Useful links for travellers . . .

Foreign office travel advice...............


For advice on travelling to countries which might be affected by conflicts, security problems, or other dangers, check the Foreign Office travel advice pages: www.fco.gov.uk. The advice for each country is updated daily as situations change. It tends to err on the safe (that is to say, paranoid) side, although it is not as paranoid as its US State department equivalent, so bear this in mind.

HOTEL LOI SUITES RECOLETA

* Rooms : 112, Pool Spa Restaurant, Bar, Special Occasion Conference Rooms, In proximity to the Business District.

* This hotel features large rooms that combine warmth, style and the latest technology. These details transform the Loi Suites Recoleta into an ideal place; as much for tourism as for business trips.

* You will find among the included services ; the breakfast buffet, wireless internet access in each room, a portable telephone (without extra charge), the business district of the city, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a gym and a sauna.

* The Loi Suites Recoleta Hotel is located at the heart of the Recoleta zone, very close to various shops, museums, cultural centers and the best that fine gastronomy has to offer.

King Penguin, Two-wheeled Turtle, More

After being knighted by Norway's elite King's Guard at the behest of Norwegian King Harald V, king penguin Nils Olav walks past soldiers at Scotland's Edinburgh Zoo.

Olav has been an honorary member and mascot of the King's Guard for decades and was made an honorary colonel-in-chief in 2005.

King penguins live up to about 40 years in captivity, twice as long as in the wild. About a million wild kings inhabit relatively temperate regions of northern Antarctica.

Grand Canyon to Get Glass Bridge

The all-glass, balcony-like "Skywalk"--shown in an illustration released this week--will extend over the edge of the Grand Canyon, 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above the Colorado River.

"The Skywalk will be an attraction unlike any other in the world," said Sheri Yellowhawk, CEO of the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation. The company is building the bridge in the Hualapai Indian Reservation on the south rim of the canyon.

The Skywalk is scheduled to open to the public in January 2006 as part of a new resort on the reservation. The resort, known as Grand Canyon West, is to include a re-created Indian village and a restaurant perched on the edge of the canyon. Tourism is the reservation's biggest source of income.

Grand Canyon West will be on the western edge of Grand Canyon National Park, about 120 miles (about 200 kilometers) from Las Vegas. But perhaps not even the Las Vegas Strip's over-the-top attractions will be a match for this glass-bottom walkway over the world's biggest gorge.

NORTH & SOUTH ANTARCTICA

DEPARTURE DATES: JAN 21 - Feb 6/09; Feb 2 - 18/09

Day 1: Depart India (airfare not included but can be arranged from New York, Miami or Los Angeles) Depart for your flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Day 2: Buenos Aires
Morning arrival. During the transfer to your hotel, an orientation tour of the city will be given. You have the rest of the day at leisure to explore, or join one of the optional excursions.

Day 3: Buenos Aires-Ushuaia/Embarkation
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city. You will enjoy an orientation tour of this popular and attractive resort town, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, rivers, and waterfalls, before boarding MS Fram. In the evening, an informative welcome meeting will be held. [B/D]

Day 4-5: The Drake Passage
Less than two days will be spent crossing the Drake Passage. During the crossing, numerous lectures will be held on fascinating Antarctica, considered one of the most breathtaking and beautiful continents. You will arrive in Antarctica on Day 5. [B/L/D]

Days 5-13: Antarctica
Antarctica, "The White Continent," is more than half the size of North America. Visits by PolarCirkel boats will be attempted in various locations (weather permitting), including:

*

Marguerite Bay, rarely visited even by Antarctic standards, dotted with ice-covered islands and surrounded by pristine, mountainous scenery. It is home to the only known breeding colony of emperor penguins on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. This rookery itself is specially protected for environmental reasons and cannot be entered but you will have the opportunity to spot for the emperors nearby. There are several bases in Marguerite Bay, both new and old. Rothera Station on Adelaide Island is the British Antarctic Survey's largest base and logistics centre for the Antarctic. It has modern laboratories and facilities for a wide range of research. Stonnington Island is home to the 1950s-era British "Base E" and the historic "East Base" of the United States expedition of 1939-41. Rear Admiral Richard Byrd picked the site of the base himself, naming the island for the hometown of another famous explorer from the United States, Nathaniel Palmer.
*

Whaler's Bay, on Deception Island, with its warm springs and black, volcanic sand.
*

Half Moon Island, with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, famous for its large, chinstrap penguin rookery, kelp gulls and Antarctic terns. Whale spotting is also common here.
*

Yankee Harbor, home to a variety of seals and an estimated 4,000 gentoo penguin pairs. It is a common feeding area for whales as well.
*

Cuverville Island, boasting the largest known colony of gentoo penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula.
*

Neko Harbor, off spectacular Errera Channel, home to hundreds of gentoo penguins, Weddell and elephant seals, is believed to be part of mainland Antarctica.
*

Almirante Brown, in Paradise Harbor, named for its beauty, with ice cliffs and floating icebergs, home to gentoo and chinstrap penguins.
*

Petermann Island, home of the southernmost gentoo penguin colony, blue-eyed shags and Adélie penguins nest here too.
*

Port Lockroy, surrounded by mountains, glaciers and ice shelves, and known for its gentoo penguins and blue-eyed cormorants.
*

Wilhelmina Bay, feeding ground for whales and seals.
*

Antarctic Sound, where huge, mile-long tabular icebergs can be seen. The sound is also home to an estimated half-million Adélie penguins as well as gentoo penguins, leopard seals and killer whales.
*

Brown Bluff, on the coast of the Antarctic Sound at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Adélie penguins, gentoo penguins, kelp gulls and Cape petrels can be found here and Weddell seals are regular visitors.

Day 13-14: The Drake Passage
While you cross this stretch of water from Antarctica, a series of lectures will be held onboard, summing up topics related to Antarctica. [B/L/D]

Day 15: Ushuaia/Disembarkation/Buenos Aires
In the morning, you will reach the Argentinean city of Ushuaia. Ushuaia is reckoned to be the most southerly city in the world and is situated on Tierra del Fuego Island south of the Magellan Strait. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at your disposal. [B]

Day 16: Buenos Aires/Departure
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home [B]

Day 17: Arrive home

[B] Breakfast [L] Lunch [D] Dinner

Rates from USD 6249 based on Double Occupancy in an inside cabin.

RATES INCLUDE:
- Airfare between Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
- Transfers as indicated in itinerary
- Services of expedition guides
- Landings in Antarctica
- Parka
- Accommodations in five-star hotels as indicated in itinerary, including breakfast
- Accommodations in select cabin category
- Meals as indicated in itinerary
- Port charges

RATES DO NOT INCLUDE:
- Add-on airfares from New York, Miami and Los Angeles
- Local entry/departure fees, when applicable
- Optional Excursions
- Gratuities
- Air taxes & Fuel Surcharge

ARGENTINA & ANTARCTICA

A 13 day program on the 2007 custom-built exploration ship MS Fram featuring several landings.

http://www.cruisenorway.in/AntarcticaandArgentina.html