Travel agents earn 12 percent commissions on the land portion of escorted tours. Travel agents can work with Virgin Vacations on group tours in three ways: by choosing a group departure from Virgin Vacations’ escorted tours, by booking a group as part of a pre-existing escorted tour departure, or by booking a custom-designed trip.

The new site, AirlineRatings.com, was created by a team of Australian aviation editors after two years of extensive research.

“While air travel has never been safer and we found a record number of 137 airlines with a seven-star safety ranking, 43 have just three stars or less,” says site founder Geoffrey Thomas.

The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations as well as government audits and the airline’s fatality record.

While major airlines scored well, with mostly high ratings for safety and passable product quality, many of those flying in Africa and Indonesia scored very poorly.

“As someone who typically flies more than 75 days a year, I can tell you, it’s important to know more about the airline you’re about to hop onto than merely what they’re serving for lunch! In some parts of the world, people may be better off considering road or train options than risking a flight,” Thomas said.

Flying from London to Moscow, for example, few travelers have heard of Belavia Airlines, but is has a perfect score of seven for safety, he noted.

The team has spent two years collecting the data for the website, which it calls “the most comprehensive collection of independent information about airlines, their safety ratings, product quality, aircraft types, lounge reviews, and much more.”

AirlineRatings.com will be updated continuously to add new reviews and information and to update the safety ratings.

In the launch ratings, the airlines getting perfect scores of 7 out of 7 in both safety and product are: Air New Zealand, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air from Taiwan, Korean Air, Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Among US airlines, Delta and JetBlue led the pack, with scores of 7 and 5 for safety and product, respectively. United and USAir did worst, at 7 and 3.5.

Here’s a chart of the ratings of some major carriers:

Airline    Safety Rating   Product Rating

Air Canada 7 star   6.5 stars

American Airlines 7 stars  4 stars

British Airways 7 stars 6 stars

Delta 7 stars 5 stars

JetBlue 7 stars 5 stars

Qantas 7 stars 7 stars

United Airlines 7 stars 3.5 stars

Virgin Atlantic 7 stars 7 stars

“For anyone that is intrigued with all that is exotic and distant, there is little that compares with Myanmar,” said Fitzgerald. “It has a resonance that rings as true and clear as a temple bell.”

The journey will commence in Bangkok, the cosmopolitan capital city of Thailand, which also serves as the main international gateway to this region. A two-night stay in in the fabulous new riverfront oasis property, The Siam, kicks off the 15-day journey. This boutique hotel’s opening was one of the most highly anticipated in the industry for 2012. From there, guests fly north to Chiang Mai, spending three nights at one of Mollie’s favorite properties in the world – the Four Seasons Golden Triangle Tented Camp, where they’ll have the opportunity to interact with its resident family of elephants.

“We have created this itinerary to be as fully inclusive as possible,” said Fitzgerald. “We’ve locked space at the best possible properties in each area and although there certainly are elements of luxury throughout the itinerary, please note that when it comes to Myanmar in particular, it is not so much about the experience of luxury but rather the luxury of the experience.”

Guests will next fly to Heho, Myanmar, the access point for Inle Lake. This is like taking a step back in time – with local residents living in dwellings built on stilts, as they have done for centuries. Mandalay, made famous by Rudyard Kipling’s poem, is where guests board the “Road to Mandalay,” an 82-passenger ship for a 3-night cruise on the Ayeyarwady River. This vessel was built by Orient-Express and provides some of the finest accommodations and service in the country. A two-night stay in Bagan follows, where a highlight will certainly be the hot air balloon flight over the temple-strewn plains. Two nights in Myanmar’s capital city, Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, at the Orient-Express property Governor’s Residence, will conclude this epic adventure.

To join this tour, contact Mollie Fitzgerald at 800-245-1950 or email Mollie@frontierstravel.com.

About Frontiers Travel:

Frontiers Travel is a full-service travel company that specializes in light-tackle fishing, quality bird shooting, wildlife photographic safaris, and Elegant Journeys throughout the world. Visit Frontiers Travel for more information.

The museum is housed in an old two-storey building constructed from golden teak that was built in 1920 for a Royal Guard officer who served under King Rama VI. The museum’s creator Sakul Intakul is a floral artist who started his working life as an electronic engineer but had a career change when he took a course in classical flower arrangements at a Japanese school in Bangkok.

The two hotels are geared at different markets: the Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park is a three-star property and the Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park is a four-star. The 384-room Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park has a full service restaurant, fitness center, swimming pool, business center and pillarless ballroom for events. The 405-room Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park has such amenities as a full-service restaurant and a fitness center.

Crafted to offer discerning guests a complete experience at Tanjong Jara Resort, the Summer Stopovers incorporate accommodation, meals and three elements: Adventure, Culture and Spa, to provide an immersive holiday set against the sparkling blue waters, rustling palm trees and golden sandy beaches of Malaysia’s rustic East Coast. The convenience of having a leisurely itinerary allows guests to experience the best of Tanjong Jara’s offerings without the hassle of further planning.

Explore the great outdoors with the Adventure component of the Summer Stopovers. Guests may select one activity from Marine or Forest Adventure; snorkelling at one of Southeast Asia’s best-kept underwater secrets – Tenggol Island, a Fun Dive for certified divers, a Discover SCUBA diving excursion, a jungle trek up to the Chemerung Waterfalls or an eco-cruise along the Marang River.

Culture is the second component and booked upon arrival at Tanjong Jara Resort. Activities include a visit to the morning market guided by the resort’s effervescent local chef, a cooking class followed by a food tasting, a tour of the nearby town of Dungun, traditional Batik cloth painting and a bicycle tour through a nearby fishing village.

The award-winning Spa Village at Tanjong Jara is incorporated into the Summer Stopover featuring a 50-minute Malay Massage. Preceded by the Mandi Bunga, Spa Village’s unique pre-treatment, this massage consists of long kneading strokes focused on the muscles and various pressure points.

Tanjong Jara Resort’s Summer Stopovers offer a wholesome, “Unmistakably Malay” escape to the idyllic East Coast and start from £355 (MYR1625++) per room per night night for minimum of three nights accommodation. A selection of one Adventure getaway and one Cultural activity is applicable per booking which also includes one 50-minute experience per person at the luxurious Spa Village Tanjong Jara. Daily breakfasts, lunches and dinners for every night of stay with one sumptuous private dinner and return transfers to Sultan Mahmud Airport are also included. Adventure and cultural activities are subject to seasonal schedules and availabilities. Travel period is from now till 31st October 2013.

Book your Summer Stopover now or call YTL Travel Centre at +603 2783 1000 or email travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my. Guests may also visit www.tanjongjararesort.com for more information.

About YTL Hotels

YTL Hotels owns and manages a prestigious collection of award-winning resorts, hotels, boutique experiences and Spa Villages in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan, France and the UK, including Pangkor Laut Resort, voted the world’s best resort in 2003.

In July 2012, the company added Gaya Island Resort, a luxurious resort on the exotic tropical island of Borneo to the fold, while December 2012 saw the unveiling of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the second heritage jewel in the group’s Classic Hotel collection.

With each new experience that it unveils, the company strives to embrace and highlight the natural essence of culture, character and tradition of its surroundings. YTL Hotels is the hospitality arm of YTL Corporation Berhad.

Visit www.ytlhotels.com for more information. For high-resolution images, please visit www.ytlhotels.com.my/mediagallery. For reservations and enquiries, please contact the YTL Travel Centre directly in Malaysia, call +60 3 2783 1000 or email travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my

Skeletons in the closet

The storied history of properties and what their wine cellars were used for at one point…

Woodbridge on the Derwent – Tasmania, Australia

Built as a grand house for the magistrate on the banks of the Derwent River in 1825, Woodbridge was one of the earliest structures in Australia. The location was ideal for ships sailing up the river to drop anchor and unload their cargo of goods and people, including prisoners. The convict jail under the house has since been converted into a welcoming wine cellar where guests are invited to browse the cellar and to taste a variety of Australian wines.

Cour des Loges – Lyon, France

According to legend, during the second half of the 19th century, the wine cellar at Cour Des Loges was the laboratory of the famous thaumaturge, Philippe de Lyon. He used the room to store his medicines and salves. Years later small bottles and little boxes were found before the cellar was converted into a wine cellar in the early 90s. The cellar was used as a plenary hall for the Masonic lodge, where each member would store their bottles in individual lockers, which still exist.

Hotel Haven – Helsinki, Finland

Hotel Haven, G. W. Sundmans restaurant is housed in an early 19th-century Empire home adjacent to the hotel with a wine cellar that over the years has served many purposes. The vaulted wine cellar is situated in a room that was used as the old coal cellar for the residential home. In the late 80s and the beginning of the 90s it was a dance floor for a night club until it was rebuilt as a wine cellar that houses an impressive collection of over 2,000 bottles of wine.

Wine is not just for drinking

Using wine to create intoxicating experiences for the senses…

Entre Cielos – Mendoza, Argentina

Entre Cielos is home to the first authentic hammam in Latin America. The signature wine treatments invite guests to experience the magic of grapes and harness the revitalizing qualities of the vine with grape based treatments in Argentina´s leading wine producing region. Treatments, such as Bacchus offers the hammam circuit with full body exfoliation using grape seed, a wine bath with grape extracts, vitamins and minerals and nourishing grape extract facials. The Beneath the Grapes experience combines the use of wine not only in the bath treatments and massages, but finishes with a glass of the beloved concoction and light snacks.

Thalatta Seaside Hotel – Evia, Greece

The Spa at the Thalatta Seaside features Vinotherapy (wine therapy), which originated from Ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Combining the science of fytocosmetic and tradition, Syrah Grape Therapy is a unique beauty treatment and highly effective as the syrah grape extracts help protect the skin. Suitable for all skin types, the results are immediate and visible from the first session and makes for an ideal anti-aging therapy.

The Marmara Bodrum – Bodrum, Turkey

The Marmara Bodrum Spa’s Wine Massage applies consumable white wine to the body for 70 minutes. At the end of the massage, a special glass of wine is offered to each guest. The full-body Wine Massage begins with a special wine peel followed by a full-body wine mud soak and cleanse. The Marmara Bodrum Spa’s exclusive Wine Massages use pure, concentrated wine formula with an aim to harness the antioxidant agents to their full potential to benefit the body.

Coveted Bottles for the Connoisseur

For the most discerning palate…

Lainston House Hotel – Winchester, United Kingdom

Wine cellars are also known to house other things, as is the case at this 17th century country manor house that proudly offers its guests a collection of rare Grand Champagne Cognac’s dating back to 1809 and priced at USD20, 271. However, if you are looking for something a little younger, an 1893 E. Normandin is also available for USD2,300.

Brandenburger Hof Berlin – Berlin, Germany

Resembling a townhouse on a quiet street in central Berlin, many do not realize that this building is home to a 72-room hotel. What else they probably do not realize is that the hotel’s restaurant, DIE QUADRIGA, has one of only three remaining bottles of an 1897 Steinberger Riesling Cabinet. Curious to see what more than a century tastes like? Priced at USD19,500.

Hoteliers who are hooked on grapes

These renaissance men and women do it all…

The Levin – London, England

David and Lynne Levin have not only shared their last name with The Levin Hotel in Knightsbridge, London but also their winery, Levin Wines located in the Loire Valley France. What was once a dream—the ability to produce wine to serve to their guests—has now become reality. The organically grown Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay varieties are suitably named Mister L and Madame L, respectively. The Levin’s have even more cause for celebration; they were awarded 2 Gold Medals in the World Sauvignon Blanc Competition held in Blois, France just this week!

Villa Spalletti Trivelli – Rome, Italy

The Spalletti Trivelli family has had a life-long passion for wine that was passed down from their ancestors over the years. Produced in Umbria at the farm and vineyard of the Count and Countess Spalletti Trivelli, are two wines referred to as, “Sariano” and “Arale”. The area is known for the quality of their grapes and the old Sangiovese plants are used for the production of Sariano, while white grapes Trebbiano and Malvasia give life to Arale. The hotel will arrange a visit to the family’s vineyards (an hour’s drive from the property) to experience the flavours of a typical trattoria and view the wine-making process.

Unique by Design

Baros Maldives – Male, Maldives

Housing over 500 bottles, Baros Maldives’ glass-paneled, walk-in wine cellar hovers over a crystal-blue lagoon, also referred to as the Indian Ocean. The careful design features special panes to guarantee the quality of the wines even when exposed to direct sunshine so that the corking experience is never comprised.

Schwarzer Adler Estate Hotel – Vogtsburg – Oberbergen, Germany

This 14-room hotel is part of a 3rd generation family-owned wine estate that stores its bottles in mountain cellars. Guests can tour one or all three of the tunnels that have been carved up to 110 meters into the surrounding mountains in order to create these extraordinary wine cellars. The thick stone ensures that all bottles remain at a constant temperature of 12 degrees Celsius year-round.

Santhiya Koh Phangan Resort & Spa – Koh Phangan, Thailand

This above-ground wine cellar housed in a beautiful Thai Teakwood House rests under the shade of tropical trees and lush vegetation. It is not every day that you can find yourself in a jungle paradise with access to more than 80 labels of wine from around the world. Choose your favorite bottle and enjoy at one of the resort’s two restaurants overlooking the sea.

MIR Corporation, whose name means “peace” and “world” in Russian, has specialized in Russia (and neighboring countries) since 1986. Offering scheduled and custom journeys to Russia, along the Trans-Siberian and across the Silk Route, MIR’s Seattle-based experts design imaginative trips that take travelers far from the familiar, and work closely with local affiliates in Western Russia, Siberia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan to carry them out. MIR has twice been named one of National Geographic Adventure’s “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth,” and is a preferred operator for museum, alumni and special interest organizations across the country.

The retreat begins with a personal assessment with a nutritionist, who will design a healthy menu incorporating juices and living foods (alkaline-based and not cooked over 115°C to preserve natural enzymes).
Aman Pilates will complement the nutritional aspect of the retreat, with every participant receiving a personalized movement program after an in-depth Aman Pilates postural assessment. A number of private Pilates sessions will then assist in improving circulation and awakening sluggish lymphatic systems, as well as toning muscles and strengthening cores.
Specialist treatment sessions, including polarity therapy and deep tissue therapy, will assist in the detoxification process. Polarity therapy is a form of bodywork that allows the energy within the body to rebalance. It unlocks holding patterns that create blockages and works on an emotional, mental and physical level. Within the context of detoxification, it assists the body’s internal energy to move from stagnant (associated with blockages) to vital (assisting circulation and lymphatic flow). Deep tissue therapy is a bodywork modality that accesses layers of muscle and fascia to improve alignment, reduce levels of resting tension and create a more efficient postural and movement pattern.

The retreat will also include a pure relaxation aspect. Participants will be able to select a number of indulgent treatments including massages, scrubs, facials and wraps from the Aman Spa menu.
Enjoying a hilltop setting above the resort, Amanpuri’s Aman Spa features six spacious treatment pavilions, each offering a private steam room, shower, bath, dressing area and outdoor relaxation sala. Housed on the top floor of a two-story pavilion is the spa’s fully equipped gym – its floor-to-ceiling windows offering open sea views. The spacious Pilates studio is situated on the lower level, and offers reformers and other Pilates-specific equipment.

For those short of time, Amanpuri is also offering a three-night retreat. Both retreats include accommodation, daily meals, one nutritional assessment and an Aman Pilates assessment, but while the five-night retreat includes three Pilates sessions, two specialist treatment sessions and three spa treatments per person, the three-night retreat offers two Pilates sessions, one specialist treatment session and two spa treatments per person.

Amanpuri enjoys a pristine setting on the west coast of Phuket in Thailand. At the heart of the resort lies a midnight-blue swimming pool, surrounded by several dining venues. Beyond are 40 guest pavilions and over 30 Aman Villas, tucked into lush gardens and most with beautiful views. A wide swathe of steps leads down from the main swimming pool to the Beach Club, where another swimming pool is located. The steps then continue down to the white-sand beach, from which snorkeling and a variety of watersports can be enjoyed. The resort also offers a library, boutique, tennis courts and Aman cruises.

The Amanpuri Wellness Retreat is priced at US$3,890 for the three-night package and US$6,075 for the five-night package, based on double occupancy.

For more information about Amanpuri, please visit: www.amanresorts.com

ABOUT AMANRESORTS

Amanresorts was founded by Adrian Zecha who envisioned a collection of intimate retreats in beautiful surrounds with the unassuming, warm hospitality of a gracious private residence. The first, Amanpuri (place of peace) in Phuket, Thailand, introduced the concept, and since then, Amanresorts has grown to encompass 25 resorts located in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, France, Greece, Indonesia, India, Italy, Laos, Montenegro, Morocco, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the USA.

Throughout the event shoppers will be enticed by the latest and hottest products when everything from trendy fashion and shoes, fine jewellery and beauty products, to the latest watches, electronics and traditional Chinese artefacts and souvenirs go on sale across the city’s popular shopping districts.

Shoppers will be spoilt for choice by the substantial discounts and privileges[i] offered in the city’s popular shopping districts from the high-end shopping malls to local designer shops and international brands. Hong Kong’s must do shopping experiences include the luxury mega malls, such as, Harbour City, Pacific Place, IFC, The Landmark, Times Square, Elements, iSquare, The ONE; the department stores including Lane Crawford and Sogo; the local fashion shops and trendy designer boutiques; the street markets including those in Wanchai, Causeway Bay, Mongkok and Stanley, the Temple Street Night Market; and the themed shopping streets.

For fashionistas seeking the latest designs Hong Kong’s inventory of shops will expand even further next month when TOPSHOP and Victoria’s Secret open their stores. This follows on from the recent openings of the Korean brand Forever 21 and the French labels Maje and Sandro.

The series of fun events during the Hong Kong Summer Spectacular will see the return of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival from June 21 – 23, staged on Victoria Harbour and, the Lan Kwai Fong Music and Beerfest from July 13 – 14.

Information on the special offers, activities and entertainment during Hong Kong Summer Spectacular can be found at the HKTB’s website: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/au/see-do/events-festivals/highlight-events/summer-spectacular
and for the latest Hong Kong travel packages visitors can contact their local travel agent or visit: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/au/plan-your-trip/latest-promotion/index