Jetsettersblog

The U.K. Tea Council recently announced its special Awards for Excellence, with the Red Carnation Hotel Collection achieving more plaudits than any other hotel group or collection in London.

Three of the private family-run collection’s London hotels – The Milestone, The Montague on the Gardens and The Chesterfield Mayfair – were recognized by the U.K. Tea Council for their outstanding quality and consistently high standards of service. No other hotel group achieved so many properties in the listings, which represent the Oscars of the tea world.

“We’re seeing a huge growth in the popularity of afternoon teas over the last few years,” said Jonathan Raggett, managing director of Red Carnation Hotels. “All eight of our U.K. properties excel at delivering a sumptuous and delicious experience, with unparalleled levels of service for all our guests whether they are staying with us or popping in for an afternoon respite. I am proud that The Milestone, The Montague on the Gardens and The Chesterfield Mayfair have been deservedly recognized with this prestigious accolade.”

All of the hotels offer a variety of afternoon tea options such as the Champagne Tea, Traditional Afternoon Tea and the Little Prince & Princess Tea to pamper the children. The Milestone Hotel, consistently one of the top five star hotels in London according to TripAdvisor rankings, overlooks one of London’s most prestigious Royal residences, Kensington Palace, so afternoon tea is a suitably sumptuous affair. Showcase afternoon teas include the Afternoon Seduction or the Ruinart Seduction, both of which come with a selection of finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with Devonshire clotted cream, preserves, French pastries, fruitcake, strawberries with cream and a pot of tea of your choice served with a half bottle of Champagne.

Situated in the heart of Mayfair, The Chesterfield offers the Chocolate Lovers Tea for extra indulgence. This include hot chocolate or chocolate milkshake, a selection of sandwiches, chocolate scones, clotted cream and homemade preserve, a selection of chocolate pastries and cupcakes and a Chesterfield Luxury Chocolate Bar. At The Montague on the Gardens in Bloomsbury, guests can enjoy their afternoon tea al fresco on the private terrace and wood deck that overlook a secluded garden square.

Currently on offer is the Bloomsbury Royal Afternoon Tea, which includes a glass of brut rosé Champagne as well as the traditional sandwiches and scones with jam and cream, there is a selection of royal themed pastries such as miniature Royal iced fruit cake, the Queen of puddings and a pink champagne sorbet.

For more information, visit www.redcarnationhotels.com

African Travel Will Take You To The Heart of African Cats Country!

It’s all about the Big Cats these days, and Disneynature’s African Cats will be opening in select theaters on Earth Day, April 22, 2011. This film brings The Lion King to life on the big screen. The story is about two rival cat families, Lion vs. Cheetah, in the Kingdom of Courage – The Masai Mara, Kenya – teaching their cubs the ways of the wild. African Cats was filmed in the Masai Mara in Kenya from August 2008 to October 2010.

All the animals appearing in the movie were filmed entirely in the wild. The stories featured in African Cats are all true and represent a condensed retelling of the actual events that took place during that time.

African Travel’s land package, Kenya Explorer includes 11 magnificent Kenyan days and will take you to the African Cats filming location, Masai Mara, Kenya. For the safari enthusiast, Kenya Explorer is the best of what Kenya has to offer.

Walk with the animals on a ranch in the Aberdares. Observe some of the nocturnal activities of the local animal population from the safety of your tree hotel. Stroll the expansive manicured grounds of the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club. And, of course, there are thrilling game viewing opportunities in the Masai Mara, Kenya’s most prolific animal haven.

This 11-day land package, offered year round, is from $3,895 per person, based on double occupancy.

Discover what the original safari experience was all about—from the historic
Fairmont Norfolk Hotel, the colonial estate of Mount Kenya Safari Club to
the expansive Masai Mara (internal flights included in land arrangements).

Guests will enjoy a tour of Karen Blixen’s Museum (Out Of Africa) and home and visit the Giraffe Centre for the opportunity to feed the giraffes.

As dinner guests, be properly introduced to delicious cuisine and warm
hospitality in the home of a Kenyan family.

Voted Best Value Safari for eight years running and now back by popular demand!

For more information and reservations, contact African Travel at (800) 421-8907 or visit www.africantravelinc.com

About African Travel, Inc.
With over 34 years experience as a luxury travel operator, African Travel knows all the options to ensure a wonderful experience in Africa, specializing in custom wildlife tours and adventures to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia including Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania including Zanzibar, Rwanda and Uganda including gorilla trekking, Mozambique, Seychelles, Mauritius, Egypt and Dubai.

African Travel, Inc. was recently nominated by Travel Weekly in their 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards as a Top Tour Operator and Safari Outfitter in Travel+Leisure’s World’s Best Awards. African Travel, Inc. is part of The Travel Corporation, which also includes Trafalgar, Contiki, Brendan Vacations, Insight Vacations, Red Carnation Hotel Collection, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection.

Big Savings. Definite Departures. Book Now!

Trafalgar’s “Last Minute Deals” give you the opportunity to experience incredible savings on a select few European and North American award-winning vacations.

These selected departures are only available until April 27, 2011. All are Definite Departures. Space is limited, so come and experience Europe and North America with Trafalgar’s unbeatable services, tremendous value and great savings.

Please note: To get these special rates, please reference the tour’s ‘PROMO CODE’ at the time of booking. Conditions apply.

About Trafalgar Tours
For over 60 years Trafalgar has been using their knowledge and expertise to design unforgettable guided vacations that offer authentic, one-of-a-kind experiences connecting travelers to stunning worldwide destinations. Trafalgar’s vacations include First Class hotel accommodations, luxury transportation by motor coach, rail or cruise ship, outstanding cuisine, daily included sightseeing and optional excursions, both with expert local guides, and the personal concierge services of Trafalgar’s Tour Directors, who share their insider’s view and reveal hidden places not mentioned in guidebooks.

Trafalgar takes care of all the details so their guests can enjoy must-see classic treasures, unique local experiences, and the flexibility to explore each destination in-depth.

Discover the world of Trafalgar and “rediscover the romance of travel.

Trafalgar was established in 1947 and provides exceptional worldwide vacations to Europe, Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South America and China.

There is no doubt the underwater wonders of the Jalousie Plantation’s National Marine Reserve are stunning during the day, but as night falls there’s an even more magical experience awaiting off the shores of Sugar Beach on the scenic West coast of St Lucia—night snorkelling.

The Jalousie Plantation,SugarBeach, is the only resort on the island to offer this incredible experience and an up close and personal look at all of the nocturnal underwater wonders of Anse des Pitons.

Once the sun goes down the coral reef and rock crevices really come to life. The crystalCaribbeanwaters glitter with phosphorescence and marine creatures normally dormant during the day.

Not only can you witness brightly coloured parrot fish weaving their cocoons, and octopus venturing from their daylight hideaways beneath the surface, but a glance above the waves reveals twinkling fireflies dancing in the foliage on the lower slopes of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Petit Piton.

“Night snorkelling has been a huge hit with our guests and has given them the opportunity to explore a whole new world,” said Vitus Joyeux, the Jalousie Plantation’s Watersports and Dive Manager. “We give everyone an underwater flash light and lead them on a wonderful voyage of discovery. This kind of experience is usually reserved for night divers and scuba enthusiasts so the reaction has been great from our non-diving guests in particular.”

The summer months from June to September are some of the best to experience night snorkelling as the trade winds diminish and waters of the National Marine Reserve become calmer.

The skies above are also generally clearer and brighter as well providing greater illumination of the reef.

With rates starting at just US$270 per night from June 1 (excluding 8% government tax and 10%service charge) and throughout the summer season, there’s no better time to don your mask and fins at The Jalousie Plantation and try a little night snorkelling offSugar Beach,St Lucia.

Visit www.thejalousieplantation.com , telephone +1 758 456 8000 or email reservations@thejalousieplantation.com  for more information and bookings.

France Cruises has partnered with Gateway Destinations to offer a Bordeaux Wine Cruise and Exploration of Dordogne package. This 11-day program, departing Sept. 1, will explore the sub region of Dordogne for three nights and include a six-night cruise aboard the Mirabelle Hotel Barge. In Dordogne, guests stay in a typical farmhouse hotel. During their stay, they can explore the countryside. Truffle hunting is one of the highlights.

Guests are then transported to the Bordeaux area, with a stop and lunch at Saint Emilion, to board the Mirabelle for a cruise along the River Garonne, the Gironde Estuary and the Dordogne River. Onboard, passengers will have access to the personal wine connoisseur who will educate them on different wines during the cruise. Guests also can participate in excursions that include wine tastings.

The cruise-tour is priced at $4,625 per person double. The single supplement is $1,775. Space is limited to 22 guests. Included in the land portion are daily breakfast and dinner and daily guided excursions, including wine tasting and truffle hunting. Also included onboard are all meals with wine and an open bar, all shore excursions, wine tasting and wine education. For more information, call 866-498-3920 or visit www.francecruises.com

From welcoming the first rays of the New Year on a remote mountain top in Borneo to enjoying intimate encounters with endangered Arctic polar bears, Reef & Rainforest Tours’ (Tel 01803 866965 www.reefandrainforest.co.uk) has selected two totally unmissable trips for 2012. But you’ll have to book now to save £2,100 or risk missing out all together.
Be one of the first to see in 2012…at 4,095 metres in Borneo
High Arctic Wildlife Adventure – book before 3rd June to save £2,100
Be one of the first to see in 2012…at 4,095 metres in Borneo– For anyone stuck for ideas for an unbeatable way to spend New Year’s Eve, Reef & Rainforest Tours has the perfect solution: climb one of the highest mountains in South East Asia and watch the first sunrise of the New Year.

Eight hours ahead of GMT, the island of Borneo is one of the first places in the world that sees in the New Year. For the ultimate New Year high, intrepid travellers can climb the island’s highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu, arriving at the 4,095m summit just in time to watch the sunrise. But you’ll have to act quickly to grab this great adventure as spaces are limited and, along with flights, are selling out fast.

The trip costs from £2,352 per person including:
Flights with Malaysia Airlines
Shared transfers
Shared tours
Domestic flights
Mountain permits
Most meals
In addition to the two day climb, the itinerary includes:
a night market on Christmas Day
snorkelling on a tropical island on Boxing Day
a visit to an orang-utan sanctuary
the chance to explore the primate-rich rainforests of the Kinabatangan River
High Arctic Wildlife Adventure, 3-12 June 2012 – Journey to the Arctic’s remote ice floe edge for an ultra-exclusive wildlife trip to see polar bears, narwhal – the ‘unicorn of the sea’ – and other amazing wildlife, before their habitat and hunting patterns are destroyed by changing global weather patterns. Unlike most Arctic trips which are in larger groups arriving by cruise ship, this tour offers an intimate (maximum 10) experience of the vastness of the Arctic, bringing guests to eye-level with the wildlife.

The trip flies into the remote Inuit community of Pond Inlet in the high Arctic. From there guests travel by snowmobile and qamutik to the floe edge where the high-end safari style eco camp will be set up. The group will be joined by an expedition leader and Inuit guides, affording a rare chance to meet and understand the true people of the Arctic whose lives have changed so dramatically in the last few decades. There will also be the opportunity for snorkelling, kayaking, hiking on Bylot Island and visiting its cliffs with 20,000-plus birds.

The special 9-night itinerary is priced at £7,950 per person, representing a saving of £2,000, if booked by 1 January 2012. Book by 3rd June 2011 & save a further £100 per person.

Price includes:
International, domestic and charter flights (London to Pond Inlet return
All accommodation Ottawa/Pond Inlet and camping, including bedding
The services of a highly qualified Inuit Guides & Expedition Leader
All transportation to/from and at floe edge including snowmobiles/qamutiqs
All excursions/activities
All meals and soft drinks
Kayaking and snorkelling equipment
Hotel transfers in Pond Inlet
-Ends-

NOTE TO EDITORS – Reef & Rainforest Tours, the operator championing “Preservation Through Visitation”, has been arranging holidays to exciting and exotic destinations for 21 years. They operate three distinct programmes: ‘Tailor Made’, ‘Escorted Groups’ and ‘Family Wildlife Adventures’.

Their impressive portfolio of 19 destinations includes: South Africa, Belize, Costa Rica, Madagascar, Borneo, Ecuador and Galapagos, Brazil, Venezuela, Rwanda, Peru, Seychelles, Papua New Guinea, India, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Panama, Namibia and Tanzania and the Arctic.

Crystal Cruises introduced a new “Standby” program that enables last-minute travelers to sail at up to 75 percent off brochure fares on five May-June sailings in Alaska, the Baltic and North Cape. Greatly reduced tiered pricing offers fares as low as $2,995 for 12-day cruises.

Standby fares are based on availability, require a $500 per guest deposit upon reservation, and will be confirmed on a “first requested, first confirmed” basis no earlier than 45 days prior to departure. Eligible cruises include: 12-day Alaska cruises — round-trip from San Francisco — Departing May 9, 21 and June 2; 11-day Scandinavia/Russia sailing — Hamburg to Stockholm – Departing May 22. Prices range from $2,995 for a deluxe stateroom with large picture window to $3,995 for a deluxe stateroom with verandah. For a 14-day North Cape/Arctic Circle voyage, from Copenhagen to Stockholm, departing June 13, prices range from $4,995 for deluxe stateroom with large picture window to $5,995 for a deluxe stateroom with verandah.

Standby fares on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity are cruise-only for new bookings as of April 7, and do not include air transportation; port, security and handling charges; or “All Inclusive – As You Wish” spending credits. Fares quoted are per person, based on double occupancy accommodations, and other restrictions apply. Final payment is due within three days of confirmation.

“We haven’t offered anything like this in almost a decade,” said Bill Smith, Crystal’s senior vice president, sales and marketing. “There is no doubt that travelers who make their decisions early are rewarded with early confirmation, a greater choice of accommodations, and value-added spending credits. However, there are people making travel decisions closer in, and this is an extraordinary opportunity for luxury travelers who just can’t plan their vacations far in advance.” For more information, call 800-446-6620 or visit www.crystalcruises.com

Southwest Airlines Vacations is offering exclusive One Night Free deals with Las Vegas packages at Caesars Entertainment Resorts. Clients can save up to an additional $75. Flight plus three-night hotel packages start at $29 per person, per night.

Clients can save $25 per night at participating Caesars Entertainment Resorts when using promotion code CET25PN at the time of booking ($75 maximum savings). Packages must be booked April 5-28 by 6 p.m. Central Time for travel April 12-Sept. 9. Seven-day advance purchase is required. Up to $75 savings apply for flight plus hotel vacation packages at participating Caesars Entertainment Resorts. Savings apply at time of checkout in the booking process when using promotion code CET25PN. The promotion code is intended for redemption by individual consumers only.

The Mark Travel Corporation, tour operator for Southwest Airlines Vacations, is accepting reservations through Nov. 4, 2011. On May 26, 2011, Southwest Airlines will open the schedule for sale through Jan. 6, 2012.

This summer UK food and wine lovers will be able to enjoy a short break river cruise in the Upper Rhine Valley and experience a delicious five course gourmet dinner prepared by a selection of top French, German and Swiss Michelin-starred chefs. With world famous wine growers and wine waiters in attendance, the exclusive dinners will be served during the new two day cruises, the first of which takes place in June.

Run by CroisiEurope, the European leader in river cruises, and supported by the Alsace, Basel, Black Forest and Palatinate tourism authorities, there will eight of the new “Wine and Gastronomy” cruises, with four departures from Strasbourg and four from Basle between June and September. The vessel being used is the 160 passenger MS Modigliani which offers comfortable and spacious public areas and air conditioned cabins with double beds and ensuite facilities.

The two day, one night cruise costs €299 per person and includes full board accommodation with the gastronomic dinner and wine plus an excursion to the two Brisachs, one in Alsace and the other in Germany. In the French Neuf-Brisach with its famous Vauban fortifications and which is a UNESCO world heritage site, cruise passengers will enjoy an Alsace wine aperitif and traditional savoury kougelhof while in the German Breisach am Rhein there will be a tour of the Geldermann winery and a tasting.

Alsace is home to more Michelin starred restaurants than any other region of France other than Paris and chefs from six gourmet restaurants in the area along with two from Switzerland and six from Germany will be preparing the gastronomic cruise menus.

Cruises from Strasbourg depart on 11 June, 6 July, 14 August and 15 September and from Basle on 12 June, 7 July, 15 August and 16 September. Extra nights can be booked in a selection of top hotels in both Strasbourg and Basle.

For information and booking contact CroisiEurope direct on +33 (0)3 88 76 40 66 or e-mail:info@croisieurope.com. A number of UK tour operators offer CroisiEurope cruises including Shearing’s (www.shearing.com 0844 8246351) and Blue Water Holidays (www.bluewaterholidays.com 01756 706509)

This year it is a whole lot easier for holidaymakers to get to Alsace.
British Midland International (BMI) and Swiss have announced new routes from Heathrow and Manchester to the European Airport at Basle/Mulhouse in the south of the Alsace region. Return fares start from £89 from Heathrow and £93 from Manchester. Swiss also flies from London City to the same airport as does British Airways from Heathrow

Easyjet also flies to Basle/Mulhouse from Gatwick and Edinburgh. Ryanair flies from Stansted to Karlsruhe in Germany which is about 45 minutes drive from Strasbourg.

The increasingly popular train takes just over five hours from London to Strasbourg- Eurostar to Paris and the TGV Est to Strasbourg and then on to Colmar, Mulhouse and Basle.

For more information on the Upper Rhine Valley visit www.upperrhinevalley.com . For more information about tourism to Alsace visit www.tourism-alsace.com

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced plans to bring the Four Points brand to New York City’s downtown financial district. Four Points by Sheraton Financial District is scheduled to open in the summer 2013, four blocks from Wall Street.

The newly constructed hotel is the eighth Starwood property developed by the Lam Group and will offer 264 guest rooms and suites. Located at 6 Platt Street, Four Points by Sheraton Financial District will offer all-day dining in an upscale restaurant with an outdoor terrace. The hotel’s 2,000 square feet of conference space will accommodate small to mid-size meetings and social functions. Additional amenities will include a 24-hour fitness center and business center. For more information, visit www.fourpoints.com