Jetsettersblog

Audley have launched a new Indian Subcontinent brochure covering India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan.

Highlights include:

Rural Rajasthan – Audley have placed emphasis on rural Rajasthan, getting away from the cities to experience a more traditional way of life. They have included a number of smaller villages including Samode, Bundi and Rohet and are using characterful boutique hotels as well as a choice of tented properties. They suggest a number of itineraries that combine the more traditional sites and cities with time in these rural areas to give a complete experience of the region. For example they offer an Ultimate Rajasthan 21 day itinerary that combines the wilderness of the deserts, magnificent forts and palaces and sleepy rural villages and costs from £2,688 per person.

Adventurous Himalaya – Audley have included a new itinerary that includes rafting on the Ganges, an elephant safari and game drives in Corbett National Park and trekking in the remote Kumaon region staying in village houses. This 12 day itinerary costs from £2,865 per person.

Rail Travel – Audley have put more focus on the number of different rail routes on offer throughout India, both on local trains and luxury trains. They have introduced a ‘Train Travel and Backwaters’ itinerary. This combines a week on a luxury train – travelling between Mumbai and Delhi and seeing the classic attractions of Rajasthan – with five nights in Kerala, including two days on a converted rice barge, for a complete change from the frenetic pace of rail travel. This 15 day itinerary costs from £5,245 per person.

Homestays – Audley are offering more homestays throughout India – a great way to really get a feel for the country and its people. Their favourite options include Tranquil Hideaway, set on a coffee estate in Wayanad with some wonderful walking routes and Ayesha Manzil in Tellicherry where you will enjoy some of the finest food on offer in the region and can also have a cookery lesson. A 10 day itinerary using homestay accommodation costs from £1,545 per person.

Wildlife in India and Sri Lanka – Audley now have two dedicated Indian wildlife specialists and are using some of the lesser known National Parks such as Satpura and Tadopa as well as the more established ones including Ranthambhore and Corbett. They suggest ‘India’s Widlife Treasures’ itinerary combining the national parks of Pench, Kanha, Badhavgarh and Satupura in Central India to give a good contrast in scenery, activities and game. This 13 day itinerary costs from £2,995 per person.

Wildlife is also a focus in Sri Lanka where Audley suggest an itinerary called ‘On the Leopard’s Trail’ which combines some of the key sites with the top National Parks and the chance to see the spectacular variety of birds and flora as well as looking for leopard and sloth bear and taking a whale and dolphin watching trip. This 16 day itinerary costs from £3,422 per person.

Everest and Annurpurna Trekking Combined – the opening of some new luxury lodges on the Everest Trail means it is now possible to combine trekking in the Annapurnas and Everest in comfort. Audley also suggest using a variety of accommodation, staying at simple local tea houses as well as the lodges to really immerse yourself in the region and with all money going straight into the local community. They have included ‘The Sherpa’s Trail’ itinerary which combines both Annurpurna and Everest trekking, suggesting a mix of accommodation to suit each client’s requirements. This 16 day itinerary starts from £2,650 per person.

Bhutan – Audley suggest timing your visit to coincide with a tsechu or festival that is being held in one of the villages. They are a fundamental part of Bhutanese life and a great way for visitors to really get a feel for the country, particularly at one of the smaller events where you get a more intimate experience. Audley also suggest including a farm visit as part of any trip – a chance to enjoy a typical Bhutanese meal and the local rituals.

For further details and a copy of Audley’s Indian Subcontinent brochure call Audley on 01993 838 300 www.audleytravel.com

Tucan Travel is pleased to announce the release of its all-new worldwide brochure for 2012-13, which is out now and brightening up the shelves of travel agencies worldwide. Next year’s brochure is some 200 pages crammed full of over 450 inspiring, affordable adventures to exciting destinations spread over six continents.

2012 is also a significant year for Tucan Travel as it will mark 25 years since it first began offering tours in Latin America to like-minded adventure travellers who wanted to gain the real travel experience. In the last 25 years Tucan Travel has since gone on to cover the globe, offering over 450 itineraries to nearly 70 countries over six continents.

And in case that wasn’t enough, to celebrate the launch of the new brochure, Tucan Travel will be running a competition to give away a travel voucher to the value of £1000! For entry details you can visit www.tucantravel.com/brochure-competition

Here’s just some of what’s in store…

Introducing two all-new travel styles!

In what would have to be the most important addition to the new worldwide brochure, Tucan Travel has launched a brand new travel style to be called Just Go tours. This new travel style is designed to encourage would-be travellers to just ‘get up and go’ with the itinerary mainly focused on the destinations visited and not the time spent getting there. This doesn’t mean that the adventure of getting there is not important, just that being flexible in how you travel allows clients to experience so much more. So whether it is by local train or private bus, camel back or breeze-powered sailing boats, it’s the getting there that counts.

Starting next year Just Go Tours will be operating in Egypt and in China, offering clients over a dozen new itineraries and routes in these two fabulous destinations.

The other new travel style that will be released for next year is the Private Tours style. This new style will allow clients to follow many of our favourite itineraries but with their own group of family, friends, colleagues or students. These tours can then be tweaked to offer clients accommodation levels to suit as well as modes of transport; our vehicles can be used if required or tour leaders can escort private groups on public transport. This new style offers clients looking to share the adventure with a select group of people the chance to get the most out of well-established infrastructure of networks and support.

Introducing new Rewards Programme

Tucan Travel is equally thrilled to be able to announce the release of a new discount scheme. This is called our Rewards Programme and gives client the opportunity to combine any of four criteria, each offering 5% off the price of a tour, to get as much as 10% off the price of most of our group tours. Such criteria include booking multiple tours, booking in advance and repeat custom. Full details of the new Rewards Programme are available on the website.

From the West all the way east

One exciting new adventure offered in the new brochure is the chance for those seeking the ultimate overland trip to travel from Budapest as far east as it is possible to go to Beijing, culturally worlds away. This tour can be taken in either direction and includes the indomitable Trans Mongolian as it trundles along through the vast and fascinating Siberian expanse.

Optional single sups and other changes inspired by feedback

The nature of tours means Tucan Travel relies heavily on client feedback to best follow how its tours are running, how suppliers are performing and what things clients would like to see more or less of. One of the big new changes in next year’s brochure as a direct result of client feedback is the introduction of single supplements on Adventure Tours style which will allow clients to upgrade to a room of their own. This has been often cited as a desire of many clients so the company is glad to be able to offer this in 2012.

Like any year we have made some itinerary changes to some of our tours, such as an extra night here or a shorter travel day there in response to other feedback from clients, agents and staff. Where changes have been made Tucan Travel is keen to stress that all the favourite itineraries are still there, just improved.

Tucan Travel CEO Matt Gannan has expressed the company’s excitement with the brochure and in particular the new Just Go Tours and Private Tours travel styles.

“We are really delighted to mark 25 years of Tucan Travel in 2012. It is a vindication to the original spirit of the company when it was set up all those years ago. Beginning in Latin America the idea to offer something different to those looking for a real travel experience has gone from strength to strength and today covers six continents across the globe.

“The introduction of two new travel styles is just a continuation of that development and will open the company up to new opportunities and clients will have the chance to vary the way they experience their own adventure of a lifetime,” Gannan said.

What else is new?

Squeezing the whole world into one brochure is never simple, but Tucan Travel has divided it into five easily-identifiable regions, each with a full-page physical map that identifies some of the regional highlights and inspires people to visit. Each tour is accompanied with one of our new-look maps with the tour route marked out and colourful, evocative photos to further whet an appetite for adventure.

Paper copies of the brochure will be sent out on request and can be ordered at www.tucantravel.com/contact-us/order-a-brochure and digital brochure is available at on the website.

Whether looking to reduce stress, aid injury recovery or just recharge batteries, start 2012 with a Sparience Oxygen Bubble experience at Gran Hotel La Florida’s ZenZone Spa, Barcelona.

The unique wellness treatment involves lying on a smooth sculpted AlphaSphere bed, which combines colour, shape and light with sound, vibrations and warmth while inside a giant bubble that is filled with 99.5% oxygen, breathing pure air to provide deep mental and physical relaxation. The treatment costs 24 Euros for 23 minutes (£21.22).

Guests at Gran Hotel La Florida can be assured of the authenticity of the treatment. The only other location where it is offered is the Sports Medicine Unit of Quirón Hospital, where it is used to treat people recovering from injury and stress.

Breathing pure air offers a host of health benefits including revitalising the body’s natural mechanisms that eliminate toxins and dead cells, optimising the recovery process following physical exercise and providing a natural anti-aging treatment.

While staying at the hotel, guests can also indulge with one of the many other treatments available at the luxurious ZenZone Spa. Themed treatment rooms and treatments that tap into ancient wisdom and old-world remedies transport guests to another world and include:

• Oriental – Inspired by Asian methods, guests can choose treatments that involve white orchid massage and chi ball therapy
• Indian – Specially created treatments that alleviate pain by the soothing meditation of Tibetan chants, hot stone massage and Ayurveda products
• Arabic – Body rejuvenation through exfoliation with desert sands and moisturising Argan oil treatments
• Payot – Beauty treatments including anti-aging and hydrating facials that use the famous Parisian brand’s products

Guests visiting the hotel with children aged between four and 12 years will love the Junior spa list that includes specially themed treatment around children’s’ favourite idols such as Barbie, Hannah Montana and Hello Kitty.

Guests wanting the ultimate wellness stay can choose the Relaxing Escape package which cost from 215 Euros (£188) per Deluxe room per night and includes a 30 minute “Sparience” treatment for one person, a 50 minute “Cool Therapy” treatment for one person, free access to ZenZone Spa, welcome drink upon arrival and buffet breakfast at l’Orangerie restaurant. (Offer valid for stays between 1st October 2011 and 31st March 2012. 8% TAX included. Offer subject to availability and for new bookings only. Not combinable with other offers and not valid for groups)

The Sparience Oxygen Bubble treatment costs 24 Euros for 23 minutes (£21.22)

The Trafalgar Hotel, situated in the heart of London on Trafalgar Square, has created three hotel packages exclusively for women. Each package is tailored to suit women of all ages whatever their passion – whether it’s shopping, theatre breaks, cocktails & dancing or simply being pampered.

With its great location next to an iconic London landmark, the hotel offers everything a girl could want right on her doorstep. All packages are available from Thursday – Sunday and are based on two adults sharing a double or twin room, with breakfast included.

Cocktails in the City
The evening begins with champagne on arrival, followed by time to catch up on gossip with the girls over a round of sophisticated cocktails at the Trafalgar’s stylish cocktail bar, Rockwell. The Trafalgar Hotel is just a stone’s throw away from the West End’s theatre district and party hotspots, so guests can go on to a show or a club, or simply continue the evening with Rockwell’s great tasting cocktails. Packages start from £276 per room.

Shop, Spa & Stay
This package is perfect for shopaholics catering to every budget, from high street to high end designer boutiques. Upon checking into The Trafalgar Hotel, guests will receive a £50 voucher, valid at the world-renowned Selfridges department store. The central location of The Trafalgar Hotel means that a shopping spree can incorporate two of the biggest high streets in the UK: Oxford Street and Regent Street, which are only a short walk away. Ladies can unwind after a day of retail therapy with the fabulous Temple Spa pamper pack, which is filled with goodies created for the ultimate luxury relaxing experience. Packages start from £295 per room.

The Girls’ Night In
The girls’ night in has had a Trafalgar Hotel makeover. Waiting in their room each guest will find mini bottles of Pommery Champagne and a luxury Temple Spa hamper. An in-room movie with popcorn and Temple Spa products creates the ideal setting for a slumber party. With a delicious dessert from the hotels great room service menu thrown in, the evening becomes a perfect girlie getaway. Packages start from £282 per room.

Bookings must be for a minimum of one night and guaranteed by credit card.

To celebrate both its opening and inaugural shooting season The Bell in Ticehurst, reopening on 11th November following a £1 million refurbishment, is offering a limited number of exclusive corporate pheasant shooting days for small groups of up to eight people, including up to two places available on each shoot to those who are new to the sport.

Each shoot day can be booked as part of a luxury package arranged by The Bell including a light breakfast prior to departing on the shoot, a luxury hamper lunch and afternoon tea and a 5-course game dinner in our private dining room. Accommodation is provided in The Bell’s individually-designed en suite guest bedrooms, with a full English breakfast on the morning of departure.

The Bell is located a short drive from the A21 which is the main London to Hastings Road (London, approximately 90 minutes), or guests can be picked up from nearby stations in Wadhurst or Stonegate. Partners are welcome at a small extra charge, to cover accommodation and meals, and guests can stay either on Monday night only or, for no extra charge, arrive on Sunday ready to depart on the day’s shooting on Monday.

These are 150 bird days, generally over five drives. Drives are from woodland and cover crops, with birds being driven across undulating and wooded countryside. Birds will be found, flushed and retrieved by an experienced Labrador gun dog with dog handler. Each gun will receive the traditional brace of game birds on departure.

The package, with one night’s accommodation, costs a total of £1,000 (inclusive of VAT) per gun and includes:

Full English Breakfast
Mid-morning ‘pickers’ pick-me-up’ after two or three drives
Luxury field lunch
Late afternoon tea, back at The Bell
Traditional 5-course gourmet game dinner on Monday evening in private dining room
Overnight accommodation (Monday) with breakfast

Experienced guns will be expected to bring their own shotgun certificate and insurance (BASC/CPSA/CA etc.). Novice guns (maximum two per shoot day) will need to be accompanied by an experienced loader, provided by the shoot at a small extra charge. The cost for partners accompanying standing guns is £75. Booking enquiries: shooting@thebellinticehurst.com

www.thebellinticehurst.com

The world’s largest sand island, Fraser Island will be immortalised in latex and card and effectively beamed into scratchie-selling newsagencies around the country with the launch of the $2 ‘Island Dream’ Instant Scratch-Its series.

The Instant Scratch-Its tickets – inspired by the photographic work of Fraser Island local, Peter Meyer, and Brisbane-based photography buff, Ashleigh Frater – feature iconic images of Fraser Island – including the ever popular Lake McKenzie, sub-tropical rainforest at Wanggoolba Creek, Badjala Sand Blow and Humpback Whale Watching.

Kingfisher Bay Resort Group General Manager, David Hay, said the Instant Scratch-Its not only profiled the Fraser Coast region to a wider Australian audience – the tickets will be sold in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, The ACT and the Northern Territory – but also gave buyers the chance to win a top prize of $100,000 and the chance to enter into two second chance draws to win $50,000* and a holiday to Kingfisher Bay Resort.

“We think this is a novel way of raising the profile of Fraser Island and Hervey Bay in what has been a really tough year for Australian tourism,” he said. “We encourage everyone to check out the artwork on the tickets at participating newsagencies.”

“And if you want to come and experience Kingfisher Bay Resort for yourselves, Golden Casket and New South Wales Lotteries are giving away a Fraser Island holiday as part of the second chance draw through their Scratch eClub websites.”

“The tickets, which feature a stunning Humpback Whale shot by Ashleigh Frater, are particularly timely as we head into the tail end of the Humpback Whale Watching season – a time when mothers, calves and sub-adults are actively seeking out human encounters in the calm waters on Fraser Island’s lee side.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to work with Golden Casket and New South Wales Lotteries to showcase Fraser Island, and the brilliant whale watching off Hervey Bay, to such a wide audience and look forward to another Fraser Island series in the not-too-distant future,” he said.

The Island Dream series, featuring four Instant Scratch-Its tickets, will hit newsagency shelves in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, The ACT and the Northern Territory.

*Note: second chance draw amounts differ in Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

We were in Baku before Eurovision, Beirut when it was still a bomb site, and Kazakhstan way before Boris rocked up in his mankini. Always the ones to pick the new ‘it’ destinations, Hg2 has set its eyes on two new cities with the launch of A Hedonist’s guide to Toronto and A Hedonist’s guide to Sydney. In perfect time to start thinking about your Christmas stocking fillers, too.

A Hedonist’s guide to Toronto: Home to two of arguably the coolest festivals in North America- TIFF and Nuitblanche – and a surplus of new luxury hotel chains planning to sleep the culture hungry-masses, including the glitzy Rizy-Carlton, Trump Towers and Shangri-La-di-da, Toronto is on our list of ones-to-watch. Knocking down the clichés and showing Canadians have bite, author and local Stephanie Plentl offers insights into the cities hippest places.

A Hedonist’s guide to Sydney: Arguably, surf-loving nomads have been visiting the sunny city for a while now, but with a thriving culinary scene and Aussie fashion on the up, Sydney has never been more attractive. Style maven and all-around Sydneysider Michelle Wranik has hit the ground running, disproving the Aussiebum stereotype to reveal the very best from Down Under.

Hg2 Toronto and Hg2 Sydney are available in guidebook form from now, and as iPhone applications from December.

Great Southern Rail (www.greatsouthernrail.com.au) has announced further departures and early bird discounts for its newest great Australian train journey, The Southern Spirit, which winds its way through four states and across 2,810kms in six days:

- Six new departures announced, 19th Mar 2011 – 10th Jun 2012

- 20% discount off bookings made by 24th Dec 2011

- Lead in discount price, AUD$4,100 (approx £2,535)

The popularity of The Southern Spirit has prompted Great Southern Rail to announce the introduction of a further six new departure dates between March and June 2012 from Adelaide/Melbourne to Brisbane and vice versa.

This once in a lifetime rail journey has an early bird booking incentive of 20% off the new departure dates, if booked by 24th December 2011. This discount, valid for departures from 11th February to 10th June 2012, is priced from AUD$4,100 (approx £2,535) per person, based on twin share, for the five day Brisbane to Melbourne service that departs on 18th February 2012. This price includes;

- Gold Service cabin
- All Meals
- Exclusive Whistle Stop Tours at key en-route locations.

The Southern Spirit travels through the diverse and varied landscapes of the Great Dividing Range and Australia’s Eastern Seaboard, as it winds its way through four states – South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. En route stops allow guests to discover in more detail the beauty of The Grampians, the majesty of the Murray River, the vineyards of the Hunter Valley and the quaintness of Byron Bay.

This is a relaxed way to experience the jewels of Australia’s east coast hinterland, travelling in either luxurious Platinum Service or hallmark Gold Service cabins. On board service also includes fine dining in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant or drinks in the Outback Lounge.

The Southern Spirit’s first departure of the 2011/12 season is 5th November 2011 from Adelaide/Melbourne to Brisbane and the final departure is 10th June 2012 from Brisbane to Adelaide/ Melbourne. The Southern Spirit will return to the tracks in October and November 2012 for 4 more departures before the end of 2012.

To book, either log on to www.greatsouthernrail.com.au  or contact your local travel agent or tour operator.

Background
The Southern Spirit was launched in early 2010 with just two departures. This service increased to four departures, and now, due to demand, has further increased for the 2011/2012 season.

Great Southern Rail also boasts the world’s only two transcontinental services, namely The Ghan which operates north to south from Darwin to Adelaide, and The Indian Pacific which traverses east to west, Perth to Sydney. The Overland service completes Great Southern Rail’s portfolio of “Australia’s Great Train Journeys”.

The Southern Spirit guests can choose either a Gold or Platinum Service cabin.

The Gold Service cabin is a twin sleeper featuring ensuite facilities and a three-seater lounger which converts to upper and lower sleeping berths by night.

The Platinum Service cabin offers the ultimate in luxury rail travel. This spacious ensuite features a lounger that converts to a double or twin bedroom by night. Guests have on-call Cabin Steward Service and an in-cabin menu that make this a truly five star experience.

In Australia: Where to Go, (The Best Travel Destinations Down Under) Sue Gough Henly has successfully condensed Australia’s overwhelming opportunities into 175 top sites and 2500 photos including a host of must-do activities and hidden gems.

The visually rich app gives you the insider low-down on how to explore Australia like a local. Full of curated content, it is opinionated and discerning and gives as much detail as a guidebook but in a more compact, interactive, user-friendly format…and it’s is a lot cheaper, too!
Engaging and useful features include:

Photo slideshows and video clips for each entry, so that you know what you’re getting before you go

Original text that gives context, nuance and practical tips

Opinionated and pragmatic information you won’t find elsewhere

Top ten summer and winter trips to help you plan your travels no matter the season

Entries filtered by useful criteria like outback, on the water, wildlife, family, luxury, urban, eco and more

Entries sorted by name, distance, price and state

Loads of regional entries that function like mini apps within the app with tips on what to do and where to stay, eat and drink in each area

One-click website and phone interface to get more information, make a booking, peruse current menus and more

Google maps and directions for all destinations, helping you get from one great spot to another

Loads of offline content that you can access anytime without an internet connection

Direct links to Wikipedia, State Tourism or Parks Department websites (whichever is most useful to the user)

Useful search option where you can enter any word to sort for all the entries that feature that word

The ability to share user comments and save favourites

AUSTRALIA: Where to Go crosses traditional guidebook genres to offer not only luxury digs, interesting cultural experiences, the best restaurants and great wineries but also terrific adventures, beaches, wilderness and wildlife experiences, fabulous indigenous art, and non-saccharine family travel tips.

Check it out; it costs less than a sandwich and it will last much longer! Buy it once and get free upgrades for life.

http://sutromedia.com/apps/AUSTRALIA_Where_to_Go 

No visit to Mexico is complete without chinking a glass and cheering ‘Salud’ over one of Mexico’s finest alcohols – tequila. Rosewood Mayakoba situated on the white sands of the Riviera Maya has built an exceptional 100 strong Tequila Library that definitely won’t send you to sleep.

Located on a mile long arc of Caribbean white sand, guests at Rosewood Mayakoba will discover a tequila selection like no other. Guests are transported to their sanctuary on personal boats winding through the lagoons and jungle of the 1,600 acre enclave. Greeted in their room with a bottle of Don Julio Blanco and fresh lime, guests will begin their tequila studies on day one before making their way to Agave Azul, Rosewood Mayakoba’s very own tequila bar.

Settling down into the Tequila bar, guests are taken through the unparalleled tequila selection by the resident tequila expert Victor Sanchez. Victor has trained in four tequila distilleries across Mexico and is truly knowledgeable on Mexico’s famous drinks. Victor will prepare shots of tequila from a selection of 100 bottles, explaining the flavours and history of the alcohol. But this tequila library is not all about learning, and guests are able to sip, swig or knock back some of the finest tequila in the world!

The premium brands available at Rosewood Mayakoba are meticulously aged in French oak barrels, taking on the flavours of the wood whilst the harshness of the alcohol mellows. For a fruitier tequila offering, connoisseur Victor Sanchez suggests a ‘Paloma’ with Herradura Reposado tequila, a refreshing combination of grapefruit and soda with the classic tequila accomplices of salt and lime.

Tequila tasting sessions at Rosewood Mayakoba start from US$25. Nightly rates at Rosewood Mayakoba start from US$525, with an offer of four nights for the price of three running from 3rd January to 30th April 2012.

For reservations, please call 00 800 8767 3966 or visit www.rosewoodhotels.com