December 15th, 2011
Red Fort in New Delhi (new-delhi-tour-india.blogspot.com)
Happy, Happy birthday to the city of New Delhi today! The foundation of the city was laid on December 15, 1911 by King George V and Queen Mary. Since that date, it has become one of the fastest growing cities in the world with a population of 19 million!
Stop by to give your best wishes and see how well it’s aged with Banyan Tours & Travels. The bespoke tour company can arrange an itinerary to see the city’s sights and many cultural offerings! Here’s to another prosperous 100!
December 14th, 2011
Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity rescued two rowers this morning while en route to St. Maarten from the Canary Islands. The rowers’ small boat capsized 480 miles west of the Canary Islands after a large wave sunk their boat. Twenty-three-year-old Tom Fancett from the U.K. and Tom Sauer from the Netherlands, competitors in the 2011 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge Race to row across the Atlantic, were huddled on a tiny life raft for 10 hours before being picked up by Crystal Serenity at 6:00 a.m. local time. The ship was 120 nautical miles north of the rowers when it received the rescue assist call from the Falmouth (U.K.) Coast Guard.
Sailing at full speed to the boaters, Captain Økland maneuvered Serenity through the remaining Atlantic Challenge racers and worsening weather. With lookouts posted throughout the night, Crystal Serenity located the boaters’ flare five hours later, hoisting them directly onto the ship. After a checkup in the ship’s medical center, the survivors appear to be healthy. Crystal Serenity expects to arrive on schedule in St. Maarten on Sunday.
“Both individuals are in good spirits and, of course, very happy to be alive,” says Crystal’s President Gregg Michel. “We are so proud of the quick reaction and skilled seamanship of our crew that enabled them to save these brave men. While these young men hoped to cross the Atlantic in a most basic fashion, they are certainly experiencing the crossing in the most luxurious environment – an ironic, and heartwarming, turn of events.”
December 12th, 2011
Image courtesy of cntraveller.com
Mark Bittman knows food, and he’s picked Copenhagen as the newest breakout culinary city. Serious foodies will be already be familiar with Noma, the two Michelin star restaurant run by chef Rene Redzepi (and Restaurant Magazine’s Best Restaurant in the World the last two years running), but Bittman’s recommendations don’t stop there: there’s also Relae (run by Noma alumni), Geist, Paustian, Schonnemann, and Kodbyens Fiskebar. From the Robuchon-style mashed potatoes with pickled brown crab at Geist, to the herring smorrebrod sandwiches at Schonnemann, each restaurant serves up traditional Danish fare with a modern twist.
It’s not only the restaurants in Copenhagen that are cool—the city is also home to its very own Ice Bar, where everything from the walls and furnishings to the cocktail glasses the vodka libations are served in are made from ice specially imported from the Tome River in Jukkasjarvi, 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. The bar’s kept at a crisp 23 degrees Fahrenheit—so bundle up!
If your appetite’s been whet for the latest in creative Nordic cuisine, Crystal Symphony will be making six calls to Copenhagen in 2012, including three overnights, giving you plenty of time to sample the best the city has to offer. Book Now All-Inclusive fares start at just $5,890/person, double occupancy, through December 31. And for an even greater in-depth tour of Scandinavian gastronomy, Crystal’s Wine & Food Festival-themed August 14 sailing from Stockholm to London will feature two renowned Nordic chefs on board.
December 8th, 2011
There’s a reason Angel and Collins from our favorite musical, Rent, wanted to leave New York to open a restaurant in Santa Fe. The City Different was recently voted one of the Top Ten US Food Destinations by TripAdvisor! Now you can learn to cook like a Santa Fean chef at the charming Inn on the Alameda, recently named one of Condé Nast’s Top 200 Hotels, with the Taste the City Different Package. Led by a chef from the Santa Fe Cooking School, guests will take an afternoon tour of the city with four stops at unique dining destinations, where they can taste the menus, meet the chefs and owners, and learn about the eclectic mix of old and new that defines the region’s distinctive cuisine. The package also includes a cooking class, where guests will learn how to throw some southwestern flair into their kitchens at home.
January to April, 2012 dates are:
January – 1/19-21
February – 2/2-4; 2/9-11; 2/16-18; and 2/23-25
March – 3/1-3; 3/8-10; 3/15-17; 3/22-25; and 3/29-31
April – 4/5-7; 4/12-14; 4/19-21; and 4/26-28
So jump on the bandwagon, and find out for yourself why everyone is talking about Santa Fe!
To see if your favorite U.S. hotel made the list, click here!
December 1st, 2011
La Réserve Genève Hotel & Spa, Geneva, Switzerland
Nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva, La Réserve Genève Hotel & Spa is offering guests the perfect holiday getaway. Complete with a private ice-rink and traditional Christmas Market-style winter chalets, La Réserve Genève will be transformed into a true Winter Wonderland starting December 13.
Set within La Réserve Genève’s large onsite gardens, the Winter Wonderland will offer spectacular views of Lake Geneva. La Réserve guests can book a private skating lesson or glide solo across the ice before enjoying the festive winter chalets. Despite the chill in the air, a chic waitstaff will be serving festive treats such as crêpes, waffles, oysters, mulled wine, Sancerre, Champagne, and caviar.
A two-night weekend stay at La Réserve Genève starts from $1,076 (based on two sharing a double room) and includes full use of all hotel facilities including the spa, fitness center, swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, and the Winter Wonderland. To book: www.lareserve.ch / +41 22 959 59 59.
La Réserve’s Winter Wonderland is open to hotel guests only from December 13, 2011, to February 26, 2012.
Eden au Lac, Zurich, Switzerland
While the singing Christmas tree at Werdemühleplatz and the hot spiced wine at Europe’s biggest indoor Christmas market may keep Zurich merrymakers grounded, the most festive spot in town is perched high above the city streets! Eden au Lac’s Top of Eden terrace is celebrating the holidays in high style with private fondue tastings and a rooftop Christmas market.
Nothing beats fondue – except for fondue with a view! Choose from truffle or classic flavored fondue paired with mulled wine while enjoying amazing views of Lake Zurich. Stay warm with gingerbread, hot chestnuts, and cozy blankets. The festively decorated terrace can now be exclusively reserved for a private fondue tasting for two for just 310 CHF (approximately $337).
Skip the crowded stores and take shopping to the next level at Zurich’s smallest Christmas market located on Top of Eden! From November 27-December 23, guests can shop the city’s best kept secret while snacking on Wienerli sausages, roast chestnuts, and Christmas biscuits for 49 CHF (approximately $53).
Pavillon de la Reine and Le Pavillon des Lettres, Paris, France
Paris at Christmas time is magical, with vin chaud and gingerbread sold in the Tuileries, twinkling lights adorning the Champs-Elysées, and charming holiday markets such as the historic Marché de Noël. The impossibly chic Pavillon de la Reine and new literary-themed sister hotel Le Pavillon des Lettres are the ideal places to ring in the Yuletide with luxurious accommodations and special seasonal treats.
Guests of both hotels who book the “Parisian Christmas” package for the festive season will have the option to explore Paris’ grand boulevards by night on an enchanting chauffeur-driven journey past department stores awash with lights and elaborate window decorations, by the lavishly decorated tree on Notre Dame Cathedral’s main plaza, and down the majestic Champs-Elysées lined with light-drenched trees stretching all the way from Place de l’Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde.
For many Parisian Christmas guests, the holiday season would be incomplete without a generous helping of delightful bites, who may opt to visit one of the most beautiful chocolateries in Paris instead, where they will learn about the fascinating history of chocolate-making and sample their decadent creations.
The “Parisian Christmas” package includes accommodations for two in a Deluxe Room at Pavillon de la Reine or Le Pavillon des Lettres and either a chauffeured evening tour through Paris or a visit to local chocolatier.
Package rates at Pavillon de la Reine and Le Pavillon des Lettres start at €450 and €350, per night respectively. Two night minimum stay is required. Package is valid for travel December 11 through December 27. To book: www.pavillon-de-la-reine.com Tel : 33 (0) 1 40 29 19 19 or www.pavillondeslettres.com or Tel : 33 (0) 1 40 24 26 26
November 17th, 2011
If you’ve ever dreamed of cruising around the world, your dreams are about to get even better! Explore legendary lands and idyllic isles on Crystal Serenity’s 2012 World Cruise, a 94-day round-trip Los Angeles journey circumnavigating the world’s greatest ocean. Best of all, the sailing already has quite the guest list, and includes TV legend Regis Philbin, Hall of Famers Hank Aaron (baseball) and Don Shula (football), Olympians Dorothy Hamill (ice skating) and Kathy Rigby (gymnastics), and astronauts “Hoot” Gibson and Rhea Seddon. So start the New Year off right by making your dreams come true and booking your world cruise with Crystal Cruises.
November 16th, 2011
The Rubin Museum of Art in New York City is hosting an exclusive event tonight (from 6:00 to 8:00 PM) in honor of Rima Fujita’s latest book, Save the Himalayas, which focuses on the importance of the Himalayan region and the various threats it faces.
Guest speakers will include Sharon Gannon (founder of Jivamukti Yoga Method), Lobsang Nyandak (representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama), and Tendor Dorjee (Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet). This is one event you don’t want to miss, so get to the Rubin Museum of Art (located at 150 West 17th Street) in time to get a good seat and enjoy!
November 15th, 2011
Every November, Thailand celebrates Loi Krathong, or the Festival of Lights. During the festival, elaborate floats line the waterways and fireworks and paper lanterns illuminate the night sky. The release of lanterns into the night sky is thought to cast away grief and misfortune. Like blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, releasing a lantern is also an opportunity to make a wish. While lanterns are released all year round for various celebrations, this spectacular nationwide festival occurs on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar (in the Western calendar, it usually falls in November). This year, Loi Krathong took place on November 10, but don’t worry, it’s not too late to release your own lantern! Click here to take part in the Loi Krathong celebration!
November 15th, 2011
The Alps are alive with the sound of music! Every year, over 120,000 music lovers gather to catch classical music’s legends and up-and-coming stars perform at Switzerland’s famed music festival, the Lucerne Festival. The festival was founded in 1938, and has earned the status as one of the world’s premier music festivals by attracting legendary orchestras, conductors, and soloists from around the world. The first festival took place during the summer, but it has expanded to include an Easter festival and a special pianist festival in November, in addition to the original summer event.
When the curtain drops, concert-goers will love wandering through Old Town Lucerne, exploring the city’s many famed bridges, and admiring the spectacular views of Lake Lucerne and the Swiss Alps. Although the formal festival will take place under the lights of Jean Nouvel’s famous concert hall, the musical greats have been known to hold impromptu jam sessions in local hotels, restaurants, and bars.
Palace Luzern, Lucerne’s luxurious lakeside hotel and a festival sponsor, is the perfect home base for music lovers looking to soak in all of the exciting happenings of the festival. The hotel offers the Spa and Sounds package during the festival for those who want to completely unwind and enjoy the music. The two-night package includes a Balinese hot stone spa treatment, breakfast buffet, concert tickets, and butler service. To truly escape, the package also includes the option of leaving your cell phone with the concierge, who will answer all calls and return the cell phone with a call back list upon check out. The package starts at CHF827 (approximately $913) per person.
Lucerne Festival at the Piano (November 21-27)This year’s Lucerne Festival at the Piano is dedicated to 19th century piano master, Franz List. In honor of his 200th birthday, Yefim Bronfman, Andreas Haefliger, Lise de la Salle, Alexei Volodin, and many others will bring Franz back to life through lively interpretations of his great works.
Lucerne Festival at Easter (March 24-April 1, 2012)
The Lucerne Festival at Easter will be a week full of Mozart. Enjoy the Lucerne premiere of Claudio Abbado’s Orchestra Mozart from Bologna, the C major of Mozart’s “Linz” Symphony, and Maria João Pires’s performance of Concerto in D minor K. 466.
Lucerne Festival in summer (August 8-September 15, 2012)
The theme of the summer festival is faith, and the music selections will reflect the many ways that faith has been explored through music. The festival will welcome the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, as well as composer-in-residence Sofia Gubaidulina and many other celebrated musicians.
November 10th, 2011
Well, today we found him at the “top of Europe”, at Jungfraujoch’s Sphinx Observatory, located 11,745 feet above sea level in the Swiss Alps. Most well-known for as the setting for the 1969 James Bond film, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, Mr. Lauer arrived by train to the highest railway station in Europe this morning.
Accessible only by cable car, the Swiss Alps are an outdoor sports enthusiasts’ dream come true. The majestic mountain peaks offer the world’s best Alpine skiing and snowboarding, as well as some incredible lower altitude activities on the crystal clear mountain lakes, such as boating and ice skating. Besides the vast array of activities available in the Alps, it is also incredible just to sit with a glass of champagne and enjoy the extraordinary scenery. From the glittering snow-capped peaks to the impossibly blue lakes, it is a sight to be seen at least once in a lifetime.
The Alps stretch through France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovenia; but we found Mr. Lauer in Interlaken, Switzerland, the home of the beautiful Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa.
Read more about Matt’s Swiss adventures here and be sure to stay tuned to see where Matt will be tomorrow!