Jetsettersblog

Trips in Central America offer unique opportunities to explore Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. Antigua’s Multi-Sport Adventure takes travelers through the ancient land shared by Mayan descendants and Spanish Conquistadors.

Volcanic peaks give way to flat valley floors, making this tour one of the most diverse and exciting terrain on the planet. Costa Rica’s Multi-Sport in Paradise Adventure challenges body and soul with exhilarating hiking, biking, rafting and canyoneering adventures in the Talamanca Mountains and on the Pacura River.

Experience “Pura Vida” in Costa Rica! Panama’s Ultimate Multi-Sport Aquatic Adventure combines mountain biking with sea kayaking, snorkeling and personalized rafting trips down the Chagres River. Whether on land or water this is the ultimate aqua themed multi-sport adventure! Trips are available throughout Winter and Spring 2009; prices begin at $1490 per person depending on trip.

www.escapeadventures.com

Sweet, a new lesbian travel company, has finalized an agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line to charter the 1,972-passenger Norwegian Spirit.

The Sweet Caribbean Cruise, Nov. 8-15, 2009, is the company’s first travel offering. The ship will depart from New Orleans and call on Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan and Cozumel. Sweet will offer a two-day, pre-departure package in New Orleans including city tours, voluntourism and ecotourism programs in conjunction with a local Katrina relief organization, as well as a kick-off celebration. Sweet is working with local agencies to leave each port better than they found it.

Projects will address local needs like education, wildlife and natural resource preservation, as well as helping with school construction or renovation, beach clean-ups, and wildlife habitat restoration.

In the evening, Sweet guests will enjoy entertainment by performers such as comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer, musical artist Jen Foster, comedian Erin Foley, and singer Edie Carey.

Additionally, Sweet is working with the country’s largest lesbian party promoter, Club Skirts, makers of The Dinah Shore Weekend, to host tea dances and parties onboard. Recently, Sweet introduced the Sweet 100 Rewards program. It gives early-booking guests VIP privileges, such as cocktail parties with entertainers and an express line at embarkation, regardless of which stateroom they purchase.

For more information, call 877-SWEET-30 or visit www.discoversweet.com

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).

The World, the only private residential community at sea, has announced its itinerary for 2009, which includes a stop in Seoul, South Korea, the ship’s first visit there.

The itinerary features several stops in the Caribbean, including Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; and Roseau, Dominica in January.

In February, The World’s ports will include its first visit New Orleans, as well as stops in Mexico and Central America, including Cozumel and Belize City. In March and April, the ship will visit Roatan, Honduras, Colombia, Nicaragua, and other South and Central American destinations.

The ship will spend the month of May in Mexico, where it will visit cities and towns like Huatulco Acapulco and Zihuatenejo.

The vessel will revisit North America and Canada in June and July, with stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo, among other cities. In August, the ship visit locations like Icy Strait Point, as well as a stop in Anchorage and a 13-day Bering Sea Expedition.

The ship will visit Russian and Japanese ports throughout September, including stops in Petropavlovsk and Vladivostok, Russia as well as Otaru, Aomori, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki, Japan. In October,

The World continues its journey southward to South Korea, China and Vietnam. In November, the ship will visit the Philippines and embark on a 23-day journey through Papua New Guinea. The World ends 2009 with a month-long visit in Australia.

Call 954-538-8400 or visit www.aboardtheworld.com

Abercrombie & Kent is offering early booking savings on 2009 Journeys to Latin America.

Clients who reserve January-March 2009 travel by Sept. 30 can save $350 per person single occupancy or $250 per person double occupancy. Clients can explore Machu Picchu in the company

of its resident archeologist, dance the night away in Buenos Aires during a private tango lesson, or encounter penguin in their natural habitat on Magdalena Island.

The offer does not apply to the Galápagos, Costa Rica, or extensions.

For more information, call 800-554-7016

 or visit www.abercrombiekent.com

Hilton HHonors, the loyalty program for the Hilton Family of Hotels, launched a new alliance with TACA, an airline serving more than 35 cities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

The collaboration allows HHonors members to Double Dip and earn HHonors points plus Taca Distancia miles for the same stay at more than 3,000 Hilton Family hotels worldwide.

The relationship also gives TACA members the opportunity to exchange their HHonors points for Distancia miles.

In addition to the ongoing offer of Points & Miles, HHonors members can earn double Distancia airline miles until Nov. 30, 2008 when they register online at

www.HiltonHHonors.com/TACAmiles

and Double Dip at any of almost 100 participating Hilton Family hotels.

There are a wide variety of participating hotels across Latin America, the Caribbean and North America. Hilton HHonors is the only lodging partner to offer Taca flyers Points and Distancia Miles for hotel stays plus No Blackout Dates for hotel rewards. Travelers can get more information on this relationship by visiting www.HiltonHHonors.com/TACAmiles.

To register for a free HHonors membership, visit www.HiltonHHonors.com

Cruise West announced two additional spring departures and six themed cruises to its 2008 and 2009 “Between Two Seas” itinerary.

Additionally, one enhanced and two new land tours are offered as add-ons. Guests may choose from two holiday cruises, two Pentax photography cruises or the option to travel in the company of a Panama Canal expert on two departures.

The nine-night “Between Two Seas” voyages sail on the 100-guest Pacific Explorer and visit the San Blas Islands and Portobelo and traverse the entire Panama Canal. Guests continue to Emberá Village in the Darién Jungle, Coiba National Park, Golfo Dulce, Caletas Beach and Manuel Antonio National Park. Costa Rican and Panamanian holiday activities and traditional cuisine complement the Dec. 20 departure.

Guests will ring in 2009 on the Dec. 29 New Year’s sailing with a New Year’s party including a midnight toast and late-night buffet. Guests on the two Pentax photography cruises, offered Dec. 2 and March 2, can attend onboard workshops with instruction by professional Pentax photographer Kerrick James.

A Panama Canal guru will share knowledge about the history and future expansion of the canal on the Dec. 11 and April 7 departures. The two new land tours include a two-night visit to Monteverde Cloud Forest or a four-night stay in Tortuguero National Park. Prices start at $3,799 per person, based on double occupancy.

Early-booking incentives of up to $175 per person are offered to those who pay in full by Sept. 5, 2008, for departures January through May 2009. Or, they can receive savings of $350 per person when booking the cruise and paying in full by March 27, 2009, for departures October through December 2009.

For more information, call 800-689-1783 or visit www.cruisewest.com

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.

Explorer Ventures announces “Ventures into the Reef,” a series of competitions in recognition of International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2008). They are inviting people to share their underwater adventures in celebration of the beauty and excitement that reefs provide. There are three categories in which people can participate; best underwater photo, best topside photo and best trip commentary.

To enter the Explorer Ventures “Ventures into the Reef” contests, participants need to fill out a simple entry form and submit their photo(s) and/or trip commentary electronically.

The competition is free. Photos must have been taken between August 31, 2007 and August 31, 2008 and the trip commentary must be from a trip taken within the same dates. The winning entries will be showcased online and will be included in a 2009 Explorer Ventures “Ventures into the Reef” calendar.

The winners of each competition will receive a $500 credit* towards a future trip on any Explorer Ventures boat in Australia or the Caribbean as well as five copies of the 2009 Explorer Ventures calendar.

There are prizes for the runners up as well. For entry forms and complete information, visit this website or email contest@explorerventures.com

*$500 credit can be used on Caribbean Explorer I, Caribbean Explorer II, Turks and Caicos Explorer II, or Nimrod Explorer.

The credit must be used before December 31, 2009, is non-transferable and cannot be substituted.

TACA will operate a new route between its hub in Peru and Guatemala. This new direct flight between the two destinations will be operated with aircraft from the Airbus fleet.

Aerolineas may move its operations to San Pedro Sula, in El Salvador

The cancelation of international flights in the Toncontin airport would leave Tegucigalpa isolated, which would affect tourism. The airports of San Pedro Sula and Comalapa in El Salvador would benefit the most from the closure of Toncontin.