Travel Briefs
Air News & Offers
Rail News & Offers
Hotel News & Offers
Destinations: Valencia, Spain
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Travel Briefs
Croatia Is A Hot New Destination in
2006 for American Travelers
According to the recent survey of the USTOA,
the hottest new tourist destination for 2006 is Croatia!
National Geographic Adventure also awarded Croatia as The
Best Destination for this year. Followed by the last year’s
great success after it was proclaimed No. 1 destination by
the Lonely Planet, this year should definitely bring new record
numbers for the Croatian tourism. For more info visit www.ustoa.com
International Tourism Up By 5.5% To
808 Million Arrivals In 2005
In 2005 international tourism sustained
the sharp upturn that began in 2004 in spite of the various
tragic events it had to contend. According to preliminary
results presented today by the United Nations specialized
agency, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) the number
of international tourist arrivals recorded worldwide grew
by 5.5 percent and exceeded 800 million for the first time
ever.
Although 2005 was certainly a tumultuous
year, international tourism has fared amazingly well. Despite
various terrorist attacks and natural disasters, such as the
aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami and an extraordinarily
long and strong hurricane season, the recovery, which started
in 2004, continued firmly through 2005. Even though the disruptions
experienced definitely left traces locally in the short-term,
they did not substantially alter the global or regional traffic
flows. Based on detailed results for a large number of destinations
included in the January issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer
the number of international tourist arrivals in 2005 is estimated
at 808 million, up from 766 million in 2004. This corresponds
not only to an increase of 5.5 percent, but also means a consolidation
of the bumper growth achieved in 2004 (+10 percent). Although
growth was more moderate, it still almost 1.5 percentage points
above the long-term average annual growth rate of 4.1 percent.
Air News & Offers
New Airfare Search Engine on Google
Maps
FareCompare LP, a provider of next- generation
airfare search technology, announced today the deployment
of an airfare search engine on the Google map platform that
helps consumers quickly find the cheapest way to reach multiple
destinations. FareCompare's Airport Map takes the search for
airfares to a level beyond that offered anywhere else by giving
consumers a choice of destinations, dates, and routes for
their travel.
Click on "My Airport Map" on
http://www.farecompare.com, and a map of
the U.S. displays the lowest fares from both major and regional
airports nearest you to the top 50 destinations across the
country. To get from New York to Cincinnati, you can fly American
Airlines for $299*. Or, you can fly from Hartford, CT to Columbus,
OH on Northwest Airlines for just $118. The map shows all
these options in an easily readable format.
FareCompare does not sell tickets. FareCompare
is an objective, independent provider of airfare searches,
displaying all valid options with the lowest price first.
JetBlue Increases Caribbean, Bermuda
Options
JetBlue will expand service to the Caribbean
with two new routes from Orlando, adding twice daily flights
to San Juan and once daily flights to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico,
beginning May 3. JetBlue serves San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce,
Puerto Rico from New York (Kennedy), with additional nonstop
service to San Juan from Newark.
Elsewhere in the Caribbean, JetBlue serves
Nassau from Kennedy and Boston and Santiago, Dominican Republic,
from Kennedy.
In addition, JetBlue received Transportation
Dept. approval to offer service between New York and Bermuda,
clearing the way for the airline to begin the flights from
Kennedy Airport in May on its new Embraer 190 aircraft.
Air Canada to Launch Boeing Electronic
Flight Bag in North America
Boeing and Air Canada have announced plans
to install the Boeing Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB)
on the fleet of all-new Boeing 777s and 787s ordered by the
airline. Air Canada will be the first airline in North America
to operate a Class 3 EFB, which is fully integrated into a
commercial airplane's avionics.
Air Canada announced the 777 and 787 orders
in November 2005. The airline now says it will have EFB systems
installed, certified and delivered on all 18 of the 777-300ERs,
777-200LRs and 777 Freighters it will receive. In addition,
it will get EFBs on the 14 787 airplanes it announced. Boeing
is making the EFB standard equipment on the 787. The airline
is scheduled to receive its first EFB-equipped 777 in 2007
and its first 787 in 2010.
EFB is a core technology of Boeing's vision
of an e-Enabled air transport system, where data, information
and knowledge can be shared instantly across an air-transport
enterprise. Using software developed by Boeing and its subsidiary,
Jeppesen, and hardware from Astronautics Corp. of America
(ACA), the Boeing EFB digitally delivers vital charts and
manuals that pilots need to fly an airplane, giving them immediate
access to critical information. An instant performance calculator
gives pilots the ideal speeds and engine setting for an aircraft,
in any weather, on any runway, with any payload, and can create
vast gains in efficiency, range and payload. Jeppesen's award-
winning Airplane Moving Map -- available only on Class 3 EFBs
-- enhances runway situational awareness by integrating geo-referencing
technology with Jeppesen airport taxi charts to show flight
crews exactly where they are on the tarmac.
Installation of a multi-functional EFB
is only part of what the Boeing team provides the airline,
however. Jeppesen is focused on ensuring that any receiving
airline has the infrastructure, training, systems and ability
to develop additional content to take advantage of the EFB
capabilities and reap the benefits of a paperless cockpit.
These are among the items critical to a successful EFB implementation
and together represent a major competitive advantage for Boeing
in persuading customers to choose the Boeing team's Class
3 EFB.With 80 Gigabytes of available memory in each pilot's
EFB, the Boeing solution provides plenty of room for new applications
as they become available, such as enhanced fault reporting
and electronic logbook, en route moving maps, enhanced electronic
checklists, real-time weather information, and real-time Notice
To Airmen (NOTAM) information. In addition, the open- architecture
design of the Class 3 EFB and its integration into the airplane's
larger systems give it unmatched potential for Boeing, airlines
and even third-party software designers to create even more
exciting applications. Website: http://www.boeing.com/
Cathay Pacific Introduces New All Asia
Pass
Cathay Pacific has introduced a new All
Asia Pass that enables its bearer to travel to any of 18 Asian
cities freely during a 21-day period. The pass, valid through
May 18 and from August 21 through December 1, is priced at
$1,499 per person; customers registered as Cathay Pacific
CyberTravelers are entitled to a $200 discount. All bookings
must be made through travel agents; commission is $100. The
pass includes roundtrip economy class air between New York
(Kennedy), San Francisco or Los Angeles and Hong Kong and
unlimited travel between Hong Kong and Bangkok; Colombo, Sri
Lanka; Denpasar, Bali; Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka and Sapporo,
Japan; Jakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia; Karachi, Pakistan;
Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam;
Seoul, Korea; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tokyo. For more
information, see www.cathaypacific.com/us.
Air New Zealand To Launch Daily San
Francisco Service In June
Air New Zealand will increase its Auckland-San
Francisco flight to a daily service from June. First introduced
with a frequency of three non-stop services a week in June
2004, the route's popularity saw services being doubled to
six times weekly less than six months later, the airline said.
Website: www.airnewzealand.com
Pacific Blue Slashes Airfares In Fiji
Pacific Blue, the sister of low cost carrier
Virgin Blue, has announced special fares out of Fiji. Fares
bought from January 22nd to February 28th to Brisbane, Sydney
or Melbourne from Nadi have been reduced to as low as FJD$210
(US$122) plus taxes one way. Travel must occur between January
24 to June 30. Website: www.virginblue.com.au
Eurofly Adds Rome To Its Nonstop Flights
From New York/JFK
Eurofly, an air travel provider in Italy,
is adding Rome as a destination for nonstop, regularly scheduled,
weekend flights originating from New York's Kennedy Airport.
The flights, priced from $659 roundtrip, will depart Fridays,
Saturdays, and Sundays from May 11 thru November 12 using
Airbus 330-200 aircraft.
Air Canada Files To Fly Los Angeles-Sydney
Non-Stop
Air Canada will seek regulatory approval
to begin daily Toronto-Los Angeles-Sydney flights. Services
would start in the first half of 2007. With an elapsed westbound
time of 21 hours and 15 minutes, the airlines' Toronto-Sydney
flights via Los Angeles would offer the fastest elapsed time
of any airline from eastern Canada to Australia.
Rail News & Offers
Luxury Trains Introduces New Rail Trip
In India
The Luxury Trains, based in Milton, Delaware
has introduced a new train trip in India called Heritage on
Wheels. The program comes in a three-night version that visits
Jaipur, Bikaner, Deshnok, Gajner, Nawalgarh, Mandawa, Ramaarh
and Churu. The trip embarks every Tuesday and Friday. A seven-night
program also is available. It starts every Sunday and Wednesday
and travels from Delhi to Jaipur by luxury air-conditioned
SUV, then joins the three-night program. The program is completed
with an SUV trip from Jaipur, with an overnight in Agra to
see the Taj Mahal. The price per day is $300 for single occupancy,
$200 for double occupancy and $150 for triple occupancy. For
more information call (877) 90-INDIA, e-mail howtours@theluxurytrains.com or
visit www.theluxurytrains.com.
Hotel News & Offers
Indian Hotels Opens Newest Property
In Sydney
The Indian Hotels Co., operator of Taj
Hotels, opened its newest property, Blue Woolloomooloo Bay,
Sydney. The five-year-old, 100-room property on the Finger
Wharf was previously a W Hotel. The opening represents Taj's
first establishment in Australia. The acquisition price was
$27.1 million. Under its new ownership it's now one of the
Leading Small Hotels of the World. The Taj chain now comprises
73 hotels worldwide. For reservations, call (866) 969-1825
or visit www.tajhotels.com .
Washington’s Wyndham City Center Hotel
To Become Renaissance M Street Hotel
Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Marriott
International's upscale, distinctive full-service brand, has
announced that the Wyndham City Center Hotel in Washington,
D.C. will become the Renaissance "M" Street Hotel
this fall following an $18.5 million renovation. The 355-
room hotel, located at the corner of M Street and New Hampshire
Avenue, will immediately undergo a comprehensive refurbishment
of its guest rooms, meeting space, lobby, restaurant and bar.
The property was purchased by a joint venture, comprised of
funds managed by Westbrook Partners, and an affiliate of Northview
Hotel Group, Inc. The hotel will be managed by Marriott as
the M Street Hotel until the re-branding to a Renaissance
in the fall.
Small Luxury Hotels of the World Launches
Club Concierge
Trying to secure tickets for the best seats
in the house at a Broadway Show, a reservation at an exclusive
Paris restaurant or even centre court tickets for the Wimbledon
Tennis Final? While many would consider these requests virtually
impossible to fulfill, members of The Club of Small Luxury
Hotels of the World will now have all of their most difficult
requests filled on a whim by the newly launched ‘Club Concierge;’
a luxury service which provides Club members access to the
world’s leading clubs, restaurants, venues and events.
The Club Concierge is exclusive to members
of the Club of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (www.clubslh.com),
SLH’s guest recognition program which now boats 26,000 members
worldwide. In addition to enjoying a personalized experience
with each stay, Club members have access to a range of exclusive
offers and benefits, which have now been extended to include
The Club Concierge. Unlike similar programs set-up by other
hotel groups, The Club Concierge service offered by SLH is
open to all Club members and is not restricted to certain
tiers of Club membership.
The luxury concierge service has been developed
through a partnership with Global Guest List, a global leader
in “Lifestyle Enhancement.” Through Global Guest List’s extensive
global network and influence, members of Small Luxury Hotel
of the World’s Club will now have the best possible chance
of gaining access to highly sought-after venues and events
on a global scale.
The Club Concierge service is incredibly
straightforward and easy to use. Club members can simply either
communicate their request via telephone on +44 (0)208 962
8188 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm UK time) or via e-mail
directly to contact@clubconcierge.com and a dedicated 'Lifestyle
Enhancer' will then personally take care of all arrangements
as requested. Depending on the nature of the request, Club
members will incur a small fee in order to achieve the task.
The Club Concierge service will be divided
into two levels: Silver and Gold. The Silver membership is
open to all members of The Club of Small Luxury Hotels of
the World, while Gold membership is available to those who
have made at least one room reservation through www.clubslh.com.
Silver membership entitles guests to priority ticketing for
fashion, arts and sporting events, while the benefits of Gold
membership encompass personal shopping, last minute dining
requests at fashionable restaurants, tickets to global sporting
events, concerts and pretty much anything else the guest could
think of.
The Club Concierge is currently available
in London, Paris and the Cote d’Azur, and during the course
of 2006 it will be extended further to include Venice, Madrid,
Barcelona, Sydney and New York.
Mandarin Oriental To Open Luxury Resort
And Spa On Hainan Island, China
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group today announced
that it will manage an exclusive resort currently under development
on China’s second largest island and most southern province,
Hainan Island. The 292-room resort will open in the second
half of 2006.
Mandarin Oriental, Sanya will appeal to
sophisticated travelers in search of serenity and tranquility
in the beautiful surroundings of this self proclaimed “Hawaii
of China.” Located on a nearly two and a half acre beachfront
site on Dadonghai Bay, all guest rooms, suites and villas,
as well as the public areas, will have expansive views of
the South China Sea. The resort is an approximately five-minute
drive from Sanya City, and is located about twelve miles from
the city’s international airport.
With a larger-than-average room size of
592 square feet*, most guest rooms will have direct access
to the secluded beach, and will feature private gardens with
timber decks and trellises. Fifteen 2,150-square-foot private
villas and 23 oversized suites will be prime features of the
resort, each offering the ultimate in seclusion with its own
personal infinity edge pool and garden and relaxation pavilions.
The design of Mandarin Oriental, Sanya is based on an interpretation
of contemporary northern Chinese architecture, with interiors
that will incorporate delicate Asian touches into a relaxed
resort experience.
Mandarin Oriental, Sanya will also feature
two landscaped infinity pools with direct access to the beach,
surrounded by lush vegetation. Other leisure activities will
include organized water sports such as snorkeling and scuba
diving. In addition, the resort will encompass an upscale
retail facility, fully equipped business center, library,
reading room, games room and dedicated children’s center.
The developer of the project is Hainan
New Superior Industry Company Limited. Chan Sau Yan Associates
(CSYA) is the Singapore-based architect firm, while LTW DesignWorks
will be responsible for the resort’s interior design. Bensley
Design Studios, based in Bangkok has been appointed as landscape
architects and resort planner.
Hainan Island is located at approximately
the same latitude as Hawaii and is separated from the mainland
by the Hainan Strait. It is China’s largest Special Economic
Zone and is easily accessible, being just 50 minutes south
of Hong Kong by air. Hainan offers an unprecedented leisure
experience with plenty of year-round sunshine, cultural activities,
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com
Bermuda’s Spas Beckon Winter-Weary Travelers
Relaxation is Bermuda’s national pastime,
and the island’s spas are a haven of wellness and nourishment.
With the finest treatments and therapies available, spa connoisseurs
are escaping the frigid temperatures of winter and taking
the short trip to the balmy and calming island of Bermuda.
Exclusive packages from the island’s premier spas, designed
for the perfect winter getaway to invigorate the body and
rejuvenate the spirit, include:
-- Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Southampton
– Relax and let yourself be pampered with the Willow Stream
Spa Package. Drawing on the flow of color and quiet strength
emanating from the sea, guests enjoy a private suite and therapeutic
amenities including Jacuzzis and eucalyptus steam and sauna
rooms. For adults only, the package includes accommodations
in a lavish room with a private balcony at either the Fairmont
Southampton or the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, daily access
to the Spa, a $200 Spa credit and Spa lunch for each person,
each day. Prices start at $756 per night (two-night minimum)
based on double occupancy. Offer valid through March 25,
2006. Rates and availability are subject to change. For
more information, call the Fairmont Southampton at (800) 441-1414
or visit www.fairmont.com/southampton .
-- The Spa at Elbow Beach Bermuda – The
Bermuda Spa Bliss Package transports guests to a tranquil
realm that reflects the island’s calming sea, soothing sands
and golden warmth of the tropical sun. In addition to magnificent
accommodations and unrivaled service, guests experience eight
hours of spa treatments called Time Rituals™, daily breakfast
buffet, airport transfers, and luxurious spa bathrobes. Package
prices start at $3,455 for 4 days/3 nights based on double
occupancy. Offer valid through March 31, 2006. For additional
information, please call (800) 223-7434 or visit www.mandarinoriental.com.
-- Spa at Ariel Sands – Michael Douglas
is part owner of his family’s breathtaking cottage colony
on the sea which offers the Ariel Sands Spa Package. A personal
consultation is followed by a choice of massage: Aromatherapy
or Reflexology, classic manicure, classic pedicure, and a
wash/cut/style hair appointment. Daily breakfast, afternoon
tea, complimentary use of the private gym and tennis courts,
and airport transfers are also included. Rates start at $2,000
for 5days/4 nights based on double occupancy. Offer valid
through April 30, 2006. To secure a reservation, an $800
deposit is required. For more information, please call (800)
468-6610 or visit www.arielsands.com .
-- La Serena at The Reefs –La Serena boasts
the most peaceful and, as it truly lives up to its name, serene
experience. Feel Perfectly at Ease at The Reefs offers three
days of spa treatments including an Anti-stress massage, manicure,
pedicure, and Essential Oil Facial with back and foot re-hydration.
Breakfast, afternoon tea and gourmet dinner daily, as well
as airport transfers are also included. Package rates start
at $2,024 for 5 days/4 nights based on double occupancy.
Offer valid through March 31, 2006. For more information,
please call (800) 742-2008 or visit www.thereefs.com.
Bermuda’s Hotels Offering Gold Packages
Many of Bermuda’s finest resorts are offering
outstanding opportunities to stay and play on an island that
attracts some of the world’s most avid golfers. Exclusive
golf packages available now through March include:
-- Fairmont Southampton – Even if your
handicap is a little high, Bermuda still treats all of its
golfers as pros with the Royal Tee Golf Package. A personalized
bag tag or a sleeve of balls greets each adult guest at the
beginning of a three-night stay. Visitors enjoy unlimited
golf at the Fairmont Southampton Golf Club – a noted executive
18-hole, Par-3 golf course – with a shared cart, as well as
two rounds on a choice of three championship courses: Belmont
Hills Golf Club, Port Royal Golf Course, or Riddell’s Bay
Golf & Country Club. The cost of the package is $1,773
per room based on double occupancy through March 25, 2006.
For more information, call (800) 441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com/southampton.
--Fairmont Hamilton Princess – The flexible
and convenient Tee Time Package is ideal for quick golf getaways.
Guests enjoy unlimited golf for one day at the Fairmont Southampton
Golf Club with a shared cart and one round at either the picturesque
Port Royal Golf Course or the esteemed Riddell’s Bay Golf
& Country Club. Package price starts at $650 per night
based on double occupancy through April 1, 2006. For more
information, call (800) 441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com/hamilton.
-- Grape Bay Beach Hotel and Surfside Beach
Hotel – Guests of Grape Bay and Surfside can take advantage
of the Three Rounds of Golf Package offered through the Bermuda
Resort Hotels group. Over three days, two golfers play two
rounds at Port Royal Golf Course and one round at Belmont
Hill Golf Club for a savings of $148.50. The package can
be booked directly through Grape Bay or Surfside and tee times
can also be requested at the front desks for the hotels to
organize accordingly. This offer is valid through March 31,
2006. For more information, inquire at Grape Bay at (800)
548-0547/or www.grapebay.com
or Surfside at (800) 553-9990 or www.surfside.bm.
Horizons & Cottages – Founded on an
18th century plantation, Horizons & Cottages is ---- Bermuda’s
oldest and most exclusive cottage colony, boasting a challenging
Par-3, 9-hole “mashie” course with breathtaking views of the
island’s revered South Shore. The Golf Package includes full
English breakfast served to the room each morning by a cottage
maid, afternoon teas, three-course dinner each night, a golf
lesson with a Horizons Golf Pro, and unlimited golf at Horizons
& Cottages. Guests are also encouraged to take advantage
of an inclusive temporary membership to the Coral Beach and
Tennis Club, a sister property offering tennis, croquet, putting,
squash, bowls, fitness center with a personal trainer, and
a European-style spa. The package starts at $1,350 for 5 days/4
nights per person. For more information, please call (800)
468-0022 or visit www.horizonscottages.com
.
For a limited time, non-hotel associated
packages are also offered and can be found exclusively at
Bermuda’s golf courses. Participation in the Bermuda Department
of Tourism’s Companion Air Credit Promotion – when traveling
with a companion for a minimum three-night stay, each person
will receive a $300 air credit – will make guests eligible
for the Buy 1 Tee Time, Get 1 Free Package. Green fees are
$99 per person at Port Royal Golf Course (441-234-0974) and
$60 per person at either Ocean View Golf Course (441-295-9093)
or St. George’s Golf Course (441-297-8353) and are available
until March 31, 2006.
The Companion Air Credit Promotion also
makes the exclusive and private Tucker’s Point Golf Club accessible
to all visitors of Bermuda. Four tee times per week will be
open to the public and include a free cart and set of club
rentals, either Ping or Calloway, for a savings of $136 per
two-person round and the convenience of traveling golf bag
free. Reservations must be made in advance. For more information,
call Tucker’s Point Golf Club directly at 441-298-6970 or
visit www.tuckerspoint.com.
Bermuda, just 90 minutes by air from the
East Coast, stretches for 23 miles along turquoise waters,
surrounded by a 200-square-mile coral reef plateau. Bermuda's
diverse activities offer an array of vacation options, including
more wreck dives than anywhere else in the world, championship
golf, horseback riding, world-renowned deep sea fishing and
smooth pink beaches to rest on by day's end. Accommodations
range from luxury resorts to intimate guest cottages and family-run
inns, all incorporating the sophistication and hospitality
unique to the Bermuda experience. For more information, visit
www.bermudatourism.com
or call 800-BERMUDA (800-237-6832).
Kamalame Cay Opens First Over-Water
Spa In Bahamas
The first over-water spa in the Bahamas
opened recently at Kamalame Cay, a 19-room, 96-acre private
island escape just off Andros Island in the Bahamas Archipelago.
The resort introduced its 2,000-square-foot Spa in early 2006.
The two-story building is sited at the very end of the new
200-foot Kamalame Pier. Because of this location, clients
seem literally to float in any of the five airy treatment
rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows open to the views and
the soothing sounds of the turquoise surf below. Custom spa
packages can include champagne lunches on the Spa’s veranda
where yoga sessions are held. The range of restorative programs
includes massage, body and facial treatments.
Before and after being soothed in the over-the-water
Spa, diving enthusiasts can tap into a new, fully equipped
PADI dive center.
Kamalame Cay, that conjures up the romance
of the British Empire, offers 19 accommodations for two to
six people range from charming marina rooms to cottage and
villa suites built from native stone and featuring Indonesian
furniture, vaulted ceilings, extra large bathrooms with oversized
tubs and muslin-draped French doors that open to dramatic
views of the sea and barrier reef. Throughout the Great House,
a welcoming gathering place where guests enjoy evening cocktails
and all meals, the style evokes 19th century British with
art, antiques and collection of Bahamian furnishings.
Nightly room rates (exclusive of taxes
and airport transfer fees) from now through May 31, 2006 range
from $740 to $3,620 based on type of accommodation, which
includes 4 standard guestrooms and 15 one-, two- and three-bedroom
private cottages. Rates from June 1-Nov. 30, 2006 range from
$561-$2,559. Additionally, Kamalame Cove, a 7,500-square-foot,
4-bedroom is available for $4,800 per night year-round. Kamalame
Cay rates include all food, house wines and spirits, use of
snorkeling equipment, sea kayaks, access to tennis and an
oceanfront freshwater swimming.
The resort is a 20-minute drive from the
Andros Town Airport serviced by charter or scheduled service
from Nassau and Fort Lauderdale. Transportation to Kamalame
Cay is provided by taxi and a three-minute ferry ride. Once
on the Cay, guests have a personal golf cart to meander and
explore the property.
For more details please visit www.kamalame.com,
call (242) 368-6281 or e-mail info@kamalam.com
New Luxury Villa Casa Papelillos on
Offer in Punta Mita, Mexico
Mexico's Pacific Coast stretches for thousands
of miles, a seductive combination of white sand, swaying palm
trees and sapphire-blue water. Its many coves and bays hide
resorts of unparalleled beauty. Gaining a reputation as the
best of these is the luxurious development of Punta Mita,
located on the northwest edge of the Bay of Banderas in the
state of Nayarit, 40 minutes from the seaside city of Puerto
Vallarta. A master-planned residential community and resort,
Punta Mita offers visitors opulent hotels and one-of-a-kind
private villas exclusively available for discerning travelers
looking for an unforgettable retreat, whether as a couple
or a family. The newest of these is Casa Papelillos, a splendid
Mexican-style casita designed by the famous Mexican architect,
Diego Villaseñor, chosen by Architectural Digest as one of
the top 100 best architects in the world.
Casa Papelillos, located on nearly three
acres in Punta Mita, faces the waters of the Bay of Banderas
with views of the nearby verdant Sierra Madre Mountains as
a backdrop. The main house boasts five bedrooms, seven bathrooms
and ample living areas spread over 11,300 square feet. The
master suite lies directly off the living room pavilion and
the topmost pool. Large windows open up to ocean and mountain
views, and the full bath beckons relaxation with an oversize
garden bathtub, a double shower as well as an outdoor shower.
At night, guests can choose to slumber under the stars in
the outdoor king-sized bed. Two additional bedrooms open up
on the second floor of the courtyard; one has a king-sized
bed, the other has two queen-sized beds. Both have their own
bathrooms and lovely shower enclosures.
The guesthouse the beautifully named Mariposa,
or Butterfly in Spanish is 3,000 square feet of barefoot elegance.
There are two downstairs suites with two queen beds and two
twin beds apiece. Both have romantic outdoor showers as well
as full bathrooms. Upstairs, two king-sized bedrooms feature
stunning views from both the rooms and the outdoor terrace.
At Mariposa, the real treat is the roof deck, which gives
visitors a 360-degree view of the entire property, from the
coastline up to the lush jungle at the foot of the gorgeous
Sierra Madre Mountains.
Secluded and intimate, Casa Papelillos
nonetheless has every modern amenity. The media room is state-of-the-art
with a high definition LCD television and surround sound system.
Satellite service is available both there and in the master
suite. Outside, a softly lit waterfall outlines the view.
Wireless Internet is accessible both in the media room and
the living room pavilion. The private gymnasium has aerobic
and resistance machines, a bathroom, shower and easy access
to the beach pavilion.
Casa Papelillos rates are $13,000 per night
and include the villa staff and catering, as well as the amenities
outlined above. The cost of groceries for meals is additional.
Other Punta Mita Properties rates' vary, but average $2,000
3,000 per day in low season (May November 2006) and $3,800
4,000 in high season (December April 2006).
Reserve online at www.punta-mitaproperties.com.
Punta Mita is just a few hours by air from
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, and other major
cities in the United States. Direct routes link numerous gateways
in the U.S. and Mexico with the Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International
Airport, located 28 miles southeast of Punta Mita, along a
modern coastal highway.
www.puntamita.com.mx
.
Some Quality Lodgings for The Solo Female
Traveler
Once women realized that it’s socially
acceptable to dine alone and catch a movie (in a theater)
alone, many found the experience to be….surprisingly….enjoyable.
According to the Travel Industry Association, nearly 16.4
million women have taken a trip by themselves for business
or pleasure in the past three years. Below is a collection
of offerings aimed at solo female travelers who are seeking
security, quality and attractive activities that they can
report back to friends and family.
-- Women traveling alone, whether for business
or pleasure, will appreciate what Palm Beach County has to
offer. Flying into the award-winning Palm Beach International
Airport, is a breeze with local volunteers to great new arrivals
and answer questions and an effortless 15 minute drive to
the heart of Palm Beach. Here, the outdoor cafes, restaurants
and cocktail lounges are buzz with energy, giving solo female
travelers a sense of ease when dining - or imbibing - alone.
Area hotels and resorts also provide additional comfort measures
to give peace of mind to women traveling alone. The Boca Raton
Resort and Club has a guarded gate that surrounds the property
allowing “guests-only” access. The Breakers, Palm Beach is
an enclave of privacy with lush tropical landscaping, luxury
spa with fitness center and a fully appointed beach with cabanas
and beach bungalows that encircle the beach and pools.
The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach caters to
women travelers with exclusive Bulgari-branded amenities and
plush bathrobes. The Chesterfield Hotel goes a step further
by offering female guests who are traveling alone specially
allocated rooms with enhanced security features and all-female
service staff. The Colony, a chic, boutique hotel, is a legendary
sanctuary for those "in the know,” which anchors Worth
Avenue for impulse shopping, dining and sophisticated nightlife.
For additional information, call (800) 833-5733 or visit www.palmbeachfl.com.
--Historic Litchfield Plantation sings
to women travelers with a transforming sense of peace and
elegance as they arrive through grand wrought-iron gates and
journey down a quarter-mile lane lined with ancient Live Oaks.
Compared by poet laureate James Dickey to Alice’s journey
through the looking glass, a woman’s journey to Litchfield
Plantation opens the door to a wonderland evocative of Tara
from Gone with the Wind. While enjoying a Litchfield Plantation
retreat, women are invited to indulge in the area’s antique,
retail and hammock shopping; or take a relaxing stroll through
famed Brookgreen Gardens. Perhaps the most indulgent option
for women at Litchfield Plantation is a moment alone to take
in an old movie or pristine river views in one of the property’s
cozy, country-themed rooms or suites. For reservations, call
(800)-869-1410 or for more information visit www.litchfieldplantation.com.
-- Opulently nestled among the breathtaking
vistas of the Rockies, Hotel Jerome in Aspen, CO marries luxury
and adventure for today’s chic traveling woman. Hotel Jerome
knows how to treat a woman right. Pampered guests can indulge
in the state-of-the-art, customized attention of a full day
of the Ski Doctors Gold Plan; a discounted lift ticket and
après ski massage via the “Skier’s Rx” package; a day living
Aspen’s good life browsing fashion boutiques; and a stylish
evening spent sipping a signature “Manhaspen” at the hotel’s
legendary hot spot, The J-Bar. Women staying at Hotel Jerome
are invited to luxuriate in peace and elegance among 300-thread
count linens, deliciously expansive closets and bathrooms,
the latter boasting marble Jacuzzi tubs for the ultimate soak.
For reservations or more information on how a woman may treat
herself, please contact the Hotel Jerome at (970) 920-1000,
toll-free at (800) 331-7213, via fax at (970) 920-2050, e-mail
at reservations@hjerome.com or visit www.hoteljerome.com.
-- Miraculously blending with the surrounding
red rock majesty of the Mojave Desert in Southwest Utah, Red
Mountain Spa exists as a haven for solitary women travelers.
Under the supportive philosophy of learning and wellness for
all guests, Red Mountain Spa offers an extensive roster of
outdoor, fitness and lifestyle programs for every ability
level. With the unveiling of Sagestone spa and renovated
guestrooms and public spaces in January 2006, the property
provides a heightened level of luxury to lead not only to
a heavenly retreat but a transformed lifestyle upon departure.
Nightly Captain’s Table dinners bring guests together and
eliminate reservations about dining alone. The 2006 Calendar
of Events provides guidance to women to improve their lifestyle,
from reducing clutter in their homes to quitting smoking.
Such customized services available as menopause consultation
and on-site bone density testing for Osteoporosis testing
complement the sumptuous array of over 40 indigenous spa treatments
at Sagestone, sending women off soft, strong and healthy.
For reservations, call 435.673. 4905, toll-free at 1.800.407.3002,
or visit the website at www.redmountainspa.com.
Destinations
Valencia Spain
Valencia Gets Ready To Take Center Stage
This sunny city on Spain’s Mediterranean
coast is welcoming more visitors, opening new attractions
and sprucing up its waterfront to host the 32nd Annual America’s
Cup in 2007. The spectacular $307 million Palau de les Arts
Reina Sofía (Queen Sophia Palace of the Arts) – a 150-foot-high
glass and steel performing arts center – has opened with venues
for opera, theatre and dance. Zuben Mehta, the president
of the ”Festival of the Mediterranean” and the Palau’s music
director Lorin Maazel are currently conducting auditions to
establish the Palau’s orchestra and its official season of
concerts will kick off October 2006.
Valencia leads all other destinations in
Spain in terms of growth in tourism arrivals. For 2005, the
city welcomed 5.1 million visitors, an 8.7 percent increase
over 2004. Cruise arrivals were up more than 48 percent for
the first six months. In 2004 the port welcomed 104,000 cruise
passengers, an 80 percent increase over 2003.
And Valencia has plenty of new attractions
for visitors. The Palau de les Arts is the latest addition
to the futuristic structures of the City of Arts and Sciences
that has been rising along the banks of the former Turia River
– now a ribbon of green parks and gardens. Surrounded by
gigantic reflecting pools and set in 17 acres of lush gardens,
the spectacular new performing arts center – designed by native
son Santiago Calatrava – climbs almost 250 feet. Resembling
a gargantuan knight’s helmet, two symmetrical cut-away shields
– 3,000 tons of white concrete – “embrace” the exterior and
are crowned by a sweeping 778-foot-long steel “plume.” The
roofs glisten with trencadís, delicate ceramic tile. Four
venues accommodate almost 4,500 people and feature the world’s
latest technology. Part of the programming for the Palau
de les Arts Reina Sofía will include the Operalia Event –
one of the most prestigious competitions for opera singers
– arranged by the Operalia Association under the management
of Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo.
Visitors enter the complex through the
Umbracle, a dramatic white “portal” measuring 1,000 feet long
and 60 feet high and shielding a promenade of tropical plants
and palm trees. Opened in 1998, the Hemispheric – one of
Spain’s most visited buildings – is a dramatic eye-shaped
planetarium and IMAX theatre surrounded by a huge rectangle
of turquoise water. The Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe,
(Prince Felipe Museum of the Sciences) debuted two years later
and features interactive displays and exhibits of “Life and
the Genome,” “DNA” and “Vaccines for Everybody.” All three
were designed by Calatrava. In 2003, Europe’s largest aquarium
– virtually an underwater city – the Oceanographic, by Spanish
architect Félix Candela opened. Spread over 20 acres, the
complex of parabolic buildings provide a hi-tech tour of the
marine habitats of the world’s oceans. A striking subterranean
restaurant – the walls are floor-to-ceiling aquariums – serves
fresh fish and the region’s signature dish, paella.
These stunning new structures compliment
some of the city’s older architectural gems. In the beautifully
restored old quarter visitors can see Valencia’s first “golden
age” of the 14th and 15th centuries reflected in the beautiful
late Gothic Silk Exchange, La Lonja de la Sede, the Gothic-Romanesque-Baroque
cathedral and the 15th century Gothic palace, Palacio de la
Generalidad now the seat of the Valencian regional government.
The 18th century Baroque mansion of the Marqués de Dos Aguas,
colorfully decorated with ceramic fruits and vegetables, is
home to the Ceramics Museum. The Mercado Central, one of
Europe’s largest food markets, is located in a huge Art Nouveau
building of iron, glass and tile, dating from 1928. The Instituto
Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM) houses the world’s largest
collection of works by acclaimed sculptor Julio González and
in a 17th century seminary, the Museo de Bellas Artes contains
some 2,000 paintings and sculptures.
For the first time in 152 years, Europe
will play host to the America’s Cup June 23 to July 7, 2007.
But sailing aficionados don’t have to wait another year since
three America’s Cup Louis Vuitton Acts, or regattas will take
place May 11-18, May 19-21 and June 22-July 3.
Plans call for Valencia’s waterfront to
be revitalized with major improvements to the dock area, a
9,800 foot “balcony” overlooking the sea and the America’s
Cup Park where sailing enthusiasts can follow the competition
on giant TV screens. New parks, a five-acre lake and pedestrian
walkways will beautify the city. The new Central Station
will accommodate the AVE, the high-speed train connecting
Valencia to all the country’s major cities. Improvements
at the airport include: a runway extension, more parking,
a new metro station and new access roads.
In the last two years new hotels have opened
and more are planned. Sitting right on Malvarrosa Beach,
the minimalist Hotel Neptuno has 48 sleek rooms and suites
and a retro-style façade a la South Beach www.hotelneptunovalencia.com
. Near the City of Arts & Sciences, the 157-room Puerta
Valencia opened in 2004, its eye-catching design by another
native son, Javier Mariscal www.hoteles-silken.com. In the
city center, two 19th century palaces were joined for the
66-room boutique property Palau de la Mar www.epoquehotels.com
The Valencia Card – available for one day
for $7 (6 euros), 2 days for $12.30 (10 euros) or three days
for $18.45 (15 euros) – provides free public transport and
free entrance to the Fine Arts Museum, the Silk Exchange,
the Arab Baths and the Lladró and Bullfighting Museums. Cardholders
receive discounted admission at the Prince Felipe Museum of
the Sciences, Hemispheric and the Oceanographic, walking and
sightseeing tours, bike rentals and discounts at participating
shops and restaurants. The card is available at tourist information
offices at Plaza de La Reina 19, the airport and the train
station as well as the convention center, the City of Arts
& Sciences and many hotels. Go to www.valenciacard.es
or call 011-34-900-70-18-18.
For more information about Valencia go
to www.turisvalencia.es and for information
about Spain, contact the Tourist Office of Spain, at 1-212-265-8822
or www.spain.info.
Cities & Culture
Atlanta
Exhibition of Artist Niki de Saint Phalle
at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Opening April 29 2006, Niki in the Garden,
presented by Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. will be the
world's largest exhibition of internationally-renowned artist
Niki de Saint Phalle's outdoor sculptures ever presented.
On the scale of Chihuly in the Garden in 2004, this spectacular
exhibition features Saint Phalle's imaginative, monumental
artwork beautifully displayed throughout the Garden for six
months. The magical and joyful works include enormous animals,
mythical figures, totems, sports heroes and most famously
her Nanas - oversized, often dancing, powerful women celebrating
life. These sculptures are brilliantly embellished with mirrors,
glass, semi-precious stones and ceramic mosaics that come
to life in all kinds of light. Massive in scale, some pieces
reach as high as eighteen feet and span up to twenty-five
feet long. Many invite sitting, climbing or crawling through
secret passages.
Over thirty-five large-scale sculptural
works will be spread throughout the Garden, harmonizing with
the natural beauty of the landscape. April 29 through October,
2006.
Berlin
Berlin Guggenheim Museum — Hanne Darboven:
Hommage A Picasso
Hanne Darboven’s installation Hommage a
Picasso engulfs the viewer in 9,720 of the artist’s signature
sheets of paper with handwritten numeric writing, which are
encased in 270 framed panels and document the last decade
of the twentieth century. She combines this record of the
turn of the millennium with a framed lithograph of a Picasso’s
1955 painting #Seated Figure in Turkish Costume#, a series
of purchased and commissioned sculptures ranging from a bronze,
Roman-style bust of Picasso to birch-twig donkeys made in
Poland, and the newly-produced musical work #Opus 60# adapted
from her score.
Taken together, the various components
of the installation paint a multi-layered portrait of the
artists Pablo Picasso and Hanne Darboven, which interrogates
the fundamental issue of repetition and citation in art. Darboven
examines both the concept of signature style, which is fundamentally
about self-referentiality and the consistent reiteration of
the same or similar motifs and approaches, and the practice
of directly engaging aspects of the work of another artist,
either in homage or as a means to one’s own artistic ends.
Thus, the very notion of originality stands at the core of
Hommage a Picasso. Website: www.deutsche-guggenheim.de.
Edinburgh
Hans Christian Anderson 200th
Anniversary Of His Birth Commemorated
The centerpiece of the yearlong program
of events marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hans
Christian Andersen will be an exclusive UK exhibition entitled
Hans Christian Andersen – The Greatest Fairytale, taking place
in Edinburgh (January 28 – April 23). Website:
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/andersen
International Festivals Take A Bow in
August
The world famous Edinburgh International
Festival, Fringe Festival and International Film Festival
will be celebrating their 60th anniversary in August 2006
with a star-studded line up. Along with the Book Festival,
T on the Fringe, the Jazz & Blues Festival and the Military
Tattoo, these events represent one of the greatest celebrations
of the arts anywhere in the world. Website: www.edinburgh-festivals.com
A Celebration of Scottish Culture In
April
The Edinburgh-based Ceilidh Culture festival
held April 1 to 30 celebrates Scottish culture in music, song
and words performed by artists from across the globe. This
increasingly popular event showcases the best music, dance,
poetry and storytelling around, and is a great opportunity
to enjoy some wonderful Scottish traditions. Website: www.ceilidhculture.co.uk
London
Victoria & Albert Museum — Modernism:
Designing a New World
Modernism was the movement which revolutionized
the world around us and the way we live. It inspired our love
of minimalist architecture and design and still influences
the buildings we inhabit, the chairs we sit on and the graphic
design that we see today.
This exhibition is the first in-depth look
at the key movement of 20th century design, from the white
geometric planes of Le Corbusier's houses to the smooth surfaces
of the earliest fitted kitchen; from the aerodynamic lines
of the Czech Tatra car to the original tubular steel chairs
of the Bauhaus. Advance ticket booking opens on February 9,
2006
April 6 to July 23, 2006.
Outside London
Leeds, England
Henry Moore Foundation — Tropicália:
A revolution in Brazilian Culture
This Spring the Henry Moore Institute explores
the sculpture of Brazil, tracing the sculptors' direct response
to the country's staggering political and social fluctuations.
Brazil has exercised a strong fascination
as a site of modernity over the last half-century. This exhibition
returns to the first São Paulo Bienal of 1951, and proceeds
to the present day. The staggering fluctuations in political,
social and economic stability in Brazil over the past fifty
years have had visible consequences for sculpture. This exhibition
reveals how events have helped shape ideas about sculpture
as well as how sculpture represents those events. It opens
with the two award-winning sculptures from the first Bienal,
which marked the beginnings of a period of optimism in Brazil,
reflected in the growing interest in Modernism. International
attention was drawn especially to Niemeyer’s architectural
projects which seemed to embody the new confidence of the
country. His influence is represented in this show with works
by a current generation of artists who offer their responses
to his utopian vision. After the coup of 1964, which led to
21 years of military dictatorship and to strict censorship
of all art forms, artists had to find new strategies in making
their work.
Sculptors took advantage of the fact that
sculpture, by its very nature, could readily be sited beyond
the confines of the official museum or gallery. Often at great
personal risk, they arranged illegal ‘happenings’ and interventions
in alternative venues and on the street and much of the material
on show will reflect the unofficial and temporary nature of
this work. Sculptors working today retain this dynamism, supported
by re-invigorated commercial galleries and buoyed by a return
to democracy and prosperity.
New York
Helicopter Service To New York Airports
To Resume
In the very near future, New York City
will once again have helicopters flying air passengers to
JFK. Scheduled helicopter service between Manhattan -
Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB) at Wall
St. and JFK Airport begins March 13. The eight-minute flights
will also be resumed in April from the East 34th
Street Heliport.
US Helicopter hourly flights will land
at American Airlines’ new terminal at JFK, Terminal 9, gate
C43, right outside the Admirals Club
Service to LaGuardia from both Heliports
will commence later in the spring
• Passengers will undergo security clearance
at the heliports thereby avoiding security lines at the airport.
Through an agreement with American Airlines, passengers will
receive boarding passes and have their bags checked through
to their American Airlines flight when they check-in with
US Helicopter.
For a limited time, the introductory fare
is $139 each way.
For more information please email to inquiries@ushelicopter.net. Website:
http://www.flyush.com/?gclid=CN6jhNnUm4MCFQG7Pgod0DpwJg
Morgan Library To Open in April After
Multimillion Dollar Renovation
After undergoing a three-year renovation
and expansion, the Morgan Library, located at 29 East 36th
Street) is set to reopen in April 2006. The $102 million project
will double the exhibition space for the Library’s world-renowned
collections and create a number of meeting spaces including
a 280-seat performance hall, a reading room and a central
court in the style of an Italian piazza. New visitor amenities
will include a gift shop and two new cafes. Website: www.morganlibrary.org
New Bird’s Eye View Of Manhattan Reopens
Top of the Rock observation deck at legendary
Rockefeller Center reopened November 1, 2005 and offers visitors
spectacular 360-degree views of the city from a unique vantage
point—atop of the 70-story GE Building located at 30 Rockefeller
Plaza off Fifth Avenue between West 49 and 50th
Streets. The observation deck, first opened to the public
in 1933, has been redeveloped into a 55,000 square-foot, multi-level
complex with state-of-the-art features such as reserved-time
tickets, multi-media exhibits, a completely indoor viewing
area, and brand-new transparent, safety glass panels that
will allow completely unobstructed open-air views of prominent
landmarks. Information at www.rockefellercenter.com
Museum of Modern Art—Edvard Munch: The
Modern Life of the Soul
This is the first retrospective devoted
to the work of the internationally renowned Norwegian painter,
printmaker, and draftsman to be held in an American museum
in almost three decades. Edvard Munch: The Modern Life of
the Soul surveys Munch’s career in its entirety, from 1880
to 1944, showcasing his artistic achievement in its true richness
and diversity. Beginning with the artist’s early portraits
and genre scenes, the exhibition charts Munch’s move away
from Norwegian naturalism toward an unprecedented exploration
of modern existential experience. Through eighty-seven paintings
and fifty works on paper representing each phase of his career,
the exhibition reveals Munch’s struggle to translate personal
trauma into universal terms and, in the process, comprehend
the fundamental components of human existence: birth, love,
and death. February 19 to May 8, 2006.
On-Site: New Architecture in Spain
On-Site documents the most recent architectural
developments in Spain, which has become an important center
of international design-experimentation and excellence. Of
the 53 project featured, 35 are in design or under construction
and will be represented by models, while the 18 recently completed
projects are represented by large-scale photos.
To May 1, 2006.
Without Boundary: Seventeen Ways of
Looking
The exhibit brings together 17 major contemporary
arts of diverse backgrounds who primarily hail from the Islamic
world but live and work mostly in Europe and the United States.
Works by American artists are included to question origin
as a defining factor in the consideration of art. Exhibit
features 34 works dating from 1993 to 2005. February 26 to
May 22, 2006. Website: www.moma.org
Paris
Museum of Modern Art —Pierre Bonnard
Exhibition
The Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de
Paris reopens this month after a two-year renovation, with
its first major exhibition dedicated to Pierre Bonnard. A
master of radiant and expressive color, Bonnard was long dismissed
by critics as too pretty a painter. But his retrospective
at the Pompidou in 1984, and now this show of 90 oil paintings,
have worked to resurrect his role as a pivotal modernist influence,
an important bridge between post-Impressionism and abstractionism.
The exhibition’s layout by theme—the female
nude, then landscapes, then still-lives, etc—seems a bit heavy-handed,
but does provide a chance to compare work from different decades.
Much remains constant over some 40-odd years, such as Bonnard's
reliance upon color, not line, to define objects and moods,
and his play on light and reflection. He also painted the
same model in nearly 400 works, his wife and muse Marthe.
To May 7, 2006.
Pompidou Centre—Big Bang: Destruction
and Creation in 20th Century Art
Hard contrasts abound in this high-minded
show. Salvador Dali's “The Old Age of William Tell” hangs
alongside Picasso's “La Pisseuse”, while Otto Dix's Portrait
of the journalist Sylvia von Hardek—a monocled chain-smoker
in a checked red dress—is near Jana Sterbak's “Vanitas: Flesh
Dress for an Albino Anorectic”, which features a dress made
of putrid red meat. The exhibition is built around eight main
themes, including “Sex”, “War”, and “Re-enchantment”, which
are then divided into 40 more sub-sections.
The “Subversion” section has a section
entitled “Anti-Museum”, where visitors can watch Andrea Fraser's
video parody of a guided tour of a fine arts museum. There
is also some space for children—the “Childhood” section includes
a screening of a Laurel and Hardy film called “Big Business.”
There is so much on show that the pieces in the last “Pathos/Death”
section—including Andy Warhol's “Electric Chair”—are blunted
by over-stimulation. To February 27.
Toronto
New Downtown Home For Opera And Ballet
The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, the first purpose-built opera house in Canada, will
open in Toronto summer 2006. Located in the heart of the city,
the centre will be the new home of the Canadian Opera Company
and the new performance venue for The National Ballet of Canada.
The 2,000-seat R. Fraser Elliott Hall wraps the audience around
the stage for intimate connection and an unparalleled sensory
experience. The centre will open up the entire operatic repertoire
to Canadian opera lovers, with Wagner’s Ring Cycle set to
have its Canadian premiere in September 2006.
Andy Warhol Exhibit To Open At Art Gallery
of Ontario In July
In his first collaboration with an arts
institution, celebrated film director David Cronenberg will
help install and curate the Art Gallery of Ontario’s upcoming
exhibition titled Andy Warhol / Supernova: Stars, Deaths and
Disasters 1962–1964. Scheduled for July 8 to October 1, 2006,
the Warhol exhibition will involve Cronenberg in all aspects
of the installation, from the accompanying audio guide to
a selection of Warhol films to be shown.
Gardiner Museum All Fired Up To Open
Summer 2006
The Gardiner Museum is one of the world's
premier ceramic art museums. Slated to re-open in June 2006,
it is in the final stages of a $20-million expansion that
will enable the Museum to display new collections, present
special exhibitions and offer expanded education programs.
The transformed Museum also features a destination restaurant
with renowned chef Jamie Kennedy at the helm, and a new shop
specializing in artist-designed and handmade objects. The
museum's inspiring new facilities will allow the Gardiner
to provide memorable experiences to the diverse communities
it serves.
Ten New Galleries Now Open at Royal
Ontario Museum
From Ancient Egypt’s mummies and Medieval
Europe’s armor to the biodiversity of Canada’s hardwood forests,
there’s something new to discover around every corner at the
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The ROM unveiled the first ten
new and renovated galleries of Renaissance ROM, the ROM’s
eye-catching expansion and restoration project. Thousands
of exceptional artifacts are now on display inside the elegantly
restored heritage wings of the museum, devoted to the art
and culture of Canada’s First Peoples, China, Korea, and Japan.
The spectacular new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal
opens in late 2006, featuring a grand new entrance and six
new galleries overlooking the street. Designed by Daniel Libeskind,
the new crystal will be covered in a luminous skin of aluminium
and glass, and is certain to become an architectural jewel.
Tokyo
Treasure Trove of Dolls At Mitsui Memorial
Museum
The Japanese are fond of dolls: witness,
for example, National Dolls' Day, held annually on March 3rd.
For more about this obsession (which crosses age boundaries),
visit the new and plush Mitsui Memorial Museum, where there
is an exhibition of dolls from Japan's Edo era (1603-1868).
Among the highlights are the “Hina dolls”, which are exquisitely
crafted to resemble lords and ladies of the period, clad in
astonishingly detailed kimono. February 21 to April 2, 2006.
Dolls aside, the Mitsui also boasts an
impressive collection of Japanese pen-and-ink illustrations,
much of which is on permanent display. The work of Korin Ogata,
an early 18th-century artist, is particularly noteworthy.
Look out for his impressive ink drawing of an ebullient man
on horseback, shouting with glee.
Mori Art Museum —Cultural Interplay
Between Berlin and Tokyo
Since opening in 2003, the Mori Museum
has hosted a string of powerful exhibitions. This month brings
another: an examination of the cultural interplay between
Berlin and Tokyo, two of the world’s fastest-changing cities.
David Elliott, the show's British curator (and director of
the Mori), has brought together some 500 works of art dating
from the late 19th century (when Japan opened to the West)
to modern times. Visitors can examine the links between Bauhaus
and Japanese architecture and design; the impact of Germany's
avant-garde movement on Tokyo's artists, and the effect of
the second world war on the culture of both cities. With works
by individual artists and photographers, the show investigates
the broader historical events that have shaped the two cities
over the last 150 years. To May 7, 2006/
After a three-month stint in Tokyo, the
show will proceed to Berlin, in time for the final rounds
of the football World Cup
Olafur Eliasson — Hara Museum of Contemporary
Art.
Olafur Eliasson, a celebrated Danish installation
artist, made international headlines in 2003, when he filled
the vast foyer of London's Tate Modern with a staged sunset.
Now he is holding his first solo exhibition in Japan, entitled
Your Light Shadow. Eliasson manipulates colorful projections
in large spaces, and includes drawings and scale models.
Next spring, the Berlin-based artist will
create a permanent installation for the Hara Museum's roof.
Through March 5.
Washington, D.C.
National Gallery of Art — Cezanne In
Provence
Cézanne in Provence will be the principal
international exhibition marking 2006 as the centenary of
the death of Paul Cézanne (1839-1906). A key figure in the
impressionist and post-impressionist movements, he is often
seen as the father of modern art. This exhibition, by focusing
on the works Cézanne painted in and around his native Aix-en-Provence,
will celebrate the landscape and the rich associations it
had for him.
Approximately 117 of Cézanne's greatest
oil paintings and watercolors will demonstrate his intense,
emotional engagement with the countryside of his birthplace,
where he painted some of his most compelling landscapes and
penetrating portraits of family members. Works depicting such
scenes as Cézanne's family home of Jas de Bouffan, Mont Sainte-Victoire,
the Mediterranean coast at L'Estaque, the dramatic quarry
at Bibémus, and the Château Noir will come from public and
private collections throughout Europe and the United States.
January 29 - May 7, 2006. Website: www.nga.gov
************************
Travel Tours*
Ancient Attractions Highlight New Indus
Travels Brochure
Indus Travels Inc. announces the release
of a new brochure that features four of the world's oldest
travel destinations: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Dubai. Nine
different packages are offered ranging from four-day stopovers
to14-day tours, and pricing is valid through to December 2006.
Itinerary highlights include classic attractions such as the
Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx to off-the-beaten-path
activities like a Jeep ride through Wadi Rum, the dramatic
Bedouin desert where "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed.
An eight-day tour of Morocco offers experiences
in Casablanca, Fes, Rabat and Marrakech, all escorted by a
professional English speaking guide. All tours include superior
or deluxe accommodation.
Indus Travels specializes in small group
and custom private tours to exotic destinations worldwide,
at competitive prices that represent exceptionally good value.
Travel agents wishing to order these colorful,
12-page brochures should visit the Indus Travels website:
www.industravels.ca or call 1-866-978-2997 (604-279-8794 in
greater Vancouver.)
Fido for a Walk … Through France
Breakaway Adventures, a tour company that
specializes in relaxed overseas getaways, has made taking
the dog for a walk a lot more interesting. The company is
inviting pooches to join their "people" for three
different walking tours through France.
The High Alps Tour, an 11-day walk, is
a great choice for hardier hounds. Based in the Chablais region
on the Swiss border, owner and pet will follow well-marked
high level walking trails that climb through flower-filled
meadows and past glacial tarns to offer balcony views over
Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and the Swiss Alps. Each night
the pair stays in traditional mountain hotels that offer authentic
local cuisine, such as raclette served with smoked mountain
ham and fresh bread.
For more relaxed routes, the company offers
the Dordogne Gastronomic Walk, a nine-day trip past the pink
limestone cliffs, prehistoric caves and fortified chateaux
that line the Dordogne River – with lots of swimming (and
doggy paddling!) opportunities en route. The seven-day Jura
Vineyards Walk gives guests the opportunity to stroll through
the vineyards and apple and cherry orchards that characterize
the e rolling hills of the Jura and indulge in some laidback
wine tastings (Fido can wait outside!) along the way.
The High Alps Tour departs June 6-Sept.
14 and starts at $1675/person with an additional $20/per dog.
The Dordogne Gastronomic Walk departs May 11-Sept. 24 and
starts at $1671/person with an additional $20/per dog. The
Jura Vineyards Walk departs May 11-Sept. 20 and starts at
$1653/person with an additional $84/per dog.
While there will be plenty of gourmet "people"
food on the tours, travelers are advised to bring their own
dog food, and in most instances, pets are allowed to stay
in the same rooms with their owners. Owners are also required
to supply a health certificate from their veterinarian, and
pets must meet certain vaccination and identification requirements
for Fido to make it past French customs.
Breakaway Adventures is a tour company
that offers relaxed overseas getaways where guests can walk,
cycle, trek or barge through the back roads of 30 countries,
including Italy, France, Greece and Great Britain. Specializing
in self-guided and full-supported independent tours, the company
provides the highest level of service to its customers, managing
all the details so they can focus on the adventure at hand.
For more information about the company and detailed tour
itineraries, visit www.breakaway-adventures.com or call 1-800-567-6286.
Welcome to Asia Transpacific Journeys.
For 2006 ever-expanding itineraries of
18 small group departures, plus custom programs, encompass
20 countries in North Asia, South Asia, SE Asia and the Pacific
celebrates 18 years of conducting tours.
The tour Splendid Sri Lanka features the
Kandy Esala Perahera Festival in August. This 16-day itinerary
exemplifies the broad-but-intimate cultural focus that is
our forte: a wildlife safari on elephants, historic palaces,
temples of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, UNESCO World Heritage
sites, Dambulla Cave Temple, a traditional cooking lesson,
a classical music and dance performance, a visit to the Pinnawala
Elephant Orphanage, traditional festival in Kandy, tea plantation
visit, and Yala National Park to see barking deer, rare tuskers,
leopards and more. Leader David Rand will bring Sri Lanka
to life. A long-time regional resident, naturalist and south
Asia scholar, David provides in-depth cultural insights and
interaction second to none.
Mongolia is “in” right now, and Asia Transpacific
Journeys is there, too, at the Naadam Festival in July, a
national celebration that’s part of an Essential Mongolia
adventure including the Gobi Desert, ger camps and Mongolian
culture at its most festive. Tour leader Dr. Steve Halkovic,
a scholar of Inner Asia, brings unsurpassed knowledge, infectious
humor and an engaging style to our Mongolia excursions.
Trips are also offered in conjunction with
The World Wildlife Foundation. For summer 2006, there is a
Bali To Borneo departure focusing on the diverse wildlife
of rainforests and reefs plus fascinating cultural treasures.
Tonga and Fiji provides an opportunity to view southern humpback
whales, blue ribbon eels, lion fish and soft corals. Both
trips support World Wildlife Foundation’s global conservation
work. Correspondingly, in 1998 the tour group established
a non-profit The Asia Transpacific Foundation. The foundation
works with rural Asian communities to provide clean drinking
water through locally made ceramic water filters.
Austin-Lehman
Adventures Expands Destination Offerings
Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA), the luxury
adventure travel company specializing in client-service-oriented
programs in both North and Latin American destinations, announces
that it has broadened horizons for its loyal following. ALA
is a founding member of a brand new consortium, Trusted Adventures
(www.trustedadventures.com
), which mixes and matches its clients to adventures in the
Americas as well as in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.
The alliance offers 220 unique trips to over 70 destinations.
ALA is also participating in Trusted Adventures Reward Program
that offers a five percent discount off the current price
of any Trusted Adventures trip booked if you have previously
traveled with any of the five companies within the alliance.
Other Trusted Adventures member companies include Western
River Expeditions, Euro-Bike & Walking Tours, Wildland
Adventures, and AAVE Teen Adventures. “The premise amongst
all five companies is that the client comes first,” says Dan
Austin, Director, Austin-Lehman Adventures. “With this philosophy,
it’s only natural that our companies must look for ways to
expand opportunities for our clients. By joining forces we
can all, in good conscience, send out our veteran clients
to parts of the world that individually we don’t cover with
our own programs.” For example, he says, a family that has
traveled with ALA may have a teenager who wants to travel
with other teens. AAVE Teen Adventures, an alliance member,
can accommodate this ALA “grad” with a group of like-minded
adventurers on, among others, an African safari.
The five-company alliance supports Travelers Conservation
Trust, The International Ecotourism Society, Center for Responsible
Tourism, Cultural Survival, Conservation International, The
Nature Conservancy and Rainforest Alliance. For more information
on Trusted Adventures please go to www.trustedadventures.com .
For information on ALA’s 35 unique luxury, multisport, family
and active adventure travel vacations please ask for a free,
44-page, four-color catalog by calling toll-free 1.800.575.1540,
or e-mail info@austinlehman.com or log onto www.austinlehman.com.
TNT Vacations Offer $49 Roundtrip Air
To Bermuda
An incredible $49 roundtrip airfare to
Bermuda offered by TNT Vacations makes the short (less than
two hours from the East Coast) flight the season’s hottest
– and most affordable – ticket. From now through April 30,
TNT’s 189-passenger charter flight will fly from Boston’s
Logan Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy airport on Sundays
and Thursdays, giving island-goers a choice of a three-, four-,
or seven-night stay in Bermuda’s tropical paradise.
The low $49 roundtrip fare is available
when booking a complete Bermuda travel package, which includes
hotel accommodations, roundtrip airport and hotel transfers,
hotel tax and service charges. Complete package rates begin
at $399 for three nights, departing Thursdays. Departure taxes
additional.*
TNT’s Bermuda travel packages are available
at more than a dozen of Bermuda’s top resorts, including:
Ariel Sands; Aunt Nea’s Inn; Cambridge Beaches; CoCo Reef;
Elbow Beach, Bermuda; Fairmont Hamilton Princess; Fairmont
Southampton; Grape Bay Beach Hotel; Grotto Bay Beach Resort
& Tennis Club; Harmony Club; Pompano Beach Club; Surf
Side Beach Club; and Wyndham Bermuda Resort & Spa.
To learn more about TNT Vacations packages
to Bermuda and make reservations, log onto the TNT website
at www.tntvacations.com or call 888-GOTNTGO.
For more information about Bermuda, please visit www.bermudatourism.com
or call 1-800-BERMUDA.
*Prices are per person based on double occupancy for new
bookings only. Information is subject to change; prices are
capacity controlled and subject to availability. Prepaid government
taxes and fees of up to $121.30, September 11 Security Fees
of up to $7.50, and Passenger Facility Charges up to $13.50
per person and late booking fee of $20 for all reservations
made inside of 14 days of departure are not included in listed
prices. TNT Vacations specials cannot be combined with any
discount vouchers or promotions. Each price may not be valid/available
for every departure date. Listed prices include fuel-related
and all other increases as of 7/1/05, but may increase additionally
due to unanticipated expenses beyond TNT Vacations control.
Adventures Abroad Returns to Yemen
Government travel advisories for Yemen
have softened, clearing the way for the reintroduction of
this fascinating country back into Adventures Abroad's roster.
With a green light from government and a revamped, exciting
itinerary, the company's first trip since 1998 sold out in
days. Bookings are now being taken for their second November
2006 departure. The trip is a comprehensive exploration, featuring
mountain fortresses, incredible vertical landscapes, lively
markets, verdant valleys, tropical flatlands, and ancient
cultures. As with all their trips, this tour is expertly led
by an Adventures Abroad Tour Leader and escorted by local
guides with official agent support to ensure a smooth and
safe journey. Sales Manager, Lorna Lissner, recently returned
from a fact- finding trip to Yemen and was astounded by the
architecture, markets, scenic beauty, and the friendliness
of the people.
The Republic of Yemen, composed of former
North and South Yemen, is a country on the Arabian Peninsula
in Southwest Asia and is a part of the Middle East, bordering
the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden on the south and the Red
Sea on the west. Yemen was one of the oldest centers of civilization
in the Near East, controlling the lucrative spice trade. The
city of Sana'a, often called the "Pearl of Arabia,"
is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities.
Founded by Shem, Noah's son, its history is wrapped in a shroud
of the past. Picturesquely situated at the foot of Jabal Nuqum
at an altitude of 2,200 m, the Yemeni capital will fascinate
you with its beautiful old quarter, declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Adventures Abroad is in its nineteenth
year of operation offering cultural / historical, adventure,
and special interest tours in over a hundred different countries.
With offices in Canada / USA, and the UK, the tours attract
clientele from throughout the English-speaking world. Adventures
Abroad is fully licensed and bonded in Canada, the United
States, England, Australia, and New Zealand.
Website: http://www.adventures-abroad.com/
Nordique Tours Unveils Its 2006 Vacations
Nordique Tours, a division of Picasso Travel,
has unveiled its 2006 independent and escorted tours and river
cruises throughout Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and
Scandinavia for 2006. Whether enjoying a three-night stay
in Prague for as little as $99 or taking an 11-day Russian
Waterways Cruise for $1499, there is a vacation that fits
everyone's travel budget with a variety of experiences and
destinations.
One of the new escorted vacations Nordique
Tours is offering this year is a 10-day Royal Castles tour
at $1999 per person, double occupancy. The vacation is filled
with castles like those seen on a Rhine River cruise or visiting
the famous Heidelberg Castle and the fairy tale castle of
King Ludwig II in Hohenschwangau. The tour includes spending
nine nights in selected castles or deluxe hotels in Frankfurt
(Hotel Intercontinental), Niederwald (Castle Jagdschloss Niederwald),
Bad Rappenau (Castle Heinsheim), Wuerzburg (Castle Steinburg)
and Munich (Hotel Kempinski Four Seasons) and Salzburg (Castle
Hotel)?in Germany and Austria. Daily breakfast, several dinners
and a lunch are provided. A professional English-speaking
guide accompanies the group limited to 28 people on its air-conditioned
motorcoach for each of the departure dates of May 26, July
14, August 18 and October 13. For more information on the
new 2006 Nordique Tours, call 1-800-995-7997 or visit its
web site at www.picassotours.com.
*NOTE:
ShipsandCruises.com publishes these tour listings solely as
an information service for our readers. It takes no responsibility
for the reliability of the tour groups and the trips offered.
