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Strange blue lights over the arctic stun travelers

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Travelers were stunned this weekend to spot strange blue lights appear in the Arctic skies. The blue lights appeared in two clear spots in the sky causing stargazers to look on in wonder.

These stunning displays of the Northern Lights above Lapland were captured by photography experts at Lights Over Lapland.

Founder of Lights Over Lapland, Chad Blakley, said; “I first spotted the lights on our Aurora Web Cam which continually captures the night sky above Abisko in Sweden, and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was completely out of this world!”

Since the sighting, social media has been awash with speculation, however the phenomenon has since been attributed to a scientific experiment from the Andøya Space Center in Norway which launched two rockets that released metallic powder into atmosphere inside the Northern Lights.

“Although every experience with the Northern Lights is different – this one was a complete mystery and surprise even for me,” adds Lights Over Lapland founder Chad Blakley who has been photographing the Northern Lights for the last 10 years. “It just goes to show that there is always something new to experience on a Northern Lights holiday.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Seven hotels and resorts in Seychelles honored at Annual World Luxury Hotel Awards Gala Ceremony

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Once again, the Seychellois hospitality is fêted as seven establishments in Seychelles have been recognized for their excellence in the tourism industry at the Annual World Luxury Hotel Awards Gala Ceremony. The 12th edition of the award took place on November 10, 2018 at the Ayana Resort and Spa in Indonesia, Bali.

Amongst the hotels rewarded for their distinction were Eden Bleu Hotel, Cerf Island Resort, Constance Ephelia Seychelles, Constance Lemuria Seychelles, Denis Private Island, JA Enchanted Island Resort and Savoy Resort & Spa Seychelles; all rewarded for their World Class facilities and service excellence provided to their guests.

Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis stated her great satisfaction to see many establishments rewarded for high quality standards.

“I do celebrate such good news with our hotel partners. Marketing the destination would not be an easy task if we could not count on the quality of their services. I do believe that it is because of their excellent work that we are able to sell Seychelles as a quality holiday destination,” said Mrs. Francis.

During the ceremony, Eden Bleu Hotel, located on Eden Island, walked away with the ‘Luxury Design Hotel’ award.

Upon winning the award, the General Manager, Mr. Manuel Policarpo, said that it was a great honor to be recognized as the continental winner in the Indian Ocean as the Luxury Design Hotel.

“There is a lot of other beautifully designed hotels around the continent which we needed to compete against. By winning this award we are also promoting Seychelles as a design and modern destination,” said Mr. Policarpo.

Other luxury hotels in Seychelles were also recognised and awarded on the night. Cerf Island Resort, a cluster of 24 spacious villas built to high standards and designed to blend into the surroundings, won the regional ‘Luxury Boutique Hotel’.

Constance Ephelia Seychelles received two continental awards for the ‘Luxury Eco/Green Hotel’ and ‘Luxury Family Resort’.

Another Constance branch in Seychelles, Constance Lemuria Seychelles, located on the second island, Praslin, was honored with the ‘Luxury Golf Resort’ award. The resort will this month be in the limelight as it readies to host the final of the MCB-Staysure 2018 Tour Season.

Talking about the achievement, Mr. Bruno Le Gac, Constance Lemuria General Manager mentioned the hard work and dedication the respective teams have put to achieve the standards to welcome the MCB-Staysure Tournament at the golf Resort. He dedicated the award to our entire team, and particularly to Mr. Wilson Volcere Head Greenkeeper, Mr. Gary Pouponneau Golf Director and their team members.

“Constance Lemuria is delighted to have been awarded “Luxury Golf Hotel” of the Indian Ocean at the World Luxury Hotel Awards that took place in Bali on November 10th. The timing could not be better, as we are going to host the MCB Tour Championship from December 13th to December 16th on our beautiful golf course. This is the most prestigious golf event ever to take place in Seychelles, and we feel very proud to be welcoming all the champions, VIPs and visitors for this occasion,” said Mr. Le Gac

The ‘Luxury Boutique Retreat’ and ‘Luxury Romantic Hotel’ awards were given to Denis Private Island. The resort allows their guests to unplug from the outside world, as there is no signal for mobile phones, no in-room and no cable television. It is the perfect environment to reconnect with your loved-one.

The awards provide a certain validation for the island’s ownership, Denis Private Island PR, Branding and Communications Manager Nicole St Ange said, given the leap it took in developing a unique brand of sustainable tourism on the island.

“Denis doesn’t stake its claim to being a luxury property, but we strongly believe that luxury is a concept that can be applied in many different ways,” St Ange said. “On Denis, you have an incredible freedom combined with this immersion in both nature and isolation. We believe that’s a luxury in its own right and it’s great that others agree as demonstrated by these awards.”

JA Enchanted Island Resort and Savoy Resort & Spa Seychelles were awarded the regional ‘Luxury Boutique Resort’ and regional ‘Luxury Beach Resort’ respectively.

The Group Marketing Director for the World Luxury Hotel Awards, Mr. Michael Hunter-Smith, congratulated all winners for the 2018 Award Year, who through their tireless efforts and endless passion to elevate their guests experience, have received the honor.

“True luxury is not easily attained, it takes a team of highly efficient and dedicated staff willing to go the extra mile and stop at nothing to ensure that every guest feels cared for and no challenged not solved. This is the definition of luxury, this is what makes the winners shine at the World Luxury Hotel Awards event,” said Mr. Hunter-Smith at the award ceremony.

Coming out as a winner of a World Luxury Hotel Award not only inspire the confidence of guests and retain a loyal clientele in this highly competitive market, but it will also stimulate continuous growth and development of your hotel.

The 2019 World Luxury Hotel Awards will be organized at Arctic Circle in Finland in October.

MEDIA CONTACT: info@seychelles.travel

Poseidon Expeditions shows itself to again be the market leader in polar expedition cruising to the Franz Josef Land Archipelago

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Providence, RI, July 24, 2018 – Poseidon commenced its 2018 summer season this month in the Russian High Arctic – the newest frontier in polar expedition cruising – with a rendezvous of its two ships in the Franz Josef Land Archipelago.

Meeting on July 11 at 80º 48’ N/50º 44’ E near Prince George Island, Poseidon’s 128-passenger, nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Years of Victory and its 114-passenger expedition ship Sea Spirit together celebrated their respective first voyages of the season to this remote archipelago of 190 glaciated and snow-covered islands.

While the ships’ routings are considerably different, they both have the distinction of taking intrepid polar adventurers to an area that few other ship passengers will ever have the opportunity to explore. The region is now largely under management of the Russian Arctic National Park System, but was off-limits for foreign travelers until recent decades. For the ships’ meeting, the massive icebreaker paused on its route to 90º North – the geographic North Pole – while the Sea Spirit was in the midst of an eight-day exploration of the archipelago – the most in-depth in the expedition cruise industry.

“The opportunity for the two vessels to connect in such a remote spot was exciting and memorable for the guests of both ships. But for the company and for myself, it is a testament to the fact that Poseidon is able to provide several options for visiting the Franz Josef Land Archipelago,” said founder and president Nikolay Saveliev. “Just 1,000 travelers will visit the archipelago in 2018 and Poseidon has the privilege of accommodating two-thirds of these guests.” He added that all three North Pole trips aboard 50 Years of Victory and all three Franz Josef Land expeditions aboard the Sea Spirit are completely sold out this summer.

With its Sea Spirit, Poseidon Expeditions also has the distinction as the only cruise operator that can travel directly from Svalbard to Franz Josef Land, where passengers clear customs and immigration in Alexandra Land. This saves approximately a day of sea travel in each direction, compared with other vessels, including the 50 Years of Victory, which clear customs and immigration on mainland Russia and must travel longer and further to attain the group of  polar islands.

More days at the archipelago translate into better opportunities for wildlife viewing, and the Sea Spirit’s eight days there did not disappoint. Polar bears totaling 17 were spotted on seven days, and walrus were seen even more frequently. Guests also encountered bearded and ringed seals and humpback, bowhead and beluga whales, and myriad sea bird nesting cliffs and colonies. Reports from the Sea Spirit’s expedition leader even noted that some planned activities – such as shore landings and kayaking excursions – were delayed or postponed for safety reasons because there were simply too many polar bears or walrus in the vicinity.

“There’s no place on earth quite like the Franz Josef Land Archipelago, and we’re pleased to make these two unique journeys available again in 2019, with three North Pole voyages aboard the most powerful icebreaker in the world and another three in-depth expeditions of the islands aboard the Sea Spirit,” added Saveliev.

For inquires and reservations in North America, or to request a catalog, agents can contact the company’s Providence, RI, sales and reservation office at SalesUSA@poseidonexpeditions.com or by telephone at 347-801-2610.

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, contact Poseidon’s Hamburg office – Hamburg@poseidonexpeditions.com or telephone +49-40-7566-8555. In the UK and elsewhere on the globe, contact Sales@poseidonexpeditions.com or telephone +44-870-068-9142.

About Poseidon Expeditions

With offices in the US, UK, Germany, Cyprus, Russia and China, Poseidon Expeditions is a leading provider of polar expeditions in the cruise industry. The company is committed to safe and environmentally responsible polar travel. It is an active member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO).

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