Jetsettersblog

Indulge and escape to a hidden South West gem with a new package for couples

The Rosabrook region of Margaret River provides a stunning getaway destination for couples, and a new package from three of its boutique tourism providers means now’s a great time to whisk your partner away for a few days of secluded luxury.

Jarrah Grove Retreat provides exclusive and private chalet accommodation hidden in native forest in the Rosabrook hills. Teaming up with gourmet neighbours Firetail Wines and The Berry Farm, the retreat has created an indulgent getaway package for couples.

Receive 25 percent off a three-night stay in one of Jarrah Grove Retreat’s beautiful private chalets, a complementary mixed case of Firetail wines, and a lunch for two at the Berry Farm including a bottle of their award-winning sparkling wine, and $100 worth of produce from their cellar shop. The cost of the package is only A$1074 and includes weekend bookings.

Designed with couples in mind, the chalets at Jarrah Grove Retreat offer the perfect balance of luxury, seclusion and forest serenity to escape for a few nights away.

The chalets are exquisitely detailed with a luxury fitout, including flat screen TV and DVD with a selection of movies and music.

Jarrah Grove Retreat is located on the Rosabrook Country Trails, and close to boutique wineries, horse riding, artist studios and the breathtaking Redgate Beach. A short drive leads you to world famous wineries and gourmet restaurants, stunning forests, caves and much more.

Jarrah Grove Retreat is an award winning, 4.5 Star AAA rated and tourism accredited luxury destination that also comes with a Green Star rating.

The Berry Farm is a food and wine lover’s haven, with a delightful cottage café featuring local produce, plus its own label wines and ports and gourmet preserves, sauces, dressings and vinegars for tasting and sale.

Firetail Wines at Roje Estates is a boutique winery on five hectares of rolling hills. Enjoy a tasting at the cellar door and meet friendly owners Rob and Jessica in relaxed surrounds.

This special offer does not include public holidays and long weekends, and is subject to availability and Jarrah Grove Retreat terms and conditions. To book call +61 8 9757 5077 and quote the booking code JGRFTBF. Further information is available on the website www.jarrahgroveretreat.com  and the Facebook page.

African Travel, Inc. is offering The Pearl of Africa, a spectacular way to see the enchanting wildlife of Uganda – and featuring the magnificent, endangered Mountain Gorillas. Renowned for its physical beauty, Uganda offers a variety of wildlife viewing experiences in the Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a sanctuary for 13 different species of primate, colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and many birds (such as hornbills and turacos).

It is perhaps most notable for the approximately 300 Bwindi Mountain Gorillas, half the world’s population of the critically endangered Mountain Gorillas. The region around Ishasha is noted for its tree-climbing lions, often seen lounging in old fig trees.

The photographic opportunities are plentiful as you experience a country that is also the source of the Nile River.

Mountain gorillas are among the most famous of all endangered animals. These majestic animals are lately finding it very hard to survive, and as recently as 2006, they were at the brink of extinction.

Fortunately, recent conservation efforts have been quite successful, the primary factor responsible for this positive trend being an effort by organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda to protect the gorillas and their habitat.

Another significant contributor towards protection of the Mountain Gorillas is Americans visiting them! When travelers visit Africa using a knowledgeable company such as African Travel, Inc. they are making a huge contribution to the conservation of Mountain Gorillas.

Despite these positive efforts, mountain gorillas are still under threat of extinction, and more conservation efforts will be necessary to remove gorillas from the endangered animals list. Now is an excellent time to visit these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.
The Pearl of Africa—8 days. Uganda, Rwanda.

Highlights

EXPLORE the shores of the Kazinga Channel in search of pink backed pelicans, saddle billed storks, buffalo, Nile crocodile, and hippo from the comfort of your cruise boat

DISCOVER the forest dwelling indigenous pygmy tribes of Uganda

EXPERIENCE the coveted hour with the rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas of Uganda. Watch the family, with its dominant male silverback leader and protector, attentive mothers, and playful juveniles, move through their forest home

ENJOY observing the fascinating chimpanzees as they traverse the tree canopy and forage on the forest floor

Accommodations

1 Night in Lake Victoria Serena Resort, Entebbe
2 Nights in Kyaninga Lodge, Kibale Forest
2 Nights in Kyambura Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park

2 Nights in Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Priced from $4995 per person land only, based on double occupancy.

For more information and reservations contact African Travel at (800) 421-8907 or visit www.africantravelinc.com.  CST CST 2071444-20

About African Travel, Inc.

With over 35 years providing authentic African experiences, African Travel knows all the options to ensure a wonderful custom wildlife adventure 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. Read the Jetsetters Magazine features about South Africa with African Travel Inc.

Exhibition dates: until March 18, 2012
Location: Special Exhibition Galleries, second floor
Press viewing: Monday, December 19, 10:00 a.m. – noon

The first great age of portraiture in Europe, both north and south of the Alps, took place in the 15th century. For the first time  since antiquity, portraits were used to record the features of a family member for future generations, celebrate a prince or warrior, extol the beauty of a woman, or make possible the exchange of a likeness among friends.

The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini, on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from December 21, 2011, through March 18, 2012, will celebrate the Italian contribution to this rediscovery of the individual in art. It will bring together approximately 160 works—by artists including Donatello, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Verrocchio, Ghirlandaio, Pisanello, Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, and Antonello da Messina— media ranging from painting and manuscript illumination to marble sculpture and bronze medals, testifying to the new vogue for and uses of portraiture in 15th-century Italy.

The exhibition is made possible by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund, the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund, and The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.

The exhibition was organized by Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
During the early Renaissance, artists working in Florence, Venice, and the courts of Italy created magnificent portrayals of the people around them—from heads of state and church to patrons, scholars, poets, and artists—concentrating for the first time on producing recognizable likenesses and expressions of personality.

The rapid development of portraiture was linked closely to Renaissance society and politics, ideals of the individual, and concepts of beauty.

The object may have been to commemorate a significant event—a marriage, death, the accession to a position of power—or it may have been to record the features of an esteemed member of the family for future generations.

Featuring many rare international loans, The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini will present an unprecedented survey of the period and provide new research and insight into the early history of portraiture.

The exhibition will be divided into three sections and will span a period of eight decades. Beginning in Florence, where independent portraits first appeared in abundance, it moves to the courts of Ferrara, Mantua, Bologna, Milan, Urbino, Naples and papal Rome, and ends in Venice, where a tradition of portraiture asserted itself surprisingly late in the century.

In Florence, the most striking innovations occurred first in sculpture and were then taken up in painting. In the courts, thanks in large measure to the genius of Pisanello, the medal became the preferred means of recording a likeness. The medals, which were durable, could be produced in multiple casts, and were easily exchanged among the social elite.

In Venice the painted portrait held sway, thanks to the achievements of Antonello da Messina and Giovanni Bellini, whose portraits resolutely abandoned the dominant Italian convention for the profile to present the sitter turned three-quarters, his or her distant gaze and delicately modeled features expressing hints of an interior life.

As Leon Battista Alberti declared in his treatise on painting, composed in 1435: “Painting possesses a truly divine power in that not only does it make the absent present (as they say of friendship), but it also represents the dead to the living many centuries later, so that they are recognized by spectators with pleasure and deep admiration for the artist.”

The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue edited by Keith Christiansen and Stefan Weppelman, with essays by Patricia Lee Rubin, Beverly Louise Brown, Peter Humfrey, and Rudolf Preimesberger; and contributions by Andrea Bayer, Francesco Caglioti, Eleonara Luciano, and Stephen K. Scher.

It is published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and distributed by Yale University Press, and is available in the Museum’s book shops (hardcover, $65).

The exhibition catalogue is made possible by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, Inc.

An audio tour, part of the Museum’s Audio Guide Program, will be available for rental ($7, $6 for Members, $5 for children under 12).

The Audio Guide is sponsored by Bloomberg.

A variety of education programs will accompany the exhibition, including gallery talks and a Sunday at the Met lecture program on March 11, 2012.

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free with Museum admission. Program details and more information about the exhibition can be found at www.metmuseum.org

The Sunday at the Met event is made possible in part by the Italian Cultural Institute.

The wall colors for the exhibition are provided by Farrow & Ball.

The exhibition is co-organized by Keith Christiansen, John Pope-Hennessy Chairman of European Paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Stefan Weppelman, curator of early Italian and Spanish painting at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

Prior to its showing at the Metropolitan Museum, The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini was on view at the Bode Museum, in Berlin.

Looking for a very special place to celebrate the New Year? The luxurious boutique hotel, The Chesterfield Palm Beach, has designed a New Year weekend celebration you will remember forever. The elegant Chesterfield, in the heart of Palm Beach, provides the perfect combination of sophisticated glamour and joyous celebration with this fabulous Dinner-Dance Gala in the sleek, newly renovated Leopard Lounge. Enjoy a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception before your gourmet meal and dance the night away!

The exceptional New Year’s Menu includes such choices as Blini with Caspian Caviar; Foie Gras Terrine or Smoked Chilean Salmon; Arugula and Endive with Baby Candy Beets, Goat Cheese, Almonds and Lemon Vinaigrette; Beef Tenderloin with Butter Poached Lobster Tail or Loin of Lamb with Butter Poached Lobster Tail; and other tantalizing delights. For dessert, indulge in Duet of Raspberry Pots de Crème, Chocolate Banana Wanton, and Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

Raise a glass of Champagne to 2012 at the beautiful and historic Chesterfield Palm Beach – it’s sure to be a New Year celebration to remember!

This very special New Year package includes:

Two nights’ accommodation Traditional English Breakfast for two each morning One Traditional English Afternoon Tea for two Chocolate Truffles and Holiday Surprise Gift on New Year’s Eve The New Year’s Eve Gala Formal Dinner Dance celebration for two in the Leopard Lounge and Restaurant, champagne toast for two, hats, and noise makers

The New Year package is from $645.00 per night (exclusive of taxes and gratuities), minimum two-night stay, based on two adults sharing a Superior Queen room, and subject to availability.

Terms and conditions apply. No cancellations after December 1, 2011. Full stay will be charged to the credit card provided, on December 1, 2011.

For details and reservations, please contact The Chesterfield Hotel at ( 800) 243-7871 or email bookchpb@rchmail.com

Visitus online at www.chesterfieldpb.com 

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection is an award-winning collection of five and four star family-run boutique hotels in London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva and South Africa. Each property has its own individual character and unique location that reflects the local environment, culture and cuisine.

They all share the qualities central to the Red Carnation’s ethos that win them so many prestigious awards – splendid luxury, generous hospitality, inventive and traditional cuisine, private art collections, passionate service and loyal staff committed to creating richly rewarding experiences for all their guests.

For more information about these award-winning hotels and the rest of the Red Carnation Collection, please go to www.redcarnationhotels.com

The website Price of Travel, which already ranks over 110 cities around the world by travel costs, unveils its first study comparing prices of the 32 most popular islands and destinations in the Caribbean for 2012.

The Caribbean Islands Price Index for 2012 combines the best-available high-season airfare from New York City to each of the 32 destinations, with the average price of the cheapest well-rated 3-star hotels in high season, to reach an index price that puts all destinations in order from cheapest to most expensive.

With a combination of cheap flights and very reasonable 3-star hotel rates in high season, Cancun, Mexico comes out as cheapest, and is also the only mainland destination on the list.

Negril, Jamaica, comes in as the cheapest island destination, followed by the area around San Juan, Puerto Rico and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Barbados ranks as 5th cheapest, based on surprisingly cheap flights and hotel rooms for an exotic and remote island.

The well-heeled won’t be surprised to find that Saint Barthélemy ranks as by far the most expensive of the 32 destinations, with Anguilla and Tortola, BVI as the priciest of the rest.

The Caribbean Island Index helps to reveal which islands and destinations are best for the budget traveler and which are the best-value for those looking for something a bit more exclusive.

The Index also includes notes about each destination as well as which nationalities and groups are most common there. European countries each tend to have strong preferences of some islands over others (often based on languages spoken there) so it’s also revealed where to go to meet each group plus which destinations are best for surfing or for diving or for shopping.

Italiaoutdoors’ New 2012 ‘Bike The Wine Roads’ Adventures Combine Italy’s Finest Wines And Scenery

Italiaoutdoors introduces three innovative tours to its 2012 “Bike the Wine Roads” line-up: the “Primavera del Prosecco” tour, April 1-8; the “Grape Harvest Bike the Wine Roads of the Veneto” tour, September 15-24; and the “Bike the Wine Roads Tours of Trentino-Alto Adige,” September 29-October 8. Designed and led by co-owners Chef and Wine Curator Kathy Bechtel and recreation specialist Vernon McClure, all Italiaoutdoors cycling holidays offer an in-depth exploration of notable wine regions throughout Northeastern Italy.

Set amidst spectacular backdrops such as the Dolomite Mountains, the tours are further customized according to the participants in each group.

Italiaoutdoors’ bike routes cover 30-45 miles daily, accommodating all skill levels and covering various terrains ranging from shores to mountains.

Each group has a maximum of eight travelers to guarantee that each guest receives personalized attention from the two expert tour guides.

The small group size also allows for daily itinerary refinement based on interests and levels. Tour prices range from $3,495-$3,995 per person, based on double occupancy and include accommodations in 3+ star hotels; all ground transfers, daily wine tastings; bike rental; GPS (great for personal exploration of the areas as well); all entry fees to attractions; all breakfasts, lunches, snacks; and most dinners. A single supplement is available.

Primavera del Prosecco Bike Tour – April 1-8, 2012
Price: $3,495 per person, double occupancy
Italiaoutdoors invite cycling and culinary fans to explore the Prosecco region and welcome spring with a visit to the province of Treviso during this eight-day bicycle holiday. Tour participants will visit the region during the Primavera del Prosecco festival, a celebration of wine, food, art and culture. The tour travels through different wine regions each day and participants enjoy distinctive regional dining and wine experiences including Prosecco’s world-renowned sparkling wine as well as lesser-known treasures including Piave, Colli Berici and Breganze.

Grape Harvest Bike the Wine Roads of the Veneto Tour – September 15-24, 2012

Price: $3,995 per person, double occupancy
This 10-day tour whisks travelers through the depths of the beautiful Veneto region. Home to the largest number of quality DOC wines in Italy, the area produces world-renowned vintages, including Valpolicella, Bardolino, Soave, Prosecco and Breganze.

Guests begin this journey with a ride along the shores of Lago di Garda, followed by visits to neighboring cities Verona and Vicenza.

While visiting these two historic gems, guests will taste prominent wines ranging from Valpolicella and Soave to Gambellara and Colli Berici. Other highlights include a visit to the picturesque town of Bassano del Grappa, home to Breganze and Colli Asolani wines.

The trip winds down with a tour of the lush Prosecco region.

Bike the Wine Roads Tours of Trentino-Alto Adige – September 29-October 8, 2012

Price: $3,995 per person, double occupancy
Beginning in the city of Bolzano, this 10-day bicycle holiday kicks off with a journey down the picturesque Sudtirol Weinstrasse, or “Wine Road,” home to the many wonderful wine producers of the Sudtirol Alto Adige region. Heading south, guests will travel through the Mezzocorona and Mezzolombardo wine areas where they will enjoy a variety of Teroldego Rotaliano wines.

The scenery then changes from mountains to lakefront views in the Veneto, with a visit to the Lago di Garda.

Trip highlights include a visit to the historic city of Verona – home to Juliet’s balcony and the ancient Arena that still hosts cultural events and operas today – and a visit to Soave, a charming walled city that produces refreshing white Soave wines.

Any of these tours can be run on alternate dates for a private group of 4-12, for the same price.

All Italiaoutdoors private tours are individually designed to match the interests and abilities of each group, providing a personal and authentic experience of the region.

About Italiaoutdoors

Italiaoutdoors is an owner-operated private guide service, creating and guiding active culinary and wine tours in Northeastern Italy.

Unique in their ability to combine active biking, skiing and hiking adventures with world-class culinary programs — including tours with James Beard award-winning chefs — Italiaoutdoors customizes vacations for small groups. Italiaoutdoors has more than 15 years of recreational programming experience in the region, plus formal culinary and wine training.

Programs also include cooking classes, wine tastings, and restaurant dining which explore the best in local regional cuisine and undiscovered wines. Itineraries are rounded out with city visits, shopping, cultural excursions or just relaxing poolside. The owners — experts in fitness, food, and the region -personally lead each tour. http://www.italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com,  1-978-270-5774.

Tanzania is one of the most spectacular places for wildlife viewing in Africa, and African Travel Inc.’s unforgettable adventure to Remote Tanzania: Katavi and Mahale will surpass your wildest expectations. Wildlife viewing in Katavi can be nothing short of breathtaking, especially the huge herds of buffalo and amazing numbers of hippo. Almost everywhere you look there is something grazing, bellowing, fighting, mating or hunting.

Further north, on the western border and the edge of Lake Tanganyika, is Mahale Mountain, another region where the clock seems to have stopped. The forested mountain slopes are home to the world’s largest known population of chimpanzees and eight other primate species. Mahale is considered by many to be the best place in the world to track wild chimpanzees. Observe them as they groom, wrestle and forage across the leafy floor.

Chimpanzee tracking is even more limited in its opportunities than gorillas and viewing locations are further to reach. Thus it is a great privilege to observe these engaging creatures in their forest home.

Chimps are extremely vocal and quite active, which means treks may continue for quite a while as the chimps continue to move as they feed.

Mahale has sightings virtually every day and the chimps, being used to observation, continue with their daily activities in the company of their human observers.

Mahale Mountains National Park is home to one of Africa’s most studied chimpanzee populations. The support that visitors give through payment of park entrance fees provides the Park with the means to safeguard and protect this unique population of chimpanzees and the beautiful forest they inhabit.

Remote Tanzania: Katavi and Mahale—9 days
1 night Arusha Coffee Lodge, Arusha
4 nights Katuma Bush Camp, Katavi National Park

3 nights Kungwe Beach Lodge, Mahale Mountains National Park
8 Breakfasts; 7 Lunches; 7 Dinners

Katuma Bush Lodge in Katavi has been designed to blend in with its surroundings to avoid distraction from the beauty of Katavi.

The Lodge underwent a full refurbishment in 2011 but retains an African simplicity and is an idyllic base for exploring the spectacular wildlife of this remote and wild Park.

Kungwe Beach Lodge in Mahale is the perfect blend of comfort and luxury in a romantic setting. With the chain of wild, jungle-draped Mountains rising high up behind it, the lodge is ideally positioned along the beach under the tropical shade of the Mahale forest with breathtaking views over the crystal clear waters of Lake Tanganyika.

Remote Tanzania: Katavi and Mahale is from $5,695 per person land only, based on double occupancy.

Save $100 per person on any 2012 Brochure itinerary if booked by December 31, 2011!

For more information and reservations contact your local travel agent, call African Travel at (800) 421-8907, or visit www.africantravelinc.com  CST 2071444-20

About African Travel, Inc.

African Travel crafts personalized African safaris and adventures for today’s travelers who crave an experience of a lifetime. With over 35 years providing authentic African experiences, African Travel knows all the options to ensure a wonderful custom wildlife adventure 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.

Read Jetsetters Magazine features about South Africa with African Travel Inc.

Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company, today announced the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin, will reopen its doors on Dec. 15, 2011. The property was closed in May to undergo a renovation in excess of USD 10 million, strengthening the hotel’s position as the leading upper-upscale resort on the French side of the island.

The Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin is a premier 18-acre resort property in French St. Martin, offering guests 1,600 feet of beachfront in Anse Marcel, and an exclusive water taxi service between the airport and resort marina. The property features 63 suites and 189 guestrooms; a 7,000 square foot ballroom; a full-service spa (Le Spa) and fitness center.

There are three on-site dining venues, including complimentary full breakfast buffet at Le Marché, a wide selection of the region’s finest rums and tapas at Le Lobby Bar, and world-class cuisine and panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea at C Le Restaurant.

“We have made a number of significant upgrades over the past seven months to ensure our guests have a comfortable and relaxing experience during their stay at the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin.

Our investment in this property reinforces our commitment to our guests and employees, and supports our strategy to further expand our Caribbean portfolio in the future,” said Javier Rosenberg, chief operating officer, Radisson, and executive vice president, Carlson Hotels, Managed Hotels, Americas.

Key upgrades to the property include replacing the air onditioning and domestic hot water systems with new state-of-the-art systems to ensure an overall improved guest experience.

The property’s spacious accommodations that showcase contemporary Euro-Caribbean furnishings were completely re-carpeted and marina suite rooms were converted to tile floorings.

The 7,000 square foot ballroom features upgraded air conditioning and lighting and sound systems, and the wooden floors have been redone.

The resort gardens were also landscaped and feature enhanced lighting. The breakfast buffet at Le Marchéhas been upgraded and will now offer additional breakfast items including hot and cold selections which will vary daily.

Guests will also now be able to enjoy snacks and beverages poolside at the resort’s new pool bar, which will offer a new cocktail menu and expanded wine list.
In addition to property improvements, guests will benefit from a higher level of customer service including faster check-in and check-out.

During the seven month renovation period, over 170 employees remained on payroll and received close to 500 hours of training to provide an elevated level of hospitality service, in keeping with the Radisson brand’s Yes I Can!SM service philosophy and 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee.

Carlson appointed a new general manager, Jean-marc Jalbert, for the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin last month. Jalbert has worked across Europe and the United States for Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and independent Relais & Châteaux properties. His most recent experience includes more than eight years with Sofitel in a number of properties and capacities, including general manager and vice president of Food & Beverage for the Americas.

“We value the support of our guests and employees during this past year and look forward to sharing the many new property enhancements with them when we reopen.

The enhanced meeting facilities and overall guest experience at the property will strongly reinforce the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin as the premier destination for your next stay in the Caribbean,” said Jalbert, general manager, Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin.

Special seasonal promotional rates start at USD 185 for Guest Rooms and USD 355 for Marina Suites.

About Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin
The Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, St. Martin is a luxury resort nestled in the picturesque cove of Anse Marcel, on the Northwest coast of the French side of St. Martin.

Located 25 minutes from Princess Juliana International Airport via the resort’s exclusive water shuttle service, the full-service hotel is spread over 18 acres and comprised of 63 suites and 189 guestrooms. The hotel features C Le Restaurant, which offers gourmet French and Caribbean cuisine, as well as outdoor massages and state-of-the-art spa treatments at Le Spa.

www.radissonblu.com/resort-stmartin

About Carlson

Carlson is a global hospitality and travel company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Carlson encompasses more than 1,071 hotels, including Radisson®, Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM, Park Inn by Radisson and Park Plaza®; more than 900 T.G.I. Friday’s® restaurants; and a majority stake in Carlson Wagonlit Travel®, the global leader in business travel management. Carlson operates in more than 150 countries and its brands employ 170,000 people. http://www.carlson.com

Traditional lunch is served with a local family urrounded by the Scottish Highlands

With their recent win for “Best International Tour Operator” at Travel Weekly’s Readers Choice Awards gala in New York City, Trafalgar (www.trafalgar.com) continues to provide an Insider’s view by introducing even more exclusive Be My Guest experiences to a number of its itineraries.

These special experiences allow travelers to see the world from the inside through sharing traditional homecooked meals and meeting local artisans and homeowners in the destinations they visit.

On Trafalgar’s 24-day Britain and Ireland Grandeur (from $4735), guests stop in picturesque Aberfoyle to enjoy a traditional Scottish lunch at Ballindalloch Castle, one of the most beautiful and renowned castles in the country. The Macpherson-Grant’s have been residing in the castle since 1546, and the much-loved family home is one of the few privately-owned castles to have been lived in continuously by its original family. Near the famed distilleries of Glenlivet and Glenfiddich and surrounded by the majestic hills and tumbling waters of the Scottish Highlands, the castle grounds are truly stunning. Guests will have a chance to tour the castle and gardens with the Macpherson-Grant’s before settling down in the tea room to a delicious lunch of venison, Ballindalloch coronation chicken and meringue roulades with Scottish berries and lemon curd.

Travelers booking the 8-day Best of Scotland (from $1750), the 14-day Scottish Highlands, Islands & Cities (from $3185) or the 11-day Britain & Ireland Highlights (from $2250) are treated to a special Be My Guest meal in McGregor’s barn at Ledard Farm in Kinlochard, which dates back to 1474.

Greeted by the Wood family – who have run the farm for 3 generations – guests make their way to the farm entrance, serenaded on the bagpipes by Fergus or Gregor Wood. Lunch (or dinner on some trips) is served in McGregor’s barn, where the Scottish hero Rob Roy came of age in October 1689. Guests are seated amongst the weapons and banners of the McGregor clan as they savour homemade soup, local lamb with vegetables and wine or Scottish whisky, followed by a traditional singing competition before leaving the breathtaking 300 acre farm.

“Scotland is a country rich in history and culture, so we saw it necessary to give our guests the opportunity to experience it from an insider’s perspective,” says Paul Wiseman, President of Trafalgar USA. “It’s one thing to visit a museum or monument to learn about a country’s history, but having it shared by a local family over a homecooked meal is an experience travellers won’t get anywhere else.”

For more information and reservations, see your Travel Agent or call (866) 544-4434 or visit www.trafalgartours.com . Brochures can be ordered online at www.trafalgartours.com

Condé Nast Traveler just announced their prestigious 2012 Gold List winners for the world’s finest hotels, resorts, and cruise lines, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is thrilled that it was once again included in the “World’s Top 12 Cruise Lines” category. This year, as a way to mark 25 years of Condé Nast Traveler, the magazine celebrated the “superstars” of the Gold List in their Platinum Circle honor, which includes Uniworld, which has made the Gold List every year for the past five years’ running.

Earlier this year, Uniworld was also rated as the world’s Number One “Best River Cruise Line” in Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards.

“I am deeply honored that Uniworld has again been recognized in Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious Gold List,” states Guy Young, president of Uniworld.

“The significance of being included as a Platinum Circle member reaffirms Uniworld’s commitment to consistently delivering the best river cruise experience possible to our guests. I am also very proud to be included in a list of well-respected cruise lines such as Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, and Regent,” furthers Young.

The eighteenth annual Gold List contenders are tested afresh every year in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Survey, described by Condé Nast as “the collective result of some eight million votes cast by as savvy a group of travelers as you’ll find on the planet.”

About Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, the world’s only authentic boutique cruise line, is recognized among the “World’s Best River Cruises” by Travel + Leisure. Uniworld was voted the“#1 River Cruise Line in the World” in Condé Nast Traveler ’s Readers’ Choice Awards, was named to Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious Gold List, and won “Best River Ships” in their Readers’ Poll, which ranked River Beatrice and River Duchess the #1 and #2 river ships, along with five other highly ranked ships in the top 20. Uniworld’s cabins and dining are also ranked among the top three in the world by Zagat Survey; Uniworld is the only river cruise line named in the Zagat Survey amongst the best of the best in the cruise industry.

Uniworld features luxurious boutique ships with an average capacity of 130 guests, included shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, and award-winning hospitality.

Uniworld offers over 500 departures sailing on over 13 rivers in more than 20 countries throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

For more details, please visit www.uniworld.com or connect with Uniworld Boutique River Cruises at www.facebook.com/uniworldrivercruises or www.twitter.com/UniworldCruises