Jetsettersblog

Future Vacations New Price Match Policy

Future Vacations launched a new Price Match policy. Under terms of the new policy that will match any competitor’s price on comparable vacation packages within three hours, ensuring that travelers always receive the best value for their vacation dollar.

Travel agents or consumers who book a Future Vacations package and find a lower price on a comparable package elsewhere can call Future Vacations’ new Price Match Hotline – 800-373-7801 – and speak directly to a Price Match Specialist for immediate service.

Comparable packages must feature the same airline, hotel, room category, travel dates and inclusions (e.g.: rental car, ground transfers, theme park/show tickets, etc.). For the fastest service, calls must be made during the following Price Match business hours: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 7 pm EST and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm EST.

Calls made outside of these hours will receive a return call the following business day. If Future Vacations is unable to match the price of a package, travelers will receive a $25 travel credit for future use.

The Price Match Policy is effective now and until further notice on all packages in the Future Vacations portfolio, which spans the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East.

For telephone reservations, call 800-456-2323.

Crew Wanted For 600 BC Sailing Expedition

Phoenicia Fact Sheet The search is on for keen sailors to take part in an ambitious expedition which aims to recreate the first circumnavigation of Africa believed to have been completed by Phoenician mariners almost 3,000 years ago.

The Phoenician Ship Expedition will set sail this summer from the ancient Syrian port of Arwad, which is where the 70 ft replica vessel is being built.

Led by Philip Beale who successfully headed the Borobudur expedition in 2003-04 sailing a replica 8th century Indonesian trading vessel from Indonesia to West Africa, this latest venture is more ambitious and will see the ship cover 17,000 miles over 12 months before she arrives in London.

“You don’t have to be Ellen MacArthur to take part in this project, although she’d be most welcome. We’re looking for people who have a sense of adventure and curiosity to be part of a small team in what will inevitably be challenging circumstances. We want a multination crew and obviously not everyone can take so long away from work and family commitments so we’d welcome applications from people who could come for part of the voyage” said Beale.

The Phoenicia team are in need of specialist skills such as medical, culinary, IT and photographic expertise as well as experienced and novice sailors. Applications forms are available to down load from the projects website www.phoenicia.org.uk

New Southern Africa Adventure Packages

Until Sept. 30 travelers can pay for four nights and stay for five when they book CC Africa’s Fabulous Five package, which combines a stay at Matetsi Water Lodge at Victoria Falls with any of the following South African lodges: Phinda Private Game Reserve; Mountain Lodge or Forest Lodge; Kruger National Park; Ngala Safari Lodge; Madikwe Game Reserve; Madikwe Safari Lodge; Sabi Sands; Kirkman’s Kamp; or Kwandwe Private Game Reserve; Ecca Lodge or Great Fish River Lodge.

The Great Zambezi package offers guests a fifth night free when visiting the new Chobe under Canvas in Northern Botswana and Matetsi Water Lodge in Zimbabwe between March 1 and Sept. 30. Lodge nights start at $700 per night at Chobe under Canvas and $440 per night at Matetsi Water Lodge.

CC Africa offers guests a complimentary flight to and from Wilson Airport to Kichwa Airstrip when staying four nights at Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp or three nights at Bateleur Camp at Kichwa Tembo in Kenya through Dec. 20.

Rates at Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp start at $400 per night and $980 at Bateleur Camp at Kichwa Tembo. Prices are based on double occupancy; all CC Africa lodge stays include luxury accommodations, all meals and snacks, beverages (including house wines and spirits), laundry, game drives, scheduled activities and emergency medical evacuation insurance.

CC Africa owns and operates more than 45 safari lodges and camps throughout Southern and East Africa and is now branching out to India in cooperation with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.

For more information, visit www.ccafrica.com  or www.SafariASAP.com

VIPvillas.com Luxury Holidays Across Africa

VIPvillas.com announces a new range of exclusive hotels, lodges and villas in South Africa and beyond

Luxury villa and hotel specialist VIPvillas.com has launched a new range of exclusive hotels and lodges in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique, expanding its portfolio of ultimate holiday experiences to the African continent.

The company now features 27 select properties across South Africa, ranging from rustic bushcamps and lodges in the Serengeti, to state-of-the-art private villas in Cape Town, with each holiday individually tailored to combine the best accommodation, flights and services.

New properties featured on the site include some of South Africa’s most prestigious hotels - the River Manor Boutique Hotel and Spa in Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands; the Singita Game Reserve; and Les Cascades de Bantry Bay, set in the most exclusive bay on the Atlantic Seaboard close to Cape Town.

VIPvillas’ new South Africa programme will also include five-star cookery courses at the award winning Le Quartier Français; golf breaks at some of the country’s finest courses, which are gaining a growing reputation for their quality and service; and safari adventures including the award winning Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Northern Cape.

Elsewhere in Africa the company features a range of five-star villas and hotels in spectacular locations including Zambezi River, Livingstone and Luanga River in Zambia and Benguerua Island in Mozambique, with each holiday created to the specific requirements of the customer.

Simon Williams, Operations Director of VIPvillas.com, said: “Demand for top-end luxury properties is growing and with it comes the need for a more bespoke and personalised service. While South Africa has always had strong links with the UK, this is now extending to other areas of Africa and our new properties demonstrate the high quality that is now available.

“With a choice of villas and hotels across Africa, we can now offer a tailored programme for those who want a short break or a month-long stay. Our properties elsewhere have already attracted a lot of interest since we launched at the end of last year and we look forward to welcoming more guests with our Africa programme.”

Beyond Africa, VIPvillas.com offers exclusive villas and hotels in the Caribbean, Greek Islands, Dubai, the Indian Ocean and Thailand, including Sandy Lane and Royal Westmoreland in Barbados, the Hyatt Hotel in Dubai, and luxury villas that offer services ranging from personal chefs and chauffeurs, to private speed boats and more.

A number of luxury villas have also been specially selected for VIPvillas’ weddings and honeymoons programme, each hand picked for their romantic setting and exclusive style. Available in Barbados, Cyprus, Crete, Thailand and Jamaica, weddings are individually tailored in conjunction with specialist wedding planners.

Prices for a one-week villa stay at the exclusive Bantry Bay, offering stunning views of the Cape, start from £19,885 for the villa rental based on ten people sharing the five-bedroom house, and including maid service, transfers to and from the airport and use of the Ellerman Spa with a jet stream pool, steam room and sauna.

Prices at the luxurious Les Cascades de Bantry Bay hotel start from £700 per night per room including breakfast. Flights on all holidays are not included and are organised separately to meet each customer’s requirements.

For more information on VIPvillas visit www.vipvillas.com  call 08458 739 639 or email admin@vipvillas.com

ALICIA KEYS AFRICA DOCUMENTARY online

AVAILABLE FOR EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOAD ON SPIRALFROG

SpiralFrog was selected by the non-profit organization, Keep a Child Alive (KCA), to be the exclusive download partner for the documentary of Alicia Keys’ month-long journey through Africa.

NEW YORK, NY, - SpiralFrog, Inc., (www.spiralfrog.com) the free and legal, ad-supported web-based music service, today announced it was selected by the non-profit organization, Keep a Child Alive (KCA), to be the exclusive download partner for “Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland,” the documentary of Grammy Award-winning musician and Keep a Child Alive (KCA) Co-Founder, Alicia Keys’, month-long trip to Africa to visit communities affected by HIV and AIDS.

Keep a Child Alive is the non-profit organization that engages the public for a-dollar-a-day to buy the life-saving anti-retroviral drugs that keep children and their families alive in Africa. Alicia’s commitment to the fight against AIDS is contagious and she is leading the effort to spread the message of KCA, “Start a Virus to Stop a Virus,” virally, so she has selected a number of prestigious interactive media partners to help get the message out. Running April 9 - May 19, the full-length film will be available for download exclusively at SpiralFrog.com with information provided and donations accepted at www.AliciainAfrica.com

“We are proud to support the efforts of Keep a Child Alive and Alicia Keys,” said Matthew Stern, vice president of marketing for SpiralFrog. “This is a powerful and important story to tell. We hope to help make a difference in the lives of the African children affected by AIDS by driving donations to AliciainAfrica.com.”

“We have received extraordinary support from the music and entertainment industries,” says Leigh Blake, founder of Keep a Child Alive. “We are incredibly grateful to those organizations and celebrities who demonstrate their support by helping us generate awareness and donations for the families and children battling this disease everyday.”

SpiralFrog is enlisting the help of its advertisers in further spreading awareness by creating turn-key, cross-platform sponsorship packages. The exclusive availability of ‘Alicia in Africa’ on SpiralFrog will include promotion on American Idol on April 9th, advance screenings of the documentary on college campuses, viral marketing and an email marketing campaign that will reach over 20 million people. Additionally, Alicia Keys will also be embarking on her US tour in more than 30 cities to let Americans know where to find the film and how they can help. SpiralFrog will be promoting the exclusive availability to download the film on the ground at each of these events.

“Supporting artist initiatives and organizations like Keep a Child Alive is important to us,” said Joe Mohen, chairman and founder of SpiralFrog. “Our members are active and aware and want to know what is happening in the world. This is a serious issue and we are proud to play a part in spreading the word and opening the eyes of many who may not know how devastating the impact of AIDS is in Africa.”

“Keep a Child Alive is an amazing charity and we applaud every effort they make in helping to change the world,” said Mel Schrieberg, CEO of SpiralFrog. “Alicia Keys’ efforts with the organization are noble and extraordinary. We hope to help their efforts by offering this film to watch again and again, and motivate active support.”

When downloaded from SpiralFrog, “Alicia in Africa” will play on multiple formats, including PCs and Macs.

About SpiralFrog

Headquartered in New York, SpiralFrog (www.spiralfrog.com) is a Web-based advertising-supported music experience that combines music discovery tools with free and legal downloads of audio and video content licensed directly from the catalogs of the world’s leading music owners. With more than 2.6 million monthly uniques, over 900,000 registered users, 1.1 million songs and 4,000 music videos, SpiralFrog offers music-lovers a compelling alternative to illicit file-sharing and pirate sites, with a secure environment for them to satisfy their unyielding passion and thirst for music and entertainment information at no cost.

About Keep a Child Alive

Keep a Child Alive is a charitable and educational foundation committed to accelerating action to combat the global AIDS pandemic. With more than 28 million dead and 15 million orphaned, the disease continues, wiping out whole societies, threatening economic infrastructures and creating tragic family devastation. KCA provides life-saving medication, social support, and orphan care, to keep these children and families alive. KCA also develops global awareness campaigns targeted at boosting funding for the fight against HIV/AIDS. For just a dollar a day, you can help save the life of a child or a parent who cannot afford essential treatment and care in some of the world’s poorest countries. http://www.keepachildalive.org

DEMA Launches Be a Diver Website

The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) launched a new website, www.BeADiver.com. This website is part of DEMA’s national Be A Diver advertising and promotional campaign aimed at increasing the number of new diving customers and re-activating previously-certified divers.

Potential diving customers can use BeADiver.com to find a professional dive center locally or find a DEMA Member international resort dive operator so they can learn to dive on vacation. The website includes an updated US dive center locator, listings of DEMA Member international resort dive operators and information about diving specifically designed for the non-diver. To help retailers develop their own “calls to action” DEMA has developed advertising materials for DEMA member use, including television and radio commercials and print ad materials that can be tailored for the business, graphics for post card mailers, flyers and even outdoor billboards.

Call 858-616-6408 or visit www.dema.org

Deilmann Unveils Three Africa Cruises

Peter Deilmann Cruises is featuring three 15- to 20-night itineraries on the Deutschland in southern and eastern Africa, focusing on the region’s beaches, wildlife and historic cities and villages. All three itineraries call at South Africa’s Cape Town, set against the backdrop of Table Mountain; Durban, boasting a string of “Golden Mile” beaches; and Port Elizabeth, the water sports capital of South Africa.

Depending on the itinerary, the cruises also take in the South African ports of East London and Richard’s Bay, as well as Zanzibar, Tanzania; Mombasa, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; and Namibia’s Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. The sailings include a 18-night voyage from Port Louis to Cape Town, priced from $10,169 to $24,979 per person, double, departing Dec. 17; a 13-night roundtrip from Cape Town, for $8,117 to $17,457 departing Jan. 4; and a 16-night sailing between Cape Town and Mombasa for $9,284 to $20,348, departing Jan. 17. Also offered is $99 roundtrip airfare and a package of pre-arranged shore excursions valued up to $700. Groups of five couples or more save an additional 10 percent off the published cruise fares. Fares include all meals aboard ship, roundtrip airfare from Frankfurt and one-night pre- and post-cruise stays at the Frankfurt Airport Sheraton. Travelers arranging their own air may deduct $750 per person from the cruise fare. Deilmann Cruises offers business-class fares on selected itineraries.

For more information, call 800-348-8287 or visit www.deilmann-cruises.com/africa

 

Africa Adventure Consultants a Safari Leader

Boutique Safari Operator Now Offering Carbon Neutral Travel

BOULDER/ DENVER, CO - Africa Adventure Consultants continues to lead the industry with innovative safari design, and now they are pleased to announce the launch of a comprehensive effort to reduce carbon emissions as well. Africa Adventure Consultants has joined forces with Sustainable Travel International (STI) on its pioneering TravelGreen™ program, which allows Africa Adventure Consultants to offer carbon neutral safaris to travelers. Africa Adventure Consultants is STI’s first African safari operator partner implementing a sophisticated program that offers carbon offsets on every safari the company sells.

“Carbon neutral” means the point at which greenhouse gas emissions have been identified, measured, reduced where possible, and 100% of the remaining emissions have been offset through high quality renewable energy or energy efficiency projects. Total greenhouse gas emissions are a factor of the air travel to get to Africa as well as the style of safari people enjoy. Sustainable Travel International assists in determining the total greenhouse gas emission per traveler, and Africa Adventure Consultants then absorbs 50% of that amount and provides the option for the traveler to offset the remaining 50%.

“We’ve found that our clients not only appreciate our initiative to protect and preserve the delicate ecosystems of Africa, but appreciate being given the voluntary opportunity to contribute directly as well.” said Kent Redding, President of Africa Adventure Consultants. “Earlier this year we worked to make our Denver office 100% carbon neutral, we continue to carefully select game areas in Africa that operate under sensitive environmental standards and now feel that Carbon Neutral travel is the next logical step. What does this mean for our clients? We are providing a way to travel to Africa with a limited negative impact on the environment.”

Africa Adventure Consultants also works with their African partner companies to reduce CO2 emissions by implementing solar and wind power schemes, reduce wood burning, protect land to create carbon sinks, and more.

Proceeds from purchased offsets are invested by Sustainable Travel International into high-impact sustainable development projects, including reforestation, renewable energy and energy conservation. These projects, which also benefit local communities, are located throughout Africa and other regions. Sustainable Travel International provides carbon offset projects that are independently verified by third-party sources.

The projects must verifiably reduce greenhouse gas emissions according to the CDM Gold Standard, consistent with the principles of the Kyoto Protocol, or meet the standards set forth by the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Alliance. In 2007 Sustainable Travel International received the highest ranking in an independent study of carbon offsetting programs commissioned by the environmental group Clean Air-Cool Planet.

About Sustainable Travel International

Sustainable Travel International is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable development and eco-friendly travel by providing programs that help travelers and travel-related companies protect the environmental, socio-cultural and economic needs of the places they visit, and the planet at large.

About Africa Adventure Consultants

Denver-based Africa Adventure Consultants organizes safari adventures throughout East and Southern Africa, with destinations including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Victoria Falls. The company sells destinations they know personally and offer guests assurance of strong on-the-ground partnerships with only the best local companies. Africa Adventure Consultants supports a variety of African conservation organizations, community-based tourism programs and humanitarian causes. With an eye on personal service, the principals create customized trips for individuals and small groups.

To learn more, please call 1.866.778.1089.

Biggest Earth Day Ever Fast Approaching

Top African Travel Providers Promote Sustainable Travel Practices

In 1970, Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.” The Fazendin Portfolio, representing top African travel companies, takes the conservation of Africa’s delicate ecosystems very seriously and enthusiastically supports the global environmental initiatives that have been successfully implemented since the first Earth Day nearly four decades ago. Tourists are demanding environmentally friendly options and Africa’s finest travel providers are responding with a variety of programs in 2008.

Express Travel Group: The greatest eco-challenge facing Kenya today is finding the perfect balance between utilization and conservation of natural cultural resources to ensure sustainability. Kenya’s tourism is dependent on natural and cultural resources both of which can either be degraded or lost altogether if not properly utilized. Express Travel Group’s “Green Kenya” itinerary takes all this into careful consideration. By fostering exceptional relationships with some of Kenya’s most respected eco-friendly properties, this itinerary combines the best of the classic safari experience with enlightening environmental and community programs.

African Latitude: African Latitude strives to increase working relationships in safari operations with local communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Not only does the company have strong relationships with these communities, but they have created partnerships whereby the Masai people are directly involved with and benefiting from the tourism industry – the ultimate model for sustainable tourism today. The company is now building a community lodge which will bring benefit and employment to the local communities, linking different communities bordering conservation areas and national parks in East Africa and encouraging these communities to create their own conservation projects with the ultimate objective of helping them reap economic benefit from wildlife protection.

Choroa Luxury Safaris: Choroa Luxury Safaris operates luxury mobile safaris in Tanzania, which involves erecting tented camps for each individual safari group and completely removing these camps once the group is done — leaving absolutely no trace and minimal impact on delicate African ecosystems, including the famed Serengeti and Ngorongoro conservation areas.

EcoTraining: Thriving on the foundation that education powers conservation, EcoTraining provides “hands on” travel experiences for adventure travelers across the globe. EcoTraining’s philosophy is that no one can truly appreciate Africa’s wild places without actually spending time in the wild. Whether looking for professional safari guide training or for a learning vacation with a difference and an opportunity to experience the African bush first-hand, EcoTraining strives to educate and instill the great passion for and protection of the African bush in travelers from around the world.

Heritage Hotels: Kipungani Explorer Lamu, the stunning resort on Kenya’s Lamu Island recently announced its commitment to a long-term plan that will ensure that only local staff and materials are used in the development and maintenance of this property. Already considered the finest property on Lamu, this five-star property has proven that it doesn’t require giant generators, imported foods, or state-of-the-art gadgets to keep guests happy. By combining the latest environmental technologies with traditional local knowledge, Heritage Hotels is working to create a model for sustainable ecotourism throughout East Africa.

Dinknesh Ethiopia Tour: The Danakil Depression is considered a “cradle of mankind” for the large number of hominid remains found there. Only the Afrar people have been able to inhabit this difficult region, and continue living today as nomads tending to their livestock. This combination of culture, topography and climate make the Danakil Depression an exotic and mysterious destination for eco-travelers featuring the stunning landscapes and beautiful, enduring people of this remote region of Ethiopia.

The Fazendin Portfolio represents African travel companies providing classic African experiences. From luxury tented camping safari experiences to unique cultural adventures, this collection representing Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and South Africa was developed specifically with the needs and desires of North American adventure travelers in mind. Ever dedicated to environmental conservation, the company recently launched a comprehensive marketing CD including detailed information on the complete representation portfolio which has eliminated the need to print large brochures. To learn more about these eco-friendly travel options in Africa please visit http://www.fazendinportfolio.com/  

Mountain Travel Sobek Walking Safaris

Mountain Travel Sobek added a new walking safari through Kenya’s Maasailand, a walking component in the Serengeti to its Tanzania safari adventure, and extra departures to existing trips. A World Apart is an exploratory adventure following ancient Maasai trails across the unspoiled, culture- and game-rich country between the Great Rift Valley and the Loita Hills, spiritual homeland of the most traditional Maasai, and through the remote Nguruman forest and its breathtaking escarpment laden with lush mountain glades and huge waterfalls.

The 14 day program is priced from $6,895 and departs Sept. 28. New this year on the classic Ultimate Tanzania Safari adventure is a three-day walking safari in the Serengeti. This activity has only recently been allowed by the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). The 12-day program is priced from $4,995 and departs March 3, June 1, June 28, July 27, Sept. 21, and Dec. 21.

Departures have been added to Mountain Travel Sobek’s award-winning The Great Walk of Africa itinerary, a 110-mile game tracking walk across Kenya’s Tsavo National Park, once a classic hunting ground for renowned big game hunters.

The trip incorporates features of a turn-of-the-century hunting safari, but it substitutes cameras for the rifles. Walking is normally prohibited in East African national parks, but Mountain Travel Sobek has an exclusive permit for this trip. The 14-day trip is priced from $6,395 with departures June 15, July 29, Aug. 10, and Sept. 15. Walking in Zambia focuses on the Luangwa Valley, an area with large concentrations of wildlife and the lowest people-to-animal ratio in Africa. The 10-day trip is priced from $4,695 with departures June 16, July 14, Aug. 4, Aug. 25, Sept. 1, Sept. 15, Oct. 6, and Oct. 20.

New for 2008 is South African Trails, which offers a three-day walking safari in Umfolozi, Africa’s oldest game reserve and home to the Big Five, as well as trekking the peaks of the Drakensberg; swimming, snorkeling, and beachcombing in a World Heritage Site marine reserve; and learning about the country’s past and present-day Zulu life and political history. The 15-day trip is priced from $5,795 and departs Aug. 22 and Sept. 6. Also new is the Rufiji River Safari, a rafting and walking safari in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve, the largest and perhaps the wildest in Africa. The 15-day trip is priced from $4,495 and departs Dec. 21 and Jan. 11, 2009.

For more information, call 888-MTSOBEK (687-6235) or visit http://www.mtsobek.com/