| June, 2003 | |||||||||||
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Robert and Morrison have just returned from two weeks scouting the magical Hindu island of Bali, looking for the best buys, the most boutique accommodation, and the classiest cooking around. And we are thrilled to admit, we found it all! Consequently, we are revising our original Globetrotting Gourmet® Road to Bali itinerary to take in these new improvements. Our original dates of 30 Aug-9 Sept remain fixed. We're ensuring enough free time for independent shopping, viewing, and the like, but plenty of planned activity for those who need or want that helping hand. In any case, you can easily opt out of selected offerings from our daily itinerary. Click here for more details |
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| Also, our Thailand regional cooking FoodTOUR of 31 October-15 November is ALL GO! We've managed to secure new accommodation near the Phimai festival in the kingdom's remote north eastern province of Isan, and like last year, this November trip takes in the beautiful floating lantern festival of Loi Krathong. We view it from the vantage point of Sukhothai, Thailand's ancient capital, abandoned some 500 years ago, and now a Unesco-registered heritage site. Last year's Thailand tour was sold out, with a waiting list. So book early, and take advantage of our early-bird discount, available until mid August. We will continue taking Thailand reservations until early October, or until sold out. Check out the particulars here. | |||||||||||
| And remember to register your interest in our late March through early April, 2004 tour tasting the delicate cuisine of Vietnam. We won't have final dates until December, as the tour coincides with publication of Robert's latest book, "Vietnamese Home Cooking" co-authored with Didier Corlou, chef of Hanoi's Metropole Hotel. For more information, click here. | |||||||||||
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| Bali island is great, 90 degrees (30 C) daily, and there is never a better time to visit the sites without swarms of tourists upsetting those picture post card photos! I took along the bestselling book Krakatoa while there, entranced by the silhouette image of volcanoes against the skyline. Luckily, there is little chance of imminent eruption, although the island has had its fair share of other flare ups to jar their tourist trade. But with tourism numbers in a slump, deals here have never been better. Prices at the island's best restaurants are ridiculously low, and hand-woven fabrics and batiks have never been more affordable. | |||||||||||
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We will continue to take Bali reservations through July, or until sold out. As an added incentive to come alone, we are extending "The Bali Experience" FREE promotion for all deposit-paid reservations made through June (valued at $A295). The price of this tour is already at never-to-be-repeated prices, but this is our way of saying thank you for supporting their island economy. |
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| Note that air tickets to Asia have rarely been cheaper, but that comes at a price. The number of carriers, and the frequency of flights, to Asian destinations have been curtailed. We strongly urge you to make your flight reservations earlier rather than later. We would hate for you to be disappointed by flight unavailability once you have decided to join our tour. We remind you that our tour packages begin and end in the country of destination, hence you are free to book flights and travel insurance through your preferred travel agent from your country of departure. Also, many of our tour members cash in air points for tickets and upgrades. | |||||||||||
| We were just informed by one of our former gourmet globetrotters that the Frommer's website lists flights ex the US for $699 which includes a bonus 21 day Asian air pass: www.frommers.com These prices are available through November (although they are sure to sell out quickly), but better yet, suitable for BOTH our Aug-Sept. Bali tour AND the Oct-Nov Thailand trip. Presumably Singapore Airlines (SQ) will be offering similar deals, and European carriers will be offering the same. Australian passengers now have two new carriers to Asia: Air Paradise and Australian Airlines. Asian- based participants can check competitive fares on www.zuji.com. | |||||||||||
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| Globetrotting Gourmet® FoodTOURS attract a world-wide clientele of food lovers, especially from North America, Europe and Australia. We strongly feel that our cosmopolitan make-up lends itself to a more interesting travel group. Each of our small-group tours (limited to only a few annually!) is specially developed by Morrison Polkinghorne and Robert Carmack, with participant numbers strictly limited to between 8 and 15. We want these tours to be fun -- yet instructive -- for everybody. All monies and deposits are handled through our fully-licensed and registered tour operator, San Michele Travel, who are based in Sydney, Australia. This reputable company specializes in Asian travel, with more than 35 years in the industry. Our contract with them ensures lower overheads, and we pass these savings on to you. | |||||||||||
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And a few other mentions: If you are flying in Asia to a Silk Air destination in June, grab a copy of their in-flight Silkwinds magazine. There is a two-page interview with Robert on pages 8-9. Finally, if you are in Brisbane, Australia in late July, Robert and Morrison will be teaching a soy sauce and fish sauce workshop at this year's Hilton Master Class. Among the highlights: rare Goyogura soy sauce, produced exclusively for the imperial family, will be flown in from Japan courtesy of Kikkoman. More particulars on that program are available at www.qldmasterclass.com |
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