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Greetings!
Welcome to the summer edition of The Confidante. We’re back after
a spring filled with travel, across the States and Canada, and two
great weeks in Southeast Asia highlighted by seven days aboard the Star Flyer. And while personal travel is the ultimate
experience, I’ve also been thrilled to develop some exciting trips
for you. One example: a complete circling of the ancient
Mediterranean we called Tales of the Ottoman Empire, even
including Syria and Libya! With the rising Canadian dollar, there has never been a better
time to travel internationally, and the variety of exciting
experiences just waiting for you has never been greater. As summer
comes to the Northern Hemisphere, we look to the South for
destinations, and especially to the magic world of Peru, this
month’s Feature Destination.  In the fast-moving and ever-changing world of
travel, it is a challenge to keep my clients well informed of the
latest destinations, value pricing and exclusive opportunities as
they happen in the Virtuoso network. This challenge has been met
with Travel ASAP, a monthly e-mail special announcement that
is custom-tailored to the travel needs of my discerning clientele.
Watch for it in your e-mail! Meanwhile, premium space for Christmas, and even March Break
2007, is filling up fast, so please call me soon!
Happy Travels!
Roger Kershaw
E- mail: info@RogerKershaw.com
| Travel Trends |
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E-Tickets are (almost!) here! At the end of 2007,
IATA will stop distributing paper tickets. Most major airlines
are already in compliance, with more coming on board every
month. For my clients, this has many benefits, including
*
No more courier fees for sending tickets
* Easier handling
of last minute travel plans
* I can arrange your flights
from where ever I am in the world whenever you need it
*
Automatic tracking of unused tickets
* Eliminates the need
for physical documents
* Facilitates self-service check-in
at kiosks
* No more lost tickets The e-ticket you see here is not a ticket. It's simply a
receipt. You may print it anywhere as a personal record; if
it's lost, just print another! When you go to the airport, all
you need is your passport.
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| Hotels - hot, hip and happenin'! |
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| Your Confidante is always working to ensure that you are
at the cutting edge of what's new in hotels. That the end, I
am pleased to introduce ... 
Sumahan
on the Water. Istanbul is one of the great cities of
the world and the Bosphorus is one of the few places on earth
where you can actually see how geography makes history, and
even myth. Sumahan sits on the Bosphoros Straits that separate
Europe and Asia, and link the cold waters of the Black Sea to
the warm waters of the Aegean and beyond. The view from every
bedroom is an ever-changing seascape of fishermen and ferry
boats gliding through the night.
Villa
di Pizziano. This hotel is a manor house of the 1400s
located in the countryside just outside the town of Cortona, a
town on the border between Tuscany and Umbria made famous by
the American writer Frances Mayes with her book and later the
movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. Rooms, each different, are
all in perfect harmony with a noble residence, whilst having
all the modern comforts. With excursions, cooking classes,
wine and oil tasting, walking, biking, golf - you won't want
to go home!
Birkenhead
House, perched high on the cliffs of Hermanus, South
Africa, overlooking the whale watchers' Paradise of Walker
Bay, accommodates guests in the utmost luxury and is the
perfect destination for those seeking the pinnacle of seaside
living: A heavenly place, perched high on the cliffs
overlooking the Indian Ocean, with bracing air and stunning
views from spacious suites.
 Forbes Lists Most Expensive Hotels - Forbes.com recently listed the most expensive hotel rooms both
in
the world and in the
United States. Not surprisingly, many are Virtuoso
properties. Tempted? |
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Feature Destination |
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Peru
One of the major benefits of my recent induction
into the Orient-Express Bellini Club (one of only 100 members
in North America) is unparalleled access to special packages
designed exclusively for Club-members' clients.
One of these is an incredible 6-day Breakaway Peru package. Already, two of my clients have
taken their families on this adventure - and reports back from
both are filled with "spectacular," "life-changing,"
"stupendous service" and similar raves.
While Machu Picchu, the fortress city of the ancient Incas
set high in the Andes, is the overwhelming highlight of the
excursion, every moment along that path is filled with
adventure and luxury. Included are three of the most memorable
hotel experiences you will ever enjoy: a magnificent ocean
view executive suite in the Miraflores
Park Hotel in Lima (where you'll indulge in the luxurious "bath butler" service!); the Hotel
Monastario del Cusco, so high in the Andes (11,000 ft)
that your room has an oxygen enrichment system; and the Machu
Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, a magical place of unforgettable
sunrises and shimmering, moonlit nights.
I also added pre- and post-experiences for my clients at
the rustically elegant Inkaterra
Reserva Amazonica, deep in the rainforest amid a web of
tree-top sidewalks; and concluding with the remote Casa
Andina Suasi Island in Lake Titicaca, a relaxing
experience and intimate encounter with the Andean world.
Read more about the Bellini Club Peru experience here.
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