Jetsettersblog

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts announced the official opening of the 260-room Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in the Ghanaian capital of Accra. Originally built and presented as a gift by the United Kingdom to Ghana after gaining independence in 1957, the completely rebuilt Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra is ideally located downtown in the central business district, close to government ministries, major financial institutions, Accra International Conference Centre and seven kilometers from Kotoka International Airport.

The hotel blends every aspect of 21st century excellence alongside original artwork from contemporary Ghanaian artists with wooden carvings of animals, artifacts and design features. The lobby’s striking chandelier and the rich hues and colors of the hotel’s tapestries and paintings evoke the magic and mystery of West African culture. This collection of over 1,500 pieces of art adds to the unique quality of the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra. Many works have been lovingly restored from the days of the old hotel and are displayed in the main lobby and behind the reception area.

The collection includes an impressive portrait of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, dating back to 1956, while two large murals splendidly displayed at either end of the ballroom also maintain the link with the hotel’s heritage. The originals were painted by the distinguished artist Kofi Antubam, one of the founders of Ghana’s National School of Painting, which inspired the painstaking reproductions created for the hotel by his students.

All rooms feature a large desk, free high-speed Internet and a 40-inch LCD TV. Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra also features 61 Executive Club rooms with their exclusive dedicated 24-hour Club Lounge, 15 junior suites and a palatial 350-square-meter Presidential Suite, all overlooking the pool and gardens. The Club Lounge’s exclusive benefits include express check-in and check-out at the Lounge reception desk, complimentary private use of the board room for three hours per stay and complimentary pressing of two items on arrival. Club floor rooms include DVD players with access to the DVD library and an extended range of luxury designer bathroom accessories.

The 16 acres of landscaped gardens give include the largest swimming pool in Ghana — so large that the staff serves poolside guests on roller blades to ensure the drinks stay perfectly chilled. Sankofa, an all-day dining restaurant, showcases multi-ethnic cuisine and live cooking stations. African lounge music and live performances complete the relaxed atmosphere in the hotel bar, one2one, while casual is the theme in the namesake pool bar and BBQ, as guests quench their thirst or savor the best grills in the city.

A flexible 750-square-meter ballroom can be sub-divided to requirements, while four meeting rooms are also equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment. Leisure facilities include two floodlit tennis courts, jogging track and a health and fitness center offering cardio and weight training, sauna and massage rooms. For reservations or more information, visit www.moevenpick-accra.com

Small ship and yachting specialist Seafarer has announced some early booking discounts with savings of up to £720 per cabin on the unique Rivers of West Africa cruise, operated by Variety Cruises on the 46 passenger MY Pegasus.

This unique cruise combines African coastal cruising along the coast of Senegal and Gambia, with exploration of the Saloun Delta and the Gambia River.

The very reasonably priced optional excursion programme gives passengers the opportunity to discover the diverse flora and fauna of this wonderful area as well as the fascinating culture and history of the local inhabitants.

Seafarer Managing Director, Chris Lorenzo said “This superb and quite unique cruise is a repeat of the very successful cruise series operated here last winter, whilst the 23 cabin mega yacht Pegasus, is the only European owned and crewed cruises vessel operating in this area”.

Facilities on board the Pegasus include ample sun decks, a spacious and comfortable lounge and bar, a restaurant and well appointed outside cabins with air conditioning and en suite facilities. Pegasus is fully SOLAS compliant, and cruises the Mediterranean and Black Sea during the summer months.

Early booking prices for a 7 night cruise from Senegal start at £1225pp cruise only, or from £1,888 with flights and transfers. A 2 night extension in Dakar, Senegal with excursions costs £395

For More info Contact Chris Lorenzo at
Seafarer Cruising & Sailing Holidays
On 0208 324 3117 or email on info@seafarercruises.com

Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat Khaki, L – With no-see-um netting to hold off the bugs, the Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat is an ideal choice for mosquito protection when you’re camping in buggy environments. The netting on the Bug Bucket Hat seals around your neck with a drawcord and stuffs into the crown when not in use. Made with UPF 30+ SolarSheild fabric, this Outdoor Research hat also keeps the sun from burning your head and neck. The Bug Bucket hat stuffs into a hidden pocket, allowing it to stow easily when not in use.

Do not let your fate down, use our 1Y0-A15 certification material, 70-511 lab preparation and BH0-006 brain dumps. Our JN0-343 dumps and 70-433 exam product have all the necessary material helpful in passing the exam.

Variety Cruises is offering Christmas and New Year’s sailings of its seven-night “Rivers of West Africa” with reduced fares starting at $1,790 per person. The cruises depart Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 from Dakar, Senegal. The cruise traverses the Gambia and Saloun rivers, visiting nature reserves and villages, including a school near Janjangbureh supported by Variety Cruises through corporate and passenger donations. Also on the itinerary is James Island on the Gambia River, which was featured in Alex Haley’s saga “Roots.” For more information, call 800-319-7776 or visit www.varietycruises.com

Lindblad Expeditions has introduced four new itineraries for 2012, each planned to take advantage of the best times to travel for wildlife sightings and local conditions. The new expeditions also offer insight into ancient cultures.

In Vietnam and Cambodia, Lindblad is offering a cruise along the Mekong River, including Angkor and Saigon, aboard the new, 48-passenger Jahan.

The 14-day itinerary takes in the temples of Angkor; the floating villages, markets and small communities along the Mekong; and the cities of Phnom Penh and Saigon.

Rates start at $7,980 per person, double.

In Turkey and Greece, Lindblad is offering a new itinerary and a new expedition environment aboard the 58-passenger, four-masted Sea Cloud. “Exploring Turkey & Greece: A Sailing Odyssey” is a journey to the home of Western civilization along the Turkish coast and the Greek isles.

The 10-day itinerary includes visits to Istanbul, a bridge between East and West; Ephesus, one of the great centers of the Greek world; Didyma, home to one of Apollo’s oracles; and Greece’s Cycladic islands of Santorini, Folégandros and sacred Delos, home to some of the greatest works created by the ancients. Rates start at $7,990 per person, double.

The “West African Odyssey: Exploring from South Africa to Morocco” cruise spans 16 countries.

The 37-day itinerary explores the entire west coast of Africa from Cape Town, South Africa, to Morocco, offering an array of cultures, scenery and wildlife. Guests will experience daily life in Africa through its markets and music and encounter a great sweep of geography, including the maritime climate of South Africa, the deserts of Namibia, the tropics and savannas of the coast, the desert of the Western Sahara and the city of Marrakech.

The adventure takes place aboard the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer with rates from $28,480 per person, double.

“Exploring the Cultures and Wildlife of Papua New Guinea” is a 16-day itinerary that explores the country’s natural splendor and cultures aboard the 68-guest Oceanic Discoverer.

Guests will observe the active volcano Tavurvur; visit the villagers’ traditional homes and yam huts in the Trobriands, whose cultures were famously studied by anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski; and view art along the Sepik River and the remains of a ship stored in a cave by the Japanese during World War II at Rabaul.

Throughout the voyage, guests can beach comb, swim and snorkel on some of the finest coral reefs in the world. Rates start at $14,790 per person, double.

For more information, call 800-397-3348 or visit www.expeditions.com

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines announced details of an 80-night voyage around Africa. Black Watch’s Indian Ocean cruise, departing Jan. 10, 2013, from Southampton, visits several African countries, rounds the Cape of Good Hope, and takes in Mauritius and the Maldives en route to India. The cruise then travels to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt, with a transit of the Suez Canal, returning via Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, and Libya.

Key ports of call include Banjul, Gambia; Walvis Bay, Namibia; Cape Town, South Africa, for two nights; Port Louis, Mauritius; Dubai for an overnight; Abu Dhabi; Muscat, Oman; Alexandria, Egypt; Piraeus, for Athens, Greece; and Valletta, Malta.

“On the itinerary planning front, cruises featuring ports of call across North Africa and the Middle East have come under scrutiny,” said Nigel Lingard, Fred Olsen’s marketing director. “Despite these constraints, we continue to expand our horizons, offering new destinations wherever possible.”

Prices start at $12,043 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin-bed cabin. Up to $600 onboard spending per person is available, depending on cabin grade. Those who book before May 31 receive early booking savings. For more information, call 800-843-0602, email info@bortonoverseas.com  or visit www.bortonoverseas.com

US Airways said it is adding first class service to 110 US Airways Express regional jets, expanding the number of domestic flights with first class and the availability of upgrades for the airline’s Dividend Miles Preferred frequent flyer members. The company also announced several enhancements to its domestic first class and Envoy international business class experience.

US Airways will install first class on the Embraer 170 and 175 and Canadair Regional Jet 700 and 900 with the initial introduction scheduled for the Embraer E175 fleet beginning this October. The three remaining regional jet fleets will be completed by the end of January 2012. The seats will offer generous legroom and personal space in a 1-2 configuration throughout the dedicated first class cabin. Once completed, US Airways will offer the highest percentage of daily departures with a first class cabin among the four major network carriers. For more information, visit www.usairways.com/envoy

The Rezidor Hotel Group will open its 10th hotel in West Africa — the 168-room Radisson Blu Hotel, Accra in Ghana in 2013. “We are delighted to add a new hotel in a new country to our portfolio which now comprises 37 hotels and almost 8,300 rooms in operation and under development across 15 African countries,” said Kurt Ritter, president and CEO of Rezidor.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Accra, will be located in the business district of the Ghanaian capital, a five-minute walk from the beach. Besides 168 guest rooms which includes 20 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms, the property will offer a restaurant, two bars, meeting space, a gym and an outdoor swimming pool.

One of the most economically and politically stable countries in Africa, Ghana has experienced several years of sustained economic growth, despite the global economic situation. Good fiscal management and high prices for key commodities like gold and cocoa have sustained the economy and the IMF projects accelerated growth for the coming years. Moreover, in December 2010 Ghana began to pump its first commercial oil from the offshore Jubilee Field, which contains an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of oil, and is projected to generate $1 billion in government revenues annually. For more information, visit www.radissonblu.com

Follow the footsteps of famous Africa Explorers and explore West Africa. Journey to the past, rich in deep rooted history, artistic abundance and the beauty of the human spirit. Travelers immerse into the culture of ancient cities, desert nomads and voodoo priests in this mysterious and exotic land. Born Free Safaris West African Mosaic is offered in segments which may be taken individually or used to create a custom itinerary. The complete West African Mosaic’s scheduled departure is to Senegal, the Gambia and Ghana with optional extensions to Benin and Mali.

Extensions are run by The Rivers of West Africa program, which operates from Dakar-Senegal. Small vessels sail upstream, at a leisurely pace, with stops in fishing villages or commercial towns along the Atlantic Ocean or as much as 240 miles upstream the Gambia River. Daily excursions will bring in the heart of this fascinating land with its colourful fauna and flora.

With comfort and safety always in mind, Born Free offers groups as well as custom trips designed to offer additional dimensions not found on standard journeys. For more information about rates and trip options, contact Born Free Safaris & Tours at (800) 4-SAFARI,or visit www.bornfreesafaris.com

In 2011 Gecko’s will take its grass-roots style of adventure into the wilds of West Africa for the first time, with a series of overland adventures – ranging from trekking among the cliff-clinging villages of Mali’s Pays Dogon to exploring fetish markets and witnessing voodoo ceremonies in Burkina Faso; to searching for pygmy elephants in Ghana – all set against the hypnotic bluesy beat of West Africa’s world-famous music.

A feature trip in the new Gecko’s 2011 Africa brochure is the 24-day Wild West Africa adventure. Beginning in Mali with a hands-on drumming session to set the mood, the trip covers the highlights of Mali – recognised as the ‘jewel in West Africa’s crown’.

the bustling port town of Mopti – still an important trading post for salt, carried by camel caravan across the Sahara – the group takes a traditional pinasse down the Niger River, one of the great rivers of Africa, camping overnight on the riverbank.

The river cruise arrives in Djenne in time for market day. It’s one of the biggest markets in West Africa and a meeting point for the many faces of Mali: Moors, Fulani, Tuaregs and Bozo all don their finest for market day. Djenne is the oldest known city in Sub-Saharan Africa and is the site of the world’s largest adobe structure, the Djenne mosque, which, unforgettably, rises organically from the earth like a Gaudi-esque sand castle.

There is three-day trek in Dogon country, where complex cultural rituals have been kept alive in part by their isolation. Listed by Lonely Planet in the ‘Top 10 Places to See Before You Die’, the dramatic escarpment is intersected with ancient trails and villages – often clinging to the bare rock face.

Crossing into Burkina Faso, there’s a night to enjoy the thriving nightlife of the capital, Ouagadougou, en route to Bobo-Dioulasso. At night, the town’s streets come alive with music and dancing – best enjoyed over a few drinks and, if you’re game, the local delicacy: fried caterpillars.

The group gains an insight into the Lobi people’s traditions of fetish and ancestor spirit worship, before crossing into Ghana and Mole National Park, which straddles an elephant migration route. On safari drives and guided walks, travellers spot antelope, various monkey species and elephants. It’s a good segue to the Boabeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary, where the monkeys live in harmony with the local villagers and are not averse to communing with visitors.

The group continues south, and learns of the harrowing history of slavery at the Cape Coast slave castle.

The penultimate destination is Kakum National Park, a rich rainforest replete with medicinal plants, butterflies, civets, monkeys and pygmy elephants.

There’s a guided canopy walk before the group heads to the golden sands of Kokrobite Beach for a last couple of days of R&R at the renowned Big Milly’s camp.

The 24-day Wild West Africa adventure departs from Bamako in Mali on September 13 and November 8, 2011 and January 3, February 28 and March 20, 2012.

It costs A$2575 plus a local payment of 400 Euros (roughly A$566, so a total of A$3141) per person, twin share, land only.

This includes all accommodation, transfers, transport aboard the Gecko’s custom-built safari vehicle; experienced guide, driver and cook; all camping equipment; entry fees and some meals.

For further details and bookings, visit Gecko’s travel centre or www.geckosadventures.com  to download the Gecko’s 2011 Africa brochure.