Jetsettersblog

Spectacular ice sculptures and sunny ski days guarantee fun for all in Levi’s spring Icium, a wonderworld of ice graces the foot of Finland’s most popular ski resort Levi in the municipality of Kittilä, Lapland. Built by expert Chinese ice sculptors, Icium features many Finnish and international landmarks including the Helsinki Cathedral and the Great Wall of China, chiselled out of ice with astonishing precision. Icium is expected to stay intact until April.
For more information:
www.icium.fi

Springtime Skiing
Levi, along with close-by resorts Ylläs, Pallas and Olos, offer a unique skiing experience for visitors until the start of May. Standing on top of a fell, watching untouched nature stretch as far as the eye can see before heading down the hill is something adrenaline seekers will never tire of.

Accommodation in Levi: http://www.levi.fi/en/accommodation/central-booking/accommodation-providers.html  General info on Levi: www.levi.fi/en/home.html
Getting to Kittilä:
http://www.finnair.fi/finnaircom/wps/portal/travel/en_FI?locale=en_FI&intro=true  (Return flights to Kittilä from London Heathrow via Helsinki start at £237 per person including all taxes and charges.)
http://www.blue1.com/en/fi/ (One way flights to Kittilä from London Heathrow via Helsinki start at €112.64 per person including all taxes and charges.)

Getting There….
For those left inspired to visit Finland this spring, here is a breakdown of flights to and from the UK to Finland.

Edinburgh and Stansted to Tampere
Ryanair operates three weekly flights from Edinburgh to Tampere and four times weekly from Stansted to Tampere. For more information, visit www.ryanair.com.

Manchester and Gatwick to Helsinki
EasyJet’s route from Manchester to Helsinki operates four times a week and from Gatwick three ti mes a week. For more information, visit www.easyjet.com.

Finnair offers two daily flights to from Manchester to Helsinki. For more information, visit www.finnair.com.

From 12th May Norwegian Air will operate a biweekly service from London Gatwick to Helsinki. For more information, visit www.norwegian.com

Edinburgh to Helsinki
Blue1 soon to start a twice weekly service from Edinburgh to Helsinki. For more information, visit www.blue1.com

London Heathrow to Helsinki
Blue1 has two daily services from London Heathrow to Helsinki. For more information, visit www.blue1.com. Finnair has four flights daily from London Heathrow. For more information visit www.finnair.com .BA has two flights daily from London Heathrow. For more information visit www.ba.com BMI has two flights daily from London Heathrow. For more information visit www.flybmi.com

The athenaeum hotel is delighted to announce additional availability of some of its luxury rooms, park-view suites and Rooftop Suite over the Royal Wedding weekend. Guests can book a three night stay at the athenaeum starting from £375* and enjoy a five-star experience in the heart of Mayfair, a stone’s throw away from The Mall where the Royal Procession will take place.

Guests looking to visit London for the weekend of the long-awaited Royal Wedding can choose from a selection of rooms and park-view suites at the athenaeum – Mayfair’s family-owned, five-star hotel located just blocks away from Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. Nestled between Green Park and St James Park at the heart of the excitement, the hotel will be serving its famous ‘Honey-Tea’ menu and offering manouka honey beauty treatments in celebration of its Royal Parks location.

Those wishing to celebrate in absolute style can book the athenaeum’s ‘Rooftop Suite’ which boasts one of the most spectacular views in London; an unrivalled panorama which spans across Green Park and beyond to the City and St. Paul’s, Canary Wharf, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye. Floor to ceiling windows and a balcony will enable guests to overlook the entire capital on this historical and memorable day.

Available daily from 12:30 pm until 5.30pm in the athenaeum’s ‘Garden Room’, the ‘Honey-Tea’ features a menu showcasing Regents Park honey made by bees in the Royal Gardens, including honeycomb Marquis, honey cake, honey cheesecake and honey-and-lavender macaroons. Guests will receive a pot of special Athenaeum honey as a parting gift.

The newly refurbished spa at the athenaeum will be offering honey-based beauty treatments with REN for guests**. The detox is based on healing minerals and essential oils including manouka honey extract, renowned for its natural antibacterial properties.

Over the Royal Wedding Weekend the athenaeum has rooms available starting from £375 + VAT for three nights. Reservations can be made by calling 020 7499 3464

The Athenaeum’s Honey-Tea is priced at £39 per person and includes a glass of honey fizz. The REN manouka honey treatment is £100 per person for 60 mins.

Beer Day- 1 March
Beer was only legalised in Iceland in 1989, lifting its 75-year beer prohibition. To celebrate this anniversary, 1 March is celebrated every year in a suitably inebriated style in bars, restaurants and clubs throughout Reykjavík and the rest of the country.

Reykjavik Folk Festival- 9-11 March
Reykjavik Folk Festival is a folk music festival where 14 Icelandic bands perform folk or blues music.

Food & Fun Festival, Reykjavik, 9 – 13 March
The annual Food and Fun Festival in Reykjavík celebrates pure Icelandic ingredients and provides the perfect platform for leading Icelandic chefs to cook up a storm alongside their international counterparts. The kitchens of the 12 top restaurants in the country are each taken over an acclaimed chef who must display his or her culinary mastery using only Icelandic produce. The competing dishes, which are judged by a panel of food critics from around the world, are then available on restaurant menus for a week.
www.foodandfun.is

Imagine Peace Tower- 21-28 March
This is a work of art by the legendary artist and peace advocate Yoko Ono that is dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. The work is in the form of a wishing well from which a tall tower of light emerges with the words ‘Imagine Peace’ inscribed on the well in 24 languages. The strength, intensity and brilliance of the light tower continually changes with the weather.

DesignMarch- 24-27 March
DesignMarch showcases the diversity of Icelandic design through an exciting programme of events, lectures and exhibitions. DesignMarch is a four-day feast for designers, businesses, those with an interest in design and the general public and tourists.
www.icelanddesign.is

An enterprising group of hotels in the Lake District has launched bespoke wedding packages in response to growing trends for alternative celebrations.

South Lakes Hotels has spotted a gap in the market for catering and now caters for all tastes and styles of wedding menus, meaning the bridal party to can host a celebration to be remembered. From the traditional wedding breakfast to canapés, hog roasts, buffets and barbeques the hotels are able to arrange a day that suits the couple.

Located in the South Lake District, South Lakes Hotels is a collection of three family run hotels offering weddings in the spectacular scenery with affordable accommodation. Each hotel has a wedding licence and a dedicated team to ensure the memorable day is tailored to suit each individual’s requirements.

The Newby Bridge Hotel was built in 1793 and overlooks the southern tip of Lake Windermere. New for 2011 will be the hotel’s very own wedding chapel, which launches later this year.

The Damson Dene Hotel is located a few miles from Windermere in a tranquil setting in the Lyth Valley whilst the Riverside Hotel Kendal is situated overlooking the River Kent and only a few minutes walk from the centre of the market town of Kendal.

Wedding packages at the hotels are entirely flexible catering for small intimate ceremonies or up to 250 guests. Traditional wedding breakfasts, while still popular, may be replaced at many modern celebrations with alternative canapé style dining. Canapés can be either finger food or alternatively created to a larger size and served throughout the entire day and could include goujons and chips, mini steak and ale pie, mini hot pot or mini sausage and mash.

Jonathan Denby, owner of the hotels commented: “We are always evolving our hotels and the way they are run to remain in-keeping with modern trends. This new fashion for alternative wedding dining looks like it may really catch on with even the Royal couple opting for canapés. While we will continue to offer traditional wedding breakfast menus, we wanted to also offer a modern alternative so that our venues appeal to all couples.”

For further information, reservations and a preliminary meeting to discuss individual requirements visit www.bestlakesbreaks.co.uk

As part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Programme

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire joins the national Stories of the World programme as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

One of 60 museums across Britain preparing to welcome more than 2.5 million visitors to Stories of the World projects, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum will present Science, Sport, Life. A celebration of sport and science, and an exploration of the stories behind the headlines from 19th century sporting heroes to the latest 21st century space-age materials that help to create the record-breaking performances of the world’s greatest athletes, it will encompass a thrilling series of exhibitions, events, festivals and fun hands-on activities.

Science, Sport, Life will run from March 2011 with young people playing an active role in its creation and delivery. The young curators will be found through existing partnerships with local colleges such as the Abraham Darby Academy & Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge Primary School, the Museum’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) networks and the museum’s own thriving volunteer programme.

The project will use the Museum’s nationally designated collections, including photographic archives and previously unseen material, alongside innovative, collaborative activities with regional, national and international partners and artists. This includes a close working partnership with the nearby town of Much Wenlock – the birthplace of the modern Olympic movement and the Museum is also looking at the creation of a major piece of digital art.

Anna Brennand Deputy Chief Executive of the Museum said: “The Museum is thrilled to be working with partners both near and far. We have a number of artefacts and images on loan by kind permission of the Wenlock Olympian Society who are based just five miles away and we are now in early talks with a range of international artists about creating a spectacular digital art installation in 2012″.

Stories of the World is already beating records and promises to be an unprecedented exploration of our past. The programme is led by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in partnership with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

Across the country over 12,000 young people have already participated in museum workshops and activities and over 1,000 young curators enlisted to help shape the final exhibitions in 2011 and 2012, designed to explore the stories behind Britain’s and its people’s place in the world.

Andrew Motion, MLA Chair said: “By working directly with collections in museums, which have been acquired from thousands of years of travel, trade, migration, and human struggle – good, bad, controversial, heroic – thousands of young people will fittingly remember the international celebration that is the Olympics. Stories of the World will help spread the London 2012 celebrations across England and Scotland in a fun but thought provoking way that will bring better understanding and longer term benefits to the museums and communities involved.”

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust’s Cultural Apprentice Tom Bonsor commented: “It has been amazing working at the Museum during the preparations for Science, Sport, Life. I have found it truly inspiring to see the level of good will towards the Museum from all kinds of different partners such as Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, local BMX clubs and other community organisations, all of which have helped us put on these fantastic exhibitions and events”.

The first event in the multi-site Science, Sport, Life Festival opens on 21st March at the Coalbrookdale Gallery. Sporting Life, a display of images ranging from football, cricket and quoit teams to rowing clubs and coracle racing, will draw on the Museum’s diverse collections and photographic sources. It will also include sporting heroes such as Captain Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel, and football legend Billy Wright. This free entry exhibition will be open 10am to 5pm, mainly Monday – Friday from 21st March 2011 until 29th February 2012.

Cruise overnight and enjoy some scrumptious food in the onboard restaurants and a drink in the bar before taking a seat to watch the evening’s live entertainment.

After a peaceful nights sleep in your en suite cabin take the short coach transfer to Haarlem. Spend the day exploring the maze of narrow streets and canals that make up this picturesque city. Climb the Adriaane Windmill just off the main square and take in the impressive views across the city or enjoy the café culture in the Grote Markt before returning to the ship for your relaxing cruise home.

What’s Included:
• 2 nights onboard ship in an en suite cabin
• Return coach transfers to Haarlem
• Live entertainment onboard
• Approx. 5 hours to explore Haarlem
• Departs Newcastle every month: 25/02, 25/03, 14/04, 30/05, 24/06, 21.07, 25/08, 22/09, 27/10, 18/11
• Book by 1 March 2011

To book visit www.dfds.co.uk/breakfree  or call 0871 882 0885

With more than one million visitors forecasted to enter the city around the weekend of 29th April 2011 in honour of the royal nuptials, Cheapflights.co.uk predicts that most Londoners will be exiting the city in a bid to escape the stampede.

Having scoured its most popular destinations based on search, the UK’s leading website for flight price comparison reveals 99 hotspots for under £300 departing just before and returning just after the Royal bank holiday weekend.

“Although the ‘big day’ is drawing closer, it’s still possible to find cheap getaways if travellers book now,” says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights.co.uk.

“Road closures and a tourism stampede will mean absolute mayhem for London’s residents, so the peace and quiet of a TV set in another country will provide the perfect, rejuvenating backdrop for the big ‘Royal Watch’,” adds Hallak.

Of the 99 destinations, 82 actually came in well under £200 making for an absolute bargain.

Sitting pretty at the top of the list is Amsterdam, a local favourite for city breaks, with an average of just £82.40 return. April is a perfect time to visit the city, which will be in full bloom as it lands smack in the middle of the famous Tulip season. Travellers can enjoy day trips to nearby Lisse for a visit to its floral park, the Keukenhof Gardens or sail through the heart of the city on canal boats, enjoying the mild, spring temperatures.

The next five cheapest destinations after Amsterdam include:
1) Dublin for £88.57 return
2) Geneva for £88.86 return
3) Milan for £90.95 return
4) Basel (Switzerland) for £92.96 return
5) Madrid for £97.46 return

Eastern Europe and Spain often feature in the list with destinations such as Zagreb for £106.63 return, Budapest for £135.50 return, Alicante for £114.85, Malaga for £114.97, and Seville for £125.04 return.

Even the Greek Isles made an appearance with Heraklion at £242.48 return, as did Turkey with destinations like Dalaman and Antalya showing £198.72 and £233.50 respectively.

For the complete list of cheap escapes, visit http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/travel-tips/average-airfares-during-the-royal-wedding/

Cheapflights has also launched an entirely new tips section in honour of the Royal Wedding, dedicated to all things wedding / travel related be they to do with travelling or finding the best spot from which to view the wedding live. This comprehensive section is available at http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/promos/royal-wedding

To celebrate Scotland’s Year of Food & Drink, a list compiled by nominations from the public is showcasing over 100 of Scotland’s top cafés.

From café-galleries in the Outer Hebrides and a tearoom in a perfume studio in the Highlands to organic specialists in Fife and a local gem commemorating the founder of Bovril in Midlothian, visitors and locals alike have made their nominations as part of the Café Days project on www.visitscotland.com/whiteinvite.

102 cafés already appear on the Café Days hotlist but there are many more hidden gems waiting to be included and VisitScotland is inviting more people to share their secrets for top cafés across Scotland. Those looking for great pitstops for their next visit to Scotland can then make sure they include some of the varied establishments on their itineraries.

Just a few of the cafés included in the Café Days list are:

• La Mirage, Highlands
This quirky little café was nominated by a visitor for its eccentric touches. Where else can you eat in Scotland sat next to a bear, a motorcycle cop or a lampshade wearing fishnet stockings? The homemade meringues also come highly recommended.

• Skoon Art Café, Outer Hebrides
The stunning views over the Minch to Skye and oil paintings from the resident artist made this café a favourite for a visiting camper.

• Drummuir Farm Ice cream, Dumfries & Galloway
The home-made ice-cream in 30 different flavours won over the group of visitors who nominated this southern favourite.

• Bovril Johnston’s Café, Midlothian
The inventor of the famous beef brew, Bovril, hails from this little Midlothian village and the café celebrating him gives diners the opportunity to sample Bovril in its traditional form or as an ingredient in a number of the recipes, winning it a nomination from a visitor to the area.

• Pillars of Hercules, Fife
This organic farm and coffee shop offers delicious home-baked goodies and is a tip for visitors passing the pretty village of Falkland or walking in the East and West Lomond hills.

• Harbour Café, Argyll (bird of prey trail)
The views over Loch Venachar and the proximity to the Bird of Prey Trail made this a favourite with a visitor to the nearby Loch Katrine.

• Aroma Café, Perfume Studio, Highlands
This unusual perfume studio was nominated by a visitor who enjoyed the delicious soup and cake and wildlife watching, surrounded by the smells of the soaps and perfumes.

To find out these cafés or to ensure your own favourite café is nominated, visit www.visitscotland.com/whiteinvite.

Somerset, 15th February 2011: Specialist tour operator Just Grenada is introducing the tiny Grenadine island of Bequia as an add-on destination to the popular Caribbean Spice Island, helping to make two- and three-centre holidays to the region more affordable.

Comments Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada: “An increasing number of our clients are looking for ways to visit two or three islands in the same trip, without breaking the bank by paying for lots of internal flights.”

He continues: “There are a number of travel options that we are now able to arrange, including 30-minute flights between Grenada and Bequia, as well as flights on to Barbados and St Lucia. Plus, the three hotels on Bequia that we are introducing offer accommodation from simple and comfortable to intimate and exclusive, allowing us to provide for a range of different budgets.”

Measuring just seven square miles and with a population of around 5,000, Bequia is the quintessential island paradise with its pristine white sand beaches, lush interior, pretty wooden waterfront houses, multitude of water sports and welcoming people.

The largest of the 32 islands in the Grenadines after the capital, St Vincent, it boasts a prestigious boat-building heritage, which continues to this day in both the ship yard and model boat makers who sell their wares from waterfront workshops.

Just Grenada, which includes Just Tobago and Just St Kitts & Nevis within its tour operation, is featuring three hotels on Bequia.

THE GREAT VALUE OPTION
The traditional West Indian style Frangipani Hotel, which began life as home to a sea captain, overlooks the azure waters of Admiralty Bay right in the heart of island life at Port Elizabeth, the main and only town. It is a small, friendly establishment, which has remained in the same family since 1898 and has offered comfortable accommodation for more than 40 years, as well as a popular restaurant and famous waterfront bar all within walking distance of shops, restaurants and other facilities.

The well-priced Frangipani features four different types of accommodation. These range from Original rooms for those with simple tastes to the more luxurious option of air conditioned Deluxe rooms, complete with four-poster king-size beds, private bathroom, separate dressing room, balcony with lounge chairs, sea views, coffee-maker, flat screen TV and WiFi access. Other facilities at the hotel include a 44ft yacht available for daily sailing trips and a tennis court.

ON THE BEACH
With just 12 suites, six villas and 11 classic rooms, Bequia Beach Hotel is a newly renovated and expanded four-star retreat right on the beach at Friendship Bay, that was inspired by the stylish villas designed by Oliver Messel on Mustique.

Facilities include a large infinity pool, a hillside and a beach restaurant (two chefs have Michelin star experience), spa treatments and entertainment such as Caribbean Nights, Beach barbecues and Lobster Fests.

LUXURY BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Situated on a 30-acre working plantation, complete with orchards of bananas, Bequia plums, breadfruit, grapefruit, guava, mangoes and oranges, Firefly is a luxury boutique-style hotel with panoramic views over Spring Bay to the north of Port Elizabeth.

In addition to four beautifully furnished rooms fitted with 250-thread count Italian linen, a fully loaded iPod and ensuite facilities with indoor/outdoor dual showers, the recently refurbished Plantation Cottage features king size beds and two bathrooms, together with a lounge and kitchen area, ideal for family holidays.

The Great House is built upon the foundation of the 18th century sugar plantation great house and is home to the bar and restaurant, as well as being near to the swimming pool; an ideal setting in which to enjoy Firefly’s famous rum punch.

WHAT TO DO ON BEQUIA
Bequia enjoys average temperatures of around 80° F all year round, so it’s perfect for a relaxed beach holiday. However, for such a small island there is a surprising amount to do for those who would prefer to explore. Highlights include the following:

• Port Elizabeth, Bequia’s atmospheric capital is built along the harbour of Admiralty Bay, with the shops, restaurants and markets stretching out several blocks along Front Street;
• Orton King’s Turtle Sanctuary, which has been caring for young Hawksbills since 1995;
• the ruins of an old sugar mill on Spring Plantation, which has been converted into a thriving pottery and artists’ studio;
• small fishing communities, including the village of Hamilton with French and English cannons nearby to mark the site of a fort which defended the entrance to Admiralty Bay during the 18th century;
• Admiralty Bay itself is considered one of the safest harbours in the Grenadines and a magnet for visiting yachts. Bequia is surrounded by some of the most beautiful waters in the world for sailing. Head to the famous Tobago Cays, rub shoulders with the rich and famous on Mustique or take a picnic to the nearby deserted island of Isle de Quatre.
• More than 30 underwater dive sites, including The Bullet where rays, barracuda and nurse sharks mingle, Devil’s Table, location of a sailboat wreck, and the 90-foot drop aptly named The Wall;
• Take a guided hiking trip to little-known locations on Bequia and St Vincent, through forest trails, to secluded beaches and windswept mountain tops;
• Mount Pleasant, the highest accessible point on Bequia, which offers sweeping views over Admiralty Bay and down over the southern Grenadine islands. It is also the site of a reconstructed plantation house, now an inn, where an interesting display includes petroglyph rubbings said to date back more than 5000 years, as well as locally excavated treasures from the colonial age.
• The whaling museum in La Pompe demonstrates how the building of whale boats in the late 19th century established the foundations of a great boat building heritage on Bequia. Today boat building continues to a much lesser degree, with skills being passed down unchanged through the generations.
• A model boat building museum and numerous workshops also highlight the skill and craftsmanship still evident on Bequia and which continues an age-old tradition in miniature.

Two-week holidays combining a week in Grenada followed by a week in Bequia start from £1490 per person. This includes seven nights at Blue Horizons near to the famous Grand Anse Beach in Grenada combined with seven nights at the Frangipani Hotel on the waterfront in Bequia, based on two people self catering, with BA flights and inter-island flights with SVG AIR.

Numerous other twin-centre combinations may be tailor-made. For further information visit www.justgrenada.co.uk  and click on the Bequia button on the home page or telephone 01373 814214.

India’s premier airline, Jet Airways, is dishing up a new luxurious onboard dining experience with the launch of a new gourmet four-course menu served on elegant Rosenthal crockery.

Continuously redefining the in-flight experience, Jet Airways is leading the way in service delivery excellence. Guests travelling in Premiere (business class) will now enjoy fine dining on the airline’s full service domestic flights between Mumbai and Delhi. The new menus have been designed and prepared by the master chefs of the famed Oberoi Flight Kitchen.

Economy guests can choose from a selection of delicious Indian and Continental favourites, served on a new range of Dutch tableware known as ‘The Landscape’, acclaimed for its contemporary and fresh design.

The new service is available now on Jet Airways’ Mumbai-Delhi flights and will be rolled out on the airline’s other major domestic metro services.

MOBILE BARCODES OFFER NEXT STEP IN CUSTOMER INNOVATION

Jet Airways has adopted the very latest in Quick Response (QR) mobile code technology, becoming the first airline in India to utilise barcode technology to share real time information on its products and services with its customers.

Quick Response barcodes provide the next step in customer service, an effective and responsive way to facilitate a high level of engagement with passengers. The technology harnesses the power of digital information, giving guests on the move all the information they need, directly to their handsets.

The QR codes are now in use on jetairways.com, Facebook posts and from February, JetWings – Jet Airway’s in-flight magazine – allowing guests access to additional information about offers and promotions displayed in the magazine. The airline plans to include the quick response barcodes on eTickets as well.

Jet Airways has collaborated with 3GVision, which will provide the airline with access to its QR code campaign management system, enabling real-time reporting, including approximate response location, time and media type. QR codes can be read using 3GVision’s ‘i-nigma’ reader which can be downloaded onto most smart phones.