Jetsettersblog

The newest property to be marketed by Kamili (www.kamili.co.uk ), Serengeti Soroi Lodge in Tanzania is open now.

Located on a remote hill overlooking the Western Corridor of the famed Serengeti plains, the lodge offers an excellent vantage point for the wildebeest migration as it heads North and West at this time of year.

Serengeti Soroi Lodge is set on a hill overlooking the vast plains of Musabi. The lodge has been designed to maximise the endless views and breathtaking sunsets.

Twenty-five magnificent thatched chalets complete with hardwood floors, Turkish baths and outdoor showers, are tucked away amongst the thorn Acacia trees, and are linked to the main lodge by timber walkways.

Each private tented chalet is elevated on wooden stilts, giving guests a 360 degree outlook over Musabi and the Great Wildebeest Migration. Up to 55 guests will be accommodated in five double suites and 15 double and five twin luxury thatched chalets. Facilities include an infinity rock pool and Nomadic African Spa treatments conducted from the comfort of guests’ balconies.

Activities will include game drives and walking safaris in this untouched corner of the Serengeti.

Owned by family-run Mbali Mbali Lodges and Camps, Serengeti Soroi joins a portfolio of properties set in some of the most remote and diverse areas of Tanzania including Gombe Stream, Mahale Mountains, Katavi National Park, and Tarangire National Park. Mbali Mbali has an ongoing commitment to supporting wildlife research initiatives within the National Parks and Reserves of Tanzania, including setting up and funding schools and clinics in the areas in which they operate.

The new Serengeti lodge will be connected to the Mbali Mbali camps in Western Tanzania with a daily schedule service to the Seronera airstrip, offered by Zantas Air.

From US$ 485 per person per night. A 10 night ‘best of remote Tanzania’ itinerary costs from US$7,158 (around £4,773) per person based on two people travelling and includes:

• 3 nights Serengeti Soroi Lodge, Serengeti NP

• 3 nights Katavi Bush Lodge, Katavi NP

• 4 nights Kungwe Beach Lodge, Mahale NP

• Flights starting and ending in Arusha, including airport taxes

• Game drives and walking safari in Katavi

• Chimpanzee tracking, fishing trip, snorkelling and kayaking at Mahale

• Park fees, camp fees, soft drinks, laundry at all lodges

• Airstrip transfers

• Valid to – 31 December 2010

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

Travellers and holiday makers in Ireland can explore the wonderful world of Tunisia with just the click of a mouse on the brand new, fully comprehensive website – www.cometotunisia.ie

Featuring fully interactive ‘Google Maps’ and the option to build a personalised holiday itinerary, visitors can mix sun, sea, spa and adventure to create the perfect individual package.

Choose from a dazzling collection of world class hotels, top restaurants and thalassotherapy centres, combined with a fine array of historical, sporting and cultural activities to make a memorable break.

Relax on golden beaches and enjoy a dip in the warm seas before heading into the desert for camel rides and quad biking.

www.cometotunisia.ie also provides up-to-date news and information on events, festivals and special offers.

Known as the jewel of the Mediterranean, there has never been a better time to visit Tunisia. With its fantastic exchange rate Tunisia offers a unique holiday experience and great value for money.

Sunway (www.sunway.ie) and Panorama (www.panoramaholidays.ie) offer holidays to Tunisia from Ireland.

For more information go to www.cometotunisia.ie

Set To Open In August

Construction is underway on Etambura Camp, the first luxury tented camp in Namibia owned entirely by the local communities. Run by Conservancy Safaris (www.kcs-namibia.com.na  ) and set on a remote hill top in the North West Kunene region, the camp will offer the ultimate desert camping in comfort.

Etambura Camp is in the Orupembe Conservancy in the western Himbaland, a 3,565 square kilometre area of mountains, hills, plains and tree-lined dry river beds.

In Herero “etaa mbura” means “see the rain all over” and appropriately the construction of Conservancy Safaris latest venture is on the summit of a hilltop in one of the remotest parts of the Kunene Region, with an average rainfall of approximately 100mm per annum. The camp is scheduled to open to the first guests at the beginning of August.

Conservancy Safaris, and Etambura Camp, are entirely owned by the local communities with 100% of the profit going to the hosts, the local Himba and Herero people.

Etambura Camp will consist of just five en suite tents, each with a private deck and positioned to take maximum advantage of the breath-taking views over the Onyuva plains.

The communal lapa area extends to the edge of the hill and is the perfect setting to enjoy a good meal, watch the sun set whilst the moon rises and marvel at the endless expanse of a starry sky.

Designed by Trevor Knott, a pasture scientist by profession with a growing reputation for unusual and striking projects in Namibia, Etambura will have a unique finish incorporating both flora and natural rock as an artistic feature.

Etambura is for exclusive use of Conservancy Safaris guests and will feature in the Kunene Kaleidescope, Kunene Katiti and Kunene Collage itineraries.

Kunene Kaleidoscope is a 9 night/ 10 day safari with a maximum of eight people, from US$5950 per person (approx £4130).

Traverse rutted tracks, dry riverbeds and rugged mountain passes with a stunning backdrop of ever-changing desert scenery, inhabited by a diversity of fascinating plants and animals.

Learn how the well-being of semi-nomadic herding people and wildlife are linked.

Track black rhino and explore a dry river bed with conservancy game guards. Spend quality time with your Herero and Himba conservancy hosts and gain insights into the highs and lows of living together with wildlife in this arid environment.

All trips start and end in Swakopmund, costs are inclusive of full board accommodation, transport and conservancy fees, excluding international flights.

For further information on Conservancy Safaris and the rest of the Kamili portfolio please visit www.kamili.co.uk

Visit Hyatt Regency Dubai’s Club Olympus Fitness & Spa to address your individual needs with programmes developed for increased mental and physical energy, as well as improved muscle tone.

The fitness instructors are there to help you create your own effective training programme from the range of fitness and aqua classes on offer, whether for weight loss, fitness or general well-being.

Feeling tired, weary and lethargic?

BODYBALANCE™ is exactly what you need! Starting on 1 July, Club Olympus Fitness & Spa introduces BODYBALANCE™ group aerobics classes by LesMills™, conducted by one of our certified instructors.

BODYBALANCE™ is a dynamic Yoga-based stretch programme that combines the best practices of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates, building flexibility and strength, and leaving you feeling centered and calm.

Select the time that suits you best:

• Every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00am to 9:00am

• Every Wednesday from 6:30pm to 7:30pm

BODYBALANCE™ classes are priced at AED54 per person.

If you are looking to change up your aerobics routine, you can also try aquarobics, now available at Club Olympus Fitness & Spa. Or consider a back recovery session, a programme specially adapted for guests with problem backs.

Back recovery classes are available every Monday and Wednesday from 8:30am to 9:30am and are priced at AED30 per class. Abdominal classes are held every Tuesday from 8:30am to 9:00am, priced at AED20 per class.

SPECIAL JULY OFFERS: Sign up now and get one class FREE when you pay for four classes. This offer is valid until 31 July.

For more information or to make a booking, please contact Club Olympus Fitness & Spa on +9714 209 6802 or e-mail ClubOlympus.hyattregencydubai@hyatt.com

The ‘First in Surfing News’ iPhone app has been released by Surfersvillage and is aimed at surfers, the surf-industry, and lifestyle enthusiasts.

The launch coincided with Apple’s iPad going on sale in the USA.

Available to download for free on the Apple App Store, the tool helps surfers, surf-Industry personnel, surf-media, and lifestyle entusiasts keep up to date with the latest news in surfing from around the world. The Surfersvillage iPhone App is the first and only app dedicated to Surfing News.

The Surfersvillage First in Surfing News iPhone app launch version features:

FREE download to users

Content includes:
- International Surfing News
- Surf-Industry News
- ASP Surfing News
- Regional Surfing News from;
- Africa
- Australia
- Brazil
- Europe
- Hawaii
- USA
http://itunes.apple.com/app/surfersvillage/id364266772?mt=8

• Joint venture company formed by two leading regional firms

• Air Arabia ‘Jordan’ to serve Europe, Middle East and North Africa markets from Amman, complementing carrier’s existing routes and growth strategy

• Announcement of Air Arabia’s fourth regional hub follows recent launch of operations of the carrier’s third hub in Egypt’

Sharjah: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, and Tantash Group, an Amman-based diversified investment company active in the travel sector, announced today the signing of a joint venture agreement to launch a new low-cost carrier based in Amman, Jordan.

The announcement followed a function organised in Amman under the patronage and attendance of his Excellency Minister of Transport, Engineer Alaa Batayneh.

Air Arabia ‘Jordan,’ the first LCC based in the Hashemite Kingdom, will provide direct service to a range of destinations across the Europe, Middle East and North Africa region from Queen Alia International Airport.

This announcement follows the recent launch of operations of Air Arabia third hub in Alexandria. Following the launch of Air Arabia ‘Jordan,’ the carrier will provide service from four hubs spanning the Middle East and North Africa region, including its primary hub in Sharjah, UAE, and its Moroccan hub at Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, which introduced service in April 2009.

“We thank the Jordanian Ministry of Transport for granting all the support to launch this new project. The signing of our joint venture agreement with Tantash Group, one of Jordan’s leading investment companies, represents yet another milestone in the ongoing evolution of Air Arabia,” said Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia.

“At a time when the global and regional economy continues to demonstrate strong signs of sustained recovery, we are confident of the long-term growth opportunities for the first low-cost carrier in the Kingdom, which will provide the high level of service, operational reliability and value-for-money fares that have become hallmarks of the Air Arabia brand.”

“With nearly two decades of experience in the travel and tourism sector in Jordan, Tantash Group, like our partners Air Arabia, is a pioneer in the region’s rapidly expanding travel sector,” said Mazen Tantash, Chairman, Tantash Group.

“This partnership therefore represents a unique synergy of skills, experience and management vision, which will provide significant benefits for travellers based in Jordan and across the wider EMEA region.”

The new carrier, whose operations will be managed by the Air Arabia Group, will follow the successful low-cost model introduced to the MENA region by Air Arabia. Further information regarding the new joint venture will be communicated in the near future.

Air Arabia launched service from Sharjah, UAE, in October 2003. Today, the carrier provides service to 64 routes, spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, from its hubs in the UAE, Egypt and Morocco.

Tantash Group, headquartered in Amman, is a diversified investment company, which is active in travel and tourism, real estate, financial services and industrial investment.

From now through the end of September, visitors to Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast can view newly-restored Baroque treasures in three churches, which have themselves been restored to their former splendor.

Part of a $13.5 million project of The Light of Images Foundation which recovers the Valencian region’s artistic heritage, “Glory of the Baroque” showcases 307 pieces, many never before exhibited.

A team of seven architects, six archaeologists and 133 art restorers carefully worked to restore 144 paintings, sculptures, textiles, gold work and documents.

Many works are on loan from other churches, museums, monasteries and private collections, and highlights include paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco Ribalta and José de Ribera.

After the Reconquista in 1238 when Valencia was conquered by the Christians, King James I had three parish churches built on the sites of Moorish mosques.

The “Glory of the Baroque” exhibition is divided thematically between these three. San Esteban Protomartir houses a collection of Valencian Baroque paintings while San Martin Obispo is dedicated to Valencian sculpture and gold work from the Middle Ages through the 20th century.

The devotion to the Virgin Mary is the theme at San Juan de La Cruz. San Esteban was the first church constructed in Valencia after the Moors fled Valencia and was the original burial place of El Cid.

Two never before exhibited paintings by Peter Paul Rubens as well as works by Jose de Ribera and Pablo Pontons are on view here. More than 160 figures were uncovered during restoration and visitors can view them up close from a temporary stairway.

Visitors start the self-guided walking tour at the Almudín, a 16th century granary built over an old Moorish palace which houses an exhibition celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Light of Images Foundation and an audiovisual experience showcasing Valencia’s Baroque art. Then they exit and follow a “footpath” stenciled in Baroque design leading to the three churches. Exhibition hours are from Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays until 10 p.m.) and entry to the exhibition costs $3.70 (3 euros).

For more information, visit www.en.comunitatvalenciana.com/eng

InterContinental Hotels Group signed an agreement with Colombia-based Espacios Urbanos S.A. to manage a new-build InterContinental property in Cartagena, Colombia.

The hotel will be the 23rd InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property in Latin America and the Caribbean (19 open and four under construction).

Scheduled to open in early 2013, the 280-room InterContinental Cartagena will be located in the city’s Bocagrande district — beachfront on San Martin Avenue — approximately two miles from the historic walled Old City and five miles from Rafael Nuñez International Airport.

The hotel will be one of the anchors of a 215,000-square-foot mixed-used development that includes a casino, upscale retail shops, movie theaters and restaurants.

The property itself will include more than 16,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa, fitness center and various restaurants and bars.

IHG currently has five hotels in Colombia — two InterContinental, one Crowne Plaza, and two Holiday Inn Express properties.

The company is also experiencing continued growth of the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand in Mexico as well.

Grand Canyon Ranch has introduced wild bison onto the 165-square-mile ranch, located 14 miles from the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. The property now offers Buffalo Safaris by horseback or horse-drawn wagon.

For more information, call 800-359-8727 or visit www.grandcanyonranch.com

Apple Core Hotels, owner and operator of five centrally located, moderately priced Manhattan properties, unveiled nyma, the new york manhattan hotel, formerly the Red Roof Inn, located on 32nd Street west of Fifth Avenue. The hotel is set to undergo an extensive transformation, which is scheduled to be completed in December 2010. The renovation will unveil multi-million dollar upgrades to the property’s lobby and mezzanine areas, providing travelers with modern amenities at affordable prices. Rates at nyma start at $109.99 per night.

Previously a Red Roof Inn, Apple Core Hotels transformed the property into an independent hotel. This move follows the successful brand de-flagging of another Apple Core Hotels property, The Hotel @ Times Square, which was formerly a Super 8. “The decision to de-franchise our properties has two-fold benefits for both our company and the consumer,” said Vijay Dandapani, president of Apple Core Hotels. “Our independent properties are free of the rigid brand guidelines that must be followed when part of a chain, and it gives us more flexibility with rates, offerings and amenities for the consumer.

It also enables us to target discerning value-driven consumers who prefer to stay away from ‘cookie-cutter’ national brands. Additionally, by eliminating the franchise fee on these two properties we have a higher stream of revenue share for our hotels.”

“Typically, a franchise property will pay between 8 percent and 11 percent of revenue to the franchisor,” Dandapani said.

“Operating independently, we can better designate those funds and offer additional amenities that are not found at other hotels at this price point.”

Under the direction of designer Hyun Kim, renovations to nyma will include a large brightly-lit lobby lounge space with free Wi-Fi, a complimentary business center, and eco-friendly design features such as sunstone reclaimed glass, recycled wood fiberboard and LED light fixtures.

A Paris Baguette outpost will be located directly off of the lobby area, serving pastries, sandwiches and coffee.

As is customary in all Apple Core Hotels properties, nyma’s guest rooms feature comfortable bedding, a flat-screen television, night reading lamps, an iPhone docking station, a cordless speaker phone, an iron and ironing board, and an in-room safe.

The 50-person breakfast room will continue to offer guests a complimentary daily continental breakfast.

A fitness center rounds out additional complimentary amenities provided to guests.

For more information, visit www.applecorehotels.com