Jetsettersblog

Looking for the perfect place to recharge yourself? If you are one of those whose New Year’s resolution is to get fit, why not find inspiration and motivation across the globe on a health and fitness holiday? One of the best ways to ensure that this year’s resolution becomes a reality is to kick-start 2012 with an active break to an exotic destination.

Health and Fitness Travel (www.healthandfitnesstravel.com ) who provides tailor-made active and wellness holidays worldwide recommend their top five fitness breaks.

Steve Halsall, a celebrity personal trainer and spokesperson for Health and Fitness Travel says; “There is nothing like eating like you know you should, training to your edge and recovering in idyllic surroundings. Good habits are easier to implement when you have the time and energy to truly understand just how easy it is to change and what your true potential is. Taking the plunge and going on an active holiday where you’ll be the focus of attention will enable you to hit the ground running in the New Year. Active holidays are always inspiring, memorable and a real opportunity to change your life for ever.”

Exercising outdoors in natural surroundings is a great way to leave you feeling recharged, motivated and healthier, these fitness holidays are loaded with plenty of outdoor activities like tennis, hiking and mountain biking. These holidays will meet your individual health and fitness goals, whether it’s weight loss, increased muscle tone or cardio fitness. Nurture your body and soul, fight the flab and live a healthier lifestyle, here are our top five fitness holidays to help you kick-start that New Year health regime.

Absolute Sanctuary Fitness
Thailand

This bespoke holiday caters for those seeking to improve their fitness levels or who want to kick-start a fitness regime. Enjoy personalised fitness sessions both indoor and outdoor including a wide variety of exercises such as cardio vascular workouts, weight training sessions, beach bootcamp, Pilates reformer sessions, Muay Thai kick boxing lessons and daily yoga classes to include Ashtanga and Hot Flow. Be nourished with healthy meals and power-blast super shakes to keep your energy levels up, along with healing spa treatments to knead away your aching muscles leaving your body restored.

Absolute Sanctuary Fitness costs from £1,929pp which includes 7 nights’ accommodation all-inclusive, the fitness Programme, return flights from the UK and transfers.

The Chateau Fitness
Malaysia

Located in the Berjaya Hills amidst a lush tropical rain forest, The Chateau is the world’s first organic wellness and destination retreat. Enhance your strength, endurance and improve your health and well-being with this tailored fitness programme. Enjoy lots of activities at your disposal including: jungle trekking, mountain biking, horse riding, tennis, golf, yoga and exercise classes, and unwind with spa treatments and holistic classes such as meditation.

The Chateau Fitness costs from £3,190pp which includes 7 nights’ accommodation all-inclusive, the fitness Programme, return flights from the UK and transfers.

Shanti Maurice Physique
Mauritius

Enjoy a tailored fitness programme to let you tone muscles, cleanse out toxins, calm your mind and restore an overstressed body, leaving you rejuvenated and revitalised. A health and fitness consultation welcomes you, followed by tennis, yoga, meditation and lots of fabulous spa treatments at this beautiful chic retreat. There is also a daily schedule of activities to include, yoga, Pilates, cooking classes, morning powerwalks, water sports, snorkelling, tennis, golf and numerous exercise classes.

Shanti Maurice Physique costs from £2,980pp which includes 7 nights’ accommodation all-inclusive, return flights from the UK and transfers.

The BodyHoliday
St. Lucia

An amazing health and fitness retreat in St Lucia, this resort offers an extensive timetable of fitness and holistic classes including beach boxing, Zumba, yoga, body spin and Pilates. Enjoy a daily spa treatment along with enough activities including tennis, water sports, archery, fencing, biking and morning walks to keep you busy from dusk till dawn.

The BodyHoliday costs from £1,859pp which includes 7 nights’ accommodation all-inclusive, return flights from the UK and transfers.

Canyon Ranch
Arizona

Choose from 225 health and fitness programmes with a team of more than 60 wellness professionals to help you. A leading spa offering daily treatments to rejuvenate and 40+ complimentary fitness classes each day, along with guided hikes, walks, adventure courses and biking excursions. Located in the magnificent Sonoran Desert, Canyon Ranch offers endless opportunities for pleasure, relaxation, discovery and renewal.

Canyon Ranch costs from £3,700pp which includes 7 nights’ accommodation all-inclusive, return flights from the UK and transfers.

For more information visit www.healthandfitnesstravel.com  or call 0845 5441936

The tropical forests of the Congo Basin comprise the world’s largest rainforests after those of the Amazon Basin, the last of their kind on the planet and home to the majority of the world population of western lowland gorillas. This ultra remote area will see the opening of a new ecotourism venture in 2012, which can be visited with The Zambezi Safari and Travel Company (www.zambezi.com  01548 830059) for thrilling expeditions into untouched Africa.

The new six night itinerary will be split between two new six-tented eco camps currently being built in and near the Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, Lango and Ngaga, due to open in May 2012. Following a design philosophy of green, sustainable development and local community involvement, the process is being spearheaded by Wilderness Safaris, best known for their exemplary conservation credentials, high calibre of guiding and super stylish safari camps across southern Africa.

The tents will be raised off the ground and surrounded by raised decking to allow guests to immerse themselves in the forest canopy. Each camp will consist of six creatively designed guest rooms, taking inspiration from the designs of the local Pygmy or ‘forest dweller’ groups. Natural, locally sourced materials will be used extensively in the construction of the camps: sustainably harvested hardwoods (FSC certified), bamboo and raffia palm matting.

Guests will be able to track western lowland gorillas, one of humankind’s closest relatives, as well as spot forest elephant, forest buffalo, bongo, sitatunga, red river hog, slender snouted crocodiles and other primate species. Western Lowland Gorillas can be observed in two different ways while in Odzala: either through tracking habituated groups using the impressive skills of expert local Mbeti trackers, or by patiently waiting at hides on the edge of forest bais for family groups to forage there. As a result of the work done by gorilla researchers, a number of habituated groups can be tracked and observed in the area around Ngaga Camp. In this extended 30km2 (11.5 square miles) area there are no fewer than seven groups totalling 105 individual gorillas.

Access will be by international flight into the Congo capital, Brazzaville, followed by a two-hour light aircraft transfer to MBoko Airstrip for Lango camp and then a two-hour drive to the Ndzehi area for Ngaga camp.

The Zambezi Safari and Travel Company has pioneered tourism into central Africa and is already offering bespoke tours into the Congo Basin. The new six-night trip costs from £4,750 per person including:

International flights from London to Brazzaville
Internal flights (Brazzaville to Lango Camp airstrip and return)
Ground transportation (M’boko airstrip to Lango Camp and return; Lango Camp to Ngaga Camp and return)
Accommodation on a full board basis: 3 nights Lango Camp, 3 nights Ngaga Camp OR 1 night Lango Camp, 2 nights Ngaga Camp
All local drinks (excludes premium alcoholic brands)
Laundry at camps

Activities:
LANGO CAMP – guided walking/game drives/boat cruises/canoeing/park and forest visits
NGAGA CAMP – daily tracking of habituated gorilla groups/guided forest walks

From colourful festivals to unique local celebrations, World Expeditions and their European division UTracks choose their favourite events around the world for 2012…

JANUARY: VIETNAM
TET NGUYEN DAN – VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR 23 January 2012
WHY: Festive atmosphere, street gambling and dragon dances: Tet Nguyen Dan (literally meaning “the first morning of the first day”) is the biggest and the most sacred festival in Vietnam and is celebrated nationwide. An occasion for family reunions, it marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and the arrival of spring, with the Vietnamese taking extreme care to start the new year out right: they buy new clothes, paint and clean their homes, pay off all debts and make amends to rid themselves of all bad feelings!
BOOK IT: Treat your family to the Vietnamese New Year celebrations with World Expeditions’ luxury 13-day Vietnam Family Explorer. Departs on 22 January, from £1,250 per adult (£790 per child).

FEBRUARY: LAOS
LAO ELEPHANT FESTIVAL 17-19 February 2012
WHY: Saddle up – who could pretend to have visited Laos, the ‘Land of a Million Elephants’, without meeting one of these superb animals? The Elephant Festival is organised to raise awareness of the need for action to protect the Asian elephant as part of Laos’ vital cultural and natural heritage. Expect to see colourful elephant processions, elephant bathing, mahout demonstrations, ancient Baci ceremonies, traditional Monk blessings, night markets and of course the prestigious ‘Elephant of the Year’ contest.

BOOK IT: Make sure you are in Laos on time for the Elephant Festival with World Expeditions’ Best of Laos and Cambodia (15 days) that departs on 16 February. From £1,550 per person.

MARCH: INDIA

HOLI – FESTIVAL OF COLOURS 8 March 2012

WHY: Let the spirit of revelry overtake you… Although it is the least religious of Hindu holidays, Holi (“the Festival of Colours”) is probably one of the most exhilarating ones in existence. Celebrated all over India since ancient times, it welcomes the arrival of spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is a time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking: participants hold a public bonfire, spray friends and family with coloured powders and water and go absolutely crazy!

BOOK IT: World Expeditions’ compact Delhi to Kathmandu trip (7 days) will make sure you are in Jaipur, the capital of the desert lands of Rajasthan, for Holi. Departs on 7 March, from £590 per person.

APRIL: HOLLAND
QUEEN’S DAY 30 April 2012

WHY: Europe’s biggest street party! Every year on 30 April the Dutch celebrate their Queen’s Day. It is by far the most widely celebrated holiday in the country (Amsterdam alone welcomes two million party-going visitors) and the entire nation dresses in orange, the royal colour. Grab a bargain at one of the many garage or car boot sales (street trading laws are relaxed for 24 hours), there are street performers on every corner and cafés see their outside terraces in full swing, with live music pulling in the customers.
BOOK IT: Celebrate Queen’s Day in Holland with UTracks’ compact 4-day Tulip Tour. Departs on 28 April, from £430 per person.

MAY: UK
GLOUCESTERSHIRE CHEESE ROLLING 28 May 2012

WHY: For hundreds of years the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling has been taking place on this steep hillside. Although traditionally by and for the residents of the local village of Brockworth, the event now sees people from all over the world taking part. A guest roller starts the race by releasing a 7-8lb round of cheese down a treacherous slope and competitors then hurl themselves down the slope after it. The first person to arrive at the foot of the hill (usually after numerous tumbles) is the winner and gets the cheese!
BOOK IT: Book UTracks’ self-guided A Week in the Cotswolds (8 days, NEW FOR 2012) which departs daily and plan it around the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling. From £556 per person.

JUNE: PERU
INTI RAYMI – FESTIVAL OF THE SUN 24 June 2012

WHY: Daytime expositions, street fairs, dancing in the streets and live music from the best of Peruvian musical groups: Inti Raymi (“the Festival of the Sun”) is a weeklong celebration marking the beginning of a new year. Originally celebrated by the Incas, today it is the second largest festival in South America, after the carnival of Rio de Janeiro, with hundreds of actors chosen to represent historical figures. The greatest honour? Being selected to portray the Sapa Inca, the Emperor of the Inca Empire, or his wife Mama Occla.

BOOK IT: Book World Expeditions’ Peru – Raft, bike and hike (14 days) that departs on 24 June and get to Peru on time for the Inti Raymi celebrations. From £1,590 per person.

JULY: MONGOLIA
NAADAM – THE THREE GAMES OF MEN 11-13 July 2012

WHY: Inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Naadam is a true test of manhood in such traditional games as horse racing, archery and wrestling. The most widely watched festival among Mongols, it enjoys special popularity comparable to that of football in Europe, baseball in the US or sumo wrestling in Japan. It is believed to have existed for centuries, although today it formally commemorates the 1921 revolution, when Mongolia declared itself a free country.

BOOK IT: World Expeditions’ special Trans Siberian Adventure Naadam Festival (23 days) departure on 2 July costs £3,690 per person.

AUGUST: FRANCE
CORSO DE LA LAVANDE – LAVENDER FESTIVAL 3-7 August 2012
WHY: Corso de la Lavande (“the lavender festival”) is a significant colourful local affair – and a wonderful excuse to visit Digne-les-Bains, the self-styled “capitale de la lavande” and one of the most visually striking regions of Provence! Here, the local lavender harvest is celebrated during the first week of August in a half-a-century old festival. The town comes alive as parades with elaborate floats and presentations of folklore culminate in a grand ball, all devoted to this abundant crop.

BOOK IT: Celebrate Corso de la Lavande with UTracks’ self-guided Best of Provence (8 days). Departs daily from April to October, from £790 per person.

SEPTEMBER: ETHIOPIA
MESKEL – FINDING OF THE TRUE CROSS 27 September 2012

WHY: Meskel is Ethiopia’s most colourful Christian festival – but even for non-believers, it offers a dazzling excuse to celebrate with bonfires and parties! Thousands of locals and visitors get together to watch priests, nuns and parishioners sing, clap, beat drums and dance as they put on a unique show for the crowd. Meskel commemorates the recovery, 17 centuries ago, of the cross on which Jesus was crucified and the Ethiopian Church still claims to have its own piece, hidden from public view at the remote monastery of Gishan Mariam.

BOOK IT: Make sure you are in Ethiopia to celebrate Meskel with World Expeditions’ special departure of the Ethiopia Explorer (16 days) on 21 September. From £2,220 per person.

OCTOBER: BHUTAN
JAMBAY LHAKHANG FESTIVAL 29 October – 2 November 2012

WHY: A hugely popular religious festival, Jambay Lhakhang takes place every autumn at one of the oldest and most sacred Buddhist temples in Bhutan. Jambay Lhakhang is known for its two special events: ‘Mewang’ (the “fire blessing ceremony”), where locals run underneath a huge flaming gate made out of dry grasses with ambers and piles of burning grasses falling on their head; and ‘Tercham’ (the “dance of treasure”), where dancers with their face covered by a mask perform a dance completely naked.

BOOK IT: World Expeditions’ dedicated departure for Land of the Thunder Dragon – Jambay Lakhang Festival (13 days) is on 25 October 2012. From £1,890 per person.

NOVEMBER: ARGENTINA
FIESTA DE LA TRADICIÓN – TRADITION DAY 10 November 2012

WHY: This is the best opportunity you will have to see the ‘gaucho’ culture and get a feel for country life in Argentina. There are competitions, dances, horse and bronco riding, folk music and asados (“barbecues”), as well as exhibitions of local craftwork including silverware, spurs, stirrups and saddles. The finale involves hundreds of gauchos in their traditional dress – typical bombachas (“baggy jodhpurs”), wide-leather belts, boots and leather hats – parading through the centre of town.

BOOK IT: Book World Expeditions’ 11-day Patagonia Adventure which culminates just in time for Fiesta de la Tradición. Departs on 27 October, from £1,890 per person.

DECEMBER: CHILE
NEW YEAR’S FESTIVAL 29-31 December 2012

WHY: Attracting one million tourists from around the world, this three-day festival culminates with a huge (30,000 explosions!) firework display. Live bands play until the early hours of the morning on Plaza Sotomayor, while local traditions include: eating lentil dishes with 12 grapes to symbolise each month of the year; writing down everything that was bad about the old year and then symbolically burning the paper; going out walking with luggage so that you travel during the year; and wearing ‘lucky’ items, such as yellow underwear.

BOOK IT: Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Chile with World Expeditions: Book Chile End to End (18 days) that departs on 31 December 2012, from £3,290 per person.

For more information and bookings please visit www.worldexpeditions.co.uk and www.utracks.com  The all-inclusive policy of World Expeditions and UTracks ensures there are no local payments. Prices do not include international flights, however these can be arranged on request.

EXPERT AFRICA, one of Southern Africa’s leading designers and operators of personalized tours, is offering a Kalahari Safari of Silence in response to a trend to escape the noise of everyday life. “Botswana’s Kalahari is a vast and often silent wilderness. We believe that it’s an ideal place for those seeking solitude,” says EXPERT AFRICA’S Managing Director, Chris McIntyre.

The thirst for silence is evident in the rise of travelers looking for “retreats,” places free of TV, Internet, computers, cell phones and other electronic devices, where luxury is the location. Some of these are “reading retreats,” others are spiritual; still others are trips into the wilderness, such as EXPERT AFRICA’S Kalahari Safari of Silence (see rates and details below). A recent column in t
LONDON, England (12/2011
he New York Times lamented the absence of silence in our lives, saying, “There will be fewer and fewer of what Virginia Woolf called ‘moments of being,’ intense sensations that stand apart from the ‘cottonwool of daily life.’”

One place to experience “moments of being” is in the middle of the northern Kalahari, an area of huge, flat saltpans. The Makgadikgadi and Nxai pans were at the center of a great lake that dried up thousands of years ago, leaving behind some of the largest saltpans in the world. It’s a harsh, sparse landscape, but it offers isolation as complete as anywhere in Southern Africa, and a wealth of hidden treasures. The pans play a vital role in the area’s ecosystems; their geology is unique, their history is fascinating, and they’re incredibly photogenic.

There’s a saying that the silence is so complete in the vast, silvery-white Makgadikgadi Pans that you can hear your own blood flowing. Occasionally, the pans host fleeting herds of Kalahari game, but essentially this is a wilderness. For most of the year, these great pans cover some 3900 square miles of the Kalahari in a thin crust of salt. It’s an eerie, other-worldly environment. “Around January to March, if the rains have been good, the pans flood,” says McIntyre. “Then grasses spring to life, and often flamingos arrive, together with a huge migration of zebra and wildebeest. Although unpredictable, this is one of Africa’s great wildlife spectacles.” Another spectacle is the millions of stars that can be seen through the pollution-free environment.

McIntyre’s expertise is based on years of travel and research within Southern Africa. He is the author of more than a dozen guidebooks to Southern Africa, from the first English-language guide to Namibia and Botswana,first published more than 20 years ago, to all three editions of the Botswana guidebook published by Bradt Travel Guides.

KALAHARI SAFARI OF SILENCE

Rates for the 10-night safari that includes Botswana’s Nxai and Makgadikgadi pans as well as the Okavango Delta start at US$5,183 per person sharing.

Flights ex-Maun, Botswana
4 nights Nxai Pan Camp, Nxai Pan
3 nights Kwara Camp, Okavango Delta
3 nights Camp Kalahari, Makgadikgadi Pans

Costs from US$5,183 per person sharing.

Includes:
All flights and transfers, starting in Maun and ending in Maun.
All meals, non-premium drinks (including South African wine, beers and local spirits) and activities.
All park fees.

Excludes:
Flights to and from Maun, Botswana
Any fine wines, champagnes and premium spirits

For more information, visit: www.expertafrica.com  or + 44 20 8232 9777

In anticipation of Abercrombie & Kent’s 50th Anniversary in 2012, Abercrombie & Kent has teamed up with the eminent African historian and storyteller to launch two exclusive tours for 2012. With his incredible ability to bring a historical story to life, Rob Caskie will lead trips to Northern Sudan; The Kingdom of the Black Pharaohs and South Africa’s famous Zulu Battlefields of KwaZulu Natal.

Abercrombie & Kent is offering the opportunity to relive the stories of these epic battles on the very soil on which they occurred. Rob is one of several experts leading trips for A&K in 2012, as part of a new programme for travellers who are looking for a more stimulating and memorable travel experience.

Rob Caskie
Historical Storyteller
Rob developed an interest in Zulu history and culture from an early age, after being brought up speaking English and Zulu and serving with Zulu troops during his National Service in 1984/5.

He started his career in Botswana working as a photographic safari guide and, after extensive globe-travelling, joined Fugitive’s Drift Lodge in 2001 where he was the principal lecturer on the Anglo-Zulu wars under David Rattray. His speaking career came to a peak in September 2010 when he presented his compelling story on The Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift to a full house at the Royal Geographic Society.

Rob Caskie will be leading trips to:

Battlefields of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

7th April – 13th April 2012
Hear the rumble of the 25,000 Zulu warriors approaching the British encampment at Isandlwana, and how the soldiers at Rorke’s drift clawed tunnels through the walls with their bare hands during their fearful and frantic fight for survival.

Visit the battlefield sites of Isandlwana where you will believe that you can feel the ground move as Rob tells of 25,000 Zulus’ approach

At Rorke’s Drift, learn about the missionary post defended by 139 British soldiers in the face of 4000 Zulus, resulting in 11 Victoria Crosses being awarded

Learn about the crushed hopes of British forces at Spioenkop, when daybreak revealed the disastrous position of the trenches they had dug throughout the night

The Kingdom of the Black Pharoahs, Sudan

14th – 21st October 2012
Trace the footsteps of the outnumbered Sudanese army in their battle against the Ethiopian forces. Feel the heat from the flaming encirclement of thorns around the near-defeated Sudanese and the crushed spirit of the Ethiopian warriors with the death of their mighty emperor.

Visit the Battlefields of Metemma, Jebel Abu Tulayh and Abu Kru

Learn about Nubian culture from these historic tales

Stay in a tented camp in Meroe, overlooking the awe-inspiring floating pyramids of the Black Pharaohs

Justin Wateridge, Managing Director of Abercrombie & Kent, explained his decision to work with Rob on these journeys, saying “Rob is renowned for his ability to bring history to life through his words. He is enormously charismatic and his stories are always profoundly personal and emotional. We’re very excited to be working with such a powerful raconteur.”

Ever since we started this adventure nearly 26 years ago, we have sought out ways to both support eco-systems and to ensure we ourselves make minimal environmental impact. We started our safari company because we loved the wilderness, and we enjoyed sharing it with others – so what could we do to preserve it and make sure our tourism enterprises partnered with conservation in a sustainable way?

It was clear, that with 70% of Kenya’s wildlife outside National Parks – this was where we could make a difference. Community land surrounding parks and reserves is the major part of the eco-systems. In Kenya our parks and reserves do not have fences, the animals are oblivious of the boundaries, and they are free to roam and migrate within vast ecosystems that incorporate mostly private land. The landowners receive no income from the wildlife, and bear the brunt of lion raids on livestock and injury from rogue buffalo.

In the late 1980s we were one of the founding partners in Campfire Conservation Ltd. A small group of like-minded operators that paid rent and viewing fees for mobile camps, and created employment for the community bordering the Masai Mara Reserve to the north, where Elephant Pepper Camp is situated (the same site we have used since those days). This is probably one of the most important and vital ecosystems in Kenya, always used for gamedrives, but with none of the revenue reaching the community. The land was community land, and Campfire was the first organization to give the Mara community, directly to the families on the ground in cash, any tourism revenue.

In 1992 we partnered with the community outside West Gate of Samburu National Reserve. We put our Samburu camp there, and the community received rent, viewing fees, employment etc. The first time this community had received sustainable tourism revenue.

In 1993 we took over a site belonging to a private landlord in Amboseli, bordering Amboseli National Park, and built Tortilis Camp. The site had been promised to a developer with plans for a 200 bed hotel – thank goodness we managed to take it over! Being one of the first “eco-lodges” of its kind in East Africa, Tortilis soon gained recognition and was awarded the UK “Tourism for Tomorrow” award in 1996. We are still the only lodge in Amboseli that trains and employs from the local community.

In 1999 we built Elsa’s Kopje in Meru National Park. Previously, Meru’s only lodge government owned, had closed some time before and the park was suffering with little or no income or visitors. There was talk in government of de-gazetting the park, and turning the fertile well watered land into rice plantations. Old hands in the industry told us we were mad, but Elsa’s Kopje has proved the sceptics wrong, has a worldwide reputation as one of the best lodges on the safari circuit, and its existence ensures that Meru National Park is a viable conservation area, with plentiful wildlife including 80 rhino.

By 2005 Campfire lost its effectiveness when the community lands surrounding the Masai Mara were divided up into individual parcels with title deeds. In response, we formed the Mara North Conservancy, and brought in all the stakeholders in the area. In recent years the area had earned in park fees in excess of US$1.2m per year, with the individual landowners seeing very little of it. MNC faced a politically difficult task, but vital for the sustainability of the Serengeti / Masai Mara eco-system. What could be more important?
As we write, we have jointly leased 900 parcels, 85% of the land, ie 77,000 acres with a mandate to give each individual landowner a guaranteed income from tourism for his land, together with conservation management and transparent accountability.

In 2006 we built Joy’s Camp in Shaba National Reserve, part of the Samburu eco-system, another conservation backwater that received little income and with a sceptical community around it. Joy’s Camp has opened up the eastern end of the reserve, and has good community relations, providing training and employment; and once again, we are working towards putting a vital and very beautiful area on the map to ensure its sustained existence. Now in 2011, we are very excited to announce that we are once again partnering with Ian Craig and his Northern Rangelands Trust, who have started the Nakupurat-Gotu Wildlife Trust which encompasses Shaba National Reserve!, extending the protected eco-system and working with a community that needs support. We are raising US$ 30,000 to rehabilitate the Chaffa gate with facilities that both the Reserve and Conservancy rangers can use.

In 2009 we bought Kitich Camp, in the Mathews Mountain Range forest. An idyllic hideaway in primeval forest. Giulio Bertolli had already ensured that the community benefit directly from the lodge with bednight fees and employment, and we have brought Kitich Camp into the Namunyak Conservancy, partnering with Ian Craig and his excellent work with the Northern Rangelands Trust. Namunyak Conservancy is supported by The Tusk Trust, and Kitich Camp pays the highest bednight fee to the conservancy. Bednights are slowly increasing as clients discover this little forest hideaway, and our conservancy payments to the Conservancy are starting to look more respectable.

From July 2009 we have taken over the management of Lewa Safari Camp on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. LWC is a story of success in wildlife conservation, rhino breeding, community education and outreach. With our experience in building eco-lodges, we aim to ensure that Lewa Safari Camp is itself ecologically fit to represent one of the most successful conservation stories in Africa, as well as offer outstanding food, great guiding, and the opportunity for guests to participate in Lewa’s good work.

Working on the ground, we realized that we needed to participate on a national level to battle uncontrolled and often outright harmful development in fragile areas. To this end, Stefano has participated on the Kenya Association of Tour Operators board for over 15 years. He lobbied the tourism community to put in place a moratorium on development in the Mara with a KATO EGM in Oct 1998, and worked on the founding of the Kenya Tourism Board in 1997, and Kenya Tourism Federation in 1998.

“Small things” – In March 2011, we decided to formalize our fundraising and have registered the “Cheli & Peacock Community Trust”, also employing a fulltime manager to help our lodge managers source school books, desks, etc etc! This increased capacity has meant we have been able to increase our focus on the “small things” that help communities – Elsa’s Kopje has, as we write, provided the Ura Gate Primary School with all the teachers text books it needed, and we are working towards providing children’s text books to all 7 classes (year groups) taught there. Joy’s Camp is in the middle of supplying blackboards, and desks to the Daaba Primary School. Tortilis Camp is maintaining the elephant exclosure that has rehabilitated the Olengaiya Spring; and Kitich Camp helped the Ngalai School choir take a bus to their choral competition! More details on these and other “small things” can be found on the chelipeacock.com website.

Hand in hand with our work directly with communities, we have always developed our safari camps to be the most ecologically sound, and all have Ecotourism Society ‘Silver” eco-rating, and Elephant Pepper Camp now has a ‘Gold’ eco-rating, one of only three camps in Kenya! We started with mobile camps, and our motto was “take only pictures, leave only footprints”, and it was true. In the Mara, our Elephant Pepper Camp remains very low key and completely removable. When we built our lodges, we kept them small, trained our guides well, gave the local community training and employment, support for schools, and right from the beginning worked out rubbish recycling / removal systems, solar and efficient energy, etc. By the time we built Joy’s Camp we put in state of the art led and solar technology and run the generator very little, three years later we have been able to put into Elephant Pepper Camp & Kitich Camp almost space-age led and solar technology, we do not have to run the generator at all! All expensive equipment, but as the L’Oreal ads say, “because it’s worth it”!

We have discovered over the years that our clients feel the same way as us. They too fall in love with the untouched wilderness, and appreciate the fact that their presence has helped preserve what they experience.

Having Started in 1985 as a small mobile safari company, Cheli & Peacock has grown and expanded over the years to become Kenya’s leading Destination Management Company. www.chelipeacock.com

As well as this, it manages the marketing & reservations for a collection of Kenya’s most renowned and elegant safari camps and lodges – The C&P Portfolio. www.thecpportfolio.com

Cheli & Peacock have partnered with Asia to Africa Safaris in Asia since 2006. Please direct all your enquiries to enquiry@atoasafaris.com  Website: www.atoasafaris.com

One of the UK’s leading leisure airlines, Jet2.com, is set to make the most popular island in the Canaries even more accessible to the British market by offering a 15.7% seat increase to Tenerife in 2012.

Jet2.com’s increased availability will complement the airline’s existing flights to Tenerife from Manchester, Blackpool, East Midlands, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford and Glasgow, and will further cement Tenerife’s position as the number one destination in the Canaries for British travellers.

The short-haul airline’s seat increase follows an incredible year for the island, with 2011 on track to be a record year for tourist arrivals from the UK. Last year, approximately 1.5 million British holidaymakers visited Tenerife and recent figures are showing an increase of 12% in 2011. Further great news is that October this year saw record numbers from the UK market, with particularly strong increases in families and couples.

The Tenerife Tourism Corporation has been working closely with Jet2.com to market Tenerife’s wide appeal and unrivalled diversity. While the island’s year-round sunshine and superb, family-friendly beaches have always been extremely popular with travellers from the UK, more and more travellers are beginning to discover that there is much more to the island than just winter sun beach holidays.

The recently-announced additional flight capacity to Tenerife follows hot on the heels of Jet2.com being named best airline for the Canary Islands by Which?, while Spain scooped most-visited country for Which? members and UK holidaymakers in general.

Ian Doubtfire, managing director at Jet2.com, comments: “Tenerife is the most popular destination in the Canaries for the UK market. With Jet2.com’s additional seat capacity from next month, the island is becoming more accessible than ever to British travellers – and we are confident that our new joint advertising campaign in 2012 will ensure that the upward trend can be maintained in the New Year and beyond.”

Follow the stars and escape the crowds to see another side of Tunisia

From hot springs to star-gazing and Arabian adventure movie-set scenes, southern Tunisia offers a thrilling alternative to the traditional sea and sun holiday destination.

Whether you’re beating a new trail to secret retreats or following in the footsteps of the likes of Antonio Banderas, a sojourn south will be full of surprises.

Tunisia will be in the spotlight in 2012 thanks to the hotly anticipated epic Arabian drama, Black Gold. Starring Antonio Banderas and British talent, Mark Strong, the film is an adaptation of Swiss writer Hans Ruesch’s 1957 novel South of the Heart: A Novel of Modern Arabia and was shot on location in the small southern town of Matmata.

Matmata is famous to a whole generation of movie goers as home to Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in May 2012. Visitors can tour the village and stand in the same spot as Luke’s moisture farm home on Tatooine, and check into the famous Hotel Sidi Driss, whose restaurant and bar courtyard featured in both the original Star Wars as well as Attack of the Clones.

Other southern highlights include the oasis towns of Tozeur, famous for its beautiful brick architecture, and Nefta often known as the ‘Land of the Palms’. Set on the north west shore of Chott el-Jerid – an immense salt lake spanning almost 5,000km, where Luke Skywalker contemplated the two moons – this area is a place of startling mirages. The shimmering salt lake also featured inThe English Patient.

If star-gazing is a bigger draw than Star Wars, head to Ksar Ghilane to marvel at the star-filled night sky from the area’s natural hot springs. Or hop aboard the Red Lizard Train at Metlaoui and journey through the spectacular Seldja Gorge with its pink mountains and grand canyons to spot some of Tunisia’s weirdest rock formations. For real Arabian adventures, the Tunisian Sahara desert offers exhilarating experiences such as camel trekking, dune buggy riding, hot air balloon rides and Bedouin camping excursions.

The new Dar Hi boutique hotel at Nefta is the ideal desert haven, an eco-friendly design hotel geared at travellers seeking to get under the skin of Tunisia. The hotel can arrange desert excursions for guests as well as offering an oasis of wellbeing.

Travel to southern Tunisia with one of the following:

Seven nights all inclusive holiday at The Dar HI hotel from £840 per person
Dar HI hotel offers a seven night stay in February 2012 from £840 per person based on two people sharing the Troglodyte inspired room on an all-inclusive basis. Price includes: Return airport transfers from Tozeur – Nefta International Airport, access to the traditional hammam, heated swimming pool and a complimentary massage.
For more information or to book please contact reservation@dar-hi.net, visit www.dar-hi.net/en  or call on 00 33 4 97 07 26 26.

Nine day Tunisia Desert Explorer package with Exodus from £899 per person

Experience a camel trek in the Tunisian Sahara desert, visit Kairouan, the fourth most important holy city in the Muslim world and the troglodyte town of Matmata, home to the Star Wars film set for an action packed holiday to remember.

Prices start from £899 per person departing in February 2012 and include: Return flights, seven nights’ accommodation, all breakfasts, two lunches and six dinners, on-tour transport, a local guide, entrances fees, excursions and all activities.

For more information please visit www.exodus.co.uk  or call on 0845 287 2468.

Get there with Tunisair
Tunisair operates five flights per week from London Heathrow to Tunis, prices start from £180 return, including taxes. A connecting flight from Tunis to Tozeur costs from £88 return with Tunisair Express and takes less than an hour.
For reservations call 020 7734 7644 or go to www.tunisair.com .
For all your travel needs and for information on what’s happening in Tunisia go to www.cometotunisia.co.uk

Essaouira kite surfing

Got a big ‘noughty’ birthday coming up and feeling the need to prove you are still young, fit and adventurous? Why not celebrate your birthday in style with a Moroccan adventure holiday, tailored to suit your own personal requirements. From walking in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains to climbing Mount Toubkal, camel trekking in the desert or horse riding on the beach, skiing at Oukaimeden or Kitesurfing, surfing or windsurfing in Essaouira, we can make your ‘noughty’ birthday celebrations into a holiday to remember!

Trekking near Kasbah du Toubkal’s Remote Trekking Lodge
The itinerary below is packed full of varied and adventurous activities to give you an idea of what is possible in a 7 night stay. We specialise in tailor-making holidays to suit each individual so no two holidays are the same. We can offer luxury Riads and Boutique hotels as well as more reasonably priced Maison du Charmes. We can help with booking your flights, and include all accommodation, transfers and activities, and can even book restaurants and city guides for you in advance.

Horse riding on Essaouira beach

Give us a call to discuss your interests and requirements and we will put together a bespoke holiday itinerary that’s just right for you!

See here the full itinerary with further details on the hotels and destinations

Day by day summary of your travel arrangements
Below is a suggested itinerary for your time in Morocco. Each aspect of the travel arrangements can be altered to suit your requirements.
Day
Itinerary in brief
Accommodation Arrangements
1
Flights from London to Marrakech.
Transfer from Marrakech airport to your hotel – approx. journey time: 15 minutes.
Two nights at the Riad Les Yeux Bleus in a standard room with breakfast.
2
Day at your leisure – explore the souks, see the famous d’Jemaa el Fna square and Koutoubia Mosque, visit the Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Marrakech museum, Majorelle gardens, or just shop-till-you-drop! A local guide can be pre-booked for you if you would like a guided tour of Marrakech– not included in the below price.
Accommodation at Les Yeux Bleus as above
3
After breakfast you will be transferred to a village in the High Atlas to meet your camels and guide – approx. journey time: 1 hour.
Full day camel trek through the High Atlas with English speaking guide and lunch.
Transfer to the Kasbah du Toubkal, Imlil at the end of the trek – approx. journey time: 1 hour.
Overnight accommodation at the Kasbah du Toubkal, Imlil in a superior room half-board.
4
Full day walking trek to Azzaden departing from the Kasbah after breakfast with English speaking guide, lunch and mules to carry your luggage. Approx. 6 hours walking.
Overnight accommodation at the Kasbah du Toubkal’s Azzaden remote trekking lodge with accommodation in a deluxe room with dinner and breakfast.
5
Full day walking trek to Ouirgane departing from the Azzaden lodge after breakfast with English speaking guide, lunch and mules to carry your luggage. Approx. 6 hours walking.
Overnight accommodation at the Auberge Chez Momo II, Ouirgane with accommodation in a Mini-suite half-board.
6
Transfer to Essaouira – approx. journey time: 4 hours.
Your transfer to Essaouira can be arranged for a time to suit you – you may like to stay for lunch at Chez Momo and enjoy the pool and gardens.
Two nights at the Dar Loulema, Essaouira with breakfast.
7
Half day quad biking along Essaouira beach to the caves and surrounding area with an English speaking guide included.
The rest of the day at your leisure to explore Essaouira, the fishing port and souks, or sit in one of its many cafés and watch the world go (slowly!) by.
Accommodation at the Dar Loulema as above

8
Transfer from Dar Loulema to Marrakech Airport – approx. journey time: 2.5 hours.
Flight from Marrakech to London.

Price based on two sharing a room: FROM £995.00 per person.
This price is based on low season rates with Easyjet flights at £80 per person, and includes all transfers, hotel accommodation, camel and walking treks with guide, overnight stop in the lodge, quad biking and meals as detailed in the above itinerary. GUIDE IN MARRAKECH NOT INCLUDED

Please note: All of our holidays are booked on a request basis, so are subject to availability at the time of booking.

Call now and speak to one of our dedicated Moroccan Specialists on 01225 706665, email us on 01225 706665 or visit our website: www.completemorocco.com

Lighter. Brighter.

Which is the best kind of tropical island holiday? One where you lie on the same

spot of the beach every day, read a couple of paperbacks, barely leave your lounger and pay exorbitant prices for imported water? Or one with benefits that last well after the tan has faded? Where you come back feeling re-energised, reinvigorated, re-inspired and re-ignited?

For those who tick the second box, LUX* Island Resorts launches this December at three hotels on Mauritius, one in the Maldives and one on Ile de La Réunion. The new brand, which replaces Naïade Resorts Ltd, represents the complete re-launch of the Company and the culmination of an intensive twelve months of painstaking preparation and rehearsal.

CEO Paul Jones, a passionate hotelier and travel industry expert, was previously a key member of the team responsible for launching the highly aspirational One&Only brand. When he took over the fading Naïade Resorts group in late 2010, he and his management team saw an opportunity to create something truly unique in its place. They recognised that luxury itself had undergone a sea change: no longer synonymous with excess and bling, true luxury has become simpler, fresher and more individual.

Inspired by this change, it was agreed that rather than offering the standard sun, sea and sand 5-star vacation, LUX* Island Resorts would be defined by an experience that had been entirely and radically re-conceptualised.

The manifestation of this change is Island Light, the signature concept that will run at all LUX* Island Resorts. Adopting a name which is Latin for light, the new brand is dedicated to staging a lighter, brighter and less complicated holiday experience. Jones compares the concept to a musical production, where each resort is a
theatre and its staff is the cast producing a show-stopping performance every day.

At its core is the commitment to doing the ordinary extraordinarily. Freshly-roasted organic coffee, retro-styled ice-cream parlours, on-the-beach film screenings, pop-up restaurants, integrated wellness & spa programmes, honesty bars and libraries of cool magazines are individually tempting, but it is the cumulative impact of these and a whole raft of other carefully choreographed Island Light experiences – underpinned by truly incredible service – which adds up to an exhilarating change of direction within the ‘sea of sameness’ that most resorts offer.

LUX* recognises that it is the audience – the guests – who count most and Jones is confident that this new brand of simpler, more relaxed and more individual luxury – underpinned with truly incredible service – will have wide appeal: “I have spent 35 years designing, building, operating and managing resorts in exotic destinations around the world”, says Jones, “this project has presented me with an opportunity to contribute all that knowledge and insight. We are doing more than simply changing the name of the Company or putting a new brand on our hotels. Island Light is the summation of many different ingredients, which when experienced as a whole are a very powerful alternative to the usual island resort holiday. LUX* has determined its purpose as ‘Helping People Celebrate Life’ and that is what every
member of our team is committed to and has pledged to deliver”.