Although it has been traditionally believed that private jet hire was the sole domain of the mega-rich and privileged, in recent years private air charter has become much more accessible to the average person for private shopping trips or for companies who wish to send groups of employees to overseas meetings and conferences.
With this growing trend to become an increasingly accessible form of national and international travel, it can be a much easier choice to make and you can hire a variety of jets and airplanes. For instance, for larger groups of travellers, it would make sense to hire a much larger aircraft to accommodate these greater numbers.
Many larger aircrafts can hold a minimum of 15 to 20 people and are appropriate for longer trips or for those corporate excursions which may involve returning heavier loads of stock or goods for resale or for the creation of new products. For smaller parties for example, a lighter aircraft may be most suitable; many of these smaller crafts can hold up to eight passengers and can be much cheaper and affordable than heavier planes, especially for shorter trips.
Other types of aircraft that can be hired by private parties are helicopters. Helicopters are ideal aircraft for the transportation of small groups to relatively short distances especially if a quick arrival is important. One advantage of using a helicopter is that the group travelling can enjoy full panoramic views of the landscape they are travelling through. This mode of transport can also make an instant impact on those awaiting the arrival of the party; this can instantly convey a professional and successful corporate image. With a range of private aircraft available for hire here at JetAir we can provide an individual or organisation with the aircraft requirements to specifically suit their individual needs.

What is a capsule hotel?
A capsule hotel can be described as a hotel system that provides densely populated accommodation which contains rooms of a relatively standardized size based on modular plastic or fibreglass sleeping quarters. Other than your own room, all other facilities are shared.

History
Although capsule hotels are quintessentially Japanese, the first capsule hotel was only built in 1979 by a chap in Osaka by the name of Kisho Kurokawa. The rates were a bit lower back then at about 1,600 yen. Capsule hotels are a uniquely Japanese phenomenom not only because of space restrictions but because Japan is still a relatively safe country and such a facility would be unthinkable in many other countries.

It wasn’t until 1985, when the Tsukuba Science Expo was held, that capsule hotels became well known in Japan. There wasn’t enough room to accommodate everyone so the organisers decided to make capsule hotels so everyone could enjoy the expo and stay overnight. This became big news when reported on Japanese televsion, and since then capsule hotels have become part of the Japanese vocabulary. The first reported capsule hotel in Tokyo was Green Plaza Shinjuku, located in the red light district of Kabukicho. The Green Plaza is also the biggest capsule hotel in Tokyo with 630 rooms.

How to use a capsule hotel
Most capsule hotels do not have a key to the room so you need to place your valuables in a separate locker. You have to share the bathroom, rest room and bath with everyone else (most capsule hotels have a sauna included). Most of the basics are provided and they have a communal bath which you share with other clientelle. Many capsule hotels have a large bath called a ‘Rotenburo’ which means ‘open air bath’ where you can relax under the open sky.

When you enter you have to take off your shoes, put them in a shoe locker and lock it with the key which is provided. You then give the shoe locker key to the reception staff and they provide you with another key for a small clothes locker. At this point they give you a description of how their system works. There is usually a Yukata, bath towel and a small hand towel in the locker in which you place your belongings. After you do this you can then go to your room.

You can watch a small television while lying down (usually around 8 inches). In fact, the capsule hotels are so compact that it is possible to operate the lights, air conditioning, TV, radio and Alarm Clock from the bed without having to move. One negative aspect of Capsule Hotels is that they are not sound proof, so it is possible to hear the person next to you snoring (earplugs are recommended).

Most capsule hotels have a two-tiered system so each room has two capsule rooms – one on top and one on the bottom. The people at the front tell you whether you are on the top or bottom one and you can access the top bunk rooms via the stairs provided. For those over about 190cm, you have to bend your legs slightly when you go to bed. For those who are a little overweight there usually isn’t a problem with the width.

Location
Most capsule hotels are found in central city areas where it is common for people to miss the last train or bus. Nearly all capsule hotels are within walking distance of a station.

Reservations
Although many people use capsule hotels because they miss the last train home, it is possilbe to make reservations via the internet or by phone.

Conditions
Many of the capsule hotels only accept men, but there are some which are exclusive to women. In terms of time restrictions, most places have a check in time of 17:00 and check out time of 10:00am. Depending on the type of capsule hotel, you are required to return to the hotel by 02:00, but others are 24 hours.

Although most capsule hotels require you to stay a night, there are some which allow you to use facilities for a shorter period of time if you just want to take a break. For example, at Capsule Inn Akihabara they allow you to take a shower for 500 yen or sleep/rest for 3 hours for 1,200 yen or 7 hours for 2,500 yen. Some places have restrictions on how many nights you can stay, so if you are looking to stay for a period of more than 2 nights you should check their conditions before booking. 

Capsule Hotels are thought to be men only domains, but there are many places available where women can stay. Some are exclusive to women and some allow both men and women to stay in the same complex, although the accommodation areas and bathing are separated.

At most capsule hotels you can not take your own food or drink into the capsule hotels and you must be over 18.

Recent trends
Although foreigners describe capsule hotels as ‘Coffin hotels’, in many cases this is an unfair description. Some of the more recent capsule hotels have internet access, a key for your room, private videos (such as Hotel Dandy in Ueno) and a private shower room. They also have cabin types which have a chair and table. More recently, double-bed capsule hotels have been introduced where you are allowed two people to a room. In many of the new establishments, on the top floor they have an open sauna (rotenburo) and a separate massage room. In particular, some of the women only capsule hotels are quite extravagant with high quality spas.

Alternative accommodation
If you are looking for something even cheaper than a capsule hotel (although possibly not quite as comfortable), other alternatives are Kenkou (health) land or Manga Kissatens.

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The city of Yazd’s first mention in historic records predate it back to around 3000 years BC when it was related to by the name of Ysatis, and was then part of the domain of Medes, an ancient settler of Iran. In the course of history due to its distance from important capitals and its harsh natural surrounding, Yazd remained immune to major troops’ movements and destruction from wars, therefore it kept many of its traditions, city forms and architecture until recent times. During the invasion of Genghis Khan in the early 1200’s AD Yazd became a safe haven and home for many artists, intellectuals and scientists fleeing their war ravaged cities around Persia.  

For a brief period, Yazd was the capital of Atabakan and Mozaffarid dynasties (14th Century AD). During Qajar dynasty (18th Century AD) it was ruled by the Bakhtiari Khans.

The City and province of Yazd hold many wonders of  historic and architectural significance. A Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Yazd holds a traditional fire which has been kept alight by Zoroastrian priests, continuously for over 1100 years. The Fort of Naren is Iran’s largest mud brick structure predating Islam. Caravansaries, Islamic architecture including the Jamea Mosque and many other works and art forms go back over 1000 years. Yazd’s wind-towers, which act as natural cooling systems for homes and public structures, remain a marvel of world architectural design and innovation. In addition, the city sat on the path of the ancient Silk Road and was the lodging and visiting spot for many travelers and merchants. Marco Polo in his travelogues titles the city: “the noble city of Yazd”

We’ve often described the Northern California Wine Country as a ‘Disneyland for Adults’, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave the children behind. For many people, visiting wineries is only one day of their trip to San Francisco. After all, with all of the attractions it has to offer, the Bay Area is a great destination for the whole family. A daytrip to the scenic counties of Sonoma and Napa provides an opportunity to enjoy a relaxed pace with stunning views, wonderful tours and interesting wineries. The wineries and their gift shops are admittedly more interesting to the adults than the kids, but they will still enjoy the trip because it is, after all, farm country, and what kid doesn’t enjoy that? Sonoma especially takes great pride in their agricultural diversity, so as you travel around you’re going to see a wide variety of plantings, orchards and livestock in between the vineyards. 
 
We’re seeing increasing numbers of children in Wine Country. While it is still a relatively small number, parents are finding ways to make it work. The secret to having a great time together in Sonoma and Napa is to realize that while many wineries are not suitable or enjoyable for children, there are many others that are. Sonoma and Napa have over seven hundred wineries, of which about half can be visited easily so there are plenty to choose from, as well as many other family attractions. 
 
One of the most kid friendly and adult enjoyable destinations is the Plaza in downtown Sonoma.  If you’re coming from San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge you’ll be at this historic and charming place in a little over half an hour. This is the ‘Philadelphia of California’, because it is the place where the Republic of California declared its independence from Mexico.
 It is helpful to know that there are the counties of Sonoma and Napa, and the cities of Sonoma and Napa.
Even though Sonoma is a small city of about nine thousand people, it is big on history. It is the only city in California that enjoys all three of these distinctions; it was an official Pueblo, or city under Mexico, it was a Franciscan Mission (the twenty-first and final), and it was the military headquarters for the entire West Coast under both Mexico and the United States. Around the Plaza, which is the largest in California, there are numerous historic sites as well as nice restaurants and shops. In the Plaza there are great picnic tables near the playgrounds and the newly restored duck pond.
The tourist bureau sits on the Plaza in an old Carnegie Library building and it can provide additional information for a great day with kids. A unique attraction called Train Town is just two minutes back down Broadway, the road that led you to the Plaza. This is a small old-style amusement park suitable for young children up to approximately age ten. There is a small train to ride and a traditional merry-go-round and it harkens back to a time before special effects were digital. There is even a petting zoo. 
 
Around the Plaza are several winery tasting rooms where you can taste some excellent wines without spending all day getting there. Then you can nip back to the playground before moving on to the next winery. Five minutes from the Plaza is one of the Sonoma originals, the Sebastiani Family Winery, with their great old barrel room, one of Sonoma’s best gift shops and some very nice wines for you to sample. They also offer a trolley tour of Sonoma that explains about its wonderful history. Just to the south of town is the Larson Family Winery, on the old Sonoma Rodeo site. This was where the champion race horse Seabiscuit stabled overnight when he was racing on the West Coast. It has a farm-like setting with llamas and sheep. Horse rides through the vineyards can arranged in advance, bocce courts and picnic areas round out the experience.  
 
From the Plaza you can head north on Route 12 up the Valley of the Moon, a scenic route. Voted Sonoma’s best tour, the Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen offers a wonderful mix of agriculture, education and fine wine. Their vineyards are tucked in a pretty little valley on Sonoma Mountain just down the road from Jack London’s old ranch, now a park.
 Their tour, aboard a tram attached to the back of a tractor, winds its way up into the vineyards where they explain the biodynamic approach to agriculture, a remarkable system that is increasingly popular with many high-end wineries. Next you visit the barrel caves and finish up in the winery for a tasting. Admittedly wineries are about adult enjoyment, but there are often children on the Benziger tour and they always seem to enjoy themselves.  
 
Please don’t make the mistake of bringing children to trendy wineries where they have nothing of interest for kids. They will spend the hour while you are tasting wine bored with nothing to do. The wineries that are kid friendly have made a big effort to be so. At both the Sonoma Plaza and Benziger you’ll find good picnic tables, so pick up some sandwiches either at the Plaza or at the Glen Ellen Market. 
 
Many of the wineries in the Valley of the Moon are kid friendly as long as you have an adult willing to keep an eye on them. The grounds are gracious and park-like allowing for a little outdoor enjoyment in beautiful surroundings.  Some of those that come to mind are B.R. Cohn, Imagery, Landmark and St. Francis. Chateau St. Jean and Ledson Winery both have deli markets and picnic tables on site. They are all within five miles of each other along Route 12, the main road in the Valley. Hint: Bring a soccer ball or a Frisbee. There are some great lawns in the Valley of the Moon. 
 
Visiting Napa with Children

 
Napa is a great place to visit because everything is close together. The whole valley is only thirty miles long by five miles wide, and while there are other wineries tucked up in the hills, the variety of wineries that are easy to reach is wonderful. However, it is not as agriculturally varied as Sonoma. Napa is another half hour farther from the Golden Gate Bridge, but the ride brings you through the beautiful Carneros district with its vineyard covered rolling hills that have a distinctly Tuscan feeling. Napa is closer to San Francisco via the less scenic Bay Bridge. 
 
Napa has a bit more of a city style than its country cousin Sonoma, but there are several places that children will especially enjoy. Everyone enjoys spectacular architecture and great views, something at which Napa excels. A classic example of this is the Artesa Winery, with its hilltop site overlooking Carneros and the Bay. Artesa is close to San Francisco and despite not being built with children in mind, the feeling is relaxed enough and the variety of places to explore extensive enough that everyone in the family will be charmed. They even have an elevator for those with strollers. 
 
Just to the north in Yountville is Domaine Chandon, one of Napa’s original makers of sparkling wine. This is a favorite for groups and people with children because the grounds are gracious and accommodating, with lawns, ponds and wildlife. Up on the patio, they offer snacks along with their elegant sparkling wines and the tables make it easier to keep everyone together. The springtime tadpole explosion in the ponds will keep any child entertained. 
 
One of the most enjoyable family wineries is Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon in Rutherford, about half way up the Napa Valley on Highway 29 (St. Helena Highway). He took the historic Neibaum/Inglenook building and surrounded it with gardens that have all of the graciousness of a southern Italian villa. The exhibits and old barrel rooms upstairs are enough to entertain most children. During the summer they provide model sailboats to send gliding on the fountain pool in front of the building. There is a small caf?, with outdoor seating, a great gift shop and of course some wonderful wines. 
 
Just to the north is the V. Sattui Winery which in this context is most valuable for their great deli offerings and large picnic area. Napa does not have a lot of picnic areas. On a Saturday in season it can get busy, but finding food, wine and picnic tables all together certainly makes the logistics of blending wineries with children much easier. The wineries have dramatically more traffic on Saturdays than Sundays. 
 
The Wilds of Calistoga
 
For the San Francisco-based traveler, unfortunately, two of the most interesting wineries for children are all the way at the northern part of the valley, just south of the ‘old west’ style town of Calistoga, which is a great, kid-friendly place to visit onto itself. These two wineries are not suitable for infants in strollers, but for children eight years and older they are a fun experience. First is Sterling Vineyards, famous for its aerial tramway that carries visitors to its hilltop winery. Many years ago it was the first large winery to charge for their tastings. The price includes the tram ride. Between the tram, the gift shop and the tasting you need to allow an hour and a half to enjoy the place. Get there early to avoid the lines. 
 
Just across Highway 29 is one of the newest, large wineries in Napa, although it was built to look old. The Castello di Amorosa is built like an authentic castle, from real stone and hand wrought iron. The vision, the forty million dollars and thirteen years it took to build produced a remarkable place. Children are restricted to the early morning tours so you should check their website for the schedule. The tour with tasting takes about two hours. The admission for Rubicon, Sterling and Castello di Amorosa all range between $20 and $25, although they offer discounts for children and young adults. 
 
Napa gets hot in the summer, but very dry, so there are very few flying bugs. During the Winter it gets rainy, but not very cold. Both Spring and Fall are gorgeous, and harvest time, from late August through mid-November, is a very busy, exciting time in Wine Country. 
 
Small, private wineries are often at people’s homes, so for the collector, traveling with children, you should ask your potential hosts if children are welcomed. If you want to get to the smaller wineries with children, consider hiring a guide with a car or SUV (avoid limos due to the need to sit sideways or backwards which increases the possibility of carsickness). While there are limo services in San Francisco, many of the experts live in Wine Country but they pick up clients in the city. Hiring a driver greatly reduces the stress and increases the enjoyment. Explain that you have children and ask them for a guide that is comfortable with that. Some guides are parents and actually like children. For them it’s something different and in fact we remember every tour we’ve ever done with kids. Touring with children is educational and a lot of fun, as long as you go to wineries that they’ll find interesting too. So enjoy your day with the kids in Wine Country.