Jetsettersblog

Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa

Brentwood Bay Lodge Ltd. is launching the sales of six new oceanfront condominium residences just steps away from its award-winning five-star boutique hotel, Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa.

The resort is located in the heart of Victoria’s wine-country on Vancouver Island, just 10 minutes from Victoria International Airport. The owners of the new OceanVillas will have direct access to the resort’s spa and fitness club and a private 40’ boat slip in its full-service marina.

Each of the six ultra-luxury OceanVillas will be 1850 square feet with two bedrooms plus den media room and a great room with designer finishes such as natural stone and hardwood floors. The West Coast contemporary design includes a gourmet kitchen and a double-sided fireplace on the large oceanfront balcony. “Lanai” style patio-doors fold completely open providing a seamless sense of inside- outside space with spectacular sunsets views over the Malahat Mountains and across the pristine Saanich Inlet.

The developer has committed to green building practices designing to “LEED for Homes” standards ensuring energy-efficient systems and environmental sustainability. Each OceanVilla will also include a private garage with a “green roof” with storage for bikes, golf clubs and kayaks.

Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa is Victoria’s only five-star oceanfront resort. The culinary and spa destination has 33 luxuriously appointed OceanSuites, an award-winning wine cellar, SeaGrille & Pub, spa with a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, executive conference facilities and Marina & Eco-Adventure Centre.

Set on a pristine inlet at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa is close to the scenic capital city of Victoria, BC offering recreational activities, heritage attractions, shopping, wineries and The Butchart Gardens. Ten minutes from Victoria International Airport and BC Ferries terminal, the resort has convenient access by land, air and sea.

Sales inquiries: Lisa Williams, Century 21, Royal Victoria Realty Ltd. Phone 250-514-1966 email lisa@lisawilliams.com  or go online to www.brentwoodbaylodge.com

WINVIAN’S 3-NIGHT HEALING PROGRAM

BEGINS AUG. 22 LITCHFIELD HILLS, CT,

Connecticut’s Winvian will host its first Journey to Renewal, a three-night wellness and spa retreat, Aug. 22-25.

The program begins with yoga and meditation on arrival night followed by two intensive days of restorative activities and pre-check-out yoga before Monday morning departure. Additional Journey to Renewal programs will take place in 2009 in late May and again in late August.

The rates start at $6,250 for three nights, including private cottage accommodations for two, all retreat activities, three meals daily, afternoon tea, all cocktails and spirits and in-cottage wet bars. Tax, service charges, wine and spa treatments are additional. Leading the three-day wellness journey will be Kristina Berano, BS, RYT, a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and member of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher Association as well as the Yoga Alliance. Kristina blends her Kripalu training with her background in Kundalini Maha Yoga.

She is a devoted disciple of Shri Anandi Ma, the spiritual leader of the path of Kundalini Maha Yoga. She received Shaktipat Initiation in July 2003 from her beloved Guru and has continued her trainings in this lineage. In her sessions she incorporates meditation, Pranayama techniques, overall lifestyle integration, the science of Sanskrit, as well as the ancient science of Vajra Panjar.

The daily early morning and afternoon activities will include yoga, walking meditations, and workshops focused on mind, body and spirit. “We’ve designed this weekend to be as physically and spiritually intensive as possible so that in just a few days our guests can truly feel they’ve left day-to-day concerns behind,” says Heather Smith, managing director of Winvian. Berano says that her work on behalf of guests is assisted by the resort’s setting in one of the most beautiful and pristine areas of New England, Litchfield Hills, as well as the privacy guests enjoy in individual cottage accommodations set amidst 113 acres of nature.

Between arranged activities guests will also have access to Winvian’s 5,000 square-foot spa highlighting two of the UKs most sought after specialists. Eve Lom is commissioned to lavish care on longing-to-be-loveliest faces. REN is assigned to pamper the body. Their respective UK-trained clinicians will receive guests in six treatment rooms including the Forty Winks Suite with a circular wood burning fireplace and another suite with an Ayoura Chromotherapy tub for multiple therapies, both ideal for couples.

While the senses are pampered through the retreat activities, on-premise Chef Chris Eddy, who trained under Alain Ducasse and Daniel Boulud, will embellish the overall experience with cuisine themed to mindful living. Standard nightly rates at Winvian are from $1,450 per night and include all meals (full breakfast, lunch, picnics, snacks, afternoon tea, dinner, after dinner petit-fours, in-cottage wet bars and carte blanche at all of the property’s 24-hour bars). Also included is a selection of on-site activities.

A 13% gratuity and 9% CT State tax will be added per night to the room rate. The entire property can be taken over for large destination gatherings (think over-the-top weddings and family reunions!) and rates are available upon request.

For additional information on Journey to Renewal or Winvian, please call (860) 567-9600 or visit www.winvian.com

 

G.A.P Adventures New Polar Expedition Ship

World leaders in adventure travel, G.A.P Adventures, has announced the purchase of a new ship, the M/S Expedition, and the relaunch of its polar expedition program, commencing on January 4, 2009.

World leaders in adventure travel, G.A.P Adventures, has announced the purchase of a new ship, the M/S Expedition, and the relaunch of its polar expedition program, commencing on January 4, 2009.

“We have been scouring the globe to find the ideal replacement ship for our polar expedition program,” said Bruce Poon Tip, CEO of G.A.P Adventures. “I am delighted to say that we have succeeded with our aim with the acquisition of a world class ship, M/S Expedition.

Built in Denmark in 1972, the ship has been operating in coastal waters around Scandinavia for 15 years.

The 105 metre long ship can accommodate 120 passengers and will undergo a multi-million dollar refurbishment and refit in order to offer travellers a unique and comfortable way of exploring the Polar Regions. This will include the installation of brand new cabins with ensuite bathrooms, a refurbishment of the dining room - large enough to accommodate all passengers in one sitting - the pub, lounge, gym and sauna.

Guests will have the choice of five categories of cabins ranging from triples to suites. Each cabin will be outside facing featuring either portholes or windows and the ship will boast multiple viewing areas, including a 360-degree observation deck for wildlife spotting.

M/S Expedition will be fitted with state-of-the-art stabilizers to ensure as smooth a passage as possible. With a top speed of 16 knots, passengers will be able to spend less time travelling from A to B and more time exploring the destination. The ship will also be outfitted with all the latest safety equipment including brand new covered lifeboats and a fast rescue boat from Norsafe.

An elite team of 10 expedition staff, consisting of expedition leaders, naturalists, historians, geologists and marine and avian biologists, will accompany every cruise in order to share their knowledge of the destination’s history, unique environment and wildlife.

The sail plan will include Antarctic and Arctic programs. Tours in Antarctica will cover the Falkland Islands and the South Shetland Islands. Following the end of the Antarctic season in March, M/S Expedition will head north toward the Arctic, stopping along the way for dedicated trips around the Azores and Great Britain. The ship will launch from Scotland, travelling via the Norwegian Fjords towards Spitsbergen to finish its polar program for the 2009 season.

“I would like to thank our travellers for their support while we searched for the right replacement ship and we look forward to welcoming them on board in January,” said Bruce Poon Tip. “M/S Expedition will offer the adventurous traveller a unique, comfortable, and rewarding way to visit the great wilderness that are the Polar Regions.”

M/S Expedition Technical Specifications:
Built: Helsingor Skibsvaerft, Denmark 1972
Ice class: Swedish/ Finnish 1B
Length: 105.23 metres (345 feet)
Breadth: 18.63 metres
Max Draft: 4.71 metres
Gross Tonnage: 6336 grt

For more information, please visit http://www.gapadventures.com/expedition

About G.A.P Adventures

G.A.P Adventures is a world leader in the adventure travel industry offering small group adventures on all seven continents and beyond to more than 70,000 global travelers annually. The award-winning trips, which focus on culture, nature and active travel, are ideal for those with a sense of adventure - people who want to leave the beaten path and authentically immerse themselves in a local culture or environment to experience the real world in a sustainable manner. Demonstrating its ongoing cultural, social and economic commitment to responsible tourism, G.A.P Adventures established the Planeterra Foundation, as a way the company and its passengers can give back to the communities visited. For more information, please visit http://www.gapadventures.com and http://www.planeterra.org  or click the Gap Banner above for special deals.

Intrepid Travel Canada Arctic Dog Sled Adventure

Inspired to find more offbeat adventures, Intrepid Travel’s new research and development division, The Travel Lab, announces its newest trip: the Canadian Arctic Dog Sled Adventure.

Traveling by dog team in the region north of the Arctic Circle, this Canada dog sled adventure tour offers an unmatched cultural experience and the opportunity to learn of the Inuit Eskimo lifestyle. This Canada adventure tour is for nature lovers, wildlife photography enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike. The traveler will be immersed in the Arctic and experience of the excitement of mushing on this remarkable dog sled adventure.

Adventurers will drive a dog sled guided by local Inuit Eskimo mushers, giving them an unparalleled opportunity to explore the magnificent ice and snow-locked landscape, including the region’s towering cliffs and gigantic icebergs. This Canada adventure tour is a chance to witness Arctic wildlife firsthand, including polar bear, seal, ptarmigan, and in late spring, the flurry of Arctic avian that fly north to nest. Adventure travelers on this Canada adventure tour can also try ice fishing Inuit-style for grouper, or for the famous Arctic Char in the inland lakes.

Adventurer travelers on Intrepid’s Canada Dog Sled Adventure will:

• Dogsled across Canada’s breathtaking Northwest Territories, pulled by 15 to 20 dogs

• Travel on historic trappers’ trails over snow and sea ice

• Spend nights in an igloo

• Visit an Anglican Cathedral and several galleries displaying and selling traditional Inuit crafts

• Explore the lakes to the north of the Great Slave Lake

Adventure travelers will experience this once in a lifetime opportunity to drive their own dog sled across the Canadian Arctic. Intrepid Travel’s Canada Arctic Dog Sled Adventure lasts for 9 days and costs $6,095. For more information about this opportunity visit: www.thetravellab.com/trips/tlcds

To learn more about Intrepid Travel’s Travel Lab and its new Antarctic adventures please visit: http://www.thetravellab.com

About Intrepid Travel

With over 19 years of experience, Intrepid Travel is one of the world’s leading small group adventure tour operators. Intrepid offers over 400 adventure itineraries in more than 90 destinations worldwide. Intrepid trips are designed to go off the beaten track, meet the locals and travel in an unconventional way, joining locals on their transport, in their markets and even in their homes. www.intrepidtravel.com

Bethel Inn Resort $2.99 Gas Guarantee

To alleviate the rising costs at the pump for summer vacationers, The Bethel Inn Resort in Maine is guaranteeing a gasoline price of $2.99 per gallon round trip to the resort from any departure point within 300 miles of the resort. At check-in, the staff will calculate the round trip mileage and miles per gallon of the guest’s vehicle. The difference between the current gasoline price at the guest’s last fill-up and the $2.99 guarantee will be credited towards the guest’s vacation. A minimum two-night stay is required. The gas guarantee is available for resort vacations from Father’s Day, June 15 through Labor Day, September 1, 2008. Reservations for the guarantee must be made during the three week period, June 13-July 4, 2008.

The Bethel Inn Resort located in a historic Maine village at the base of the White Mountains offers summer vacations for families, couples and groups that are some of the most affordable in Northern New England. Comparisons of vacation rates at similar resorts in coastal and mountain locations show a savings of anywhere from 32-37% on room rates, meals and activities.

A quick three-day, two night getaway for a couple includes two nights lodging, two full country breakfasts, two four course dinners, unlimited golf, use of all the resort amenities including the health club, outdoor pool and lake house with canoes and kayaks, resort fees and taxes from $170 per person per night.

Vacationers can save on the many no-fee recreational activities in the area like hiking in the White Mountains, nature walks to visit waterfalls or to take a dip in a mountain stream, rock hounding and gem mining at abandoned quarries (a favorite with kids), visiting the Bethel Historical Society and its guided walking tour of the historic district, and sampling a free piece of fudge at the Maine Line Products Store. The community hosts special events nearly every weekend and there are free music concerts on the common.

Information on The Bethel Inn Resort and Bethel Village can be found on line at www.bethelinn.com or by phoning 800-654-0125.

Toronto Upcoming Sporting Events

A special block of tickets to the August 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers is now on sale only through Tourism Toronto.

Sports fans can get in on the NFL action with packages including one night accommodation, breakfast for two and game tickets-all starting from $175 per person at www.torontotourism.com. Make it a powerhouse football weekend by catching the Toronto Argonauts on Aug. 15 as they play the rival Montreal Alouettes.

This summer Toronto also hosts the All Star spectacle as Major League Soccer (MLS) All Stars take on the West Ham United Football Club of the English Premier League.

Sports fans can book their July 24 seat at BMO Field with an MLS package from Tourism Toronto including one night accommodation, breakfast for two, game tickets and access to the sold-out MLS All-Star Official Player’s Party including two complimentary drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a limited edition commemorative keepsake, starting from $250 per person at www.torontotourism.com.

Additional summer sporting events taking place in Toronto include:

the Rogers Club, July 19 to 27; RBC Canadian Open, July 21 to 27;
Toronto Blue Jays Baseball, throughout the summer; and the Toronto Argonauts at the Rogers Centre on July 20, Aug. 1 and Aug. 18, 2008.

For more information, visit www.torontotourism.com

Holland America Cruises New Pan-Asian Restaurant

Holland America Line’s new Eurodam features a new Pan-Asian restaurant called Tamarind. The 144-seat restaurant will serve reservations-only lunch and dinner. The complimentary lunch menu will feature dim sum, an assortment of Asian dumplings and fusion sauces for dipping.

Soup and salad, as well as desserts-such as green tea tiramisu and mango sorbet-will also be included on the lunch menu.

For dinner, guests can order Asian-inspired cuisine off of the menu or choose Rijsttafel, a Dutch adaptation of the traditional Indonesia dinner. To complement the traditional offerings at Tamarind, Master Chef Rudi Sodamin has created Asian-inspired entrees.

The Silk Den, a new lounge adjacent to Tamarind, will overlook the magradome, offering guests a view of a new, poolside water feature. A full menu of Asian-themed specialty cocktails including Sakétinis will be served.

Dinner at Tamarind will cost $15 per person with the Rijsttafel costing $20 per person. Lunch is complimentary.

The 2,104-guest Eurodam was christened July 1 in Rotterdam with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, followed by a maiden voyage in the Baltic region.

The ship will offer its first trans-Atlantic cruise and sail Canada/New England in the fall, followed by Caribbean itineraries for the remainder of 2008.

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.

Hurtigruten Independent Vacations of Norway

Hurtigruten is offering travelers four Independent Vacations of 12, 13, 14 and 17 days that couple Norwegian Coastal Voyages with land and rail components, affording travelers a rich and rewarding picture of the “real” Norway. The 14-day “Scandinavian Tours Sampler” also includes two days in Reykjavik, Iceland.

These unescorted vacations provide independent travelers the chance to arrange their own dining and sightseeing experiences but at cruise tour prices, with fares ranging from $2,999 to $5,199 per person, double for those selecting cabins and $3,699 to $10,299 for suites. Fares include intra-country air; first or superior first-class hotel accommodations; Oslo and Bergen cards providing free and discounted admission on sights and attractions; train journeys; transfers; port charges; and three meals daily aboard ship. Departures are available year-round.

The centerpiece of each independent vacation is a seven-day northbound, six-day southbound or 12-day roundtrip cruise that sails along a 1,250-mile stretch of the stunningly scenic Norway coastline, indented with numerous fjords, with calls at 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes, above the Arctic Circle.

The cruise, described in Lonely Planet’s “Bluelist” as the “world’s most beautiful voyage,” features an eclectic array of ports, including Trondheim, one of the country’s oldest cities and a thriving university town; the Lofoten archipelago, with peaked mountains and villages filled with rust-red fishermen’s cabins; and Alesund, destroyed by fire in 1904 and completely rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style.

The packages also include significant sightseeing opportunities in Kirkenes, Bergen and Oslo, and a rail journey aboard the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen, traveling through spectacular, unspoiled fjord country.

Kirkenes, perched at the edge of Veranger Fjord, is home to Pasvik Nasjonal Park, where travelers can stand at the meeting point of Norway, Finland and Russia. In Bergen, founded in the 11th century, guests can explore the city’s waterfront, Bryggen, which has been designated a World Heritage site, and travel to Troldhaugen, the home of composer Edvard Grieg, now a museum.

Oslo, a city filled with hiking trails, forests and lakes, features dozens of attractions, including the Edvard Munch and Viking Ships museums, and Vigeland Park, with its life-size statues by the country’s renowned artists.

Hurtigruten is a world leader in exploration cruising, sailing to the remote destinations of Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic’s Spitsbergen.

For more information about the cruise and optional excursions, contact Hurtigruten at (800) 323-7436 or (212) 319-1300; fax (212) 319-1390;

for brochures, (800) 666-2374, 24 hours a day;

www.hurtigruten.us

See Both Sides of the Arctic with Peregrine

With the launch of its 2009-10 Polar programme, Peregrine is offering a ‘balanced’ experience of the High Arctic, with a new expedition voyage that explores both ‘sides’ of the northern wilderness, travelling from Iceland around the southern tip of Greenland to Canada. The company will be the only operator cruising in the wildlife-rich waters of Canada’s Baffin Island in 2009.

The 15-night Iceland, Greenland and Baffin Island Explorer voyage begins in Reykjavik, Iceland and crosses the Greenland Sea to follow the coast of Greenland south, stopping to visit remote Inuit villages, where brightly-painted houses are set against dramatic mountain-scapes and glaciers, or amid meadows of exquisite wildflowers. The aim of the voyage is to spend as much time off the ship as possible, visiting the locals, hiking in the tundra, cruising among icebergs in the Zodiac inflatable boats and wildlife watching: seals, whales and seabirds are prolific in the region.

Rounding the southern tip of Greenland, the voyage heads north to World Heritage-listed Disko Bay, where the Jacobshaven Glacier – the most active in the world – calves massive bergs into the bay that sometimes drift as far south as New York. The ship then crosses Baffin Bay, home of the Polar bear and massive seabird rookeries that cling to the sea cliffs.

The Iceland, Greenland and Baffin Island Explorer departs from Reykjavik on July 19, 2009 and costs from $9525 per person, twin share, in a Main Deck cabin. For an even more extensive exploration, the trip can be combined with the 13-night Spitsbergen, East Greenland & Iceland voyage for an extraordinary 24 nights.

The 14-night Svalbard in Depth voyage takes a leisurely pace to explore the Svalbard Archipelago to the north of Norway. The trip adds four days to the ‘regular’ itinerary to allow photographers and artists to have more time at each destination to capture the extraordinary beauty of the ice, tundra and the prolific wildlife including seals, seabirds and, of course, Polar bears.

Photographer John Rodsted will conduct workshops and lead excursions for photographers, drawing on his 25 years experience as a commercial photographer and photojournalist, and as a photo essayist working in some of the most challenging landscapes on earth. Lars Jonsson is a celebrated wildlife and landscape artist known for his ability to capture the life and atmosphere surrounding birds in their natural landscape. Both will lead workshops and discussions geared to suit all levels of experience.

The Svalbard in Depth voyage departs from Longyearbyen on June 22, 2009 and costs from $9640 per person, twin share, in a Main Deck cabin.

Rodsted will be joined by Brett Jarrett, acknowledged leading marine bird and mammal painter specialising in oil on canvas, to guide photographers and artists on a new Peregrine voyage at the opposite end of the world: a 24-night Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica voyage that again adds extra days to a ‘regular’ itinerary. This new trip has been developed in response to clients wanting to spend more time in the wildlife wonderland of the Falklands and South Georgia. These islands – some of the most remote on the planet – are inhabited by overwhelming numbers of penguins, seals and seabirds, which throng the beaches beneath massive mountain peaks in one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife displays.

The Technicolor scenes of these sub-Antarctic islands contrast with the stark, icy plateaus and glacier-backed bays of the Antarctic Peninsula, where a completely different – but equally prolific – collection of wildlife can be seen.

The 24-night Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica voyage departs from Ushuaia, Argentina, on November 6, 2009 and costs from $16580 per person in a Main Deck twin share cabin, cruise only, twin share.

All the voyages are aboard Peregrine’s 100-passenger expedition sister ships, the Peregrine Mariner and Peregrine Explorer, which are widely regarded as the best expedition ships operating in Polar waters.

For further information, contact your travel agent or Peregrine Travel Centre, call 1300 854 500, or visit www.peregrineadventures.com