Jetsettersblog

Hurtigruten’s Fram will operate the 11-day “Norwegian Highlights Cruise,” a special holiday itinerary that focuses on the Easter traditions of northern Europe.

Two days at sea and 17 ports of call — including Dover, Alesund, Bergen and Oslo — combine for a historically and culturally rich holiday, while a dozen optional shore excursions offer activities from a private recital to a glacier walking tour. Fares for the April 25 departure, inclusive of early-booking savings, range from $1,499 to $4,234 per person, double. Easter Sunday is spent at sea.

In addition to the Easter cruise, Hurtigruten is offering two other European itineraries in April.

The nine-day “Spring in Western Europe” departs from Lisbon, Portugal, on April 7 and travels north, visiting eight ports in four countries. Departing April 25 from Oslo, the 11-day “Pearls of the Baltic Sea” takes guests to destinations in the Baltic, including Copenhagen, Helsinki and St. Petersburg.

Depending on the itinerary selected, fares inclusive of the early-booking discount range from $1,021 to $5,047.

For more information, call 800-323-7436 or visit

www.hurtigruten.us

Big Five Tours & Expeditions re-launched its primary corporate website, www.bigfive.com. “We are very happy with the redesign,” said Ashish Sanghrajka, president of Big Five.

“It more closely reflects the philosophy that infuses our latest brochure, Navigator Series. Our primary goal is to be a source of information and, even more importantly, inspiration. We are not selling widgets here; we are creating life-affirming dream vacations that have the potential to change lives.”

The site will also present travel ideas and opportunities for personal discovery. The site presents several collections of itineraries grouped around specific themes.

Among those is Big Five’s new series Inspired Expeditions.

“These are the destinations or activities that our Destination Specialists are passionate about,” said Sanghrajka.

“Each journey in the group features a personal introduction by the person who created it.”

Big Five’s Kao Gu Collection focuses on special access for a first-hand look at the most archeological work being done today in Xi’an, China, home to the famed terra cotta warriors, as well as at archeological sites Israel and Jordan, Australia, Egypt and Peru and Colombia.

Speed Collection is for the connoisseur of fast machines, for the lover of speed, and for those who appreciate master craftsmanship.

They encompass elements of land, air and water adventures that explore the worlds of rare vintage cars, classic aircraft and incredibly fast jet boats. Coveted Collection is for people who want to indulge in luxury, featuring some of the most luxurious accommodations available.

Big Five is a luxury, soft adventure tour operator offering guided travel to Africa, Asia and South Pacific, Orient, South and Central America, Arctic and Antarctica.

For more information, call 800-244-3483, email info@bigfive.com  or visit www.bigfive.com

The Finnish city of Turku will reign as a European Capital of Culture in 2011, and the festivities kick off on Saturday, Jan. 15.

An exploratory walk along the Aura River and harbor front is a fitting start to your visit.

At Forum Marinum aerial acrobatics, music and fireworks officially open the yearlong celebration.

Logomo, an old engineering workshop located in the heart of the old industrial area, close to the central railway station and the city center will be a hub for Turku 2011 events and activities.

The building’s public spaces will house a café and the Turku 2011 shop, as well as long-running exhibitions and major performances throughout the year.

On Jan. 15, Logomo opens by hosting a party with bands, DJs and performances.

The “Kauppatori,” or Market Square, makes a good place to begin exploring Turku as the majority of the city’s sights are all within a 1.2-mile radius.

The Aura River passes through the center and its banks are ideal for an unhurried stroll.

Turku Castle date back to the 1280s.

Among the other attractions are museums with exhibitions on subject matters ranging from history and art, to seafaring, biology or even plastic bags.

Also, several art galleries invite you to step in and while away the hours.

The city offers a wide variety of options for buying or browsing, from antiques and mid-century modern design to the latest trends. The Market Square is a busy center of trade, the streets extending from it are lined with stores catering to every taste.

The tradition of smorgasbord-style dining, popular throughout the Nordics, is alive and well in Turku’s archipelago. Fresh seafood and other fresh local produce are available at one of the city’s many eateries.

For more information, visit www.turku.fi or www.visitfinland.com

Heidelberg’s Christmas Market 2010 will be located in the Old Town and for the first time, also at the Castle.

On Nov. 24 at 5 p.m., Heidelberg’s Christmas Market will be festively opened on Market Square by the Heidelberg Christchild.

From then on through Dec. 22, the Old Town, every day from 11 a.m. till 9 p.m. will open the Christmas Market with over 140 stalls and booths located at six different places in Heidelberg.

Additionally, this year for the first time, from Thursday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 5, a “Heidelberg Castle Christmas” will transform the castle garden.

From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., this little Christmas Market will offer visitors selected handicrafts and specialties, musical offerings, and an inimitably atmospheric ambience. Entrance to the Christmas Market at the castle with its concerts and activities is included in the regular castle entrance fee of 5 euros ($6.89), which also entitles the ticket-holder to take the cable car to and from the castle free of charge.

For more information, visit www.schloss-heidelberg.de

In the Old Town, the Christmas Market is distributed over six squares, each with its own individual character.

The separate Markets stretch from the transportation hub of Bismarck Square, over the small-in- size, large-in-charm “Anatomy Garden” around the Bunsen statue, on to University Square, where some 70 booths make it the largest of the markets, then to Market Square with the immense Christmas pyramid and the colorful booths of numerous clubs and associations, followed by the Corn Market with the Christmas Creche beneath the Corn Market Madonna, and ending at Karl’s Square just below the castle.

At Karl’s Square, “Christmas on Ice” welcomes anyone seeking the thrill of ice skating as a sport or simply a few rounds of skating hand in hand beneath the romantic setting of the castle. Here, one of the most beautiful ice rinks in Germany — with real ice, not artificial ice — offers ice skating from Nov. 24 through Jan. 9. At the official opening of the ice skating rink on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m., young skaters from the Mannheim ERC will display their skills.

In addition to the Christmas Market itself, an array of events will take place in churches, museums, social institutions, schools, restaurateurs and tradesmen.

The exhibition “Robert Sterl — a German Impressionist” in the Kurpfälzisches Museum, the fifth annual French Week, the Christmas fairytale “Gullivers Travels” in the Opera Tent, the all-star Gala by Aids-Assistance-Heidelberg, and the multiplicity of festive concerts in the churches are only a small extract from the list of highlights of this year’s season of Advent.

For more information, including the calendar of events, visit www.heidelberg-marketing.de  or www.heidelberg.de

Quark Expeditions is offering a 15-day 20th anniversary cruise to the North Pole. The voyage departs June 23 from Helsinki, Finland. A cabin for two costs $48,760.

The voyage will be operated by the icebreaker named 50 Years of Victory.

The nuclear-powered icebreaker can cruise at 21 knots in open water and crush through ice 10 feet thick. The icebreaker carries a maximum of 128 guests in cabins with exterior views and facilities en-suite.

Public spaces include two bars, a library, gym, saunas and a swimming pool.

When Victory is not acting as a passenger vessel, the ship escorts merchant vessels through the Northeast Passage during the uninterrupted polar darkness of winter.

In addition to the twin cabin category, the ship has mini-suites, suites, one Victory suite and five Arkitka suites that cost $70,160 per cabin. An Arkitka suite has a bedroom with a single bed and a sitting room with a sofa bed.

The private facilities have a bathtub. Amenities include a TV/DVD combination, coffee maker, and safe.

All meals, accommodation and activities are included in the prices quoted, as is the charter air transportation between Helsinki and Murmansk, Russia, the embarkation and disembarkation point.

The champagne toast and barbecue on the ice is a highlight of the adventure.

Helicopter sight-seeing is also part of the package price. Southbound shore landings will be made in Franz Josef Land, remote islands just 10 degrees from the North Pole. Polar bear and walrus inhabit the area.

For more information, call 888-892-0171 or visit www.quarkexpeditions.com

Voila Hotel Rewards, a hotel loyalty program for independent hotels, announced their partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club frequent flyer program.

Voila Hotel Rewards members will now also be able to exchange their Voila points at a highly competitive ratio for award flights via Qatar Airways’ loyalty program Privilege Club.

To celebrate this partnership with Qatar Airways, Voila Hotel Rewards will also award one winner with seven free nights in any Voila hotel worldwide via the “Open the World” promotion. Voila Hotel Rewards members exchanging their Voila points to Qmiles before Jan. 31, 2010 will be eligible for the lucky draw.

And the winner of the seven free nights in any Voila hotel worldwide will be announced in February 2011.

For more information, visit www.voilahotels.com  or www.qmiles.com

Gorah Elephant Camp, in the Addo Elephant National Park, was awarded the Relais & Châteaux Welcome Trophy by the president of Relais & Châteaux, Jaume Tàpies, at the Relais & Châteaux Annual Congress held in Cape Town.

The Welcome Trophy is given annually and presented to a property that has distinguished itself through the quality of its welcome and service to guests. In total, 13 trophies are awarded by Relais & Châteaux every year to excellence in a specific area.

The five-star Gorah Elephant Camp is part of the family operated Hunter Hotels Group. Hunter Hotels Group is made up of Hunter’s Country House, Tsala Treetop Lodge and Villas, ZINZI Restaurant — Plettenberg Bay, Gorah Elephant Camp — Addo National Park and Marataba Safari Company — Waterberg.

For information, visit www.hunterhotels.com

Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat Khaki, L – With no-see-um netting to hold off the bugs, the Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat is an ideal choice for mosquito protection when you’re camping in buggy environments. The netting on the Bug Bucket Hat seals around your neck with a drawcord and stuffs into the crown when not in use. Made with UPF 30+ SolarSheild fabric, this Outdoor Research hat also keeps the sun from burning your head and neck. The Bug Bucket hat stuffs into a hidden pocket, allowing it to stow easily when not in use.

The Marataba Safari Company, located in the heart of Limpopo’s Marakele National Park, has become a sponsor and supporter of the Sappi BirdLife South Africa Birding Big Day in the annual bird-counting initiative taking place on Saturday, Nov. 27.

Arie Swiegers, head ranger, accompanied by Riaan Jacobs and Ryan de Beer will represent Marataba by recording all the bird species seen or heard in and around the lodge during a 24-hour period.

Marataba is also one of the key sponsors of the event and will provide one night’s luxury accommodation for two guests to one lucky prize winner.

The Sappi BirdLife South Africa Birding Big Day raises much needed funds every year for Birdlife South Africa’s bird conservation programs.
The five-star Marataba Safari Company is part of the Hunter Hotels Group and a member of the Relais & Châteaux Association.

For information, visit www.hunterhotels.com

Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat Khaki, L – With no-see-um netting to hold off the bugs, the Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat is an ideal choice for mosquito protection when you’re camping in buggy environments. The netting on the Bug Bucket Hat seals around your neck with a drawcord and stuffs into the crown when not in use. Made with UPF 30+ SolarSheild fabric, this Outdoor Research hat also keeps the sun from burning your head and neck. The Bug Bucket hat stuffs into a hidden pocket, allowing it to stow easily when not in use.

Baobab Expeditions is offering a 12-day adventure in Peru that include a special visit to the Amazonian Rain Forest. Clients will stay with an Amazonian family for two nights who will share their way of life in a “Living Experience.”

They’ll hear about the uses, customs, myths and legends of the rainforest and its ecosystems.

They will also see how the Baltimore TReeS Community Project works to protect the vast beauty of this area and its fauna and flora. Baobab gives a donation toward the support of the Rain Forest through the Project for every booking on this trip made.

The trip begins with two days exploring Lima, heads to Puerto Maldona, home of pristine primary rainforests and several oxbow lakes.

There clients may stay with a local family for two nights, allowing you to see the rain forest through the eyes of local residents.

The fifth and sixth days are spent in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire, with trekking, thermal baths, rafts and kayak rides, paragliding, hang gliding and climbing in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the home of two handicraft markets, Pisac and Chincero.

Towards the end of the adventure, clients explore Machu Picchu via Vistadome coach.

This landmark setting is one of the most important and beautiful legacies of ancient Peru and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The last two days of the journey are spent in Puno with a visit to the decorated polychrome ceilings at the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas.

Pricing begins at $2,491 per person double occupancy.

Included are private services with local English-speaking guide, entrance fees and meals, bus ticket to and from the Machu Picchu ruins and 11-night accommodations. The expedition requires easy to moderate physical effort. Rates do not include the Cusco/Puno bus journey. Baobab Expeditions was ranked by National Geographic Adventure Magazine as one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth 2009,” with a client satisfaction rating of 100 percent.

For more information, call 516-622-2279 or visit www.BaobabExpeditions.com

Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat Khaki, L – With no-see-um netting to hold off the bugs, the Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat is an ideal choice for mosquito protection when you’re camping in buggy environments. The netting on the Bug Bucket Hat seals around your neck with a drawcord and stuffs into the crown when not in use. Made with UPF 30+ SolarSheild fabric, this Outdoor Research hat also keeps the sun from burning your head and neck. The Bug Bucket hat stuffs into a hidden pocket, allowing it to stow easily when not in use.

Almost 65 years ago to the day, on Nov. 21, the “Memorial Nuremberg Trials,” in the Nuremberg Palace of Justice in the room just above the famous Court Room 600, will open.

Historically, Nuremberg is not only the place where anti-semitic laws were passed in 1935, but also where the Nazi crimes were tried in court from 1945 to 1949.

Over the past 20 years, Nuremberg has addressed its role in history. In 1985, it opened the first exhibition on the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds and then, in 1995, inaugurated the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award.

In 2001, opened the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds. In view of the growing number of visitors to the center and in keeping with its historical importance, Nuremberg decided to build the exhibition center that will include authentic film and sound archives of the trials and media reports from that time.

The exhibition tour will be accompanied by an audio guide.

For more information, visit

www.museums.nuremberg.de