Up in Swiss Heaven

The Cervo Mountain Resort Bar

A timber-framed sanctuary nestled on the slopes above Zermatt, Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort is calling! Traditional Alpine lodge meet comfortingly modern. This is in part due to the structure, a converted 1950s chalet, use of local materials and hunting treasures on the walls that come together with clean lines and clutter-free expansive spaces.

Cervo Mountain Resort Room

A hunting enthusiast, owner Daniel Lauber will also take you on the best trails to enjoy spectacular views of Upper Valais. Though you won’t be wandering far for those of the Matterhorn – see it right from your bed!

http://www.cervo.ch/kontakt_en

Hot Air Ballooning in Britain

Hot Air Ballooning – United Kingdom

With all the Jubilee talk, we wanted to tell our readers about this sweet summer steal. The Montague on the Gardens Hotel is at the heart of all the London action this summer, and this beautiful Georgian townhouse hotel is offering an array of options for those who want to avail themselves of something very special – the delightful Best of British packages. Situated in the heart of Bloomsbury, one of the most beautiful areas of central London, The Montague on the Gardens is an elegant, long-established Georgian townhouse hotel overlooking a secluded private garden square. The 100 luxurious rooms and suites, including one two-bedroom apartment, are elegantly understated, furnished with fabrics capturing the timeless elegance of Bloomsbury and its literary heritage.

Montague on the Gardens Entrance

This four-star hotel is also within strolling distance of the West End and The British Museum, and a mere five minutes from the Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras. Guests find themselves just minutes from London’s Financial District, Covent Garden, shopping on Oxford and Bond Streets, the West End theatres and Russell and Bloomsbury Squares. If your idea of a great vacation includes an unforgettable hot air balloon flight over the verdant British Countryside, then the Best of British Maiden Voyage package is the one for you.

Available through September 7, 2012, this package puts the ’Great’ into Britain. Guests at The Montague will spend two nights in the Guv’nors’ Suite, enjoy a full English breakfast, Afternoon Tea, a Fortnum & Mason hamper, pink champagne and strawberries, and two tickets to the British Museum, which is just a stone’s throw from the hotel.

Love the rooms at the Montague!

• The Best Of British Maiden Voyage package Includes:
• Two nights’ accommodations in the splendid Guv’nor’s Suite
• Full English breakfast daily
• Best of British Afternoon Tea on the day of your choice
• Transfer from any London train station or airport in our Range Rover
• Fortnum & Masons hamper including Fortnum’s Ceylon and Assam loose leaf teas, Golden Crunch Biscuits, Dundee Cake, silver tea strainer and a copy of Tea at Fortnum & Mason
• Bottle of Joseph Perrier Pink Champagne & strawberries in your room on arrival
• Two tickets to the British Museum for the current exhibition of your choice
• Virgin Hot Air Balloon Flight including a post-flight glass of Champagne

 

Best of British Maiden Voyage is priced from $1,418/per night, inclusive of all amenities listed based on two adults sharing the Guv’nor’s Suite for a minimum of two nights. Bookings require a minimum of seven days in advance of stay or cancellation. There will be a $650 non-refundable deposit required upon booking. Transfer to hot air balloon site is not included and can be added at an additional cost of $400. Due to popular demand, guests are encouraged to book in advance.

www.montaguehotel.com

Ever Taken a Boutique River Cruise? Now’s Your Chance.

Have you ever been on a romantic river cruise in Europe? Us either. What the heck are we waiting for? We’re lame-os and need to get on that! Lucky for us, our insider travel gurus alerted us to Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. Fresh off their excellent year in 2011, they also earned the number one spot in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards for the world’s Best River Cruise Line so we had to share what we knew about this little cruise line that could. This is the first time Condé Nast Traveler has had a separate river cruise category and Uniworld grabbed the honors with a score of 90.3. They’re also on the Condé Nast’s 2011 Gold List as one of the “World’s Top Cruise Lines” so worth a

Earlier in the year,  seven of Uniworld’s luxury boutique river cruise ships were listed in Condé Nast Traveler ‘s Readers’ Choice Survey for Best River Cruise Ships , with River Beatrice and River Duchess landing first and second place.  Using a scale of 100, River Beatrice scored particularly high marks in the areas of Crew/Service (96.7), Itineraries (96.7), Food and Dining (96.7), and Shore Excursions (96.7). The Uniworld ships named in the top 20 were River Beatrice (1), River Duchess (2) River Countess (5), River Queen (6), River Baroness (8),River Royale (12), and River Princess (19).

Sorta Looks Like Southern California, Doesn't it? This is Da Nile, baby!

The newest jewel in Uniworld’s elite boutique fleet, the luxurious Super Ship S.S. Antoinette, is already garnering great praise by being included in a list of the Most Luxurious Cruise Cabins by Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of Cruise Critic and contributor to Condé Nast Traveler. “Whether you’re talking about its lavish public rooms, its airy spa, its cinema, or its staterooms,” writes Brown, “S.S . Antoinette is not only the most gorgeous riverboat afloat, it’s also quite possibly the most beautiful ship anywhere.”

S.S. Antoinette was also just named the world’s “Best New River Ship” in Cruise Critic’s Fourth Annual Editor’s Picks Awards. Further, Conde Nast Traveler listed the S.S. Antoinette’s “Castles along the Rhine,” in the top eleven “Dream Itineraries for 2012,” and is the only river cruise itinerary listed in the best of the best in the cruise industry.

Sigh. I need a European – or better yet – an Egyptian – river cruise, peoples!

A bit about Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection: They’re the world’s only authentic boutique cruise line™, recognized among the “World’s Best River Cruises” by Travel + Leisure. Uniworld was voted the“#1 River Cruise Line in the World” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, was named to Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious Gold List, and won “Best River Ships” in their Readers’ Poll, which ranked River Beatrice and River Duchess the #1 and #2 river ships, along with five other highly ranked ships in the top 20. Uniworld’s cabins and dining are also ranked among the top three in the world by Zagat Survey®; Uniworld is the only river cruise line named in the Zagat Survey® amongst the best of the best in the cruise industry. Uniworld features luxurious boutique ships with an average capacity of 130 guests, included shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, and award-winning hospitality. Uniworld offers over 500 departures sailing on over 13 rivers in more than 20 countries throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

http://www.uniworld.com/

Get Viking in The Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands

Most travelers may know about Iceland, but they may not have been there yet. With scenery that varies from stark lunar mountains to hot springs and geysers in a country roughly the size of Ohio, Iceland offers dazzling landscapes – and a vibrant cultural and nightlife (which is why we love it, of course). But a little farther east, in the North Atlantic Gulf Stream, lies a remote cluster of Nordic islands known as the Faroes, virtually unknown to North Americans.  This archipelago, with its towering volcanic mountains, waterfalls that cascade from cliffs directly into the sea, paintbox houses, and only 50,000 inhabitants, is like something out of a movie. And, another cool little factoid, both Iceland and the Faroes were settled over a thousand years ago by the Vikings. Today, the Faroe Islands are a self-governing region of Denmark, with its own parliament and flag.

It looks a little like Hobbit Town, doesn't it??

So check this out! This summer, there’s a new tour program that offers a full week in the islands of the Viking settlers – four days in the Faroe Islands and three days in Iceland, with enough time for a side trip to Greenland, if you wish. The program, from The Great Canadian Travel Company, North America’s foremost experts in travel to some of the world’s least-traveled regions, will have departures every Monday from June through August. The weeklong “Iceland with the Faroe Islands” tour is priced at a reasonable $2,189 per person.

Included are: round trip airfare between Iceland and the Faroes, four night accommodation in the Faroes, three nights in Iceland, car rental in the Faroe Islands and a full day tour in Iceland.

An island with a view...

Faroese is the national language and is rooted in Old Norse. The climate is surprisingly moderate, with average high summer temperatures in the 70 degree range (20 degrees C.). On the tour, you travel first to the Faroes, arriving on Monday afternoon.  Upon arrival, you pick up your car and overnight at the Vagar Hotel. The afternoon is free to explore this lovely part of the Faroes, or simply relax in the hotel. The next day, you drive to the island of Stremoy and cross “The Bridge Over the Atlantic” to the island of Eysturoy.

The View of Gjaargardur

Accommodations are at the modern Gjaargardur Guesthouse in the tiny seaside hamlet of Gjogv, population 36. The next two days will be yours to explore the islands at leisure.  The atmosphere changes from one island and one village to the next – it’s a whole society with its own history, its own language and its own culture.  Head north past Klaksvik to the rugged headlands at Vidareidi, visit the old church at  Kirkjuboreyn, wander through the Old Town of the capital city of Torshavn and enjoy the atmosphere of these unspoiled islands.

Reykjavik, Iceland

On Friday, you fly to Iceland and transfer to your hotel in the center of Reykjavik for a three-night stay.  On Saturday, a full day “Golden Circle Tour” is included – a journey to the iconic sights of Iceland. On Sunday, there’s a free day to explore the city, or perhaps take another optional day tour — whale watching, horseback riding, waterfalls or hiking, before your return flight to North America the next day.

Pretty svalt, no? We say já!

http://www.greatcanadiantravel.com/iceland-faroes