July 31, 2009
I don't know about you, but I can pretty much watch the Discovery Channel all day. I was pretty intrigued to hear that the Channel has just launched a new website called Discovery Adventures. You can start booking trips as of today, July 31st, 2009, and there are currently 31 itineraries to 18 different destinations to choose from with departures slated for December 2009.
You can check out the site HERE.
I haven't looked through them yet, but I'll probably post some favorites in the coming days. Here's the press release:
Discovery Communications, the world’s leading nonfiction media company and parent to Discovery Channel, unveils trip itineraries for Discovery Adventures, their new adventure travel brand, at www.discoveryadventures.com. Thirty one exclusive trips to 16 worldwide destinations are available to book beginning July 31st with departures beginning this December. Discovery Adventures brings the experience of Discovery to life by invoking the adventure and exploration found in popular Discovery Channel programming.
Developed in partnership with the preeminent adventure travel provider G.A.P Adventures, Discovery Adventure tours offers truly affordable, comfortable and authentic experiences that go beyond the surface with in-depth, real-life encounters — encouraging participants to become part of the local cultures that they have come to know through top-rated Discovery Channel series. Each tour is developed to include off-the-beaten-path experiences and deeper exploration into the history and traditions of each destination, delivering a non-traditional tourist vacation.
Experts from the Discovery Channel were tapped for their insight and, along with the unsurpassed destination experience of the G.A.P Adventures’ team, Discovery Adventures itineraries are the ultimate in adventure travel. Itineraries will enable travelers to explore regions featured on Discovery Channel programs such as Man Vs. Wild(Costa Rica, Mexico, Alaska), Out of Egypt (Egypt) and Discovery Atlas (China). Exhilarating expeditions include educational tourism, cultural immersion, wildlife encounters, participation in sustainable world practices, epicurean adventures as well as geographic and environmental exploration. Discovery Adventures branded trips are hosted in destinations including, North America (Alaska, Southwest), Latin America (Peru, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica), Africa (Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Egypt, Morocco) and Asia (India, China, Thailand).
In addition to featuring the trip specifics, itineraries and awe-inspiring imagery from the featured destinations, the www.discoveryadventures.com web site will feature stories from Discovery network personalities who share both their love of adventure and stories from their different travel experiences. Dave Salmoni of Animal Planet’s Into The Pride, Kara Cooney, Egyptologist and host of the Discovery Channel series Out of Egypt and Andy Dehart, Discovery Channel’s resident shark expert featured on Shark Week are among the initial personalities featured on the site. Additionally, Discovery Channel’s behind the scenes writers and cinematographers will be looked to for contribution and often participation in providing expertise and first-hand knowledge along the journey.
“Discovery Adventures brings Discovery to life, providing travel enthusiasts and brand loyalists with an exciting new way to actively participate in channel’s offerings," says Elizabeth Bakacs, Vice President, Licensing, Discovery Commerce. “As the leader in adventure tourism, G.A.P. Adventures is the perfect partner to launch Discovery Adventures and immerse viewers in the wonders and diversity of cultures around the world as seen every day on Discovery Channel."
Some of the deeper cultural access travelers will experience on Discovery Adventures include: in Mexico, visiting families in the Yucatan for customary tortilla making and enjoying a trip down the Sian Ka'an Biosphere canal as the Mexican natives do; in South Africa, preparing a traditional barbeque with native tribes; in Southwest U.S., a guided tour of Monument Valley with Navajo Indian guide; in Brazil, trekking over the Ibera reserve to observe the Pantanal wildlife — a hidden gem not often explored; in Egypt, touring the Pyramids Sakkara and Dahshur that pre-date Giza; in India, encounter a spiritual awakening with a visit to Sarnath, the birthplace of Buddhism; in Costa Rica, study at La Selva biological station the premiere, private ecology research reserve.
Trips include arrival transfer, continental breakfast, air-conditioned rooms, complete with en suite bathrooms, cafe/bar and internet. Prices start at $2,000 per person, excluding airfare and each tour consists of group sizes ranging from six to 15 people with trip lengths from three to 24 days.
Posted by Ghostshark under Adventure, Travel | Comments (0)
July 9, 2009
This is a great idea. I'll have to sign up for this, and start planning on collecting my rent. Here's the detail, pulled from the Laphroaig site:
Your own piece of history
You may have read how the Johnston brothers had to fight three times to protect our precious and unique water supply. The final solution involved buying the land that our water ran through. So we decided that every Friend of Laphroaig should have (for their lifetime) their own personal square foot of Islay from a portion of this land. Each plot is registered and you may visit it (or view your plot on our members website). And more importantly collect your rent from us – a dram of the finest!
But Friends of Laphroaig is about much more than owning land – like Islay itself, it’s about a community – and what a community. Over the years we’ve witnessed some extraordinary events on the hallowed turf. A wedding between two FOLlowers, the scattering of a member’s ashes, even a Japanese ceremonial garden!
But the real day-to-day Laphroaig community lives right here on the Internet. With our new web site we have taken up many of our 'Friends' suggestions and once again expanded the password-protected area. Your Friends section includes:
* My Plot – Here you can to contact like-minded Friends. Whether they share a common interest, live in your hometown, or are 'virtual' neighbours on the plot next door to yours! You can also see aerial photographs which show you exactly where your personal square foot is, and you can see who your plot neighbours are and send messages to them!
* FOL Bureau – Here you can nominate your own friends to become 'FOLs', you can print off your own personalized FOL Business cards, and you can download our special 'Tasting Pack' to help guide you through a whisky tasting session. Here you can also find a copy of your certificate of land ownership with Laphroaig, so you can print it off whenever needs be.
* Distillery News – For up to date reports of all news, progress and events occurring at the distillery
* Chat – An easy to use chat area where are friends from around the world meet and discuss.
* Members Shop – You can buy whisky and merchandise at a special discount and purchase some items that non-members can’t buy at all
* Charity Auction – FOLlowers are exclusively allowed to bid for special items – all proceeds go to our nominated charity.
* World of FOL – A hub for FOLs around the world where you can share news and views that relate only to your own area.
* Writers Corner – Let’s hear about your first Laphroaig or the strangest place you've come across our whisky!
* Friends Photos – A very popular section where FOLs can upload their own pictures to share
* Send an E-card – Whether you wish to send a birthday greeting, a Christmas card, a Valentine or a simple hello, here you can find a good selection of E-cards to send out.
* Lottery – A randomly generated plot number lottery with one catch – the winner has to log in to the FOL site in order to claim their prize. Check back regularly to see if you're the lucky winner!
* Tasting Wheels – Keep track of all the different bottles of Laphroaig you've tasted here. You can also view other FOLs tasting opinions in our Tasting Library.
* Visiting Laphroaig – all the information you need to make the 'ultimate pilgrimage' to meet us (and collect your rent, of course!). You can now book online – Click here
* Caption Contest – We run a range of caption competitions over the year – a new one each month!
* And much, much more, the list is always expanding as you send in your suggestions.
So there’s never been a better time to join – we now number over 250,000 in over 150 countries worldwide!
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Posted by Ghostshark under Scotch, Spirits, Travel | Comments (0)
July 9, 2009
This is a pretty nice trip if you're a wine lover.
The Grand Prize is: A trip for two to Chile for the "Best of Chile Wine Tour". Prize package includes roundtrip coach-class air transportation for two to Santiago, Chile; seven nights accommodations at a 4-star hotel; a City Tour of Valparaiso with a trip by cable car; tickets to the Museum Pablo Neruda; a City Tour of Santiago; tickets to the Museum in Santa Cruz; and an Introduction to Wine Tasting class.
The sweepstakes runs until July 31, 2009, and you can enter it HERE.
Posted by Ghostshark under Contests, Travel, Wine | Comments (0)
July 8, 2009
I'm not a huge fisherman, but I'd like to try fly fishing at some point.This sounds like it would be a great place to do it. Here's the details from the press release:
The legendary Snake River, first explored by Lewis and Clark, has long been an angler's dream, famous for its blue-ribbon fishing during prime trout season which extends from now through October. Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa, Jackson Hole's grand AAA Four-Diamond lodge style hotel, has teamed with Grand Fishing Adventures to create an unforgettable Wild West adventure, combining the quintessential lodge experience with expert private-guide fishing on the West's legendary waterways including the Snake and Green Rivers. Whether on serene stretches or whitewater, novice and seasoned anglers on this exclusive package will experience the thrill of hooking a rainbow trout amidst some of our nation's most stunning landscapes.
The Cast Away Fly Fishing Package is available now to October 15. Package rates start at $2,166 based on double occupancy, with lots of value-added trimmings including:
* Four nights in a King or Queen Lodge Room
* Two full days of private guided fly fishing with Grand Fishing Adventures, including all equipment and transportation
* Boxed lunch both fishing days
* Dinner for two at Cascade Grill House & Spirits, known for its New Western Mountain cuisine, based on regionally sourced ingredients and organic produce
* Daily breakfast
* Seven-day Parks pass to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone
More details on the Cast Away Fly Fishing Package, as well as all of Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa's great packages are on their website at www.tetonlodge.com. For reservations, visit http://www.tetonlodge.com/Reservations/index.htm or call the toll-free reservations line at 1-800-631-6271.
Posted by Ghostshark under Travel | Comments (0)
June 30, 2009
Pretty cool prize for this contest.
The Grand Prize winner will receive a travel award for three people for 5 days/4 nights consisting of roundtrip tickets to Los Angeles, CA for a 2 day/1 night stay, followed by a 3 day/3 night stay in Las Vegas, NV and a cash prize of $3,333.33.
The 2 day/1 night stay in Los Angeles, CA includes: meet and greet with Guillermo from the Jimmy Kimmel Live television show, a tour of the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio and three tickets to the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" television show taping occurring that day, round trip ground transfers and hotel accommodations.
The 3 day/3 night stay in Las Vegas, NV includes: round trip ground transfers from Los Angeles International Airport, hotel accommodations at a hotel designated by Sponsor located on Las Vegas Blvd., a Grand Canyon "Above and Beyond 3 in 1 Combo Tour" and a "Club Hop Party," as selected by Sponsor. Club Hop Party includes: evening tour to visit up to three Las Vegas nightclubs, transportation during the tour, entrance and prepaid cover charges for all nightclub visits during the tour.
This is how a contest should be run. Vegas + money = good.
The contest runs through August 15, 2009, and you can enter it HERE.
Posted by Ghostshark under Contests, Travel, Vegas | Comments (0)
June 24, 2009
There's not a lot of details on this trip yet. What there is though, is awesome.
The Thirsty Swagman is putting together an around the world pub crawl that will start mid-March to April of 2011. The trip will hit four continents, 11 cities, 9 countries, and over 80 pubs and bars.
Details should come out sometime this September. You can check it out HERE.
If 2011 is too far away for you, you can still hit the site and check out the over pub crawl tours HERE.
Posted by Ghostshark under Travel | Comments (3)
May 11, 2009
To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Southwest is giving away five vacation packages.
The destinations are: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL; Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA; Sheraton Sand Key Resort, St. Petersburg, FL; Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, San Diego, CA; and Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV.
Some of the packages are more impressive than the other, but they all seem to be pretty good. They do ask you to submit your favorite vacation memory, but it doesn't have anything to do with the drawing. If they like it though, they might use it on their site.
The sweepstakes runs through May 31, 2009, and you can enter it HERE.
Posted by Ghostshark under Contests, Travel, Vegas | Comments (0)
April 23, 2009
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, whose parent company Harland and Wolff built the Titanic, is planning on a memorial cruise for the Titanic.
The modern cruise ship “The Balmoral” will carry 1,309 passengers (same as the Titanic had), and travel along the same route. The cruise is planned for April 2012, which will be the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking, and there will be a memorial service at the spot where the vessel went down.
I really hope that everything goes just fine, and maybe it's just me being superstitious, but all of that just seems like you're asking for trouble. Especially since they are going all out:
“The whole voyage will be steeped in Titanic history," said Miles Morgan, whose travel company is setting all of this up, "The food served will match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the style featured in those glorious times and there will be a chance to hear first hand from historians who have studied the Titanic story.”
The 12-night cruise will start at $3,782, and 100 of the 838 cabins have already been sold.
Yeah, count me right out.
If your game though, you can check it out HERE.
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Posted by Ghostshark under Travel | Comments (0)
April 21, 2009
I can't see how this would be a bad time.
The Los Angeles 2009 Lebowski Fest will be a two day event hel on May 7th and 8th. Here's the details of the fest:
May 7th – Lebowski Fest LA Movie Party @ The Wiltern
Music by Yuto Miyazawa plus special guests Jeff "The Dude" Dowd, Jon Polito (Da Fino), Phlip Moon (Woo the rug pisser), Jim Hoosier (Liam), Lu Elrod (Waitress) & Robin Jones (Ralph's Checkout Girl), followed by a screening of the film.
Doors at 7pm. Show at 8. All Ages.
Mezzanine (Seated) – $15
Main Floor (Partially Seated) – $19.99
May 8th – Lebowski Fest LA Bowling Party @ Cal Bowl
Bowling, costume, trivia and other contest with special guests Jeff "The Dude" Dowd, Jon Polito (Da Fino), Mark Pelligrino (Blonde Treehorn Thug), Phlip Moon (Woo the rug pisser), Jim Hoosier (Liam), Lu Elrod (Waitress) & Robin Jones (Ralph's Checkout Girl)! 9pm. Ages 21 and over. Ticket includes general admission bowling* and shoe rental. *Bowling is general admission and not guaranteed.
General Admission $27.50
The official 8th Annual Lebowski Fest will be held on July 10th-11th in Louisville KY.
You can read about both events at the Lebowski Fest HERE.
Posted by Ghostshark under Funny, Travel | Comments (0)
March 30, 2009
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Blockbuster announced they will be offering on demand digital video on Series 2, Series 3, HD and HD XL Tivo boxes.
Read More…
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A company has created the world's largest helicopter, and turned it into a flying hotel. You can check out all of the details HERE.
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Posted by Ghostshark under Electronics, Travel, Unique | Comments (0)
