Jetsettersblog

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.

Religious Travel Year of Faith Tourism

The World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) designated 2009 as The Year of Faith Tourism.

The year-long celebrations and activities will: Highlight the New Era of Faith Tourism; Increase the awareness of the personal and communal benefits of Faith Tourism;

and contribute to the overall growth and health of the global economy, travel industry, and individual travel providers.

The official host of The Year of Faith Tourism is the World Religious Travel Association, the leading organization dedicated to the $18 billion faith-based travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.

As part of its kick-off for The Year of Faith Tourism, the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) is hosting this fall the World Religious Travel Expo & Educational Conference in Orlando from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2008.

To learn more about The Year of Faith Tourism, visit the official website at www.faithtourism2009.com.

For more information about the World Religious Travel Association or the World Religious Travel Expo, call 800-657-1288 or visit www.religioustravelassociation.com

and www.religioustravelexpo.com

Visas not necessary in Ecuador

The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, ordered that starting this month, visas will not be required for citizens of any nationality who intend to enter Ecuador for tourism and stay for a period of 90 days.

Avenida de los Volcanes implements tourism road signs

The municipalities of Ruminahui, Mejia and the metropolitan district of Quito form a territory with several touristic alternatives for activities such as mountaineering, hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, camping, photography and educational activities, as well as services offered by the local population.

Cruise ‘Le Diamant Falklandss, South Georgia, Antarctic

Book by 31 August 2008 to receive special pricing of Euros 3660.00 plus euro 100 onboard credit per cabin.

Get carried away by the sound of waves and let your mind wander. Lean on the rail and ponder the immensity of the ocean. Dream away - you have time for that aboard Le Diamant.

On board Le Diamant, there is always a choice of menus with carefully selected high quality items prepared for you by an experienced staff who maintain the highest standards afloat. The atmosphere on board allows the guest to rediscover the value of time You will love the spacious cabins, some with private balcony and others with panoramic sea view.113 air conditioned cabins and suites range from 17 to 37 m2. All have seaview, 10 have private balcony, and each has a double or twin beds, private bathroom with bathtub or shower, bathrobes, minibar, flat screen satellite tv, radio with music channels, DVD player and telephone.

In the Main lounge, you will enjoy entertainments and lectures .

If you prefer a more intimate style, enjoy the calm of the library, the conviviality of the smaller lounges, or relax in the Observation Lounge with its panoramic views.

For relaxation, a small fitness room, pool, massage room and hairdresser are available.

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.

Go To Hell With Cheap Flights

Fancy a stroll down a winding boardwalk in Hell? Or perhaps a farming trek in Tittybong culminating with a Moronic trip to Argentina? If this sounds like your cup of traveller’s tea then grab your Batmobile and take note of these unusual destinations.

Cheapflights.co.uk, the UK’s leading flight price comparison website, offers the intrepid traveller an off the beaten track itinerary of oddly named places to visit.

Na na na na na BATMAN

Our first stop begins with a Batmobile ride through Batman. And no, we’re not talking about the movie. Batman is a real life city, located in the southeast province of Batman in Turkey. This famous oil-producing metropolis rests along the Batman River thus deriving its name from its geographical location.

Tourist attractions in Batman stretch beyond the norm that city life has to offer. An archaeological wonderland steeped in history, Batman is home to a wealth of ornate mosques, Islamic tombs and cave churches. Among its most renowned touristy hotspots is the Imam Abdallah Dervish monastery and the bridges of Camiu’r Rizk and Hasankeyf.

Batman can be reached by flying via Istanbul and taking the train to the railway station in the nearby town of Kurtalan. Flight prices to Istanbul start from £129. To search and compare flights and other information for your getaway, grab hold of a Robin and search

Visit this link.

To Hell and back

Who would have thought it; that Hell could be synonymous with the paradise that is the Cayman Islands? Firing up the West Bay area of Grand Cayman rests the ironically peaceful destination known as Hell. The unique site comprises ancient black limestone rock formations, creating a haunting landscape that to some, is reminiscent of hell. However, this particular Hell is actually buzzing with visitors, as it is an enormously popular stop for cruise ships. Travellers are invited to explore its hellish features by taking a stroll on its winding boardwalk.

Mementos from Hell include a Satan look-a-like passing out souvenirs and a hell themed post office where travellers can literally send “postcards from hell.”* Should you fancy a visit, getting to Hell is easy, simply fly to Grand Cayman and make your way there by car. Flight prices to Grand Cayman start from £649. So the next time someone tells you to “go to hell”, why not take it literally and visit  to search and compare flights and other information for your journey to Grand Cayman.

Visit this link.

Next stop – Tittybong

Venture over to Australia’s southeastern locale, and you’ll stumble across the oddball town known as Tittybong.

Nestled away in the state of Victoria, Tittybong is a small farming town located 313 kilometres from Melbourne Airport. Although its name inspires tantalising thoughts of thrilling nights out – take heed as this laid back town doesn’t offer much in the way of nightlife. However, if trekking, farm life and just general adventure to untapped destinations are your thing, then Tittybong is the place for you. Getting there involves a flight to Melbourne Airport followed by a four-hour car journey. Flight prices to Melbourne start from £635. To search and compare flights and additional information on Melbourne, visit

Visit this link.

Morón, Argentina

You don’t have to be a genius to know that holidaying in Argentina can be a wonderful experience, but a trip to Morón in the country’s capital, Buenos Aires, is suitable for anyone with at least half a brain.

Similarly to most cities within its host country, this vibrant metropolis offers travellers plenty of things to see and do. Its most notable attractions include the Cathedral of Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje and the National Aeronautics Museum of the Argentine Air Force – two monumental tributes to history and exquisite architecture.

Morón is also home to the Universidad de Morón, however we don’t hold very high hopes for the future of its graduates.

Morón can be reached by flying to Buenos Aires where travellers can either catch a bus or the Train Buenos Aires to continue onto Morón**. Flight prices to Buenos Aires start from £568. To search and compare flights and additional information for your moronic journey, visit this link.

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

SERRA VERDE EXPRESS CURITIBA TO PARANAGUÁ

If you enjoy traveling by train and to be in contact with nature, from Curitiba (Capital of the State of Paraná) you can make a fantastic train trip, starting at the heights of the Paraná plateau, going down through the Atlantic Rainforest to the picturesque colonial town of Morretes, with the possibility to go as far as to the port city of Paranaguá. There are two trains departing on a daily basis from Curitiba: at 8 a.m. the regular train and at 9 a.m. the tourist train (equipped with air conditioning).

The train arrives in Morretes by lunch time. Tip: in one of the typical restaurants lining the river that runs through the town, try “BARREADO” (traditional local dish of beef stewed in a sealed clay pot for 24 hours). Be ready for a feast…

If you must, the train returning to Curitiba leaves at 3:00pm. However, having time, stay overnight in one of the “pousadas” (inns) of Morretes. Linger the evening and savor the charm of the town and the riverside walk, the local live music and some of friendliest people you’ll ever hope to meet. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, this region offers eco-tourism options: many trails (easy as well as mountainous), waterfalls, rivers and spectacular flora and fauna in and around the rainforest of Marumbi State Park.

If you go further (by train) to Paranaguá, from there you can catch a ferry to Ilha do Mel (Honey Island), one of the sweetest eco-paradise islands of the South coast of Brazil.

Operated by Serra Verde Express, the whole train trip (Curitiba to Paranaguá) takes a total of 4 hours (110 km), crossing 13 tunnels (through granite) and 67 bridges. The journey owes its appeal to the engineering feats accomplished in the construction of the railway (1885) as well as to the natural beauty and cultural attractions along its path.

According to “Lonely Planet”, the train trip from Curitiba to Paranaguá as a must see in Brazil!

TAM EXTRA FLIGHTS TO BUENOS AIRES

Until August 10th, TAM will temporally offer extra flights from Recife, Porto Seguro, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires. TAM operates presently 49 weekly flights to Buenos Aires, with departures from Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo. With the new announced flights, there will be a total of 56 weekly flights to Argentina.

Cape Horn & Tierra Del Fuego - 20% Voyage Discount

Save 20% on a 3-night voyage amongst the channels, fjords and glaciers of Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn with Latin America specialist, Trips Worldwide, part of a longer 14-night holiday also featuring land-based activities in Argentina and Chile. Departures from London by air are available throughout September 2008.

Spend the first part of the tour in Argentina’s capital - Buenos Aires. Wander through the galleries of San Telmos and visit the brightly coloured houses of the old port district, La Boca.

From Buenos Aires transfer to El Calafate, a modern town on the edge of Lago Argentino, and visit the remarkable glaciers at Los Glaciares National Park. Later, board the M/V Australis at Ushuaia, and set sail through the Beagle Channel and Strait of Magellan to explore one of the most captivating wilderness regions in the world - Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego.

First port of call is Cape Horn National Park, declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and for many years it was a treacherous milestone on the clipper route (the main route for steam ships travelling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific prior to the construction of the Panama Canal).

A shore excursion in the national park includes a visit to historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest aboriginal settlements, and the awe-inspiring Gunther Plüschow Glacier, named after the region’s pioneering German aviator. Next, sail to Chico Sound for an opportunity to observe the majestic Piloto and Nena glaciers.

Finally, visit Magdalena Island, one of Chile’s largest and most important Magellanic Penguin breeding sites with a huge colony of more than 120,000, before the voyage concludes in Punta Arenas. Here, guests disembark for a flight and transfer to the delightful Quincho Country House overlooking Lake Llanquihue and Osorno Volcano in Chile’s lush Lake District region. Delicious home cooked cuisine, fine wine and a range of excursions are all included here. A final couple of days are spent in Valparaiso (near Santiago), with its colourful tangle of houses and collection of ancient-looking funiculars ready to haul travellers up to amazing viewpoints.

The holiday costs from £3,695 p/p including international and internal flights, transfers, hotel accommodation with breakfast (full board at Quincho Country House, with a number of activities also included), a Tango Show in Buenos Aires, 3-nights full board accommodation on the M/V Australis and expertly guided wildlife viewing activities and excursions.

Trips Worldwide
0117 311 4400
14 Frederick Place, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1AS
info@tripsworldwide.co.uk
www.tripsworldwide.co.uk