EVENTS & NEWS in Worldrover Dec 2003

NEWS &

THE DAYS OF WINE AND NOSES
Wine Festivals,
Vancouver & New Zealand

The numbers are overwhelming – with 1000 wines to taste in less than a week, where to start? The 26th Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has thrown down the gauntlet and the wise wine lover will do some careful planning. For the big hit, the Tasting Room Event is the place to start. Three evenings to choose from, 166 wineries and 650 wines. Some people go to all three nights, focusing on whites on night, reds the next and just having fun the final night. If you love wine, but are on a limited budget, a better investment might be one night at the tasting room and one or two of the special events or winemaker’s dinners, held at great restaurants around town at terrific prices. Plan to take a taxi wherever you end up, it will be hard to resist the offerings. Or, for a real getaway weekend, several nearby hotels offer great Accommodation and Festival Event packages. Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, March 15 – 21, 2004 – full details at www.playhousewinefest.com

THE BMW WINE MARLBOROUGH FESTIVAL is promising to be bigger and better than ever – it’s the 21st year, and it would seem they know what they are doing. With a 10 am start time, a focus on Food and Wine Pairing, a Fashion in the Vines competition, more than 200 wines from 40 wineries and a wide range of entertainment, it should be a great day at the Brancott Estate. www.bmw-winemarlborough-festival.co.nz

THE TERRACOTTA ARMY has come to visit Germany.
It’s in Berlin, at the former site of the East German parliament, the Palace of the Republic, and the terracotta warriors (replicas, but they still have the impact) from the Qin Dynasty of China (246 – 210 BCE) are worth a visit.
The warriors are a fitting tribute to the “king of Kings” (as he called himself) who took the first steps to unify China. The display includes a model of the grave located adjacent to the king’s, containing some 7000 life-size figures. It’s on display in Berlin until June 27th, then moves to Oberhausen for the summer, and over to Nürnberg in October. Further details (sorry, in German only) are to be found at http://www.terrakottaarmee.de

NEW YORK GOES CHEAP FOR EASTER

Students get a $2 discount at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and everyone gets a 25% discount with the NYCard

The most expensive aspect of a trip to
New York is accommodation, and there are many ways of cutting that cost down to size: searching out cheap-but-clean, often independently owned, hotels; renting a short-stay apartment; getting reacquainted with that second cousin once removed who has a small East Village studio; or tracking down a bed-and-breakfast in Brooklyn.

Possibly the greatest deal in Manhattan is the YMCA at 5 West 63rd Street. Apart from inexpensive rooms, it has one of the best fitness centers in the city, complete with pool, basketball court, and all the machines you’d ever need to keep you fit. Rates for a single room vary between $60 and $67. But to really economize, travel with a friend and split the cost of a twin room (between $70 and $75). To book at the lower end of those rates, go online to a service like hostelworld.com instead of booking by phone. Best of all, YMCAs are tax exempt, so there won’t be any nasty hotel tax surprises at check out.

Two of the greatest sights in New York — the views from the promenade of the Brooklyn Bridge and the views from the Staten Island ferry — are free. For deals on entrance fees to major attractions, generally, the trick is to plan ahead. Glance through tourist publications like Where magazine and Cityguide, available free in hotel lobbies and visitor centers like the Times Square Visitor Center or the Wall Street Rising Visitor Center. Or investigate NYTAB’s NYCard and the CityPass. The NYCard offers discounts of up to 50% on a broad range of attractions, from Liberty Helicopter and Harlem Spiritual Tours to museums and shopping. The CityPass focuses on six mega-attractions: the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Circle Line Harbor Cruises, American Museum of Natural History, and the Empire State Building Observatory & Skyride. If you see them all (easy enough over a few days), you save a full 50% on the normal ticket prices. Entrance to all six would cost $91 for adults and $77.50 for students, but with the CityPass, the cost is reduced to $45 for adults and $39 for youths (6-17 years).

Among museums, one of the best bangs for the buck is at the venerable Metropolitan Museum. Whereas many museums charge extra for special exhibitions, the Metropolitan’s block-busters are free with the suggested admission fee ($12 for adults, $7 for students), as is entrance to the Cloisters, a collection of five medieval cloisters perched on a hill uptown in Fort Tryon Park. For students, entrance prices at the Frick Collection drop steeply from $12 for adults to $5 for students, and there’s an extra bargain here: admission includes an Acoustiguide tour. The Guggenheim Museum’s normal $15 admission fee is reduced to $10 for students, and the NYCard gives a further $2 off these prices. On Fridays between 6:00 pm and 8:00pm at the Guggenheim, you can simply pay as you wish.

BATTLESHIP BECOMES BRITAIN’S FIRST ARTIFICIAL REEF

A former Royal Navy frigate is to be sunk off the Cornish coast next spring to create an artificial reef, the first of its kind in Europe. HMS Scylla, a 113-metre vessel decommissioned in 1993, has been acquired by the National Maritime Aquarium in Plymouth, and is now at the historic naval port being prepared so that it minimises the risk of environmental damage.

In April she will be towed to Whitesand Bay near Land's End, and sunk. The artificial reef created is expected to attract hundreds of divers to the area.

Website: HTTP://www.visitsouthwest.co.uk

AIR NEW ZEALAND commences non-stop services between Auckland and San Francisco from 30 June. The 12-hour flight will arrivive around midday in San Francisco and early morning into Auckland. http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND WINE FAIR

The BMW WINE MARLBOROUGH FESTIVAL is promising to be bigger and better than ever – it’s the 21st year, and it would seem they know what they are doing. With a 10 am start time, a focus on Food and Wine Pairing, a Fashion in the Vines competition, more than 200 wines from 40 wineries and a wide range of entertainment, it should be a great day at festival.co.nz the Brancott Estate.

http://www.bmw-winemarlborough-festival.co.nz

VEGAS ON A ROLL
Las Vegas now has more than 128,000 hotel and motel rooms, more than any other city destination in the world and employs 189,500 people in its hospitality industry.
By 2005, an estimated 11,000 new hospitality jobs will have been created and Las Vegas will have more than 134,000 hotel and motel rooms as a result of some staggering development projects.
Over the next two years, new properties, new convention facilities and ambitious hotel, attraction, amenity and infrastructure projects will take the destination to new and unparalleled heights. Collectively totaling in excess of US$4 billion, these construction projects reflect much confidence in Las Vegas’ future

NEW DUTCH CYCLE ROUTE
The history and wealth of Dutch 17th Century Golden Age can still be felt in the historic villages and town scattered along the IJsselmeer coast better known as the Golden Circle. One of the best ways to discover the region is by bike. The Golden Circle now has several route allowing visitors to explore the region at their own pace. Love cycling? Then think about the Tour D'IJsselmeer a 400 km cycle around the former ZuyderZee in seven days. Not so experienced? Try the shorter tour: take the Enkhuizen-Stavoren ferry and skip part of the tour. Cycle through and along several centuries of Dutch history. Merchant houses, shipping, fishing: you'll come across it all.
More information on the Golden Circle cycling routes can be found on www.goldencircle.nl

FRANCO-SCOTTISH TRAIN PACKAGE
ScotRail has joined forces with Eurostar to provide First and Standard Class all-inclusive packages to Paris, Lille and Brussels from ALL forty one Scottish stations served by the Caledonian Sleeper. Pitlochry to Paris, Bridge of Orchy to Brussels, Leuchars to Lille, even Carlisle to the Continent – it’s all possible from just £135 return.

DEALS

BACKPACKERS EXPRESS is the latest idea from from Australia. The new airline plans to operate a pair of Boeing 747s between Manchester in the UK and Sydney by mid-summer.

There will be a one class with a bar up the front where first class used to be. The Jumbo is set to feature engines painted as beer cans and giant 'smiley' faces on the nose cone and tail. Stopovers will include Delhi and Bangkok. http://www.backpackersxpress.com

GREAT RAIL JOURNEYS - EX UK
Great Rail Journeys (01904 521940, http://www.greatrail.com), has produced a brochure highlighting 2004 availability, plus additional itineraries planned for next year. This summer, there is still availability on a variety of tours to Switzerland, France, Germany, Eastern Europe and Italy. The company’s winter brochure will be out shortly and this sees the introduction of a selection of five-day inclusive breaks – in conjunction with Inntravel, the specialist in countryside holidays – to Lyon, Avignon, Bruges and the French Riviera. All holidays will be based on first-class Eurostar and TGV travel.

SELF CATERING BARGAINS
EX UK

Cresta Holidays (0870 33 33 303, www.crestaholidays.co.uk) has extended its early booking deals until end of February on self-catering holidays to France or Ireland.

The price is £139 per adult for two sharing a studio, with up to three others who travel and stay free of charge for a week at Pierre & Vacance Resort Port Bourgenay on the Atlantic Coast during October. Includes return Dover/Calais ferries and a £30 saving.

Or spend St Patrick’s Day in Ireland, with a week at the four-star Glenbeg Point cottages in Co Wexford starting 13 March. For up to five persons the total is £372 – saving £50 – with return Fishguard/Rosslare ferry for car and passengers.

US - NORWAY
Oslo is to to have connections with with Newark Liberty International Airport Continental Airlines will operate a daily flight from 17 June.
Tthe new service is the only scheduled non-stop transatlantic service to Oslo and will become the 19th city, and Norway the 12th country, in Continental's transatlantic route network and the airline's only Scandinavian destination.
http://www.continental.com

A DOWNHILL DEAL
More French Alps resorts appear in a new Ski brochure with increased accommodation capacity across the board – from luxury chalets to budget self-catering. New for this year, for example, is the family friendly resort of Les Carroz d’Araches where accommodation prices for a week at February half term start at just £143.50 each for a party of four sharing a studio – including return channel crossing for car and passengers.
Contact: Leisure Direction 0208 324 3030, www.leisuredirection.co.uk

Snowmobile safari.

Sign up for a seven-night snowmobile safari with Canterbury Travel and travel through Finland and Norway right up to the Russian border. There are weekly tour departures for groups of five to eight (one person per snowmobile and minimum age 15 years) with a dedicated English-speaking guide between 27 December and 10 April from £1650
per person, twin-share. Included are return flights from Gatwick, transfers, seven nights’ full-board accommodation, the snowmobile tour including petrol and the hire of all equipment and clothing.
(01923 822388, http://www.laplandmagic.com )

Like Thai cookery?
The Thai ASIANal Cooking School can be found at The ASIANal Bangkok. Organized by some of the country's leading chefs and
cooking instructors the programme covers every major aspect of Thai cooking
and participants will graduate with the skills needed to create feasts of
the highest standard!

Tutorage is by renowned Thai chef instructors, and comprehensive instruction
material and all required ingredients are provided. The school teaches
pupils how to make snacks, salads, soups, desserts, fruit and vegetable
carvings, curries, side dishes and how to steam, stir fry, fry and grill
various foods.

Asia Direct offers packages to this property, and cost is from £792 per
person, twin-share, which includes return KLM flight from various UK
regional airports, transfers, and room-only accommodation four nights'. The
cooking course needs to be booked directly with the hotel and costs from
approximately £84 per person, per day. Reservations: 0870 889 0824
www.asia-direct.co.uk

USA: .New Freedom Trail Audio Guide available for visitors:

A new portable Freedom Trail audio guide is now available for visitors to Boston. Boston’s Freedom Trail, toured by more than 2 million visitors a year, includes the 200-year-old USS Constitution ship, the Paul Revere House, the Old North Church and thirteen other historic sites along a 3.5 mile walking trail that is marked by a red brick line. The 90-minute guide is available at the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau Boston Common Visitor Center at the beginning of the Freedom Trail (open daily 9-5) Cost is for $12.00 for adults ($10.00 second adult), $6.00 for children.
Details www.BostonUSA.com

GLASGOW-NEW YORK FLIGHTS
Continental Airlines, the only airline operating year-round, scheduled transatlantic air services from Scotland, today confirmed that it will operate the wide-bodied Boeing 767-400ER aircraft on the Glasgow-New York/Newark route in Summer 2004,

BOOKMARK
	PACIFIC & ASIAN February - March 2004 Volume 4 Edition 1