Jetsettersblog

Universal Travel System (UTS) has created a luxury tour to Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast that features all six UNESCO World Heritage Monuments. Also included is the best preserved Roman amphitheater in the world in city of Pula, which is not under UNESCO protection. Local professors and scholars are recruited as guides to provide an historical perspective on each of the sites. Croatia’s turbulent and rich history has left many traces, symbols and reminders on its past. The small country today has more UNESCO monuments than any other country in the world. Croatia also has the only UNESCO natural monument; Plitvice Lakes.

The following UNESCO monuments are featured on this tour:

• Porec (Euphrasian Basilica Complex)

• Sibenik (St. James Cathedral)

• Plitvice (National Park Plitvice)

• Trogir (Old city of Trogir)

• Split (Diocletian Palace Complex) and of course

• Dubrovnik (Old City of Dubrovnik)

The 14-day tour itinerary also includes Zagreb, Bled, Ljubljana, Lipica, Postojna Caves, (in Slovenia), picturesque Rovinj and the charming village of Opatija.

This tour starts by picking up clients by limo at their home to take them to their departure airport for their overseas flight. The limo is supplied with chilled water, a bottle of Champagne and delicious hors d’oeuvres. The driver will collect the luggage at the client’s home. UTS staff will be on hand at the airport to check in the luggage and clients at their specified airline and will handle their bags during the entire trip. Express baggage and check-in service is provided at hotels. Upon arrival at the hotel, clients will be escorted directly to their reserved rooms. A Personal Tour Director (PTD) is assigned for the duration of trip to oversee handling. Clients are driven around for sightseeing in private shiny limos. Various excursions, visits to museums and galleries are scheduled with the assistance of private guides and interpreters. Breakfasts are served in bed, lunch and dinner open a la carte dining; clients may choose the restaurant and order anything on the menu. Meals are preceded with cocktails and aperitifs. After dinner there is usually a concert, opera or some kind of live show and entertainment. There are Old Europe’s traditional “digestifs” or good-night drinks before retiring. But wait! This is not all. High tea in the afternoon is provided to soothe and relax. This kind of pampering, and more, is repeated every day of the tour.

Guoman Hotels has announced the launched of Wizard of Oz Afternoon Tea at The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London.

LONDON, ENGLAND – Guoman Hotels has announced that it will be launching a Wizard of Oz themed Afternoon Tea at The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London’s Whitehall in order to celebrate the launch of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz, which opens at the London Palladium in February.

To create an enjoyable evening of theatre and food, the hotel has designed an exclusive Wizard of Oz afternoon tea menu, ideal for enjoying prior to attending the musical.

Conveniently located close to the London Palladium, The Royal Horseguards’ Wizard of Oz Afternoon Tea has been designed by the hotel’s creative pastry chef Joanne Todd.

Joanne has devised a whole host of whimsical treats, with the menu including Follow the Yellow Brick Road battenburg cake; made using sponge and buttercream, Courage Ale and Raisin cupcakes and Tin Man’s Heart chocolates. Tea or coffee can be served with Dorothy’s Ruby slipper candies; shoe-shaped chocolates filled with strawberry cream and a Emerald City lime jelly which is reduced from fresh lime juice and paired with sweet pastry and lime Chantilly cream.

Further complementing the menu are Wicked Witch Hat chocolate lollipops and Over the Rainbow macaroons which combine all the colours of the rainbow. The fairytale inspired treats are also accompanied by a selection of scones, preserves or clotted cream.

To round off the sweet treats an exclusive range of cocktails are also available at an additional cost, with the choice of Brains, Heart, Home or Courage.

About Guoman Hotels:
Guoman Hotel Management Limited operates two hotel brands within the UK market; Guoman Hotels, an exclusive collection of deluxe hotels located in central London and Thistle Hotels, a chain of quality full service hotels in the UK’s major cities.

Guoman Hotels in the UK consists of four luxury London hotels including an Oxford Street hotel, a hotel near Westminster, a Strand hotel and luxury hotels near Tower Bridge. Whilst each hotel in the portfolio is different with its own unique identity and style, each provides the very highest levels of comfort and service to its guests.

In 2010, Guoman Hotels launched internationally, with its new property opening in Shanghai – with a property in Beijing to follow in 2011. In the UK, The Grosvenor Victoria property will join the collection in the near future.

Website: http://www.guoman.com

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and El Monte RV is celebrating a long history of helping couples create romantic road trips by offering to give Valentine’s Day free as a fourth RV rental night to customers who rent for three nights.

Couples from around the world have celebrated honeymoons, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day weekends, and many other romantic occasions on road trips in motorhomes rented from El Monte RV.

“We recently had a young couple in love come over from Germany and rent for 10 days. At the end of their trip they were so inspired they went to Las Vegas and got married!” said Ammar Alghafari, general manager of El Monte RV’s Los Angeles location. “Of course there is no way to predict what will happen on a road trip. But couples from all over the world come to rent our motor homes for romantic road trips.”

“Road Trips are for Lovers,” said Ken Schork, CEO of El Monte RV. “Some people spend months preparing for these beautiful trips. Others do them on the spur of the moment. They plan their moonlight walks on the beaches, sitting by the campfire, candlelit dinners in quiet places. A motorhome is a chance for two people to get away and be alone surrounded by beauty. There’s something inspiring about ‘Just Us,’ out to explore the world.”

There are many ways to prepare for a romantic RV road trip adventure. Part of the fun of road trips is the planning. The most important thing to remember is to include your significant other in this. Get together and imagine all the places you can go and things you can see and do together. Don’t over plan. The purpose of this trip is romance. Below is a list of six things you can do to get started planning your “Valentine’s Weekend RV Road Trip for Lovers”:

1. Keep it short and sweet. Find a couple of romantic places nearby that you both enjoy. Maybe you like wineries or romantic outdoor settings? Do you both love the beach? Just remember not to plan too much. This is not a military expedition.
2. Create a soundtrack for your romantic weekend. Do the two of you have a song? Do you have favorite bands or music from those romantic moments in your past? Create a playlist of all your music and bring it along to listen to while you are driving or for slow dancing in the motorhome or around the campfire. This will not only bring back those great romantic memories, but it will also stimulate some great conversation.
3. Don’t forget the special things that you might need on your trip. Some couples want to bring a bottle of champagne to share by the campfire. Others might want to bring extra blankets to use while they lay under the stars together at night. Candles, flowers, and other items can help set the mood.
4. Consider bringing essentials to help you remember the trip. You will at least want to bring a camera or video camera, and maybe a tripod.
5. The person you are taking with you is the reason for this trip. Before you go the two of you should each think about reasons why you want to spend time together exploring. A great way to show your partner you thought about them would be to bring a few small gifts to surprise each other with along the way. Does your partner like chocolate? Maybe they love a certain cologne or perfume? Is there something special you could give them that would let them know you were thinking about this trip with them?
6. Mementos are a good way to remember a great trip. As you travel along don’t forget to pick up little items that will help you remember significant events and destinations you experienced. Plan to look for these special items on your way.

“We’re always delighted to find out that couples are renting our motorhomes for honeymoons, anniversary trips, and romantic getaways,” said Joe Laing, Director of Marketing for El Monte RV. “We believe that RV rentals offer couples a unique opportunity to explore the wonders and beauty the U.S. has to offer and still keep the closeness and privacy that they want to enjoy while traveling together.”

El Monte RV hopes to encourage more couples to experience the joys and adventures of romantic RV road trips. With links to road trip destinations, comprehensive trip preparation services and full-service RV rentals, the RV rental and sales firm provides a single point of planning for couples preparing for romantic RV getaways.

About El Monte RV
Headquartered in Los Angeles, El Monte RV is one of America’s leading motorhome and RV rental and sales companies, catering to both international and domestic travelers. The company has experienced rapid growth throughout the United States, thanks to its reputation for exceptional customer service. El Monte RV is the only nationwide motorhome rental company to offer the larger Class A luxury vehicles for rent. For more information about El Monte RV, contact 800-337-2141 or visit our website http://www.elmonterv.com.

The Corinthia Hotel London announced that reservations are now open to the public. The first guests will be part of history in the making as this 21st century grand hotel opens its doors in April 2011. The property is located on Whitehall Place.

Corinthia Hotel London is the result of a meticulous reconstruction of what was originally an imposing Victorian-era Grand Hotel. Now the hotel features 294 guest accommodations, including 43 suites. Rooms and suites include the 470-square-meter Royal Suite, the largest in London. There are seven signature suites over two stories, served by their own internal lifts, and located inside historic turrets featuring terraces with views across some of London’s landmarks. Each signature suite is inspired by a great figure in British history including a musician, inventor and writer.

A refurbished grand ballroom includes restored Victorian features. The hotel’s main restaurant, The Northall, celebrates the best of British artisanal produce. The menu offers the highest quality of raw, seasonal and sustainable ingredients from local sources and an organic-focused wine list. In addition, the hotel features two venues conceived by interior design practice David Collins Studio. The musically inspired destination bar, Bassoon, will serve both molecular cocktails and colonial inspired drinks from its boutique spirits library. Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar, headed by Italian chef patron Massimo Riccioli, offers a menu specializing in fish with a strong focus on daily catches and the highest quality ingredients.

Spa company ESPA will debut its new flagship ESPA Life at Corinthia. The spa is spread over 3,300 square meters on four floors and will offer lifestyle solutions and luxury spa treatments. Hairdresser Daniel Galvin OBE will open a second London salon within the hotel. A private room in the salon will offer a library of over 25,000 films for VIP clients from the performing arts and film industry to use as a reference for their own hairstyles, color and make-up. Other firsts for the hotel include a Harrods-inspired luxury lifestyle concept store in the main lobby. For reservations or more information, call 877-842-6269, email reservations.london@corinthia.com  or visit www.corinthia.com/London

Lion World Tours is offering a package to South Africa called “Safari On Sale”, which is priced at $2,499 per person. This high-value package includes six nights in luxury accommodations, transfers, a Winelands tour, flights within South Africa, and most meals. The package also includes roundtrip, economy-class international airfare from Washington, D.C. (Dulles) to South Africa on Ethiopian Airlines. The package offers four nights of accommodation at The Commodore Hotel in Cape Town. The hotel’s location is perfect for exploring the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Most rooms have views of Table Mountain, Table Bay, Signal Hill and Robben Island.

Included in this package is a half-day Winelands Tour. The backdrop of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, the white gabled Cape Dutch homesteads and the oak-lined streets and lanes all blend in to give this place a charm that will not be quickly forgotten. It visits some of the wine estates that were developed by early settlers who produced the wines sought after by Napoleon, Bismarck and royalty such as Edward VII. Stop for a wine-tasting on an estate, where there will be an opportunity to purchase some of the wines.

After Cape Town, the tour spends two nights on safari at Tinga Private Game Lodge managed by Lion Sands. Tinga Legends exudes the atmosphere of a classic safari lodge. The thatched cathedral-like entrance leads through to the colonial comfort of the lounge, which opens onto the massive wooden deck overlooking the Sabie River. Built around an enormous Jackalberry tree reputed to be over 200 years old, the deck affords views of the Sabie River, and regular sightings of the resident wildlife, including members of the Big Five. The main deck is on stilts overlooking the Sabie River, and the suites are connected by an elevated wooden walkway. This package at the price of $2,499 per person is valid March 1 to April 30, 2011. For more information, visit www.lionworldtours.com

MACAU’S glittering reputation to entertain its guests will continue throughout 2011 with the Asian centre set to host a series of colourful festivals and events to complement the extravagant Vegas-style year-round stage shows.

Headlining the glittering list of annual celebrations are such events as Chinese New Year Holidays (Feb 3-5), the A-Ma Festival (April 25), the 22nd Macau Arts Festival (April 29 – May 28) and the thrill-a-minute Macau International Dragon Boat Races (June 4-6).

For a number of days between September 10 and early October, Macau will host the 23rd Macau International Fireworks Display, while September 12 is time for locals and guests to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
“When it comes to festivals Macau knows how to turn on a colourful and exciting event,” said Helen Wong, managing director of the Macau Government Tourist Office in Australia and New Zealand.

“2011 will be no exception, judging by the number and quality of events on the calendar,” she said. “From such events as the 11th Macau Lotus Flower Festival (June) and the 25th Macau International Music Festival (Oct 7 – Nov 6) to the 58th Macau Grand Prix (Oct) and the 11th annual Food Festival (Nov), there’s much to excite visitors as well as the locals.

“One of my favourites is the Macau City Fringe Festival which will be into its 11th year when staged in November. The performances put on during this festival are worth taking the flight from Australia to see.”
Other major events include Procession of the Passion of Our Lord (Mar 12-13), Feast of the Drunken Dragon (May 10), National Day of the People’s Republic of China (Oct 1), Festival of Ancestors (Oct 5), the 16th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair, Lusofonia Festival 2011 (Oct 21-23), the Macau International Kart Grand Prix (Oct), Macau International Food Festival (Nov) and the Macau International Marathon (Dec 4).

Each festival and event complements the major full-time shows such as the City of Dreams’ The House of the Dancing Water spectacular, and The Venetian’s Cirque Du Soleil Zaia.

On average, Australians spend almost four nights a visit in the city with its east-meets-west and old-meets-new characteristics.

“By day, they’ll look at the many beautiful colonial and Chinese features which have paved the way for Macau’s UNESCO World Heritage listing, and follow that with a some dining pleasures and a glittering show,” said Ms Wong. “The unique Macanese cuisine, shopping, activities . . . they all add up to an eventful – and memorable – stay.”

Details: Macau Government Tourist Office, phone (02) 9264 1488, or check out www.macautourism.gov.mo

The five-star eco-friendly Hotel Izulu in Ballito, part of the Best of KZN Collection of owner-run and -operated properties in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal region, has refurbished one of its existing Deluxe Suites in order to create a new, luxury experience — The President’s Suite, which pays tribute to former President Nelson Mandela. Overlooking the organic herb and vegetable garden with views of the Indian Ocean, the suite comprises memorabilia from different eras of Mandela’s life with items such as an authentic Madiba shirt, various photos taken over the years, books, press articles, DVDs and collector’s portraits. Over the course of 2011, other Deluxe Suites will also be transformed with elegant, subtle themes to suit any occasion such as romance, history and wildlife. For more information, visit www.hotelizulu.com.

Whether you’ve just met, been married for years or ‘popping the question’, luxury really does speaker louder than words. French hotelier, Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach, brings to life the tradition of courting, romance and the chivalrous expression of love with a sensuous new accommodation and dining package titled L’art de l’amour, meaning ‘the art of love’.

The L’art de l’amour package is the perfect way to reconnect with your loved one and create a truly memorable Valentine’s weekend. Enjoy an opulent evening in the Sofitel’s signature suite ‘The White Room’ and an exclusive dining experience under the stars. Set by the water’s edge of the outdoor terrace pool, a bottle of chilled Dom Perignon awaits you. As the sun fades behind the Gold Coast hinterland, indulge in a 10-course degustation dinner with the one you love. Simply relax and enjoy this magical setting as your private butler waits on you hand and foot.

The next day, why not explore all that Broadbeach has to offer? Wander the golden beaches, picnic in the beachside parks, treat yourself to a spa treatment or simply laze by the pool with your favourite book. You don’t have to travel far to feel a million miles away.

Speak the language of love with the L’art de l’amour package this Valentine’s for $1499 per couple per night. The hotel will only accept one reservation per night, so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.

Llama Expeditions is offering a range of guided tours through Peru, from sightseeing tours to multi-day hikes along the Inca trail with an option for voluntourism. “The company fills the spot between responsible tourism and voluntourism,” said Diane Valenti, founder of Llama Expeditions. “This is a real vacation, for people who work hard and want a chance to relax. We stay in nice hotels and eat in good restaurants. But it’s also a chance for culturally curious travelers to make a meaningful connection with the people and the land of Peru.”

One tour takes participants to a school that serves scholastically gifted children from rural communities in the Peruvian Andes. Travelers meet the children and have the opportunity to present them with gifts of school supplies — notebooks, pencil cases, and boxes of crayons, for example. “The kids’ faces light up,” said Valenti. “You get to see firsthand that you make a difference in their lives.”

On another trip travelers will have the chance to interact with an organization that rescues street children and teaches them to surf to build their self-esteem and heal them physically and emotionally. “The company makes a donation to these organizations, but our adventurers also have the chance to make a personal gift,” said Valenti. “It’s a truly heartwarming experience.”

Valenti hatched the idea for the company over a home-cooked chicken dinner at close to 14,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes. She has been able to apply her over 20 years as a business consultant working with clients such as Genentech, Nike and Starbucks Coffee Company to her new enterprise. Valenti is looking forward to introducing her travel clients to the magic of Peru. For more information, visit www.llamaexpeditions.com

Arctic sailing voyage, Spitsbergen –

from £1290 – £3650
Just 600 miles from the North Pole, you couldn’t get much more remote than this. You’ll see polar bears as well as walruses, Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes and Arctic seabirds. Sailing by wind power on a beautiful, one hundred year old schooner, accommodating just twenty passengers to minimise impact, this ultimate Arctic adventure sees ‘responsibility’ meet ‘romance’. Departs throughout June until October for 8 – 16 days. Price is based on full board and excludes flights.
www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/4413/arctic-sailing-voyages-spitsbergen

Norway winter activity holiday – from £1295, including flights
This is one of Europe’s best short break destinations. Enjoy wandering past the many coloured houses of Tromsø’s main street “Storgata”. Then head off into the wilderness to meet a Saami herder and hear about their remarkable way of life, folklore and reindeer husbandry. Drive a team of huskies across terrain that combines fjords, snowy mountains and the Aurora Borealis. With luck the skies will be clear and the Aurora will light your way through the Arctic night. Top off the evening with a night in a cosy traditional wooden built lavvu. Departs January until April for 4 days.
www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/3773/norway-winter-activity-holiday

Sea kayaking holiday in the Arctic, Canada – from £5,949
Pick up your paddle and enjoy the privilege of being among the first modern day visitors to follow in the footsteps of the Polar explorers on this challenging Arctic expedition to Pim Island. You’ll see picturesque icebergs, walrus hauled-out on ice pans, the Thule winter village sites on Skraeling Island and the tidewater glaciers of Rosse Bay. Departs 22 July and 3 August for 16 days. Price includes return flights from Resolute to Kane Basin, all meals, kayaks and tents.
www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/2954/sea-kayaking-holiday-in-the-arctic-canada

Greenland holiday, dogsledding and skiing – £7,524
Splash out on an unparalleled trip of a lifetime. Travel alongside the Arctic’s last truly traditional peoples, the Inughuit, or Polar Inuit. A traditional hunting society, they feed their families from the land, hunt Narwhal by kayak and harpoon, and travel by dog team, having banned the use of ski-doos due to noise and exhaust fumes. You’ll camp on the edge of the world’s largest polynya (an ocean area free of sea ice) and encounter the most dramatic culture, scenery and wildlife you’ll ever see. Departs 28 March and 7 April for 12 days.
www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/2964/greenland-holiday-dogsledding-and-skiing

All trips can be booked by travellers worldwide.

See more of our Arctic Circle holidays.

For answers to your Arctic travel questions check out travel community www.iknowagreatplace.com