Jetsettersblog

Funjet Vacations launched a Sunsational Sale with vacations starting from $239.99.

All destinations from all departure cities are on sale for bookings through Feb. 18 for travel Jan. 30 to Aug. 31.

Special hotel offers may include free nights, free value-added inclusions and free guaranteed room upgrades, in destinations like Cancun/Riviera Maya, Punta Cana, Jamaica, Puerto Vallarta, Hawaii, Las Vegas and Orlando.

In select destinations, Funjet Vacations is offering buy one get one free tours and excursions and 20 percent off National and Alamo car rentals.

Sample vacation package and pricing include: Cancun — Flamingo Cancun Resort, all-inclusive, three stars, suitable for families, three nights reduced from $799.99 to $499.99, kids stay, play and eat free; Riviera Maya — Gran Bahia Principe Coba, all-inclusive, four stars, suitable for romance, three nights reduced from $964.99 to $579.99 with honeymoon inclusions; Punta Cana — Iberostar Punta Cana, all-inclusive, four stars, suitable for families, three nights reduced from $799.99 to $529.99. Jamaica — Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa, all-inclusive, four stars, suitable for beach lovers, three nights reduced from $999.99 to $579.99; Oahu, Hawaii — Aston Waikiki Beach, three and a half stars, suitable for families, three nights reduced from $709.99 to $659.99, including two-for-one Luau and kids stay free; and Las Vegas — Circus Circus Hotel & Casino, three stars, suitable for active travelers, three nights reduced from $299.99 to $239.99.

Funjet Vacations Mexico and Caribbean hotel-only and air/hotel vacations include roundtrip/airport hotel transportation and in Cancun/Riviera Maya, Vallarta, Los Cabos, Jamaica or Punta Cana. Vacationers will receive a free “Experience More” Card with exclusive discounts and offers at participating retailers.

Funjet Vacations is the flagship brand of the family-owned Mark Travel Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee.

Funjet Vacations is celebrating 36 years of business in 2010.

Individual and group Funjet vacations are via nonstop charters and scheduled airlines to hundreds of destinations including Mexico, the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Hawaii, California, Florida and Europe.

Travelers can choose from air-inclusive, hotel-only or air-only vacations and add tours, attractions and shows to their vacation package for added value and convenience. For reservations click the Funjet banner above.

Launching a new South African Horse Safari for 2010 (6 weeks from £2,170 and 10 weeks from £3,370) and offering a huge variety of placements throughout the year, The Leap (www.theleap.co.uk  ) cater to all ages and requirements and are committed to providing life changing projects that equally benefit participants, local communities, wildlife and environment – whether you’re planning a gap year or looking for a holiday with a difference.

If you’ve always dreamt of galloping through the African bush and experiencing life at one of South Africa’s most renowned safari lodges, the new horse safari leap is guaranteed to delight. Based at Kwa Madwala, a private 4000 hectare game reserve situated between Swaziland and Mozambique just South of the Kruger National Park, the Manyatta safari lodge is beautifully built with elegant African touches and commanding views from a stunning hilltop location.

Leapers will help the park rangers, reserve grooms and will also volunteer in the local Swazi community.

Mornings will be spent escorting lodge guests out on horse safaris, learning the art of following game and helping with the horses and stable management.

Afternoon activities include reserve management, construction of viewing decks, assistance with the elephant back safari programme including riding the elephants and looking after their diet, enclosures and general welfare, participating in a course covering the basic skills of 4 x 4 driving and even microlighting over the reserve.

At the nearby children’s orphanage at Thembalethu School, a centre for victims of AIDS, leapers will teach and play with the children, painting murals, assisting with seedling projects and generating micro enterprises including making gifts from local materials.

If you have a little time on your hands, the horse safari leap at Kwa Madwala will allow you to experience life on a big five game reserve and to contribute to the ongoing sustainability of conserving this patch of African wilderness.

This truly is a safari experience with a difference.

For more information please visit www.theleap.co.uk

or call +44(0)1672 519922

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, Caribbean; January 27, 2010—

Now, adventurous women everywhere can experience a luxury vacation to the British Virgin Islands complete with rest, relaxation, excitement, and plenty of water recreation.

Adventure Women, Inc., a pioneer in active vacations for women over 30, is offering this Caribbean adventure vacation and private cruise, which includes luxurious accommodation on a hand-selected sailboat, the Cuan Law, on the world’s largest trimaran.

Guests stay in a private, en suite stateroom, and can experience the breathtaking tropical scenery, world-famous Caribbean skies, warm turquoise waters and its soft, white-sand beaches.

Also included are leisurely island explorations, beach-side barbeques, and gourmet international cuisine. Guests can choose their level of adventure: sea kayaking, sailing on a Hobie Cat, island hiking, or a little R&R on this one-of-a-kind sailboat. This luxury trip also includes all-inclusive, decadently-prepared gourmet meals. Dates: March 10-16th, 2010. Cost: $2995 ($600 Deposit).

www.adventurewomen.com

Cunard Line announced the Special Relationship speaker series. Guests sailing on select 2010 Queen Mary 2 trans-Atlantic crossings can attend lectures by ambassadors, statesmen, politicians, journalists, academics and broadcasters with a shared interest between the United States and United Kingdom, an association first referenced as a “special relationship” by Winston Churchill in 1946.

The program was developed in direct response to guests noting their interest in hearing about politics and contemporary issues while onboard.

Joining the April 15 crossing will be Iwan Morgan, professor of U.S. Studies and head of U.S. Programmes at the Institute for the Study of the Americas at the University of London.

The political scientist also has been published widely in various fields of modern U.S. political history and economy.

He is presently writing a book, “The Other Red Peril: Presidents and the Budget Deficit from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush,” which is due for publication later this year. Kenneth T. Walsh, chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, is scheduled to sail on the June 1 trans-Atlantic crossing. He has covered the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and, currently, Barack Obama.

Sailing aboard the June 25 crossing will be Jeffrey Weinberg, who has served each of the last seven U.S. presidents as a legislative attorney at the Office of Management and Budget. While onboard, Weinberg will lead discussions on the following topics: the first four months of the Obama administration, insights on the personal and institutional approaches of Presidents Nixon to George W. Bush, and tools that are available to the president to enhance his effectiveness.

The Special Relationship series is part of Cunard Insights, the enrichment program. In 2010, Cunard offers more choices of trans-Atlantic crossings, including classic six- and seven-day voyages between New York and Southampton, as well as seven-, eight- and nine-day crossings to Cherbourg, France, and Hamburg, Germany, between April and November.

This year Wales is the host nation of golf’s premier team event, the Ryder Cup, and several other events as well, such as the Hay Festival of Literature & Art, called the “Woodstock of the Mind” by Bill Clinton;

the venue for Wakestock, Europe’s largest wakeboard music festival;

and the Abergavenny Food Festival, noted by the Guardian as a “food festival so mystically lovely, so unspoiled and evanescent that it’s like a farmers’ market in Brigadoon.”

Wales is also home of the World Bog Snorkeling Championships.

The Ryder Cup Wales 2010 takes place Oct. 1 to 3 at the Celtic Manor Resort.

It is the first time in Ryder Cup history that the host resort created a course specifically for the event. Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten course and club house is designed to provide a supreme challenge to the world’s best players in match play conditions.

Ryder Cup packages are available and the course is open to the public for play.

For more information, visit www.rydercupwales2010.com  or www.golfasitshouldbe.com

Entering its 22nd year, The Hay Festival of Literature & Art, set for May 27 to June 6, offers a who’s who of the most acclaimed authors as well as philosophers, politicians, poets, actors and rockers. For more information, visit www.hayfestival.com

Abersoch on Cardigan Bay in North Wales hosts Wakestock, Europe’s largest wakeboard and music festival.

This year’s Wakestock Festival takes place from July 2 to 4.

For more information, visit www.wakestock.co.uk

Sept. 18 and 19 are the dates for the 12th annual Abergavenny Food Festival.

For more information, visit www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

The annual World Bog Snorkeling Championships is held on the last weekend in August. First held 25 years ago, this sport involves a race through a 60-yard peat bog.

Participants come from around the globe to don snorkels and flippers and see who can cut through the bog in record time.

Bog enthusiasts may also enjoy the Bog Snorkeling Triathalon and the World Mountainbike Bog Snorkeling Championships.

For more information, visit www.green-events.co.uk

For general destination information, including more events and happenings in 2010, visit www.travelwales.org

The 76-room Holiday Inn & Suites Surrey, in British Columbia, is a newly built 49,000-square-foot hotel accessible to Vancouver by highway and close to the U.S. border, Vancouver International Airport, Abbotsford International Airport, Ferry Terminals and the Trans Canada Highway.

The property is within walking distance of shops, restaurants, Fraser Downs Race Track & Casino and is just minutes from several businesses including Surrey School Board, Telus and International Paper Industries. Tourist attractions such as Downtown Vancouver, Historical Fort Langley and several golf courses are also a short drive from the hotel.

The hotel’s dining facility features the Holiday Inn Best-4-Breakfastâ menu, featuring signature items such as Cinnamon Supreme French Toast and Skillet Inspirations.

Kids 12 and younger eat free at Holiday Inn when ordering from the kids’ menu in the hotel restaurant and accompanied by a dining adult.

Room Service Right…On Time, also a standard at all Holiday Inn hotels, ensures that guests’ room service orders are accurate and delivered on time, every time. Guests can also enjoy the hotel’s lounge, which will offer a pub fare menu.

With more than 2,380 square feet of function space, the hotel will also be available for business meetings and banquets.

Standard Holiday Inn guestroom accommodations feature double queen or king-sized beds, deluxe suites with a mini kitchenette, a sitting area with a sofa bed and lounge chair, cable television, hairdryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board.

Guest beds are made using crisp, white bedding with pillows that come in two comfort levels: soft and firm. Bathrooms include a specially designed showerhead that offers superior pressure, as well as a signature shower curtain with curved rod and new amenities.

Guestrooms provide a work desk and ergonomic chair, data ports and in-room check-out capabilities. Complimentary high-speed Internet access and free wireless is also available. The Holiday Inn & Suites Surrey offers a variety of amenities such as an on-site fitness centre, indoor swimming pool and restaurant.

Three of Connoisseurs Scotland’s properties — the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Hebridean Island Cruises and the Boath House Hotel — are celebrating spring with a roster of special fares designed to highlight the best qualities of the season.

Those traveling by land can dine on the fresh cuisine at Boath House or stroll through the gardens of Edinburgh, close to the Sheraton, while guests seeking a different kind of holiday can take to the sea, where views of the Scottish landscape are seen from aboard the MV Hebridean Princess.

The five-star Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, in Edinburgh, is offering two packages to those visiting from April 2 to July 11.

The Spring Garden Weekend Break features free entry to two gardens accompanied by complimentary coffee or tea and homemade scones, and includes dinner, full Scottish breakfast, VAT, tea or coffee on arrival and early morning tea delivered to the room each day; fares start at £520 ($844) for two people for two nights, with single occupancy prices from £355 ($576).

Those visiting for two nights during the week can have dinner, full Scottish breakfast, VAT, tea or coffee on arrival and early morning tea delivered to the room each day for fares starting at £420 ($682) for two people; single occupancy is available for £290 ($471).

For reservations or more information, email grandedinburgh.sheraton@sheraton.com

Hebridean Island Cruises is offering a holiday at sea with their seven-night, roundtrip Scottish Temptations at Easter, departing Oban on April 1.

The cruise explores Mainland Scotland and Inner Hebrides, stopping in Loch Harport, home to the Talisker Distillery; Gairloch, with the Inverewe Gardens and Flowerdale Glen; and Colonsay, with the Colonsay House Gardens and scenic paths, among others.

The MV Hebridean Princess sets itself apart with a ratio of 49 guests to 38 crew members and 30 lavishly furnished cabins, in addition to the rare glimpses of remote and otherwise inaccessible landscapes afforded by their itineraries.

The package includes privately escorted tours; all meals; specially selected wines, spirits and champagnes on board; gratuities; and port and passenger taxes.

As a holiday bonus, Hebridean has taken 15 percent off the original prices, with reduced fares starting at £2,032 ($3,300) per person, double; additional savings are available for returning guests.

For more information, email info@hebridean.co.uk

Michelin-starred cuisine and lavish accommodations are par for the course at Boath House, a country house hotel located near Nairn.

Head Chef Charles Lockley, one of only three Scottish chefs with three AA rosettes in addition to a Michelin star, uses organic fruit and vegetables from the hotel’s own kitchen gardens, honey from their own bees and an eclectic wine list.

Guests visiting Sunday through Thursday can take advantage of the Midweek Break, which includes two nights dinner, bed and breakfast starting at £275 ($447) per person, double; fares for three nights are from £375 ($609). The Weekend Break, valid Friday through Sunday, also includes dinner, bed and breakfast; fares for two nights begin at £300 ($487) person double, with three nights starting at £430 ($698).

Both offers are valid until the end of April. For reservations or more information, email info@boath-house.com  For general information, visit www.luxuryscotland.co.uk

The annual Iceland Food and Fun Festival will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland, Feb. 24 to 28, 2010.

This year’s sponsors include Icelandair, Reykjavik Pure Energy, Icelandic Agriculture and Iceland Naturally along with 14 of the top chefs from around the world as they compete for the 2010 Food & Fun Chef of the Year award. Chefs from the U.S., Canada and Europe will be teamed up with the most prestigious Icelandic chefs and given the finest Icelandic ingredients to create their masterpieces.

Each team will prepare one lamb dish, one fish dish and one dessert.

These meals will be served at the finest participating restaurants across the city of Reykjavik until the grand judging.

To close the weekend’s festivities, a gala awards event will be held on Feb. 28 featuring a recap of Food and Fun 2010 and the top chefs of the year.

An international jury of 10, made up of chefs, journalists and industry people, will judge the competing dishes to give out four awards for 2010.

In addition to the grand prize of “Food and Fun Chef of Year,” prizes will also be awarded for the best fish dish, best meat dish, and best dessert.

While in Iceland, the chefs, guests and participants will enjoy all the fun Iceland has to offer as well. Riding snowmobiles, hiking glaciers, taking in the breathtaking sights along the Golden Circle Tour, and nightlife will all be on the menu.

For more information, call 877-I-FLY-ICE or visti www.icelandair.us

London’s Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel, launched their first Literati Book Club Event.

Taking the traditional book club idea one step further, Grosvenor House has collaborated with leading publishing house Hodder & Stoughton on the creation of Literati.

Rather than just bringing people together to discuss a book, Literati will host a regular stream of authors who will lead a discussion on their latest book with hotel and external residents.

The first event was a success, hosted by leading broadcast journalist Kate Adie who gave a presentation on her latest book, “Into Danger.”

The evening was a sell out and Grosvenor House is planning to make this a regular occurrence with a minimum of four Literati events taking place throughout the year.

The second Literati event is due to be held on April 13 hosted by author and radio presenter Libby Purves.

She will be discussing her latest novel, “Shadow Child.”

Other authors within the Hodder stable include John Humphrys, Alan Titchmarsh, Simon King, Peter Robinson, Gerald Seymour, David Mitchell and Jasper Fforde.

Literati events are open to hotel guests and non-residents, encouraging dialogue and informal networking within an unpressured environment.

For a minimal cost, which will include drinks, canapés and a copy of the author’s latest book, guests will have a chance to interact directly with some of the U.K.’s most prolific literary icons from crime writers to biographers.

General Manager Anthony Stewart-Moore said,

“Following the successful re-launch of Grosvenor House as a JW Marriott hotel, we challenged our team to create a new concept that supported our strategy of Cultural Authenticity.

“We believe this concept will succeed in engaging our guests beyond the confines of room service to encourage greater interaction.

“Our community relations are also important hence Literati will be open to anybody who is interested in the subject or author.”

For more information, call 011 44 (0) 207 499 6363

or visit www.londongrosvenorhouse.co.uk

Virgin Atlantic Airways has announced that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold and Silver Card members will now be able to receive additional benefits when flying on V Australia and Virgin Blue.

The airlines’ frequent flyer programs first joined forces in July last year when they launched an agreement which allowed Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club Members and V Australia’s Velocity Members to earn Velocity Points or Flying Club Miles on both V Australia and Virgin Atlantic flights.

In addition to earning miles and tier points, this new agreement will allow Virgin Atlantic’s Gold and Silver Card members to receive various benefits including priority check-in, priority baggage and lounge access for Gold Card members when traveling with V Australia and Virgin Blue.