the world of luxury travel.

The Hot List 2010 makes special note of The PuLi’s peerless standards of service, splendid cuisine and minimalist design. Praise is given to the sublime and imaginative modern cuisines in Jing’An Restaurant, the tea-themed restorative treatments in the Anantara Spa, and The PuLi’s exceptional service standards.

About The PuLi Hotel and Spa

The PuLi Hotel and Spa is Shanghai’s first luxury urban resort. Firmly incorporated into the hotel’s dedication to delivering handcrafted luxury service, guest experiences mark a departure from the expected generic style of luxury usually associated with conventional collections of foremost hotels.

Imbued with contemporary elements and accents of traditional Asian charm, the result is a distinctively unique, new spatial and guest experience in this oasis within the metropolis. The PuLi Hotel and Spa is managed by Urban Resort Concepts.

Mumbai, INDIA – One of India’s finest luxury hotel groups, is also one of its fastest growing upscale brands. Last year, The Leela Hotels, Palaces & Resorts opened two new five-star properties in Udaipur and Gurgaon, outside of New Delhi and will add a new luxury hotel in New Delhi this fall and another in Chennai in 2011.

In the next few years, four more luxury hotels in Agra, Hyderabad, Pune and Lake Ashtamudi in Kerala will join the original four award-winning properties in Bangalore, Goa, Kovalam (Kerala) and Mumbai.

The group’s most ambitious project to date, The Leela Palace Kempinski New Delhi will debut right in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in October. Located in the Diplomatic Enclave and near the Central Business District of Delhi, The Leela will be close to all of the city’s historic monuments as well as its embassies and corporate offices. With 260 expansive rooms and suites,

The Leela will have four restaurants serving Indian, Japanese (India’s first Megu) and Italian cuisine, two bars, an ESPA spa, a fitness center and a heated roof-top swimming pool.

Measuring 550 square feet, guestrooms come equipped with large business desks, two-line IP phones, Sony high-definition LCD televisions with Blue-Ray players, Boise iPod docks, broadband high-speed Internet access, Wi-Fi and phones and TVs in all bathrooms.

Three Royal Suites will have private pools, and the Presidential Suite will measure an impressive 4,000 square feet. More than 10,000 square feet of meetings facilities are spread over two ballrooms and eight meeting rooms and boardrooms.

Opening its doors in 2011, The Leela Palace Kempinski Chennai will be the first on the city’s seafront overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Set on six acres on the beach and with a design inspired by the nearby Chettinad Palace, The Leela will be Chennai’s largest business hotel boasting 360 suites and rooms as well as extensive meeting facilities.

The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon, Delhi (N.C.R.) which opened last July has become the most popular hotel in this fast-growing satellite business and shopping district near the capital, running at over 90 percent occupancy. A collection of contemporary Indian art fills the 322-room property which features three restaurants, including the dramatic Spectra with seven “live” kitchens; a spa offering Ayurvedic treatments; a fitness center with yoga and aerobic studios; a large heated outdoor pool; 26,900 square feet of banquet and meeting space, and a 24-hour business center.

Then last October, The Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur celebrated its grand opening, the first luxury hotel to debut in this historic Rajasthani city in seven years.

Lying on the banks of Lake Pichola, in one of India’s most romantic destinations, the luxurious modern palace is designed to evoke the life and times of India’s royal past.

The hotel has two restaurants, a lounge, a swimming pool, a fitness center and a spa by ESPA offering traditional and Ayurvedic treatments in nine dramatic spa tents set in the gardens.

The Leela brand is renowned for having some of the largest guest rooms in India, state-of-the-art spas, excellent cuisine and cutting-edge business facilities. The company has also made a serious commitment to preserving the environment. Three hotels are tranquil green oases in the heart of bustling cities, while the resort properties are surrounded by acres of palm trees and exotic tropical flowers.

“As the Indian economy rebounds and the influx of international business and leisure travelers continues to come to India, we will see a demand and growth in the luxury premium category. We see this as a tremendous growth opportunity and have invested heavily in the country’s various destinations,” said Vivek Nair, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, The Leela Palace Hotels and Resorts.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world and extends around 1,500 miles down from the north-east of Australia. There are numerous ways to experience the reef, here’s a sample of some of the best.

Breakfast on the Reef – This very special tour features a morning flight over the Great Barrier Reef to a private, and pristine, coral cay which is yours for two full hours. After touch down, enjoy a delicious tropical brunch with Australian sparkling wine and juices and then relax in splendid isolation before you reboard the helicopter for the return scenic flight.

http://gbrhelicopters.com.au/specialty.html

Seaplane over Heart Reef – Share the natural wonder that is Heart Reef with a loved on a very special seaplane scenic flight. Heart Reef is a unique composition of coral which has naturally formed into the shape of a heart, and it can only be properly appreciated from the air.

This is the perfect Valentine’s Day, anniversary or romantic surprise for a loved one. www.airwhitsunday.com.au

Cruising the Whitsundays in style – Visit this world-class destination on a luxury boating experience for a maximum of nine passengers with DescaradA Charters in the Whitsundays. Guest facilities include private cabin accommodation, chef-prepared culinary creations and a variety of activities designed to entice even the most reluctant of travellers out from under the bimini covers on the top deck.

Two day/two night, three day/three night and private charters are available and include a crew of three, accommodation, all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, marine park and island fees. www.descarada.com.au

Sprint to the reef – A new snorkelling adventure tour has its guests on the reef just 15 minutes after they leave Port Douglas. Reef Sprinter offers 14 guests the perfect reef snorkelling experience for the time poor on a two-and-a-half hour tour to the vast coral gardens and abundant fish life of the Low Isles. Getting there is half the fun aboard the 500 horse power enviro speed boat reaching speeds of more than 40 knots. Reef Sprinter tours operate three times a day from the Port Douglas Slipway jetty. www.reefsprinter.com.au

Diving delights – Mike Ball has been a pioneer in the Australian dive industry since he started his dive school in Townsville in 1969. Visitors with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions can still expect to find an extra special experience on tours including in-water encounters with friendly Minke whales in waters between Cooktown and Lizard Island and dives at the famous Cod Hall off Lizard Island with the giant potato cod and huge Queensland groupers. Divers can also join special research expeditions including a Coral Sea safari and reef shark tag and track. www.mikeball.com

Sleep with the fish – Reefsleep is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the solitude of spending the night right on the reef.

Located at the Reefworld pontoon at Hardy Reef, 40 nautical miles from the mainland, the experience includes overnight accommodation (maximum six people), alfresco dinner including wine, full breakfast, buffet lunches, sunset cocktails, two scuba dives or guided snorkelling safari, and use of facilities including the underwater viewing chamber, semi-submersible and waterslide. Visitors travel to Reefworld with the visitors. They remain when the tour departs at 2.30pm, returning at 10.30am the following day. www.fantasea.com.au/page/reefsleep/index.html

Winning ways to explore the reef – Nationally-awarded Passions of Paradise and Quicksilver offer travellers a range of Great Barrier Reef day tours.

- The 2009 Australian Tourism Award winner is a 25 metre custom designed sailing catamaran that travels daily from Cairns to Michaelamas Cay and Paradise Reef. Guests spend the day soaking up the sun, snorkelling with the fish, scuba diving or checking out the beauty of the reef on a glass bottom boat ride. www.passions.com.au

- Australian Tourism Hall of Fame member, The Quicksilver Group runs daily Outer Reef Cruises out of Port Douglas to Agincourt Reef aboard a state of the art, wavepiercer catamarans, and sailing cruises to the Low Isles, a coral cay located 15km north east of Port Douglas. www.quicksilver-cruises.com Quicksilver also operates Great Adventures cruises out of Cairns offering day trips to Green Island and the Outer Reef. www.greatadventures.com.au

And just a few others…

Day trip to Lady Elliot – View one of the most pristine parts of the Great Barrier Reef from above and below on a day trip to Lady Elliot island from Brisbane or the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Join a guided tour on a glass bottom boat, snorkel amongst the most amazing coral formations and marine creatures, hand feed fish in the lagoon or take a guided reef walk. Come face to face with turtles, colourful coral and schools of reef fish. Guests enjoy the best the reef has to offer and a delicious buffet lunch. www.seairpacific.com.au

Green Island – Lying just 27km off Cairns, Green Island is the only coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef with a rainforest – making it a one stop tropical experience. Take a 45 minute journey across the Coral Sea to the 15 hectare island which is home to 126 native plant species, colourful birdlife and magnificent coral gardens. Explore the rainforest and other wonders of the islands on a self-guided eco walk, then cool off with a swim, dive or snorkel amongst the tropical fish and coral gardens. www.greatadventures.com.au

Seaplane to Orpheus – The view from the seaplane ride to reef-fringed Orpheus Island is a scenic delight and the water landing a great way to arrive at the 1,368 hectare island which has been a National Park since 1960.

The island is also home to the James Cook Research Centre and a guided tour provides a great introduction to the quality of marine life found in the surrounding waters. The island has just one luxury resort with individual villas overlooking the Coral Sea, and is accessible only by seaplane from Townsville. www.orpheus.com.au

Spectacular Reef Encounter – View the spectacular seascape of the Great Barrier Reef on a scenic heli-flight to a floating boutique hotel. Skysafari takes guests from Port Douglas and Cairns on a tropical coastline and reef scenic heli-flight before touching down on Reef Encounter’s exclusive helipad. Reef Encounter is a luxury catamaran and floating hotel that offers 21 state rooms, gourmet meals, air-conditioning, dining room and bar, sundeck and spa. On Skysafari’s Reef Explorer day trip guests can enjoy a private stateroom for the day, embark on a snorkelling adventure, learn how to scuba dive or simply relax on the sundeck.

There’s also the opportunity to extend your stay with an overnight reef encounter on the luxury live-aboard vessel. www.skysafari.com.au  www.reefencounter.com.au