Prince Harry And Megan Markle Choose Namibia For The Royal Honeymoon

With news of Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s honeymoon destination of choice, Namibia is marking the arrival with three new lodges – Sossus Under Canvas, Shipwreck Lodge, and Hoanib Valley Camp – each bringing a very different offering to the tourism scene in the Namib Desert, the Skeleton Coast and Kaokoland.

Timbuktu Travel, the revolutionary safari company that aims to make Africa more accessible to all by empowering the traveler to design their own trip online, is delighted to see this expansion in new lodges because ‘it reflects the demand from 2018’s travelers for exciting, adventurous, transformative travel,’ CEO, Johnny Prince comments. ‘These new arrivals in Namibia will offer something new and exciting for families, daredevils and avid campers, as well as wildlife enthusiasts so we at Timbuktu are really excited about the year ahead for travelers to this wonderful , dramatic, country.’

NEW: April 2018: Sossus Under Canvas, Namib Desert, Namibia – FOR AVID CAMPERS

Sossus Under Canvas is an exciting semi-permanent tented camp in the Neuhof Nature Reserve of the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib area. The camp will open between April and November, bookable on an exclusive basis only, promising one of the most private, unique experiences in Namibia.

With eight Meru tents set within a naturally formed granite amphitheatre, each with an open-air bathroom and comfortable accommodation, this is about a real wilderness experience. Sossus Under Canvas will be one of the most environmentally sensitive camps in the country, operating on solar power, with buildings constructed entirely from recycled or natural materials – roofs built from old oil drums, canvas walls and recycled metals. Guests will enjoy multi-day walks, nights sleeping under the stars on magical fly camping expeditions, hot-air ballooning, fixed wing scenic flights, game drives and desert pool experiences.

Timbuktu Travel will offer stays at Sossus Under Canvas from £215 per person per night based on two sharing.www.timbuktutravel.com/lodge/sossus-under-canvas. Best time to visit is between April – May and August – October.

NEW: June 2018: Skeleton Coast Shipwreck Lodge, Namibia – FOR FAMILIES & DAREDEVILS

Shipwreck Lodge will offer a completely unique place to stay amid the sweeping dunes of Namibia's Skeleton Coast – a strange and beautiful slice of African wilderness. Shipwreck Lodge is the very first lodge to be built in the Skeleton Coast Central Concession Area, creating a gateway for desert adventures and brilliant alternative safaris. All 10 chalets are designed to look like shipwrecks in the dunes at the mouth of Hoarusib River. Two spacious, connected family rooms make it a great choice for those traveling with children.

The coast provides wonderfully varied wildlife from seal and flamingo colonies, to hyena, desert-adapted lion and elephant. However, this is also a place of adventure…take a 4x4 to see the Suiderkus and Karimona shipwrecks and the remains of the Westies diamond mine; explore the Clay Castles – extraordinary structures carved by Hoarusib River in full flow, slide down the golden dunes, or visit the Mowe Bay seal colony.

Timbuktu Travel will offer stays at Skeleton Coast Shipwreck Lodge from £530 per person per night based on two sharing.https://www.timbuktutravel.com/lodge/skeleton-coast-shipwreck-lodge. Best time to travel from March - November

NEW: June 2018: Hoanib Valley Camp, Namibia – FOR WILDLIFE ENTHUSIASTS

Northern Namibia’s newest retreat, Hoanib Valley Camp, is a stylish six-bedroom tented camp in the Hoanib River valley, in Namibia's arid Kaokoland. With a brilliant location for exploring this starkly beautiful landscape, the camp will focus on the desert-adapted wildlife that makes its home here. The camp will be operated in joint partnership with the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.  As well as learning about the endangered giraffe, guests will see desert-adapted elephant and rhino and have the chance to visit nearby Himba and Herero communities, allowing for interaction with these remarkable desert people.

Inside the camp, colours, textures and patterns are inspired by the surrounding ochre dunes, the geometric patterns loved by the Himba people and, of course, the giraffe that inspired the project. Outside, guests will find a fire pit and views that stretch all the way to the horizon. Guests can also spend days traversing the rocky mountains and network of dry riverbeds on a game drive, investigating flora and fauna on a bush walk; or learning about the area's culture. Game drives to Skeleton Coast NP can be organized, as can a visit into the field with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Timbuktu Travel will offer stays at Hoanib Desert Camp from £535 per person per night based on two sharing. To book:www.timbuktutravel.com/lodge/hoanib-valley-camp. Best time to travel from March - November

For all enquiries contact hello@timbuktutravel.com / +44 (0)207 193 1326 / www.timbuktutravel.com

Source: www.luxurytravelmagazine.com 

Amtrak Unveils National Spring Sale, Saving 33% For Purchase Available March 26th To March 29th – For Travel From April 15th To June 21st

Amtrak has announced its new, National Spring Sale campaign, encouraging travelers to take a trip to their favorite destination prior to the summer rush, by offering discounted travel from Sunday, April 15 to Thursday, June 21 with no blackout dates. The sale runs exclusively on Amtrak.com from Monday, March 26 through Thursday, March 29, and presents the lowest fares of the season. Fares are 33 percent off a typical fare, and requires no promotional code to purchase.

Customers can sit in comfort, instead of traffic, with large spacious seats, no middle seats, ample legroom, the freedom to move around, and Wi-Fi on most train services. Some of the trains and destinations customers can experience with this sale for a quick weekend getaway or a trip to their favorite destination are:

Pairing Cities	Train	Price	Pairing Cities	Train	Price
St. Louis - Kansas City, Mo.	Missouri River Runner	$22	Los Angeles – Portland, Ore.	Coast Starlight	$80
New York City – Washington, D.C.	Northeast Regional	$43	New York City - Miami	Silver Service	$103
New York City – Montreal	Adirondack	$46	New Orleans – Los Angeles	Sunset Limited	$115
Washington, D.C. – Chicago	Cardinal	$67	Chicago – Los Angeles	Southwest Chief	$118

Space is limited, and prices are not available on all trains at all times. Other restrictions apply. The National Spring Sale is valid only for coach seats, and upgrades to business class or sleeper upgrades are not included. One child, age 2-12, may accompany each adult at half the typical adult fee. Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are allowed. Once ticketed, fares are non-refundable. Exchanges are permitted prior to scheduled departure, a 25 percent cancellation fee applies to all tickets.

About Amtrak®

Amtrak offers a more comfortable and convenient travel experience with free Wi-Fi on most trains, plenty of leg room and no middle seat. With our state and commuter partners, we move people, the economy and the nation forward, carrying more than 30 million Amtrak customers for each of the past seven years. Amtrak operates more than 300 trains daily, connecting more than 500 destinations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces, and reaches 400 additional destinations via connecting bus routes. Learn more at Amtrak.com.

Complete Your UK Visa Application Process Over The Phone Or Email

Applicants can now get help with visa application form filling and schedule their appointment from the comfort of their home/office

Travellers in the United States of America requiring a visa to the United Kingdom can now get help with their application form filling either over the phone or via email. VFS Global has launched an exclusive helpline number, +1 212 845 9410, connecting applicants with trained personnel who offer assistance in answering any UK visa application related questions. Applicants can also email their queries to vfsglobalservicesus@vfsglobal.com for additional support.

In addition to providing professional and expert assistance to applicants with their UK visa application form, the service also provides the flexibility to schedule an appointment at any of the 10 premium application centres in the US on a date convenient to the applicant. The VFS Global helpline assists visa applicants with the necessary support and information required for every element of  their  application.

Said Anil Katoch, COO – Americas, VFS Global: “At VFS Global, it is our aim to provide services that cater to every aspect of the applicants’ visa application and submission needs, offering conveniences for the applicant at every step of the process. Our helpline service, which offers form filling assistance and appointment scheduling is our latest effort in this direction. It is indeed our pleasure to provide our customers with best in class services and all the necessary assistance they require to enhance their overall travel experience.”

Key features of the assistive helpline:

•         Form Filling and appointment scheduling assistance

•         Assistance is just a call/email away

•         Available Monday to Friday from 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs

•         Well-trained staff

•         Easy payment options

For more information about the service:

Call: +1 212 845 9410 or Visit: www.vfsglobalassist.com/usa 

About VFS Global

VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 2574 Application Centres, operations in 137 countries across five continents and over 165 million applications processed as on 28 February 2018, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 58 client governments. VFS Global’s worldwide operations are certified ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, ISO 27001:2013 for Information Security Management System and ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management System. For more information, please visit www.vfsglobal.com

Recommended Essentials For Your Travel Adventures

The Case+Drift All-Purpose Travel Companion towel is designed to be quick drying and compact for all your travel adventures, 100% cotton and made in Turkey. For more details and how to order please visit: Www.CaseAndDrift.Com




The technologically advanced insulated Swig Stemless Wine Cup will keep your wine cold up to 9 hours on a hot day by the pool; stainless steel, with copper coated insulation and BPA-free lid. For more details please visit: Www.Swigbyom.Com


 High quality noise isolation earphones are essential for travelers. One of the issues we've had with many other options is weight; The Isolator earphones weigh less than 1 oz. and provide 98% noise isolation (35-42dB) and frequency response of 20Hz-15kHz. For more details please visit: Www.etymotic.Com 

8 Travelore Tips for Going On A Road Trip With Your Pets

Embrace Pet Insurance compiled a list of tips to make it a comfortable and safe journey for everyone. Here are some cat- and dog-friendly travel tips for when you decide to pack up your furry family member.

1. Keeping Them Safe and Secure

As you’re making a list of everything you need for your trip, add a well-ventilated pet carrier or crate. Whichever type you choose, make sure your pet will be able to move around, stand, and sit in it. If you can’t find a crate or carrier to meet your needs, a pet safety belt is the next best option.

2. Bring Something Familiar

Does your pet have a favorite blanket, toy, or bed? It’s ideal to bring cat and dog travel items with you as they can ease some anxiety and provide a sense of familiarity.

3. Make Sure Your Pet is Comfortable with Car Rides

If your pet is used to car rides, you likely won’t have any issues. However, if your pet isn’t used to rides, you should start by taking them on short car rides around the block and then lengthen the ride a bit to get them used to the car. If your pet isn’t used to the car, don’t just assume they will be fine. Dogs, and even cats, can experience a great deal of anxiety about something new like traveling.

4. A Quick Vet Check Can’t Hurt

Make sure your pet is physically healthy and ready for the trip with a quick check-up at the vet. Talk the trip over with your veterinarian to ensure your pet has the right temperament and health status to take on a lengthy trip and new surroundings.

5. Think About Microchipping

Losing your pet would be a devastating experience. Thankfully, technology has come a long way. At your pre-trip check-up, talk to your vet about microchipping your pet. A microchip is about the size of a piece of rice and injected under the skin. The microchip comes with a registration number that can be read by using a scanning tool, which will then link to your information.

If your pet is already microchipped, make sure all your information is current. Check their tags to make sure everything is up-to-date as well.

6. Stop for Breaks

If your pet is used to a normal potty break and feeding routine, make sure to schedule your trip in such a way that will allow for the same breaks. It’s not ideal to feed your pet in a moving vehicle, so make it a point to stop during regular feeding times.

Before you venture out on your road trip, check online and see which rest stops along the way have dog walking areas. This will give your pup a break to stretch his legs.

7. Make Sure Your Pet Keeps His Head Inside

While it’s cute to see your dog stick his head out the window and take in all the fresh air, it’s not safe. Oncoming traffic or flying objects could injure him. It’s best for your dog to sit in a pet seat belt or a crate.

8. Protect them with Pet Insurance

Unexpected accidents and illnesses can happen at any time – and our dogs and cats aren’t exempt from this. Having pet insurance is like having a safety net for unexpected veterinary bills. It provides you with peace of mind that if the unexpected happens, you’re covered. Pet insurance has no networks, so you can seek treatment at any licensed veterinarian during your trip.

Norwegian Cruise Line Joins Royal Caribbean, Celebrity In Hiking Service Charges

Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Get ready for higher daily fees when sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line. 

Effective April 1, the company is hiking the service charge it tacks onto final bills by 3.6% to $14.50 per person, per day for passengers staying in most cabins on most ships. Passengers in suites on most ships will pay $17.50 per person, per day — a 3% rise.

Service charges for most cabins on Norwegian's two all-inclusive vessels, Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun, will rise by more than 5% to $19.99 per person, per day. Passengers in suites on the two ships will pay $22.99 per day — a 4.6% rise. 

With the increase, a family of four in a standard cabin on most ships will pay more than $400 in service charges on a typical seven-night cruise.

The hike comes in the wake of recent increases in service charges (also called gratuity charges) at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Both lines also now add a $14.50 per person, per day charge to passenger bills for most cabins. Among other major lines, Carnival and Princess levy $12.95 and $13.50, respectively, on most cabins.

RELATED: Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean hike gratuity charges |  USA TODAY's Guide to cruise ship gratuity charges 

Like other major lines, Norwegian has been pushing up service charge levels at a rapid rate in recent years. With the coming increase, the line's standard cabin service charge will have jumped by nearly 21% from $12 since February 2015. That's more than three times the rate of inflation in the USA over the same period. The U.S. Department of Labor has recorded a 6.1% rise in inflation, as measured by its Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), since February 2015. 

Norwegian says passengers who book an upcoming cruise prior to April 1 and pre-pay the service charge can lock in the current rates.

Canada And Sweden Most LGBT-Friendly Travel Destinations

The recent introduction of marriage equality has improved Germany’s position in the SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index, ranking the most LGBT-friendly destination countries. Germany now shares third place with eleven other countries. Canada and Sweden find themselves at the top of the list. The SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index is updated annually and informs travelers on the situation of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgeCabnders (LGBT) in 197 Countries and Territories.

For the first time this year, the SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index also takes into account the legal situation of transgender individuals. Canada gets full marks in this criterion and thus manages to secure joint top spot in the Index for the first time, along with Sweden. The top ten LGBT-friendly countries further consist of mostly European Union countries that have already introduced marriage equality legislation, such as The Netherlands, France, Spain and Belgium. The SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index also sees improvements in Israel, Colombia, Cuba and Botswana. On the other hand, due to numerous killings of gays, lesbians and transsexuals in 2017, Brazil has been rated down markedly compared to previous years. The USA are also on the losing side, now being ranked on 39th rather than their previous 34th place. This is mostly due to attempts by the Trump administration to curtail transgender rights in the military as well as repealing anti-discrimination legislation that had been introduced under the previous government.

Overall, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Malawi garnered particularly negative scores, with Russian Federal Republic Chechnya coming dead last in the index, due to the the state-organised persecution and killings of homosexuals in 2017 taking place there.

The SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index is assembled using 14 criteria in three categories. The first category is civil rights. Among other things it assesses whether gays and lesbians are allowed to marry, whether there are antidiscrimination laws in place, or whether the same age of consent applies to both heterosexual and homosexual couples. Any discrimination is recorded in the second category. This includes, for example, travel restrictions for HIV positive people and the ban on pride parades or other demonstrations. In the third category, threats to individuals by persecution, prison sentences or capital punishment are assessed. Evaluated sources include the human rights organization “Human Rights Watch”, the UN “Free & Equal” campaign, and year-round information on human rights violations against members of the LGBT community.

Travelore News: Uber Suspends Driverless Car Program After Pedestrian Is Struck And Killed

Incident in Tempe, Ariz., is believed to be the first such fatality from a driverless vehicle

A self-driving Uber vehicle is shown in Scottsdale, Ariz., in December. PHOTO: NATALIE BEHRING/REUTERS

March 19, 2018 1:26 p.m. ET

A self-driving car from Uber Technologies Inc. struck a woman who died Monday in Tempe, Ariz., local police say, in what is believed to be the first known fatality of a pedestrian from a driverless vehicle.

Following the accident overnight, Uber is temporarily pulling its self-driving cars off the roads in Tempe, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Toronto, where it is testing them, a spokeswoman said. She said Uber is investigating the incident and cooperating with authorities.

The Uber vehicle, which included a human driver to assist, struck a woman who later died from her injuries, according to Tempe police. More details are expected after an investigation is concluded.

“Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona,” wrote Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on Twitter Monday. “We’re thinking of the victim’s family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened.”

Write to Greg Bensinger at greg.bensinger@wsj.com

TRAVELORE DESTINATION REPORT: Valley Forge And Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Valley Forge and Montgomery County Pennsylvania is best known as the home to the 3,500 acre Valley Forge National Park, the encampment of General Washington and his Continental army troops  in the winter of 1777-78, and world class shopping at the largest retail mall in America. What people may not know is the diversity of the region, just a short distance from Philadelphia, and how it has also become a draw for some of the hottest restaurant concepts and and attractions in America.

Pictured from the Farmer's Daughter are the outstanding Macadamia Crusted Beet Salad,
Gert's Crab Cake  on seaweed with tamarind mayo, and their excellent  signature
cake.

Where to stay. We recommend the Normandy Farm Hotel and Conference Center in Blue Bell where you will be centrally located to all Montgomery County historic locations, world class shopping, restaurants and activities. The property dates back over 200 years and has recently undergone an extensive 21st century renovation. We found our suite to be very comfortable and their Farmer's Daughter restaurant has become one of the best culinary destinations in the region.

True Food Kitchen is a unique restaurant concept based upon an anti-inflammatory diet developed by one of its founders, Dr. Andrew Weil. All of their ingredients are sustainably sourced and responsibly raised. For more details please visit: www.TrueFoodKitchen.com   

Pictured are their Grilled Salmon on smoked onion farro, arugula, roasted beet and pumpkin seed pesto; vegan Butternut Squash pizza with house made almond ricotta, and their vegan Squash pie with coconut whipped cream.

Founding Farmers is majority owned by a group of over 47,000  American family farmers honoring the true farm to table concept with made from scratch food typically not found in large scale restaurants. All the food is very good including their fresh made doughnuts.  We recommend reservations. For more details please visit: www.WeAreFoundingFarmers.com 

Pictured are their very good signature Liberty Bell chocolate dipped sunday dessert, addictive Ahi Tuna Bites, and their chicken noodle soup of the day.

Expedition Escape is one of the better offerings of escape room options in the King of Prussia and Philadelphia regions; great for creative dates, parties and corporate team building. Our first escape room experience was Aunt Edna's condo with guided hints from a helpful staff member watching over our progress from outside the room. For more information please visit:   expeditionescape.com/escape-rooms/escape-rooms-king-of-prussia

Pictured is their Mediterranean sandwich with hummus, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, cucumbers and roasted red peppers on multi grain; 470 calories.

If seeking an healthier option for a quick meal we recommend a stop in the new Malvern location of the Potbelly sandwich shop chain. For more details please visit www.Potbelly.com





For more details and information to plan your visit to Valley Forge and Montgomery County Pennsylvania, please visit: www.valleyforge.org . Since we are headquartered in very nearby Philadelphia we will be updating this feature.