Jetsettersblog

The new Melbourne Café Culture Walk from Hidden Secrets Tours explores Australia’s most sophisticated coffee scene and exposes visitors to some of its coffee secrets — especially the hole-in-the-wall cafes Melbourne is renowned for. The tour explores cobblestoned laneways filled with the aroma of espresso and range of coffee emporiums from old-school Italian espresso bars to the growing network of “third wave” coffee houses, social enterprises and local entrepreneurs that offer the “bespoke coffee” experience — coffee made, exactingly, to the drinkers specification. For more information, visit www.vistmelbourne.com

The traditional culture and lives of the Gadabanud people will be explored at Cape Otway Lightstation’s new Aboriginal heritage trail. Located on Australia’s Great Ocean Road, the new heritage trail includes replica stone huts similar to those once used by the cape’s first inhabitants, as well as a collection of traditional weapons and tools and a “keeping place” featuring a bark canoe and other relics. The trail has been designed to partly follow an ancient traditional Aboriginal trade and fishing route, which features important archaeological sites and middens. People employed at the heritage site are from regional Aboriginal families and share their knowledge of the cape’s edible plants, once used as food and medicine. For more information, visit www.greatoceanrd.org.au

Today a new breed of tour guides are impressing the thousands of tourists that visit our region. They are professional, passionate and are getting themselves qualified.

Ted Pitts, Director of Tropical Horizons Tours, believes training and qualifications are essential for tour guides to ensure that visitors receive a quality tour.

“The TAFE Certificate IV in Tourism (Guiding) recognises the skills for our guides to provide a consistent high level of guiding and good customer service,” Mr Pitts said.

“That’s why Tropical Horizons Tours has invested in its staff, both for the benefit of the Guide and for the benefit of our business,” he said.
Cairns TAFE have developed a unique recognition and training course for Tour Guides to update their skills and experience, with graduates attracting improved pay prospects and high demand by top operators from the region.

TAFE teacher Michael Blankenspoor said gone are the days when the guide would turn up in a pair of flip flops, tank top and stubbies.
“It’s a true profession that has a positive impact on visitor numbers to our region,” Mr Blankenspoor said.”

A recent Tropical Horizons customer, Stacey Vincent from England, was a tourist on a day trip to the Daintree, said her experience was enjoyable.
“He (the guide) was faced with an awful rainy day, one extremely pushy and rude guest, and a flooded road, yet he handled everything superbly and made sure everyone was comfortable, safe, and having a good time.”

Another visitor to the region, Sal Geeves from Melbourne, was so pleased with her experience that she will be making a return visit, bringing extra guests with her.

“We’re coming back for another week in November and bringing some friends with us,” Ms Geeves said.

Luxury travel company, Abercrombie & Kent has put together a suggested ultimate, no-expenses spared, luxury honeymoon for Prince William and his fiancé, Kate Middleton, showcasing the very best of Australia at a cost of nearly $170,000 AUD – or a cost of $8,095 a day.

With rumours swirling the couple will visit Australia following their nuptials, the 21-day ‘Right Royal Australian Honeymoon’ would provide the newlyweds with a wonderful overview of the diversity of Australia. The tour has been put together by A&K to provide a combination of adventure, culture and relaxation. It features activities as varied as a dip in a private swimming hole in the Kimberley, cruising Sydney Harbour on a 62-foot private yacht, participating in a wildlife safari on Kangaroo Island, hot air ballooning over Melbourne and reef fishing and relaxing on pristine Lizard Island.

The itinerary incorporates some of the country’s most luxurious and interesting accommodation, often with exclusive use like El Questro Homestead in the Kimberley which is cantilevered over the magnificent Chamberlain River and Bamurru Plains, comprising 9 safari style ‘bush luxury’ bungalows on raised timber platforms located on a working buffalo station. On Kangaroo Island the couple would stay three nights at the unrivalled Southern Ocean Lodge, in the 120m² private Osprey Pavilion. The Pavilion is situated on a cliff above the pounding surf and the design showcases a full frontal panorama, combining modern luxury and design integrity, creating a unique eco chic style. In the cities, the couple would be hosted in the glamorous Presidential suites of Sydney’s Four Season’s Hotel and Melbourne’s Park Hyatt.

Abercrombie & Kent also chose activities to suit both Will and Kate’s myriad interests from cultural pursuits to adventure – viewing the Argyle Diamond mine from a private helicopter before inspecting some of Australia’s finest diamonds over a glass of champagne, horse treks, Barramundi fishing, a performance of either The Australia Ballet’s Madame Butterfly or British Liaisons (depending on tour date), a private tour of the Lizard Island Research Centre, spa treatments and shopping in Melbourne’s iconic lanes with a personal shopper.

Romance has also been factored in, in true Aussie style – in the form of a romantic dinner for two under the stars on a private cliff top overlooking frolicking freshwater crocodiles in the Kimberley, a private seaplane journey over Sydney Harbour en route to the award winning Cottage Point Inn for a 3-course lunch of some of Australia’s best modern cuisine and a sunset visit to Edward’s Cottage on Kangaroo Island to sip Champagne while watching kangaroos and wallabies graze in their natural habitat.

A holiday fit for royalty, this is enough to bring out the princess (or prince) in all of us.

For bookings contact Abercrombie & Kent on 1300 851 800.

The Luxury Travel Bible has issued its list of Top Ten hotel openings for the year. TLTB always likes to check-in ahead of the crowd and we know you do too. So here is our pick of the openings we think will cause the biggest blip on the luxury radar in 2011. Some are bijoux, some are grand, some may be a real surprise. All will keep you travelling in style in the long, luxurious year ahead.

For details of opening dates and stories on each hotel opening in our Top Ten luxury section see www.luxurytravelbible.com. For further information & photos contact sbryans@luxurytravelbible.com

1. W London – Leicester Square, London UK

W London is the 2011 front runner in the cool stakes. It opens on February 14th ,which could be corny but somehow isn’t.

2. Baglioni Marrakech, Morocco

The coolest opening of 2011 could well be in Morocco ( the current hotel ‘it’ destination). Baglioni Marrakech isn’t opening until towards the end on 2011 but already there is a lot of buzz goin’ down.

3. Sanctuary Zebra Plains, South Luangwa, Zambia

The South Luangwa, Zambia is one of The Luxury Travel Bible’s favourite places in Africa if you are looking for unspoilt and remote, this is it.

4. Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong, China

From March 2011 the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong will be able to lay claim to the title of ‘World’s Highest Hotel’, until the next one comes along that is.

5. Villa Clarisse, Saint Martin de Ré, France

An exclusive villa hotel with only nine rooms, in a 17thcentury setting on a small island in the south of France, now that’s The Luxury Travel Bible’s kind of hotel.

6. Palazzo Versace, Dubai, UAE

Now we know there are rumours of much trouble in paradise and this one has been a lon-n-ng time actually getting past building site stage but we are taking a punt on 2011.

7. Six Senses Laamu, Laamu, Maldives

A private island And a new Six senses resort, now that’s a combination we like.

8. Zamani Retreat Kempinski, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Mid-January and those New Year resolutions slipping away already? The first hotel opening of the year to make our top ten could be the answer.

9. Mandarin Oriental, Paris, France

The luxurious Rue St. Honore is the perfect address for Mandarin Oriental’s Parisian home. Like so many hotel openings these days this one has been a long time a-coming.

10. Shangri-La hotel, Doha, Qatar

Shangri-La’s new hotel in Doha has been on our radar for a while now; mainly because it will have a helipad balancing atop its awesomely space-age silver-pronged design.

Numerous events will be held within 30 minutes of Perth city centre throughout the festival.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA, — Perth’s Autumn Festival sees the five councils that make up the city’s eastern region come together to launch a number of community events.

The occasion has been created to celebrate the Western Australia capital’s natural beauty, from the Swan River to the majestic Perth Hills.

Bassendean’s Sandy Beach Reserve plays host to the Sandy Beach Festival from March 25th to 28th 2011.

It includes a sculpture exhibition, an outdoor screening of The Blind Side – starring Sandra Bullock – and the chance to buy handicrafts made in Bali. A sausage sizzle and bouncy castle are also on the bill.

Cycling was first introduced at the 2010 festival and will be back on the agenda this year. On April 3rd, riders can meet at Ascot’s Garvey Park to take part in the Autumn River Ramble by the Swan.

The route includes parks, the city of Bayswater’s Autumn River Festival and the Swan River itself. Registration is at 09:00 local time, with the trip kicking off 30 minutes later.

Other events to be held during Perth Autumn Festival include Bickley Carmel Harvest Festival, Discover the Treasures of the Hills and Cycle the Trails of the Hills.

All are within 30 minutes of the central business district and will take place between March 25th and May 15th.

Festival-goers looking for Perth hotels can find a large selection of last minute hotels at LateRooms.com.

More information can be found by visiting http://www.perthtourism.com.au/.

Editors Notes:

www.LateRooms.com is part of the B2C sector of TUI Travel PLC’s Accommodation and Destination Division. Also within this sector are AsiaRooms.com and Hotels-London.co.uk.

LateRooms.com is the UK’s leading online accommodation site offering late availability deals in over 37,000 properties worldwide, ranging from bed and breakfasts to five-star luxury hotels.

LateRooms.com offers customers a saving of up to 70 per cent off the normal room rate for a variety of independent and branded hotels. Customers can book online or by phone 24/7, whether booking 12 months or 12 minutes in advance – whatever time, whatever day. No other accommodation site offers this flexibility.

LateRooms.com arms customers with information to help them choose the right hotel. Users can read from over 540,000 true hotel reviews, written by customers who have booked through LateRooms.com and actually stayed at the hotel.

LateRooms.com is the first online site to use VisitBritain’s official national classification system to rate its hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses. This ensures customers know the standards of quality they can expect when making a reservation.

International Surfing Association
La Libertad, El Salvador
16 – 23 October 2011

The best master surfers of the world will compete in Punta Roca’s perfect waves | espanol

The 2011 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship will be held in the impressive waves of Punta Roca, in El Salvador’s town of La Libertad, from October 16 to 23. The best master surfers from all over the world will be competing as members of their National Surfing Team, for the honor to win the Gold Medal for their country. They will also be competing for individual gold, silver and bronze medals in the different age divisions.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said, “It is great to have another ISA World Masters Surfing Championship in warm Central America. We will hold the tournament in the perfect waves of Punta Roca. The ISA Masters is a great event, where camaraderie and fair play allow the best over-35 year old surfers in the world to perform and enjoy spending time with their peers from around the world.”

This will be a turning point for surfing in the country, as it will be the first time in history that El Salvador hosts a World Championship of surfing.

El Salvador Minister of Tourism, José Napoleón Duarte Durán, commented regarding the upcoming event, “I am pleased that El Salvador was chosen to host the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship. This event will help make El Salvador an even more attractive surf tourism destination. Our wave-rich coast includes the great surf spots of El Sunzal, Punta Mango, Las Flores and the epic Punta Roca, where the event will take place.”

The Minister of Tourism continued, “El Salvador is getting ready to welcome the best surfers in the world from over 30 countries to a surfing tournament that will reach more than 240 million television viewers worldwide. With the coverage of respected sports channels such as ESPN, Sports News and CBS Sports, among others, the ISA World Masters will deliver a global promotion for our Nation.”

El Salvador offers surfers a 300-mile coastline packed with perfect waves. It is a dependable surfing destination with consistent swells all year long.

Carlos Ortiz, representative of Gray Line El Salvador, Avitours DMC and Olas Permanentes, companies in charge of organizing the event, said, “Ever since we started working with the government to promote surfing five years ago, we have had the goal of organizing a World Championship. We are happy that we have finally accomplished this goal.”

Regarding the famous wave of Punta Roca, Ortiz added: “It is an epic point break that has attracted locals and foreigners for over 40 years. If you’re lucky to surf it in the 7 to 10 foot range, I can guarantee that it is going to be one of the best sessions of your life. The 2011 ISA WMSC will see a lot of friendship and unity in one of the top surfing spots in the world.”

It is most likely that perfect waves will show up at the 2011 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship. In order to ensure favorable conditions, the ISA hired surfing forecast guru, Sean Collins of Surfline.com, who studied the swell, weather and wind patterns at Punta Roca in October for the last five years, concluding that the period with most consistent waves was 16 to 23.

Located at the coastal town of La Libertad, Punta Roca is considered by many as one of the best waves in the world. With the ideal swell, waves can reach up to 12-to-15 feet, extending for over 500 yards. Often called the “Jeffrey’s Bay of Central America,” it is a perfect right point-break.

About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running Open Division World Championships since 1964, Junior World Championships since 1980, and Masters World Championships since 2007. The ISA will hold the first Stand Up Paddle (SUP) World Championship and the first World Bodyboard Championship in 2011.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 65 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected seven times since. The ISA’s three Vice-Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karín Sierralta (Peru).
www.isasurf.org

Surfing New Zealand Takes Surfing To The Schools With Kiwi Sport

Surfing New Zealand this week launched a surfing programme for schools through the support of Kiwi Sport and Regional Sports Trusts. The programme aims to give primary and intermediate school children the chance to go surfing under the guidance of professional surf instructors in a safe and user friendly environment.

The first of several planned programmes kicked off in the Bay of Plenty with two days held at Mount Maunganui and one day at Ohope.

“We have had a huge response” said Surfing New Zealand Sport Development Manager Lee Ryan. “The programme has proved so popular that we have had to turn some schools away as we simply could not cater for that number of learners” added Ryan in reference to the 350 students booked in for the first three days.

While much of the focus is on getting youngsters down to the beach for a surfing lesson, the long term vision is to up skill teachers with an International Surfing Association (ISA) Level One Coaching Certificate so they can continue the surfing programmes within their schools.

Surfing New Zealand will be leading teachers through the two day coaching course as part of the Learn to Surf Programme. Teachers will then be able to use the newly developed Junior Surfing Programme log book which will walk them through five levels of surf instruction aimed at children under twelve years of age.

The New Zealand way has always been to head to the beach, borrow a board and simply ‘give it a go’ and learn from your mistakes. However now you can avoid those troublesome solo attempts and get proper instruction to speed up the learning process.

“We have professional ISA accredited surf instructors so all the kids at the Have a Go Days are getting a professional level lesson with the appropriate equipment as their introduction to the sport” said Ryan.

After the programme finishes in the Bay of Plenty the programme heads to Counties Manukau in early March and Hawkes Bay later in the year with more regions to be added.

www.surfingnz.co.nz

Delta Air Lines is preparing to expand service to two key international business airports — Haneda Airport in Tokyo and Heathrow Airport in London — as it continues its focus on key markets for strategic growth in 2011.

Delta begins nonstop service between Tokyo-Haneda and Detroit and Los Angeles on Saturday, and will launch its new routes between Boston and Miami and London’s Heathrow Airport on March 26.

Under multinational air service agreements, Delta has only been allowed to serve Heathrow since 2007 and is gaining access to Haneda this year. Delta is now the fastest-growing U.S. carrier to Heathrow, and with new Haneda flights, will become the largest U.S. carrier to both of Tokyo’s major airports — Haneda and Narita.

In conjunction with its new service, Delta is offering special introductory fares for travel on its new routes between Heathrow and Boston and Miami.

Special fares also are available on connecting flights to Heathrow via Miami from Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, Fla. Delta is adding new nonstop flights between the three cities and Miami International Airport to enable convenient connections to Heathrow for customers across Florida.

The intra-Florida flights will be operated by Delta Connection carriers Comair and Pinnacle airlines using 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets.

In addition to Heathrow, Delta is expanding into another restricted airport in 2011, with new nonstop service to Tokyo-Haneda from Detroit and Los Angeles beginning Saturday. Tokyo-Haneda is preferred by many business travelers because of its proximity to central Tokyo.

ResortForaDay, which sells commissionable day passes to resorts to cruise passengers, has added the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa to passengers who stop at the new Port of Falmout, Jamaica.

The pass includes access to the resort’s private beach, beachfront pool and waterpark, as well as unlimited lunch, snacks, beverages and bar drinks. Non-motorized water sports are also included.

The introductory pricing for all new bookings is $75 per adult and $55 per child. Groups of 16 or more save 5 percent.

A roundtrip transfer package is available for $15. Commissions ranging from 10 to 14 percent.

The Hilton Rose Hall is the third product offered in Jamaica and the ninth resort pass offered by ResortForaDay. Sunset Beach Resort & Spa and Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa are resort partners in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, respectively. 

ResortForaDay is the creation of Stuart Cohen, a 22-year travel industry veteran and former sales and marketing executive with World Travel Holdings, NEST and Vacation.com. T

he company is expanding to additional ports and resorts.

For more information, visit www.ResortForaDay.com.