Jetsettersblog

This Half-Term With Sanctuary Retreats

Families can enjoy a luxury European break staying in one of Sanctuary Retreats’ spacious villas during the October school break, from where they can:

• go sailing, fishing and diving around the Croatian island of Vis
• learn how to make chocolate at a leading Italian chocolate school
• brush up on teeing off techniques at one of Spain’s most exclusive golf resorts

All of the following properties are available over half-term week, from 25th October – 1st November 2008.

Set sail around the hidden islands of Vis, Croatia
Vis is a contemporary two-storey villa set on the island of Vis that can only be accessed by boat, making it the perfect location to sail around the southern shores of Croatia. Sanctuary Retreats can arrange sailing excursions and sailing lessons for families of all ages, during which they can also enjoy diving and fishing for bluefin tuna fish in the Mediterranean Sea.

The property sleeps up to six guests in three en-suite bedrooms. Extra features of the villa include a satellite TV and CD system; spacious garden with a shaded outdoor dining terrace. Two bicycles are available at the property for families wishing to tour the island’s peaks on wheels.

During the October half-term it can be rented from £3,818 on a Tailor Made (villa only) basis.

Become a chocolate master at Il Fagiano, Italy
Il Fagiano is a beautifully restored Umbrian villa situated just 25km north of Perugia, where families can experience a half-day private course learning how to make chocolate at the region’s famous Perugina School of Chocolate. The day will consist of learning the history of chocolate and how it is produced, before experiencing making it first hand and taking it home to enjoy.

A former gatekeeper’s residence, Il Fagiano now boasts all the comforts of a modern home including an outdoor swimming pool, internet connection, DVD player with DVD library and MP3 speakers. The property sleeps eight people over four bedrooms. A double sofa bed is available for further two guests.

During the October half-term it can be rented from £3,055 on a Tailor Made (villa only) basis.

Learn to play golf at Altagracia, Andalucia
Situated close to some of Europe’s best golf courses, Sanctuary Retreats’ Altragracia makes a great venue to introduce the kids to a family game of golf. From here, Sanctuary Retreats can arrange for families to enjoy a half-day game of golf at the famous Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, which is conveniently located nearby to the villa.

The villa is set in Andalucia, one of Spain’s sunniest regions, and benefits from internet access, an iPod docking station and DVD/CD player. A chef is also available for parents wishing to enjoy a relaxing cooking free break. The villa sleeps up to ten adults and four children across six en-suite bedrooms.

During the October half-term it can be rented from £8,510 per week on a Tailor Made (villa only) basis.

About Sanctuary Retreats
Sanctuary Retreats’ villas form part of the Sanctuary Retreats portfolio, which also encompasses river and expedition cruises around the world, and lodges and camps in Africa.

Sanctuary Retreats offers many villas suitable for families, which can be equipped with high chairs, cots and buggies, DVDs, bicycles, toys and games to keep the children entertained. A private chef can also be provided to prepare family meals, giving mum or dad a night off too.

The luxury operator’s spacious villas are ideal for extended families and some Sanctuary Retreats villas offer self-contained nanny flats to accommodate those travelling with a family and to support their needs. The company can also provide extra touches, such as babysitting and pre-arrival grocery delivery services.

Booking information

Prices quoted above do not include flights or the suggested activities.

Villas are available on a Tailor Made (villa-only) basis or on a Sanctuary Hosted basis. The Sanctuary Hosted package offers guests an inclusive, but not intrusive, selection of extra services including an arrival supper, a welcome pack of toiletries and daily maid service amongst other touches.

To book or for more information on Sanctuary Retreats, please visit: www.sanctuaryretreats.com  or telephone: 01780 784 368.

With UK consumers cutting back on spending in almost every area of their lives, it might seem surprising that weddings abroad are on the increase, with the a huge increase in demand for Greek weddings. However, a wedding in Greece provides the perfect solution for many UK couples for a variety of reasons.

With the average UK wedding now costing in excess of £18,500*, couples are increasingly looking at alternatives. For example, for just over £2,500, couples can enjoy a Greek island wedding consisting of a memorable beach ceremony and 3-course reception for 20 guests on a terrazza overlooking the Ionian Sea. This price includes all the necessary extras such as champagne, photographer, flowers, wedding cake and arrival by horse and carriage. When you factor in the glorious Greek summer weather and the huge choice of scenic wedding venues including beaches, chapels, gardens, cruise boats and private islands, then a wedding in Greece seems like a dream come true.

Andreas Palikiras, Marketing Director of Ionian Weddings, the London-based Greek islands wedding specialists, describes how the company has witnessed a 60% increase in wedding bookings for the Greek islands in the last 6 months. “Initially, we were concerned that the credit crunch might adversely affect travel and weddings abroad,” he said, “but we soon noticed that couples were seeing more and more advantages of marrying in Greece”.

“Many couples, who had originally planned to marry in the UK, are now coming to us because they’ve witnessed yet another washout British summer, and the cost of a UK wedding spiral out of control. More and more husbands-and-wives-to-be choose to take advantage of the glorious Greek weather and warm hospitality and the prospect of marrying in a choice of beautiful outdoor locations for a fraction of the cost of a UK wedding”.

The Greek islands are a low-cost destination for holidays, meaning that couples’ friends and family can easily join them and enjoy a holiday at the same time – and the newlyweds get to spend more time with them in idyllic surroundings. Greece also benefits from simpler legal wedding paperwork than other European countries, and English is widely spoken.

Orient Lines has revamped its rate structure in response to the current financial crisis. The line’s owner, entrepreneur Wayne Heller, has launched a new Leadership Pricing initiative, with 11-day Europe cruises priced from $1,799 per person, based on double occupancy. “The economy is still in a very, very precarious place,” Heller said.

“This is the time for Orient Lines to take a leadership position in the industry and truly do something that helps consumers. Our new Leadership Pricing translates to savings of up to $5,000 per cabin off brochure rates.” Heller purchased the assets of Orient Lines and is resurrecting the destination specialty line. Under the new rate structure, two 11-day Mediterranean cruises are priced from $1,799 per person, double, reduced from $2,999. Two 16-day Baltic cruise-tours, which include an overnight hotel stay and sightseeing in Berlin, are priced from $2,999 per person, double, reduced from $4,649.

The 11-day Aegean Odyssey departs Port Said, Egypt, on April 29, and visits Cyprus, Rhodes, Antalya, Didim and Kusadasi and Istanbul.

Overnights are scheduled for Cairo and Istanbul. Black Sea Explorer is an 11-day roundtrip from Istanbul departing May 9. Ports of call include Trabzon, Turkey; Batumi, Georgia; Sochi, Russia; Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa, Ukraine; and Nessebar, Bulgaria.

The round-trip Istanbul voyage includes an overnight aboard ship before departure. The line’s 16-day Great Baltics I and II cruise-tours operate between Dover (London) and Szcezin, Poland, and include a one-night hotel stay and city tour in Berlin. The highlight of the cruise is three full days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ports of call include Amsterdam; Travemunde (Lubeck), Germany; Copenhagen; Stockholm; Helsinki; Tallinn, Estonia; and Riga, Latvia.

Savings are also offered on fall voyages. The Passage to Rio, departing Nov. 8, 2009, is a 20-day cruise from Barcelona to Rio de Janeiro, priced from $1,799 per person, double. Ports include Malaga and Cadiz (Seville) in Spain; Casablanca and Agadir, Morocco; Lanzarote, Canary Islands; Sao Vicente, Cape Verde Islands; and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. An overnight is scheduled aboard ship in Rio de Janeiro.

As part of Orient’s Leadership Pricing initiative, the number of air gateways has doubled to 40 in North America. Round-trip economy class air add-on fares to Europe are priced from $695 from the East Coast, $795 from the Midwest and $895 from the West Coast. The maiden voyage of the Marco Polo II is set for April 15. The classic 650-guest Marco Polo II features four open-seating dining venues, six bars, a show lounge, cinema, casino, library and Internet center, card room, fitness center, spa with indoor pool and outdoor swimming pool. Experts from the fields of academia, politics, science and the diplomatic corps will be featured on every voyage.

On longer voyages, gentleman hosts will be along to dance and dine with unescorted female travelers. For more information, call 800-333-7300 or visit www.orientlines.com

Europcar - Prius - final.docWorkers and residents in and around London can now escape the city whilst saving fuel, congestion charge costs and their conscience with the availability of the Toyota Prius from Europcar. The UK’s leading vehicle rental organisation is now offering the Prius, the world’s first and most successful hybrid power vehicle, from all of its London locations.

Driving pleasure, comfort and space haven’t been sacrificed to provide an eco-car. Instead the Prius combines style and superb handling with state of the art technology needed in these environmentally conscious times.

The fleet of vehicles are exempt from the London Congestion Charge and can be driven certain distances using electric power only at the press of a button. This means zero emissions, less noise and better fuel economy – perfect for city and country driving alike.

“The availability of the Prius provides customers with an opportunity to put the hybrid to the test following news that Toyota aims to sell at least 1 million hybrid vehicles annually in the early part of the next decade.” said Catriona Lougher, Marketing Director for Europcar.

“Renting a car with Europcar is already a green choice as all our vehicles are on average just 3 months old and fitted with the latest technology to cut emissions. The average CO2 emission of our fleet is 157 g/km compared to the UK car parc of 164.9 g/km*. However, by making the Prius available we are bringing our customers a new way to drive greener that will also help them cut costs in terms of fuel and congestion charges. It’s all part of our commitment to exploit new manufacturer developments to bring customers the latest models to hit the road and a great rental experience.”

*Source SMMT 2007 report.

Reservations Phone: 1-800-626-0126Website: www.amawaterways.com

From Holiday Options

Holiday Options has launched its 2009 ‘Mediterranean & Atlantic Islands’
brochure – featuring Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, Port Santo, Madeira, The
Azores, La Gomera and Cape Verde – and offering a wealth of new ideas and deals

There’s expansion in Corsica, with chambres d’hotes – often part of a family home - making their debut. An ideal way for visitors to experience rural life on the island, these village rooms are on offer in the Patrimonio and Porto Vecchio areas and are all inspected and licensed by local tourist boards.

Prices start at the twin share rate of £715 per person inclusive of return flights from Gatwick and half-board accommodation. Car hire can be arranged on request and flights are also available from Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Other additions in Corsica include villas with pools, new hotels – including a former Franciscan monastery in Calvi – and a ‘Great Scenic Rail Adventure’ travelling through the mountains from Bastia to Ajaccio.

Further new ideas in the 2009 programme include:

• Madeira – ‘The Family Experience’ with ‘soft’ adventure and whale watching
• The Azores – short breaks in Ponta Delgada and/or Furnas, plus two UNESCO World Heritage Hotels
• Cape Verde - direct flights from Birmingham to Sal, plus a family-run boutique-style guesthouse on Boa Vista
• Sicily – the island of Pantelleria, plus more three-star hotels in Taormina and Giardini Naxos
• Sardinia – new flight from Edinburgh to Olbia
• The Canaries – the introduction of Tenerife

Prices in the brochure, valid between November 2008 and October 2009, lead in at £399 per person for seven nights at the Hotel San Marco in Sardinia inclusive of return flights from Gatwick, transfers and accommodation with breakfast.

Early booking incentives, for reservations made by 30 April 2009, include savings of up to £800 per couple on 14-night holidays on selected dates at the four-star Relais and Chateaux Grand Hotel de Cala Rossa on Corsica.

ATOL-bonded Holiday Options also offers the option of flexible holiday durations from three nights upwards, utilising a choice of airlines including scheduled, low-cost, as well as their own charters.

Reservations: 0844 477 0452, www.holidayoptions.co.uk

In April 2008 the Mövenpick Resort & Thalasso Crete opened for business and the final part of its extension work has now also been completed: the holiday resort now features additional 59 exclusive bungalow rooms and suites as well as the “Peitho” restaurant for fine dining.

The elegant bungalow rooms, studios and suites all welcome guests with light colours, generous dimensions and a modern Mediterranean design concept.

All bungalows are not only equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including flat screen TVs, but command a unique view of the sea. Seven units even include a private pool. In addition, there is a separate swimming pool for the exclusive use of bungalow guests. Including the bungalow accommodation, Mövenpick Resort & Thalasso Crete now offers a total of 285 rooms and suites.

The fine dining restaurant “Peitho” which boasts a cosy terrace was also inaugurated recently. Its elegant furnishings and spectacular views of the Aegean Sea make for a romantic atmosphere. Grilled fish and exquisite meat dishes are prepared right in front of the guests in the open show kitchen.

 
All in all, three restaurants – the “Estia” with its comprehensive buffets, the “Taverna” with its Greek specialities, and the new “Peitho” fine dining restaurant – provide now a wealth of gastronomic possibilities.

“Our hotel is already very well established on Crete, and we are very pleased with our start here”, says Brigitte Rohling, General Manager Mövenpick Resort & Thalasso Crete.

 “With these latest additions, our guests will be able to enjoy wider choice and increased privacy.”

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, an upscale hotel management company with 12,000 employees, is represented through over 90 hotels existing or under construction in 26 countries with a concentration in its core markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The international hotel group with roots in Switzerland is expanding and has a stated objective of increasing its hotel portfolio to 100 by the year 2010. With two hotel types, business and conference hotels, as well as holiday resorts, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has clearly positioned itself in the upscale segment. The hotel group stands for uncompromising product and service quality and is owned by Mövenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%).

The Eurail Group is bringing out several special edition extended rail passes, offering free travel days good for travel throughout Europe in the spring. With fewer crowds, lower airfares and more availability in hotels, spring is a good time to travel to Europe.

Tourist attractions, such as museums and monuments, are less crowded and the weather is also pleasant. Eurail is launching a special off-peak promotion, offering free travel days on two of its products: the Eurail Select Pass and the Eurail Global Pass.

The Eurail Select Pass allows customers to choose three or more adjoining countries in which to travel, enabling a tailor-made rail pass. For those wishing to cover more ground, a Eurail Global Pass gives travelers access to 21 participating countries from January.

Customers buying a 15- or 21-day Eurail Global Pass will instead receive 21 days or one month, respectively. The Eurail Select Pass 3 Countries, valid for six or eight days within two months, now comes with an additional two travel days.

These passes go on sale worldwide (outside of Europe) from Oct. 1.

To be eligible for the additional travel days, passes must be purchased before the end of November. Travel can start as from March 1 and must be completed by May 31.

All Eurail Passes are available from Eurail’s network of authorized Sales Agents worldwide: ACP Rail International (www.eurail-acprail.com);

Eurail (www.Eurail.com); Flight Centre (www.flightcentre.com);

www.OctopusTravel.com;

Rail Europe (North America: www.raileurope.com,

rest of the world: www.raileurope.fr),

and STA Travel (www.statravel.com)

A 7-night cruise from Venice to the Greek Islands and back to Venice by way of Croatia, is selling through ecruising.travel from an amazingly low $699pp twin-share in November of next year.

And as well, children up to 18 years sharing a cabin with two adults will cruise free, paying only port charges.

There are just two departures available at this super-low price – November 16 and 23 2009 – on board the 102,000 tonne mega-liner Costa Fortuna, that will sail each cruise from Venice to Bari in Italy, the Greek ports of Katakolon, Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes, Dubrovnik in Croatia and back to Venice.

All dining in any of three restaurants, nightly showroom entertainment, late-release movies, and gratuities are included in the price.

Costa Fortuna has four pools, six Jacuzzis, a jogging track, tennis court, spa, gym and fitness centre, and there are eleven bars and lounges and a casino.

Full details on 1300 369 848 or www.ecruising.travel , who can also arrange best-possible-price air to join these cruises.

ADDITIONAL SHIP INFORMATION: Costa Fortuna’s design was inspired by the grand Italian steamships of yesteryear that once served the busy liner routes from Italy to America.

Models of many of these ships are incorporated into the décor of Costa Fortuna, while in the Main Lobby twenty-six such models alone depict the more recent history and growth of the Costa company.

Auto Europe has extended its free GPS rental offer in Europe with car rental services.

Travelers will receive a free Gamin Nova 270 or similar for the duration of their rental with routing maps of Western Europe and most of Eastern Europe with car rental services in Italy, France, Austria, Ireland, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Norway. In addition, Auto Europe is also offering this promotion with any Peugeot Open Europe lease of 17 days or longer and with any long term rental of 21 days or longer. The free GPS offer is valid with minimum seven-day car rental reservations booked now through Sept. 30. The offer applies in Italy, France, Austria, Spain and Norway with any intermediate car rental or larger for travel through Nov. 30.

The GPS offer is valid in Ireland and Switzerland for travel through Oct. 30. Germany is valid with any compact car rental or larger for travel now through Oct. 31. UK is valid with any intermediate car rental or larger for travel through Oct. 31.

Free GPS offer is valid on select Peugeot models with Auto Europe’s Peugeot Open Europe program for travel through Nov. 30, and with any car category booked for 21 days or longer for travel through Oct. 31. Free GPS rental validity dates exclude shipping and handling charge of $40. Optional insurance is available at $1 per day.

Offer is subject to change without notice. Additional restrictions apply.