This is the second in a series of articles on Rick Shively’s recent trip to the Galapagos with Lindblad Expeditions. Read his first entry in this series at recommend.com. 

Sunday morning marked the beginning of the first full day of our Lindblad Expeditions’ Galapagos explorations, waking up to the sight of Española Island where the National Geographic Endeavour anchored off of Gardner Bay with its dazzling white sandy beach, populated by sea lions romping in the surf or sunning and dozing on the beach.

A hearty buffet breakfast that kicked off at 6:30 in the morning, was followed by a snorkeling and kayak briefing at 7:30 before the Zodiacs started making their rounds to the beach or to the glass bottom boat for non-snorkelers. The Zodiacs run back and forth from the beach all morning, dropping off and picking passengers as they come and go from the activities on the island, everyone eager to take advantage of the beautiful day under clear, blue skies.

It’s interesting to note that this was one of four islands Charles Darwin visited on his 5-week visit to the Galapagos in 1835 that resulted in his famous theory of evolution and it’s clear, with the abundance of wildlife and marine life we’ll experience over the next week, why he had the opportunity to formulate his controversial views on evolution.

After a buffet lunch, we visit still another part of the island where we make a dry landing at Punta Suarez, reputed to be one of the richest wildlife locations in the Galapagos and it does not disappoint. You no sooner arrive before you’re surrounded by sea lions and seabirds, all seemingly being studied by a virtual army of colorful marine iguanas, crawling over the rocks and posing for the cameras.

Punta Suarez is also the habitat for colorful Española lava lizards, masked boobies and blue-footed boobies. Among the many birds found here are the Galapagos dove, the Galapagos hawk, the warbler finch, the hood mockingbird, the large-cactus finch, the large-billed flycatcher and the small-ground finch. Aside from the gorgeous waved albatross, other sea birds seen here include the swallow-tailed gull, red-billed tropicbirds, Audubon’s shearwaters and American oystercatchers.

We head off on an afternoon trek, hopping over boulders and rocks, remnants of the volcano activity here from thousands of years ago, hiking from the beach and up to the edge of a cliff where you can watch a fascinating air show as shallow-tailed gulls and the majestic albatross swoop and glide across the skies. Here, too, are the beautiful blue-footed and nazca boobies, nestled along the rocky shoreline and swooping into the sky.

The island itself is a mesmerizing example of Mother Nature’s artisanship with sculpted cliffs and rocky inlets accessed by grotto-like openings into and around the edge of the islands. Everywhere you look, you’ll see hawks, seabirds and sea lions perched comfortably along the cliff walls, watching the human interlopers as we glide by in Zodiacs, snapping photographs so as not forget the raw beauty of this place.

Matilda Belo-Aisenberg of Fugazi Travel is the recipient of one million Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the official 2011 winner of its Book and Win BIG sweepstakes. Matilda Belo-Aisenberg of Fugazi Travel, an Ensemble Travel Group member in San Francisco, is the recipient of one million Starwood Preferred Guest^® (SPG) Starpoints. Belo-Aisenberg is a specialist focusing on customized tour itineraries for individuals and groups. Her winning reservation was for The Westin Valencia in Spain. “Starwood has a unique portfolio of properties that satisfy my customized itineraries around the world,” said Belo-Aisenberg. “I am so excited to be able to explore some of the most incredible options for myself.” The final winner in this three-year incentive program, Belo-Aisenberg is a graduate of Starwood’s ProLearning curriculum. Starwood reserves its best benefits for those who have made the commitment to complete Module 1 of ProLearning and earn the StarwoodPro designation.

Over the course of the Book and Win BIG promotion, Starwood awarded hundreds of travel professionals with SPG points and resort stays, and three winners received the annual grand prize of one million Starpoints.

“We are thrilled with the travel professional support of our properties and the success of this incentive program,” said Chris Austin, v.p., global retail leisure & luxury sales. “We are constantly adding benefits and new creative options to engage our travel professionals, and we look forward to new initiatives throughout 2012.”

To date, there are more than 25,000 StarwoodPros. “We have developed an ongoing communication with these dedicated professionals and look to continue deepening that relationship. The benefits of being a StarwoodPro will continue to expand,” said Austin.

Starwood Preferred Guests have the unique option of redeeming their points for free nights—with no blackout dates or availability restrictions—at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Very simply, if there’s a standard room available on the chosen night, it can be booked with Starpoints. Free Night awards can be redeemed for as few as 2,000 Starpoints in popular cities, up to 35,000 points per night at magnificent resorts in the world’s most sought-after places or just 1,000 points for an upgrade to a Specialty Room or Suite at participating Starwood properties.

For more information, visit starwoodhotels.com.

Trafalgar’s Be My Guest dining experience program continues to be a popular part of its selection of worldwide itineraries, and now agents can earn an impressive bonus when booking any of the 60 itineraries for 2012 that feature Be My Guest highlights.

Through March 30, use bonus code 12Bonus to earn up to $225 per booking on travel itineraries through Dec. 31. The grand prize rewards one lucky agent and their guest with a trip to Italy on Trafalgar’s 8-day Italian Holiday, where they’ll experience Be My Guest dining themselves with a dinner at a 15^th century olive oil estate.

For more information, call (800) 854-0103 or visit trafalgaragent.com/bonus.

Featuring daily updates on new hotels, sightseeing tours, and transfers around the world, Travel Bound’s newly launched blog, TravelTalk, is providing agents a new resource for easily searchable travel information.

The blog can be searched by destination, special interest, type of product or posting date. “TravelTalk highlights just the tip of Travel Bound’s huge new product iceberg, however,” says Theresa McLarney, director of marketing and national accounts. “Our full inventory is on the regular agent site.”

Selling exclusively through agents, Travel Bound offers a portfolio of over 37,000 hotels and more than 48,000 tours. For more information, call (800) 808-9541 or visit booktravelbound.com.

Just one of many water activities your clients will experience at Lake Austin Spa Resort.

Are your clients in need of something new, fresh and fun for their upcoming getaways? Each of these adventures offers an experience like none other.

Tauck held its first Civil War Event last year in Washington, D.C., with tickets selling out after just 10 days. This year, they’re doing it again…twice.

With two events, beginning May 20 and again Oct. 14, Tauck will guide guests through a historical experience of the Civil War, with daily themes including The Meaning of Freedom, Lincoln’s War and The People’s War. During the event, guests will take walking tours of historic venues, visit sites including the Frederick Douglass House and the African-American Museum of the Civil War, plus three after-hours evening events in separate historic buildings after they’ve closed to the public for the day.

The events are crafted in cooperation with Ken Burns, director of the documentary film, “The Civil War,” and will feature a keynote address by him as well as a chance to personally meet him during an interactive evening inside the National Archives.

Rates for both dates start at $3,990 pp dbl, including airport transfers, most meals, admission to all sites and attractions, guides, all evening programs and entertainment, luggage handling and taxes. Accommodations are also included at the guests’ choice of five-star Washington, D.C., properties: Willard Intercontinental, St. Regis Washington, D.C. and Hay-Adams Hotel. For more information, call (800) 468-2825 or visit tauck.com.

In Toronto, the sixth annual Luminato Festival is gearing up for 10 more days of theater, dance, music, literature, visual arts, film and magic.

From June 8-17, the entire city becomes a stage, with performances such as Beauty and the Beast by 4D Art and Sadeh 21 by Batsheva Dance Company, and public art installations like The Encampment, created by Thom Sokoloski and Jenny Anne McCowan, showcasing the civilian history of the War of 1812. Musically speaking, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, Rufus Wainwright and K’naan will all be showcasing their talents, while readings and panel discussions will occur with literary figures to include Irvine Welsh, Lewis Lapham and Richard Ford.

While many events at the Luminato Festival are free, others range in price from $12 to $207 pp. Packages are available at the Cosmopolitan Toronto Centre Hotel and Spa, starting at $239 per night and including two welcome martinis at Eight Wine Bar, daily continental breakfast for two and accommodations in a Superior room. For more information, visit cosmotoronto.com or luminato.com.

And in Austin, TX, guests of Lake Austin Spa Resort can Quench! their desires for active and engaging water activities with 4-day programs that encompass 25 activities.

Quench! itineraries include a list of water activities, such as stand up paddleboarding, aqua Zumba and Ai Chi workouts, hydro-biking, kayaking, boat cruises, and classes such as Wine and Watercolor; Making Herbal Baths, Teas and Scrubs, and cooking classes inspired by the sea. Not to worry if your guests work themselves too hard with all those activities—they can indulge with a Little Drops of Rain spa treatment.

International Chauffeured Service (ICS) provides private half- and full-day tours in popular destinations worldwide, and is now offering agents between 12 and 25 percent commission on bookings.

Tours are available in more than 15 countries, including Chile, Belgium, Greece, Egypt, Portugal and the U.K. Clients also have the option of touring with or without English-speaking tour guides in their preference of vehicle from sedans, limousines, vans, SUVs and motor coaches.

For more information, call (800) 266-5254 or visit bookalimo.com.

Known for whisking travelers between London, Paris and Brussels with panoramic views and in serene comfort, the Eurostar train is the most popular mode of high-speed, long-distance transportation in Europe. And now, not only can you save your clients 20 percent off their booking, but you get an Amazon gift card, too.

Just book your clients’ Eurostar Standard Premier tickets before March 14, and you’ll receive a $10 Amazon gift card for each booking you make. And in addition to the money they’re saving, your clients will save time as well, while at the station printing their easy-to-access e-tickets, and while riding on Eurostar’s high-speed rail service.

Of the most popular routes, London to Lille is one of the fastest, taking just one hour 20 minutes. Give it an extra half hour and your clients can travel between London and Brussels, or hop between major destinations in a little over two hours, traveling between London and Paris. Whichever route it is that will best serve your clients’ travel needs, Rail Europe and Eurostar will get them there quickly.

And don’t forget—one of the best things about Europe is how easy it is to travel from country to country. Point out to your clients just how close Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain are, and find out if they’re interested in one of the many Eurail passes available, such as the Eurail Select Pass, allowing unlimited travel on national rail networks of three, four or five bordering countries, and the Eurail Global Pass, allowing unlimited train travel in all of Europe.

For more information, visit raileurope.com.

You’ve got clients that are ready to travel, and we’ve got the deals they need. Hurry and take advantage of these savings—as much as $4,300 per person—before time runs out.

Through March 31
American Travel Abroad is offering your clients the chance to save $100 pp on six European itineraries when you book through March 31 for a May departure.

Eligible itineraries for this promotion are between seven and 12 days in length, with examples including the 7-day Magic of Poland ($1,199 pp) visiting Warsaw, Zakopane and Krakow; the 9-day Dalmatian Sunshine ($1,730 pp) visiting Dubrovnik, Split, Bled, Zagreb and the Plitvice Lakes, and the 12-day Best of Ukraine, Poland & Hungary ($2,398 pp) with stops in Kiev, Lviv, Krakow, Zakopane and Budapest.

Rates include airport transfers, sightseeing opportunities with local guides, entrance fees as per itinerary, special events such as concerts and afternoon tea, luggage handling fees and hotel charges and taxes. For more information, call (800) 228-0877 or visit amta.com.

Wildland Adventures, meanwhile, is offering a discount of more than $1,000 per traveler for those who accompany the tour operator on its 6-night Green Season Safari to Zambia—the catch: travel must take place before March 31.

On the tour, guests will stay four nights at Mfuwe Lodge in South Luangwa National Park, where they’ll take guided walks in Luangwa Valley, and two nights at Sindabezi Island Camp in Victoria Falls. They’ll canoe down the Zambezi River and go for game drives in open-roof 4×4 vehicles. Real adventure-seekers can opt for additional tours such as a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls, white-water rafting, and elephant-trek safaris as well.

The Green Season Safari to Zambia starts at $2,995 pp with no single supplement—nearly half the cost of other Wildland Adventures tours to Zambia, which start at $5,650. Rates include all internal flights within Zambia, activities, transfers and meals. For more information, call (800) 345-4453 or visit wildland.com.

Through April 1
Africa Odyssey’s Great Migration Calving tour in Tanzania showcases the migrations of the Serengeti. With savings of $1,100 pp available, witnessing the wildebeest, lions, cheetahs and leopards of Africa is more affordable than ever.

Departures available for this tour last only until April 1, when the migration season ends. Rates start at $2,800 pp and include internal transfers from Kilimanjaro, 4-night accommodations at Alex Walker’s Serian Camp, game viewing drives in open-sided 4×4 vehicles, concession and park entrance fees. For more information, call (866) 356-4691 or visit africaodyssey.com.

Through April 30
Greaves Tours is featuring incredible savings on two private plane itineraries to India: the 7-day Ultimate Tiger Safari, featuring Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, and the 8-day Soaring the Golden Triangle, with Oberoi Hotels and Resorts.

The Ultimate Tiger Safari ($5,400 pp quad—a savings of $4,300 pp) explores the wildlife and culture of India through five late-afternoon game drives and two boat rides on the River Ganges. The Soaring the Golden Triangle itinerary ($5,100 pp quad—a savings of $3,600 pp) takes guests to India’s most famous cities and their landmarks, such as the Taj Mahal and Amber Fort, throughout Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.

Mark Rothko, the late master of abstract art, spent his formative years in Portland and his spirit returned to the city on Feb. 18, 2012, when the Portland Art Museum, site of his debut museum exhibition in 1933, opened the first ever hometown retrospective of his work. During the exhibition, Hotel Lucia—a member of Provenance Hotels (provenancehotels.com)—will pay tribute to the artist with a Rothko in Retrospect package and offer guests discounted tickets to the concurrent Portland Center Stage’s run of “Red,” the Tony Award-winning play about Rothko.

The Rothko in Retrospect package includes overnight accommodations at Hotel Lucia—a property that has showcased the works of another Portland original, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Hume Kennerly; two tickets to the exhibition—which features 45 works tracing Rothko’s creative path from the early figurative works of the 1920s, to the mature abstract style of floating, saturated color he developed prior to his death in 1970; a $20 certificate to the museum’s gift shop; and two “Red on The Rocks” cocktails, created to celebrate the exhibition and available for a limited time, this is a modern interpretation of the classic “old fashioned” featuring artisan Bulleit Bourbon, Cherry Heering liqueur and Campari artfully layered to evoke Rothko’s famous paintings.

The 127-guestroom Hotel Lucia—one of Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World for 2010—offers an art-filled boutique setting just steps from the city’s best shopping, restaurants and nightclubs. Amenities include Portland’s own Mada bath products; Portland Roasting coffee and Smith Teas; Provenance Hotels’ signature pillow, spiritual and iPod menus; and a “Get it Now” button on every hotel phone for the most whimsical desire or typical need.

The package is priced from $199 per night, plus tax, and is available through May 27, 2012. For more information, call (866) 986-8086 or visit hotellucia.com.

Peninsula Hong Kong.

Asian-bound travelers seeking luxury and elegance will find few experiences to top the double whammy of Cathay Pacific’s (cathaypacific.com) superlative first- or business-class service, combined with a stay in any of the continent’s six Peninsula Hotels.

Cathay Pacific outshines most airlines with efficiency and sophistication sensed from the instant one is shown to newly configured cabin arrangements primarily designed with comfort in mind. This is a welcome relief when anticipating a cross Pacific flight, brightened by knowing that upon arrival, even more luxury awaits at the Peninsula, Asia’s most respected and august hotel brand.

The joys of a stay at the Peninsula are clearly evident in the collection’s oldest hotel, the pedigreed Hong Kong establishment, and in its newest Asian counterpart in Shanghai. Both are world-class hotels that exemplify the luxury and style synonymous with the brand.

Peninsula Hong Kong
With a long and storied lineage dating back to 1928, and still maintaining the rigid standards set by its parent company, Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd., the Peninsula Hong Kong opened to rave reviews from its first guests who often arrived after a grueling 3-day journey from the American mainland on PanAm’s legendary China Clippers. After all these decades, it’s managed the near impossible task of keeping its reputation at or near the top of luxury accommodations.

Today, the six Peninsulas in Asia are in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila, Beijing, Tokyo and Shanghai. The brand also has a formidable presence in Chicago, New York and Beverly Hills, and another is scheduled to open next year in a historic building near the Champs-Elysees in Paris’16th arrondissement.

But upscale travelers with a fondness for the original and marvelous anchor Hong Kong property—where elegance and luxury go hand-in-hand—are in for a nonpareil experience.

Calling the Peninsula Hong Kong the ultimate urban retreat may not be far off the mark. “We’re not really a boutique hotel,” says Stephanie Sim, director of public relations for the Hong Kong property, “just a rather small hotel company. We don’t expand and we are small on purpose in order to more easily control the quality of our product.”

Indeed.

The property seems custom-made for demanding, upscale guests who frequent not fly-by-night Hong Kong tailors, but someone of the caliber of Sam, the highly-praised master who handcrafts suits for royalty, film stars and presidents from his modest shop on nearby Nathan Road. Yes, the Peninsula Hong Kong wears as well as a handstitched silk suit.

Arrivals with a penchant for history and romance won’t be disappointed. Liveried chauffeurs immediately take charge of luggage handling and other mundane tasks while greeting guests at the airport. In the air-conditioned cocoon of the car, the driver offers a menu so guests can choose a meal to be waiting in the room after checking in. Then it’s time to settle back for the splendid ride to the city in one of the hotel’s fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms—beautiful and quiet masterpieces that give credence to the old adage that “in a Rolls-Royce with the windows closed at 70 miles per hour, the only sound one should hear is the ticking of the clock.”

Yes, Rolls-Royces still adhere to the tradition of analog clocks. But it’s the hotel that astounds.