Jetsettersblog

Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge officially opens on Thursday 11 November as a fully fledged accommodator in the Aoraki Mount Cook region.

The fifty-room backpacker digs, which is beautifully located at the foot of the snowy Southern Alps, has reported a “hugely successful” month since its soft launch opening on October 1, and now invites all travellers, trampers and visitors looking for inexpensive accommodation to come and stay under its roof where there is a modern range of sleeping, cooking and bar facilities available.

Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge Operations Manager Justin Winter said he was delighted with the smooth running of operations so far and that word was beginning to spread among the backpacking travel sector.

“People from all corners of the world are finding us and we’re enjoying becoming a part of their memorable trip and helping them on their way to their next destination,” he said.

“The Lodge has undergone renovations to update and modernise what was formerly the Hermitage’s Glencoe Lodge – most recently used as staff accommodation, and as part of the interior refurbishment has reopened the much-loved Chamois Bar (pronounced Shammie) and Grill, complete with outdoor beer garden – perfect for visitors to unwind onsite with a drink, BBQ and magical view.”

Sleeping options include 20 four-bed dorm rooms, each with ensuite, 23 double/twin rooms with ensuites, and seven one-bedroom units with bathroom and cooking facilities. Prices start at approximately $33 for a dorm bed. Other facilities include a self-catering communal kitchen, the Global Gossip Internet café, a tour booking desk, guest laundry and grocery store.

Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge is designed to offer a more complete range of accommodation and entertainment choices at one of New Zealand’s most spectacular destinations.

Situated just a stone’s throw from the ‘must-see’ itinerary trail of the South Island,’ the magnificent Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and its local community welcomes thousands of transient backpackers and budget conscious travellers all year round.

“It’s exciting for us to be able to provide a more affordable, casual sleeping option in the region,” said Mr Winter.

“The Chamois bar and grill has also been very well received by both visitors and the local community – it was a favourite local watering hole in the past and everyone’s delighted to see it return.”

Celebrations for the official opening of Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge featuring live music from Sonic Mojo are open to all from 7.30pm on November 11.

To view the website see www.mtcookbackpackers.co.nz  For telephone bookings please call NZ Freephone 0800 100 512, International calls +64 3 435 1653. For email booking please contact bookings@mountcookbackpackers.co.nz

If you’re an English classic car enthusiast, Elite Special Event Tours’ Classic Car Tour including the Goodwood Festival of Speed is a must. This totally unique tour departs 25 June 2011 and takes drivers through some of England’s prettiest countryside.

This is motoring in true style! Take to the road in some of England’s finest classic cars including a Triumph TR6, Jaguar E-Type, Austin Healey 3000, a Triumph Stag or an MGB Roadster. Each day get behind the wheel of a different car for a unique driving experience.

Enjoy your motoring adventure along country lanes visiting picturesque local towns, travelling through the English Cotswolds to places such as Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury and Chichester.

Experience three days at the largest motoring garden party in the world; the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Held in the estate of the Earl of March this annual event attracts the heroic and the evocative from every automotive area.

Rounding off the tour with time in London, including a guided sightseeing tour, a ride on the London ‘Eye’ and a relaxing river cruise there’s something for everyone!

The tour is priced from $7,890 per person for two people sharing a room and travelling in one car together, however places are limited. Contact Elite Special Event Tours on 1300 884 891 for further pricing, information and reservations or visit their website www.eliteset.com.au

Wendy Wu Tours is bringing its 10-day “A China Experience,” a success in Australia and the U.K., tour to the U.S. market. The exploration is fully-inclusive. The price covers all costs — roundtrip air from NYC or LAX, all meals, excursions, accommodations, a full-time Wendy Wu Tours manager escort and the visa fee, processing and taxes. Guests experience visits to many of China’s world-renowned landmarks, including the Great Wall with access at exclusive entry points, Tiananmen Square and Beijing’s Forbidden City, as well as a number of China’s more hidden treasures, such as a cruise on the panoramic Huangpu River and a stop at the Taoist Temple in Wuzhen.

The company prides itself on extraordinary value, entry to areas not accessible to other operators, and top-notch customer service. Pricing for “A China Experience,” which has 26 departures between Feb. 12 and Nov. 12, ranges from $2,490 to $3,390 per person, double.

Included are Shanghai’s Yu Gardens and Old Town; Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and Summer Palace; and Xian’s Terracotta Warriors and Ancient City Wall. Wendy Wu’s guests are also privy to parts of China that are not included in the mass market tours. These special visits include the Great Mosque in Xi’an’s lively Muslim Quarter; an exploration of the restored Xintiandi area of Shanghai with its unique 1920s style shikumen buildings; a day tour in the centuries-old picturesque town of Wuzhen, with its charming cobblestone streets, arch stone bridges and abundance of local handicrafts; and a cruise along the panoramic Huangpu River, which brings together the historic Bund and futuristic Pudong areas of Shanghai. Meals and excursions also take on an important significance on the tour, whether it is authentic Shanghai cuisine, Peking duck artfully carved at tableside, a traditional Shui Jiao dumpling meal followed by a performance of Tang Dynasty Dancing, the Islamic food markets in the Muslim Quarter, or a fascinating Chinese Acrobatic show in Beijing.

Group tours have a maximum of 28 persons, comfortably ensconced in 49-passenger coaches for most tours. Single supplements are available as well as sharing opportunities. A new 68-page full-color brochure has been produced highlighting the many offerings, and a new North American website has been unveiled to serve the consumers and travel agents at www.wendywuschina.com.

Wendy Wu Tours also offers Private Tours — fully-inclusive but offering more flexibility and excellent for small groups, reunions, family groups, alumni groups or just friends looking to have a nice private vacation together in a mystical land. The prices include all costs aside from gratuity, including all international flights (from NYC and LAX), fuel surcharges, taxes, accommodations in centrally located superior-three- and four-star hotels, three meals a day, intra-China transportation, daily tours and entrance fees, evening entertainment, English-speaking guides, a Wendy Wu Tours manager escort, even the $190 visa fee and processing. For more information, call 877-993-6399 or visit www.wendywuschina.com

With the release of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in November 2010, many travelers now feel more comfortable visiting Myanmar (Burma), a destination that many had felt discouraged to visit in the past. Yet, visiting Myanmar, the land of a million pagodas, is a retreat to a country whose great allure lies in its warm-hearted and welcoming people, peaceful Buddhist culture and bucolic landscape. Asia Transpacific Journeys, the nation’s leading tour company specializing exclusively in Custom Journeys and Small Group Trips in the Asia/Pacific region, is reporting that bookings to this intriguing country have almost tripled year over year. The company has been organizing travel to Myanmar for the past 15 years and is the hands-down Burma expert in the industry.

Marilyn Downing-Staff, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ founder and President, says: “It’s a golden moment to see Myanmar and take a step back in time to the Southeast Asia of old. The country still moves via ox cart, water buffalo plough the fields and smiling children run to greet the traveler.”
Ms. Downing Staff made her first visit to the country in 1987 and describes travel to Burma as captivating – “a place that I go back to time and again, to renew my deep affection for Southeast Asia’s people. ” Many of Asia Transpacific Journeys’ travelers have made friends for life with the hospitable Burmese people and there is no better place to immerse one’s self in Asian culture than in Burma, according to Ms. Downing Staff. The country offers tremendous value, with comfortable to luxurious accommodations and attentive service. English is widely spoken, making it easy for travelers to interact with the locals.

Asia Transpacific Journeys’ Small Group tour “Burma – Land of the Golden Pagoda” January 2011 departure is sold out and demand for their custom journeys to Myanmar have also risen considerably in recent months. Their list of Myanmar travel tours include three expertly led small group trips with five annual departures, as well as customized, privately guided tours.

The company’s next Small Group tour “Hidden Burma” departs January 28 and “Burma—Land of the Golden Pagoda” departs again in October, while Custom Journeys can be arranged at any time of the year, with October through February being the best time to visit.

Highlights of a custom trip to Myanmar include witnessing the annual Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival, one of the most popular pagoda festivals in Myanmar, where thousands of floating luminaries dot Inle Lake for the first few nights of the festival. Other highlights include riding bicycles at sunrise through the countryside around Bagan or through the Lisu and Rawang tribal villages in the far north, or enjoying a spectacular sunrise balloon ride over the temples of Bagan, the former capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar.

Asia Transpacific Journeys also recommends visiting lesser-known areas of the country such as the mountainous areas of extreme northern Myanmar or some of the remote towns of Shan State including Hsipaw, Kengtung and Putao. “The morning markets in these areas are second to none in Southeast Asia, filled with colorfully dressed tribal villagers, local crafts and freshly prepared food”, says Ms. Downing Staff.

About Asia Transpacific Journeys Asia Transpacific Journeys, located in Boulder, Colorado, is the nation’s leading Asia tour company specializing exclusively in custom journeys and small group trips in the Asia/Pacific region. Founded in 1987, no other company offers such expertise in the region. Its long-standing connections in Asia, outstanding personalized service, and deeply insightful cultural interpretations have made Asia Transpacific Journeys the travel company of choice for organizations such as the American Museum of Natural History and the World Wildlife Foundation, alumni associations of the country’s most prestigious universities such as Harvard and Yale, as well as discerning individuals, their families and friends.

Tokoriki Island Resort’s Oishii Teppanyaki Bar will welcome their first guests tonight.

Seating just 8 people and surrounded by tranquil water features, the intimate restaurant will open tonight for the first time. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Oishii meaning ‘delicious’, will provide guests with an alternative dining experience.

‘With talented Teppanyaki Chef Devlin Prakash showing off his cooking skills the experience will certainly be a highlight for guests’ said General Manager Mr Andrew Travers. ‘Devlin’s Flying Fried Rice is definitely memorable!’ Locally trained Chef Devlin Prakash spent years honing his skills at Dailkoku Restaurant and most recently the Teppanyaki Restaurant at 7 star Laucala Resort, Fiji.

The personalized setting means guests interact directly with the Chef who can tailor their choice of dishes to meet individual tastes. Each seating will begin with an Oyster shooter appetiser presented in cold mango infused sake or traditional Takwan salad. The a la carte menu also features a range of set menus offering variety and value given the specialised nature of the produce on offer. Just visit http://www.tokoriki.com/food-wine.html  to view Oishii’s menu.

The meal plan does not apply in Oishii Restaurant which won’t be opening for dinner on Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

Diving holiday specialist, Regaldive, has launched a new and unique tour that combine’s Bali’s best bits below and above the water-line. Unlike the majority of diving holidays on the market, the tour provides experienced divers with a land-based dimension to their trip. To celebrate the launch of this Island of the Gods tour, Regaldive is offering an introductory discount of £130 on all bookings made until 30th June, 2011.

The small group tours run on fixed departure dates, with a choice between seven and 12-night itineraries. Promising to tick all ‘Bali boxes’ by showcasing the best of the island’s marine and cultural sights, as well as its scenery, the trips provide a low diver-to-guide ratio with no more than 12 in a group.

Underwater highlights include diving at the recently discovered Gondol Reef and the famous Menjangan Island. Likely spots include everything from mantas to mandarin fish and from mola-mola to moray eels. On dry land, the itinerary includes visits to cultural sights such as the Ulundanu and Batu Ponjok temples, taking-in beautiful scenery, lively markets and vibrant villages along the way. The round-island touring takes place in air-conditioned vehicles, with accommodation in good-quality hotels.

Andreas Elia, Managing Director of Regaldive, commented, “As committed as the majority of our customers are to diving, we are aware of a growing demand to couple this with a bit of above-water exploration. This is especially the case for customers booking long-haul holidays, due to the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ nature of these trips. We have also introduced a similar all-encompassing tour in Oman.”

He continued, “The Island of the Gods tour is ideal for those customers who want to ‘see it all’ as it really does incorporate the best of both worlds.”

Costing from £1,685 per person for the seven day itinerary and £2,273 for the 12 days, the price includes return flights, transfers, all accommodation on a full board basis, temple/park entrance fees and 12 to 22 dives (for the seven and 12-day tours respectively).

For more information, visit www.regaldive.co.uk  or call 01353 659 999.

It has been forty years since Holland America Line last offered a regular Transatlantic service and, in celebration, the line has announced that its flagship, the Rotterdam, will make two special Transatlantic crossings in 2011 to celebrate this heritage, dating back to the company’s founding in 1873. Specialist cruise agency, The Cruise People, are offering special fares and shipboard credits for the 3 July 2011 celebratory nine-night voyage onboard the ‘Rotterdam’, sailing from Rotterdam to New York, via Southampton.

The 1,320-guest Rotterdam, still Holland America’s flagship although larger ships have since joined the fleet, will sail from her home port of Rotterdam on 3 July 2011 and will leave Southampton on 5 July on her way to New York. On arrival into New York she will turn around and offer an eastbound 12 July departure for Rotterdam, with a call at Cobh for Cork. Southampton and Cobh have both been chosen for their historical roles in the transatlantic trade.

The Rotterdam’s Crows Nest lounge will become a Marine Museum at Sea and, as part of this celebration, the line has engaged author and ocean liner expert Bill Miller and marine artist Stephen Card as lecturers for both voyages.

Miller is the author of dozens of books on liners, including “Great British Passenger Ships,” “The Last Bluewater Liners” and “Passenger Liners American Style,” not to mention “Going Dutch: The Holland America Line Story,” and he has lectured on more than fifty cruise ships. Miller has recently also become the subject of a documentary film by Robert Neal Marshall entitled “Mr Ocean Liner,” which previewed on Queen Mary 2 in New York on 1 July 2010.

Card, a master mariner and maritime artist, now has ship portraits hanging on every ship in the Holland America fleet, not to mention a few Cunard and Costa. A native of Bermuda, he is the author of “Holland America Line: The Spotless Fleet” and “Cunarder: Maritime Paintings,” as well as co-author of “Queen of Bermuda and the Furness Bermuda Line.”

While both Miller and Card will be on board for the full round voyage, Stephen Payne OBE, vice-president and naval architect for Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding and master designer of the Queen Mary 2, will be on board for the 12 July eastbound crossing from New York. Payne is also an author having written “Grande Dame: Holland America Line and the s.s. Rotterdam.” Each of the three lecturers thus has a Holland America Line title to his name.

Transatlantic voyages are nothing new for Holland America, which has been in the business for 138 years. The line offered nine such crossings in 2010 and will perform sixteen in 2011, including the two commemorative voyages. The two special 2011 voyages, marking the 40th anniversary of the end of Holland America’s regular Transatlantic liner service, will be nine nights instead of the usual fifteen it now takes for a Transatlantic cruise with multiple ports of call.

For availability and further information on the special fares and shipboard credit on the 3 July 2011 crossing, contact The Cruise People Ltd at 020 7723 2450, Freephone 0800 526 313 or visit their web site www.cruisepeople.co.uk.

The Cruise People specialise in niche cruise markets including ultra-luxury, small ship cruising, expedition voyages and freighter travel. For more information on their range of itineraries and vessels please contact Kevin Griffin at The Cruise People.

A brand new exquisite boutique hotel has just opened in the Aravalli Hills of India. Located on the outskirts of Jaipur, The Tree of Life Resort and Spa brings a new level of laid back luxury to the Pink City.

Jaipur is one of India’s most exciting and unique destinations, home to an abundance of rich culture and diverse tradition. The Tree of Life offers a chance for guests to experience the real Jaipur whilst still enjoying the utmost in true luxury. The property is nestled in amongst seven acres of serene Indian landscape and combines all that is traditional with a unique modern twist. Built using local architectural design and style, The Tree of Life is a blend of sandstone and lime reflecting Rajasthan’s colourful history.

The Tree of Life consists of fourteen stunning and spacious villas each complete with its own garden, private spa and some with their own pool. Each villa is named after a special Indian tree and the interiors subtly reflect the colours of the trees flower. No luxury is spared at the hotel, each villa has its own stocked bar, lavish dining table, comfy sofas and fireplace. The huge bedrooms are domed with intricate glass work allowing for views across the untouched Aravalli Hills. Guests have their very own personal butler who is on hand to bring a refreshing gin and tonic or delicious organic food to the villas at any time of day.

The immaculately maintained grounds at The Tree of Life offer peace and serenity away from the hustle and bustle of the Indian cities. There is a beautiful meditation area surrounded by a personal collection of more than one hundred precious Lord Ganesh statues. Guests can soak up the sunset with a stroll around the ‘Eternal Gardens’ followed by an organic dinner on an ancient open air look out spot whilst listening to the sounds of traditional Rajasthani music.

Being so close to Jaipur means the activities available at The Tree of Life are diverse and endless. Guests are encouraged to visit the local Rajasthani markets with the chef and shop for local produce – on return to the hotel guests can learn how to cook their very own Indian feast. The Tree of Life actively supports the nearby Kukas Girls School and guests can spend the day there teaching the children a subject of interest or simply just helping out in the classroom. A short drive from The Tree of Life takes guests to the foothills of the breathtaking Aravalli Mountains where an Elephant will be waiting to take them on a ride through the hills. Guests will see an exquisite array of birdlife and even a chance of seeing wild panther!

The Tree of Life offers guests relaxation, style, beauty and unmatched service. The attention to detail is what puts The Tree of Life in a league of its own and makes it stand out as the most innovative, exquisite and unique hotel in Jaipur. It is a member of the Indian Experiences portfolio, a collection of properties that focus on combining sustainability, luxury and authentic Indian experiences.

Emeraude Classic Cruises is introducing a three-day/two-night soft adventure itinerary in Vietnam’s Halong Bay. The Emeraude’s new soft adventure options run from rock-climbing to butterfly trekking on Cat Ba Island. In between, there’s middle ground in kayaking.

“Halong Bay is so much more compelling when it’s not a passive experience,” said Kurt Walter, group general manager of Apple Tree Group Hospitality. “Yes, it’s one of the most magnificent seascapes you’ve ever seen, but when you get out into it, with a paddle in your hands, or your hands on the grit of these limestone karsts, then you’ve just gained a whole new dimension of experience.”

The new program is managed by Slo Pony Adventures, a Vietnam-based travel company run by Onslo Carrington and Erik Ferjentsik, two American-trained outdoor enthusiasts. Participants can book the soft adventure of their choice independently, or as part of a group effort.

For rock climbers, Slo Pony is cultivating 20 different venues around the bay, including the Polish Pillar, a karst that exemplifies the bay’s limestone formations. Most climbing for beginners and intermediates takes place at Moody’s Beach, where a two-faced crag is laced with easy-to-moderate routes. On Cat Ba Island, Slo Pony leads trekkers through Butterfly Valley in the National Park. Here the experience is less predictable but serendipitous with waterfalls, exotic wildlife and views. On the bay itself, Slo Pony’s kayak guides steer Emeraude passengers to deserted beaches and in and out of myriad lagoons.

Halong Bay assumed a prominent spot on the world stage in 1994 after UNESCO inscribed its 1,600 islands and islets on the World Heritage List. As one of 28 finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature, the bay itself is now in the running for a spot as one of the select seven. At present, Halong Bay ranks fifth in the voting for this designation. Launched in 2003, the Emeraude is a near-replica of the stern wheeler that plied these same waters between 1906 and its wreck in 1937. The modern vessel accommodates 74 passengers in 12 superior cabins, 22 deluxe cabins and three suites.

Emeraude Classic Cruises is owned and operated by The Apple Tree Group, a French-owned, Ho Chi Minh City-based company with interests in tourism and hospitality, real estate and construction and import and distribution all over Southeast Asia. Its hospitality properties also include La Residence Hotel & Spa in Hue and the Press Club in Hanoi, as well as the Kamu Lodge on the Mekong River near Luang Prabang, the Villa Maly, a boutique hotel in Luang Prabang and the Nava Mekong, a dinner cruise on the Mekong. For more information, call 011 84 4 3 934 0888, email sales@emeraude-cruises.com  or visit www.emeraude-cruises.com

Raya Resort, a new beachside resort located along Cha-Am beach in Petchaburi province in Thailand, will open this month with a special introductory rate. At Raya Resort, there are two Traditional Row Houses which consist of six rooms each, plus a three Garden Villa and one Grand Pool Villa. All 16 rooms and villas are refurbished from the old holiday home that dated back to the King Rama the 6th era.

Raya Resort is surrounded by large, ancient trees and gardens and offers many amenities include bicycles provided for all guests use, swimming pool with children’s pool, pool bar, large meeting room for 30 people, beach bar and Raya Restaurant & Seafood, a new restaurant by Cha-Am Beach offering extensive selection of seafood and authentic French and Italian cuisines.

Raya Resort is now offering a special introductory rate starting at THB 4,950 ($163) for Wooden Row House, THB 7,650 ($252) for Garden Villa and THB 22,500 ($742) for Grand Pool Villa. The opening package includes accommodations, breakfast for two people, free Wi-Fi Internet access everywhere in the resort, free non-alcoholic mini bar and complimentary bikes for all guests. These rates are valid through Feb. 28; room rates are inclusive of service charges and applicable tax. For more information, call 011-032 472 641-2 or visit www.rayaresortchaam.com