Destinations « Stellar Travel

Office Visit

LOOK WHO VISITED OUR OFFICE TODAY!

Wayne Lundin, Manager, Client Services

SONORA RESORT Canada

www.sonoraresort.com

Situated on a beautiful British Columbia island, Sonora Resort is a recent addition to the Virtuoso family of preferred hotels and resorts. Wayne Lundin, Manager of Client Services visited Stellar Travel to give us an insider’s view of this luxury wilderness resort.

88 rooms and suites are available for vacation or business retreats. A four-bedroom villa accommodates families or groups with totally private decks and a hot tub under the stars. Guest rooms have sumptuous bedding, fireplaces and a seamless harmony with the outdoor surroundings. Originally designed as an exclusive Chinook fishing resort, more activities have been added including a spa and wellness center, kayaking, fly-fishing, Grizzly bear watching stations (situated a few miles away), whale-watching and eco-tours.

This Relais & Chateaux resort is all-inclusive with meals and beverages included in the rates starting at $400+ per night per person. Access from Seattle is via Kenmore Air to dockside Sonora Island (with one stop in Nanaimo to clear customs) or by 50-minute private helicopter from Vancouver, B.C. For more information and reservations including extra and exclusive Virtuoso amenities contact sheryl@stellartravel.com – 425.747.1900 ext. 222

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DELTA Approved For SEATTLE-BEJING Service

(May 18, 2010) – Delta Air Lines today announced it has received final Chinese government approval to launch nonstop flights between Seattle and Beijing, beginning June 4. The new route, which will operate five times weekly, will connect customers from destinations throughout Delta’s and code-share partner Alaska Air Group’s network to the Chinese capital via convenient connections at the Seattle hub.

Departure and arrival times have been revised from the initial announcement of the route based on the slot times granted at Beijing’s Capital International Airport. Flights will operate as follows:

Flight	Departs	Arrives	Operates	Effective
129	Seattle at 9:05 p.m.	Beijing at 11:40 p.m.	M, W, Th, F, Sa	June 4, 2010
128	Beijing at 8:55 a.m.	Seattle at 5:30 a.m.	M, W, F, Sa, Su	June 6, 2010

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Alaska CruiseTours + $99 Airfares!

Holland America is offering select, popular cruise tours at discounted rates and with low, $99 airfares from Portland and Seattle. With their spacious, elegant ships and award-winning service, Holland America’s Alaska CruiseTours are the standard for Alaska sightseeing.

What is a cruise tour? A cruise tour combines a 7 or 14 day cruise with a “land” tour, hotel and sightseeing package. Cruise tours offer the opportunity to see more of Alaska’s uncrowded wilderness and native wildlife. For example, a Denali tour takes visitors into moose, caribou, grizzly, sheep and wolf habitat while also viewing spectacular Denali mountain.

Sample CruiseTours On Sale Now:

14-day Klondike, Kluane, Denali & Inside Passage – from $1,999 departing Vancouver 7/21/2010.

11-day Alaska-Yukon Explorer & Glacier Bay – from $1,799 departing Anchorage 6/23/2010.

11-day Denali Express & Discovery Cruise – from $1,299 departing Vancouver 8/8/2010.

Contact: Sheryl Graddon, cruise tour specialist, at sheryl@stellartravel.com – 425.747.1900 ext. 222 for advice on selecting your Alaska vacation. Passenger taxes of up to $212.72 are additional. Other dates/discounted cruise tours packages are available. Other cities may qualify for discounted airfares at $199, $299, $399 (East Coast).

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Stellar Travel Advisor is China Expert

Karen Yeakel has been awarded the status of Accredited Imperial Tours China Expert after recently completing an extensive training and testing program about China. Karen has twice traveled to China and her experience includes arranging vacation, business and group travel. In 2008 she was responsible for planning and coordination of a 40-person delegation of U.S. businesswomen, including Washington State Senator Maria Cantwell, to three Chinese cities.

Karen has arranged China inbound services with Imperial Tours (the tour company sponsoring the training and accreditation) and she will be listed as a China expert on their website. For 2010, Imperial Tours is offering a US$500 per person discount on featured tours with travel dates throughout July to October 2010. For more information about China contact Karen Yeakel – karen@stellartravel.com – 425.747.1900 or 800.445.3265, ext. 203.

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Kauai Marriott

The 365 room Kauai Marriott has completed their renovation with all rooms receiving the Marriott “Revive”* bedding and beautiful new furnishings. All of the rooms have robes & slippers, Kauai Coffee and an empty mini fridge for your beverages and snacks.

Resort Features:

NO additional daily RESORT FEE!
Complimentary shuttle to/from the Lihue airport
Hawaii’s largest single level pool
Renovated fitness center with all new equipment
Safe, swimmable beach
Kauai Lagoons Jack Nicklaus Championship Golf
Walk to Anchor Cove and Harbor mall
Best sushi on the island at the Toro-Tei Sushi Bar

Stellar Travel is one of only 75 travel agencies in the country to be given Paradise Elite status with Marriott Resorts. This allows us to give our customers the VIP treatment, which includes:

VIP check in and room escort by hotel staff • Complimentary amenity • Pre-registration for express check in • Priority for early check in and late check out (subject to availability) • A no walk policy for Paradise Elite guest

*Experience Revive, the new bed from Marriott, and you’ll launch your day on the right side of the bed. Feel the difference that 300-thread count sheets can make. Down comforters snuggled inside custom-sheeted duvet covers fresh for your arrival. Thicker mattress with plush toppers. More, fluffier pillows to absorb fatigue. You’ll awake refreshed and ready to surpass your personal best. Because when you sleep at Marriott, you’ll outlast your day.

At Stellar Travel you’ll find certified Hawaii Specialists who really know the islands, the accommodation choices and Aloha activities. And, by booking with us, you’ll get more!

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New Disney Hawaii resort named Aulani opens 2011

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. The Disney resort, which is under construction at Ko ‘Olina Resort on Oahu, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2011.

The name Aulani means “the place that speaks for the great ones,” or “the place that speaks with deep messages,” said Joe Rohde, senior vice president of creative for Walt Disney. According to the Hawaiian Dictionary Aulani is a noun that means “messenger of a chief.”

The company hasn’t said how much the project costs but estimates put it at about $800 million. When completed, the new resort will have 360 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas. It will also include an 18,000 square-foot spa, two restaurants, 14,545 square-foot conference center, and 48,685 square feet of outdoor venues, including pools, hot tubs, a snorkeling lagoon and a variety of programs for children.

Contact Stellar Travel’s Disney specialist Sheryl Graddon, sheryl@stellartravel.com or call 425-747-1900 ext. 222.

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Stellar Travel Clients Share Their “Caring Tourism” in Argentina

After an unforgettable travel experience by Stellar Travel’s clients in Argentina, hearts were warmed from Asochingua, a small village outside of Cordoba, Argentina, to Medina, Washington.

While planning their custom-designed 2009 Holiday trip to Argentina, Gary and Darcy Hollie of Medina, Washington asked their advisor Rita Goldman to assist them in researching volunteer opportunities in the communities on their itinerary. Suggestions were made about helping disadvantaged children, since the Hollies were traveling with their two teenagers.

Their 13-day itinerary was designed by Rita and Ladatco Tours, a Stellar Travel and Virtuoso South American travel partner. Rita’s inquiries through Ladatco President Michele Shelburne led to the El Colibri Estancia Hotel in Cordoba, and she was further referred to La Casa De Dios, a local home for orphaned and developmentally challenged young men. After learning that the boys are crazy about football (soccer) and Argentina teams, the Hollie family and Ladatco coordinated to purchase soccer jerseys as Christmas gifts.

The Hollie family also packed boxes of Christmas candy, soccer balls, footballs and Frisbees for the boys. The gifts were personally delivered by the Hollie family and a representative from El Colibri Estancia Hotel on Christmas Eve Day. Darcy Hollie described pure joy all around as the boys opened the large box of jerseys and happily searched for their favorite team.

Further, the La Casa De Dios facility showed signs of disrepair and financial need. The Hollies have since partnered with the owners of El Colibri Estancia Hotel, Raoul and Stephanie Fenestraz, to manage their materials donation for the roof replacement project.

The El Colibri Estancia Hotel has decided to include La Casa De Dios for special attention and projects from future travelers and guests of their hotel. The Hollie family said “we think of this visit as one of our most memorable and special travel experiences and feel lucky to have met these wonderful young men and their caretakers.”

For more information about this and other travel to Argentina, contact Rita Goldman, CTC, Travel Advisor, Stellar Travel at 425.747.1900 – rita@stellartravel.com

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Argentina adopts entry fee for U.S. visitors

On December 20, 2009 Argentina began collecting a $131 entry fee from U.S. visitors. The Argentine government set this entry fee to an equal amount that Argentine citizens must pay when requesting a visa to travel to the United States.

The payment of this fee IS NOT a visa since Argentina does not require a visa for U.S. citizens. The fee will only be collected at the Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport and is valid for multiple entries into Argentina for 10 years.

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Save up to $1000 on a Hawaii Vacation!

Save a cool “grand” on your next vacation to Hawaii when you book air, car and hotel with Classic Vacations. With savings like these,
the time to book your Hawaiian getaway is now. Take off for the Islands. And take off $1,000.

Booking Window: January 4, 2010 – February 22, 2010 Travel Window: January 4, 2010 – December 18, 2010

Air	Receive $50 off each airline ticket to Hawaii on United Airlines Save $100 per ticket if you upgrade your flights to first class
Car	Save $200 with Classic’s Free Car offer Receive a triple upgrade ($200 savings) with Alamo and get a full-size car for the price of a compact
Hotel	Receive up to a $500 air credit when you book five nights at a participating hotel in Hawaii Combine with hotel specials for free nights, free breakfast and more