New Tours: Where Exotic Meets Luxury
Combining the freedom of independent travel with the ease of having logistics handled, luxury tours now open remote, exotic destinations to travelers who have already visited the usual hotspots. Silk Road Treasure Tours offers an 18-day In the Footsteps of Marco Polo itinerary that begins in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and follows the ancient Silk Road through Central Asia. The route takes travelers to Samarkand and other UNESCO sites in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and highlights include insider-guided tours, visits with local families and authentic regional dining experiences.
International Expeditions, known for pioneering small-group travel to remote natural areas, has introduced a Nicaragua itinerary that pairs pristine wildlife reserves and uncrowded beaches with upscale accommodations. Often compared to neighboring Costa Rica, Nicaragua is emerging as a destination for colonial architecture, rich culture and wildlife, once accessible mainly to intrepid independent travelers. Cox & Kings continues to offer worldwide adventures; its updated catalog includes a new Grand Tour of North India, a two-week, in-depth program that features memorable experiences such as watching the sunrise over the Taj Mahal.
For safari travelers, Africa Odyssey provides luxurious wildlife viewing at newly opened bush camps in Tanzania. The 12-room Nomad Lamai Serengeti, which opened in 2011, offers a prime vantage point for watching the Great Migration and can be combined with other lodges, like Selous Safari Camp, for a custom all-inclusive experience. At the other end of the spectrum, the Great Canadian Travel Company emphasizes immersion in remote landscapes with a unique voyage along Greenland’s west coast. Shore excursions allow close encounters with village life, dramatic iceberg calving at Eqi Glacier and sweeping coastal scenery. The Classic Greenland Coastal Voyage has multiple departures through August.
Comparing the Fine Print
When buying travel insurance, common questions include whether hazardous sports coverage is required for skiers or if travelers with prior medical events need extra pre-existing condition protection. According to Squaremouth, a travel-insurance comparison site, the answers vary by policy. Many plans use a 180-day look-back period for pre-existing conditions, but travelers planning risky activities—such as competitive ski events—may still need specific hazardous-sports coverage. Always check policy definitions and exclusions before you purchase.
Live and Learn
Hotels are expanding beyond rooms and dining to offer lifestyle experiences. At Boston’s Royal Sonesta, for example, guests can attend ArtBar’s Classic Cocktail Classes. Held on the third Thursday of each month, these sessions teach the technique and history behind two classic cocktails while guests enjoy appetizers and learn about the spirits used.
DUS Goes Solar
Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) now features a photovoltaic installation of 8,400 solar panels covering an area the size of six soccer fields. One of Germany’s larger airport solar plants, it produces about two megawatts of sustainable energy per year—enough to power roughly 600 households. A display in the departure hall shows real-time energy production and carbon dioxide savings. Solar power joins other renewable measures at DUS, including combined heat-and-power technology in the airport’s block heating station.
Sweeter Dreams to Brussels
Ahead of its new route to New York, Brussels Airlines unveiled a fully flat business-class seat for long-haul service. The staggered 1-2-1/2-1-2 cabin layout provides each passenger with a 77.5-inch fully flat bed featuring an integrated massage function and adjustable lumbar support. The cabin also includes an updated entertainment system with a 15.3-inch screen, roughly 100 hours of programming, and in-seat power and USB ports. The new business-class product will debut on the New York route and later roll out across the long-haul fleet.
WiFi in the Air and on the Ground
In-flight Internet continues to expand. Qantas began piloting onboard WiFi in first and business cabins on select Airbus A380 flights between Los Angeles and Sydney or Melbourne; passengers can connect much like a regular WiFi hotspot and pay by credit card. Turkish Airlines added high-speed WiFi on transatlantic flights, allowing laptops, tablets and smartphones to access broadband in flight and enabling business travelers to reach corporate Virtual Private Networks. On the ground, Amtrak has rolled out free Internet on several busy eastern routes, including the Northeast Regional, Empire, Palmetto and Carolinian, with western routes scheduled to follow in coming months.
Lufthansa Private Jets
Lufthansa Private Jet expanded its North American presence through an interchange arrangement with NetJets Europe. The service offers flexible private flights across North America that can be booked through Lufthansa and coordinated with trans-Atlantic schedules to and from the airline’s North American network. Customers receive a single point of contact for flight arrangements, ground transportation and special requests, along with personal escorts and VIP transfers between Lufthansa and private-jet flights. Passengers also have access to Lufthansa and partner lounges and earn 10,000 Miles & More status and HON miles per flight leg.
Three New Fairmonts
Three Fairmont hotels were scheduled to open early this year, marking expansions into key markets. Fairmont Jaipur in Rajasthan features 199 guestrooms, nine villas, a Presidential Suite, rooftop bar, multiple restaurants, Willow Stream Spa, a 5,000-square-foot health club and extensive conference space. Fairmont Baku adds 318 rooms and suites in one of the city’s tallest new buildings, overlooking the Caspian Sea and parliament. Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv introduces 257 rooms and suites in a classic Old World design for Ukraine’s capital. All three properties will offer Fairmont Gold, the brand’s premium hotel-within-a-hotel service.
High Tea at Downton Abbey
Fans of Downton Abbey can visit Highclere Castle, where the series was filmed, and book an exclusive day with the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. The private experience includes lunch in the formal dining room, access to estate attractions and high tea with the countess. Limited to private groups of up to four people and booked in advance, the visit can be combined with other bespoke experiences for a tailored UK itinerary.
Deals
Jamaica Fairways
Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa and Cinnamon Hill Golf Course in Montego Bay offer four- and seven-night packages that combine guestroom accommodations and all-inclusive dining with golf on the seaside Cinnamon Hill Course (par 72). Packages include green fees, cart and caddy fees and taxes—four-night packages with three rounds of golf start at under $1,000 per person, double occupancy. Both the resort and golf course are about 15 minutes from Sangster International Airport (MBJ). The offer runs through April 30.
When in Rome …
Bettoja Hotels in Rome have a spring package tied to special exhibitions at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. The offer is valid at any of four city hotels and includes 10 percent off the best available rate, complimentary exhibition admission and guidebooks, a welcome drink, 15 percent discount at two hotel restaurants, free breakfast and WiFi. The special Guggenheim exhibition of American avant-garde works runs through early May.
Ski Free
Vermont’s Woodstock Inn & Resort continues to celebrate winter with ski packages at nearby Suicide Six Ski Area. Anniversary packages include weekend stays with breakfast, lift tickets and a spa credit, while shorter packages cover a single night with breakfast and lift tickets for two. A Ski Free program offers complimentary lift passes and Nordic Center access for guests purchasing a weeknight room rate or package, along with morning coffee, afternoon tea and discounted equipment rentals.
New York Break
Affinia Manhattan marks a recent $25 million renovation with a New Year’s Renovation package that offers 10 percent off the best available rate, two cocktails at the hotel bar Niles and a $25 SpAffinia credit. The offer runs through June 30; reservations require the booking code NEWYR.
Rewards
New Service, Double Miles
To celebrate the new nonstop service linking Boston with Tokyo Narita—the first direct connection between Boston and Asia—Japan Airlines and American Airlines offered double AAdvantage or JAL Mileage Bank miles for qualifying fares on the new route for travel between April 22 and June 30. Travelers were encouraged to pre-register for the offer.
MegaMiles at Marriott
Marriott Rewards MegaMiles members could earn 2,000 bonus miles for every stay beginning with their second stay before April 30 at participating hotels. Members could accumulate up to 50,000 bonus miles during the promotion in addition to base miles, with miles earned through partner airlines. Participants needed to register and select miles as their earning option and choose a participating airline before registering.
Alaska Airlines Additions
Emirates and Alaska Airlines announced a frequent-flyer partnership allowing customers to earn Alaska miles on Emirates flights to its global network. Miles counted toward Alaska’s MVP elite qualification, and the carriers offered double miles on each other’s flights for a limited-time promotion. In addition, Alaska Mileage Plan members gained reciprocal elite benefits when traveling on American Airlines as part of an expanded relationship, including priority check-in and boarding, additional checked baggage and access to preferred seating. Members could earn miles that counted toward elite status when flying on either partner airline.