Travel Calendar

Baldwin was booted off an American Airlines flight Tuesday because he refused to turn off his cell phone after the plane’s doors were closed for departure, the airline said.

The actor was apparently playing “Words With Friends,” a Scrabble-like online game.

In a column published by The Huffington Post on Wednesday, Baldwin said a crew member singled him out during the incident. He also raged against flight attendants who “have made flying a Greyhound bus experience.”

That didn’t sit well with Greyhound.

In an open letter to the actor issued Thursday, Greyhound President and CEO Dave Leach said he was disheartened to hear about the comments Baldwin made about the company.

No word on whether Baldwin plans to take Leach up on his offer. The actor deactivated his Twitter account after the American Airlines incident.

The Holland America Zuiderdam is a popular floating resort. The waters are crowded with sea-worthy vessels, so to make planning easier, we’ve done all the prep work for a cruise vacation. As part of a Huffington Post Travel series on cruise ships, here is a tip sheet offering all the key information one could ever need to know about the Holland America Zuiderdam.

Destination

The Holland America Zuiderdam sails two different itineraries. In the summer the ship sails up the U.S. West Coast, taking passengers to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. As the weather cools, the ship heads south, passing through the Panama Canal. The Zuiderdam explores the Caribbean, stopping in the Antilles, Curacao and Key West, Florida.

Passenger Ship

The Holland America Zuiderdam is one of Holland America’s four Vista-class cruise ships. These ships, named in Dutch for each of the four compass points, marry traditional Holland America luxury with contemporary amenities. Recent additions to the line make the ship more family-friendly than older models.

Special Features

Club HAL on the Holland America Zuiderdam offers age-appropriate activities for children from 3 to 17. The Digital Workshop gives passengers the opportunity and equipment to organize and edit cruise pictures and videos. The shipboard art gallery features paintings, sculptures and photos from all over the world. A self-guided audio walking tour is available free to all passengers.

Accommodations

All staterooms on the Holland America Zuiderdam include a seating area in addition to the sleeping area. All balconies are large enough for a table and chairs. Suites have additional amenities such as personalized stationery and access to the Neptune Lounge.

Cost

Passage for a seven-day cruise of Alaska may cost as little as $849 per person for an inside stateroom on the Holland America Zuiderdam, and $2,049 per person for a suite. While a 33-day cruise through the Panama Canal from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Vancouver costs as much as $3,399 per person for an inside stateroom and $9,899 per person for a suite. For best rates, look at traveling in September.

Excursions

A Holland America Zuiderdam passenger recommended the Tracy Arm excursion on the Alaskan cruise. A small catamaran took passengers from the cruise ship into Tracy Arm, which was far too ice-clogged for the larger cruise ship to enter. Seeing the glaciers from water level was an awe-inspiring experience. Participants observed a flock of eagles, including newly fledged young, and watched a pod of humpback whales.

Dining Experience

The Holland America Zuiderdam’s main restaurant, Vista, offers both assigned seating and the line’s As You Wish flexible dining program. The ship’s premium restaurant, Pinnacle, serves steak, pasta and seafood. For a casual dining experience, try the Lido buffet. The Zuiderdam also offers 24-hour room service.

Maiden Voyage

The Holland America Zuiderdam made its maiden voyage in December 2002. It is the first of Holland America’s four Vista-class ships.

In The News

USA Today reported a norovirus outbreak on board the Holland America Zuiderdam in November 2008. More than 10 percent of all passengers were ill.

WATCH:

A passenger’s deck tour of the Holland America Zuiderdam.

What’s your favorite cruise memory?

Check out more CRUISE SHIP GUIDES.

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GREEN BAY – The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is
reminding motorists heading to Lambeau Field on Sunday for the
Green Bay Packers-Oakland Raiders football game that the road
construction season continues on most major roads in northeast
Wisconsin.

While most projects will stop and two lanes of traffic will be
open, drivers might still encounter road conditions in the work
zones that could cause backups.

WisDOT strongly recommends motorists allow themselves additional
time to reach their destinations.

Here is a list of the major roads in northeast Wisconsin most
Packers fans will be traveling and the road conditions they should
anticipate:

US 41 – Brown County – drivers will encounter 11-foot travel
lanes and reduced shoulders in multiple locations along a 10-mile
segment of highway. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph from just
south of Oneida Street to Velp Avenue.

US 41 – Winnebago County – certain segments of 16 miles of
highway, from WIS 26 to Breezewood Lane, have restricted shoulders
and 11-foot travel lanes, especially in the vicinity of the US 45
interchange area.

GAME BASICS

The Warhawks (1-7) travel to College Station, Texas, to take on No. 25 Texas AM (7-1) Saturday at 7 p.m. inside Reed Arena. The game can be heard on 104.1 FM in Monroe or online at ulmwarhawks.com, with Adam Prendergast calling the action. Live stats are available by visiting ulmwarhawks.com.

UPDATING THE WARHAWKS

ULM fell to 0-3 at home this season with a 73-71 loss to Louisiana Tech on Saturday. It marked the third game this season that the Warhawks have lost by three points or less. ULM shot 54.5 percent from the field in the second half against the Bulldogs and finished at 40.4 percent for the game.

Senior guard Fred Brown led the Warhawks with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal, while sophomore guard Charles Winborne contributed 15 points and five assists. The two have combined to score over a third of the team’s points this season.

Senior forward Christian Bibi Ndongo netted a career-high 10 points and tied his career high with five rebounds against Louisiana Tech. Senior center Fabio Ribeiro pulled down a season-best eight rebounds in just 16 minutes of action. Sophomore center Steven McClellan saw his first action of the season against Louisiana Tech, scoring six points and grabbing seven rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

After being outrebounded in each of its first six games this season, ULM has now outrebounded two straight opponents. ULM finished with a 40-30 rebound advantage against Louisiana Tech on Saturday. The Warhawks are averaging 29.6 rebounds per game this season.

The Warhawks had season highs in free throws made (19) and free throws attempted (23) Saturday. The 82.6 percent clip from the charity stripe was the second highest for ULM this season.

ULM ranks 37th nationally in 3-point percentage (.400) and 75th in 3-pointers made per game (7.5). Three Warhawks have at least 14 3-point makes this season: Brown (20), Winborne (18) and freshman Trent Mackey (14).

Brown ranks second in the Sun Belt with 15.8 points per game. He also ranks 20th nationally and fourth in the Sun Belt in 3-point percentage (.488). Brown has scored in double figures in seven straight games, including a season-high 21 points at Mississippi State (Nov. 21). Brown has made at least three 3-pointers in five games this season. He is shooting 41.7 percent (43-of-103) from the field and 80 percent (20-of-25) from the free-throw line.

Winborne has come on strong over the past five games for the Warhawks, averaging 15.2 points per game in that stretch. He is the only ULM player to make at least one 3-pointer in all eight games. Winborne ranks sixth in the conference in 3-point percentage (.474) and fifth in 3-point makes per game (2.3). He also leads the team and ranks ninth in the Sun Belt with 2.9 assists per game.

Mackey has had a stellar start to his freshman campaign, averaging 7.5 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. He ranks tenth in the Sun Belt in 3-point percentage (.467) and tied for 12th in 3-point makes per game (1.8).

OTHER NOTES

• ULM shot a season-best 62 percent from the field against Nicholls State (Nov. 28). It was the Warhawks’ highest shooting percentage in a game since December of 2009.

• The Warhawks knocked at least 10 3-pointers in back-to-back games earlier this season. ULM had 11 3s against Harding (Nov. 26) and followed it up with 12 3s against Nicholls State (Nov. 28). ULM has made 60 3-pointers so far this season.

• Senior Fred Brown has led the Warhawks in scoring in six of eight games, and Charles Winborne has led the team in the other two games. The two have accounted for 45.2 percent of the team’s scoring this season.

• ULM has scored at least 70 points in back-to-back games for just the second time under head coach Keith Richard. The Warhawks have yet to score 70 in three straight games under Richard.

• Dating back to last season, the Warhawks are 2-8 in games decided by five points or less — including 0-3 this season.

• The Warhawks are playing the 2011-12 season with just nine active scholarship players and are banned from participating in postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.

• Richard is 0-1 as a head coach against Texas AM. The Aggies defeat Richard and Louisiana Tech, 75-59, in College Station during the 2006-07 season.

PREVIEWING THE AGGIES

Texas AM enters play Saturday ranked No. 22 in the AP and No. 25 in the Coaches Poll. The Aggies are coming off a dominating 64-37 triumph at home against Sam Houston State. ULM and Texas AM have one common opponent entering Saturday as both teams have lost to Mississippi State. The Aggies lost 69-60 in the 2K Sports Classic in New York City back on Nov. 17, while the Warhawks dropped a 78-63 decision to the Bulldogs in Starkville a week later.

Ray Turner leads the Aggies in scoring and rebounding with 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Turner is shooting 68 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from the free-throw line. Washington transfer Elston Turner is averaging 12.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while David Loubeau contributes 10.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Dash Harris is the Aggies’ assist man with 4.4 per game.

Billy Kennedy is in his first season as the head coach of the Aggies after a stellar five seasons at Murray State. In his time at Murray State, Kennedy went 70-24 and won two Ohio Valley Conference titles. His 2009-10 team earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament and knocked off Vanderbilt in the first round. Kennedy also has head coaching stops at Centenary (1997-99) and Southeastern Louisiana (1999-05).

SERIES HISTORY

ULM and Texas AM will be meeting for the fifth time in school history. The Warhawks claimed a 76-61 victory in the first ever meeting back in 2001-02, but the Aggies have won three straight in the series. The last time the two teams met, Texas AM rolled to a 78-36 victory inside Reed Arena. ULM is 0-2 in games played in College Station.

MCCLELLAN MAKES SEASON DEBUT

Sophomore Steven McClellan saw his first action of the season Saturday against Louisiana Tech. McClellan came off the bench with six points, seven rebounds and a blocked shot in 21 minutes of action. The 6-foot-7 center was slated to redshirt this season, but adds much needed height to the ULM frontcourt.

BROWN CHASING 1,000 POINTS

Senior guard Fred Brown moved to within 95 points of reaching1,000 for his career with a 17-point effort against Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Brown, who scored 380 points in two seasons with Kansas State, has been the leading scorer for ULM for two straight years. He has notched double figures in 42 games during his career, including seven straight this season.

Brown also has a chance of reaching 1,000 points in his two-year career at ULM. Brown sits 475 points short with 21 games left this season, meaning he would have to average 22.6 points per game the rest of the season.

UP NEXT

ULM hosts Nicholls State Monday at 7 p.m., in the first of two straight home games inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

No sir, I said, knowing all my lotions and potions were legally visible in the required baggie.

“We’re going to have to pat you down,” he explained as he pointed to a female agent slipping on her gloves. After explaining the procedure, she patted me from head to toe and everywhere in between while the other agent inspected every item in my purse.

At the end of his diligent search, he triumphantly pulled a bag of almonds and a peanut butter granola bar out of my purse. I think he smiled. And I was freed to board to plane.

As I waited for a connecting flight in San Francisco, I was aware of how the airlines keep us in shape. My flight out of Gate 69 was changed to Gate 79 in another terminal. I happily walked the half mile to the other gate and took a seat. I glanced at the board as it got close to boarding time. Another gate change…back at the terminal I had just left.

On my commute back I found myself wandering through a display of Ghirardelli chocolates.

A sales woman offered me a free sample of dark chocolate.

“I hope this is good for me,” another shopper said. It is, I justified to myself. Dark chocolate scores high on the ORAC(Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale – -a measure of the ability of substances in food to inhibit “oxidative stress” in the body. Then I realized it was only 7 a.m.

Luckily my peanut butter granola bar and almonds were safely un-confiscated in my purse. They helped tide me over until I got to New Mexico.

It was lunch time when I landed in the Land of Enchantment. And I instantly remembered the game I would play with my mom and now with my sister and daughter.

“What do you feel like eating?” they ask.

Oh..I don’t know, I say. Any ideas?

“How about Mexican food?”

Oh, all right, I say.

And then we head to Cervantes – our favorite after-you-land-at-the-airport green chile enchilada spot.

This time of year, the restaurant is all aglow with – what else? – Southwestern Christmas red chili lights.

After a few rounds of New Mexican “green or red?” chile meals and a special meal with my sister at the famous Luna Mansion in Los Lunas, I head to the airport for my trip home. Just in time for our church annual Christmas dinner and cookie exchange. Ahhh … the holidays.

This year I will relax and enjoy these special times with family and friends. After all, it’s not like I eat a Navajo taco smothered with green chile every day.

I will remember some basic rules this season, however. I will drink more water, especially when I travel by air. One cup fluid per hour of flight is a good general rule.

I will walk when I can. I thoroughly enjoyed the Los Lunas Christmas parade down Main Street as my sister and I walked to dinner one night.

One question though. How did those homemade biscochitos (cookies) get into my bag?

(Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Email her at bquinn@chomp.org.)

NEW YORK |
Fri Dec 9, 2011 8:09am EST

NEW YORK Dec 9 (Reuters) – The mingled aromas of mulled wine
and gingerbread, thousands of starry lights and stalls heaving
with crafts and gifts. There’s nothing like a Christmas market
to put you in the holiday spirit. That’s why online travel
adviser Cheapflights (cheapflights.com) has come up with this
top 10 list of Christmas markets. Reuters has not endorsed this
list:
1. Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg’s Christmas market takes pride of place in front
of the sublime, towering Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg.
It’s the largest and oldest Christmas market in France. For more
than 400 years the city has welcomed visitors to its
Christkindelsmarik. Beautifully made Christmas decorations,
Nativity figurines and traditional delicacies (spiced bread,
mulled wine and foie gras) fill the stalls. Each year, a
different country is celebrated; in 2011, it’s Switzerland’s
turn. Place Gutenberg will host a Swiss market featuring
authentic delicacies, concerts, dancing and exhibitions from its
cantons. Running until Dec.31.
2. Quebec City, Canada

Just four years old, Quebec City’s Christmas market has
become a fixture on the festive calendar. Its setting is beyond
compare. The cobble-stoned streets of Vieux Quebec are made for
Christmas cards and the guaranteed cold weather cries out for
the hearty fare and drinks that are on sale from the cheery
vendors. Among the delicacies are traditional raisin-studded
gingerbread, pretzels, roast chestnuts and delicious
Santa-shaped chocolates. Running until Dec. 11.
3. Copenhagen, Denmark

Tivoli Gardens, the famous amusement park, hosts
Copenhagen’s Christmas markets. The willow trees are festooned
with lights, there are almost four miles of colorful stalls and
the little ones will be able to see how the residents of
Nissekøbing spend their time. The market welcomes about 1
million visitors each year, most of whom will want to take a
ride on the carousels, Chinese lantern and Elves’ Train. Running
until Dec. 30.
4. Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Christkindlmarket in Chicago is inspired by Nuremberg’s
ancient market. Daley Plaza on Washington Street is where you’ll
find red-and-white tents groaning under the weight of festive
delicacies and traditional handcrafted gifts that will satisfy
the pickiest customer. Warming German delicacies like sausages,
sauerkraut and potato pancakes keep out the cold and soak up the
gluehwein and German beers. Running until Dec. 24.
5. Dublin, Ireland

Dublin’s Docklands turn German for 20 days in November and
December. German traders display their wares alongside their
Irish counterparts. The air is filled with the scent of roasting
nuts, mulled wine, eggnog and sizzling bratwurst. The Irish love
to party, so it’s fitting that the full program comprises
musical entertainment with story tellers, carol singers and
bands. Santa turns up on weekends to chat to the visitors and
dispense a few sweets to the young and young at heart. Running
until Dec. 23.
6. Dresden, Germany

Striezelmarkt is one of the oldest markets in the world; the
first mention of it cropped up in the 15th century. Artisans
from all over the country gather to sell some of the best crafts
Germany has to offer. Regional specialties include the famous
blue-and-white ceramics, crafts from the Ore Mountains, blown
glass from Lauscha and much more. The highlight of the market is
the arrival of the three-tonne baked stollen (German fruit cake)
after it has been paraded through the streets. Running until
Dec. 24.
7. Vienna, Austria

The Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz starts earlier than
most, in mid-November, and is one of the biggest Christmas
markets in Europe. Almost 200 stalls dominate the square,
selling traditional decorations and hand-crafted gifts as well
as scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth Viennese pastries and
Weihnachtspunsch (a spiced punch). Dates: Nov. 12-Dec. 24. Those
in favor of a smaller (some say, more cultured) market can head
to the courtyard of the baroque Schoenbrunn Palace between Nov.
19 and Dec. 26.
8. Prague, Czech Republic

A giant Christmas tree in the Old Town Square is the focal
point for Prague’s festive fun. The main markets are to be found
at the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square and there are
smaller ones at Namesti Republiky and Havelske Trziste. All
feature beautifully decorated stalls that sell everything from
Bohemian crystal and Czech marionettes to braided pastries and
gingerbread. While shopping from stall to stall it’s customary
to grab a mug of svaree vino (sweet mulled wine) to sip along
the way. Running until Jan. 8.
9. Brussels, Belgium

The Brussels Christmas market – Plaisirs d’Hiver (Winter
Wonder) – is a fairly new arrival to the scene. It has only been
around since 2004, but its location at the Grand-Place of
Brussels and around the Bourse (on the Place Sainte-Catherine
and on the Marché aux Poissons) gives it a centuries-old vibe.
Almost 250 chalets, fairground rides, an ice rink and
bauble-studded Christmas tree make it a wonderland. Then there
are the mouth-watering delicacies to enjoy – the local
chocolates, pots of mussels and Belgian waffles. Running until
Jan.1.
10. Nuremberg, Germany

Nuremberg’s Christmas market was first held in 1628 and is
one of the best known in Germany with more than 2 million
visitors annually. Candy-cane striped stalls serving glühwein
and bratwurst fill the Old Town while live music is performed
late into the night. The must-buy souvenirs are the Nuremberg
Plum People, tiny figures made from prunes. Running until Dec.
24.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 9, 2011 —

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Gogobot, the world’s largest social travel site, announced today an integration with Flipboard, the world’s first social magazine.  This marks Gogobot’s most recent step in their quest to provide gorgeous and unique ways for users to share and discover new places around the globe.

The integration takes a real-time stream of stylized travel photos and experiences from across the globe, generated using the Gogobot mobile app, and transforms them into a travel magazine for the digital age.  With the integration, users can curl up with their iPads and flip through postcards and experience from around the world, discovering new places and getting inspiration for their next trip.  Users can find Gogobot in the “Travel” section of Flipboard.

“Gogobot is all about helping people share and discover new, cool places from around the world and also in your own backyard.  We’re excited to be teaming up with Flipboard to continue our mission,” said Gogobot CEO Travis Katz. “Gogobot has become the go-to site for travel lovers – where you can get the best recommendations and share beautiful postcards of your own adventures.  With our Flipboard integration now Gogobot offers a stunning new way to experience travel and discover new places on your iPad.”

Users can create postcards with the newly launched Gogobot app by snapping a photo and choosing from more than ten different styles and filters to transform their photos into beautiful, geo-tagged digital postcards.  The app also allows users to rate and review the places they have been to on the fly and then share the postcards immediately with friends via Facebook, Twitter, and now, Flipboard. Each postcard is added automatically to a user’s Gogobot Guide on Gogobot.com, creating a lasting, magazine-style spread to help users remember and share all of the places they’ve visited. 

The Gogobot App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and can be downloaded here.

About Gogobot

Gogobot.com, the largest social travel site, is writing a new chapter in online travel planning where friends, not strangers, are the key to creating extraordinary travel experiences.  Launched in November 2010, Gogobot helps people tap into their personal networks via Facebook and Twitter to easily get and give travel reviews and advice and share all the aspects of their trips through stylized digital scrapbooks and interactive maps.  Partnered with HomeAway, Expedia, Hotels.com, Kayak, Priceline, and others, Gogobot enable users to book their vacations directly from the site.  Whether you are looking for Las Vegas hotel reviews, the top things to do in Paris, or the best hotels in Miami Beach, Gogobot provides personal advice for the traveler.  Gogobot’s mobile platform is on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.  Named one of TIME’s 50 Best Websites of 2011, Gogobot users have shared more than 2 million places on the site.   The Gogobot mobile app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Gogobot is based in Silicon Valley, California.

About Flipboard

Flipboard is the world’s first social magazine. Inspired by the beauty and ease of print media, Flipboard’s mission is to fundamentally improve how people discover, view and share content across their social networks. Start reading your magazine by downloading Flipboard at flipboard.com. The company is based in Palo Alto, California and backed by legendary investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers and Index Ventures. You can follow us at twitter.com/flipboard.

SOURCE Gogobot

Courtesy 3rd Planet Pte. Ltd.

Interactive 3-D travel is still in its infancy. However, it’s likely to become more common as the technology improves.

Ever wonder what it’s like to trek to Mount Everest? Unless you’ve got a month of vacation and a big bank account, the next best answer may soon be sitting right in front of you.

Opening to the public on Saturday, Journey to Everest promises to bring Nepal to your computer screen via interactive 3-D. Along the way, the program offers a glimpse into the future of virtual tours.

The Journey was created by Singapore-based 3rd Planet Pte. Ltd. as a portal and marketing tool for the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). “[This] enables us to showcase our country in a totally new dimension,” said NTB CEO Prachanda Man Shrestha in a statement.

Or several. After registering (free) on the 3rd Planet website, users can explore Kathmandu, navigate  around Tribhuvan Airport and fly over the Himalaya to the town of Lukla. Right-click your mouse to activate “fly-through” mode and the scenes get surprisingly realistic.

In Kathmandu, for example, users can walk the streets, peer around corners, even pass through the exterior columns of the Chyasim Deval temple in Patan Durbar Square. (Careful, it takes some coordination not to walk into the walls.) Later, in a scene straight out of “Lost Horizon,” you can ride along as a prop plane works its way over the mountains to the remote town of Lukla.

For now, that’s where the journey ends with the rest of the trek to Everest expected to go live next year. Even so, 3rd Planet CEO Terence Mak believes interactive 3-D travel is ready for prime time. “Pictures and words don’t do justice to a location,” he told msnbc.com. “Of all the various ways of remembering information, the human mind remembers it best through experience.” 

Others in the industry appear to agree. Last year, 3D Travel of Honolulu launched 3-D portals that combine Google Earth imagery with travel-specific information for Hawaii and Las Vegas.

For Sin City, for example, users can fly along a videogame-like representation of the Strip, ducking under the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, following along the roller coaster at New York New York and passing through the fountains at Bellagio. Sidebars let users get more information on hotels, shows and other attractions and, in select cases, make immediate bookings.

The company expects to launch a similar offering for San Francisco in January.

Whether as a marketing platform or booking tool, interactive 3-D travel is still in its infancy. However, it’s likely to become more common as the technology improves, more destinations opt in and more people incorporate tablets and other mobile devices into their travel planning.

“There’s a lot more planning going on with iPads and other tablets,” said Norm Rose of Travel Tech Consulting Inc. “The more you can give people an opportunity to experience the virtual world, the more it will encourage actual travel to those destinations.”

Or, as Mak puts it, “We live in a 3-D world and the best way to understand a destination is in 3-D.”

More stories you might like:

• Personalized guidebooks: Your trip, your way
• Travel industry embracing ‘wisdom of friends’
• Say cheese! The year’s best new travel cameras

Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

SAO PAULO (Dow Jones)-The Brazilian tourism company Brasil Travel Turismo e Participacoes S.A is planning an initial public offering on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange, the BMFBovespa, the company said late Thursday in a statement.

It didn’t set a date for the offer or the number of shares …

Hanoi, Vietnam, December 09, 2011 –(PR.com)– This exciting 12 day trip allows travelers to discover the Mekong delta in all its glory, with their odyssey ending on Phu Quoc Island.

The Mekong is the longest river in Southeast Asia, running through 6 countries and ending in Vietnam, with 9 branches before finding its ways to the East Sea. With its unique history and rich culture, it’s one of the last travel frontiers, with stunning natural beauty and incredible cultural diversity.

“Whether it’s the sights, sounds or tastes, there’s always something captivating to grab your attention. Lose yourself in the vibrant markets or observe the relaxed life of the Mekong locals while you travel by boat through the winding waterways of lush South Vietnam,” said Pham Ha, founder and CEO of Luxury Travel Ltd.

Activities during the trip include trekking, cruising, biking and boating. You will venture off the beaten path of the Mekong Region from Chau Doc to Ha Tien and from Can Tho to Cap Ca Mau. Of course, travelers will have time to relax and cruise on a charming boat on the Mekong River and stay in the best available hotels in the region.

“Your trip ends at the Phu Quoc Islands, just 45 minutes by air from Rach Gia. Phu Quoc is a relatively undiscovered island paradise, with warm clear waters and long stretches of sandy beaches. The local industry is fishing and the island is famous throughout Vietnam for its fish sauce. There are few upscale resorts on the island, but this is changing rapidly,” added pham Ha.

Tour prices from 1999 USD per person from two persons, double occupancy, including private transfer, pick up and drop off services, domestic flights, meals, English or French speaking guide, entrances, visa on arrival letter, and first class accommodation.

“The tour can be booked online and paid in full with your major credit card: Master, Visa or Amex, and can be customized to suit individual interests and schedules. Touring is flexible, with your own expert guide and driver in each destination, and each day is tailored to your personal interests, schedule, level of energy, and travel preferences,” said David Nguyen, sales and Marketing Manager of Luxury Travel Vietnam Company.

Opened in 2004, the Luxury Travel Company Limited has its own offices, luxury vehicles, luxury travel advisors, and serves thousands of high-end travelers every year, while experiencing 30% growth annually. The company’s depth of experience and large infrastructure enable it to create unique itineraries with the operational confidence to fulfill client expectations. Luxury Travel Ltd has won numerous travel awards for excellent performance, including the most recent award: “Best Luxury Tour Operator in Vietnam.”

For more information and online booking, visit www.luxurytravelvietnam.com

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