Two chicks with major wanderlust who live to see the world: themselves, through others, or just living vicariously with the latest & greatest gadgets, travel accoutrements - from luggage to skincare
The new 554 suite Paradisus Palma Real resort has a special Paradisus Palma Real Family Concierge on the menu: specially appointed kid-friendly suites (Play Stations on request); children’s mini bathrobes, slippers & bathroom amenities; a
fully stocked minibar with children’s drinks; turn-down
service with milk and cookies; kid's Jacuzzi; activities menu - including a Paradise Kidz Beach-kit with all-day assistance from a family concierge reachable by walkie-talkie radio to coordinate family activities and sports.
If you're the adventurous sort who enjoys your travel off the beaten path, but still digs excellent accomodation, Lonely Planet's Haystack is serving up a unique 'invitation only' booking service that features only properties that have been chosen, visited, reviewed and recommended by a Lonely Planet
author.
"Whenever you go checking places out grumpy hotel owners say "Why do you guys come at such difficult times?" and that's exactly why we do it. We want to see places at their best and worst," explains one of Lonely Planet's intrepid authors. "First thing in the morning when people are checking out is always a good time to see how people handle being busy, plus there's always a helpful cleaner who might let you see a room that you might not otherwise have caught on the grand tour. The most important thing is to avoid the "official tour," where the people at the desk get the manager and you get shown how light switches work or invited for a cup of tea. Sometimes this can mean sneaking around the front desk or talking to people who are staying there or even just breaking up that tour by saying "What about these rooms?" You have to review against what you're being shown, which often means being pretty annoying to hotel staff." Adds another of their authors: "I don't really jump on beds, but I do look closely to see that the bedspreads are clean (I hate gunky-looking patterned bedspreads), suss out the bathrooms for water pressure and mould, test the windows to see if they can be opened and open wardrobes to look for wire coat hangers (yuck!). I often check minibar prices to see if they're extortionate, and I like to look at communal areas to see how guests and guests of guests are treated. I like to say hello to the people who clean the rooms to, you can tell a lot about a place by the greeting that's returned - and I think everyone in a hotel/motel or wherever should be happy to be there, even if it's for work."
In fact, many of their properties were not previously bookable online through any other service. "We are inviting our favorite properties from around the globe to join the service -- whether it's a backpackers in Sydney, an eco-resort in Yap, or a boutique hotel in Rome," says Dan Christian, Lonely Planet's Haystack Product Manager. "Haystack is a unique service in that every property listed is recommended as a great place to stay. Every property review is 100% independent and written by an experienced travel writer." Currently, Haystack boasts over 1000 properties in more than 58 countries, and more are being added all the time. "Haystack will continue to grow daily as more destinations and
properties are added to the site throughout 2007 and beyond."
From Feb. 19-26, and on April 13 & 14, an association of French West Indies island's restaurateurs
is hosting Gastronomy Week Caribéenne, to showcase St. Barts' most accomplished chefs. Fine wines will accompany the dining extravaganza - which will be reviewed by an international panel
of eight judges made up of famous chefs and top food critics & editors. "St. Barts is increasingly well known for its fine dining," notes Stiles Bennet,
Director of Marketing for Wimco, one of St. Bart's leading luxury villa rental companies. "Many of our
clients tell us that one of the primary reasons they go to St. Barts,
in addition to enjoying the privacy of a villa vacation, is to dine
well, even very well."
Gastronomy Week Caribéenne in St. Barts:
Feb. 19-26: over seven nights in 20 restaurants, each of which will produce an entrée sourced entirely from nearby
islands & local waters
April 13: the dinner will be at the Guanahani Hotel
April 14: Eden Rock Hotel
Cost & Info: $250/evening; email info@wimco.com with the following Subject Line: St Barts Chef Event Tickets
Looking for the ultimate Valentine's Gift? How about a private jet, yacht, & island? Villas of Distinction is offering a $425,000 travel love fest that takes the "wow" factor to new heights. Their My Distinctive Valentine Package can accommodate two intimate lovebirds, or up to 10 friends & family for the experience of a lifetime. The package includes:
Private Jet Service The journey begins with a private jet service from New York to St. Martin on a Citation X for maximum style points.
Private Yacht Upon arrival in St. Martin, board the 140 ft. Martha Ann luxury yacht for seven glorious days. This roomy & fab vessel is gorgeous - both to look at & stay on. It's fully air conditioned, with 5 cabins - featuring a main-deck master suite with king-size bed & his-and-her bathrooms - 42" flat-screen TVs, a wine cellar, six-person Jacuzzi, workout equipment, wet bar, barbecue; DVDs & videos, and a pimped-out sky lounge.
Private Island Following the stay at sea, enjoy three amazing nights on Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson's fabulous private island hideaway. The single residence is a vast & magnificent 10-bedroom villa of breathtaking Balinese design, surrounded by 74 acres of private nature trails, a selection of sandy beaches, and the sparkling blue Caribbean Sea of the British Virgin Islands. The pace is tropical, the ambiance exotic - and your personal staff (of 18!) cater to every whim & indulgence.
Standing on a large, exuberant and totally virgin coral reef, Cuba is a sunken paradise for anyone who digs diving. The waters surrounding the Cuban archipelago are warm, with an average annual temperature above 24°C, mild tides and no strong currents. With an average horizontal visibility of 30 meters (98 feet), the Cuban waters are awash in diverse flora and underwater fauna - and an absence of aggressive animals.
CaptivatingCuba.com offers up this insider advice on the best places for diving:
Maria la Gorda In the westernmost part of Cuba in the Pinar del Rio province, Maria la Gorda is a remote and beautiful location - about 4 hours by land from Havana - which is one of the least developed and most natural parts of Cuba. Located within the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, a world biosphere preserve, there are two dive zones, one to the north and the other to the south. The configuration of the bottom is scaled, allowing multilevel diving. Features include abundant black coral walls, wrecks from the 18th century, flora and fauna in excellent condition, no currents due to its geographical position and diving facilitated all year round. Caves in the ocean and on land are excellent for practicing cave and cavern diving.
Cayo Levisa A small offshore key located off Cuba's northwest shore, and about 1 hour west of Havana. The dive sites are on the northern side of the bay, where there is abundant coral, sponges, black coral and medium to large tropical fish. Especially notable is the presence of accessible 17th and 18th century wrecks of archaeological interest. There are no currents here and walls at a 20-and greater meter depth.
Cayo Largo Off the southern coast of Cuba, Cayo Largo is 177 km south of Havana and 120 km east of the Isle of Youth. The diving is based out of Playa Sirena. This area contains some practically untouched beaches and coral reefs in addition to the tunnels, steep walls, ridges, hillocks and mountains of coral reefs as well a wide variety of fish and chelonians. As there are barrier reef just 1 km offshore, Cayo Largo is protected from rough seas and the water temperature is around 25ºC. Sol Cayo Largo hotel is located on an idyllic stretch of beach, flanked by palm trees. Domestic flights from Havana to Cayo Largo take about 45 minutes.
Playa Giron Located east of the Bay of Pigs on Cuba's south shore, Playa Giron is 71 miles from Havana about a 2 hour drive from Varadero. The international dive centre in Playa Giron features mainly shelf diving in addition to peculiar deep caves in the area. Diving sites are less than 80 meters from the shore. The top attractions here are the sheer drop offs close to shore that are riddled with swim throughs and make great shore dives. There are also some shallow shore dives for beginners and a wreck that was purposefully sunk in 1994. There are abundant corals, sponges and gorgonians and reef fish. There are also a couple of inland cave dives for more experienced divers.
Faro Luna The so-called the Pearl of the South, is in the Cienfuegos province, on Cuba's central south shore. The city is consistently awarded and recognized for its efforts to maintain the clean environment of its waters. There are 28 diving sites identified in the area. The Faro de Luna Diving Center has shipwrecks, coral formation barriers so tall that they sometimes reach the surface, and channels. The area is noted especially for the clarity of its waters, making it an ideal site for underwater photography. One of the special features of this area is a the Pillar coral that's size and elegance has been led to its being called "Caribbean Lady" or "Notre Dame". Road transfers are available from Havana and take around 4 hours.
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