WOMEN’S ONLY TRAVEL Tourcan Vacations, in cooperation with new partner The Women’s Travel Network, has put together a number of packages for women to Europe such as Country Roads of Ireland, Spas and Treasures of the Czech Republic, Spanish Sojourn, and a Blue Danube cruise. Other destinations include Kenya, Costa Rica, Italy and Peru. Call 888/419-0118 or visit www.womenstravelnetwork.ca     MyTripJournal.com Forbes Magazine has high praise for this site which is the niftiest way of staying in touch with friends and family.   MyTripJournal.com provides travelers with Web-based tools to draw up virtual maps so readers can follow their footsteps, read postings of travel notes and view photos and personal videos.  At the end of the rip you receive a full archive on CD or DVD.   BAGGAGE CONCIERGE The Luggage Club is a niche company providing door-to-door luggage, sorts equipment and goods delivery service for the growing number of travelers who prefer to ship their luggage in advance of their trip. There is no limit on size, weight or number of pieces of luggage, and the service is offered in 220 countries worldwide. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, hospitals and physicians’ offices treat almost 52,000 luggage-related injuries a year.  This is one service to avoid being a statistic.  Call 877/231-5131 or visit www.theluggageclub.com     BEATING JET LAG According to research, managing our circadian rhythm (the body’s body clock) can reduce jet lag dramatically. Traveling west to east: spend at least one hour outdoors between 10am and noon, local time. Natural light enhances serotonin production that influences mood, appetite and sensory perception. Eat a late afternoon meal high in protein and low in carbs. Later that same evening, between 10pm and 3 am, take 0.5 mgs of melatonin along with a high-carb, protein snack.  Milk and cookies works well. Keep the light off to remain dark and keep melatonin levels high. Traveling east to west: Spend an hour outside in the later afternoon, between 3-5pm to readjust your internal clock to nearly night time. In the early evening, eat a high-carb meal with milk which is high in tryptophan and increases serotonin production, a calming agent. Avoid a lot of meat and cheese proteins. Go to bed as normal, taking 0.5 mg of melatonin and a milk and cookies snack. Keep the light off through the night. CATCH YOUR OWN CRAB AT HASTINGS HOUSE Long renowned for its succulent Salt Spring Island lamb as a daily fixture on its award-winning menu, Hastings House has introduced another delicacy, Dungeness Crab, as a regular feature.  The ‘catch’ here is that guests are invited to pull up a crab trap, learn how to clean, prepare and cook their crab, before enjoying a variety of crab specialties created by Hastings House Executive Chef. This innovative crab package runs until September 30/2007. TRAVELLING WITH WEE ONES   Bringing the kids to Vancouver just got easier with Wee Travel, a baby equipment rental company that offers everything from car seats and strollers through to highchairs and cribs. The nifty service caters to jet-setting parents who have had enough with exhausting their baggage allowance, All equipment is sanitized between uses and can be delivered to anywhere in the Greater Vancouver area. USER-PAY LOUNGES Come to an airport near you …. User-pay lounges with first class amenities: comfortable seating, televisions, a business centre, and snacks and beverages.  While airlines such as Japan Air Lines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and others have their own first-class and business-class lounges, user-pay lounges allow airlines without such facilities to offer similar services to their customers.     TOPPING THE LIST Readers of Travel & Leisure Magazine have rated three of Vancouver Island’s hotels among the top five properties as The Best in the Continental US and Canada in the magazine’s 11th annual World’s Best Awards readers’ survey.  Topping the list is The Aerie Resort, with Sooke Harbour House in 2nd place, and the Wickaninnish Inn closely following in 5th place.  Check out the greatestgetaway write-ups and discover for yourself, why these great inns are among the best. KLM’s CROWN LOUNGE International passengers can now make use of KLM’s Crown Lounge at Lester B. Pearson International Airport’s Terminal 3 in Toronto for a fee of $25 CAN. This access provides guests with a self-service buffet, drinks, two TV rooms (one located in a separate smoking area), and a well equipped business centre with Internet hook up and complimentary use of printers, copiers and fax machines. Purchase lounge access passes in advance or on day of departure at KLM’s Ticket counter in the departure hall or in the Crown Lounge which is open 24 hours/seven days a week. 2007 CRUISE HOLIDAYS TRAVEL TRENDS • The Caribbean still ranks as the top cruise destination with Alaska a close second • Exotic itineraries around the Mediterranean, South America, Asia and the Baltic are hot sellers • Favoured trips are 8-10 day, and 11-14 day cruises • Itinerary and cruise line – not price – are the deciding factors when booking a cruise Check out www.CruiseHolidays.com. NEW TWIST TO PRIORITY CLUB REWARDS PROGRAM InterContinental Hotels Group, one of the world’s largest hotel companies, has added a new twist to its Priority Club Rewards program that allows customers to redeem points at any hotel – including the competition. Customers collect points by staying at one of its 3,600 hotels – Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, Candelwood Suites and Hotel Indigo – and can cash them in at a Sheraton, for example.  The company notes that there are more than 500,000 hotels worldwide where the points can be redeemed. How it works is members of the Priority Club Rewards program can cash in their points for a prepaid hotel card issued by IHG partner American Express. This is done online or through a phone service centre. DISCOVER FRANCE Discover France is once again offering travelers scenery-packed and adventure-filled biking tours in France. The physical demands of the tours range from easy to challenging - but in true Discover France fashion, each offers guests unique opportunities to become immersed in French culture and lifestyle.  Southern France cycling destinations are best experienced during June and September where the temperatures are warm and the climate is drier.  During July and August months peddlers are encouraged to head North, when these regions enjoy their best weather.  Meanwhile, the Western regions of France offer cyclists loads of historical sights and coastal views.    You may want to consider Paris in July and August, which is considered “low-season”.  Hotel rates are greatly reduced and free night deals are readily available.  Space is easily had, even during the Tour de France finish and Bastille Day in July.  Visit www.discoverfrance.com for more details   DUDE RANCHES ROCK Reservations for dude ranch vacations continue to rock so book early, especially if you’re looking at July and August.  And be sure to check out all the options. While most dude ranches offer traditional western activities, such as horseback riding, rodeos and cattle round-ups, many also offer exceptional youth programs, fishing, overnight pack trips, mountain biking, conference facilities, spa facilities, leadership schools and naturalist guided wildflower tours, wildlife viewing and birding.  Visit www.duderanch.org for more information. ICE YOUR CELL PHONE Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's identity. You can make their job much easier by adopting: ICE – it stands for In Case of Emergency. Add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE, with the name and phone no. of the person that emergency services should call on your behalf. You can save them a lot of time and have your loved ones contacted quickly. Paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it immediately PACIFIC SANDS BEACH RESORT WINS FIRST PLACE IN ISLAND BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Pacific Sands Beach Resort has just won first place in the Tourism Hospitality sector for 2005, at the Business Examiner’s sixth annual Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards. The criteria for the award include community involvement, environmental initiatives, staff and customer loyalty. The resort was recognized for its recent $6 million Villa expansion project, building 22 two-bedroom, three-bathroom villas to replace ten cedar cottages along the beachfront property and in particular, for its installation of the energy efficient GeoExchange Heating System, which greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions by using heat and energy stored in the earth. www.pacificsands.com See the Greatest Gertaway listing of Pacific Sands Beach Resort NEW WEBSITE FEATURES 220 UNIQUE TRIP INTINERARIES TO OVER 70 WORLDWIDE DESTINATIONS Whether it’s white-water rafting in the western United States, cycling through Europe, a summer camp adventure in China for your teen, witnessing the wonders of Yellowstone with your kids, a wildlife safari in Kenya, or exploring the rainforests of Costa Rica, all of this and more can be found on a new website, www.trustedadventures.com. This interactive site offers trip search capabilities to provide active travelers with one-stop access to 220 unique and proven trips to over 70 worldwide destinations. GET TOGETHER WITH WWW.MEETAWAY.COM With the launch of www.meetaway.com, travelers worldwide will never again have to dread their next business trip. Meetaway.com facilitates all facets of business and social networking, in advance, while offering tools to keep track of your travels. Members post their events and travel schedule, free of charge, so other members are easily able to network, set up meetings, a golf game or perhaps a date. At this time, there is no cost to sign up and join www.meetaway.com ON THE MENU LAUNCHES 17 COOKERY COURSES WORLDWIDE   Responding to the demands of our food-loving clients, ON THE GO TOURS has launched 17 new cookery courses worldwide, from India to Indonesia, Morocco to Mexico and Sydney to Seville. The cookery courses run from 3 days to 8 days and include accommodation, transfers, cookery sessions and more. Their philosophy is simple - great cooking in great places. www.holidayonthemenu.com
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