Exploring Coral Reef in Fiji

Archive for the ‘Accommodation’ Category

Exploring Coral Reef in Fiji

Monday, October 9th, 2006

The first time I ever saw a coral reef in person was on a trip to Fiji. It was actually just an extended layover; I was traveling from Auckland to Los Angeles and I was able to add a layover in Fiji for $20. I figured that I probably wouldn’t have another chance to go to Fiji for $20, so I took it. I started sweating the minute I got off the plane; after spending six months in rainy, temperate New Zealand I wasn’t prepared for eighty degree weather and ninety percent humidity.

After my first night in Nadi I caught a bus and then a boat to one of the outlying islands, where I was to spend four days doing essentially nothing. I brought a couple of books and my pack-able hammock, but when I made it to the island I found that the hammocks were already set up for me. The island was small, but gorgeous. It only housed two resorts, which were essentially right next to each other, and it took three or four hours to walk all the way around the island. Fresh water was somewhat scarce, and rain water collectors made up for the majority of it. The whole island ran on a large generator, so the lights went off at 10pm and didn’t turn on again until morning.

I had heard about Fiji’s great diving, but since I was there for such a short period of time and didn’t have a dive license, I opted to snorkel instead. On my second day on the island I hired a snorkel and a set of fins and set off to explore the coral reef right in front of our resort.

When I plunged into the warm water I felt like I was in a different world. My doctor used to have this big elaborate fish tank filled with fish of all different colors, large and small. Gliding over the coral reef made me feel like I was in a life-sized mock-up of the same tank. Big fish patrolled the shelf of the coral reef while little neon-colored ones flitted in and out of the coral heads. Sea cucumbers loafed about the bottom, while parrot fish nibbled and ground at the coral. I snorkeled all day, checking out the coral reef all around the island. By the end of the day I had a terribly sunburned back and salty hair, but I knew that I was going back in the water the next morning.

Posted in Adventure Travel, Advice, Beach, Budget Travel, Cheap Travel, Holiday, Information, Island, Resorts, Short Vacation, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Review | No Comments »

Advantage of Mountain Cabins for Rent

Monday, September 18th, 2006

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a second home away from home? You know, one that differed from the mundane, hectic lifestyle you’re used to. A place where you could simply leave the stress and chaos behind you. Well, this is the reality for many. In fact you too can take advantage of mountain cabins for rent. Invest in a nice getaway with Mother Nature for a few weeks or months. It’s great to get that taste of the primal world before it was contaminated by man. Breathe in the fresh air and soak up the silence when you stay in mountain cabins for rent.

Did you know there are mountain cabins for rent in the Smokey’s? How ideal would it be to drop everything and load up the family for a trip down into the Carolina Mountains? I can honestly tell you from experience that they’re amazing. As you cruise up those curvaceous county roads, you’ll not only notice a decrease in chaos, but you’ll also notice an increase in clean air. There’s plain and simply nothing like fresh mountain air.

You will notice what I’m raving about the first time you soak it up and take it in. It’s much healthier for the lungs and body. Fortunately this is one of the places we have left to retreat, away from the smog. I am jealous of my brother who actually had an old-school cabin built on his own land. Of course he had a slight advantage since his mother-in-law owns thousands of acres. When the land comes for free, the building costs no longer seem so bad. Now days he enjoys his personal home away from home whenever he likes. Be it winter or summer, the hand crafted cabin is a blast.

However, for those of us who cannot afford building our very own cabin, there are mountain cabins for rent. Therefore we might as well take advantage of all they have to offer. It’s fairly simple to get online and see what it is I’m taking about. You can choose from a variety of mountain cabins for rent, all differing in price range. If you do find one you like, I recommend booking it as soon as possible. This will ensure that you do get the country dwelling of your dreams. Jump into cyberspace and check it out. Sometimes it’s fun and exciting to just get away from it all.

Posted in Adventure Travel, Advice, Cabin, Family Vacation, Holiday, Information, Short Vacation, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Rental, Vacation Review, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

Vacation Village at Bonaventure Review

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

At first glance at the promotional photographs of Vacation Village at Bonaventure, the high-end apartment/condominium complex comes to mind, as does maybe the skyscraping dormitory of a popular four-year university. But at further inspection and with supplemental information, one learns that there is so much more to Vacation Village at Bonaventure.

Location is prime for Vacation Village at Bonaventure, which is situated in the South Florida Bonaventure Spa, Tennis, and Gold community twenty-five miles from Fort Lauderdale and the ocean, for boating, fishing, water-skiing, wind surfing, and scuba diving. Closer are medical facilities and entertainment sites, within two miles; and even closer are shopping centers/malls, a grocery store, and other shops within a mile of the community.

Immediately in the vicinity on the premises of Vacation Village at Bonaventure are numerous facilities and amenities, from handicap accessibility, outdoor pool, beautiful man-made lake, a golf course, tennis courts, and car rental services to indoor conference rooms and facilities, laundry facilities, a hairdresser salon and a spa, racquetball courts, and a restaurant.

The costs to stay at Vacation Village at Bonaventure range from $390 a week for a one-bedroom studio to $1,800 a week for a two-bedroom/two-bath suite. The reviews are reflective of the relative prices and vacation fun, comfort, and relaxation levels such prices afford earning Vacation Village at Bonaventure an overall rating of four out of five stars. For example, one super-satisfied visitor, giving Vacation Village at Bonaventure five stars, praises the service as nothing but excellent; the room they stayed in, overlooking the spacious pool and waterfall as magnificent; the poolside as undercrowded and a great place to relax, read, and enjoy complimentary coffee; and suggesting the best sporting facilities as the tennis and racquetball, with the ideal travel arrangements made either for the definite plus of car renting or using the free shuttle, which, the reviewer reports, will run you anywhere around Weston for free.

Another satisfied client at Vacation Village at Bonaventure gave it four stars and describes how their stay in the smaller room was perfect for the two of them, and explaining that had they brought their three kids would have been upgraded to the rooms. This reviewer’s emphasis was on the rooms, which she/he found were clean and fully stocked; and his/her discussion further reveals a warning to others that Vacation Village at Bonaventure is NOT a typical hotel with maid service/room service, etc., but is rather a do-it-yourself vacation site that may or may not have the room service for extra charges. Like others who give pleasing reports, this reviewer closes with the recommendation to others for making long-term visits and needing a good long-term stay facility.

Posted in Advice, Budget Travel, Cheap Travel, Family Vacation, Holiday, Information, Rental, Short Vacation, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rental, Vacation Review, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

Looking for Mountain Cabins for Rent

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006

Some of the best vacations I’ve ever had have been by way of staying in mountain cabins for rent.Â When vacation time finally rolls around after an especially stressful year, there’s really no better way to relax than by staying in mountain cabins for rent. When you’re in a remote cabin in a beautiful, wooded environment, you can’t help but just take it easy and relax. In fact, you’re almost forced to relax, so if you’re like me and have a hard time taking it easy you might want to look into some mountain cabins for rent.

Mountain cabins for rent aren’t as much money as you would expect, either. You can get a good-sized cabin in a beautiful area for around the same price you’d pay for a nice hotel in a big city. There are some great deals on mountain cabins for rent in Yosemite, for instance. Yosemite is definitely what I would call the most beautiful region on Earth, and I’ve been to a lot of other really scenic areas around the country and world. There two best ways to really see a place like Yosemite is either backpacking or renting a mountain cabin; backpacking may be even more scenic, but the cabin is by far more luxurious!

Of course, the larger and much nicer mountain cabins for rent are more expensive. If you go with a group of friends, however, you can split up the costs to the point where its actually cheaper than staying in hotel. Spending a few days in a mountain cabin with a group of friends can be a lot of fun to boot. Fishing, hiking, swimming, hunting, bird watching, lake sports, jumping off cliffs into a freezing cold river, getting chased by mountain lions, whatever you’re into you can find it in the woods.

Renting out a smaller more intimate mountain cabin can be a great idea for a romantic getaway as well. Mountain cabins for rent basically ensure that you’ll have plenty of quality time to spend with that special someone. A trip to a hotel in a big city is great too, but its very easy to get caught up in all the sights and sounds of the town and to forget about the real reason you’re getting away; to be with each other.

For a nice change of pace in you next vacation, consider looking into some mountain cabins for rent. You’ll likely be surprised on what kind of great deals you can get, and you’re sure to have an excellent, enjoyable, and truly relaxing time.

Posted in Adventure Travel, Advice, Budget Travel, Family Vacation, Holiday, Information, Nature Preserve, Rental, Short Vacation, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Rental, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

Advantage of Hotel Search Engines

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006

How often do you travel? Are you one of those business men or women, who spend half of their lives on an airplane and in a hotel room? Or are you the average American, who hops on a plane once a year for that annual family vacation? Either way, you’re probably in need of some decent lodging. This is why it’s imperative to browse around for the best hotel and lodging deals. I’m not sure how anyone went about this in the past. I’d say you were pretty lucky if you could book a decent hotel room before arriving at your destination. Well folks, times are certainly changing. These days you no longer have to fret about motel hells and seedy lodgings that over-charge you for a flea-infested closet of a room. This is all thanks to hotel search engines. You can take advantage of this technology in order to pinpoint that ideal hotel room and enjoy your stay.

Did you take advantage of hotel search engines on your last vacation? The World-Wide-Web has a deluge of benefits to offer the common folk now days. That is why I love it. Even all of us so-called “middle class” families can take advantage of the best deals. It’s not just reserved for the aristocrats and celebrities. Cyberspace is there to aid us all. I like to use hotel search engines any time I travel.

I love the way I can punch in a destination and get flooded with results regarding the area and all lodging options. This way I can open each hotel’s website and do some investigating. I can see what the rooms look like and how the surroundings of the hotel appear. I can even check to see if there is a pool and Jacuzzi available. So many hotels provide virtual tours now days. This reveals all the necessities. You no longer have to guess if the hotel is satisfactory or not. Furthermore, you can find out where the lodging is located exactly. Maybe you want one in a downtown area.

Are you planning a big vacation for you and the family? It is about that time of year. Well, one thing you want to be certain of is your lodging. Don’t wait until you hit your destination to book a last minute hotel room. Get online and take advantage of hotel search engines. Reserve that perfect hotel room and have it all taken care of before you even head out the door. You will be glad you did. This way you will have more time to relax with the family. Not to mention hotel search engines will save you some cash.

Posted in Accommodation, Advice, Budget Travel, Cheap Travel, Hotels, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Packages, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

The Best California Bed Breakfast

Tuesday, September 5th, 2006

The many wonderful things about a good California bed breakfast are homemade biscuits at breakfast, which are, yes, served in the room; the fresh bedding; the special guest dinners; the perks and amenities. But what I find most impressive in not only the California bed breakfast experience but the bed and breakfast experience in general is the theme room/hotel. Maybe you have a penchant for nature. Maybe you are a history buff. Or maybe you have a fetish for a particular travel destination or have a thing for art. Whatever the desire or need, you can indulge in a weekend fantasy at a themed California bed breakfast.

CALIFORNIA BED BREAKFAST THEME HOTELS/INNS

For example, the following are just some of the possible fantasy weekend packages offered:

At the Churchill Manor Bed and Breakfast in Napa Valley, you can experience the plantation in the Gone with the Wind rooms in the old southern Colonial home.

The Gone with the Wind theme is also delightful at Plantation Bed and Breakfast in Lemon Grove, and

At The Union Hotel and Victorian Mansion, in Los Almos, you might enjoy the Victorian age in the manse or indulge in the fantasy of the 1950s, the gypsy life, Roman antiquity, Egyptian royalty, French history, or Pirate swashbuckling.

At Leucadia Inn in Encinitas, besides having subtly placed microwave and other modern amenities, you can have the dream of your choice come true in a Tropical setting, in the Hollywood Nostalgia room, on an African Safari, or by way of the decor that takes you to Nantucket, Calypso (style), or New Orleans.

The Splash Spa in Los Angeles has the infamous cave, the Monte Carlo, and the Jungle Room, as well as rooms ala the Mediterranean, Barcelona, and Japan. But note that this California bed breakfast is not really a b&b but an hourly place to stay for a quickie or short rest (and, of course, spa treatment).

And the wilder, more natural, and appropriately, more western urges can be satisfied at such places as The Featherbed Railroad Company, where you and yours can get loose with Mint Julep (rooms), engage in the romance of Casablanca, go alternative in the Easy Rider or La Loose, relive (so to speak) the mystery of The Orient Express, or go right back to the heart of The Wild, Wild West.

California bed breakfast experiences, then, take you where you want to go or need to be, whether it is to re-experience your teen years in a Rockin 50′s Suite, with the bed that is fashioned out of a 1959 Cadillac; to play nouveau riche in a five-star Garden Theme room, in The English Rose, the Apricot Blossom Suite, or the Forget Me Not room; or exact the life of a writer in a cottage or a tortured one with James Dean angst in the Rebel Room.

With the California bed breakfast, you can appreciate the amenities, can be coddled by old world cuisine and courtesy and charm of the caretakers, and can find appeal in anything from the attractive views, the ambience, or the general atmosphere. But further, with the themed California bed breakfast, you come away with a memory of having gone back in time, gone forward in time, and having gone into the lives and spirit of another be it Elvis or Scarlet Hara, an astronaut or a Neanderthal or a thug.

Posted in Advice, Bed and Breakfast, Budget Travel, California, Cheap Travel, Children, Family Vacation, Holiday, Information, Short Vacation, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Homes, Vacation Packages, Vacation Rental, Vacation Review, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

Some of the Best Beach Vacations

Friday, September 1st, 2006

I will never forget all the beach vacations my family took when I was growing up. I live in the northeast, in New England, and the beach has always been less than an hour drive away from where I’ve lived. Even though I’ve always lived near the beach, and spent a lot of time there during the summer, I still love to go away on beach vacations to other places. You’d think I’d be sick of the beach by now but I find myself still as drawn to it as I’ve always been.

Probably the best of all the beach vacations I’ve ever taken was on my honeymoon when we went on a cruise to Bermuda. The beaches in Bermuda are absolutely beautiful, with white sand and sparkling clear water, it looks like something straight off the front of a postcard. Another of the beach vacations I am fond of is the trip I took to the Florida Keys, way down south where there are no giant singing mice who live in castles. Pretty much the only things to do in southern Florida are playing bingo or relaxing on the beach. I hate bingo so you can probably figure out how I spent my vacation.

For one of my next beach vacations I would like to stay at a resort in Jamaica, the kind where it is all couples and they don’t allow children on the premises. I love children, don’t get me wrong, but they do not belong on the beach with me while I sip rum drinks during my vacation. It’s too distracting and I’m sure it would make me feel guilty about my own child that I’d left at home so I could run away with my husband to a beautiful land far, far away. Also up high on my list of future beach vacations I would like to take are returning to Bermuda and a nice long trip to Australia during our winter. Since winter in the United States is summer in Australia, every time I imagine exotic beach vacations to the land down under, I picture catching a plane during a snowstorm and landing on a sun drenched airstrip.

It’s a bit absurd of me to be thinking about my next vacation when I just returned from a lovely beach vacation just a few days ago. But that’s the problem I have with the beach. Every time I go it only makes me want more. I am sure many people feel the same as me. Beach vacations always leave me feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Posted in Advice, Beach, Budget Travel, Cheap Travel, Family Vacation, Holiday, Information, Resorts, Short Vacation, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Review, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

Vacation Saving: Online Hotel Booking

Thursday, August 31st, 2006

With the Internet, it is so much easier to accomplish daily tasks. From banking to shopping, it can all be done on computers. This makes it extra convenient for those of us who have no time to waste. Whether you’re planning a vacation or business trip, rest assured that your lodging can be dealt with online. Hotels across the world have made it simple to find a room from our laptops. Online hotel booking is taken advantage of every day by a number of people with a variety of needs.

Online hotel booking offers the customer a selection to be reckoned with. No where else can you find such a spectrum of lodging choices. The great thing about finding a hotel online is the upfront information. You can get a basic rundown of the hotel’s appearance and ratings. It is easy enough to view all of your options when searching for that perfect stay. We all have to admit that over the phone we can get duped. You book a night at the so-called five star resort, and you get there, but it’s not what was described. Online hotel booking prevents you from creating that mental image. You’re provided with online pictures, so there’s no big mystery.

A great advantage to online hotel booking is the price. How often have you searched for that perfect hotel at an ideal rate? This is a notion of the past. Now you can check out all of the wonderful websites, which are loaded with hotel deals. You can pinpoint that hotel that’s right for you with a price you can afford. Depending on the date you stay, there are amazing discounts to take advantage of. If you book far enough in advance, you will virtually always save some bucks.

The last vacation I took was perfect. I hopped online and punched in my destination. Then I simply searched all of the hotels in that area. I was provided with photos of the rooms, amenities offered, and very competitive prices. It is nice to have an understanding of the lodging before arriving. This is a good way to save some cash, which can be spent on other things. Making a trip can be exhausting in itself. Don’t wait until you arrive to try and book a hotel room. Take advantage of the Internet and get that room ahead of time. This way you can rest assured that you won’t be sleeping in the car, and you won’t be forking out the big bucks. You get to spend your money on pampering yourself during vacation.

Posted in Accommodation, Advice, Budget Travel, Cheap Travel, Holiday, Hotels, Information, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Packages, Vacation Rental, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

Planning to Spend Time On Beach Vacations

Friday, August 18th, 2006

Everyone likes going on vacations. There are so many fun and exciting destinations to go on vacations. For me a great part of going on vacation is planning the trip. I love to plan where we are going, where to stay and what to see once we have arrived. With all the planning and sight seeing I usually return from vacation in need of a rest. I did not realize how relaxing vacation time can be until we started taking beach vacations.

We had been married several years before we considered beach vacations. We had been to the beach during vacation, but this is different. We had also been to Mexico and had stayed on the water front, but we had included deep sea fishing, horse back riding and sight seeing in our trip. One day our nephew called and asked if we would be interested in sharing a rental home on the Outer Banks. The house could accommodate 5 couples. Each couple would have their own bathroom and deck area and the house was located one block off the beach. We thought that this sounded like fun so we agreed to go. When we started our week we realized that this is how beach vacations are suppose to be.

The house was beautiful and the beach was great. At low tide you could walk for miles and miles and pick up shells. My husband rented equipment and learned how to surf fish. This involved throwing out a line and sitting in a chair to see if you caught anything. We bought some groceries so we could cook if we felt like it and there were close restaurants that we could go to if we did not feel like cooking. In the evenings we played cards, walked the beach and sat out on the decks and listened to music. This was the most relaxing week I had ever spent. On our last night I mentioned that this was the first of many beach vacations that we would be taking. One of the other couples mentioned that they used to do all the sight seeing and other activities on their vacations, but they found that they needed to have time when they just sat and rejuvenated also.

Since this time we have taken many beach vacations as well as sightseeing vacations. We found that if we can plan two weeks a year to do something special we are more apt to allow ourselves to relax one of the weeks. I am hoping that as time and money allows we will be able to increase the amount of time that we spend on our beach vacations. I would love to spend a month each year resting and walking on the beach. Nothing can be more relaxing then walking along the beach with your partner.

Posted in Advice, Beach, Budget Travel, Cheap Travel, Children, Family Vacation, Holiday, Information, Rental, Short Vacation, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Rental | No Comments »

Green Valley Ranch Resort, Las Vegas

Thursday, August 17th, 2006

Look at the advertisement photos for the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas and you can not only imagine yourself there but can imagine the place filled with classic celebrities. I see the likes of Elvis or one of his characters, like Rick conversing or conferring in the fabulous indoor pool room with the welcoming overstuffed chairs and matching footrests or better, do one of his classic group songs where he sings and plays the git while the go-go girls, clad only in fringed two-piece suits shimmy around him and the shimmering blue pool.Â One can also see Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. kicked back and tipping back clinking cocktails, or Wayne Newton and his entourage taking over this area of the Green Valley Ranch Resort during a break from sets in the lounge.

You can also see the likes of any celebrity at the outdoor pool of Green Valley Ranch Resort which is lined with symmetrically, artistically, and even ergonomically apt lounge chairs: you can imagine Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnez, or Jerry Lewis, or Jackie Gleason, relaxing in between sets or gigs, enjoying the cabana service, the fresh air and sun, the deep Mediterranean teal blue pool.

I get these nostalgic impressions from the decor especially that which is a delightful throwback to or simulation of the fifties and sixties, but the decor also changes, progresses, as do the amenities at Green Valley Ranch Resort. For example, the spa facilities are shown by photos with sleek women stretched out in meditative repose, smooth stones lining their backbones or special skin treatment solutions (that look like egg yolk batter or paint) being applied as they recline in quiet serenity. Therefore, I get the sense that if they were to visit Las Vegas and were to choose Green Valley Ranch Resort, big stars like Angelina Jolie or Michelle Pfieffer or Ving Rames or Brad Pitt would be in their vacationing element in spas like these.

Of course, big time gamblers like Ben Affleck would look and feel just as right in the Green Valley Ranch Resort casino (if he/they didn’t feel up to going a few hundred feet away to the strip and the other gambling houses); and the entertainment, which turns out to be advertised with a nod toward Hollywood, is both indoor and outdoor delight at the Green Valley Ranch Resort. So come to think of it, I can see myself lounging at the water, getting pampered in the spa, or gambling like all get out. Check out the photos and slide show of the Green Valley Ranch Resort and I would BET you can imagine yourself there, as well.

Posted in Adventure Travel, Advice, Family Vacation, Holiday, Information, Las Vegas, Resorts, Spring Break, Summer Trip, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Destination, Vacation Packages, Vacation Review, Vacation Suggestion | No Comments »

Archive for the ‘Accommodation’ Category