Runway highlights from This Day/ Arise Magazine: African Fashion Collective at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York, Fall 2009.

Video:Mercedes Benz Fashion Week – NewYork

Source: WallStreet Journal Magazine

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is just 50 short days away! However, if you want to purchase tickets to be a spectator at these games, the clock is ticking. Now is the time to book your plane and admission tickets, hospitality and/or accommodations packages. The deadline for booking your reservations is fast approaching: January 15, 2010, to be precise. And, the tickets MUST be purchased here* at CoSport.net, the official Website of the Official Hospitality Services Provider for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games!

The destination for the 2010 Winter Games promises a slamming good time, from a travelers’ and sport enthusiasts’ standpoint, as Vancouver is easily accessible to great ski and winter sporting destinations as well as great shopping along the Whistler Village Stroll.

Book your admission tickets, hospitality and/or accommodation packages for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games here,* at CoSport.net, the official Website of the Official Hospitality Services Provider for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Make your arrangements today. If you need help booking travel tickets, contact a Lucky Duck concierge, we would be happy to assist you!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and save travels!

A Lucky Duck

E: askus@luckyduckconcierge.com

Visit us at luckyduckconcierge.com!

* Third party agents are prohibited from making booking arrangements for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Individuals will need to purchase their own tickets for admission to the Winter Games.

THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG POST MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, REPRINTED OR PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE IN ANY FORMAT, IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE BLOG SPONSOR.PLEASE DIRECT ANY REQUESTS FOR PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE, REPRINT OR REPUBLISH IN ANY FORMAT, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG POST TO LUCKY DUCK CONCIERGE SERVICES PUBLIC RELATIONS AT PR@LUCKYDUCKCONCIERGE.COM.

These are merely my suggestions based on my own reading, I’ve never been to any of these locations and cannot endorse the safety or true promise of the destinations or venues I dreamily discuss in this post. Bottom line, always bring your guide book with you (Fodors, Lonely Planet, etc.) and read and rely upon the remarks of those who have been where you’re going. More importantly, you’ll especially want to review the US State Department’s Travel Information (and Warnings/Alerts) before leaving for your destination of choice. I have provide a link, which I hope you will find very useful: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1080.html. While you are traveling, always be alert and always keep your valuables before you. But after you’ve taken all the necessary precautions, make sure to live it up and enjoy deeply!

Aldous Huxley quotation scribbled on a random wall

I love Aldous Huxley.I admit it, if it was socially acceptable, I’d probably name my kid Aldous. If you haven’t read Brave New World, Point Counterpoint or Doors of Perception (okay, the latter was a bit heavy), you are missing out! Sure he was one of the most notable authors of our time, but he was also one of the greatest intellectual travel writers. Not to mention his dizzying number of essays and short stories. Read them.

I’ve spent the past couple days holed-up in an office in northern Virginia, trying to finish my Amsterdam guidebook. During a moment (err- hour) of procrastination, I stumbled across that photo…

“For every traveler who has any taste of his own, the only useful guidebook will be the one which he himself has written”

- Aldous Huxley

After the performances in Monaco, our company has had an unexpectedly long visit in Nice.  Because of the snow, like many other weary travelers, our company members were unable to return home.  And now, four days later most of them are still stranded and may be unable to return until after Christmas! 

Waiting to fly

So send all of your positive vibes to them in the Nice, to help them get on a flight tomorrow so they can be home to celebrate the holidays with their families!  Check back here for an complete photo update on their performances in Monaco.  For now, stay warm, enjoy the holiday season, and keep sending good thoughts!

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced that international visitors spent an estimated $10.3 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during the month of October—nearly $1.6 billion less (13 percent) than was spent in October 2008. Total international visitor spending is down $18.6 billion (16 percent) year to date (January-October).

• Travel Receipts: Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $8.0 billion during October, a decrease of more than 12 percent in comparison with last year. These goods and services include food, lodging, recreation, gifts, entertainment, local transportation in the United States, and other items incidental to foreign travel.
• Passenger Fare Receipts: Fares received by U.S. carriers (and U.S. vessel operators) from international visitors declined nearly 16 percent to $2.2 billion for the month, a decrease of more than $420 million when compared to October 2008.

October 2009 marks the twelfth consecutive month in which U.S. travel and tourism-related exports were lower when compared to the same period of the previous year.

Monthly Travel and Tourism Highlights

• Year-to-date travel and tourism-related exports totaled $100.9 billion, down nearly 16 percent ($18.6 billion) when compared to 2008.
• International visitors are not the only ones who have curtailed their spending; in fact, year-to-date travel and tourism-related imports—spending by Americans abroad— totaled $81.6 billion, down nearly 13 percent ($12.1 billion).
• The U.S. travel and tourism industry has generated a $19.2 billion trade surplus (i.e., exports minus imports) year to date, a 25 percent less favorable balance of trade when compared to last year.
• The recent downturn in U.S. travel and tourism exports, beginning in the closing months of 2008, interrupted more than sixty consecutive months of positive growth.

Source: The U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating international travel and tourism statistics for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Statistical System. Please click here for more monthly travel and tourism-related trade data dating back to 1992.

If your inner-12 year old is itching to play with matches, these world festivals might be able to satisfy you. It doesn’t matter if you are into fireworks, effigies, or just a good old-fashioned bonfire, there is a festival for it.

1) Yamayaki – Kasugano-cho, Japan

Fireworks competition at Sumidagawa

The sky lights up in Kasugano-cho, Japan on the second Saturday of January. To celebrate the New Year, an entire 342 meter dormant volcano is lit ablaze. The festival dates back to a land dispute between two rival temples in 1760. Things got out of hand and the whole volcano was torched. As if a burning volcano wasn’t enough, there are fireworks too!

2) Beltane Fire Festival – Edinburgh, Scotland

Every year, on April 30, Calton Hill in Edinburgh is transformed into the Beltane Fire Festival. Based off of an ancient Gaelic celebration of the start of summer, the festival has now grown to having nearly 12,000 attendants. It’s considered a “modern celebration”, but still features various mythological and historical influences. After a large, quasi-ritualistic parade, a giant bonfire is lit to celebrate the end of winter.

3) Sumidagawa Hanabi Taikai – Sumidagawa, Japan

On the last Saturday in July, the annual Sumidagawa Fireworks festival will certainly satisfy your pyro-urges. The festival is a competition help between rival pyrotechnic groups battling for supremacy of the skies. The groups are known to be very creative with their explosions, using specially designed fireworks to create new colors and shapes. Events like this are held throughout Japan, but Sumidagawa is the most famous and attracts crowds of nearly 1 million people.

4) Navaratri – Gujarat, India

Navratri is celebrated nationwide on October 8-17, but the city of Gujarat is probably the best place to experience the important Hindu festival. The celebrations vary by year, but it always concludes with the Festival of Joy. There are large public battles of men shooting flaming arrows at giant paper effigies of monsters filled with fireworks. ‘Nuff said.

5) Oudjaarsavond – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Fireworks on Nieuwemarkt

Thousands of people throwing fireworks will definitely warm you up on a bitter cold New Years Eve. Large fireworks displays are held in Dam Square and other plazas, but the real madness happens when people toss firecrackers and roman candles at each other in celebration. Most people on the street get in the action, but make sure you keep an eye out for incoming fireballs. Bike riding is probably not the best evening activity on December 31st.

6) Burning Man – Nevada, USA

The Burning Man bonfire

Burn cream is a must at this clothing-optional artistic festival in the Black Rock Desert near Reno, Nevada. At the end of August, people from all over the world flock to an empty spot in the desert, where they build a unique and quirky art community. The wild week ends by lighting up many of the structures, including a gigantic wooden man. Fire, art and nudity sound like a winning combination to me.

7) Meskel – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Meskel Square, Addis Ababa

On September 27, Ethiopian Orthodox churches celebrate their religious holiday commemorating the discovery of the “True Cross” by Queen Eleni. The celebration includes the burning of a huge bonfire, called a Demera, which is decorated with daises and frankincense. According to the story, Queen Eleni ordered her followers to light a gigantic pile of wood on fire and then follow the smoke as it returned to the ground. The locals say that Meskel Square in Addis Ababa is the best place to check out the festivities… one million people can’t be wrong!

I have arrived in ShangHai.  The flight was 14 hours long.  I was cramped in next to a girl who spoke too much before take-off, and took some of my space during the whole flight.  For some reason, the right side of bottom half was in pain the whole flight.  It wasn’t excruciating pain, but it was pain.  I could not get comfortable.  Plus, people kept bumping into to me without apologizing as they walked up and down the aisle.  By the last couple of hours, I found a position that allowed me to get some rest.  I had to lean forward and put the neck pillow between my forehead and the seat in front of me.  I was very thirsty the entire flight.  I’m still thirsty.  Unfortunately, I do not have any Chinese money to buy some water.  I guess I’ll have to wait until I get to Beijing to get some water. 

At any rate, my arrival in Shanghai was differently than any flight I have flown previously.  Two airline personnel, one speaking Mandarin and the other Cantonese, waited at the gate to gather all of us who are transferring to Beijing.  They took us to the Quarantine, Immigration, and Transfer area.  Essentially, the 20 or so of us from MU flight 586 received a personal escort through Pudong airport.  I have no idea why we had this escort; none of the other transfers had the same service.               

Now, I’m sitting in the waiting area of departure gate 204, waiting for the flight to Beijing.  There is a smoking room near the door.  The door is also letting in the chilly temperature. 

Once I arrive in Beijing, I will have to pick up my checked luggage, then wait for 8 hours for my next flight to Kunming.  I hope I can find an outlet so I can charge my laptop and watch a movie.

So far, the plane food wasn’t terrible.  I wish they served more water.

Roni Responds is a new feature on TORWB, consisting of questions asked to Roni about travel, politics or anything else the public wants to know.  All questions are anonymous, unless permission is given to use the petitioner’s name.  Please say if you want your first name, first and last name or user name used.

All questions can be sent to roni@dontworry.tv.

Question: what is the most common bank in south america? I currently have bank of america, but im not sure if i should change to Chase or something due to access or lack thereof, in south america.

my other question is what do you think is the best way to get a phone? Should i keep verizon and pay the extra to have a working phone in south america, or should i get different pre paids from city to city?

Roni Responds: Can’t look at South America like it’s a country…  The banks and cell phone companies are all going to be different.  Even when you find the same bank internationally, it isn’t connected.  I have HSBC as one of my many ATM cards.  I cannot deposit money anywhere outside of the US with that account.  Not only that, with their fees, it is actually cheaper for me to use other ATM cards at an HSBC ATM abroad than to use my actual HSBC card.

My best advice…

is to look into a credit union.

I signed up for BECU in Washington state (which is the only place it exists, as credit unions are generally local endeavors). They have 1% international transaction fees and they don’t charge you for ATM usage.  I used to have WaMu, which also had 1%, but they got absorbed by Chase, so now it’s 3%.  Blargh.

That’s the key to it all, the international transaction fee. Also, of course, international ATM fees. I don’t have BofA, so I dunno theirs. Chase is 3% now, which sucks.

As for cell phones, it depends how long you’ll spend in a place.

I bought an unlocked quad-band phone that I liked (a Sony Walkman w800 or some such) and I just buy SIM cards wherever I go.

I would highly recommend a local SIM card over an international plan.

Note: People like to tell me that they don’t have ATM fees on their card.  Be careful!  Most of the time, they assume you’re just using it in the US.  There are two fees to look out for.

1)  International ATM fees:  Even if you have ‘free’ usage of your debit card, a lot of times that only is for in-US usage.  Make sure that applies abroad, as well.

2)  International transaction fees:  The bank will tell you: this isn’t their call.  This is levied by Visa, MasterCard, etc. and is generally between 1-3%.

The U.S. Dept. of Commerce (DOC) Commercial Service helps increase market intelligence on global travel markets by producing original research about select markets. The winter 2010 edition includes research on some of the strongest markets for inbound tourists as well as new, emerging markets. This edition also contains thirty-four global travel events that are supported by international Commercial Service offices.

The Travel & Tourism Team has compiled all of the research and events on the “Travel & Tourism e-Market Express” web page (http://www.buyusa.gov/eme/tra.html).

This issue also features a promotional tool that will help develop tourism from India. The Destination USA: India Virtual Matchmaker program scheduled for January 21, 2010.

This unique, virtual buyer-seller matchmaking venue is designed to introduce U.S. destinations, hotels and suppliers to prequalified Indian tour operators and travel agents. Participants will get a chance to present information about their destination, company, services and interact with potential Indian partners from New Delhi and Mumbai through a live Internet and telephone-based platform.

Several of the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries staff members are part of this team and together we provide the market intelligence and local assistance needed to assist travel and tourism related business improve their success in the international travel marketplace. Within the E-Market Express website, you will find a list of the U.S. domestic team members.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce (DOC) Commercial Service

I don’t know how many people in Japan celebrate Christmas, but check out this Frosty the Snowman bento box lunch and Gingerbread Man bento posted on Refrigerator Soup’s site….both excellent ideas and cute as can be!  Refrigerator Soup features a number of other Japanese-inspired creations.

As with many Asian cultures, the Japanese celebrate countless holidays, festivals, and other observances throughout the year.  Foods of special significance and symbolism are served at each meal, and the food choices are just as varied as the styles and types of Japanese meals.   Japanese cuisine prides itself on a large variety of foods served in small quantities that look exquisite.

You can experience the culinary wonders of Japan first-hand on a culinary tour customized especially for your family or group.  See our Japan Sample Itinerary, and contact us for more information.

Domo Arigato & Happy Holidays!

By Linda Tancs

Pablo Picasso famously observed that art washes the dust of everyday life from the soul.  Imagine what he’d think of the 10th edition of the Biennale de Lyon, carrying the theme “The Spectacle of the Everyday.”  The exhibition, running through 3 January 2010, encourages visitors to contemplate art’s place in a world defined by consumption.   Through sculptures, paintings, videos, photographs or installations by around 50 international artists, the complexity and diversity of simple human existence–the dust, as Picasso would see it–is celebrated.  While you’re in the city, why not experience the rest of the culture and heritage of this region in east-central France? Get a city card for 1, 2 or 3 days, which includes free access to the Biennale.

DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION

 The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.

Take $150 Off a 5-Night Flight+Hotel Vacation!

Get Ready for the Pride of Your Life!

Break out the glitter mascara, buckle up that leather, and slip on some dancin’ shoes–the summer’s hottest Pride celebrations are just around the bend. Now, when you book a Pride-filled getaway of three nights or more with Travelocity, you’ll save $75. Just be sure to enter in promotional code GL75 when making your booking. And don’t forget to stop by the Travelocity booth in San Francisco and say hello!

Click Budget Air for more Vacation Deals, Hotel Accommodation and Car Rental Deals!

Save $25 on New York Hotels!

Looking for more ways to save on travel?

Travelocity offers a special promo code that makes booking travel on our site even more affordable. Simply follow the redemption instructions below to take advantage of our Good Buy Hotel promo code and start saving today!

Redemption Instructions: To redeem your $25.00 USD discount, simply enter the code NYC25H into the Promotional Code field on the billing page and $25 will be automatically deducted from your qualifying Hotel purchase. The promo code may only be used on www.travelocity.com for the purchase of a Good Buy Hotel in New York City and is not redeemable on other Travelocity products or gift certificates. This code is valid through 11:59 PM ET, December 31, 2009. The code may not be redeemed in or exchanged for cash, and is not transferable. If lost or stolen, it will not be replaced. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotional offer (including any other promo code) and must be redeemed at the time of purchase.

Read the terms and conditions here.

Click Budget Air for more Hotel Deals, Vacation Package and Car Rental Deals.

Almost all Chinese people I know (myself included) love to celebrate the holidays (make that any holiday) with an abundance of good food.  Considering my own background, I think the Chinese have some of the most discerning palates and tastes in the world.  By “discerning,” I don’t mean that all food has to be 5-star restaurant-looking, but it has to be good.  Good by the Chinese cook’s own discerning standards, that is!

While some foods are symbolic during various festivals and occasions, many dishes can be served and enjoyed throughout the year.  Here are a few traditional dishes:

Ming Tsai’s Red-Roast Duck with Baby Bok Choy

Braised Chinese Mushrooms

Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage

Try your hand at making these and other Chinese specialties on a culinary tour to China!  The sample itinerary is posted on our Web site to give you an idea of the types of things you can see and do on one of our culinary tours.  However, we encourage you to take that inspiration (and your love of Chinese cooking) and run with it!  We will customize your culinary tour to suit your interests, preferences, dates, and budget.  Don’t just eat your way through China, this is your chance to truly experience the cuisine and culture!

Celebrations International Travel…Celebrating Life Through Travel SM

By Linda Tancs

So what does Hungary’s Tokaj wine region have in common with the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China?   Why, each of them is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Such a designation may seem surprising for a quiet, unassuming wine region less than 3 hours from Budapest, but the story goes that they’ve been harvesting the fruits of the vine here since the Magyar conquest over 1000 years ago.  The medieval cultivation process has been well-received over the years; Louis XIV, in particular, called the sweet white wine produced here the wine of kings.  You might likewise feel like royalty at Gróf Degenfeld Castle Hotel, a former palace set amidst the rolling hills of a 250-acre vineyard.  The Degenfeld family offers great food, wine tastings and tours from this four-star hotel in the heart of the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region.   Considering the lush pastoral surroundings of this historic area, you’ll no doubt find a peaceful respite fit for a king.

DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION

 The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announces that 4.1 million international visitors traveled to the United States in September 2009, a decrease of one percent compared to September 2008. Total visitation in the first nine months of 2009 was down eight percent compared to the same period in 2008. International visitors spent $10.3 billion during the month, 14 percent less than visitors spent in September 2008.

Highlights^{(1) (2)}

Canada and Mexico

• In September 2009, Canadian visitation increased three percent compared to September 2008. Measured by mode, land arrivals (1.1 million) grew two percent and air arrivals (421,000) increased four percent. In the first nine months of 2009, visitation from Canada decreased seven percent, with land arrivals (9.3 million) down eight percent and air arrivals (4.5 million) down seven percent.
• Visitation from Mexico (traveling to interior U.S. points) totaled 440,000, down one percent in September 2009. For the month, land arrivals (315,000) increased three percent and air arrivals (124,000) decreased seven percent. Overall, traffic for the first nine months of 2009 was down six percent, with land arrivals (3.2 million) down one percent and air arrivals (1.1 million) down 17 percent.

Overseas (excluding Canada and Mexico)

• Overseas visitation decreased four percent in September 2009 and dropped nine percent year-to-date.

Top 20 Countries

• In September 2009, of the top 20 countries 11 posted decreases in visitation to the United States. Visitation from five of the top 20 countries registered double-digit declines, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland registered double-digit increases.
• In the first nine months of 2009, 17 of the top 20 countries posted decreases in visitation to the United States, with visitation from seven countries registering double-digit declines.

Click here to access the 2009 monthly arrivals data for Canada and Mexico, Overseas, and the Top 20 Countries

OVERSEAS VISITATION

• U.S. visitation from the 27 European Union countries declined 12 percent in September 2009 and dropped 11 percent from the first nine months of 2008.
• U.S. visits from Western Europe, 970,000 visitors, were down 12 percent in September 2009. Year-to-date, arrivals (8.2 million) decreased 11 percent.
• For the month visitors from Western Europe accounted for 45 percent of all overseas visitors. Year-to-date, U.S. visits from Western Europe accounted for 47 percent of overseas visitors.
  • U.S. visits from the United Kingdom, 372,000 visitors, were down 11 percent in September 2009, accounting for 38 percent of all Western European arrivals. Year-to-date, visitation from the United Kingdom dropped 16 percent and accounted for 35 percent of all Western European visitors.
  • German visits were down 13 percent for the month and down seven percent year-to-date. At the same time, French arrivals decreased seven percent in September 2009 and are down three percent for the year.
  • Italian visitation was down three percent in September 2009 and down seven percent year-to-date.Visitors from the Netherlands were down 13 percent for the month and down 11 percent for the year. Spanish visits decreased 15 percent in September 2009 and decreased 12 percent in the first nine months.
  • Visitation from Ireland decreased 38 percent for the month, and was down 22 percent for the year. Visitors from Switzerland and Sweden were down two percent and down 23 percent, respectively, for the month. In the first nine months, visits from Switzerland increased two percent while visits from Sweden decreased 20 percent.
• Eastern European visits were down eight percent for the month, and down one percent for the year.Russian visitation decreased seven percent for the month, and was down one percent for the year.
• Visitation from Asia increased four percent in September 2009 but was still down 12 percent in the first nine months of 2009.
  • Japanese visits were eight percent above the September 2008 visitor levels but down 14 percent in the first nine months of 2009. Japan accounted for 56 percent of all Asian visitors for the month and 51 percent of Asian visitors in the first nine months of 2009.
  • In September 2009, visitation from South Korea and India increasedone percent and decreased two percent, respectively. Year-to-date, arrivals from South Korea and India dropped 10 percent and 11 percent, respectively. In September 2009 arrivals from the People’s Republic of China were up 16 percent and increased three percent for the year.
  • Taiwanese visitation dropped 21 percent for the month and was down 23 percent year-to-date.
• U.S. visitation from South America increased seven percent in September 2009 and increased four percent in the first nine months of 2009.
  • Brazilian visitation was up 13 percent for the month and up 11 percent in the first nine months. Brazil is the top visitation market from South America; and in the first nine months of 2009 accounted for 32 percent of visits from the region. U.S. visits from Venezuela increased three percent in September 2009 but declined one percent for the year.
  • U.S. visitation from Colombia increased 10 percent for the month and dropped three percent year-to-date. Argentine visits increased four percent in September 2009 and grew nine percent for the year.
• Central American visits increased one percent in September 2009 bringing the region to a four percent decline for the year.
• U.S. visitation from the Caribbean increased 10 percent in September 2009 and dropped three percent for the year.
  • Visitation from the Dominican Republic, the top visitation market from the Caribbean region for the year, increased 25 percent in September 2009 but declined four percent for the year.
  • In September 2009 there was a 10 percent increase in visits from the Bahamas. Year-to-date, visits were up 15 percent.
• Travel from Oceania increased four percent in September 2009 but decreased two percent year-to-date.
  • Visits from Australia were up eight percent in September 2009 and were flat year-to-date. Australia accounted for 82 percent of all visits from Oceania in the first nine months of 2009.
• U.S. visitation from the Middle East increased two percent in September 2009 and was down three percent year-to-date.
  • Israeli visitation to the United States decreased five percent in September 2009 and dropped six percent year-to-date.
• U.S. visitation from Africa decreased four percent in September 2009 and declined eight percent for the year.

Click here to access the rates of change for the top 20 overseas arrival markets comparing business, pleasure and total travel to the United States.

In light of recent international  legal jurisdictional issues  (e.g., accused child rapist Roman Polanski, the 6′9″ , 250 lb. Serbian thug,  Miladin Kovacevic’s flight to his homeland after beating 135 lb. Binghamton University student, Bryan Steinhauer into a coma… ) , we thought it important for Americans to know the countries with which we have extradition treaties.

From Wikipedia:

The following is a List of United States extradition treaties :

L – List treaty
DC – Dual criminality treaty

Conversely, as horribly exemplified  in the Amanda Knox trial and conviction, when Americans are overseas, we shouldn’t presume our personal and legal rights as we enjoy them here in the United States,  translate equally in foreign legal systems.   One should always be aware of the local American embassy, consulate or missions contact information in destiny and travel  locations.  US Department of State Embassy global listing,

As always, travel  safe, especially during this holiday season.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia is fourth largest urban area in United States of Pennsylvania. This city is one of most popular tourist destination which attracts so many visitors and enjoys their colorful days. This city has its own unique identity as an international travel because of its famous travel and attraction places. In this city visitors find all those place to which them they want to enjoy like adventure places and nature loving place. This city also offers an attractive view of skylines and attracts all visitors for their comfort. For comfort and luxurious you can stay with hilton philadelphia hotel and can search also cheap hotels with discount offer on reservation.

Hilton Hotel

Hilton Philadelphia is one of most famous and three star accommodations where mostly visitors love to stay because of its world class facilities and location which is closer to all major places. This hotel is located at half a mile from international airport at Island Avenue. This hotel greets all visitors with a great smile because it is only and only one of best hotels in philadelphia to which we can say that it is our home.

Hilton Hotel Guest Room

If you see amenities of this hotel then you can all of them at other hotels which are so expansive but there you will enjoy them at discount offers. For tourists this hotel has three hundred thirty one rooms with nine floors. The hotel also offers room service, free parking, business center, wireless Internet access, 24-hour front desk service, and airport shuttle service. All guest rooms feature multi-line phones, voicemail, free local calls, cable TV, in-room movies and video games, irons and ironing boards, hairdryers, and individual climate control. If you want to really enjoy you luxury travel with budget then stay here and enjoy your moments of life.

Boston to London from $624 Roundtrip Total!

Traces of Roman London are visible by the entrance to Tower Bridge Tube station: A few feet of the wall that surrounded the Roman garrison of Londinium are on permanent display. Stand on the pavement above the same Tube Station, and you will be surrounded by a 360 degree view of 2000 plus years of London’s history: From the Medieval rock walls of the tower of London, next to the Victorian era ironworks of tower bridge, against a backdrop of 21rst century glass trading towers, and from the sleek contemporary lines of the millennium bridge, to the renascentist dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and finally back to the Roman wall. This is the real center of London: Located between the iconic Tower Bridge and the current London Bridge (the original London Bridge now resides in the middle of the Arizona desert). Uncover thousands of years of history at your feet with vayama’s cheap flights to London this winter season.

Go to Budget Air for more Vacation Deals, Hotel Deals and Car Rental Deals.

Rasamalaysia.com is offering a chance to win a copy of this unique new cookbook.   Here’s the link to enter by leaving a comment:  http://tinyurl.com/yjhfog6

Subtitled “Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens”, the cookbook offers a collection of recipes from various cuisines across Asia.

I must confess that I wasn’t always a fan of Asian foods while growing up.  I’m an American-born southern girl of Chinese heritage; many times I preferred to stick to good old macaroni and cheese!  But now that my husband and I have combined two distinct Asian cultures in our household, we are both ardent connoisseurs of all Asian cuisines.  (We’ll still join you any day for some scrumptious BBQ, NY Strip, or hearty American breakfast any day!)

I think this cookbook is a great way to not only celebrate our Asian origins, but to acknowledge and embrace our way of life in our American homeland as well.

Celebrations International Travel currently has sample itineraries for culinary tours in China, India, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam.  We customize all itineraries to suit your family or group’s preferences, budget, and travel timeframe.

Interested in visiting another country in Asia or elsewhere in the world?  Let us know and we will create the tour just for you!  Contact us to start planning your culinary tour today!

By Linda Tancs

Shetland is, as its website says, an area where Scotland meets Scandinavia and the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Given this description, you would imagine there’s a fair degree of diversity in the landscape. Indeed, the region boasts a geological bonanza of newly-birthed mountains, ancient rivers, tropical seas and deserts. No wonder that Shetland has recently been designated a European Geopark. Simply put, a European Geopark is an area with a unique geological heritage that fosters the development of geotourism. There are currently 34 geoparks among 13 European countries. Learn more here.

DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION

 The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.

The following is a press release from Azamara Cruises, detailing the re-launch of its destination-focused cruise line.  I am excited to share these updates with you, and I believe these changes and enhancements will be much appreciated by seasoned travelers and those with a keen interest in exploring their destinations.

The Azamara Club Cruises Overview flyer provides information on the cruise line’s new features, amenities, and other enhancements.  Contact our agency to book your cruise vacation today!

AZAMARA CRUISES BECOMES “AZAMARA CLUB CRUISES”

Newly refined brand unveils multiple new attributes for upmarket travelers Azamara Cruises – the two-ship brand launched in 2007 with the 694-guest Azamara Journey and sister ship Azamara Quest – today became “Azamara Club Cruises,” with a newly refined focus, and a series of new attributes designed for upmarket, experienced travelers.

“This isn’t a strategy of going ‘from good to great’,” said Azamara Club Cruises President & CEO Larry Pimentel. “This is about taking an already great product and making it exceptional.”

Tapped to take the helm of Azamara Cruises in July of this year, Pimentel spent several weeks talking with travel agents, past guests and press to determine how to make his great-to-exceptional goal a reality.  He also tapped a small new team focused 100 percent on Azamara, including VP of Sales & Marketing Edie Bornstein, AVP of Hotel Operations Bert Van Middendorp, Director of Marketing Signe Bjorndal, Director of National Accounts Michelle Nevin, and an eight-member field sales team dedicated solely to Azamara.

Together, Pimentel and team shaped the new Azamara Club Cruises, whose most distinguishing new attributes will be in effect by April 2010.

“Today’s cruisers have incredible new vacation options – like Celebrity’s stunning Solstice Class, and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas,” said Pimentel. “Azamara Club Cruises will distinguish itself by delivering the destination like no other line.”

Azamara Club Cruises will visit 140 ports in 50 countries in 2010, with itineraries featuring more overnight stays to allow guests to immerse themselves in communities and cultures.  Among the overnight locations are Istanbul, Turkey; Sorrento, Italy, which offers a host of tour options along the Amalfi Coast and Capri; a full three days and two nights in St. Peters burg, Russia on Azamara’s Scandinavia and Russia itineraries; and multiple overnight stays in Azamara’s Southeast Asia region, including Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“We’re going to slow down the tempo, and allow our guests to not just see the destination, but to live it,” said Pimentel. “Consider destinations like St. Tropez or St. Petersburg, Russia.  If you’ve experienced them only by day, you haven’t really experienced them.  With Azamara, through more overnight stays and late-night stays, you can.”

The destination focus of Azamara Club Cruises inspired the brand’s new tagline – “You’ll love where we take you” – and will extend to its shore excursions, too, an essential ingredient to allow guests to truly experience a community and its culture.

Azamara has created distinctive two-day packages tailored to the overnight destinations, to make it easy for guests to immerse themselves in each location, whether it’s Dubrovnik, Croatia; Odessa, Ukraine; Livorno (Florence), Italy, Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany, or London, in addition to Sorrento and St. Petersburg.  Azamara also will offer experiences such as a two-night package from Bangkok to Laos; an overnight tour from Hiroshima to Osaka via bullet train; a three-night experience from Mumbai including a visit to the Taj Mahal; overnight tours in Israel between Ashdod and Cairo, and a Grand Egypt tour featuring the best of both Luxor and Cairo.

Among Azamara’s specialty tours include a Ferrari driving tour in Civitavecchia, Italy; a walk down memory lane in Liverpool with the “In the steps of The Beatles” tour; a private demonstration of chocolate flavors in Dubrovnik; a “Theatre A La Carte” evening in London; Croatian liqueur tasting in Zadar; an Imperial Russian Court evening at Tsarskoye Selo in St. Petersburg; an evening gondola serenade in Venice; and high tea at the Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai.

Praised for its dining experience since its founding, Azamara will continue to place a heavy emphasis on fine cuisine, and will expand its focus on wine to include vintages from boutique wineries around the world.  Guests will have the opportunity to taste high quality wines that may be unavailable at home, because the selected vineyards produce a strictly limited quantity each year, distributed primarily locally. The featured wines will be offered complimentary at lunches and dinners on every sailing.

Wellness and vigor will be a core component of the Azamara Club Cruises experience, too, with onboard and land-based experiences designed to help guests feel and look healthier and more youthful. Azamara’s aim in wellness and vigor is to help guests balance their physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual needs through massages, facials and other spa treatments, as well as acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, and enrichment programs.

The newly refined brand also is intensely focused on offering an intangible attribute essential to a successful upmarket product: exceptional service.

“Extraordinary service is paramount with Azamara Club Cruises,” said Pimentel. “We know every travel and hospitality organization proclaims it’s committed to great service, so what will make Azamara stand out?  First, our butlers will be trained to be true English butlers, to offer that fine balance of anticipatory, pampering, yet non-intrusive service to guests in every suite.”

Guests in staterooms will be served by the line’s host of experienced stateroom attendants.

Azamara Club Cruises also will offer many inclusive amenities, with the following included in the cruise fare beginning with the first voyages in April 2010 on Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest:  a specific brand of bottled water offered at no charge throughout the voyage, whether in public venues or in staterooms; specialty coffees and teas; housekeeping and dining gratuities; shuttlebus service to/from port communities, where available; destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programs; most meals and room service; house wine at lunches and dinners; and self-service laundry. Specialty dining in Azamara’s intimate Prime C steakhouse and the Mediterranean-influenced Aqualina will be complimentary for suite guests for the duration of their cruise.

Cruisers who can’t get enough of Azamara will be invited to join the line’s new loyalty program, “Le Club Voyage,” with specific features and benefits yet to be announced.

Los Angeles International Airport

Just about everything I could pack into my orange duffle bag and red laptop backback, I packed last night. There were a few items I packed in the morning, namely this laptop with cord, cell phone and wallet. Fortunately, last night I found a small Avon gift bag that I can use to hold my wallet and Advil that I want to keep with me in my seat during the flights. It’s a cute little thing, too, cream with green trimmings.

I took the first of my altitute sickness pill last night, and another one this morning. I’m supposed to take them twice a day. I really hope they work because I get pretty bad altitute sickness. My body does not aclimate to the elevation at all. I found this out when I went camping with Somany and family August 2007. I was sick the whole two weeks and got nose bleed at night.

Before I left to wait for the pick-up, I emailed Silva the codes for the tournament at Monroe this Saturday. Anne Burnett, the Burbank coach was nice enough to look after my kids for me at the tournament. Once they complete all three rounds at this tournament they will be qualified to compete for a slot at State in March. At any rate, on with the story….
The limousine company picked me up on time, but it took about 45 to 50 minutes to get from Van Nuys to the LAX; rush hour traffic on the 405. The driver did not understand that I was on an international flight. He dropped me off at Terminal 2, insisting that this was the correct terminal. It was not. China Eastern Airlines flies out of Terminal B – Tom Brady International Terminal. I ended up walking and dragging my two bags about half a mile, ok maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. It was closer to one quarter to one third of a mile.

Once inside the airport, I found the check-in lines for my airline quickly, and did not have to wait in line more than 10 minutes. The line for the final security check for carry-ons was quite long. That was a longer wait than the check-in counter. Everything went smoothly, except I have to pick up my checked luggage in Beijining, and check in again, as well. It won’t be a mad dash through an unfamiliar airport, though. I have an 8 hour layover in Beijing at night. I guess I will be sleeping or hanging out at the baggage claim area until morning. I brought Tuck Everlasting and the 10th Kingdom miniseries to help pass the time.

I ran into a See’s Candies island on the way to my gate. On impulse I bought a 10 oz package of the peanut brittle. I hope this will get me through not eating real food on three flights, not that peanut brittle is real food, but you know what I mean.

So, now I am sitting at Departure Gate 123, or rather across from Gate 123A, waiting for boarding. It is just after 10 in the morning. Boarding time for my flight is supposed to start around 11:45 AM.

At the same gate was a Mexicana flight to Guadalajara. The flight was supposed to depart at 11:45 AM. The crew started checking people’s passport and boarding pass shortly after 10 AM, but they did not board until about 11 AM. It was a small flight, but they looked huge in the waiting area. I was a bit annoyed because I wanted to charge my laptop, but the people waiting to board that flight were blocking the outlets. Eventually, I did get to an outlet to charge my laptop.

While waiting, a girl came up to me and asked me if I could watch her stuff while she went to the restroom. After she came back, we talked about flying and Shanghai. She lived about 5 hours from Shanghai. She’s going home to see her family during the winter break from USC.