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.

USTOA Companies Offer Itineraries with per person savings up to $2,500
Travelers booking African safaris this year can save an average 20% over 2008, according to the U.S. Tour Operators Association. “Many tour and safari prices reflect the more favorable exchange rate for the U.S. dollar in countries like South Africa, where the dollar currently buys more than 10 Rand, compared with nearly 8 Rand last year,” says USTOA president Bob Whitley.

The association, whose member companies send more than 11 million people on vacation annually, recently asked its members for examples of vacations with savings in 2009 versus last year and targeted to places where the dollar has risen in value. Below are Africa examples from four USTOA companies:
South Africa: Save up to 30% over 2008

“Simply South Africa”: 8 Days

Save 30%, or $655, per person over last year’s $2130 price on SITA World Tours’ 8 day/7 night “Simply South Africa” package. Beginning May 1 through August 31, 2009 the package includes Cape Town, Kruger National Park, and Johannesburg for $1475 per person. Air fare is additional. Included are deluxe accommodations, 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, departure transfers, Cape Town city tour, game viewing via 4 wheel drive vehicles, Park entrance fees, and local English speaking guides in Cape Town and Kruger National Park.

“Cape Town and Safari”: 10 Days

Travelers can leave any day of the week and save 20% over 2008 on a custom-arranged 10 day, 7 hotel night “Cape Town and Safari” from International Expeditions, when booked by June 1. Ideal for families, the itinerary is priced at $3,295 per person, or $800 less than last year’s cost of $4095, for travel through August 31, 2009. Featured are Cape Town and Greater Kruger National Park, accommodations at Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel and Motswari Lodge, 12 meals, private tour of Cape Point and Cape Town, trekking with chacma baboons at Baboon Monitor Project, three-day safari with safari activities and 3 in-country flights. International air fare is additional.

“South Africa Family Holiday”: 10 Days

Through December 1, 2009, save $1500, or nearly 20% over last year on Abercrombie & Kent’s “South Africa Family Holiday” tour. This 10 day, 9 night, air exclusive tour includes accommodations, most meals and beverages, land arrangements including guided sightseeing and activities in Cape Town, Garden Route and Kruger National Park for $6355 per person versus $7855 per person in 2008. Book anytime.

Botswana: Save 20% over 2008

“The Last Refuge”: 9 Days

Book by May 31, 2009 and save 20% over 2008 on African Travel, Inc.’s “The Last Refuge” Botswana tour, designed for mature travelers. For $11,039 per person and valid through December 5, 2009, this 9 day, 8 night tour includes roundtrip international business class airfare from New York to Johannesburg and air transfers between camps, luxury safari camp accommodations, 7 days of game viewing, most meals, airport transfers and fuel surcharges. Total per person savings is $2,731 over the 2008 price of $13,770.

More Information

All prices are based on double occupancy. Restrictions and additional security fees, departure and local taxes and fees may apply.

USTOA members have met the travel industry’s highest standards, including participation in the USTOA Travelers Assistance Program, which, among other things requires each member company to set aside $1 million security to protect consumers’ payments in case the company goes out of business.

To learn more about USTOA member tour operators and the types of tours and vacation packages available, consult the USTOA website: www.ustoa.com  or www.ustoa.travel .

Delta Air Lines announced limited-time special fares on its new routes to Kenya and Liberia, making travel to Africa more affordable on the only airline with scheduled service between the U.S. and that continent.

Delta is offering a one-way introductory fare of $819 for travel between Atlanta and Nairobi, Kenya (via Dakar, Senegal), from June 2 to Aug. 30, 2009;

and of $989 for travel between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Monrovia, Liberia (also via Dakar), from June 8 to Aug. 30, 2009.

A roundtrip ticket purchase is required and travel must be booked by April 7, 2009.

Additional taxes/fees/restrictions/baggage charges may apply.

Delta’s new flights to Kenya and Liberia are part of the airline’s expanding service to Africa, which already includes service between New York-JFK to Accra, Ghana; Dakar;

Cape Town, South Africa; and Abuja, Nigeria (via Dakar beginning June 10, 2009).

Delta also offers nonstop service between Atlanta and Dakar; and Lagos, Nigeria.

Delta’s existing one-stop service between Atlanta and Johannesburg, South Africa, via Dakar, will become a nonstop flight starting June 1.

Exclusive Service for Discerning Business Travellers

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched a brand new service, Personal Hotelier, across the Crowne Plaza estate throughout Middle East and Africa. Guests staying in Club rooms or on the Crowne Club floor can now enjoy the undivided attention of a hotelier dedicated to catering to their every need.

Crowne Plaza Personal Hotelier is an initiative that provides guests one point of contact, one face, one name and one telephone number to call prior to and during their stay at the hotel. This exclusive service is designed to alleviate the stress of corporate travel, allowing the guest more time and space to think, resulting in making their business trips more efficient and effective.

Commenting on the launch, Haitham Mattar, Director of Marketing Middle East and Africa, said, “Most of our guests are frequent business travellers. While they tend to enjoy travel, it can be exhausting and hectic so we decided to introduce a service to help them get the most of their time with us. “

From the moment a booking for a Club room is made, a member of the Personal Hotelier team will be assigned to the guest, contact them to introduce themselves and then offer them any assistance if required.

A personal hotelier can help guests with everything for business needs, such as updating a presentation, printing documents, making reservations at a restaurant or spa and even personal shopping.

The pilot program, conducted at Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City, received an overwhelmingly good response.

Results from a survey* conducted amongst guests who participated in the program demonstrated that 95 per cent rated the service excellent with regards to its efficiency and usefulness.

The Personal Hotelier service is available to guest who book Club rooms or on the Crowne Club Floor at all Crowne Plaza properties across Middle East and Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines Journeys offers a choice of adding on a safari to Ethiopian journeys. Currently, Ethiopian Airlines Journeys offers six safaris.

Ethiopian Journeys offers four-, six- and eight-day safaris, four- and eight-day Kenya safaris and an eight-day Kenya/Tanzania safari.

In recognition of the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, Ethiopian Airlines is proud to provide an exciting new “Free Companion Fare.” Travelers who purchase a regular fare will receive a “Free Companion Fare” to any of Ethiopian Airlines’ 32 destinations throughout Africa — more than any other airline.

The airline flies directly from Washington Dulles International Airport to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and connects to 32 destinations throughout Africa, including Luanda, Angola; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Bujumbura, Burundi; Douala, Cameroon; Ndjamena, Chad; Brazzaville, Congo; Lubumbashi, Congo; Kinshasa, Congo Democratic Republic; Djibouti, Djibouti; Cairo, Egypt; Libreville, Gabon; Accra, Ghana; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Nairobi, Kenya; Lilongwe, Malawi; Bamako, Mali; Abuja, Nigeria; Lagos, Nigeria; Kigali, Rwanda; Dakar, Senegal; Hargeisa, Somaliland; Johannesburg, South Africa; Khartoum, Sudan; Kilimanjaro, Tanzania; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Lomé, Togo; Entebbe/Kampala, Uganda; and Lusaka, Zambia.

For more information, call 800-445-2733 or visit www.ethiopianairlines.com

Adventure Life Voyages, a small-group tour company committed to providing quality tours that have a positive impact on the local culture and environment, is offering a 34-day African expedition cruise on April 1 that explores destinations largely unknown to most travelers on Africa’s Atlantic coast.

The boat is the 114-guest Corinthian II. Embarking in Cape Town, the trip explores practically every country along Africa’s west coast — South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cameroon, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco, before the ship arrives at the Rock of Gibraltar, one of the world’s great landmarks.

This is an opportunity to observe the differences in ancient cultures and tribal customs, landscape and animal life, from the towering dunes of Namibia, to the remarkable wildlife of Gabon’s rain forests; from the markets of Ghana and Senegal, to the medinas of Morocco.

This voyage presents a richly kaleidoscopic, lushly complex experience of a continent that defies description.

 The trip starts at $23,995.

You can see the full itinerary at www.alvoyages.com/ships/corinthian-2/19/1083

Native Escapes, specialist operator to Southern Africa, has nominated the Against Malaria Foundation as it’s chosen charity, and is pledging to purchase a malaria net for each client booking a trip.

The World Health Organisation estimates that there were nearly 880,000 deaths from Malaria in 2006; of which 91% were in Africa, and mostly of children under 5 years. The supply of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) has been identified as one effective method to combat malaria, however, despite big increases in the supply of mosquito nets in Africa, the number available is still far below the need in most countries.

By donating nets, Native Escapes hopes to achieve a double aim of ensuring that the benefits of tourism reach communities most in need, whilst simultaneously raising awareness of this killer disease.

Director Sharon Holmes comments:

“The Against Malaria Foundation was particularly appealing to us because this dreadful disease is so prevalent in the continent we send visitors to. The purchase of LLINs goes directly towards saving lives: statistically, 20 long-lasting insecticide-treated nets installed save one child’s life.

The charity has a number of benefactors, meaning that any costs are covered, and all monies raised go directly towards the purchase of nets. Perhaps more uniquely, donations can be tracked online:- we can let our clients know which consignment their net is in, and they can track where that consignment is – right through to delivery to local African communities”.

Native Escapes specialises in tailor made and small group trips to Southern Africa, with an emphasis on good quality accommodation, using locally employed guides, and devising itineraries with lots of highly memorable activities, like tracking wildlife on foot, swimming with wild dolphins, and canoeing through the reeves in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

For more information on trips offered by Native Escapes, see www.nativeescapes.com email info@nativeescapes.com  or call 020 8977 7034. To make a donation to Against Malaria, or for more information, see www.againstmalaria.com

Explore Egypt with a tourist guide

Hailed as “the travel service innovation of 2008″ by the Irish Times

OurExplorer facilitates with ease the on-line booking of professional tourist guides from all over the world. Save time and money while you explore your next destination with the wisdom and guidance of a local.

Have you ever thought whilst visiting a new destination, “I wonder where the locals eat, drink, fish, ski, shop or party?” OurExplorer suggests its time for us all to stop simply sight-seeing but rather start exploring with the local wisdom and knowledge of a professional tourist guide.

OurExplorer has launched a new travel concept in BETA, a user-rated tourist guide booking tool created exclusively for your personal travel needs.

As the global financial crisis still looms, OurExplorer can save travellers hassle and money by getting the maximum out of their overseas adventure with a private tourist guide.

Enjoy the insight of the best shopping and value for money dining experiences in a city, directly from a native. Some tourist guides are currently offering special discounted rates and free tour hours on OurExplorer.

OurExplorer promote professional tourist guides only. Pre booking, the traveller can view their experience, license, past client testimonials or even chat with the tourist guide.

OurExplorer launched in July 2008 with now over 400 private tourist guides covering more than 80 countries worldwide — making it the biggest professional tourist guide directory in the world and growing all the time!

Make your trip overseas unique and full of adventure.
You book your flight and accommodation on-line, why not your tourist guide?
Get a tourist guide for land (city guide, mountain guide) or sea (diving guide).

Purpose of OurExplorer:

1. To help tourist guides increase their income thereby benefiting the local community – especially those in poor countries e.g. Kenya, Mexico and Cambodia.

2. Increase cross cultural awareness and acceptance via direct connection with locals e.g. people in USA get the chance to understand those in Pakistan and Israel

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry but it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends,” said Mahatma Gandhi.

“Less than 9.7% of overseas travelers interact in meaningful discussion with a local,” according to the Tourism 2020 Vision reported by WTO.

The IMF concluded in March 2007 that “direct support of independent local businesses when you travel has the most positive results on local economy”.

“Rather than just donating money, OurExplorer is a sustainable long term solution to help low income families globally,” said David Cunningham (Chief Exploring Officer).

Baobab’s Nature Expeditions provide adventurous travelers with a passport to the planet’s most spectacular natural wonders.

On these trips, visitors will have enriching and illuminating encounters with nature, allowing them to experience the world from a whole new perspective. Baobab’s team of expert guides will take participants off the beaten path in to wild and wondrous places that are as inspiring as they are educational. With Baobab, people can discover the heart and soul of each destination firsthand.

Whether they dream of seeing the grizzlies in Glacier National Park, crave the experience of a close encounter with a giant polar bear, or desire to reach out and touch a grey whale, Baobab will show travelers the way to a new brand of experiential travel.

Baobab provides access to some of the most knowledgeable guides in the industry, and these Nature Expeditions are led by naturalists who are experts in their field.

Their passion for uncovering and interpreting the mysteries of nature is second to none. Baobab offers trips for those that want to experience the wonders of some of the last truly wild places on earth in areas like Antarctica, Asia, Galapagos, Latin America, and the rugged and remote parts of the northern hemisphere.

www.baobabexpeditions.com