Safari Experiences in Kenya and Tanzania from VirginBush Safaris; Select Hotels in Ireland in Conjunction with Specialized Travel Services; Stephanie Judges Contestants for the “Best Job in the World”; Eamonn Kelly's “Cliffs of Moher: Birds of Locality”; Sir Christopher Wren's House Hotel in the Royal Borough of Windsor.
Topics Include:
The owners of VirginBush Safaris Ltd. joined “Traveling Feet” at the 2009 New York Times Travel Show. The company offers authentic safari experiences in Kenya and Tanzania. Co-owners Cindi Crain and Lisa Rolls both left successful careers in New York City to pursue new lives in Nairobi, Kenya. Lisa had been an advertising executive and Cindi was employed in publishing. Lisa is an officially licensed professional safari guide and is one of only two American women in East Africa that is licensed.
VirginBush Safaris is an interpersonal operation. The company provides customized trips with no set itineraries. Each safari trip will accommodate between 2 and 14 people. Visitors fly into Nairobi if they are visiting Kenya and into Dar es Salaam if they are visiting Tanzania. They are then transferred by private air charter to their final destination.
VirginBush offers a portfolio of camps and lodging options. The owners of the company are personally acquainted with the management staff at each location. Though many of the trips feature elements of luxury (like martinis and comfortable camps), VirginBush Safaris focuses on authenticity. Examples of safari experiences include chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania and watching elephant herds up close in northern Kenya.
Click here to listen to Stephanie's interview with Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, the Director of Thailand Tourism who describes an elephant riding experience in Thailand.
For more information about VirginBush Safaris visit http://www.virginbushsafaris.com/
Ireland's Specialized Travel Services represents Ireland's Select Hotels Group in North America. The group is comprised of 22 premiere hotels throughout Ireland. All properties are Irish-owned and are 3 and 4 star accommodations. Properties are found in Cork, Kerry, Galway, Tiperary Ireland, Limerick, Sligo, Belfast, Clare Waterford, and Wexford. Many visitors of Ireland restrict their visit to the coastline areas of the country but there is much to do in the midland regions. Select Hotels offers properties evenly dispersed throughout Ireland to give travelers options in some of the best destinations.
For more information visit http://www.selecthotelsireland.com/ and http://www.special-ireland.com/
Fun Facts:
The Cliffs of Moher are the most famous cliffs in Ireland but they are not the highest. Cliffs in Donegal are more than twice the height and are the highest cliffs in all of Western Europe.
Eastern Standard Time (EST) is 5 hours behind GMT except during Daylight Savings Time when EST is 4 hours behind GMT.
Guests Include:
Cindi Crain Magnússon, Co-Founder, VirginBush Safaris.
www.virginbushsafaris.com
Lisa Rolls, Co-Founder, VirginBush Safaris.
www.virginbushsafaris.com
Mary O'Reagan, USA Representative, Select Hotels of Ireland.
www.selecthotelsireland.com
Topics Include:
Stephanie is traveling to Ireland via California. She has been invited to judge the final American contestants of the “Best Job in the World”. The winner will be the caretaker of Hamilton Island off the coast of Australia for a year and earn a salary of $100,000 USD. There were over 30 thousands applicants from hundreds of countries. The contestants have now been narrowed down to 50 people. The judging will take place March 20, 2009. Stephanie originally turned down the offer to judge because she was scheduled to be in Ireland but changed her mind and will fly into Clare, Ireland immediately after her trip to California. Other judges include Jane Engle, the Assistant Travel Editor of the LA Times.
For more information visit http://www.islandreefjob.com/
“Traveling Feet” will broadcast live from the Cliffs of Moher March 28, 2009. Daylight Savings Time starts at 1am on March 29, 2009 in Ireland.
Professor Eamonn Kelly from Lahinch re-launched his book the “Cliffs of Moher: Bird of the Locality” Friday the 13th, 2009 at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre. Kelly originally worked at O'Brien's Tower which for years was the only visitor's center at the cliffs. Kelly stated his reason for writing the book: “I knew that I needed to have something written down about the area when I heard some tourists refer to seabirds as ducks and talking about how the Vikings shelled the Cliffs of Moher with their cannons from the sea”.
The Sir Christopher Wren's House Hotel is on the outskirts of central Windsor and is situated directly on the River Thames. It is only 15 minutes driving distance from the Heathrow Airport. The entire property is made up of five buildings including the main hotel. One of the hotel's strongest attributes is its location in the Thames Valley region. If you travel by train you can be in London and Paddington in 15 or 20 minutes. The hotel is on Thames Street which is extremely pedestrian-friendly and is just off of the busier High St. The Theatre Royal Windsor is within two minutes walking distance of the hotel and offers classic and contemporary theater pieces at a more affordable rate than in downtown London.
The main hotel was converted from a 17th century family home and has had several modifications over the years. Sir Christopher Wren's House offers 96 traditional and contemporary rooms with two deluxe suites, two family rooms (which have two separate rooms) and two junior suites.
Some of the hotel's defining architectural features includes vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, and mahogany desks. Beyond the drawing room are a restaurant and a river side terrace, each which boast a fabulous view of the Thames. Sir Christopher Wrens is a quiet spot in a phenomenally busy town.
Sir Christopher Wren's House Hotel was originally the family home of Sir Christopher Wren, the English architect who most famously designed St. Paul's Cathedral in London. His father was the Dean of Windsor.
Sir Christopher Wren's attracts leisure visitors and corporate guests. There is a business center and several recently renovated meeting rooms. Other featured amenities are wireless internet, two bars, an event room, Strok's Restaurant, a river side terrace, a spa and three-level gym on site. Morning tea is served in the drawing room and afternoon and high tea are served in the bar each day.
Guests of the main hotel have the option of staying in Sir Christopher Wren's room which has been renovated, but also preserved for three hundred years and is laid out in the style of when he lived in it. Other room choices also have antique or classic style furniture. Additional hotel accommodations include guest houses, bed and breakfasts and serviced apartments.
For more information visit http://www.sirchristopherwren.co.uk/
Fun Facts:
O'Brien Tower was built by Cornelius O'Brien a descendant of Brian Boru, one of the most famous of the High Kings of Ireland.
Some boroughs of Manhattan have a 212 area code, and areas of downtown LA have a 213 area code. It can be costly to those who dial too quickly.
The Euro is currently equal to $1.28 USD.
The British Pound Sterling is currently equal to $1.38 USD.
Travel Tips:
If you use a limousine service don't treat it like an expensive taxi cab. Expect the driver to pull up the curb, assist you with your luggage and summon a sky captain.
Almost every airport has an overnight hotel. Guests of these hotels often receive airport parking packages, which include the hotel rate and either discounted or free parking. Stephanie stays at the Sheraton on Frontage Road at the Newark, New Jersey. The hotel offers up to eleven nights of free parking at the airport.
Guests Include:
Mathew Griffin, General Manager, Sir Christopher Wrens House Hotel & Spa.
www.sirchristopherwren.co.uk
