GO...UP & AWAY - JAXFAX Travel Marketing Magazine

NICOLAS DUMONT
AFRICA &THE MIDDLE EAST NEWS & BEST BUYS
The Address Dubai Mall Hotel with the world's largest building,
The Burj Khalifa, towering in the background
The Address Dubai Mall (www.theaddress.com) opened
in September 2009 and sits in the heart of downtown Burj
Dubai, with a direct link to The Dubai Mall for those looking to
be centrally located. For a boutique experience, the
Qaramdeen Hotel (www.southernsunme.com/qamardeen),
a four-star deluxe, boutique hotel offers Arabian charm and
classic comfort.
If there were a category entitled “friendly and trendy,” The
Intercontinental Festival City (www.ichotelsgroup.com)
would more than fit the bill. Its minimalist and modern rooms,
hip bars, and connection into the Dubai Festival City Mall live
up to the service expected by its brand name, but with an
overload of chic.
The sultan of them all, the iconic Burj Al Arab
(www.jumeirah.com), celebrating its 10th anniversary in December
2009, is located on Dubai’s renowned Jumeirah Beach
strip, one of the nicest beaches in the area and perfect for
beach and sun worshippers.
Easy Access
Emirates (www.emirates.com/usa) serves Houston, Los
Angeles and San Francisco with daily non-stop flights and
twice-daily non-stop flights are flown from New York City. For
more information on Dubai, visit www.dubaitourism.ae
Israel Hits High Notes on Land and Red Sea
As tourism to Israel hit an all-time high of 333,000 travelers
in the month of October, a 9% increase compared to the same
period last year, commensurate with a 20% increase in cruise
travel with 23,500 cruise passengers, and a 6% increase in
the number of tourists who visited Israel and stayed for a minimum
of one night compared with October 2008, Israel is
heading into its lively culture season.
The 5th Eilat Chamber Music Festival will attract music
lovers and travelers from around the world to the southern Israeli
resort town of Eilat, February 18-27. The festival will
showcase a series of 20 chamber music concerts and classical
music recitals, poetry and theater performances at the
Golden Tulip Club Hotel in Eilat.
Festival performances will include: Sir Roger Moore reciting poetry
alongside violinists Aleksey Igudesman and Julian Rachlin; a
multilingual performance of Fabio Vacchi’s Irini, Essalahm, Shalom;
a special concert featuring the works of Polish composer Krzysztof
Penderecki; Israeli author Amos Oz reading short stories from his
latest book, Scenes from a Village Life, alongside percussion duo
PercaDu; Violinist Fumiaki Miura performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons;
an evening of Hungarian Gypsy music concerts featuring violinist
Roby Lakatos; and Chamber music concerts highlighting works by
Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Schumann, Brahms, Mozart
and Piazzolla. The festival will also include a special Chopin music
marathon commemorating the 200th anniversary of the late composer’s
birth. Visit www.eilat-festival.com. For information about
Israel, visit www.goisrael.com
Kenya’s Small Hotel Edge on Poverty
Bush and Beyond, the central booking and reservations office
for a selection of small luxury camps and lodges, announced that
three of its properties — Rekero Camp, Acacia House, and the
Topi House — were commended at the Responsible Tourism
Awards in the category of “Poverty Reduction,” that were
awarded at the World Travel Market in London. With locations
throughout Kenya in the Masai Mara, Chyulu Hills, Laikipia, the
Northern Frontier, and Diani Beach, Bush and Beyond guarantees
personal experiences as the properties hosts from eight to 20
guests. Contact Elizabeth Bean Crookston 647-344-9492; E-mail:
ebean@bush-and-beyond.com
$ 3610 EGYPT
Discover the holy land of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam with an exclusive tour from Baobab Expeditions, which
offers an opportunity for travelers to visit Egypt’s Sinai desert with
the Bedu tribe. Baobab Expeditions has been ranked by National
Geographic Adventure Magazine as one of the “Best Adventure
Travel Companies on Earth 2009.” Baobab’s 10-day tribal Sinai journeys
are set for the dates of April 10th to 19th, 2010; June 12th to
21st, 2010; August 21st to 30th, 2010; and September 18th to
27th, 2010. Pricing begins at $3,610 per person for double occupancy
and includes accommodations, all meals on expedition and
breakfasts at hotels, local experienced guides, drinking water, and
all transportation and excursions. The use of tents on expedition
and a luxury upgrade is optional (restrictions apply). The expedition
is available to groups of up to ten, and requires moderate to difficult
physical effort. Call 516-622-2279; or visit www.Baobab-
Expeditions.com
FEBRUARY 2010 WWW.JAXFAX.COM AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST 21