Tag Archives: africa

This Week In Luxury Travel

31 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Travel, Travel Industry News

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FOOTSTEPS IN STYLE

Boutique tour operator Footsteps in Asia (FIA) has launched Footsteps in Style, a new luxury travel service to meet the demand for unique experiences in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

Tailor-made exclusive luxury will cater to the individual tastes and needs of families, honeymooners or travellers looking for a deluxe adventure holiday. Customised itineraries focus on the ‘intangible moments’ that make a journey truly special, including physical adventures, learning and living, pampering to spiritual matters, living local or making a difference.

APT AFRICA 2013 FREE FLIGHT DEAL

An Australian Pacific Touring African holiday booking before 31 December 2013 involves a companion-fly-free deal, with savings of up to AUD2040 per couple. The deal applies to all 16 itineraries ranging from 13-34 days, running through the May to September season, across South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.

ALILA BANGALORE

Alila Bangalore has crafted a holistic experience for healthy work ethics. Designed for golf enthusiasts, it combines a resort living experience with an escape to the fairways while guests keep score of their business.

Package includes accommodation in a Studio Room, sumptuous breakfast in the Tiffin Room, one 18-hole golf round of at the Karnataka Golf Academy by Innova, return transfers to the Karnataka Golf Academy by Innova, and one 60 Minute Spa Alila Treatment.

SILVERSEA’S 2013 VOYAGE ATLAS

The ultra-luxury cruise line boasts the highest repeat business in the cruise industry (62%) and continues to surprise experienced cruisers with ten new ports and over 200 sailings to 450 destinations to all seven continents. Silversea will offer several 12-26 day trans-oceanic voyages next year, and a 115 day World Cruise aboard Silver Whisper, departing Los Angeles 5 January 2013. In late 2013, a second Silversea expedition vessel will add Galapagos as a year-round destination.

New ports of call for 2013 include Fukuoka in Japan, Port Arthur in Tasmania, Sabang in Northern Sumatra, Laipeda in Lithuania, Saaremaa in Estonia and Soller de Majorca in Spain.

VAIL RESORTS RE-LAUNCHES EPIC MIX

Every champion has a story to share and now, with the introduction of Vail Resorts’ EpicMix Racing, skiers can see how they stack up against World Champion ski racer, Lindsey Vonn. In the perfect incentive for ski-families to visit a Vail Resort, the luxury chain has announced the third generation of its wildly popular ski and snowboard application, EpicMix, which, once it launches in mid-December, will allow skiers to automatically have their race times compared to ski racing great, Lindsey Vonn, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded based on achievement.

KIDS FREE IN SAN DIEGO

October is ‘Kids Free in San Diego’ month, where more than 30 hotels are offering great deals on family accommodation, meals and activities. Properties such as the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego are offering kids eat free, while kids staying at the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa on Mission Bay can enjoy Kids S’mores Night on Wednesdays, and Kids Night Out with a popcorn and hot cocoa on Fridays, while the luxurious historic Hotel del Coronado on the ‘island’ of Coronado is offering a cuddly plush, blue octopus to welcome all kids upon check-in to the hotel.

INKATERRA’S FAMILY TRIPS TO PERU

Inkaterra, Peru’s leader in sustainable tourism and conservation, is introducing a four night family package available throughout November, making it easy for adventurous families to experience the Amazon Rainforest and Machu Picchu. Families will spend two nights in Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica’s elegant eco- lodge, experiencing life in a jungle first hand and budding explorers can unleash their inner Indiana Jones. Inkaterra’s skilled guides will answer questions and keep the nature loving kids entertained with colourful stories of jungle life. The second leg takes families to the award-winning Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. The hotel will provide children with explorer kits which include a flashlight, hat and compass to use during a sunrise tour of Machu Picchu.

For an exclusive offer like these above or to create your very own luxury experience contact me today.

This week in Luxury

29 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Travel Industry News

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I love Friday’s and getting to see what is happening in the World of Luxury, it keeps me inspired to keep pushing myself and styling my clients holidays to their exact liking.

TRAVEL TRENDS

The new sophisticated traveller is rejecting ‘vanilla’ trips to well-known destinations infavour of Yangtze River cruises, holidays on the Galapagos Islands and high-end safaris. Customers are increasingly sourcing exclusive experiences, like adventures to the South Pole and other unexplored locations; but make no mistake – there is to be no stinting on quality, no matter how remote the destination is. In fact, the variety of options available in the lux travel market these days is serving only to push client’s expectations even higher.

New experiences include such things as culinary classes hosted by Michelin- starred chefs, VIP shopping trips and exclusive access to high-end social events.

ZANZIBAR LUXE FOR LESS

New special offers at Zanzibar’s most luxurious resort and spa are bound to attract attention. The Arabian influenced Baraza Resort & Spa, built to resemble an ancient Sultan’s palace, is offering 10% discounts for bookings made six months in advance. Other deals include a free night if you pay for three in a Garden View Villa, and a free                                                                                                                      night for six-night bookings.

CUISINE CULTURE

Luxe India, is planning a new trip exploring India through its cuisine. Luxe India’s tour
 is led by a noted food enthusiast who gastronomically unravels both history and culture behind the traditional cuisines.

South east coast of Vietnam, Anantara Mui Ne Resort and Spa is promoting local cuisine through cookery lessons with the hotel’s chef plus cheese and wine pairings.

Chateau de Mercues in France sits a Relais & Chateaux castle offering wine tours beginning on the terrace of the medieval castle.

In South America, Aqua Expeditions is blending cruising with culinary Peruvian delights.

And in Europe, Plenia Spain is offering a four-day Asturian experience sampling local cider, pungent cheese, regional seafood and visits to the region’s most acclaimed restaurants.

ARCTIC ADVENTURES

Poseidon Arctic Voyages operate the only icebreaker expedition cruises to Franz Josef Land archipelago, the closest land to the North Pole as well as being instrumental in opening up Russia’s unexplored Arctic territories. The UK company ran its first North Pole icebreaker expeditioncruise in 2001, before developing the unique and spectacular Transpolar Bridge route from Murmansk to Pevek. Passengers from all over the world often see polar bears and walruses close up and if lucky, polar foxes and whales.

KIDS ON SAFARI

Deep in the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa an old farmhouse has been transformed to become the Morukuru Family’s newest luxury accommodation. Morukuru Family now offers three stunning accommodation options and is the worthy winner of a TripAdvisor 2012 Certificate of Excellence plus a 2011 World Luxury Hotels award. Known for its exciting game drives and exquisite food, Morukuru is also ideal for children, with a range of exciting activities including fishing, bush explorations and BBQs. Kids receive a backpack full of educational and entertaining goodies and a nanny service is also available.

VIETNAMS GRAND TOURISM OPENING

The largest tourism complex in Vietnam is opening its doors early next year. MGM Grand Ho Tram is an integrated luxury five-star resort and entertainment destination, the first component of a multi- site property. The first phase includes 541 luxury guest rooms and suites, a luxury spa, nine restaurants, four bars and lounges, a retail shopping area plus conference and convention centre. The second phase will result in a new tower housing 549 new guest rooms.

TO BOOK THESE DEALS OR ANY OTHER TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS PLEASE CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL STYLIST TODAY.

SEASON TRAVEL

Gorilla’s in Uganda

01 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in My Adventures

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There isn’t a week that goes by when I don’t stop and think about my amazing experience in Uganda. I am constantly looking back at my photo’s and just wishing I was back there.

I’m sure we’ve all been to places before when you enjoyed yourself but it wouldn’t bother you if you didn’t go back, well I have to say Uganda was the opposite, it was much more scenic than I had first envisioned, I guess especially as we were coming over road from Kenya and to say the roads are an experience in themselves is a bit of an understatement.. Bit of advice for the ladies out there anyone with a B cup upwards you may want to take a few extra sports bra’s for the bus trips.. It is bouncccccccy..

The rooms that we stayed in were stunning, looking over this beautiful lake and just taking in the serenity. You can swim in the lake too, just growing up near the coast where I can see what is below me – there is something about swimming in lakes that freak me out, maybe I have just watched too many cliched movies..

There are 2 ways to see the Gorilla’s the easy way in or the challenging way – now when you take the first group in who are the usual “I think I’m fit enough for the challenging way” (or we are just plain stubborn) of course we were going to try for the 2nd option.

You have to remember there isn’t a guarantee that you will see the Gorilla’s, so they send the Trackers in a couple of hours earlier to at least help narrow the search down.

Within 30 seconds on getting on the track I was on my ass, the grounds were slippery and this was just the start, to say it was a difficult trek was putting it lightly – hiking shoes definitely would’ve helped a bit, as my Asics are not made for the Ugandan jungle.

You are following the gorilla’s path, so you are climbing over fallen tree’s, sliding down muddy paths trying to find a tree half way down to stop your slide, climbing under tree’s and the jungle canopy, we are about 2 hours into the trek and are down the bottom of the gulley and then its time for the ascent back up the other side, now this was challenging, you are basically on your hands and knee’s grasping at anything that will hold your bodyweight to help pull you up this steep slippery what felt like Everest at the time (ok that was a slight exaggeration but at the time it felt like that) so here we are climbing our way back up and then…..

The call comes through the trackers are just up ahead and they have found the family of Gorilla’s- I was in a world of pain by this point, 5 hours of slipping, sliding and crawling had taken it’s toll but all of that simply disappears as soon as you see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.

To be within metre’s of a Silverback Mountain Gorilla is something that I will never forget, you can only sit with them and their family for a maximum of an hour as human germs can be passed on them very easily – they are on the endangered list with less than 800 Mountain Gorilla’s left in the world.

You are literally on a “Gorilla High”, we were lucky enough to see the whole family, from the Silverback all the way down to the new babies. You can totally see that we really aren’t that far along the evolution line, especially with the teenage gorilla’s having what is known as farting ping pong – not much different to teenage boys right..

These are some of my photo’s and I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do..

If you get the chance you need to see them before their numbers reduce even further into extinction.. and remember there is Option 1 the easy path is the slipping and sliding don’t appeal to you :-)

A&K Celebrate 50 Years of High End Safaris

10 Thursday May 2012

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If names speak louder than words, founder of luxury adventure company Abercrombie & Kent, Geoffrey Kent, celebrating 50 years of operations, can reel off a who’s who of highly satisfied clientele – Bill Gates, David Rockefeller, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Richard Burton, Jane Seymour. It is a long list of the rich, powerful and famous but also, simply, those clients who want a high level of adventure with a “huge dose of luxury” thrown in. Founded in Kenya 1962 with just one Land Rover and one guide, himself, Abercrombie & Kent now leads upmarket adventure tours on seven continents in more than 100 countries.

The trips range from African safaris, to cruises in Antarctica to tailor-made journeys through Europe – “complicated, experiential holidays” all in the height of luxury that his clients expect. “A&K does a tremendous job of catering to the high end, demanding luxury traveller who is willing to spend a lot for an incredible vacation, but who still appreciates value for the dollar,” Elite Travel International president Stacy Small said. While Kent makes no apology for catering to wealthy clients (“if you don’t travel first class, your heirs will”) he has put much back into Africa, where it all started. The company has raised funds for the conservation of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, supports hospitals, orphanages and schools and helped raise over $500,000 for cyclone ravaged Myanmar.

http://www.abercrombiekent.com

Taken from the Luxury Australian Travel Trade E-news

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