Safaris with elephants

Small Group Journeys to Africa

With the concept of traveler’s choice in mind, African Travel, Inc. has a new Small Group Journeys option inside some of its popular tour offerings. The groups run in sixe from 4 to 12 people and operate more like a custom tour but with more social stimulation.

South African Discovery, as an example, is 12-day journey of discovery through South Africa that combines a fully escorted group tour through Kruger National Park, the Kingdom of Swaziland and Zululand, with a highly personalized privately guided stay in Cape Town. It includes an elephant interaction where guests can experience the thrill of being close to these magnificent creatures. It visits the third largest canyon in the world and impressive: Blyde River Canyon Reserve, often compared with the Grand Canyon, and including such natural wonders such as the Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels, Pinnacle Rock and God’s Window. The journey also includes a Cape Town private guided experience.

Highlights

  • Museums and historical highlights of Johannesburg, Durban
  • and Cape Town with a private expert guide
  • Diverse scenery through the forested mountains of Mpumalanga, Blyde River Canyon and a cruise on the World Heritage site of Lake St Lucia
  • Up-close experiences with elephants
  • Wildlife viewing in 4×4 vehicles in both Kruger National Park and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park

Priced from $4,695 per person land only, based on double occupancy.

Contact:
African Travel, Inc
(800) 421-8907
www.africantravelinc.com

 

 

Family Reunions by the Beach at Hofsas House, Carmel-by-the-Sea

Hotel in Carmel for families

Families get a boost from the fairytale hamlet of Carmel-by-the-Sea this year. European hospitality and value-laden packages are in fashion at Bavarian-inspired Hofsas House Hotel. The family-owned proper

ty is celebrating six decades this summer with a Family Reunion package for 2013.  The Celebrate Family package provides groups rates for rooms (with 5 or more rooms booked with a two-night minimum), complimentary continental breakfast, wine and cheese upon arrival, and much accommodation. Families can enjoy poolside chats or use a dedicated poolside meeting room that can be set for up to 40 people. Sit down dinners can be managed in several locations and catered according to taste through local restaurants.

Hofsas House Family Reunion Package includes:

  • Group Rates on Guests Rooms (starting at $ 135 per night, excluding tax when 5 or more rooms are booked for a two-night minimum)
  • Welcome wine with cheese and cracker tray upon arrival
  • Complimentary Continental Breakfast
  • Discounted Price On Use of Poolside Meeting Facility

One complimentary family portrait session on the beach by certified professional photographers; also receive a free 8×10 photograph. The photo image and additional photos can be purchased directly from the photographer.

Beach Fire and S’mores:
With the Beach Fire and S’mores package ($60), Hofsas House will provide all the ingredients necessary for a great beach fire and fabulous s’mores for the whole family.

Contact:
Hofsas House Hotel
(831) 624-2745
www.hofsashouse.com

 

 

Glacier National Park in Montana

Vacations By Rail Introduces New Glacier National Park Vacation

Glacier National Park in Montana is home to more than 25 glaciers, hundreds of lakes and waterfalls and a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna, earning it the moniker of the “Crown of the Continent.” It is also one of Chicago-based specialty travel company Vacations By Rail’s most popular U.S. travel destinations. Vacations By Rail offers more than 15 independent and escorted train vacations to the park including a new locally hosted rail vacation in time for summer travels.
The six-day Glacier National Park at Leisure vacation includes a knowledgeable host, plus one-way rail transportation aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder, hotel accommodations for four nights, select meals, and sightseeing (including a comprehensive tour aboard a vintage Red Jammer along the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road). Departures are available August 8 and September 5 and start at $1,375 land-only, per person, double occupancy.
Other product offerings to Glacier National Park include a rail-cruise combination package: the 15-day Empire Builder, Glacier & Alaska Cruise; a variety of independent train packages including the popular 7-day Empire Builder with Glacier National Park, taking travelers from Chicago to Seattle with a four-night stay in the Park; and, a variety of escorted tours including America’s Great National Parks and Yellowstone & Glacier Adventure By Rail, both of which include visits to Glacier among its scenic destinations.

Contact:
Vacations By Rail
(877) 929-7245
www.vacationsbyrail.com

 

“Train like a Local” Cycling Tours
Italiaoutdoors Food & Wine Tours this May and June 

Bicycle tours in Italy

How do top cyclists prepare for a race? Well, here’s how the top leisure enthusiasts do it. From May 26 to June 1 and June 16-22, Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine is running its Train Like a Local tour: an immersive, six-night, steroid-free bike tour exploring the foothills south of the storied Dolomites, an area widely considered the preferred training ground for local cycling and race teams. Climbs range between 900 and 1,700 meters – the tour is an ideal introduction to riding at higher elevations, preparing cyclists for more challenging ascents. The tour attracts adventurists who share a passion for cycling and culinary pursuits, pairing challenging climbs with opportunities to sample the Germanic/Hungarian-influenced cuisine of Northeastern Italy. The tour is priced $3,695 per person, based on double occupancy, and includes accommodations, all ground transportation, guide services, all breakfasts and three dinners.

Contact:
Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine Tours
(978) 270-5774
www.italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com

 

 

Diamonds for Diamonds at Trump NYCivanka-trump-diamonds-package

The Diamonds for Diamonds overnight package includes a one-night stay in a spacious Penthouse suite with floor-to-ceiling views of the New York City skyline, plus a $50 discount on a Balancing Diamonds Massage at The Spa at Trump SoHo, and 50 percent savings on diamond and rock crystal bubble earrings from Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry (these, we’re told, ordinarily retail at $55,000). The Diamonds for Diamonds Overnight Package begins at $2,800 per night and is valid for stays through April 30.  Book by visiting www.trumpsoho.com.

 

 

 

Napa Valley Wine Cruise

 

California Wineries offering Wine Cruise Tours to their European Homes

Two California wineries are offering special visits to ancestral homes in Croatia and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France to guests who cruise with them on two distinct sailings in 2013.
Tablas Creek Vineyard wine maker Neil Collins is taking his group to sister winery, Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape for tastings and tours of the estate and a lunch prepared by the winery’s Michelin-rated chef. It is Tablas Creek’s first wine cruise and it sails for seven days along the French and Italian Riviera onboard the 650-passenger Azamara Club Cruises’ ship Journey. The cruise departs Barcelona on July 18 with prices starting at $2,196 per person, double, with a private onboard wine program and the complimentary day at Chateau Beaucastel. Chateau Beaucastel is the winery selected by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to produce their first vintage.

Violet Grgich of Napa Valleys Grgich Hills Estate ventures to the family’s winery on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. The Grgich wine group sails from Venice onboard Oceania Cruises’ 1,200-passenger ship Riviera, departing September 7 and ending in Barcelona on September 19. Dubrovnik is the ancestral home of Violet’s father and the wine patriarch Michael Grgich. Michael is turning 90 this year, and came to fame as the winemaker whose wine beat the French in the 1976 Judgment in Paris. The event became the foundation for the movie Bottle Shock.
The wine estate excursion will be led by Violet and includes a guided tour Dubrovnik, a Grgich wine-paired lunch at a local restaurant and a visit to the family’s winery Grgic Vina about an hour north of the city.
The Grgich wine cruise starts at $5,374 per person, double, including the 12-day cruise, round-trip airfare from the U.S., the private onboard wine program and the special Croatian winery tour and lunch. Travelers who book their cruise by April 30 will also receive complimentary ship gratuities (a value of $360) and a $100 shipboard credit.

Contact:
Food & Wine Trails
(800) 367-5348
www.foodandwinetrails.com/Cruises