Jetsettersblog

ToplessTravel.com, a division of SLS Events, LLC, the #1 swingers dating site, is drawing attention to the swing lifestyle.

Costa Rica Trip #2

Topless Travel has launched and is in full effect to register couples for lifestyle travel.

Topless Travel has been given the responsibility to create, organize and facilitate travel events specifically for the members of SwingLifestyle. The staff at Topless Travel have15 years of experience in the “Lifestyle” travel industry.

The travel destinations range from a Costa Rica adventure, to a Jamaican getaway. The exotic destinations are an “open” adult adventure for couples and singles.

Couples can meet local Latin ladies interested in joining the swinger activities and the outdoor day trips. Adventure trips include whitewater rafting, zip-lines and ATV tours.

The Costa Rica trip has an optional 3 day add-on to Jaco Beach on the Pacific side.

For more information on Topless Travel, please visit Topless Travel at www.toplesstravel.com.

ToplessTravel.com (A division of SLS Events, LLC), has been given the responsibility to create, organize and facilitate travel events specifically for the members of SwingLifestyle.com. Our staff has 15 years of experience in the “Lifestyle” travel industry. We have not only created specialty trips to the usual swinger destinations, but new and exciting events in unique “Main Stream” destinations that are “lifestyle friendly” and are conducive to meeting the “locals” to play with.

EXPERIENCE AN EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY FULL OF LUXURY THAT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD

The Paradise Coast – Naples Marco Island Everglades is renowned for its high class restaurants, prestigious golf courses and exclusive boutique shopping and for those in the know this can all be experienced for a fraction of the cost.

Currently many of these exclusive hot spots are offering discounted prices and two for one deals, proving that luxury doesn’t always have to come at a price.

Luxury for less:

The Paradise Coast Values in Paradise VIP card runs to December 15, 2010 and offers visitors thousands of dollars in savings at participating restaurants, attractions, and shops.

Savings include attraction discounts, buy-one-get-one-free or half-off offers and other discounts and deals. The VIP card is free to all visitors, can be used immediately upon arrival, and is easily found at five convenient visitor centre locations: Downtown Naples Association Visitors Centre; Chambers of Commerce for: Greater Naples, Marco Island, the Everglades and Eastern Collier.

www.ParadiseCoast.co.uk/vip

The Golfing Elite:

Looking for great deals on summer golf in Naples?

The South Florida PGA 2010 GolfPass membership is the best program around for discounted summer golf.

It offers discounts at more than 234 South Florida courses, including 33 country clubs in the greater Naples area along with a golf shop and two top area instructional programs.

Passes are valid for discounted play until 31 October, 2010 with some courses offering extended discounts beyond 31 October.

www.ParadiseCoast.co.uk/golf

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) has picked up a major international conservation award. DOC won the Parks Forum’s “economic award” at a conference in Sydney for its role in building and developing the Otago Central Rail Trail.

The organization also received recognition from the Parks Forum for the large-scale pest eradication project on Auckland’s Rangitoto and Motutapu islands.

The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 90-mile cycleway following the path of the former Otago Central Railway. The trail goes from Middlemarch to Clyde in the South Island’s Central Otago region and is a living history of farming communities and gold mining in New Zealand.

The rail trail, developed by DOC in conjunction with the Otago Central Rail Trail Trust, was built for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

More than 60 of the original bridges along the old railway have been restored, and the trail has become New Zealand’s most popular cycleway.

There are many historical sites as well as beautiful scenery to see along the way, including the Golden Progress mine and other gold mining relics near Oturehua, the historic workers’ camps at Poolburn Gorge, country pubs in trailside towns and extensive views of central Otago’s “big sky” landscape.

The DOC’s large-scale pest eradication project on Auckland’s Rangitoto and Motutapu islands also received a big nod.

The program aimed to remove all international “visitors” of the pest variety from the islands, creating a vast sanctuary for New Zealand’s native birds and plants.

It is one of the largest and most complex pest eradication programs undertaken by DOC.

The NZ$3.5 million investment has already seen rare native birds return to both the islands, providing a platform for a range of eco-tourism activities, such as multi-sport events and eco-tours.

Rangitoto and Motutapu islands are joined by a causeway built during World War II. The islands collectively provide 3,800 hectares of land that supports some of New Zealand’s rarest native birds, including the kaka, kiwi and takahe.

The island sanctuary also contains the world’s largest pohutukawa forest.

The project aims to remove all pests from the island — including rats, mice, stoats, feral cats, rabbits and hedgehogs.

Possums and wallabies were removed from both islands in the 1990s.

When the project is complete, it will create one of New Zealand’s biggest pest-free island sanctuaries, and the biggest in the Hauraki Gulf.

Rangitoto Island is the biggest and also the youngest volcanic crater in Auckland – although it is now extinct.

The volcano erupted from the sea more than 600 years ago and is a public reserve managed by DOC. Motutapu Island is next to Rangitoto and is also much older.

The island is slowly regenerating to forest and DOC is also gradually restoring wetlands areas as part of a major community project.

For more information, visit www.newzealand.com

Good news to wine lovers who are interested in viticulture through the aroma of good wine!

The “Voyage du Vin” at Sofitel Luxury Hotels across Asia Pacific has been launched to accommodate wine lovers’ growing demand for extensive wine tasting experiences, inviting customers to venture into wine delight around the world.

Wine is often associated with a relaxing and luxurious lifestyle. A bottle of fine wine can be an enjoyment on its own and the enjoyment doubles when matching with Asian cuisine.

As part of its keen effort to promote the wine culture, Sofitel has searched the vineyards from around the world to enhance wine quality and provide consistent offering in its hotels throughout Asia Pacific.

T. Markland Blaiklock, Senior Vice President of Sofitel Asia Pacific said, “As a French luxury hotel brand, wine is part of our culture and brand DNA.

“We strive to offer wine with top quality, to bring consistency to all our properties throughout the Asia-Pacific region, we have invited two renowned Masters of Wine to advise our service team on professional wine knowledge, and we are delighted to invite customers on a tour to explore the various fine wines around the world. Staff enjoys the training process as it equipped them with basic knowledge on wine process and tasting, and we have seen very positive results of the training.”

One of the Masters of Wine Ch’ng Poh Tiong, publisher of Chinese Bordeaux Guide and The Wine Review shares his knowledge on wine with staff of Sofitel Luxury Hotels, “It is very important to get the service team at the hotels involved in wine education, the 3-5 days training gives them basic knowledge including different types of grapes, wine process and tasting etc.

In addition, two Wine Ambassadors from each hotel will be selected for advanced training. The program gives them a good insight to discover wine and share it with their customers.”

Some of the world-renowned wineries are invited as partners of the Sofitel Voyage du Vin , namely the Catena Zapata from Argentina, Nederburg and Fleur du Cap from South Africa, Howard Park and Mad Fish Wineries from Southern Australia, Dourthe from Bordeaux, Bouchard from Burgundy, Perrin & Fils from Rhone Valley, Frescobaldi from Italy, and Delicato Family Vineyards from California.

These quality wineries also arranged regular training sessions for staff at Sofitel Luxury Hotels on news and updates of their wine.

Among these famous wineries, Marchese Leonardo Frescobaldi, president of the Frescobaldi winery is particular optimistic about the Asian wine market, “Frescobaldi is a family of several estates all located in Tuscany, with our mission to create wines of the highest possible quality which enhance the characters and the individuality of their respective territories.

It is a pleasure a fast growth of interest and knowledge in Asia for quality wine over the years, and Asia is definitely a well cultured wine market where consumers particularly appreciate harmonious and elegant wines.”

Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji’s Bebe Spa is transforming guests’ holidays with genuine tropical bliss thanks to three brand new, and very indulgent, day spa treatments:

•The Bebe Vakaviti Signature Massage is a decadent union of ancient Fijian and Hawaiian cultures.

Incorporating soothing massage strokes, light stretching and the application of warm towels, the old world remedy draws out tension and e-aligns the body.

•   Tropical Salt Mousse Exfoliation vanquishes dull skin. Beginning with a dry body brush and a decadent mousse of salt crystals gently whipped with warm water, the treatment then employs the anti-aging properties of a papaya and pineapple body balm and fragrant body mist.

•   Tropical Escape the exfoliating and anti-aging power of the Tropical Salt Mouse treatment is magnified by a rich, indulgent wrap, nourishing the skin with sweet tropical scents

Information: www.outriggerfiji.com

Could it be the most beautiful beach in the world?

Following a recent poll which named Whitehaven Beach as one of the best in the world, Australasia experts Austravel reveals four worthy contenders for the title

When Whitehaven Beach topped a recent poll* as one of the world’s most spectacular shorelines, it prompted Austravel to do a straw poll amongst its expert staff to find their top five beaches in Australia. The winners are:

Cable Beach

Cable Beach is 22 kilometres of crisp white sand and being situated in Broome, Western Australia, it enjoys tropical temperatures all year-round. Stay at Cable Beach Club, Broome’s first ever luxury resort which has recently undergone an AUD $20 million refurbishment, adding another restaurant and a day spa.

Austravel is offering five nights for the price of four with prices starting at £349 per person. The offer is based on two sharing and valid for stays between 11 October 2010 to 31 March 2011.

Wineglass Bay

Wineglass Bay in Tasmania is a perfect crescent of white sand, lapped by turquoise waters so no wonder it’s such a popular choice amongst those in the know.

The bay is part of the Freycinet National Park, a vast and beautiful park that is best explored with Austravel’s six-day self-drive tour.

The Freycinet Escape costs from just £499 per person including six days’ care hire and five nights’ accommodation.

Bells Beach

Bells Beach is iconic amongst surfers and movie-lovers alike, being both the home of the long-running Bells Beach Classic Surf competition and the filming location for the final scene in Point Break.

The beach is a highlight of the Great Ocean Drive, itself one of the most iconic road trips in the world. Austravel offers a five-day self-drive tour from Melbourne to Adelaide from just £399 per person based on two sharing and including car hire and accommodation.

Vivonne Bay

On an island as beautiful as Kangaroo Island, it takes a special beach to stand out from the rest, but Vivonne Bay succeeds, so much so that it was voted the country’s best beach by Sydney University students.

The votes were based on its clarity of water, cleanliness and privacy, making it an all-round perfect beach. Austravel offers a three-day self-drive tour of Kangaroo Island from just £349 per person based on two sharing and including car hire and accommodation.

Whitehaven Beach

Austravel agrees that Whitehaven Beach deserves its place as one of the best in Australia, if not the world. Part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the award-winning sparkling sandy white beach is made up of four miles of silica sand. Stay at the four-star Reef View Hotel from just £389 per person, based on two sharing. Austravel can also organise cruises of the area from just £99 per person.

To book, visit www.austravel.com  or phone 0800 988 4834.

Taronga Zoo is pleased to have retained the position as Sydney’s most popular experience for the fourth year in a row.

During the year ending June 2010, the Zoo received strong support from the community with nearly 1.5 million people visiting Taronga.

Taronga’s General Manager Marketing and Commercial Operations, Paul Davies, said: “Taronga has again been the number one visited experience in Sydney. Public support for our work from conservation education to conservation projects in the wild has helped the zoo expand our efforts for wildlife.”

“This result proves that people are interested in our work for wildlife and that conservation is fascinating and exciting. It also makes us uniquely positioned to educate and inspire the community about conservation issues and hopefully positively influence their attitudes and behaviours. As far as we know, no other zoo or tourist experience across Australia has ever received this level of support.”

“International visitors make up over one quarter of the total, which indicates the growing interest of tourists in experiencing and understanding both the wonder of Australian wildlife and the challenges that face many of our iconic species. The newly opened Tasmanian Devil Breeding Centre at Taronga is already attracting many visitors who want to discover just how this remarkable animal lives, while learning about the threats it faces.

In the last year, the Zoos have announced amazing successes from the birth Australia’s first- ever elephant calf and the return to the wild of endangered Booroolong Frogs bred at Taronga to the first birth in Australia of a rare Francois’ Langur, a leaf-eating monkey from Asia.

“Television documentaries featuring the births of our Asian Elephant calves and our work beyond the zoo gates like taking Corroboree Frog eggs back to the wild have heightened the community’s awareness of our zoos and the all encompassing role in conservation we play.”

Mr Davies said: “There’s a real hunger in the community to learn about wildlife and, most importantly, to do something about helping ensure there’s a joint, sustainable future for humans and wildlife.”

“That’s what makes the Zoos a very different sort of attraction, drawing a very wide cross-section of people from families to international visitors, keen to discover Australia’s unique wildlife. This isn’t a passive thing, because our visitors are learning while they’re here and taking home ways to make a difference for wild creatures.”

The Zoos’ 12-year Master Plan redevelopment, which began in 2000, has delivered a huge and varied range of exhibits that present wildlife as never before. The redevelopment includes the Great Southern Oceans and Wild Asia mega-exhibits

The strength in visitor numbers has enabled the Zoos to expand their conservation activities to include:

• $200,000 in conservation field grants
• School education Programs -Project Penguin and Project Booroolong
• Support of Asian Elephants including Sri Lankan elephant orphan, Moreesha.
• Conservation breeding program for Tasmanian Devils
• Support of Gorillas through the ‘They’re Calling You” mobile phone recycling project.
• Sumatran Tiger support through the “Don’t Palm Us Off” palm oil food labelling program
• Bush Rat re-introduction program

Mr Davies said: “Our Zoos are not-for-profit, so the outstanding community support enables us to plough more funding into wildlife and education projects.

“We’re expanding people’s experiences at the Zoo including opportunities to sleep overnight at Roar and Snore. This helps change outdated views of what we’re about.”

“Our Zoos are the forefront of modern global conservation which is a very exciting place for us to be and, especially exciting for our visitors and our community which demonstrate this through making Taronga Zoo the most popular experience in Australia.”

Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours Managing Director Paul Brown said today that they have been extremely pleased with the client feedback from the previous Discovery model; leading to the decision to continue with the Land Rovers.

The changeover is in keeping with Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours’ policy of changing their vehicles every 2-3 years.

Allowing KIWT to maintain superior levels of comfort and safety; also minimising the environmental impact by having the most up to date emission control and fuel efficiency systems.

Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours are committed to providing a personalised, fully hosted experience whilst preserving the unique local environment. This is done in comfort and style, using only award winning luxury 4WD vehicles that carry a maximum of 6 passengers.

Their local guides (most of whom have lived on the ‘Island’ all their lives) will take you on a journey of discovery of Australia’s leading wildlife destination.

Being true locals their expertise and passion for Kangaroo Island is unsurpassed and far greater than anything that can be learnt from a book.

The BBQ and Picnic two-course lunches are complimented by excellent Kangaroo Island wines and make the most of the Islands fresh produce. Enjoyed in a bushland setting, this is more than lunch; it is a food and wine experience.

Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours can arrange the whole package for you including flights, transfers and a variety of accommodation.

They are also in the unique position of having their own luxury property, Seascape Lodge on Emu Bay. Situated in a fabulous location with breathtaking sea views, Seascape Lodge combines a fully hosted experience with spacious rooms, complemented by great food and wine, and is exclusively available to Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours guests.

As new figures suggest that record numbers of A-level students will be turned away from the country’s leading universities on results day, Immigration New Zealand is encouraging young people to gain valuable experience and life skills by taking a working holiday to ‘the land of the long white cloud.’

A recent Guardian poll suggested as many as 170,000 students could find themselves left without a place on a degree course as ‘institutions declared themselves full, more than a week before the clearing system opens.’

Ross Grigg, regional manager for Immigration New Zealand suggests that this actually presents a perfect opportunity to take time out to discover a new country, gain valuable experience and even study along the way.

“While your chosen university might be full, New Zealand offers unlimited places on its working holiday scheme and in many cases, applications can be approved in less than three days when submitted online.

“We have lots of short term working opportunities for young people, including skilled employment, which not only provides you with much needed travel-income, but also makes a great addition to your CV.

“For those who want to continue their studies, the working holiday visa also offers the opportunity to combine travelling with education – allowing participants to study a wide range of courses, from short research projects to courses in horticulture, the arts or even journalism, at world class institutions.

Student Visas are also obtainable for those looking to undertake a full-time degree course in New Zealand.”

Nearly 10,000 people from the UK apply for a working holiday visa for New Zealand each year, allowing UK residents between the ages of 18-30 to live, work and travel throughout the country for up to two years.

The visa can be applied for online at www.newzealandnow.govt.nz

More information about New Zealand’s educational prospects can be found by visiting http://www.newzealandeducated.com

Britz is transforming family holidays from the ho-hum into the spectacular with the launch of a new branch in the heart of Australia’s natural wonderland.

Australia’s largest campervan rental company is making family holidays as easy as A-B-C with the opening of its rental location in the Ballina/Byron Bay area, on the far north coast of New South Wales.

Campervanners will be able to hop off a plane at Ballina Airport, pick up a Britz campervan, such as the newly launched Renegade at the Britz airport hub, and launch straight into their own self-drive holiday amid some of Australia’s most sensational coastline and subtropical hinterland.

Britz’s central location in Ballina puts travellers at the doorstep of sparkling beaches and ancient rainforests, where you can watch dolphins frolic with the surfers at Lennox Head, discover the magnificent Minyon Falls in the Nightcap National Park and also cruise the Richmond River.

There’s so much to see and do here; families – especially their littlest critics – will never be bored!

Stop in to see the native birds, animals and reptiles at the Macadamia Castle animal park or take in the alternative arts and crafts, eclectic entertainment and fabulous, fresh local produce at the renowned Bangalow Market.

You can also forget the hassle of finding motel/hotel accommodation. Britz has all your accommodation needs in one clever, home-away-from-home solution.

The Britz Ballina branch features all current Britz 2WD campervans and is the perfect pit stop after a flight – with tea and coffee, toilets, tourist information and storage for luggage.

Families can take advantage of Britz’s newly released campervan that lets the kids ride up front with the adults. The spacious six-berth Renegade is Britz’s first dual cab campervan on the market. The user-friendly design means more space in the campervan for a roomy kitchen, lounge and dining area.

Britz UK Account Manager Keith Marsh said Britz is thrilled to open a branch in a location that has so much to offer families without breaking the budget.

“The Ballina and Byron Bay area is a spectacular drawcard with all the best that nature has to offer and now families can access the area – easily, affordably, in comfort and style with a Britz,” Keith said.

“We pride ourselves on taking the headaches out of holidays. All you need to do is book, arrive and head off on your family adventure.”

The brand new Ballina Britz branch is available for bookings.

The branch is located at Ballina Airport terminal building, phone 02 6681 3645 or free call within Australia on 1800 331 454.

For more information visit www.britz.com.au