Travel Agent - March 17, 2008 - (Page HS12)

Paciﬁc-Asia: FARAWAY GETAWAYS Spotlight on Thailand Bed Supper Club, Bangkok At the 2008 ASEAN Tourism Forum, ASEAN countries laid out their tourism initiatives for the year. For host Thailand, one plan is to increase promotion of boutique hotels. These properties have special appeal to honeymooners seeking something more intimate that large chain resorts. One of the best examples of this is The Sarojin in Khao Lak, an hour’s drive from Phuket Airport. Voted “Asia’s Leading Boutique Hotel” at the World Travel Awards in both 2006 and 2007, The Sarojin delights in welcoming newlyweds with a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, bowl of exotic fruits and bouquet of ﬂowers on arrival. They can be pampered at the award-winning Pathways Spa, enjoy Thai-style dining, sail on the Lady Sarojin luxury yacht, scuba or snorkel in the Similan islands, explore Khao Sok National Park and play golf on three courses. Another option in Thailand is the Banyan Tree Phuket—named one of Asia’s Top 50 Hotels in Travel+Leisure’s 2007 World’s Best Awards, and well as making Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List for 2007 and 2008—and its sister hotel, the Banyan Tree Bangkok. Both offer a variety of honeymoon and romance packages, featuring romantic dinners, spa treatments and an “Intimate Moment” set up (such as a drawn sunken bath ﬁlled with ﬂower petals, complemented by wine and music). Throughout Thailand, newlyweds will ﬁnd a wealth of excellent beaches, spas, markets, natural attractions and cultural sites—plus unique experiences such as elephant treks and Thai cooking classes—to make an already memorable trip truly unforgettable. The very name Tahiti—which is used to refer to the hundred-plus islands that make up French Polynesia as well as its main island— elicits images of sensual, exotic beauty, popularized by the paintings of Paul Gauguin. The beauty is there: Steep jagged mountain peaks, lush rainforests, palm-tree fringed beaches, and glittering turquoise and azure waters coupled with the sweet fragrance of frangipani to create a paradise for the senses. So is the Fiji Visitors Bureau adventure: Couples may hike to waterfalls, go horseback riding on the beach, and snorkel through reefs teeming with life. Swimming with sharks and manta rays is a popular outing. Honeymooners usually visit at least two islands. The island of Tahiti, home to the Faa’a International Airport, is ﬁrst stop for most, where hotels such as the InterContinental Resort Tahiti offer a romantic ambience and over-water bungalows. From there, most couples head for either Bora Bora or Moorea. Both are known for their many over-water bungalow accommodations and pampering spas. Luxury resorts include the St. Regis on Bora Bora, whose spa has a zen pool and its own island, and the Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa, which incorporates local coconut and monoi oil along with volcanic stones in its treatments. Despite the distance, the South Paciﬁc is more accessible and affordable than most couples expect. Air Paciﬁc offers non-stop service from Los Angeles to Fiji, continuing to Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Australia. Air Tahiti Nui now ﬂies nonstop from Los Angeles to Tahiti. ROMANCE DOWN UNDER Australia, roughly the size of the continental U.S., appeals to nature-lovers with animals and plants that exist nowhere else on earth and party lovers enjoy its friendly pubs and relaxed, fun-loving culture. For urban sophisticates, there’s Sydney, with its landmark Opera House, Victorian historic district and trend-setting boutiques and eateries. Cultured and wild combine with a visit to the graceful Victorian city of Adelaide, gateway to the Barossa Valley wine country and Kangaroo Island, where endemic species such as platypuses, koalas, and kangaroos thrive. Melbourne, with its vibrant arts, sports and dining scene, is also the gateway to Phillip Island and its nightly parade of fairy penguins returning to their cliff-top homes. Book the “Up, Up and Away” packakge at the Langham Hotel, Melbourne, and your honeymooners will see the city from on high during a romantic hot-air balloon ride. No visit is complete without diving, snorkeling or looking through a glass bottom boat at the awesome array of marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, with its 1,250 miles of coral reefs and island. Enthusiasts can settle in at a deluxe resort such as Lizard Island and snorkel past yard-long giant clams or dive alongside the large but docile Potato Cod ﬁsh. ONE-STOP SHOPPING Agents looking to book their honeymoon clients on a trip to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the rest of the South Paciﬁc will ﬁnd “one-stop shopping” with operators such as Down Under Answers. The company’s Web site, www.duatravel.com, details myriad offerings from active, participatory vacations to more traditional itineraries, as well as a great variety of “Romance & Luxury” packages throughout the region. Because it does a large volume of business in the South Paciﬁc, Down Under Answers can offer extraordinary discounts that you can pass on to your clients. The site also including an agents-only log-in and booking engine for hotels, tours, attractions and transfers. View from The Langham Melbourne 12 Travel Agent University’s HONEYMOON SPECIALIST

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - March 17, 2008

Travel Agent - March 17, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Contributors Africa: Lodges that will Make your African Safari through Tanzania Unforgettable Special Supplement: Honeymoon Specialist Africa News and Briefs Caribbean: The Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino is a Perfect Choice for all Types of Clientele Hawaii: The Less-Visited Island of Molokai Provides a taste of Old-Time Hawaii Central and South America: Where to Enjoy the Reefs, Rainforest and Ruins in Belize’s Maya Country Hotels: Properties that Cater to the Growing Trend of “Girlfriend Getaways” Cruises: Increasingly, Cruisers are Choosing Outside Companies for their Off-Ship Excursions Barbados: A Caribbean Travelers' Dream Airline Update: Several European Airlines Offer New Nonstop Service Ski/Snowboard: Three New Hotels Hit the Slopes in Wyoming, Utah and British Columbia Multi-Generational Travel: Cavallo Point: the Lodge at Golden Gate is a New “Green” Hotel Outside of San Francisco Agent Profile: Lynda Turley of Alpine Travel of Saratoga in Saratoga, CA Agency Profile: Largay Travel’s Company Retreat Cover Story: Barbados Technology: Open Travel CRM Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Onsite from Jordan Travel Mart Harrah’s Draws Younger Clients to Atlantic City Cruise News India’s New Hotels and Nonstop Flights Saluting Travel Industry Contributors Report from Travel South In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch

Travel Agent - March 17, 2008

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