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Greetings!
There's no denying that recent events have had an effect on
the travel industry in the last quarter of 2008. But that was then.
Already, the tide is turning. March Break was busier than ever, and my
clients are snapping up summer travel bargains already.
Out of this has come some irresistible bargains. Airlines are
suddenly competing for passengers, especially in premium classes of
service. Resorts are quicker to offer free nights and full board for longer
visits. The falling price of oil has removed some of the fuel surcharges.
And cruise lines, always the best value in luxury travel, are falling over
themselves to fill their ships, with some offering two-for-one sailings and
handsome onboard shipboard credits.
Travellers are also expecting, and getting, more out of their
travels now. Family travel is on the increase, especially to Europe (as
opposed to theme parks). Experiential travel is growing: Costa Rica,
Patagonia, Kilimanjaro, to name a few. Travel is no longer about seeing new
sights; it's about what Virtuoso calls "Return on Life."
You deserve nothing less. Come! Let's travel!
Roger Kershaw
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Ten Best Treks |
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 If
it's rugged outdoor experience you're looking for, here is a list of the
Top Ten Treks in the World. Of course, you can also count on me to find
you a deep soaker tub and a soothing massage at the end for a pampering
touch of final luxury, but in the meantime, enjoy!
Top Ten
Treks... |
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Hot 'n Happening Hotels |
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Shangri-La,
Santa Monica CA
Reopened after a two-year hiatus, this 1939 gem overlooking Santa Monica
Beach has revved up its Art Deco style with streamlined furniture and
outsize prints, along with a new rooftop bar, Suite 700, that will serve martinis
poolside. (Not affiliated with the Shangri-La hotel chain.)
Viceroy,
Santa Monica CA
An Urban Retreat at the Shore. City-smart and by the sea, Viceroy Santa
Monica fuses classic sophistication and contemporary chic to create a
thoroughly modern and uniquely luxurious Santa Monica beach boutique
hotel, with 162 retro-chic-meets-luxe rooms, dog-shaped lamps and Italian
bed linens.
Four
Seasons Resort Bora Bora
On this mystical island with its necklace of white-fringed coral islets,
Four Seasons elevates the excitement to redefine South Seas escapewith
luxuriously kitted-out bungalows sitting over crystal-clear aqua sea and
brilliant white sand. It's the kind of remote island idyll that appeals
both to honeymooners and privacy-minded sun seekers.
Hôtel
Particulier Montmartre, Paris
This relatively new property has been creating a lot of great press
rencetly. In the heart of historical Montmartre, between Avenue Juno and
Rue Lepic, nestled in a secret passageway nicknamed Le Passage du Rocher
de la Sorciere (The Witch's Rock Passage), hides a big white
Directore-style townhouse behind a discreet black gate and surrounded
with a garden suggesting to visitors an absolutely quiet journey where
every moment is rare and unforgettable.
The
Danube Express, Europe
The glamour of this distinctive "Hotel on Wheels" lies in the
experience and the journey, in the style and service on board. A unique
combination of modern comfort with traditional service and ambience, this
is a private train where the emphasis is on comfort, informality and fun.
One of the great pleasures of rail travel is the way a train gets you to
the very heart of a city. An unforgettable journey through stunning
scenery to some of Europe's most beautiful cities, from London to Istanbul.
Beautifully appointed compartments.
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Luxury Hotels with the World's Greatest
Views |
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Looking
for more than just the best bed, the finest cuisine, and the most
pampering service?
This list features a
dozen hotels from around the world with one-of-a-kind views. Stay at these
hotels and experience the world's most amazing sights: the Great Pyramids
at Giza, Mount Vesuvius, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Taj Mahal, the Grand
Tetons, Sydney Opera House, St. Lucia's World Heritage twin Pitons, Lake
Louise, Big Sur, Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, Patagonia's Torres del
Paine National Park and the White House!
Luxury Hotels
with the World's Greatest Views ... |
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Incredible Values! |
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Here is just a small
sampling of the incredible values being offered by luxury hotels, resorts
and cruise lines to tempt you out of the economic doldrums!
Crystal offers
$1000 to make it All Inclusive - Your Way!
A thousand-dollar per-person shipboard
credit on the majority of European cruises this summer.
Free Nights!
One night free in four, at Royal Hideaway
(Cancun)!
One night free in three, at Shutters on the Beach (California)!
One night free in six, at Hotel d'Aubusson (Paris)!
One night free in six, at Millésime Hotel (Paris)!
HomesAway throws
in a Personal Chef
... or anything else you can think of to
spend your $1000 bonus on, with any villa booked now for 2009.
AND, special discount rates of up to 15% off several prize
properties.
Virtuoso's
Exclusive Return on Life Promotions
A host of exclusive offers for tours,
packages, other discounts to bring the whole world closer to your budget.
For example, 9 nights' appointed accommodations in Portugal with
Virtuoso amenities; deluxe transportation with official guide; 11
gastronomic meals (5 lunches and 6 dinners); all entrance fees to
monuments and cultural sites; private activities including museum visit,
kayaking, boat tours, hiking, hot-air balloon flight, dolphin tour; and
arrival and departure private transfers ... from EUR 4300 per person.
30% off at Leading
Hotels of the World - plus free breakfast
Seventy-four of the finest hotels in
Europe, all at a discount and with complimentary breakfast, for stays
from May till September.
Two-for-One
pricing with Regent Seven Seas
Half-price cruising on most of Regent's
remaining 2009 cruises.
Two-for-One
pricing with Viking River Cruises
Half-price cruising on Viking's 2009
sailings in China, including next month. Save up to USD 5595 per
stateroom.
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Feature Destination |
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Chilean Patagonia
The most famous region of Chile, Chilean
Patagonia offers all the dramatic landscape one would expect from the
world's ultimate land's end.
Some come to hike the
most famous national park, the Torres del Paine, and revel in the snow-capped
peaks of the Andes and the pristine lakes and alpine forests. Others come
to see the glaciers and penguin colonies, which are some of the most
important ecological reserves in the world.
Here the South American
continent falls away in a dazzling explosion of islands, glaciers,
icebergs and mountains. It is truly one of Mother Nature's grand finales.
Seeing the spectacular
Paine Massif, near the bottom of the world, can be a demanding trek or,
with new lodges, a walk in the park.
Two relatively new hotels
in Patagonia add to the excitement in this region: 
The
Cliffs Preserve
This an eco-luxury retreat and private preserve of more than eight
thousand pristine acres of millenary forests and six miles of imposing
South Pacific coast strives to unforgettable memories delivering the
simple pleasures of life with a caring and personal touch with the goal
to bring guests and families closer to nature while they experience a
life-impacting journey.
Indigo
Indigo mixes a modern Nordic look with a magnificent natural world
showcased through masses of windows and open outdoor spaces. There's a
go-easy vibe to the place, and the quiet interiors are full of clean
lines and soaring voids.
Nomads
of the Sea - Experiential offer
Nomads of the Seas offers three programs that travel through Patagonia as
never seen before; by air, land and water. Thanks to the versatility of
its vessel, the Atmosphere, its complete aero maritime
transportation system and the expertise of its guides and crew members,
Nomads will make you discover a place you will surely fall in love with.
Referrals welcome!
The highest
compliment my clients can give is the referral of their friends, family
and business associates. Thank you for your support.
"One's destination is never a place,
but a new way of seeing things."
-- Henry Miller |
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