Jetsettersblog

In the remote island setting of Haida Gwaii, stretches of shoreline pummelled by big winter waves supply more than just a far-flung, romantic setting.

Need some incentive?

Leave Byron and Keats on the bedside table, grab your board and let ‘er rip during the second annual Haida Gwaii Surfing Expression Session.

Set on the shores east of Masset, it’s all about swells, breaks and beach fun during this gathering of short and longboards, November 12 – 14.

And while winter conditions ensure a relentless wave of west coast surfers, it won’t put a damper on the session’s three-day roster of workshops and lessons, brought to you by the pros at North Beach Surf Shop.

A brilliant backdrop for the surfing set, Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, revels in its great outdoors: here a rich First Nations culture defines a landscape that boasts quaint villages, secluded inlets, sandy beaches and temperate rainforest.

An appropriate setting for a poet.

And an even better spot to catch some air, or simply shred. www.northbeachsurfshop.com

www.GoHaidaGwaii.ca

Latest News

* Located adjacent to the Louisiana Superdome, the 60,000 square-foot Champions Square opened to the public on August 21, 2010, and is a major addition to downtown New Orleans. The special events site and fan entertainment area operates before and after Saints games, features a large music stage, multiple food vendors and can accommodate more than 8,000 fans.

* Presenting more than 50 artists in venues throughout the city, Prospect.1.5 New Orleans, an Inter-Biennial Program that will highlight the contemporary arts scene in the city, will take place November 6, 2010-February 19, 2011.

Prospect.1.5 will also serve as a preview to Prospect.2 New Orleans, the next edition of the international biennial, which will take place October 22, 2011-January 29, 2012. Approximately one-third of this year’s participants are native New Orleanians.

* The New Orleans Seafood Festival, September 10-12, celebrated cuisine from classic New Orleans seafood restaurants such as ACME Oyster House, Arnaud’s Restaurant, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Galatoire’s and many more. This year’s festival was held in Lafayette Square, across from historic Gallier Hall on St. Charles Avenue, and all proceeds benefited the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation.

* Convention customers and leisure travelers continue to recognize New Orleans as a top meeting and travel destination.

Bing Travel has voted New Orleans one of the 15 Coolest North American Cities. Also, Meetings and Conventions magazine subscribers and meeting planners awarded the New Orleans CVB with the 2010 Gold Service Award, voting the New Orleans CVB as one of the best convention and visitors bureaus in the world.

* The National World War II Museum, home to the new Solomon Victory Theater, Stage Door Canteen and American Sector Restaurant, continued its $300 million expansion by breaking ground on the U.S. Freedom Pavilion: Land, Sea and Air.

The new Pavilion will display large artifacts, including a B-17, and will honor all of the service branches that served in World War II. This new addition is scheduled to be open by Spring of 2012. Also, the World War II Museum posted a historic month when 43,301 people visited the museum in March 2010. As the museum celebrates its 10th anniversary, it is quickly approaching the 2.4 million visitation number.

* Carnival Cruise Lines has committed an additional ship to New Orleans. The Carnival Ecstasy, a 2,052 passenger ship, will begin sailing four and five night cruises year-round from New Orleans on September 22, 2010. New Orleans is also the home port of the Carnival Triumph, which will be replaced by the Carnival Conquest, in November 2010.

Also, the Norwegian Spirit, from Norwegian Cruise Lines, and soon the Voyager of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International will call New Orleans its homeport.

The Voyager of the Seas will offer seven-night cruises to the Western Caribbean and can accommodate 3,114 guests.

* World-renowned chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto have announced their partnership and the formation of Home on the Range: Folse Tramonto Restaurant Development, LLC, in which their first joint venture will be Restaurant R’evolution. The restaurant is scheduled to open in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in 2011 and will offer contemporary Creole cuisine.

* The New Orleans CVB launched “Let’s Do Shots! New Orleans Photo Contest.” Nearly 400 people submitted their favorite images of New Orleans, and the top 10 finalists have been chosen. Facebook fans of the New Orleans Photo Contest page will vote on the top two photos.

The winners will receive a trip for two to New Orleans. The campaign seeks to visually represent that New Orleans remains a world-class travel destination and a city that lives within the hearts of people around the globe.

* Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans CVB, was inducted as the Chairman of the Board for Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), the international governing body of convention and visitor bureaus.

Through Mr. Perry’s service as DMAI chairman, and his leadership positions with the United States Travel Association and the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, the New Orleans brand will be placed front and center in American tourism.

* Adding more than one thousand high-quality rooms to the city’s inventory of 35,550, the Hyatt Regency New Orleans is being completely repositioned and is set to open in the fall of 2011. The hotel plans to undergo a multi-million dollar redevelopment, adding 200,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, and will begin welcoming groups of all sizes in January 2012.

Hotels

* The Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar has been awarded the Sazerac Seal of Approval by the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society. The seal recognizes bars that consistently deliver the cocktail following the traditional Sazerac recipe.

* The Windsor Court New Orleans was recognized by Travel + Leisure ranking number 32 on the list of Top Large City Hotels in the U.S. and Canada. Readers also selected the Windsor Court Hotel for the annual Platinum List as one of the top 20 US Mainland Hotels as part of the Summer 2010 issue of Celebrated Living, the luxury magazine for American Airlines passengers.
* New Orleans was ranked number one internationally for nightlife according to TripAdvisor Annual Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards.

New Orleans was also recognized in four other categories including third in the Top 10 Food & Wine Destinations in the United States and fourth in the Top 10 Food & Wine Destinations in the World. The Crescent City placed ninth in the Top 10 Culture & Sightseeing Destinations in the United States and 15th in the Top 25 Destinations in the United States.

Museums and Attractions

* The New Orleans Botanical Gardens has collaborated with Gray Line Tours of New Orleans and Longue Vue House and Gardens to present the “Heart of the Gardens” tour, a motor coach tour that showcases the natural wonders of New Orleans and includes walking tours of the New Orleans Botanical Gardens and the Longue Vue House and Gardens.

* The Audubon Nature Institute is celebrating many milestones in 2010 including the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas’ 20th anniversary.

The Aquarium opened on Labor Day 1990, sits in the 17-acre Woldenberg Riverfront Park, and is credited for transforming this part of the river at the foot of Canal Street.

The Audubon Insectarium also celebrated its second “ant-iversary” on June 13. The Insectarium is the largest free-standing museum dedicated to insects and their relatives and houses approximately 900,000 critters.

* Susan M. Taylor officially became the New Orleans Museum of Art’s (NOMA) sixth Director Designate on September 1, following E. John Bullard’s retirement from NOMA after 37 years of service.

HONOLULU – As Hawaiian Airlines prepares to launch a new era of service with flights to Asia, the company today announced that Chef Chai Chaowasaree has been appointed as executive chef and will design its inflight meal program for First Class and Coach Class passengers.
Chef Chai will initially design the menus for Hawaiian’s new daily, nonstop flights between Honolulu and Tokyo, Japan, which launches November 17, before designing the menus for all of Hawaiian’s domestic and international flights systemwide in 2011, including the start of service four times weekly to Seoul, South Korea, on January 12.

Blaine Miyasato, Hawaiian’s vice president of product development, commented, “Chef Chai brings a fresh, pan-Asian approach to cuisine that is a reflection of Hawaii’s diverse cultural influences and the perfect complement to Hawaiian’s growing international service.

“Our customers are going to love the new meals that he has in store for them.”

Based in Honolulu, Chef Chai is a nationally recognized, award-winning chef and owner of two popular Hawaii restaurants, Singha Thai Cuisine in Waikiki and Chai’s Island Bistro at Aloha Tower Marketplace in Honolulu.

He uses only fresh ingredients from the Hawaiian Islands and, as a founding member of Hawaii’s Island Chefs, is committed to promoting the agriculture and aquaculture of the islands.

Each week, Chef Chai hosts a Hawaii TV cooking show, and last year authored The Island Bistro Cookbook, which earned an award of excellence from the Hawaii Book Publisher Association.

“I’m honored to serve as Hawaiian’s executive chef and excited about the challenge of offering customers a new selection of menus that will make the flying experience to and from Hawaii even more enjoyable,” said Chef Chai.

“Hawaiian has become established as one of the world’s premier airlines and I’m very proud to now be part of the team that is bringing such high-quality service to its customers.”

Miyasato added that Hawaiian is complementing Chef Chai’s inflight meals with wine pairings selected by Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya. A recognized expert at pairing wines with Pacific Rim cuisine, Furuya became the first person in Hawaii and the tenth person in the United States overall to earn the title of Master Sommelier in 1988.
Chef Chai is taking over as executive chef at Hawaiian from Chef Beverly Gannon, the awardwinning restaurateur from Maui who has designed meals for Hawaiian since 1999.

“Our inflight meals have won awards and helped distinguish Hawaiian from every other airline because of the care and creativity that Bev Gannon brought to the program,” said Miyasato. “We are deeply grateful to her for a decade of pleasing our customers.”

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian is the nation’s highest-ranked carrier for service quality and performance in 2009 in the 20th
annual Airline Quality Rating study, having earned that distinction in three of the past four years.

Hawaiian has also led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past six years (2004-2009) and has been an industry leader in fewest misplaced bags during that same period (#1 from 2005-2007, #2 in 2008 and 2009) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all
ranked Hawaiian the top domestic airline offering flights to Hawaii.

Now in its 81st year of continuous service for Hawaii, Hawaiian is the state’s biggest and longest-serving
airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service to Hawaii from the state’s primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other
airline, as well as service to the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, Tahiti, and, in the coming months, Japan and South Korea.

Hawaiian also provides more than 150 daily jet flights between the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com

Napa Valley Restaurateur to Enhance Aquarium’s Dining Establishment

St. Helena, CA — Chef Cindy Pawlcyn, one of America’s most respected chefs and a pioneer in the development of farm-to-table cuisine, was selected today, in partnership with ARAMARK, to manage the culinary services of the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The culinary collaboration of Cindy Pawlcyn, her partner Sean Knight and ARAMARK, a leader in providing food services to a variety of destinations, will bring her cooking philosophy to all aspects of the aquarium’s food and beverage program, including its self-service café, full-service restaurant and private event catering.

“We are very pleased to announce this new partnership,” said Julie Packard, executive director of the aquarium. “Cindy Pawlcyn has an extraordinary reputation as a chef and an advocate for sustainable cuisine and Seafood Watch. We’re delighted that our daytime guests, and attendees at evening events, will be treated to dishes that reflect her culinary vision.”

Cindy Pawlcyn, creator of Mustards Grill and many other critically acclaimed restaurants, will bring her cooking and guest service philosophy to all areas of the aquarium’s food and beverage program, including its self-service café, full-service restaurant and private-event catering.

“For 25 years, I have loved coming to the Monterey Bay Aquarium with family and friends.

“It is the best aquarium on the planet,” said Pawlcyn. “I am excited to bring our farm-to-table philosophy and sustainable, locally produced products to enhance the food experience of the Aquarium’s 1.8 million visitors per year.

I look forward to working with new farmers, ranchers, fishermen and purveyors from the Monterey Bay region.” Pawlcyn emphasized her commitment to bringing an exciting, fresh perspective to this important part of the Aquarium’s guest experiences, while adhering to the highest standards of the Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program to provide healthy, delicious and satisfying food, sourced responsibly.

Cindy Pawlcyn’s restaurants have long been popular with both locals and a diverse tourism population. Pawlcyn and Knight own three of Napa Valley’s most successful restaurants, including the wine country icon Mustards Grill, and the St. Helena restaurants Go Fish and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.

ARAMARK has been a national partner of the Seafood Watch program since 2008 and is committed to the purchase of sustainable seafood for all of its operations across the U.S. The company will provide management support for the food operations at the Aquarium through its ARAMARK Parks and Destinations division.

About Cindy Pawlcyn Napa Valley

Cindy Pawlcyn and her partner Sean Knight are among Napa Valley’s most beloved restaurateurs and own Mustards Grill, Go Fish and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. Pawlcyn, one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most prolific chefs, created more than a dozen popular and successful restaurants including Fog City Diner, Bix, Betelnut, Buckeye Roadhouse, Roti, Tra Vigne and Rio Grill in Carmel.

Pawlcyn has written four cookbooks – The Mustards Grill Cookbook won a James Beard Award – and is at work on her fifth cookbook.

She has also received two nominations for Best California Chef from the James Beard Foundation. Pawlcyn’s partner, Sean Knight, himself an accomplished chef, handles the business management and guest experience for their restaurants.

Most known for his work as the executive chef for Napa Valley’s three-star Pinot Blanc, Knight also cooked in some of New York’s most recognized restaurants including Le Bernadin.

Before teaming with Pawlcyn, he managed large food service operations and was a partner with Patina Group restaurants, one of L.A.’s renowned fine dining groups.

Please visit www.cindypalwcyn.com  for more information.

Please visit www.montereybayaquarium.org  for more information.

Outfitters Kauai has introduced a new tour that lets guests experience the hottest trend in water sports – stand up paddle boarding. Led by experienced guides and outfitted with a state-of-the-art SURFTECH board, guests paddle along a tranquil tropical stream, while enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Haupu Mountains and Huleia National Wildlife Refuge.

For information, visit www.outfitterskauai.com

22 North, a new “farm-to-table” restaurant featuring freshly grown products from Kauai, has opened at Kilohana Plantation on the site formerly known as Gaylord’s. The restaurant’s interior has been completely refurbished and the new menu is utilizing fresh produce grown next door at the 60-acre Kilohana Farm and Orchards.

For information, visit www.22northkauai.com

Finding the best boutiques is not just a way to shop memorably, but to have fun exploring streets off the beaten path.’
| Manhattan is a mall.

So is central London.

What the savvy shopper knows is that as artists and craftsmen move to cities they can afford, the most original wares and purchases go with them. Finding the best boutiques is not just a way to shop memorably, but to have fun exploring streets that are frequently off the beaten track and say a lot about a city’s character. Here are 10 of Canada’s best:

1. The Bird House & Binocular Shop in St. John’s, NL, is a wonderfully idiosyncratic store that will please birders and the curious alike. Binoculars, spotting scopes, field guides and bird supplies for the yard can be found here, as well as beautiful, handcrafted birdhouses resembling the singular wooden architecture of downtown St. John’s and painted in their jolly colours. It is also possible to rent binoculars, and the store provides brochures with a checklist of local species and notes on where to find them.

2. Technically speaking, the branches of Guy’s Frenchys—across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick—are not “boutiques.”

But if you want strong local flavour and to find gifts of clothing for friends and family, then these family clothing outlets—the last stop not just of second-hand and vintage wear, but also all sorts of designers—are a joy, and cheap to boot.

A guidebook has been written about how to shop at thrift stores in the area, and The New Yorker has paid homage to it. On a rainy day, nothing better.

3. The Lucky Rabbit Pottery shop in the historic village of Annapolis Royal, NS, is one of the treasures of the Atlantic provinces and, indeed, the country.

Ray Mackie throws the pottery—platters, teapots, vases, bowls and tiles for the fireplace if you wish—and partner Deb Kuzyk paints it. Their eclectic style is a fusion of Chinese, Persian and classical elements infused with a magical and rapturous enjoyment of mythical nature.

The pair makes masterworks, no two pieces alike, and have exhibited all over the country. Visit on a summer Saturday morning, when the next-door farmer’s market is at its peak.

4. Montréal, QC’s Aime Com Moi at 150 Avenue du Mont Royal Est (514-982-0088), offers a combination of its own couture made onsite, as well as other Québécois designers (the store stocks 10 other labels at a time). Do not be put off by the store’s somewhat political stance—it stocks only Québécois designers and does not go out of its way to court business—the clothes are original, fabulous and reasonably priced.

5. Virginia Johnson is one of Canada’s most original and successful designers who returned to Toronto, ON, from New York, where she worked as an accessories designer at Helmut Lang and where Vogue (US) and Kate Spade were her illustration clients.

All her scarves, breezy dresses, blouses and bags are unique; Johnson designs her prints in watercolours, then has them all hand-screen-printed in India and printed onto fabrics.

The line is sewn in Toronto and sold in that city out of a shop on Ossington Street, now an up-and-coming area of original restaurants, bars, vintage clothes stores and coffee shops. While on Ossington, check out Jonathon + Olivia for great designer deals.

6. Trove is one of the most congenial and enjoyable clothes, shoe, jewellery and handbag shops in the country, with a store in Toronto’s Annex and Bloor West Village. Trove stocks Canadian and international designers, and favours an aesthetic that is at once colourful, earthy and environmentally conscious—with a certain retro tendency to boot. The staff here is a treat.

7. The advantage of setting up shop away from the country’s most expensive cities is that space for a large studio and shop can be found in a glorious district of magnificent 1920s office buildings that would be priced beyond any craftsperson’s budget in New York—but are affordable in handsome, bohemian Winnipeg, MB. Hilary Druxman has designed jewellery for Saks, Club Monaco, Banana Republic and Absolut Vodka.

Her delicate pieces are now made and exhibited for sale in elegant, spacious premises in the heart of old Winnipeg, where statuesque architecture and a haven of clubs, galleries and shops invite a wander.

8. The Alberta Boot Company operated for three decades out of an unremarkable one-storey building in downtown Calgary, AB, but moved last year to new premises off the MacLeod Trail.

You may want a horse to get there (a car is even better), but the trip is certainly worth it, as this is probably the best cowboy boot store in the country.

Thousands of boots are available, and if you can’t find the dream boot in the colour and with the stitching you want, then you can have it made in anything from bullhide, cowhide, lizard, eel, stingray and ostrich to alligator, kangaroo or python.

Those boots you saw in the movie “Unforgiven” or those in “The Assassination of Jesse James” or in “Shanghai Noon”—they were all made here, and a lot of Hollywood others.

9. Banff, AB, the jewel of the Canadian Rockies nestled in the Bow Valley on the mountain range’s eastern slopes, is renowned for its skiing, bars, restaurants and clothing boutiques.

But in the last couple of decades, it’s also become a discerning place to shop for art.

At Canada House Gallery, it is possible to choose from a fine range of Northwest Coast and Inuit art, and also to find beautifully crafted jewellery. Not a museum, but almost.

10. Jewellerbau Collective, at 2408 Main St. in Vancouver, BC, is the studio shop, art gallery and workplace of Argentinian-born sculptor Dina González Mascaró.

Her fascinating and original work has included a collection inspired by Pablo Picasso, Albrecht Dürer and Stefan Lochner featuring animal-head pendants, which prompted the National Post to ask if her artful jewellery is that—or sculpture.

As it is now a collective, Jewellerbau also showcases the work of other local artists, including Shira Laye and Jacqui Kerr. Check out other shops and restaurants along this pleasing stretch of Main St. while you’re here.

Booking a holiday with Sovereign is akin to gaining membership to an exclusive travel club, offering a high level of service, yet is more affordable than you think. With expert guides based in exotic destinations and an experienced concierge team in Mediterranean Europe, clients gain special insight into their destination, from the best beaches not mentioned in the guidebooks to the must-see attractions and events happening during their stay. On hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, local knowledge is just a phone call away.

The team of experts at Sovereign have rated all of their featured hotels and resorts using their own system, ensuring customers make the right choice.

Classical Sovereign Hotels are more modest hotels offering charm and character or an exceptional location, representing great value for money.

Luxury Hotels luxury holidays
high standards of service and attention to detail.

Exclusive Collection Hotels are the finest properties in their destinations, offering superlative service and excellent facilities, satisfying even the most demanding guest.

New Brochure

The new Sovereign Luxury Travel brochure 2010/2011 has just been launched, with an enhanced destination programme now including Croatia, a brand new destination to the company; two newly opened luxury hotels in Egypt and new property additions in Italy, Mexico, the Maldives and Morocco.

The new brochure also features an extended family portfolio, and a wider selection of All Inclusive holiday options.

New Destinations for 2010-2011: Puglia & Croatia

Dubrovnik & Orsac, Croatia

The ancient walled city of Dubrovnik offers an exciting mix of culture, history and style. Amongst the bustling cafes and cobbled streets, the Old Town, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is full of museums and monuments reflecting the Latin, Venetian and Slavic influences of the city’s past.

Orsac is a small coastal village only 9km from Dubrovnik. Surrounded by olive groves, pine forested hills and dramatic coastline, look out across the clear blue waters to the Elaphite Islands beyond.

Sovereign (0844 415 1936; www.sovereign.com ) offer 7 nights at the Grand Villa Argentina from £659pp (valid 1st April – 28th April 2011) or the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Orsac from £775pp (valid 1st April – 12th May 2011). Includes flights, VIP airport lounge access, private transfers in resort and bed & breakfast accommodation.

Puglia, Italy

Set in the heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia still remains an untouched gem in the south of Italy. Enjoy fantastic fresh food from the land and sea, soak up the sun and admire the beautiful rural landscape dotted with ancient olive trees and curious trulli houses. The new Borgo Egnazia Golf & Spa Resort is a luxurious and traditional property oozing Apulian tradition which opened in March 2010 .

Sovereign (0844 415 1936; www.sovereign.com ) offer 7 nights at Borgo Egnazia Golf & Spa Resort from £949pp (valid 15th April – 30th May 2011). Includes flights, VIP airport lounge access, private transfers in resort and bed & breakfast accommodation.

New Hotels for 2010-2011

The Savoy Resort, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt – opened May 2010

Sitting in the foothills of the majestic Sinai Mountains and just steps away from a secluded white sand beach, The Savoy Resort & Villas is truly impressive and ideal for both families and couples alike. Endless activities keep everyone entertained and the Spa & Wellness centre offers a variety of treatments using natural herbs. The Royal Savoy adult only section of the hotel offers luxurious rooms, private lounge, pool and beach area for couples looking to get away from it all.

Sovereign (0844 415 1936; www.sovereign.com ) offer 7 nights at The Savoy Resort, Egypt from £499pp. Includes flights, VIP airport lounge access, private transfers in resort and bed & breakfast accommodation.

Xanadu Island, Turgutreis, Turkey – opened July 2010

The elegant Xanadu is surrounded by beautiful gardens and flowered courtyards. This brand new luxury resort offers a brilliant all inclusive concept allowing guests to enjoy a truly indulgent, worry-free holiday. Elegantly designed suites and villas are dotted along the cliff-side and offer breathtaking views over the surrounding islands.

Sovereign (0844 415 1936; www.sovereign.com ) offer 7 nights at Xanadu Island, Turkey from £879pp. Includes flights, VIP airport lounge access, private transfers in resort and All Inclusive accommodation.

For bookings call 0844 415 1936 or visit www.sovereign.com

Even the most terrible of tots and teens will be bowled over by the fabulous Kids Clubs at the all new Trou aux Biches, Mauritius.

In its earlier incarnation, Trou aux Biches became a firm favourite for many generations of families and now, following an exciting rebuild, the charming and luxurious hotel will reopen on 1st November offering the very best facilities and entertainment for children of all ages.

The new Bob Marlin Mini Club (ages 3-12) and Teens Club are fabulous concepts offering the latest and greatest toys, games and activities under the watchful eye of a superb team of childcare experts.

In keeping with the ecological ethos of the hotel, the Bob Marlin Mini Club and Teens Club have been inspired by nature and both will have a strong focus on the environment.

Upon registering at the Kids Club, each child will receive a welcome kit including a bag and holiday eco book (made using recycled paper).

The exciting programme of kids’ activities will include one ecological activity each day to encourage children to love and respect nature and the environment.

Bob Marlin Mini Club (for ages 3-12)

A haven of fun, games and laughter for tots to tweens! The carefully thought out layout includes a sleeping area for babies, lovely shaded outdoor playground, a fenced swimming pool with changing rooms, showers and loos, games room with a movie area, small stage for shows, a painting corner, two computers, two TVs and Wii consoles. Fun daily activities include excursions in a glass bottom boat, hand painting, snorkelling, small-line fishing and tennis.

The Mini Club also offers its own 75-seat restaurant which can be set up as buffet style or à la carte for lunch and dinner. Meals will be freshly prepared, healthy and nutritious to ensure children get a chance to refuel properly after a fun-filled day playing with their new friends. Even the youngest members of the family will be catered for with a delicious baby menu of organic purées and tasty finger food.

The Mini Club also provides evening babysitting and movie nights.

Teens Club (for ages 13-16)

Offering the very latest high-tech equipment, the Teens Club at Trou aux Biches is sure to impress even the sulkiest of teenagers! Facilities include two Wii Fit balance boards, two 42” TVs, one Xbox 360, a DJ corner with state-of-the-art sound system, DVD player and DVD library, a pool table, table football, two computers, WiFi access and a chill-out room where teens can relax and hang out with new friends.

Accommodation

No thought or expense has been spared when it comes to the brand new guest rooms at Trou aux Biches. Ranging in size from lovely Junior Suites (accommodating 2 adults and a baby) up to breathtaking three-bedroom Pool Villas (complete with private pool, garden, butler and kitchen!), there is sure to be an option that meets your family’s needs.

Bound to be a favourite with families, the new Family Suites come complete with a gorgeous master bedroom and large en suite bathroom, separate children’s twin bedroom and bathroom, and private terrace or balcony.

Sports & Activities

Energetic older children and parents alike will love the superb range of land and water sports available at Trou aux Biches, including a Head Tennis Academy, table tennis, beach volleyball, sailing, water-skiing, kayaking, cycling and scuba diving for all abilities.

Clarins Spa

Jaded parents will enjoy a new lease of life after a visit to the fabulous Trou aux Biches Clarins Spa which will offer a range of pampering and rejuvenating face and body treatments.

Complete with pool, hammam, sauna and hairdresser, the Clarins Spa will put a spring into the step of even the most exhausted parent.

November 2010 Opening Rates:

Beachcomber Tours (01483 445 685; www.beachcombertours.co.uk)  offers 7 nights at Trou aux Biches in a Junior Suite on a half board basis including Economy Class flights with Air Mauritius and private hotel transfers from £1,745 per person sharing.

Special Offers

25% Discount…December Special Offer is now valid from 27 December 2010 – 8 January 2011 in a Junior Suite, Tropical Junior Suite, Tropical Junior Suite Plus and Family Suite. Please note that it is not combinable with any other offers.

Launch Offer (25% discount) – The launch offer is now be valid from 4 January 2011 – 31 March 2011 in all room categories. It is combinable with all other offers except the Early Booking Offers.

www.beachcomber-hotels.com

A day out with family and friends can often be expensive and difficult to plan. Meridian Leisure Park offers a range of facilities for every age to enjoy with a cinema, restaurants and entertainment in a superb location.

BRAUNSTONE, ENGLAND – Taking advantage of discount vouchers from sites including myvouchercode.com, facebook or meridian-leisure.co.uk allows you to enjoy your day out, without affecting your pocket.

With nine screens, 3D technology and VIP seating, Vue multiplex cinema is the perfect place to see all the latest films. With Halloween to celebrate and the release of Harry Potter just around the corner, affordability is never an issue. Take advantage of the latest offers to guarantee an enjoyable time.

If you’re looking to keep fit, David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club offers all that you and your family need with a state of the art gym, heated swimming pool and tennis courts making it the perfect place to get in shape.

The Leisure Park is home to four exciting restaurants including Frankie & Benny’s and Tastes Chinese. So whatever you fancy, a variety of restaurants means you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Brilliant for rainy days, Hollywood Bowl offers the most up to date bowling technology available, with the added attraction of a licensed bar and restaurant perfect for an evening out.

Meridian Leisure Park is also home to the superb Busy Bees day nursery providing expert care for your child at times to suit you.

For more information and great deals,

www.meridian-leisure.co.uk

The Meridian Leisure Park, just off junction 21 of the M1, is home to four exciting restaurants, state of the art Vue multiplex cinema with nine screens, Hollywood Bowl offers the most up to date bowling technology available, all with the added attraction of a licensed bar and restaurant.