Jetsettersblog

Tourist Guide Booking Tool

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).

Committed Umbraphiles Or Curious Observers

The next total solar eclipse will occur on 22nd July 2009 and will exhibit the longest period of totality ever witnessed in the 21st century, casting a shadow across areas of India, China, Japan, and Indonesia.

Wildlife Worldwide offers a unique opportunity to view this remarkable natural phenomenon, from a vantage-point near China’s city of Hangzhou close to the centre line (the point at which the event’s length is greatest). Accompanying the tour is Britain’s top eclipse authority and Professor of Astrophysics, John Parkinson. Wildlife Worldwide’s 13-day tour combines eclipse-viewing with visits to many of China’s other major wildlife and historic attractions. Tour departs London 17th July 2009.

Spend the first two nights in Beijing and experience authentic ‘old Beijing’, with its teahouses and temples. Visit the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall and one of Beijing’s newest structures, the Olympic National Stadium or ‘Bird’s Nest’ as it has been nicknamed. Transfer to Hangzhou, located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River in the Yangtze Delta.

Take a city tour to the museum, Lingyin Temple, and visit a tea plantation. Rising early on 22nd July, Wildlife Worldwide’s guests are transported to the eclipse site, from where they will witness this special event. China has always been regarded as the home of solar eclipses as Chinese astronomers were first to systematically observe, record and predict their occurance. This is just one of many reasons why the 2009 total solar eclipse has been eagerly awaited for years. With good access to the centre line, a maximum period of totality of around 5mins 45secs, the longest available to land-based viewers, is expected.

Once experienced, eclipse observers are in danger of becoming umbraphiles (the solar equivalent to trainspotters!) – don’t worry, the next eclipse tour with Wildlife Worldwide is scheduled for July 2010 to Easter Island. Once the excitement of the eclipse is over, further highlights of the tour include Chengdu Panda Research Centre and Jiuzhaigou National Park, plus a full day’s sightseeing in Xian, home of China’s famous Terracotta Warriors.

The tour costs £3,595 p/p (based on twin share), scheduled flights with Air China, transfers, full board accommodation, expertly-guided eclipse viewing and sightseeing excursions as per itinerary.

Wildlife Worldwide
0845 130 6982
sales@wildlifeworldwide.com
www.wildlifeworldwide.com

Gecko’s Gets Off the Beaten Track in Asia

To Where There’s No Track At All

From yak trekking with nomadic herdsmen in Mongolia to hill tribe trekking in Thailand, Gecko’s has introduced a range of Asian adventures that go beyond the beaten track to where there’s often no track at all in the 2008-10 South East Asia and China brochure.

The 14-day Mongolian Yak Safari is a wander across the un-tracked steppe, with yaks as ‘support vehicles’ and includes staying in the traditional felt ‘gers’ (tents) of the nomadic herdsmen. Eschewing the long driving days of typical Mongolian tours, the safari takes a more leisurely, low-impact approach.

The trip begins in Ulaanbaaatar with a one-day train trip along the Trans Mongolian route to the Ilk Nart Nature Reserve in the Gobi Desert, a protected community reserve rarely visited by tourists, where the group stays for several days in a low-impact ger camp as guests of the local Dalanjargal community.

Three quarters of the Mongolian population still lives in gers year-round and the trip is a chance to experience the traditional nomadic lifestyle, accompanied by local herdsmen.

From a second base, the group undertakes a four-day trek skirting the southern fringes of Khan Khentii, a wilderness area three times the size of Yellowstone National Park. In the spirit of the nomads, the group will be self-sufficient, with all equipment – including ‘regular’ tents and a communal dining ger – carried on yak carts, and following no particular route; trekking no more than 20km per day; meeting local people, and seeking the most idyllic campsite each evening.

The trip concludes in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. The 14-day trip has six departures between May and August, 2009 and costs $1395 per person, twin share, plus a US$200 local payment.

In Thailand, Gecko’s has introduced the 15-day Inside Thailand adventure, a cocktail of all the best things to do and see in northern Thailand: hill tribe trekking; getting up close to the elephants at the Elephant Conservation Centre; a visit to Sukhothai and shopping in Chiang Mai’s night markets.

There’s a night in a local homestay, and transport ranges from tuk-tuk and boat to train and bicycle. After all that action, there’s time chilling out on the perfect beaches of two of Thailand’s least-visited islands, Koh Chang and Koh Samet – both National Parks - where the only other tourists are locals.

There’s diving and snorkelling in the surrounding protected waters or exploring hidden coves and lush rainforest if hanging out in a hammock isn’t energetic enough.

Inside Thailand starts in Bangkok with departures year-round. The trip costs $995 per person, twin share, land only, plus a US$200 local payment.

For further information, visit your travel agent or call 1300 854 500 or visit www.geckosadventures.com  to download a copy of the new Gecko’s South East Asia and China 2008-2010 brochure.

Globus Unveils New Asia Pacific Vacations

As part of its 2009 vacation offerings, Globus family has brands has unveiled two new itineraries: Fascinating China & Mongolia with Yangtze River Cruise and Essential Thailand, as well as increased opportunities to travel independently through the Asia Pacific region byway of Monograms.

 ”We are not only revealing new vacation itineraries in both China and Thailand, our vacation styles in this region of the world have increased,” said Scott Nisbet, chief operating officer for Globus. “We’re offering travelers everything from special event vacations, including celebrating the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, to River Cruise getaways. We have also enhanced our collection of independent travel vacations to nearly 10 Asian countries.”

In addition, Globus is offering $500 off per person on the air-inclusive price of its 2009 Treasures of Japan & China vacation if they book between now and Sept. 30, 2008.

Visit

www.globusjourneys.com

or www.EscapetoChina.com

for more information.

Fascinating China & Mongolia with Yangtze River Cruise (18 Days) features a four-night cruise along the Yangtze, a visit to the Yu Yuan Gardens in Shanghai, a visit to the legendary Terracotta Warriors in Xian and a visit to Mongolia’s Gobi Desert (including a stay in a traditional ger).

The program is priced from $5,709 (cruise/land-only, including intra-tour flights). Essential Thailand (12 Days) begins in Bangkok with a boat ride through the klongs, a visit to the Temple of the Dawn,

Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple. From there, the adventure continues with guided sightseeing in Kanchanaburi, a ride on the Thailand-Burma Railway, visits to Wat Phra Sri San Phet and Wat Mongkol Bophit in Ayutthaya, the chance to participate in a traditional Almsgiving Ceremony in Chiang Mai, as well as the opportunity to visit Thailand’s Hill Tribes where travelers will witness life in a small village and visit a local school.



Then, it’s on to Ban Thaton to visit a Kayan village with long-necked women and a boat ride on the Kok River. The program is priced from $1,969 (land-only, including intra-tour flight).

Guests can save $500 per person on Treasures of Japan & China (15 Days), which begins in Tokyo with visits to the Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace Plaza and Asakusa Kannon Temple.

The tour then heads south for Hakone and a cable car ride with panoramic views of spectacular Mount Fuji as well as a bullet train ride to Kyoto. From there, tour participants fly to Shanghai and go on to Guilin for a Li River cruise. In Xi’an, they can enjoy “The Tang Dynasty” dinner show and see the enormous tomb of China’s first emperor.

On to Beijing, the sightseeing continues with visits to the Imperial Palace, Tiananmen Square, the Beijing Zoo and more. The program is priced from $5,229 (land-only, including intra-tour flights).

Monograms’ Hong Kong, Bangkok & Singapore (10 Days) starts in Hong Kong and features a cable car ride up Victoria Peak for a panoramic view of the city as well as a sampan ride on the harbor. There is free time visit the giant Buddha on Lantau Island or enjoy a traditional British “High Tea” at the Peninsula Hotel. From Hong Kong, travelers fly to Bangkok where sightseeing will cover the highlights.

The final stop is Singapore where travelers can sample local cuisine at Lau Pa Sat food court or visit the nearby island resort of Sentosa. The tour is priced from $1,919 land only; including intra-vacation flights. Book a 2009 Globus “Treasures of Japan & China” air-inclusive vacation to receive the $500 per person discount.

Booking must be made, under deposit and discount applied before Sept. 30, 2008 for travel commencing through Dec. 31, 2009. Offers are not valid with any other offer and apply to new 2009 Asia bookings only. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.

To request a brochure or for more information, call 800-221-0090 or visit www.globusfamilypartner.com

Starwood Hotels Amazing Offers In Asia Pacific

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. invites meeting planners around the world to take advantage of some delightful deals throughout hotels in Asia Pacific. More than 130 hotels and resorts in over 50 locations are offering meeting planners great deals for meetings booked and held from now through 31st January 2009.

Meeting planners can receive generous incentives in the form of bonus Starpoints for rooms booked, in addition to the Starwood Preferred Planner loyalty points earned when the group meetings actualize. These Starpoints can be used to redeem for rewards including complimentary hotel services, accommodation and so on at Starwood hotels. In addition to the Starwood Preferred Planner offer available at all Asia Pacific hotels, meeting planners can also enjoy 10% savings on Meeting Package pricing and double their complimentary rooms & upgrades at selected hotels across the region.

The generous offers will be available in many popular travel and meetings destinations including China, Japan, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Participating brands include Westin, Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton, W and Le Méridien.

Meeting planners can find more details on the offer as well as a list of destinations and hotels at www.starwoodmeetings.com 

 Note : Terms and Conditions apply.

The newly revamped site www.starwoodmeetings.com Is one of the most robust meetings related websites in the industry, and offers meeting planners a variety of attractive offers, rewards and recognition and comprehensive search options, making it an easy resource for organizing meetings of any scale.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.

Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands:

St. Regis, The Luxury Collection W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, and the recently launched aloftSM, and element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.

Mandarin Oriental’s Asian Properties Meeting Packages

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced a new meeting package available at all eleven of the Group’s Asian properties until Dec. 31, 2008.

For a minimum of 15 paying rooms, the package includes: special group rates and one room upgrade for the designated VIP or organizer plus VIP recognition and amenities. For a minimum of 30 paying rooms, the package includes a one room upgrade and for 15 paying persons, the deal includes: special daily meeting package rate inclusive of meeting venue.

For more information, visit this link.

Save $1000 Per Couple on Air And Land Packages

ZUJI Australia -  is releasing a series of amazing holiday and hotel deals which are to popular destinations, and offer great value prices and inclusions which are exclusive to ZUJI and available to be booked at the banner at right on a 24/7 basis.

Some of the best “dynamically packaged” stays available (includes flights + hotel stays)*:

a. 5 nights Hong Kong from $1,306 (stay in 4 star hotel) – save $445

b. 5 nights Bangkok from $1,439 (stay in 4 star hotel) – save $442

c. 4 nights Honolulu from $1,847 (stay in 4 star hotel) – save $89

d. 4 nights Auckland from $901 (stay in 4 star hotel) – save $60

e. 5 nights London from $2,660 (stay in 4 star hotel) – save $806

f. 7 nights New York from $2,772 (stay in 3 star hotel) – save $1263

*Prices quoted for above deals are ex- Sydney and per person. Deals are subject to limited availability and subject to confirmation at time of enquiry and must be booked online using the ZUJI ‘dynamic packaging’ tool under the ‘Holidays’ tab on zuji.com.au. Online travel agent ZUJI Australia (www.zuji.com.au) has unveiled an enhanced online travel website with a new choice of great value travel deals and a consumer campaign designed to ‘help holidays happen’ sooner for Aussies in a tough economic climate.

ALSO: The Breaking News From ZUJI: ZUJI BEANS!

With tongue in cheek, and Aussies’ holiday interests at heart, it’s ZUJI to the rescue with a beans-led recovery. After surveying its audience of travellers, and discovering 56% eat baked beans on toast rather than eat takeaway in order to save up some money for a trip, ZUJI has come up with a novel way to help consumers cut grocery bill costs in order to save more money for a holiday. ZUJI has also revealed money can be saved on the total cost of the trip too if booked utilising ZUJI’s new dynamic packaging feature online.

According to ZUJI Australia’s General Manager, Peter Smith, “We realise that finding the money to get out of the office and off on a holiday might be challenging for many people at the moment. The weekly grocery shop is dinting the wallet; education and child care costs are steep; petrol prices have hit all-time peaks; and climbing interest rates are swiftly taking care of any remaining loose change. So, we’ve decided to invest in a range of ways to help Aussies get travelling sooner.” ZUJI Australia has announced three ways it’s helping to get Aussies out of the house and into a hotel:

Enter the bean! ZUJI is rolling its sleeves up and taking a practical approach to helping Aussies save for a trip. Peter Smith said: “We decided to come to the party with 10,000 cans of baked beans available for just 10c a can, to help keep grocery bills as low as they can go.

It’s a bit of fun, and we’ll also be launching some supporting communications in the weeks ahead.” ZUJI will make the beans available from three store-front locations in Sydney & Melbourne, as well as numerous organic and local market stalls during the month ahead.

 

Avalon Waterways adds Ships in 2009

Avalon Waterways is embarking on its most aggressive growth to date in 2009, offering more than 25 vacations in Europe, China, Egypt and the Galàpagos, as well introducing two new ships.

To meet increased demand, Avalon has created six new river cruises for 2009, ranging from 8 to 23 days. They include “Christmas in the Heart of Germany, eight days between Frankfurt and Prague, priced from $1,709; “Windmills, Vineyards & Paris,” 13 or 14 Days between Paris and Amsterdam priced from $3,529; “Blue Danube to the Black Sea,” 14 Days between Vienna and Bucharest priced from $3,559; “European Splendor, 13 Days between Amsterdam and Vienna from $3,649; “North Sea-Black Sea,” 23 Days between Amsterdam and Bucharest from $6,729; and “Fascinating China & Mongolia with Yangtze River Cruise,” 18 Days between Shanghai and Beijing from $5,709.

On the heels of christening the Avalon Scenery in France this spring, Avalon is launching two ships in Europe in 2009 — the Avalon Affinity and Avalon Creativity — bringing the European fleet total to eight. Avalon ships feature contemporary design, state-of-the art technology and staterooms that boast floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors. Avalon Waterways is offering an early-booking promotion.

Those booking travel by Aug. 31 can receive $300 off the air-inclusive price or $125 off the cruise-only price of a 2009 Globus or Avalon Waterways cruise. Also new for 2009 is the 18-day China and Mongolia package that includes a four-night cruise on the Yangtze River. The vacation includes visits to the Yu Yuan Gardens in Shanghai, the Terracotta Warriors in Xian and Mongolia’s Gobi Desert (including a stay in a traditional ger). This vacation is priced from $5,709 cruise and land-only, including intra-tour flights.

For more information, call 800-221-0090 or visit www.globusfamilypartner.com  or www.avalonwaterways.com

Beyond The Great Wall

The Great Wall is a highlight of any visit to China. Stretching over 4,000 miles, from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, the Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the Mongolians and other invaders from the 6th century BC. Successive dynasties have all had a hand in repairing, re-building and preserving the wall, and Chairman Mao once claimed that ‘he who has not climbed the Great Wall of China is not a true man’.

To protect developing trade links with India and central Asia, the Great Wall was later extended westward along the Silk Road, which brought traders and their camels across the deserts in pursuit of great wealth.

Cox & Kings’ Silk Road Explorer tour traces one of these ancient trade routes, starting in Beijing and the Tang Dynasty capital of Xian, and travelling past the western extremities of the Great Wall to Dunhuang, an oasis town in the Gobi Desert. From here, visit Urumqi - the largest city in western China and the world’s farthest city from the sea – and see the spectacular scenery of Nanshan Pasture and visit a local Kazak family.

Next on the itinerary is Kashgar. A Silk Road trading centre for two millennia, Kashgar was once an important staging post and was home to many travellers and caravans. The Sunday bazaar is one of the world’s most exotic markets, with traders from Central Asia, Pakistan and India selling everything from paprika to handcrafted daggers.

From Kashgar, continue over the Silk Road’s fabled Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, through spectacular scenery and astounding landscapes as arid Chinese land gives way to mountain forests and lush steppe. In Kyrgyzstan, highlights include the Russian garrison settlement at Karakol; the picturesque Djety Ogyz valley; the world’s largest freshwater lake, Issyk-Kul; and the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

Follow the Silk Road on Cox & Kings’ 14-night group tour, from £2,531 per person including flights with British Airways, accommodation with most meals, transfers and all excursions.

Trans-Siberian Express With The Classic Traveller

The Classic Traveller (0800 988 5843, www.theclassictraveller.co.uk)  has introduced a holiday aboard the Trans-Siberian Express – the world’s longest rail service – to its extensive range of escorted tours. The 15-day odyssey from Moscow to Beijing costs from £2,699 per person, with a choice of five departure dates over the course of the summer.

The Trans-Siberian Express is a monumental feat of engineering that passes through some fascinating places and stunning natural scenery on this 8,000km journey from Moscow to Mongolia. After a city tour exploring the Russian capital’s many highlights (including Red Square, iconic St Basil’s Cathedral and the finest of the strangely palatial metro stations), the journey aboard the famous train begins, with guests enjoying exclusive use of a private rail carriage for the duration of the trip.

From Moscow, the train travels to the east through rolling countryside and seemingly endless birch forests before crossing the Ural Mountains to reach the city of Yekaterinberg, where a sightseeing tour reveals the spot where the Romanov family – the last of the Russian Tsars – was murdered in 1918. The route continues into Siberia and across the Siberian steppe to Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake that’s home to a unique species of freshwater seal. Here, the journey breaks for an overnight stay in a traditional Siberian guesthouse on the shores of this beautiful lake, fondly known as the ‘Pearl of Siberia’

Continuing through Asia, the train crosses the Mongolian Plateau and the Gobi – wide, open landscapes once terrorised by the infamous horsemen of Genghis Khan – to Ulaanbaatar, the world’s most remote capital city where traditional lifestyles meet the 21st Century in an intoxicating mix of old and new. After taking in the c