Transat Discoveries Unveils its 2012/2013 Brochure

Transat DiscoveriesNearing its first anniversary (October), Transat Discoveries unveiled its 2012/2013 brochure during a press luncheon yesterday afternoon in Toronto. The new and improved brochure, which will be distributed to Ontario travel agencies beginning in September, features exotic escorted tours in Thailand, Tanzania, South Africa, Laos, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, as well as packages in Eastern Europe.

The company has also included:

  • Fly & Drive tours to explore Iceland and Scandinavia (12 days)
  • River cruising in Asia featuring a world-renowned Mekong river cruise
  • Add-ons such as mini tours and beach stays, allowing travellers to build their own itinerary.

Some of the new and exciting itineraries highlighted during the presentation included:

  • 12-day Colours of Brazil tour, which now includes Iguazu Falls
  • 13-day Enchanting Thailand
  • 13-day Charming Vietnam
  • 16-day Turkey: Ottoman Discoveries tour
  • 8-day Johannesburg to Cape Town honeymoon mini tour

Everything in the brochure can be customized, which gives travellers lots of freedom to build their own itineraries. “It is very unique to anything our sister brand (Transat Holidays) is doing,” said Dan Prior, the company’s sales director, when speaking about the Turkey tour. Also unique to Transat Discoveries are its early booking promos:

  • Save up to $400 per couple
  • Save up to an additional $120 with the repeat traveller discount
  • Book before November 30, 2012 to pay half the deposit — $250 instead of $500

Transat Discoveries’ best-selling tours of 2012 included:

  • 12-day Magical Morocco
  • 13-say Mysteries of Peru
  • 12-day Kenya & Tanzania: The Call of the Wild

…each of which remains available in 2013.

Most of these are small exclusive groups — in fact, on some tours the maximum is 10 people, so you really get a personalized experience! I think these are some pretty phenomenal packages, so I’ll be talking about them in greater detail in upcoming posts. Stay tuned for more info!

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Luxury Private Jet World Tour

Are you desperately seeking some adventure between October 11 and November 1, 2012? Do you have about $90,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Excellent! We’ve got the perfect trip for you!

Lakani World Tour MapLakani World Tours has a few seats left on its 22-day Luxury Private Jet Around the World tour. Explore Azerbaijan, Russia, France, Nepal & more.

Sure, after 22 days the money will be gone and the trip will be over. Ah well – easy come, easy go! How can you pass up all these perks?

  • Included in the bargain price of nearly $100k (did we mention that’s per person?) is the “luggage one-touch” service, which means once your luggage arrives in Seattle, you won’t have to handle it again until you get back. Whew, we wouldn’t want anyone to handle luggage!
  • No overnight flights. Huh, now that’s well-planned travel.
  • Travel the world with 50 of your closest … well, strangers.

But wait … that bargain price is based on double occupancy. So if you’re “flying solo” so to speak, it’ll cost you an extra $4950 for the ticket. So you’d better start calling all your well-to-do friends!

According to Lakani.com, this round-the-world venture features the following highlights:

  • Admire UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Ming & Qing Dynasties in Manchuria, China
  • Discover the Flaming Cliffs, take a camel ride through the Gobi Desert and witness the traditions of a Nomadic people at a Naadam Festival held exclusively for you in Mongolia
  • Marvel at the archaeological wonder of Cambodia’s Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat and enjoy a colorful Aspara dance performance at a festive reception with the illuminated temple as backdrop

And there’s plenty more where that came from. So what are you waiting for? Get on the phone, call your buddies and book those last few seats! It’s just money ;-)

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18 Things I Want to Do & See Before I Die

Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans. ~John Lennon

I asked our travel agents where are some of the most exotic places around the world? What are some of the most exciting excursions? What are some of the must-see and must-dos in the world. While some of their answers were more exotic than others, they were all worthy of making this list: 18 Things I Want to Do & See While I Still Can.

Here are some of the highlights!

Holguin Cuba Beach
#18: A beach in Cuba. Sounds simple, right? It is! Cuba has some of the most spectacular beaches in the entire world, with white powdery sand and crystal clear waters.

 

#17: Galapagos Islands. Our very own Debbie Maguire recently visited the Galapagos Islands and was lucky enough to swim with sea lions!

swimming with sea lions

#16: NYC Deli. Ya, that sounds about right to me! You haven’t had a real sandwich until you’ve been to a New York City Jewish deli. I recommend Carnegie Deli on 7th Ave at 55th St.

#15: Le Lido in Paris, France. You don’t hear as much about this one, I think simply because there are so many sights to see in France. But the cabaret show at Le Lido is not to be missed.

#14: Speaking of Paris shows, Moulin Rouge is another must-see when visiting France. This show features world-renowned showgirls and Cancan dancers!

Gorilla in Rwanda#13: Gorillas in the Mist. Remember the Sigourney Weaver movie about naturalist  Dian Fossey? Imagine walking the same Rwandan jungle with the mountain gorillas, quietly gazing upon these gorgeous creatures. Top of my list for sure!

#12: Inca Trail Hike: This is one of the most famous hikes in the world. The 4-day walk takes you through 45 kms of mountain scenery, subtropical jungle, Inca paving stones, tunnels and ruins. This journey is not for the faint of heart.

#11: Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Another one of life’s simple pleasures, Jamaican jerk chicken paired with beach-side reggae music and tropical bevvies — try me!

#10: Farm Stays. Seriously? Why not! There are “luxury” farm stays from New Zealand to New York, where you can get your hands dirty and lounge at the pool. Check out some of these ultimate farm stays to see what I mean.

#9: The city below me from a hot-air balloon. Now that sounds like fun! If you’re not afraid of heights, a hot-air balloon ride is an experience of a lifetime – one that too many of us miss out on, I think.

Niagara Falls#8: Niagara Falls. I forget about this one at times because it’s practically in my backyard. But for those who aren’t lucky enough to live here, Niagara Falls is a site that absolutely must be seen.

#7: Ski the Swiss Alps. This was my contribution to the list. One of my greatest regrets in life is that I didn’t ski the Alps while I was in Switzerland. At least I have a solid excuse to return!

#6: Take a river cruise. It’s true what they say, river cruising is without a doubt the best way to travel through many of the world’s most fascinating places. Cruise Europe, Russia, Egypt, China … so many spectacular sights to see on a river cruise.

#5: Take any cruise! Yes, a river cruise does sound tempting with its more intimate setting, but cruising is cruising, and if you’ve never been on a cruise ship, you are definitely missing out. If you like the water, a cruise really can give you the best bang for your travel buck.

#4: The Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This is one of the best vacation destinations in the world. Better still, it is arguably the most well-known and well-loved places to go scuba diving and snorkeling … on the entire planet!

Great Barrier Reef Australia

#3: The Luxor. No, not the hotel in Vegas. The Luxor in Egypt. Travellers have been visiting this destination for hundreds of years to gaze upon its magnificence. For anyone interested in ancient history, monuments and culture, the Luxor is a must-see.

#2: Iceland – the land of fire and ice. Did you know that Iceland is one of the most volcanic regions in the world? In addition to whale-watching, hiking and fishing excursions, one of the most famous attractions is the Gullfoss double-tiered waterfall and the spouting hot springs of Geysir.

Turkey#1: Cesme Peninsula, Turkey. Here are some of the world’s most picturesque villages with crumbling Greek facades and seemingly endless miles of sparsely populated beaches. Vacationers can relax in the thermal spas, stay at one of the many bayside resorts, or book a romantic boutique hideaway.

Now it’s your turn! Tell us about your favourite vacation destinations of all time…

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