Around the Globe
Europe: On BK Wine’s new spring wine tour to Alentejo, Portugal, clients will visit award-winning wineries and delve into the region’s unique cuisine.
Central America: Garifuna Tours’ Eco Honduras 2009 package takes groups of two or more to the Maya ruins of Copan and the island of Roatan.
Africa: A 12-day Grand Tour of Egypt with Globus visits Cairo, Luxor, Edfu and Aswan.
Asia: Intrepid Travel’s 13-day Cambodia Basix tour explores local markets, Angkor temples, and rural villages.
Australia: Clients can ring in the New Year overlooking Sydney Harbor with Trek Travel’s Sydney New Year’s Eve package.
Exceptional Kangaroo Island Receives Top HonorsSouth Australian tour operator, Exceptional Kangaroo Island, was awarded a Best Australian Experience award at the recent Opal Awards, a North American travel industry event that broght together more than 300 attendees in Malibu, Calif.
Exceptional Kangaroo Island, which began operations in 1986, is a nature-based tour company that specializes in small-group, four-wheel-drive touring and upscale private charters. Programs feature unique landscapes, wildlife, heritage and local cuisine.
Awards handed out at the even are nominated and votes by Aussie Specialist travel retailers throughout North American and are supported by Tourism Australia.
"The Opal Awards gives us an opportunity to acknowledge the extra distance that the winners go to in helping us achieve our objectives of getting more Americans to Australia," said Michelle Gysberts, vice president, Tourism Australia Americas.
Exceptional Kangaroo Island managing director Craig Wickham said, "[We] are fortunate to lead an enthusiastic team who a Besttake pride in catering for our guests and providing an experience this award acknowledges as Australia’s best".
Exceptional Kangaroo Island
www.exceptionalkangarooisland.com
China by RailGeneral Tours World Traveler is offering a brand-new 14-day rail journey, Top of the World by Rail, through China aboard the new Tangula Train, which is managed by Kempinski Hotels.
The train’s custom-built rail are available in spacious twin- and queen-bedded suites that come with fine linens, picture windows, a flat-screen television, an entertainment system, a writing desk, a complimentary service bar and a private en-suite bath. The train houses a total of 12 accommodation cars, each with only four suites and a 24-hour butler on-call in each.
This two-week itinerary begins with a privately guided luxury stay in Hong Kong at the landmark Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel and takes travelers to Beijing for a three-night stay at the renowned Peninsula Hotel, with two full days of comprehensive, privately-guided sightseeing.
Following stays in Hong Kong and Beijing, clients will embark on a five-day journey aboard the Tangula Train through southwest China. While on the rails, passengers have a chance to explore the ancient temples of Xining, Delingha, Golmund, Cuono Lake, the Himalayas and the 16,000-foot Tangula Pass for which the train is named.
The train journey ends in Lhasa, where a private car escorts passengers to the new Sheraton Hotel for a three-night stay with sightseeing tours that feature Norbulinka and the Potala Palace. General Tours’ unique Go Inside Tibet visit at the Sera Monastery engages clients in intimate dialogue with resident monks.
The package include 27 meals, sightseeing, rail excursions and all internal flights. Departures are available from April 2009 through April 2010, with prices starting at $8,199 per person, based on double occupancy. AARP Members save $210 per couple.
General Tours
800-221-2216
www.generaltours.com
Around the GlobeNorth America: Trafalgar’s Scenic Parks Explorer itinerary is specially designed to appeal to families with a trip through Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Black Hills and the Grand Canyon.
South America: Adventure Associates offers an 11-day, 10-night Galapagos & Machu Picchu itinerary for $4,255 per person.
Africa: An 11-day Botswana and Beyond trip with International Expeditions takes clients on a river safari to spot hippos, crocodiles and herds
of elephants.
Europe: Hunting for fresh truffles is one of many activities scheduled on Italian Connection’s Piedmont Vineyards and Lakes tour next month in Italy.
Asia: Clients can take a whirlwind trip through Japan and China with Globus’ 15-day Treasures of Japan & China itinerary, priced from $5,229.
TourCrafters Offers Discounts and Deals on Europe
Family-owned tour operator, TourCrafters, is encouraging clients to travel to Europe by taking advantage of the recovering U.S. dollar. Now through Oct. 31, the company will offer a five percent discount on all travel — tours and packages included — to Italy and other European countries if travel is paid for within 72 hours of booking. Clients who travel on a TourCrafters Rome itinerary before Oct. 31 receive a free, full-day, hop-on, hop-off Ciao Roma sightseeing tour.
TourCrafters
800-482-5995
www.tourcrafters.com
Gate 1 Travel Launches Alitalia Vacations
Agents can now book independent and escorted travel to Italy and beyond with Alitalia Vacations, a joint partnership between Gate 1 Travel and Alitalia Airlines. The new partnership, finalized in June of this year, promises to expand Alitalia Vacations throughout the North American market.
“We are proud and excited to be involved in this new venture for Alitalia Vacations,” said Marty Seslow, vice president of marketing for Alitalia Vacations. “The marketing, operational, and technological expertise of Gate 1 Travel will no doubt be a huge asset to this new company as we build upon the brand name of Alitalia and work to give passengers an affordable Italy experience.”
Alitalia Vacations books travel to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Israel, Egypt and Danube River Cruises. Air service flies directly out of Los Angeles, as well as Boston; Chicago; Miami; Newark, N.J.; and New York. Escorted, air- and land-inclusive tour packages priced from $1,749 per person for eight days to Italy, and other destinations are also available.
Alitalia Vacations
800-914-9000
www.alitaliavacations.com
