Jetsettersblog

With the first signs of snow dusting the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, skiers and boarders the world over are chomping at the bit to hit the slopes. There’s a palpable sense of anticipation of the pending winter season with more excitement in the fresh alpine air, more buzz in the pedestrian village and more savvy visitors taking advantage of the simply amazing value with Whistler stay and ski packages. Don’t miss out!

Book a Whistler vacation package before November 15 and save up to 35 per cent on accommodation and lift tickets. Plus, families can save even more with the Kids Ski & Rent Free promotion, where kids 12 and under can ski and rent for free!
www.whistler.com  or 1.800.WHISTLER

Whistler Spa Escapes

Until October 31, 2008
Use your Visa card at select Whistler spas and be rewarded with big savings and special offers. Indulge with a relaxing massage, aromatherapy or rejuvenating facial and feel like the million dollar view surrounding you. Full details of offers and participating spas www.whistler.com/spa_escapes

Whistler Creekside Fashion and Lifestyle Market
Until November 14-16, 2008

This market highlights locally made, unique, original clothing and accessories, for men, women, kids and your pets. There is a diverse selection of products from High Fashion clothing, cool T-shirts and hoodies to skateboards, long boards, snowboards, jewelry, hats, belts, glass products, handmade cards, eco products and pet products. All products sold are made in British Columbia!
November 1, 2008

With the children’s Halloween costumes packed away for another year, next it’s time for the adults to play! The Rotary Club of Whistler presents an adult only costume and dance party, with live DJ, door prizes, raffles, silent auction and carnival games. Proceeds go to a number of deserving charities and rotary projects. The party will take place at TELUS Whistler Conference Centre; to buy tickets call 604.932.9598.

Cornucopia - Whistler’s Annual Celebration of Wine and Food
November 6 - 10, 2008

Last year the festival was extended to five days, paving the way for an expanded lineup of delectable wine and food grazing, tasting events, an exciting array of educational and entertaining culinary seminars and chef demonstrations, renowned after-parties, plus Cornucopia’s ever-popular signature tasting event, Crush! - ran on two evenings. The huge demand for Crush! tickets was evident with a sell-out event on Saturday and close to sold-out on Friday. Returning for the twelfth year, Cornucopia celebrates the good things in life and promises not to disappoint.

Two-night accommodation packages include a ticket to Cornucopia’s famous Crush! Gala Grand Tasting and start at just $189 CDN per person through 1.800.WHISTLER.
www.whistlercornucopia.com

ARTrageous
Thursday, November 6, 2008

Whistler’s original art party returns for its 13th year, as part of Cornucopia 2008. Featuring a showcase of emerging and established artists, ARTrageous is a blend of self-expression, interactive artwork and photography, dance, hot funk music, a little food, wine and silk.
www.whistlercornucopia.com  or www.whistlerartscouncil.com

Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains Official Opening Day
November 27, 2008

The day we’ve all been waiting for… Skiers and snowboarders are raring to go, anxious to hit the slopes and dreaming of the perfectly-groomed cruisers, powder-filled bowls and seemingly endless mountain terrain and alpine adventures.

The Whistler Blackcomb Snow Report is your source for snow, weather and operations information leading up to opening day. Any new snow updates or early opening possibilities can be obtained by calling 604.932.4211 or by checking out the website. Once Whistler Blackcomb opens, the Snow Report is updated five times a day providing guests the most accurate, up to date information about weather and snow conditions on the mountains.
www.whistlerblackcomb.com

PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Update
(Ongoing)

Construction is nearing completion on this world-record breaking gondola. Leading up to the grand opening, crews will be in the final stages of preparation. All 28 Sky Cabins are on the line and are being housed in the terminal buildings. Keep your eyes to the sky to see the cabins travelling across the valley.

newsletter and receive regular updates. www.whistlerblackcomb.com/peak2peak

Bizarre Bazaar
November 28 - 29, 2008
Whistler’s original artisan market, offering enough goodies, treats and treasures to complete everyone’s holiday shopping list. Featuring 100 artisans from the Sea to Sky Corridor, Lower Mainland and beyond, the 20th annual holiday fair boasts an array of ceramics, clothing, fine art, wood, glass, metal, jewelry, candles and aromatherapy products as well as Christmas decorations.
www.whistlerartscouncil.com

Feature Vacation Package

Book Early and Save
Book your Whistler vacation package before November 15 and save up to 35 per cent on accommodation and lift tickets. Plus, families can save even more with the Kids Ski & Rent Free promotion, where kids 12 and under can ski and rent for free!

www.whistler.com  or 1.800.WHISTLER

Coming soon….

Whistler Film Festival - December 3-7

PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola opening - December 12

Fire and Ice shows - special show December 12 to coincide with PEAK 2 PEAK opening, then every Sunday from December 21 to April 5, 2009

First Night - December 31

Celebration 2010 - the one-year countdown to the Winter Games - February 1-28, 2009

Baobab Expeditions
CONTACT: Richard Pfaeffli
TEL: 303 260 6489
: enquiries@baobabexpeditions.com
www.baobabexpeditions.com

DENVER, Colo.—Skiing season is approaching and Baobab Expeditions, a company that specializes in taking modern-day explorers on expeditions around the world, offers customized skiing and snowboarding vacations for winter sport enthusiasts of all skill levels. In addition to offering hassle-free trip planning with seamless high-end service, Baobab offers private multi-country winter sport journeys that can include private air transportation and luxury accommodation in destinations throughout Europe, Canada, and the US.

These ski expeditions take visitors to some of the most renowned winter sport destinations in Europe, Canada, and the US such as St. Anton, Lech Zürs, Kitzbühel, Chamonix, Megève, Alta Badia, Bormio, Cortina, Grindelwald, St. Moritz, Zermatt, Banff, Tremblant, Whistler, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Telluride, and Vail. Visitors can choose from a selection of notable luxury hotels while enjoying the distinctive après-ski cultures. Ideal snow, lots of sunshine, and an extensive selection of terrain make these vacations ideal for both beginners and expert skiers alike. People can also choose from a wide range of activities including ski-tours, parapenting, ski-doos, cross-country skiing, heliskiing, and sky diving. Baobab offers several different types of expeditions: Traditional, Multi-Resort, Guided, Specialist, and Eco-Camp.

Traditional

Seasoned skiers and snowboarders are always on the lookout for new and undiscovered terrain, and the traditional trips give them the opportunity to discover everything from extreme vertical powder, or gentle rolling slopes. Whatever the ability level, there is a traditional ski holiday available.

Multi-Resort

Baobab’s expert guides escort skiers from resort to resort by plane, helicopter, train, or 4×4 people carriers. This option is ideal for vacationers who crave the diversity of visiting several world-renowned ski destinations in a period of a week or two. Baobab ensures that transfers are as comfortable and as speedy as possible, so that visitors can spend more time on the slopes.

Guided

This option insures that an expert guide goes along for the ride to make skiers as comfortable as possible. Not only are the experts on the snow with specific knowledge about skiing in the destinations, but they can tell travelers where to go, eat, sleep, sightsee, and they will even help with equipment rentals.

Specialist

More travelers are looking to fulfill dreams and experience the remoteness and beauty of the mountains; coupled with the thrill of carving out original tracks across fresh, virgin expanses of mountainside. Baobab offers exhilarating heliskiing, freeride/backcountry, ski touring, or snowshoeing expeditions. There is nothing more exciting than pushing past personal boundaries.

Eco-Camp

Winner of the 2005 Responsible Tourism Awards for Innovation, the eco-camp Whitepod is not just another hotel, but an unforgettable mountain experience. These distinctive pods are pitched around a central chalet, offering all of the services of a hotel in an unprecedented atmosphere. Far from the crowds and boasting the highest standard of style, comfort, and service, Whitepod offers a truly unique accommodation experience. Inspired by the desire to create a haven of beauty and tranquillity, Whitepod is ideal for those seeking to restore tired bodies and jaded spirits. Dine on delicious, yet traditional foods carefully prepared by the resident chef; playfully engage in the myriad activities on offer with the experienced guides; luxuriate to a deep tissue massage at the on-site Spa; and rejuvenate with a peaceful night’s sleep in your very own white pod.

For more information about Baobab Expeditions ski vacations, visit the website at www.baobabexpeditions,com  or contact Richard Pfaeffli at 303 260 6489.

This surreal adventure is Whistler, Canada, where fairy tales come true for the romantic and the ski-fanatic alike and where children can catch the ski-bug in one of the best children’s programs on the planet. It’s not hard to see why this resort has continuously been ranked the number one ski and snowboarding destination in North America.

“The number one rankings that Whistler Blackcomb consistently rback ski receives illustrates the variety and breadth of experiences available on and off the mountain,” said Dave Brownlie, Chief Operating Officer and President of Whistler Blackcomb. “We clearly have something for everyone on a world-class scale.”

Arlene Schieven, Vice President of Marketing for Tourism Whistler, agrees: “The combination of fantastic snow conditions, unbelievable range of ski terrain and mountain activities, fine hotels, dining and shopping makes Whistler hard to ignore amongst the top-ranked ski resorts of the world.”

On a typical winter blue-sky powder day, Whistler runs seem to go all the way to the horizon. Its 8,171 acres of ride-able terrain between the resort’s two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, includes more than200 runs, 33 lifts and 25 ski and snowboarding schools. This equates to on-tap snowy action for everyone!

When you travel to Whistler to make the most of the Canadian winter,the rest of the world falls away. Blazing through the forests of enormous Western Hemlocks and Cedars on a dog sled pulled by Alaskan Huskies, your mind and soul become enchanted by this spectacular world and you won’t want to leave. The longer you stay, the more you discover: Cat skiing, heli-skiing, the tube park, bungee jumping, eagle viewing, snow mobiling – and that’s just for starters.

We call it the Whistler.. ahem.. snowball effect!

www.whistlerblackcomb.com
www.tourismwhistler.com

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Visitors to Jasper and Marmot Basin come back year after year. With no waiting in lift lines, skiers have room to breath and a lot more time on the slopes. But don’t kid yourself, Jasper National Park is not just for relaxed, amateur skiers. Prefer your runs steep, high up in the alpine bowls where you can cut through the pine forests? This is the place to be. Mount Basin includes four different sections with 84 spacious trails to explore. Only 20 minutes from the town of Jasper, Marmot Basin offers 915 vertical metres of superb skiing and snowboarding.

Jasper National Park is one place where large wildlife will always outnumber humans. The deep valleys are home to the elk, mountain goat, grizzly bear, beaver, wolverine and mountain lion. If you’re lucky enough to return during the summer months, you’re bound to meet the furry white rodent, known as the Marmot, for whom this famous area is named.

www.skimarmot.com

WINTER WONDERLAND

It starts from Vancouver with VIA Rail’s Canada’s infamous Snow Train to Jasper. This is the ultimate way to see as much of the stunning Canadian Rockies as possible. The fully-domed viewing cars offer 360 degree views of western Canada’s winter wonderland. Take it all in and you’ll really be in the mood by the time the train pulls in to Jasper station.

“When you’re travelling to one of the most pristine ski destinations,right here in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, VIA’s Snow Train to Jasper lets you relax,” said Steve Del Bosco, VIA’s chief customer officer. “It’s about sharing some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet with visitors to Canada and making it all easier, safer and more fun.”

Forget plastic trees and glass baubles. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is nestled among 900 acres of sparkling snowy wilderness adorned with nature’s own tinsel, ice snow crystals twinkling on thousands of real Christmas trees. Coming from Australia, the scene is utterly surreal. You feel like you’ve stepped into a painting that’s too gorgeous to be real. The cedar chalets and rustic lodges dotted along the shores of the emerald Lac Beauvert create the quintessential winter wonderland.

Experience an authentic festive Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, then doze by a crackling fire and watch the snow drift across the window. When the turkey settles and the sun sets, join one the night time skating party, with hot chocolate, a bonfire, music and light shows on the frozen lake. Wake up late on Boxing Day and warm up with a snowshoe stroll around the trails of the property or take a ride the old fashioned way, on a horse-drawn sleigh adorned with jingle bells. Treat yourself to one of the resort’s luxury spa treatments or book in for an intrepid tour beneath the surface of the Maligne River and check out the incredible ice formations in the frozen canyon.

At the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, it feels like all your Christmases have come at once. Ho Ho Ho!

www.fairmont.com/jasper

Overlooking the incredible Purcell and Rocky Mountain ranges, the Big Mountain Centre provides single day, three day and five day camps for intermediate to expert riders who are seeking an adventure not typically found in resort programs. With the best ‘off the lift’ steep sand chutes in North America, this is the ideal destination for such a project.

“It’s a concept that covers etiquette, terrain management, exposure to avalanche knowledge and guided use of big mountain skis and boards,”said Trevor Gavura, program director.

Kicking Horse Mountain prides itself on being a cross-country skiing specialist. Make the most of 25 kilometres of groomed classic trackset trails and 15 kilometres of skate skiing trails. Gently rolling beginner loops, along with the more challenging trails will take you to a cozy warming hut with a wood-burning stove. Thaw out and take a load off before hitting the 2750 acres of ski-able winter glory again!

Kicking Horse Mountain has it all – 106 runs, 70 chutes, luxury mountain top dining, snowmobile tours, ice-skating, snow-shoeing, heli-skiing and tubing for the littlies!

www.kickinghorseresort.com

Rave reviews followed the 2008 / 2009 ski season at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. “Heli, cat and lift skiing all available straight from the village? It’s all here. Nowhere else has what Revelstoke Mountain Resort has to offer,” said Don Simpson, the Resort’s most passionate investor.

Not only that, the Resort now boasts North America’s longest lift-serviced vertical descent, at 1713 metres. Climb aboard this 8-person Revelation gondola, wind your way up beautiful Mount Mackenzie and drink in the view across Columbia Valley, with its snow coated mountain ranges spreading before you like mounds of vanilla ice cream of gigantic proportions.

The pedestrian-only Village has a dynamic social scene, with a spectacular mountain backdrop. The shopping, restaurants and cafes will lure you down from the mountain and have you coming back year after year.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort is an all-encompassing resort community. Whether you’re a skiing novice or a mad heli-skiing powder junkie,you’re in for a one-of-a-kind snow show. Cat skiing takes you far into the legendary Selkirk Mountains where you’ll find yourself waist-deep in snow as you look down on the Columbia River. If you can’t resist the thrill of heli-skiing, welcome to what is undisputedly one of the world’s best heli-skiing areas. How does 500,000 acres of shiny white terrain sound? Not to mention glaciers, open bowls and the deepest of powder.

It’ll blow your mind.

www.revelstokemountainresort.com

Edmonton Ghost Tours, in Edmonton, Alberta, is preparing its annual haunted walking tours throughout the streets and alleys of Old Strathcona 30, 2008.

On Edmonton Ghost Tours’ one-hour walking tour, animated storyteller guides will entertain unearthly tales of the vengefully deceased throughout the neighborhood’s most haunted areas and buildings. Celebrating its sixth year, Edmonton Ghost Tours will be held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights starting at 7 p.m.  to 30, 2008.

Tickets are available for just $5 per person and private bookings for groups are also available. Adventurers meet in front of the rescuer statue, next to the Waterdale Playhouse in Old Strathcona on 83rd Avenue. There is no need to book in advance.

For more information, visit www.edmontonghosttours.com.

For more information on the destination, call 800-ALBERTA or visit www.travelalberta.com

Designed for the world’s most passionate powder skiers and snowboarders

GOLDEN, British Columbia – Rivaling the luxury of chartering a spaceship to the moon, buying a personal robot or a fire engine red Ferrari, is a season ski pass worthy of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalogue. For $100,000, passionate skiers and snowboarders can purchase a pass that provides season long access to the world’s most expensive powder experience. The Platinum Heli-Skiing Season Pass, just launched by Great Canadian Heli-Skiing (GCH), offers skiing aficionados unlimited vertical access to the best powder skiing in the world.

This winter season, owners of the pass will have the luxury to choose to ski every day in the heart of the world’s premiere heli-skiing belt, British Columbia’s Interior Mountains. Passholders will have a personal powder concierge to keep them up-to-date with conditions and forecasts, and to assist in the pursuit of a perfect powder day – the choice is whether to heli-ski everyday or only on select days. For the entire heli-skiing season, December 26 to March 28, and even during the sold out peak season of February, this exclusive ski pass surpasses all heli-skiing bookings and guarantees a seat on one of GCH’s powerful A-Star B2 Helicopters every day.

Sounds good but you can’t spend everyday heli-skiing this winter? Or maybe looking for something a little more affordable? Then you might be interested in a Bronze, Silver or Gold Season Pass, ranging from $13,000 for eight days to $70,000 for 48 days.

 These passes also allow you to book last minute and offer the flexibility of shorter duration trips but multiple visits during the same season. Each Season Pass will offer additional perks when booking rooms as well as “front of the line service” on repeat visits. GCH also offers two- to six- day heli-ski tour packages, ranging from $2,786 to $10,309. All packages include the most unlimited guaranteed vertical access and smallest groups in the heli-skiing industry – an unheard of 4:1 guest to guide ratio.

“The Platimum Heli Season Pass was designed for our more serious skier who felt a single heli-skiing holiday was simply not enough,” said Greg Porter proprietor of Great Canadian Heli-Skiing. “This unique pass will make multiple heli-skiing holidays simpler for international visitors and single-day trips an option for locals and Albertan skiers.”

Group/Corporate Heli-Skiing Season Passes are also available for companies, friends and families. Whether a family of four, a group of eight college buddies, or a successful company showing its appreciation to its clients and employees, a Group/Corporate Heli-Skiing Season Pass will offer some of the most memorable moments that the ski tradition can offer.

So what kind of skier would buy the Platinum Pass? “An international man of leisure” jokes Porter. “A Heli-Skiing Season Pass is a lifestyle; it defines and expresses who we are. There are only an elite few for whom the Platinum Season Pass could be reality, however we have already sold Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Corporate/Group Season Passes, and Silver and Bronze Personal Season Passes this season.”

For more information on the new Platinum Season Heli-Skiing Pass or other season passes, call 866-424-4354 or visit www.canadianheli-skiing.com.

Great Canadian Heli-Skiing is located between Golden and Revelstoke BC in the heart of the world’s heli-skiing belt. The company offers helicopter assisted guided skiing in the wilderness mountains of the Purcell and Selkirk Ranges.

 In 1988 Great Canadian Heli-Skiing pioneered small group heli-skiing and honors this tradition of service to this day with innovative offerings of unlimited vertical and season passes. Great Canadian Heli-Skiing and its guests are truly one of a kind.

Due to the popularity of the unique Northern Fijian Dateline Cruise, Captain Cook Cruises has added an extra departure date to the schedule for 2009, bringing total scheduled departures to eight.

The new 2009 departure dates are: 31March, 05 May, 02 June, 30 June, 04 August, 01September, 06 October and 03 November.

The seven night Northern Fijian Dateline Cruise is an amazing cruise that reveals the unique history, art and culture of the Northern Fiji Islands and allows passengers the ultimate experience of standing’ on the International Dateline.

Developed after months of extensive research and searching for secluded and exclusive locations, passengers are taken beyond the Yasawa Islands to very remote and exotic tropical Fijian islands.

Day trips include the historic island of Ovalau which still features 19th Century colonial architecture and waterfront promenades from colonial rule, the Bouma Waterfall lagoon on Taveuni Island, the extinct volcanic crater, hot springs and thriving markets on Savusavu, a special children’s choral church service at Waiyevo and of course the 180th Meridian – the arbitrary Dateline between today and tomorrow on Taveuni Island.

There is plenty of swimming, snorkelling and diving off picturesque islands including Tivua, Nanuyakoto, Savusavu Bay, Nananu-I-ra and Sali Sali Island.
One of the most endearing features of this cruise is the generous welcome from Fijian village locals living on islands rarely visited by tourists. Passengers will be given the extraordinary opportunity to experience village life and partake in a kava ceremony, enjoy a traditional ‘lovo” (earth oven) feast and dance to the drum of the meke (dance).

Early Booking Saver (EBS) fares start from just $1995.00 per person twin share and the cruise departs Denarau Marina at 2.00pm.

Price includes shipboard accommodation, all meals, guided village and island tours, glass bottom boat excursions, on board entertainment and use of the ship’s facilities including a swimming pool, spa, sauna, sun deck, cocktail bar and much more.