Jetsettersblog

African Travel Inc.
CONTACT: Heidi Podjavorsek
TEL: (800) 421-8907 x 115
E-MAIL: heidip@africantravelinc.com
WEB: www.africantravelinc.com

African Travel Inc., a company that specializes in super-luxe journeys throughout the African continent, to islands in the Indian Ocean, and to Dubai, recently announced an exciting lineup of itineraries for the 2010 season.

African Travel Inc. caters to travelers who seek highly personalized and customized encounters with African wildlife and culture, and who require product exclusivity, diversification, and extraordinary personal services.

Although these are just a few of African Travel Inc.’s diverse offerings, the following provides a sneak preview of some exciting 2010 itineraries.

The Ultimate Safari

An unprecedented safari experience awaits travelers on this journey that combines culture, natural attractions, and superb Big Five game viewing.

A private car and guide transform ordinary sightseeing into a comfortable and personalized adventure and accommodations have been carefully chosen to reflect the best that Africa has to offer.

Highlights include accommodations in distinctive lodges and camps including some of Conde Nast’s “Gold List” winners, gourmet South African food and wine, dinner with a local Capetonian family, extraordinary game viewing in Kruger National Park and Botswana, an elephant back excursion at Elephant Whispers, and much more. 18 days starting at $10,795 per person, land cost.

Southern Jewels

With a combination of vast pristine wilderness and a small population, Namibia is the definitive land of discovery and soul-searching.

Marvel at the world’s tallest sand dunes and one of the oldest forms of art before becoming entranced in the distinctive safari experience in Etosha, Namibia’s largest animal refuge, before finishing up in cosmopolitan Cape Town. Other highlights include exploring Fish River Canyon, second only in size to the Grand Canyon, climbing the world’s tallest sand dunes at Sossusvlei, viewing some of the fascinating geological features in Damaraland and rock engravings by some of Namibia’s oldest inhabitants, the Bushmen, wildlife excursions in and around Etosha National Park, and more. 13 Days starting at $6,995, land cost.

Nile Splendors

From the moment of arrival in Cairo, travelers are immersed in the sights and sounds of a thriving modern culture living side by side with remnants of the ancient past.

From the legendary pyramids at Giza to the immense temple complex at Karnak, the sheer magnitude of these structures dwarfs the imagination, and to bear witness to the accomplishments is truly a humbling experience.

Highlights of this journey include walking in the footsteps of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs, exploring the temples along the Nile from the comfort of a luxury cruise ship, private tours led by Egyptologist guides, recreating the past while donning a galabeya for a traditional dinner aboard the Nile cruise, gazing at the golden mask of Tut, and much more. 12 days starting at $2195, land cost.

African Travel Inc. caters to adventurers and luxury travelers of all ages — singles, couples, families, small groups of friends, inter-generational, and special interest groups. Their travel experts help travelers plan family travel, honeymoons, golfing tours, spa trips, wine and food tours, as well as cultural extensions and special interest safaris.

To learn more about African Travel Inc. or to order a brochure, visit the website at www.africantravelinc.com  or contact Heidi Podjavorsek at (800) 421-8907 x 115.

Destination specialist Voyages of Discovery has launched its summer 2010 season with a 20 percent early-booking discount and low-cost air add-ons from 25 North American gateway cities.

The summer 2010 season offers voyages to the Arctic, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Red Sea and North Africa. Guests who book by Feb. 1 can save an additional 10 percent Launch Offer Savings.

Special rates for single travelers also are available. “Summer 2010 on Discovery will feature a wide range of interesting and eclectic destinations,” said Mark Flager, vice president-sales, marketing and passenger services.

“We’ll begin in Safaga, Egypt, on April 16, and sail the Mediterranean and Black Sea to Syria, Turkey, Spain and Italy before beginning our summer season round-trip from London to Scandinavia, the Baltic, Iceland and the Arctic.”

New ports in 2010 include Sicilian Catania, Nauplion near the Greek citadel of Mycenae, the island of Korcula and the city of Split on the Dalmation Coast.

Each of the itineraries has been planned to maximize time spent ashore exploring sights, many beyond the reach of larger ships. Guests will also be able to visit inland destinations including Berlin and Cairo. Overnight stays are offered in places such as St. Petersburg, Venice and Reykjavik.

Summer 2010 programs on the 650-passenger Discovery include a rare visit to Ilulissat (120 miles north of the Arctic Circle), Nuuk and Qaqortoq, Greenland, on the 17-night “Iceland & Greenland” voyage sailing Aug. 6 from Reykjavik, Iceland.

Cruise fares, with the launch offer savings, start at $4,337 per person.

The “British Isles Heritage Trail” begins June 22 round-trip from Harwich (London) and includes Discovery’s first visit to Liverpool as well as visits to the Scilly Isles, Dublin, Belfast, Oban and Dundee. Fares begin at $3,485 per person.

Also new in 2010 is “A Taste of France,” a 10-night voyage calling at St. Helier, Channel Islands, La Rochelle, Bordeaux (overnight), St. Malo and Rouen. Fares for the Aug. 17 cruise begin at $3,458.

All Voyages of Discovery itineraries feature an enrichment program featuring historians, diplomats, scientists and naturalists. Scheduled guest speakers include Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Johns; Derek Blundell, emeritus professor of geophysics at Royal Holloway, University of London; and Prof. Richard Wilson, host of the BBC’s “Writers and Places” series.

The company invested $3.5 million to update and improve the vessel over the last two years, and a further $3.5 million will be spent this year.

From late May to late August next year, a majority of Voyages of Discovery’s summer cruises will sail round trip from Harwich, a port near London.

Cruise-tour packages feature two hotel nights in London pre- or post-cruise and a half-day sightseeing tour.

The Discovery repositions to the Mediterranean on Sept. 6 with a 20-night “Grand Iberia & Italy” sailing, with fares starting at $4,708 per person.

Late-summer and fall destinations include the French and Italian Riviera, the Adriatic and the Black Sea.

The season concludes with an antiquities cruise beginning Nov. 6 from Alexandria to Safaga, with calls at Sharm El Sheikh and Port Said for Cairo, and also an overnight onboard in Aqaba for Petra.

Fares for the 12-night “Egypt & the Red Sea” cruise begin at $3,516 per person. The new program also features “Grand Voyages” that combine two or more summer cruises.

Fares start at $6,232 per person for the “Grand Andalucia, Italy & Adriatic” voyage departing Sept. 3, which combines the “Grand Iberia & Italy” voyage with the “Venice & the Adriatic” cruise.

To celebrate the launch of its summer 2010 program, Voyages of Discovery is offering a 10 percent Launch Offer Savings for guests booked by Feb. 1.

For more information, call 866-623-2689 or visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.com

Jaz Hotels, Resorts & Cruises Dive With The Dolphins In Marsa Alam, Egypt Sol Y Mar Dolphin House

Jaz Hotels, Resorts & Cruises is delighted to announce the opening of its newest hotel in Marsa Alam, the four star Sol Y Mar Dolphin House, located in one of the most exclusive diving hot spots on the beautiful Red Sea coastline. Close to the popular Samadai Reef the hotel is known as Dolphin House because of the hundreds of spinner dolphins that inhabit the nearby waters.

With 200 luxuriously furnished guest rooms and a variety of leisure activities to enjoy by day and night, guests will find it hard to leave the resort which offers a selection of restaurants and bars, a shopping arcade, two large swimming pools and a full range of watersports, as well as billiards and table tennis. For relaxation and pampering there is the sea-view Spa with sauna, Jacuzzi, steam rooms, massage rooms and an on-site beauty salon.

A variety of entertainment is also provided at the hotel’s Roman-style amphitheatre, while the Wild West disco guarantees lively dancing.

Children are well catered for at the Kids Club, which offers daily activity programmes for all ages including a separate freshwater swimming pool and its own Beach Summer Class for dolphin spotting. The restaurant offers special kid’s menus.

With diving a major year-round attraction at the resort, a fully equipped professional Dive Centre offers a range of diving tours and courses, including memorable dives with dolphins, windsurfing and a variety of equally thrilling water sports and activities.

The half-moon shaped Samadi Reef is famous for the beauty of its underwater caves and its shallow waters are accessible for novice and advanced divers, as well as those who simply enjoy snorkelling.

An all inclusive package covers full board with all food and drink, a welcome drink on arrival and afternoon tea with a selection of cakes and coffee every day.

About Jaz Hotels, Resorts & Cruises
Jaz Hotels, Resorts & Cruises is a unique collection of highly regarded brands that encompasses Jaz Resorts, Iberotel Hotels & Resorts, Sol Y Mar Resorts and Travcotels Nile Cruise Ships. In key destinations around the Red Sea and other key resorts in Egypt and the UAE, each brand has its own unique personality combining excellent service and stunning designs.

There are exceptional facilities across the portfolio of properties including luxury spas; brilliant kids clubs, fascinating souks, vibrant nightlife, invigorating water sports and diving, and alluring restaurants.

Sol Y Mar Resorts is all about Sun & Fun. Each of the four-star properties delivers a vibrant experience and an attention to detail that is particularly appealing to families. Sol Y Mar has two properties in Sharm El Sheikh, (with two openings in November 09), three in Madinat Makadi, four in Marsa Alam including the new Sol Y Mar Dolphin House with two further openings, early 2010, one each in Taba, Safaga and Hurghada and two in the Al Dakhla & Al Kharga Oases. New openings are also planned for Al Dakhla and Ras Sidr in 2010.

Jaz Resorts is a portfolio of five-star properties that blend stylish, contemporary elegance with extensive leisure facilities. Each is situated in a stunning location and offers guests an unrivaled fusion of sports, entertainment and dining experiences.

Jaz Resorts has four properties in Sharm El Sheikh (with a new hotel opening 2010), two in Madinat Makadi, two planned for Hurhgada, three in Mersa Matrouh, including the recently opened Jaz Crystal Resort and the new Jaz Oriental Resort, planned for June 2009;

Taba (opening Nov 09) and Ain El Sokhna, planned for June 2009.

Iberotel Hotels & Resorts comprise four and five-star properties, each individually designed in a local style and situated in spectacular beach side locations on the Red Sea and on the Nile. With a wide range of activities and entertainment, there is something for everyone at each resort. In addition to the new Iberotel Aswan and recently opened Cairo Hotel & Casino, Iberotel has a new resort planned in Hurghada for August 09.

Other properties include three in Sharm El Sheikh, four in Madinat Makadi, three in Marsa Alam, one in Dahab, one in Luxor and one in Fujairah in the UAE.

Travcotels, Egypt’s leading Nile Cruise Company, owns and operates a fleet of 18 Nile and Lake Nasser cruises of 5 star and 5 star deluxe standards. Two additional Nile cruise boats are due to launch in November 2009.

Each allows the visitor to immerse themselves in the culture and history of the Nile, whilst ensconced in the luxurious modern environment of a 21st century ship.

www.jaz.travel

Thousands of people will have an unprecedented view of ancient history in New York City with the grand opening of the “Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia” exhibit at Discovery Times Square Exposition.

Thanks to Ethiopian Airlines Journeys, Americans now have the chance to come over to experience the history of man, Africa and Ethiopia for themselves with an exciting new vacation package.

The new “Lucy’s Legacy” tour from Ethiopian Airlines Journeys introduces travelers to the 5 million year history of Ethiopia, known as the Cradle of Mankind, along with some of the most historically significant and fascinating cities in the world. The “Lucy’s Legacy” tour features stops in Axum, the reputed resting place of the “Ark of the Covenant,” and Lalibela, where travelers marvel at rock-hewn churches carved from solid red volcanic rock in the 12th century by King Lalibela.

The package includes luxury hotel accommodations, all international and domestic flights, meals, a professional guide and much more. Best of all, travelers can customize and extend the package to take a safari in Tanzania as an add-on to see some of the best wildlife in the world.

More than 100 artifacts in the exhibit illuminate this rich heritage, including fossils, historical manuscripts, paintings, coins, musical instruments, implements of daily use, religious artifacts and more.

For more information on the exhibit, visit www.lucyexhibition.hmns.org

Ethiopian Airlines Journeys is a single-source solution to plan and realize vacations in one of the most exciting and historical regions of Africa. Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest airlines in Africa serving 53 destinations around the globe, is the winner of the 2007 African Business of the Year and Best African Airline Award for 2006. Featuring five flights weekly from Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport, the airline offers both morning and evening departures, with the morning departure allowing seamless connections to 32 African destinations.

The airline’s website provides excellent information on additional flights, services and special web fares. For more information about Ethiopian Airlines, visit www.ethiopianairlines.com

Cardholders to “Go” around the world with leading payment solutions provider and Dnata Holidays

Dubai : Visa, the leading global payment solutions provider and Dnata Holidays, the Middle East’s most experienced tour operator, have launched an exciting summer travel promotion offering cardholders a range of world class travel offers.

Cardholders jetting off for a summer break this year can win the chance to travel around the world simply by using their Visa debit and credit cards abroad.

The promotion is open to Visa cardholders across the Middle East, and also offers a 5% discount for those travelers booking online at www.dnataholidays.com

Visa cardholders will automatically be entered into a draw for the three month promotion lasts until 31 August 2009, when either using their Visa cards to pay for items or withdraw money from ATMs overseas or booking at any Dnata Travel or Holiday Lounge by Dnata outlet across the region.

There are seven around the world travel prizes to be won, each including the opportunity to slow down and experience a non-traditional form of travel.

Adventurous winners can choose to enhance their trip with travel in a hot air balloon, on an elephant, by train or a boat cruise.

Commenting on the exclusive deals available to Visa and Dnata Holidays customers for summer 2009, Norliza Kassim, Head of Marketing, Middle East and North Africa for Visa, said:

“Despite the diverse profiles of GCC residents, we recognise among our customers an inherent interest in and desire to travel.”

Visa’s Traveler Study, Outbound Travelers (CEMEA Travelers), has revealed that 70% of travelers make their bookings through travel agents.

Nathan Adams, Manager Dnata Holidays, commented: “Dnata Holidays is delighted to work in partnership with Visa to provide efficient and innovative travel solutions to meet the demands of the emerging outbound travel industry in the GCC.”

Nathan Adams added, “One of Dnata Holidays’ key strengths is being able to offer a wide variety of hotels and airlines for our customers to choose from.

“Thanks to our great value offers and partnership with Visa, customers will find they get some great value-added benefits when they book this summer using their Visa card.”

“Visa continuously strives to enhance travel experiences by offering added value rewards to our cardholders . Visa is committed to helping cardholders get more value out of their holiday and experience the convenience and security of a Visa card,” added Norliza Kassim.

To promote the summer travel offer, Visa is hosting a series of in mall activities in Dubai at key locations within Wafi Mall, Mercato Mall, The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence and Uptown Mirdiff where Visa cardholders have the chance to win a variety of UAE weekend breaks from Dnata.

With acceptance in more than 170 countries, Visa is an excellent travel companion for those exploring overseas.

Find out more about Visa and Dnata Holidays’ exclusive travel offers at: www.visamiddleeast.com/travel  or visit your local Dnata Travel or The Holiday Lounge by Dnata Outlet.

Austrian offers dense route network in Middle East: 15 destinations now offered

The Austrian Airlines Group is continuing to expand its route network into the Middle East: On 05 May 2009, Austrian launched a scheduled service to Amman which will operate three times a week from Vienna.

The capital of the Kingdom of Jordan is a highly popular destination for tourists and business travellers alike, and flights there will operate using an Airbus A320 equipped with Austrian Premium Service.

Every amenity required to create a comfortable and relaxed travel experience will be provided in the Business Class section of the aircraft, giving passengers the opportunity to enjoy a unique mix of Austrian hospitality and Oriental flair.

Austrian excellently positioned in Middle East and Central/Eastern Europe
As part of its Focus East strategy, the Austrian Airlines Group is concentrating on, and continuing to expand, its route networks in both Central/Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The red-white-red airline is the market leader in the region of Central/Eastern Europe, with 45 destinations and strongly represented in the Middle East, with now 15 destinations.

Flights to the Middle East from the Austrian hub of Vienna are significantly shorter than those from other Western European hubs, producing clear advantages in competitiveness and cost terms. The rapid transfer times in Vienna underpin the business model of the Austrian Airlines, in which transfer passengers play a key role.

Timetable information (all times are local)
Flight number Days of Operation Depart Arrive
OS458 LHR-VIE Daily 06.05 09.25
OS853 VIE-AMM 2,4,7 10.20 15.00

OS854 AMM-VIE 2,4,7 15.55 18.50
OS457 VIE-LHR Daily 19.50 21.35

Austrian Premium Service

Passengers can currently enjoy Premium Service on flights to Dubai, Damascus, Astana, Tehran, Cairo, Erbil, Riyadh, Jeddah and now also to Amman.

• ‘Business Sleeper Seats’ offer 116 cm of legroom, electronically adjustable back- and footrests and an integrated massage function – in other words, every possible amenity required for passengers to feel good and relax while travelling.

• Culinary delicacies – freshly prepared gourmet menus from award winning Do & Co, consisting of several courses and featuring Oriental and Austrian specialities, served on the finest porcelain.

• Entertainment is provided by a Personal Video Player offering a selection of programmes in four languages including the latest feature films (two with Arabic subtitles), documentaries, lifestyle programmes, sports shows, children’s programmes, games and a wide range of international and Arabic music.

The new headphones from Sennheiser ensure hiss-free listening enjoyment.

Ethiopian Airlines Journeys, together with the Tanzania Tourism Board, launched an Archeology Adventure of East Africa at the Archeological Institute of America/Archeology Magazine’s Gala Dinner, held April 28, at Capitale in New York City.

The Ethiopian package will feature stops in Axum, the reputed resting place of the “Ark of the Covenant,” along with Lalibela, where travelers can marvel at the 12 rock-hewn churches, carved from solid red volcanic rock in the 12th century by King Lalibela.

In Tanzania, travelers will be able to visit the Olduvai Gorge, the “Cradle of Mankind” and Laetoli Footprints, where the Leakeys discovered the first humanoid skull 50 years ago. This special archeology package was not only auctioned off at the gala, but has been added to the list of exciting packages that Ethiopian Airlines Journeys has to offer.

For more information, visit www.seeyouinethiopia.com/archeology

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the largest airlines in Africa serving 53 destinations around the globe. As the winner of the 2007 African Business of the Year and Best African Airline Award for 2006, its service and quality are unparalleled among African airlines.

Featuring five flights weekly from Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport, the airline offers both morning and evening departures, with the morning departure allowing seamless connections to 32 African destinations.

The airline’s website provides excellent information on additional flights, services and special web fares.

For more information about Ethiopian Airlines, visit www.ethiopianairlines.com.

For destination information, call 866-599-3797 or visit www.seeyouinethiopia.com

The Ocean’s Your Oyster With The Launch Of Tropical Sky Scuba Diving – A Specialist In Diving Holidays To Tropical Places -

Web-based tour operator, Tropical Sky is launching a brand-new scuba diving brand, Tropical Sky Scuba Diving, which specialises in luxury diving holidays to tropical places. The website www.holidays4scubadiving.co.uk offers a tailor-made service and operators have a wealth of experience in diving holidays around the world.

Suitable for novices and experienced divers, ABTA and ATOL bonded Tropical Sky Scuba Diving includes a wide range of packages, ideas and helpful hints to ensure customers pick their perfect holiday. Destinations in their portfolio include the Maldives, Mauritius, Caribbean, Africa, South-East Asia, the Red Sea and Oman.

Stephen Cooper, commercial manager says, “My favourite diving experiences have been in the Maldives, Red Sea, Mauritius and Thailand and I am passionate about finding the right holiday for customers whether it’s their first time underwater or their next diving adventure.”

Packages include:

For Novices: Learn To Dive Beginners Course at the Ritz Carlton, Red Sea

Set in idyllic, tropical gardens with waterfalls and glistening swimming pools, the Ritz Carlton is the perfect base for both couples and families. In addition to a wealth of facilities including a choice of restaurants, four swimming pools, a fitness centre, spa and children’s club, this five-star resort boasts a house reef and an award winning dive centre.

Offering an abundance of marine life, shipwrecks and stunning coral reefs, Sharm El Sheikh is one of the world’s premier diving destinations.

Tropical Sky Scuba Diving is offering seven nights at the Ritz Carlton Resort from £799 per person (based on two sharing).

Valid for selected departures in June, the price includes flights from London Gatwick, accommodation in a pool-view room on a bed and breakfast basis and the PADI Open Water learn-to-dive course. Certification fee and course manual to be paid for locally (approx. £85).

For Certified Divers : Dive For Free At LaSource In Grenada

Set in forty acres of tropical grounds next to the beautiful Pink Gin Beach in Grenada’s south-west coast, this luxury spa resort offers excellent diving opportunities for both certified and non-certified divers.

Guests who are not certified are offered the opportunity to ‘try’ diving without going through a full certification course, or become certified on a choice of different PADI courses, whilst certified divers can enjoy up to six complimentary dives during their stay. Those who prefer to take it easy on dry land can enjoy complimentary, daily pampering treatments at the award-winning Oasis spa, plenty of activities, sports facilities and great dining.

Tropical Sky Scuba Diving is offering seven nights at LaSource from £1,299 per person. Valid for selected departures in June, the price includes flights from London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic, accommodation on an all-inclusive basis and six free shore-dives per week.

For Experienced Divers: Maldives Luxury Liveaboard Cruise

Liveaboard diving in the Maldives offers guests the opportunity to visit and explore remote offshore reefs and dive sites not usually accessible from day boat diving. Available to certified divers only, guests will cruise around the North and South Male Atolls, visiting incredible reefs and encountering Manta Rays and Whale Sharks.

Tropical Sky Scuba Diving is offering seven nights on a Dream Catcher II Liveaboard cruise in the Maldives from £1,349 per person. Valid for selected departures in July, the price includes return flights from London Gatwick with Monarch, accommodation on a full-board basis, three-dives per day plus night dives.

All packages include visas if necessary, resort transfers, taxes and surcharges. Air-tanks are provided free of charge. All other equipment including wetsuit and masks are to be booked and paid for locally.

To book any of these packages visit www.holidays4scubadiving.co.uk   or telephone 01342 332697

Voyages of Discovery is offering 2-for-1 pricing with free air fare on select cruises this winter in India, Asia and Africa. The 650-passenger Discovery will call at 27 new ports and offer optional extensions to the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat and other renowned sites.
A three-night safari to Amboseli and Tsavo national parks is included in cruise programs to and from Mombasa. Two-for-one fares are available on cruises sailing between Nov. 28 and March 1.

The promotion is capacity-controlled and requires a $500 non-refundable deposit. Cruises feature free air or low-cost air add-ons from $495 to $795.

The 26-night “Passage to India” cruise begins Nov. 25 and offers 2-for-1 fares and free air from all Discovery gateways. The Barcelona-to-Mumbai cruise includes a two-night hotel stay in Barcelona and calls at Valletta, Malta; Alexandria and Safaga (Luxor), Egypt; Aqaba (Petra), Jordan; Hodeidah, Yemen; and Salalah and Muscat, Oman.

In Mumbai, guests can extend their vacation with the three-night Delhi and Agra (Taj Mahal) post-cruise package. Two-for-one fares start at $7,765 for the first guest; the companion pays port taxes of $295. Both receive free roundtrip air.

(The fare includes an additional 10 percent Launch discount and is available when booked by May 31.)

From Mumbai, Discovery sails Dec. 20 to Singapore, visiting Marmagoa, Cochin and Chennai (formerly Madras), India; Columbo, Sri Lanka; Phuket, Thailand; and Penang and Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur) Malaysia. Two-for-one fares for the 16-night “India and The East” voyage begin at $4,895.

The second person pays port charges of $250.
The 18-night “Bangkok, Bali & Beyond” cruise departs Singapore Jan. 4 en route to Bali, Komodo and Semarang, Indonesia; Kuantan, Malaysia; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; and Bangkok, Thailand.

Priced from $4,995 for the first person with the second person paying port charges of $250, the program includes a three-night, post-cruise hotel stay in Bangkok.

Sailing from Bangkok on Jan. 18, the 13-night “Asian Capitals & Vietnam” voyage takes in Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, before an overnight stay in Hong Kong. Fares begin at $4,495 for the first person and port charges of $250 for the companion. A four-night optional pre-cruise tour of Angkor Wat and Bangkok is available for $1,495 per person.

The Jan. 28 Hong Kong-to-Singapore “Manila, Borneo & Brunei” cruise features three calls in Borneo — Sandakan, Kudat and Kota Kinabalu — as well as Manila and Bandar Seri Begawan in the Sultanate of Brunei.

Fares for the 13-night cruise begin at $4,350 for the first person; the second person pays port charges of $225. On Feb. 11, Discovery embarks on a 21-night voyage from Singapore to Port Louis, Mauritius, calling at Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Praslin, La Digue and Mahe, Seychelles.

The 2-for-1 “Malasia & Mauritius” cruise fares begin at $5,995. The companion pays $295 for port charges. The 16-night “Indian Ocean & South Africa” cruise, from $4,650, sails from Mauritius March 2 and features Réunion, Madagascar, Richards Bay, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, South Africa. Port charges are $250 for the second person.

By combining cruise programs, Voyages of Discovery guests have the opportunity to cruise from 25 to 72 nights. November through January “Grand Voyage” combination cruises also feature 2-for-1 savings and many offer free air from the 25 North American gateways.

Discovery Club members receive an additional 10 percent discount for the “Passage to India” cruise as well as cruises after March 15 when booked by May 31.

A 5 percent discount is given to past guests who book the other featured 2-for-1 itineraries beginning with the 40-night “Egypt, Arabia & the Orient” through the March 1 16-night “Indian Ocean & South Africa” cruise. Early-bookings savings are available on the 20-night “South Africa and Kenya” cruise March 15 (Cape Town to Mombasa) and the 21-night March 27 “Africa and the Red Sea” cruise (Mombasa to Safaga).

Both cruises include a three-night safari to Amboseli and Tsavo national parts and offer an optional extension to the Maasai Mara.

Fares begin at $4,840 per person when booked by May 31.

From Safaga, the Discovery sails to the Mediterranean and Black seas before its May 9 Istanbul-London “European Explorer” cruise; the 18-night cruise-tour is priced from $3,893 per person when booked by May 31.

All Voyages of Discovery itineraries feature talks by port lecturers and guest speakers, plus enrichment lectures and workshops onboard. Winter 2009-10 cruise itineraries and pricing are available online; the full brochure is available and can be ordered online.

For more information, call 866-623-2689 or visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.com

Ethiopian Airlines Journeys partnered with the Archaeological Institute of America to introduce the archaeology community to the best that East Africa has to offer. On April 28, the AIA will celebrate its 130th anniversary with a gala that honors Harrison Ford and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. James Delgado, a renowned archaeologist, author and television host who has led many of the most important shipwreck expeditions of the last four decades, will host this evening.

The AIA Gala will offer a glimpse into ancient cultures and civilizations from all over the world. The AIA Gala will take place at Manhattan’s Capitale building with over 450 guests expected to attend.

Ethiopian Airlines Journeys, along with the Tanzania Tourist Board, will be providing a once-in-a-lifetime trip to East Africa that will be auctioned off live during the gala.

The Ethiopian package will feature stops in Axum, the reputed resting place of the “Ark of the Covenant,” along with Lalibela, where travelers marvel at the 12 rock-hewn churches, carved from solid red volcanic rock in the 12th century by King Lalibela.

In Tanzania, travelers will be able to visit the Olduvai Gorge, the “Cradle of Mankind” and Laetoli Footprints, where the Leakeys discovered the first humanoid skull 50 years ago.
The package will not only be auctioned off at the gala, but will be added to the packages that Ethiopian Airlines Journeys offers.

For more information, visit www.seeyouinethiopia.com/archaeology

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America’s oldest and largest organization devoted to archaeology. The Institute is a nonprofit group founded in 1879 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1906.

For more information, visit www.archaeology.org

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the largest airlines in Africa serving 53 destinations around the globe. As the winner of the 2007 African Business of the Year and Best African Airline Award for 2006, its service and quality are unparalleled among African airlines.

Featuring five flights weekly from Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport, the airline offers both morning and evening departures, with the morning departure allowing seamless connections to 32 African destinations.

The airline’s website provides excellent information on additional flights, services and special web fares. For more information about Ethiopian Airlines, visit www.ethiopianairlines.com

Ethiopian Airlines Journeys is a single-source solution to plan and realize a truly authentic vacation in Ethiopia.

For more destination information, call 866-599-3797 or visit www.seeyouinethiopia.com