Jetsettersblog

BOZEMAN, Mont.–AdventureWomen, Inc.’s girlfriend getaway Nepal hiking trip is perfect for women who want to experience the splendor of hiking in the endlessly fascinating Himalayan mountain range.

This adventure features hikes through verdant valleys and ancient villages, while offering a personal look at the fascinating Nepalese culture and the friendly Nepalese people.

This is a lodge-based adventure instead of a camping trip, allowing for an easier pace and less impact on trails from porters and pack animals.

The Nepal lodges are of modern construction in a traditional style and all have private rooms with en-suite bathrooms, and offer excellent local Nepalese cuisine.

Also included in this girlfriend getaway is an additional two-day rafting excursion on the lush Seti River, and a wildlife viewing safari.

Guests will have the chance to ride elephants through Royal Chitwan National Park, the world’s finest Bengal Tiger habitat, and explore Kathmandu’s ancient city of Bhaktapur and the Buddhist Temple Complex of Boudhanath.

Dates: October 24-November 8, 2011.

Cost: $4595 from Kathmandu, Nepal ($800 deposit).

www.adventurewomen.com

GRAND CANYON, Ariz.–Arizona River Runners offers weary people the chance to Get Out! Out of the office, the room, the house, the building….and especially from behind that computer, the cubicle, the phone, the job, and the routine.

Overstressed professionals are invited to get outside, breathe in the fresh air, and feel the spray of the white water on a Grand Canyon rafting trip.

Whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon can set you free.

It is a natural, wilderness environment that is incredible to behold. It will allow you to breathe fresh air…feel the sun’s rays on your skin.

Get water splashed on your face. Soothe your feet in the cool water of the Colorado River, freshen up in a sidestream.

Fish. Sleep on a sandy beach and watch the night sky.

Ponder your very existence. Feel small. Feel tall. Hear the creatures of the sky and see the cute critters. Marvel at it all.

Rafting in the Grand Canyon is better than any 3-D movie.

Arizona River Runners offers once in a lifetime 3 to 13 day rafting trips of the Grand Canyon.

www.raftarizona.com

Biosphere Expeditions is an organization that offers hands-on conservation volunteer expeditions that provide travelers with an adventure with a purpose.

In recent years, the organization has taken note of the trend of women travelers making up a significant part of their volunteer population, showing that women travelers are ready to pitch in and lend a hand to help the planet.

Biosphere Expeditions unique volunteer programs bridge the gap between scientists at the forefront of conservation programs that are in need of funds and helpers, and enthusiastic travelers who during their vacation time and through their hands-on assistance and expedition contributions, want to support them.

These volunteer expeditions provide a fun, life-changing adventure and real hands-on experiences of working on wildlife conservation volunteering projects in destinations around the world.

The organizations’ three key themes are safety, science, and satisfaction, because their core belief is that volunteers work best when they are safe, well looked after, well rested, and having fun. Their volunteer holidays are open to all; there are no special skills (biological or otherwise) required in joining the projects as all necessary skills will be taught as part of the expedition, and there are no age limits whatsoever.

Participants are people from all walks of life, of all ages, looking for an adventure with a purpose. Teams are small and there is a dedicated expedition leader with the teams at all times.

www.biosphere-expeditions.org

Adventurers now have to chance to discover the most beautiful treasures of Torres del Paine National Park with a truly on this ecotour, offered by Detour, The Adventure Travel Marketplace. This tour offers both relaxing and active choices, while giving guests the chance to experience superb comfort and unique accommodations at the new sustainable EcoCamp’s Suite Domes.
The mix-and-match daily itinerary gives travelers plenty of flexibility so that they can customize their own adventure by choosing either a relaxing or active tour each day, depending on their whims.

Options range from lake navigations for glacier viewing to hiking to the base of the Torres peaks to wildlife walks.

Staying the secluded EcoCamp suite domes provides total comfort nestled in a remote section of the Torres del Paine National Park.

This is the place to escape the crowds and be immersed in stunning Patagonia. Best of all, by booking a tour through Detour, The Adventure Travel Marketplace, travelers can be assured that travel dollars truly “go local” back into the local communities.

Detour’s marketplace offers many tour options for Patagonia exploration.

For more information, visit www.detourdestinations.com

ESTES PARK, Colo.- YMCA of the Rockies is all about having fun with your family and their newest summer getaway packages are a nod to their quirky side. At YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch, families can try out Super Summer Picnic and 50s Sock Hop getaway packages.

During the Summer Picnic getaway in June, family members can enjoy an array of traditional summer activities such as a carnival, family games like charades and potato sack races, face painting, BBQ, and even a watermelon seed spitting contest.

In August, imagine traveling back in time to an era with roller skating parties, swing dancing lessons, outdoor movies, and sock hops.

In addition to themed activities, family getaway packages include two nights lodging, five buffet-style meals per person, and other on property activities such as swimming and mini golf.

Super family getaway packages are scheduled for Sunday-Tuesday.

For the first time this year, families can choose from either lodge-style or camp site accommodations.

There will also be RV rates for those who want to bring the comforts of home along.

www.ymcarockies.org

Everyone needs a vacation. Why not take a black and white vacation and turn into a living color adventure? By law, most Europeans are allowed a month to six weeks of paid holidays per year; that’s why you often see so many Dutch and Germans at resorts and safari lodges in South Africa; they are the most traveled citizens of the world.

Americans may only get a week or two off per year, if they are lucky, but with weekends at the front and back of a vacation you can stretch those seven nights into an incredible adventurous 9 or 18 night exploration.

Everyone budgets not only their time but their money, so here are a few tips to stretch both for a grand time in Africa:

First you should contact the reputable tour operator African Travel Inc. because they can save you money on city hotels, beach resorts, safari lodges, tours, transfers, interior flights, and other ground transportation.

With more than 35 years in planning adventures for its clients, they know how to put together the best package for your family budget. African Travel Inc. has its own ground operations in many African countries, including South Africa. They also have their own Safari Land Rovers and Land Cruisers near many of the splendid national game parks. Your kids will love you for taking them on safari when they first spot a white rhino munching thatch grass on the veld, or they hear the snorts and grunts of a hippo pod that suddenly bubbles and pops out of the river.

Because African Travel Inc. is so well established in Africa they have negotiated the best rates for you before you even open their brochure or visit their website at www.africantravelinc.com - that’s power in the marketplace that also saves you time.

They have a new program where you are assigned your own ranger/driver that stays with your family throughout your holiday. You can use their transportation or you can cash in some frequent flyer miles to rent a, van, land rover, or even a luxury town car, and then your personal African Travel Inc. driver steps on board and does all the driving for you so you can gawk at all the wildlife. Your family does not have to share a land rover with other people, thus making it your own private safari that can go beyond a sausage factory mass tourism tour.

The ranger/driver also can drive boats, arrange luggage transfers, reserve meal times, and even cook you a safari lunch in the bush, and much more. And because African Travel Inc. has its own representatives in selective countries they have a 24/7 help centre for planning additional tours and setting up the seamless logistics that makes your adventure truly memorable. Some of the areas they can assist with are spa packages, golf, fishing and hunting, sporting activities, and corporate meetings.

Many of the game lodges are billed as full board, but usually this only means breakfast and dinners are provided for your family during your stay. Lunch is usually paid on your own. One way to cut down on the currency exchange is to get a Travelex card at the Bureau de Change at many South African Airports, or have it mailed to your home before you travel.  Travelex is not a bank card nor is it tied to your bank account if lost. You then place a certain amount of the local currency on the card but you are not charged the currency exchange fees. You can add more funds anytime. You can use it just like a debit card for your noon time meals or other expenses. Believe me, those currency exchange fees or ATM fees and charges can add up fast.

Another way to get instant cash without incurring currency transaction fees is when checking out of a resort have them add some local currency to your bill, and then they pay you cash back the difference without the exchange fees. Not all resorts or lodges will do this for you; I found that mostly metro area hotels will accommodate your wallet this way. Most game lodges have limited amounts of rands on hand.

Value Added Taxes can also add up quickly on certain purchases, such as accommodations and food. VAT can be reimbursed to you at the airport before departing the country, so hang on to your receipts. The VAT fees are broken out for you automatically on the receipts.  VAT taxes can’t be reimbursed for accommodations or food and beverage, but for other items you purchase, such as clothing, souvenirs, and electronic equipment. Buy your souvenirs and African art from the street vendors you often see around ports, tourist sites, and cities. They are often made by the seller themselves and the items are more authentic, and cheaper, and of higher quality, and they are sold with no VAT.

I purchased beautiful African themed pillowcases from street vendors in Capetown that were half the price of a VAT store just across the street, and the seller negotiated the price down without me even asking. VAT stores in South African cannot negotiate the prices for their items, and the store is usually a corporate entity. Support your local artists!

Remember, if you purchase products at a duty free store at the airport, buy them while entering the country, not leaving. That $50 bottle of Klein Constansia Vin de Napoleon will be confiscated at the gate, and the Marula soap will see you crying your own soap opera when you find it not in your bag when you get home.  Flights back to the USA now are seeing passengers patted down by security right at the gate.
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For more interesting ways to save on your family safari, contact African Travel Inc. at www.africantravelinc.com  or contact your local travel professional. 

Read Jetsetters Magazine all summer long for new features about Africa adventures with African Travel Inc.

Trafalgar Tours reported that the company’s Family Experiences line of family travel packages have seen an unprecedented 95 percent increase in bookings for 2011 Family Experience itineraries versus matching 2010 itineraries.

The total 2012 Family Experiences bookings are already up 65 percent year over year, with some of the individual vacations up over 100 percent year over year. Trafalgar is also extremely pleased to note that 92 percent of the 2011 Family Experiences bookings are from first-time Trafalgar guests.

During the month of April, Trafalgar ran an extremely successful promotional campaign dedicated to its 2011 Family Experiences vacations. The campaign consisted of a special offer and a sweepstakes for the chance to win one of five Nintendo 3DS gaming systems or their grand prize, an air-inclusive vacation for four on Trafalgar’s Rockies Thrills and Glacier Chills Family Experience.

The campaign generated over 15,000 entries and traffic to www.familytravelexperiences.com  was up over 873 percent.

Trafalgar attributes its success of the Family Experiences to several factors, including its new Family Experiences microsite, a site devoted entirely to the Trafalgar Family Experience vacations. Since the site launched in December 2010, traffic has increased 273 percent. To date, the Trafalgar Family Experiences site has seen over 12,231 unique visitors. On the Family Experiences microsite, travelers can learn about all Trafalgar’s Family Experiences, getting more in depth information about destinations, dining, sightseeing, and the hotels.

There’s also a Family Experiences blog that gives potential travelers a taste of being on one of the Family Experiences vacations.

Trafalgar’s Family Experiences consist of 14 custom-designed, guided vacations packed with activities that appeal to all ages. Families can choose their dream trips in destinations spanning Britain, Europe, the U.S., Canada, and two new destinations, South Africa and Costa Rica.

For 2011, Trafalgar designed six new itineraries — An African Adventure (South Africa), Monkeys, Jungles & Volcanoes (Costa Rica), Magical Matterhorn (Switzerland), Castles & Kilts (U.K.), Rockies Thrills & Glacier Spills (Canada), and Trails of Liberty (U.S.).

Trafalgar enables multi-generation travelers to fully immerse themselves in each destination by taking part in activities unique to the local area.

Families can visit a chocolate factory in Switzerland, embark on a South African safari, trek beside a volcano in the Costa Rican rainforest, discover the secrets of traditional pizza-making in Rome or sample 35 ice cream flavors at an Oregon dairy farm.

Trafalgar takes the hard work out of planning a family vacation, allowing travelers to enjoy the entire experience and their quality time together. Trafalgar President Paul Wiseman proudly states that the company’s in-depth local knowledge is an invaluable asset on any hassle-free vacation, but especially a family trip. “Our expert tour directors make sure everything runs like clockwork, but more important, they know about authentic local experiences you won’t find in any guidebook,”

Wiseman said. “This is where our exclusive Hidden Treasures come into play, with the tour director revealing secret places and sights that you would never find if you were traveling on your own.”

While many activities are included, Trafalgar allows families to customize their trip with a choice of optional excursions. These outings include a visit to the ancient city of Pompeii and a festive medieval banquet in London.

Trafalgar’s new Family Experiences blog is written by veteran travel writer Luisa Frey. Frey is a respected family travel writer, family travel expert, social media professional and creator of the blog, www.TeenTravelTalk.com.

Frey has been a travel writer for over 15 years, and her articles have been published extensively in print and online, including Fodors.com and BudgetTravel.com.

Trafalgar was established in 1947 and provides guided vacations to Europe, Britain, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South America and China. 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. For more information, call 800-854-0103 or visit www.trafalgar.com  or www.familytravelexperiences.com

Outrigger’s Condominium Collection is offering a complimentary Foodland grocery card valued at $50 to $150, depending on the type of unit, for guests booking five or more consecutive nights at Outrigger’s six Maui condominium properties.

Those staying longer than five nights will receive additional certificates in incremental values.

Nightly rates start at $179 at the Outrigger Aina Nalu, $175 at the Outrigger Maui Eldorado, $165 at the Outrigger Napili Shores, $179 at the Outrigger Palms at Wailea, $159 at the Outrigger Royal Kahana, and $199 at The Kapalua Villas.

Deposit and cancellation policies apply.

In addition, the Outrigger Napili Shores has extended its Spring for Dinner package through Aug. 31.

The package includes a one-bedroom unit and dinner at the property’s Café O Lei Napili restaurant from a nightly room rate of $199.

For more information, call 800-688-444 or visit

www.outrigger.com

The San Diego Marriott La Jolla is offering summer deals.

With the Big Weekend Savings advance-booking deal, nightly room rates start at $79 through June 30. Mention promotion code ADV when booking. Through June 18, nightly rates for AAA members start at $89, including parking. Mention code AAZ when booking. Attractions packages, which include tickets to attractions like SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park and Legoland, start at $199.

The Family Dollar Days package includes a $1 breakfast, $1 parking and a $1 in-room movie from $169 per night. Mention booking code ES7. And the Ultimate Weekend Getaway advance-booking deal starts at $118 per night through Dec. 30. Mention promotion code D51.

For more information, call 800-228-9290 or visit www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-deals/sanlj-san-diego-marriott-la-jolla

The JW Marriott Camelback Inn Scottsdale Resort is offering a weekend Linger Longer package. Included are a $50 credit per day (up to $150 total) and a 6 p.m. checkout on Sunday.

The package is valid Friday through Sunday through Sept. 5 and can be booked online using promotional code ES7. For more information, call 888-236-2427 or visit www.marriott.com/phxcb