Tuesday 31 January 2017

On the runway . . .

PASSENGER traffic at Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai’s second international hub, witnessed a strong surge in 2016, climbing 84.5 per cent according to the traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports.

DWC welcomed a total of 850,633 passengers in 2016, up 84.5 per cent compared to 461,063 passengers recorded in 2015.

Passenger traffic growth at DWC is mainly driven by flydubai, one of Dubai’s two flagship carriers which operates on average 41 weekly flights to five destinations from DWC, in addition to its operations at Dubai International’s Terminal 2.


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Have a seat . . .



PULL up a chair to Canada’s Table . . . on August 27, to celebrate the country’s 150th anniversary, Canada’s world-class food, wine and hospitality will be showcased at a single, 1000-person, open-air table on Wellington Street.

For this once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience, ten top local chefs will partner with ten top chefs from across #Canada to stage a legendary four-course dinner with wine pairings in the shadow of Canada’s iconic Parliament Buildings.

This #Ottawa2017 Signature Event, under the Ignite 150 program, will feature all-Canadian products served to guests seated at a 305-metre long table (1000 feet) with the popular Sound and Light Show as a backdrop.

Canada’s Table is a non-profit event, with many partners donating their time or resources. Proceeds raised from the event will be used to aid local and national food security causes.


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Picture Credit: Maria Eklind 79123642@N04/3254514633 Cooking via photopin

Up in the air . . .

#Emirates has announced it will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Newark Liberty International Airport, via the Greek capital city of Athens, starting on March 12.

The new route complements Emirates’ existing four daily flights between Dubai and New York’s JFK airport.

Emirates’ new Dubai-Athens-Newark flight will also provide a year-round non-stop daily service between the #UnitedStates and #Greece – a service that does not exist today and has not existed since 2012.


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Picture Credit: BeeFortyTwo 95963839@N07/31188854753 Parthenon via photopin

Monday 30 January 2017

Heritage Travel






SOPHIA'S Travel is an award-winning travel agency and travel consulting service specializing in Jewish heritage travel, food & wine, and cultural travel, especially in Western and Eastern Europe, and the republics for the former Soviet Union.

Winner of the 2016 Travvy Gold Award for Best Small Retail Travel Agency, they have announced a new Cultural and Culinary Tour to Georgia and Armenia, with a special emphasis on Jewish heritage. The tour will visit Georgia for 10 days / 9 nights, May 27-June 5, 2017, with an optional overland extension to Armenia for 5 days / 4 nights, June 5-9, 2017.

According to the travel industry website TravelPulse, "Heritage Travel is the 'Next Big Thing'." For Sophia Kulich, a Jew, who emigrated from the former Soviet Union, Jewish heritage has been her passion.

www.sophiastravel.com


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Picture Credit:By Photo: Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48814947

Top urban destinations for 2017 from Travel Squire



TOP #urban #destinations from Travel Squire the online travel information resource and the reasons why they're on the list . . .

Chicago, Illinois: Architecture, Cubs rule, some of the best hotels in the US.

Hamburg, Germany: One of the top ten most livable cities in the world (The Economist), new Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall.

Honolulu, Hawaii:
Waikiki Beach - $330 million facelift; first Arts Biennial - March 2017; world's largest open-air shopping center; new vibrant culinary scene; historic landmarks.

Madrid, Spain: Host to the 40th anniversary of the first LGBT Pride demo; cultural activities galore.

Manchester, England: First industrialized city in the world! First passenger railway station, first programmable computer, first professional football team, and today: great museums, galleries, boutiques.

Montreal, Quebec:
Happy 375th Birthday! Free activities, tastings, guided tours, and the unveiling of an urban boardwalk connecting Mont-Royal to the St. Lawrence River-Promenade Fleuve-Montagne.

Tokyo, Japan:
204 museums featuring fine art to fat wrestlers (sumo) and a new museum dedicated to the artist Hokusai! 277 parks -- nature between big buildings; unsurpassed culinary scene -- more Michelin starred restaurants than Paris and New York combined; newly opened Train Hostel Hokutosei, with guestrooms laid out like sleeping cabins!­­


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Picture Credit: Nikonphotography D750 141529769@N04/31974171010 Hamburg Lights via photopin

Ritz-Carlton swings into China with its first golf resort

THE Ritz-Carlton, Haikou situated on the world-class #golf #resort of Mission Hills which boasts ten 18-hole championship courses designed by golf’s greatest architects.

Located in Hainan Island, often called the Hawaii of #China, the 175-room, 16-suite hotel enjoys year-round tropical sunshine for perfect days on the legendary 350-acre Blackstone Course that weaves its way around the world-renowned Mission Hills Golf Club. Built on top of a bedrock of ancient lava from extinct volcanos, the dramatic landscape features rocky outcrops with striking variations of jungle vegetation, expansive lakes and wetlands which can be viewed from every room.

Hervé Humler, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company stated that “The island is rich in culture and off-the-beaten track experiences that reflects a China many have not seen, making it an ideal spot for families and friends to travel and explore.”


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Sunday 29 January 2017

Last minute bargains from Ski Solutions

FANTASTIC late #deals from specialist operator #Ski Solutions, from breath taking glacier skiing and lively aprés-ski in Tignes to Mayrhofen’s vast multi-level network of runs with plenty of white-knuckle descents. Or indulge in a luxury getaway at Les Arcs’ first five-star hotel or a romantic ski break in beautiful Engelberg.

Tignes, France: seven nights self-catering accommodation at the three-star Val Claret Apartments from £545 per person, saving £220 per person.

Mayrhofen, Austria: seven nights chalet board accommodation at the four-star Chalet Stoanerhof from £480 per person, saving £470 per person.

Les Arcs, France: seven nights accommodation and half-board catering at the five-star Taj-i-Mah Hotel from £1515 per person, saving £315 per person.

Engelberg, Switzerland: four nights bed and breakfast accommodation and a free lift pass at the three-star Hotel Terrace from £695 per person, saving £100 per person.

Bookings must be made before February 3rd go to www.skisolutions.com


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Picture Credit: 61779926@N00/31529093920 iphone panorama Rome via photopin

Taste of Mexico






MEXICO'S cuisine is far more than tacos and burritos. It's full of flavor from indigenous plants and grains, and regionally distinctive. Tia Stephanie Tours, a premier operator of cultural and culinary tours to #Mexico, has now created three geographically-targeted gastronomic itineraries to Mexico, specifically: Yucatan, Baja California, and Oaxaca.

Culture and Cuisine of Yucatan
Yucatan's geographic location, distant from mainland Mexico and its blend of influences, including: Maya, Spanish, Lebanese, French, has created a singular culinary palate and kaleidoscope of flavors. Here, the cuisine is "Yucatecan" and not "Mexican," with dishes such as: sikil pak, fish tikin-xic, pollo and cochinita pibil, sopa de lima, and papadzules. Beginning at the Mercado Lucas de Galvez, travelers learn about ingredients such as sour orange, native squash, red and black recados (rubs or pastes) that make this region different from the rest of Mexico. A visit to Yucatan would be incomplete without exploring the Classic and Post Classic Maya Era sites, such as Uxmal and Mayapan and swimming in the deep blue, fresh water cenotes (sink holes). The trip begins in Merida, travels to Uxmal and continues to Campeche City in the state of Campeche.

Flavors and Landscapes of Baja California
Like the Mediterranean, Baja California's arid, sunny and seaside climate, is known for its seafood, olive oils, cheeses and is the epicenter of Mexico's wine production. This journey begins in Tijuana, were the urban revival of this border city becomes very evident to travelers. With renowned architecture, cooking schools, museums, restaurants and cutting edge food truck parks and craft beer! Baja's Museum of the Americas showcases the early settlers, missionaries and immigrants, who shaped the region and introduced grape cuttings here.


Beyond Tijuana, this journey takes travelers to Tecate, the northern entry to the Valley of Guadalupe to explore the wine production here, including famed vintner, Hugo d' Acosta's La Escuelita, wine making school, and numerous farm-to-table, al fresco dining options. Moving to the coast, seafood is explored and savored in Ensenada and Rosarito, famed for its fresh fish, seafood tostadas, and lobster. It is the birthplace of the margarita cocktail!

Maize, Mole & Mezcal: Traditions and Flavors of Oaxaca

Beginning with maize, the foundation of Mexico's ancient and present cuisine, moving to Oaxaca's renowned molé sauces, and finishing with the distilled beverage, mezcál, this trip not only introduces travelers to these foods, buts examines them within the historic and cultural context of Mexico.

Learning about ancient corn and its early domestication, which led to the great civilizations in Mexico and understanding how corn is the cornerstone of Mexican communities, including its daily ritual and veneration.

The revered distilled beverage, mezcál, will be explored, from the soil, agavé varieties and to its preservation. Given the recent boom in mezcál around the world, the mezcaleros are struggling with demand. This is creating strains on the ecosystem and the industry.


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Picture Credit: scanudas 44853242@N02/28244468364 Uxmal via photopin,  jypsygen 79538062@N00/3259854964 chicken with mole sauce via photopin, milkmyvolvo 134539284@N08/25687240253 Tijuana via photopin

On the runway . . .

FORMULA 1 star Jenson Button enjoyed racing through the skies this week after piloting a British Airways A380 flight simulator at London’s Heathrow Airport.

The former World Champion - who recently announced his retirement from the track - spent 90 minutes perfecting take-off, cruise and landing of the world’s largest commercial aircraft.

The simulator at British Airways’ state-of-the-art Flight Training Centre near London’s Heathrow Airport - where the airline’s 4,200 professional pilots are trained - uses cutting edge motion, audio and graphics technology to deliver a completely immersive experience.



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Saturday 28 January 2017

Saturdays busiest booking day of January



THE first Saturday in the New Year is dubbed “Sunshine Saturday” in the UK. It is the busiest day of the year for holiday bookings in Europe. As a recent survey carried out by the world’s largest travel group TUI Group has shown, January has become the busiest month of the year across Europe for the tour operator, with huge spikes in bookings observed each Saturday in January. 

This year, the busiest day for holiday bookings in the UK was January 7 with more than 27,500 TUI customers in the UK booked their annual holiday. Mediterranean beach holidays remain one of the most popular holiday types among British tourists, some top destinations include the Balearics, Corfu and Rhodes. 


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