TravelBloggers.ca

Latest Posts

Early Icewine Harvest in Ontario’s Wine Country

NIAGARA, ON, Dec. 16, 2013 /CNW/ – The Icewine harvest had an early start this year as the temperature began to dip to below -8˚ Celsius in late November. Icewine harvest varies from year to year as growers are dependent on nature, but one thing that remains cool and dependable is the Niagara Icewine Festival – an annual celebration in January, that turns the region into an unforgettable wintery wonderland of Icewine-inspired experiences.

The Icewine Festival, a one-of-a-kind celebration, is a time when consumers have the best opportunity to discover and enjoy Canada’s most cherished product. For three weeks in January, wine enthusiasts, cocktail fans, foodies and music lovers can all choose from a collection of Icewine related events reflecting the authentic and local flavours of Ontario.

Events will be hosted throughout the Niagara region and at the outdoor street festivals in the towns of Jordan Village and Niagara-on-the-Lake, where visitors can admire sparkling ice sculptures, warm up to cozy open fires and enjoy live entertainment.

New this year is Niagara-on-the-Lake’s ‘Sparkle & Ice.’ During the evening of Friday, January 17^th, Icewine makers will be sharing their favourite VQA wines, paired with Icewine inspired dishes by Signature Kitchen Chefs. Guests will be welcomed with an Icewine Cocktail and a chance to win an authentic Diamond.

This year’s annual Icewine Gala on January 10^th is themed the ‘Bacchus Evening of Icewine & Revelry’. Festival activities will take place throughout Twenty Valley’s Jordan Village and Niagara-on-the-Lake from January 10^th – 26^th, 2014.

Visitors can purchase a Discovery Pass, where guests can choose from over 30 incredible wine and culinary experiences along the Wine Route.

In addition to an array of Icewine, visitors can also taste Ontario’s sensational sparkling wines and delicious VQA red and white wines.

For full details on all Icewine Festival events download the following event summaries for January 2014:
Niagara Icewine Festival Brochure &
Niagara-on-the-Lake Winter in Wine Country Brochure

“The Icewine Festival in Niagara is one of Wine Country Ontario’s signature celebrations. During this magical time, our wine region is like a winter wonderland where we celebrate something that is quintessentially Canadian,” Allan Schmidt, President of Vineland Estates Winery and Chair of the Wine Council of Ontario for “Wine Country Ontario.”

For more information you can also visit: www.niagaraicewinefestival.com, www.wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com, www.niagaraonthelake.com, www.twentyvalley.ca & www.winecountryontario.ca.

Follow up to Travelocity/Disney Competition – WARNING

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

I (Iain) went to sign up for the competition on Facebook and you have to accept their app or you don’t get any more information. That’s fine, but….

If you’re comfortable giving them EVERYTHING you have on your Facebook – including all of your friends’ photos and information, then go ahead… we won’t do that!

TravelBloggers.ca apologizes to everyone for misleading them. We won’t be passing along any news in the future that involves Travelocity.

Guess the correct Air Canada and BMW model for a chance to win a trip to Munich Germany!

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

Announcing The Ultimate Driver’s Getaway Contest!

Guess the correct Air Canada and BMW model for a chance to win the ultimate BMW Canada driving experience for you and a friend — in Munich Germany!

http://bmw.aircanada.com/#/en/

Test your knowledge of Air Canada’s fleet and BMW vehicles for the chance to win the ultimate driver’s getaway at the home of BMW in Munich.

If you are correct, you and a friend could win a round-trip flight to Munich for an all-inclusive BMW experience.

Air Canada Premiers New Boeing 787 Dreamliner Cabin Interiors

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

MONTREAL, December 4, 2013 – Air Canada is premiering its brand new international cabin design and seating that the airline will feature on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. Visit 787.aircanada.com for full details and a virtual tour of the aircraft and new cabin amenities. The airline will take delivery of the first of 37 Boeing 787 aircraft in the spring of 2014.

“We are very excited to introduce completely re-designed seating and cabin amenities that will offer Air Canada customers the very best in comfort and contemporary design,” said Ben Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “With the arrival next spring of our first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Air Canada continues to renew its international widebody fleet with the next generation of modern and fuel efficient aircraft. As North America’s Best Airline, we look forward to taking delivery of our first 787 Dreamliner and continuing to raise the bar in customer comfort.”

Air Canada will provide three cabins of service on board its Boeing 787 Dreamliners highlighted by a brand new contemporary decor and comfortable ergonomic seating that features 180-degree lie-flat seats in its International Business Class cabin. An extensive choice of in-flight entertainment on enhanced definition seat back touch screens will be available for all customers along with power outlets and USB ports.

Beginning in July 2014, the first Air Canada route to be operated with 787 Dreamliner aircraft featuring the new cabin interior and amenities will be the carrier’s Toronto-Tel Aviv route. Seats are now available for booking.

As the first three 787 aircraft are gradually introduced into the Air Canada fleet in the spring of 2014, the airline will offer a preview of its new Dreamliner service on select domestic Canada and transatlantic flights on a temporary basis.

“The introduction of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft featuring our new onboard product is a key component of Air Canada’s international expansion plans,” continues Mr. Smith. “The fuel efficient Boeing 787 aircraft will open up opportunities for Air Canada to serve new international destinations, and convert existing routes to Dreamliner service, as we continue to renew our fleet and develop Toronto Pearson into a preferred North American gateway and truly global airline hub.”

December Desktop Calendar Now Available!

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

We’ve added December’s Desktop Calendar to our “Downloads” page.

This month it’s Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario – Icewine Festival … we hope you like it!

www.stone-hedgefinancialgroup.ca, TravelBloggers.ca

For Canadians Living Near The U.S. border, It Can Take Less Than 5 Minutes To Cross Over Into A World of Hurt

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

©Audrey Durose – Fotolia

A recent poll conducted by BCAA (British Columbia Automobile Association) showed that the majority of B.C. travellers crossing the border for short trip take risks – insurance risks from unexpected medical emergencies.

In a recent cross-border travel poll it was revealed that 77% of British Columbians who have travelled to the U.S. without travel insurance, do so because they believe that short trips don’t justify getting insurance.

With many Canadians making travel plans to the U.S. for Black Friday shopping, travellers should consider the risks with leaving their province – even for a few hours, without adequate medical coverage.

“It’s a huge gamble to leave B.C. [Canada] for any length of time without any, or adequate, travel insurance,” says Hubert Rau, BCAA’s vice president of Insurance Marketing. “Learning from our survey that people are travelling unprotected is troubling. Even a minor, unexpected medical emergency, especially in the U.S., could cost thousands of dollars to treat, let alone all the other expenses associated with a medical incident.” Read More

Roam Mobility’s “Snowbird Plan” Gives Canadian Travellers Unlimited Talk, Text and 1GB of Data – only $39.95/month

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

Though Roam Mobility recently slashed their daily U.S. rates, yesterday they announced a new “Snowbird Plan” that targets Canadians who travel south for the winter.

The Snowbird Plan is designed with the Canadian traveller in mind. Activate and schedule your plan before leaving for the USA. When you return, keep your SIM and top up for your next trip. It’s that easy!

What’s Included
Like all Roam Mobility plans, the Snowbird plan includes unlimited talk and text, free-long distance calls to Canada, voicemail and caller ID, plus all the convenience of a prepaid service designed just for Canadian travellers.

Keep Your Number.
When your plan is over and you return to Canada, it will go into a suspended state. Simply use the SIM again next year when you return to the USA, or top up with any one of our other daily plans. Keep the same SIM card and phone number.

The Best Deal. Period.
At $39.95 per month, our Snowbird Plan is the best value plan available in North America. And it’s available exclusively for Canadians on the Roam Mobility network.

Combining Plans
If you need more than 3 months of service with the Snowbird Plan, you can easily schedule multiple plans to start one after the other for service throughout the year.

Speed demon
Get blazing-fast data speeds of up to 21 Mbps

Easy top-ups
Top up anytime and anywhere by ordering online or sending a text

Snowbird Plan - Roam Mobility, TravelBloggers.ca

A Hearty Breakfast of Bacon, Eggs and…Giraffe at the Manor

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

Giraffe Manor
A relative sent us some pictures of this unique property in Africa and we just had to do more research and share it with our readers. Although the chances of us ever getting to Kenya, or Africa for that matter are slim-to-none, we can certainly appreciate the beauty of Africa and especially the unique animals along with this one-of-a-kind hotel.

The Giraffe Manor is a unique property and boutique hotel located in the Lang’ata suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. The property is famous for its resident herd of endangered Rothschild giraffes that live on the extensive grounds.

Set on 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest, the hotel is only 20 kilometres from Nairobi city centre.

Giraffe Manor offers visitors an unparalleled experience with the giraffes. Guests can feed the giraffes from their breakfast table, photograph them and interact with them through open windows, at the front door and even at the second floor bedroom window! This is the only place in the world where one can share breakfast with the world’s tallest animal.

Every day shortly before 9 am, the mammoth beasts stroll up to the house and poke their heads through the windows and doors in search of morning treats.

History of Giraffe Manor
Giraffe Manor was originally built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan who was part of the British Mackintosh Toffee family and today the luxury boutique hotel has maintained all the charm of the era.

In the 1960’s the Manor was purchased by a local investor who leased it to a succession of people, including the late Dennis Lakin, before it fell into disrepair, unoccupied.

In 1974 the Manor was purchased by Betty Leslie-Melville – an American conservationist and her husband Jock. When Jock died, Betty decided to open her house, now called The Giraffe Manor, to visitors. Today, many tourist make The Giraffe Manor part of their East African Safari. Some spend a week here and The Giraffe Manor is reported to have many repeat guests who have become old friends with the hotel owners. In March 2009, the Manor was purchased by Mikey and Tanya Carr-Hartley and now forms part of the Tamimi group of lodges and hotels.

Giraffe Manor is also home to many other characters including: large families of warthogs, the elusive Bush Buck, Dik Dik and more than 180 species of birds, along with a striking view of the Ngong hills.

CLIMATE: Situated at high altitude (5,800 ft.), Nairobi has a moderate climate – ideal for a summer holiday. December through March the weather is sunny and warm, while from July to August the weather is mild and cool.
CUISINE: Giraffe Manor prepares exceptional meals such as: home-made Muesli, freshly baked muffins for breakfast, to three course meals for lunch and dinner, and of course Kenya’s finest tea or coffee.
ACCOMMODATIONS: There are ten elegant en suite rooms
SCHEDULE: Open throughout the year June through March (closed April and May)

CONTACTS:
Web Site: www.tamimiea.com/giraffe-manor
Email: info@tamimiea.com
Tel: +254 (0)732 812 896; +254 (0)732 812 897; +254 (020) 231 6756

All images are copyright by their respective owners (unknown)

About TravelBloggers.ca
Iain Shankland & Gail Shankland started blogging in order to inspire and motivate people to travel the world from their perspective – specializing in having the most fun while using the least amount of money, travelling on the cheap without sacrificing comfort.

This original, copyrighted material may NOT be copied, used in whole or in part in any way, cut and pasted, published or otherwise reproduced in any form or in any medium – which means DO NOT POST THIS ON ANOTHER WEBSITE or BLOG. If you want somebody else to see this, please send them a link or post a link to this page.

Sunquest launches lower-cost vacation packages for Canadians from 5 U.S. border airports

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

Three out of four US border city vacation packages are cheaper than the equivalent Canadian package
Average savings of $550 per couple for vacation packages to select US and sun destinations

TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2013 /CNW/ – Vacation travel has just become cheaper for millions of Canadians looking to travel to US, Caribbean or Mexican destinations. Sunquest, one of Canada’s most respected tour operators, is offering for the first time, packages from US border airports to allow Canadians to take advantage of the significant cost savings.

With US flights costing an estimated 30% less than comparable flights from Canada, Canadians are voicing their opinions through their wallets. An estimated 5 million Canadians drove across the US border last year to fly from US airports to various points south.

“As long as significantly cheaper flights are available from the US, Canadians will continue to fly from US border cities,” says Frank DeMarinis, President, Sunquest. “We are giving the customers what they clearly want, which is an option to save money on their vacation by booking cross-border packages with a reputable Canadian company and paying for it in Canadian dollars.” In addition to the security offered by booking with one of Canada’s largest travel companies, bookings are also protected by provincial consumer safeguards in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Read More

TravelBloggers.ca, Maid Of The Mist, Niagara Falls

Three New Boats Ready to Showcase the Infamous Niagara Falls In 2014

Published by TravelBloggers.ca

Last year (2012), Hornblower Niagara Cruises [NiagaraCruises.com], won the contract to operate cruises from the Canadian side of the Niagara Gorge to the base of the Horseshoe Falls. Maid of the Mist Steam Company has been operating the tours since 1854 (originally they were ferries between Canada and the U.S. as far back as 1846) – and will continue to offer tours from the U.S. side of the river.

For anyone familiar with the sights of the Maid of the Mist boats, it’s going to be quite a surprise to see the new catamarans running alongside the traditional-looking boats.

The catamarans’ features include: improved manoeuvrability in the water, enclosed viewing areas for those who don’t want to get wet, an outdoor deck with tiered viewing areas to provide maximum sightseeing and they’ll also have seating, on-board washrooms and licensed concessions for new evening and night time cruises.

The catamarans, (26 metres long and 10 metres wide), will arrive in Niagara Falls sometime in January 2014. One has already been built, with the second one soon to be completed. The boats are being built by Hike Metal in Wheatley, Ontario and will be constructed, disassembled into three sections and then shipped to Niagara Falls on six large transport trucks whereupon they’ll be re-assembled and tested prior to use.

A third boat, called “Guardian of the Gorge”, has already been built and the 150-passenger vessel will be used for rescue efforts as well as for private charters. The two un-named-for-now (see below for a unique competition) tour boats have a 700 passenger capacity compared to the present Maid of the Mist VI and VII boats that have a maximum of 600 passengers (Maid of the Mist IV and V have maximum capacities of 200 passengers)

Hornblower’s Senior Marketing Manager, Madalena Phillips said: “These boats will be unique to any other boat we operate, they are built to optimize our operations in the Niagara Gorge, and designed with special features which will hopefully allow us to start earlier (in the season) and finish later.”

A variety of tour options will be offered, including sunrise and sunset rides, fireworks cruises and more. Online ticketing with timed arrivals will be available to avoid long waits in line. “We’re creating a new experience for visitors to Niagara Falls,” said Phillips. “We’re reinventing the iconic boat tour.”

The California-based cruise boat company has more than 30 years of experience in countries around the world. They are scheduled to start operating on the Canadian side of the Niagara River – near the base of the Horseshoe Falls – in mid-April, weather permitting.

Unique Competition
Hornblower is launching a world-wide contest to name the two catamarans, starting Friday November 15th. The company is inviting members of the public to submit Read More