Gili Lankanfushi - Maldives

How can I get any work done when I sit and my desk and dream? ....particularly when I simply have to share exciting new specials that just 'pop' into my inbox....

Book 4 nights and get another 3 nights free  at the amazing Gili Lankanfushi resort in the Maldives  with complimentary half board for two and free speedboat transfers .... what could be better - what a dream vacation.

If you are a Maldive affectione you may remember it as the Soneva Gili

Set on one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives, this resort features expansive overwater villas with glass floor panels to showcase the surrounding marine life.

You can  savor fresh cuisine,  sip sunset cocktails in a traditional dhoni, or indulge at the Meera Spa 

This is the perfect spot for 'babymooners'  -  go have that last minute escape before your first baby arrives - you'll never get the same chance again.

Trivia about my beautiful Switzerland.

* One of the world's best Jazz festivals is held in July in Montreux?
* The Basle/Basel/Bale (depending on the language) Christmas market starts November 22.
*  Basle has 40 museums within 400 sq ft of each other.
*  St Moritz is an affordable ski destination - a ski pass when staying at one of 100 hotels is only 27.00 per person per day 

* You can see Europes highest mountain, Mont Blanc  from Geneva. 

*  Lucerne in Switzerland  is  the most visited city by Americans. 

....and .... 

 most importantly   

Sir Richard Branson has opened a dream ski lodge hotel in my favorite ski destination ....

...VERBIER...

www.thelodge.virgin.com

Spurring Spotted Cats

While I was minding independent domesticated feline cats my client  had a totally different viewing experience  - Read all about their experience at Selinda camp in Botsawana on the following  link      http://www.greatplainsconservation.com/bushbuzz/?p=6428

Absolutley amazing photos. 

The World's First Double-Decker Cable Car.

 
Opened in June 2012 this open air cable car offers stunning views of the Swiss Alps carrying  passengers up the Stanserhorn near Lucerne. It is an optional experience,  the cable car carries 60 people on the lower enclosed deck and for those that are not faint hearted  a short staircase allows 30 passengers  at a time access to totally different view point.   What a marvellous piece of engineering. Can't wait to try it out in person.  

Are Consumers Really Expected to Embrace this Kind of Progress?

Would love to hear you opinion  - Please  let me know your thoughts. 

 

By Catharine Hamm, Los Angeles Times

October 7, 2012, 8:00 a.m.

If you book an airline ticket through an online site or go to a travel agent, you get the ticket price and, thanks to recent U.S. Department of Transportation rulings, that price includes taxes and fees. What you don't get — at least, not yet — is a price that includes ancillary fees (baggage, early boarding, seat choices), but consumer advocates are working toward that. But the changes in store for ticket booking may be even greater. Booking could be the all-new Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Or not.

The International Air Transport Assn., based in Montreal, is working on what it calls a "new distribution capability" for global distribution systems, which deliver airline ticket prices and schedules, whether you're a consumer using an online engine or a travel agent doing a search for a client. If your eyes glaze over at that sentence, grab some coffee because the results of this change will be anything but dull.

Under the new model, you'll see the price of your ticket as well as other things too — a sort of Amazon.com shopping experience — "a lot of new things around merchandising," said Eric Leopold, director passenger (yes, that's his title) of the international transport group. The new system "will really show the value of the products so you're not just selling seats; you're selling a whole experience to the passenger," he said, referring to those things that are often covered by ancillary fees such as upgrades.

Leopold likened the experience to supermarket shopping. Some consumers "will buy what is on the bottom [shelf at the] lowest price," he said. "Some will buy in the middle shelves," which may cost more but may be a better value.

What IATA calls a "new distribution capability," however, the American Society of Travel Agents is calling "authenticated shopping," which means you tell a little about yourself (maybe your frequent-flier number or your ZIP Code) and you are offered products that are tailored for you, such as lounge passes and preferred seating. These bundled, or one-price offerings, may be based on your previous travel habits and purchases (Do you upgrade? Do you spend time in the executive lounge?) or your economic status (Do you live in a ZIP Code that's "price sensitive"?) or other factors you may not be aware of.

That's an issue for the national travel agents organization, said Paul Ruden, senior vice president for legal and industry affairs for ASTA. "The concern is with how you do business … in an environment where airlines are able to price discriminate, for example, based on your identity," he said.

IATA says it isn't using this proposed system to inflate consumers' costs by foisting off pricier offerings on certain demographic groups. Ruden, who has worked with the Department of Transportation to try to get price transparency for airline pricing — not only fees and taxes but also ancillary fees — is not so sure.

In August, the Wall Street Journal reported that online travel agency Orbitz showed different and more expensive hotel options to Mac users, who presumably represent a wealthier demographic. "The Orbitz effort, which is in its early stages, demonstrates how tracking people's online activities can use even seemingly innocuous information — in this case, the fact that customers are visiting Orbitz.com from a Mac — to start predicting their tastes and spending habits," reporter Dana Mattioli wrote in a story that refers to the practice as "predictive analytics."

Castello di Casole

Then they moved on to Castello di Casole - where luxury oozed out from every corner. But what is luxury? What defines it? Could it  be  the rarity of the item, or the cost of the item? No;  for my money luxury is fine quality with superb service.

Newly opened in July of this year  Castello di Casole  appears to have acheived  a five star standard within a few months of opening. To be fair the reservation process was painful; if I remember correctly I had to make 8 phone calls to Italy and the local reservation department before receiving a written confirmation.  ...but , I believe their teething problems are over and the process should be relatively smooth from now on.    


A beautiful room



Zelda: An American Love Story

In Flat Rock,  situated in the mountains of Western North Carolina, population just 2,500 at last count,  stands a proud little theatre with a great big enormous heart.   The Flat Rock Playhouse, designated  as the North Carolina  State Theatre  was the scene this week for the opening of a new show, Zelda,  based upon an American love story between  F Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. 

I was one of the  lucky ones to see this amazing new show. Chances are you won't be able to make plans fast enough to get there to see it but you will be able to see another one and should deffinitely put this location on your bucket list.  

The talent, enthusiasm, staging, production. music , acting is simply outstanding, I could go on and on, Vince Marini the Artisic Director has taken The Playhouse and made it a travel destination unto itself.  
Not only are there main stage productions but muscial evenings and Theatre-in-the-round at the downtown second Playhouse location. This is a town where acting is in it's heart and soul. There is even a Youtheatre that produces young interns, most of whom start by starring in  Carl Sandbag's Rutabaga stories  and continue to main stage theatricals including Broadway .

But, this week  Zelda  brought Broadway to the mountains.   I truly thought I was sitting in a theatre in the middle of Times Square  with the pulse and professionalism of a first class musical all around me. Watch for this show, because  Broadway will be bringing Zelda to New York CIty.  

Congratulations to the cast and  all at The Playhouse.   - a show never to be forgotten.       http://www.flatrockplayhouse.org