Archive for the ‘Great Destinations’ Category
Awesome Luxury Lodge in Tanzania - Mnemba Island Lodge
Mnemba Island is an undiscovered haven off the coast of Zanzibar. It is renown for its natural therapy on spirit. CondeNast Traveller has recognized this exquisite establishment as on of the three most romantic places in the world.
Mnemba, an Arabic word meaning octopus head, lies two kilometres north-east of the island of Zanzibar, a 20-minute cruise in a traditional 16 foot flat-bottomed boat. A pristine swathe of beach defines the island’s one mile circumference. A protection zone surrounds the island, conserving magnificent coral reefs where giant turtles, Ghost Crabs and spectacular tropical fish drift through the lagoons.
Privacy is synonymous with Mnemba since the only residents of the island are the lodge staff and guests, assuring guests of unparalleled exclusivity. This island features ten banda en-suite cottages. These cottages each have a stunning view of the beach and coral reef.
A banda is a masterpiece of art made from locally available materials. Each banda is hand woven and thatched from tree branches. Traditionally zanzibari palm mats adorn the banda. The food is top notch, the chef caters for your every taste.
Diving is an exciting and adventurous activity that is carried out at the Mnemba lodge. A valid diving certificate is required. There is a professional diving school that offers training for an extra cost. The 200 -meter protected zone offers sanctuary to a myriad of aquatic animals and magnificent coral reefs.
The lagoon surrounding the island is a haven of spectacular aquatic life. More than 300 species of fish have been documented here. Whales and dolphins are a common sight in this waters especially the stripped dolphin. Game fish like the barracuda and marlin are tagged before being released back to the lagoon.
Mnemba offer irresistible water activities such as snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, fly fishing, windsurfing and swimming. Excellent bird watching, beautiful walks around the Island or simply sun tanning on the pristine beach may also be enjoyed.
The host of activities does not end, there is also the option of deep sea fishing or touring the ’spice island’ of Zanzibar plus a range of relaxing massages and other therapeutic treatments that leave you relaxed and whole. Mobile reception/signal on the island is not very good, a broad band WiFi signal is available to keep you connected to the rest of the world through the internet. Guests fly a 5km distance from Dar es Salaam to reach Mnemba.
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Tags: lodges.camps, luxury lodge, tanzania, tanzania safaris, tanzania tours, tanzania travel, tanzania vacations, Vacation
Beauty Beyond State Parks with Alaskan Adventures
Taking discount air adventure cruise travel can be a great get-away to see and new places, one of which is Alaska where you will certain be impressed by its appeal and beauty. Towering mountains with snow caps, miles of ocean and untouched wilderness are all some of what makes Alaska popular with visitors from all over the world, in addition to the fascinating wildlife and great climate.
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Tags: alaska cruise, travel in alaska
Spain’s Costa Blanca Incredibly Popular Vacation Getaway
Costa Blanca in the province of Alicante in Spain begins in the north in Denia and goes 200 kilometers, or 125 miles south to Torrevieja. Costa Blanca is Spanish for the White Coast. White beaches, white water caps and many white buildings highlight the area and give it its name. The beaches on the Mediterranean sea make this area a very popular tourist attraction. Tourism and fishing are the area’s two major industries. Costa Blanca as a concept was introduced to market a new flight made available from London to Valencia by British European Airways in 1957. The strip of beach includes the resort towns Benidorm and Altea, Javea and Guardamar, Moraira and Alicante.
Alicante has an international airport the Altet, and is therefore a typical starting off point for a vacation on the Costa Blanca. There are buses, mini-buses and taxis available to take you around town. The city is on the foothills of the Saint Barbara Castle. The Carthaginians built the Saint Barbara Castle in 300 BC. Although the area was in a very good location on the Mediterranean for trade and therefore a constant site of struggle for many centuries, the castle has been well preserved. There is a restaurant now located inside the castle for the public.
The beach is separated from the city by a beautifully decorated tile inlaid walkway. There are flowers and plants along the edges and people set up booths to sell all kinds of handmade articles. There is also a variety of music during the summer. Different orchestras and bands often come to play in Alicante.
Alicante is also famous for its many festivals, including the Saint John Bonfires, where the locals build and burn down large images of different international and local figures. The images are set on fire in a nod to the pagan tradition of bonfires used to dispel evil spirits.
Benidorm is also convenient to the Alicante Airport, and is a very popular tourist town. There are many stretches of beautiful beaches, and an amazing collection of theme parks, from the Terra Mitica Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman themed roller coaster park to the Aqualandia, Europe’s largest water slide park. Terra Natura is another popular attraction, with beautiful displays of all sorts of exotic animals, including tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants and many, many others. For marine animal lovers, Mundomar is filled with informative underwater dolphins shows, aquariums, and the like.
Benidorm is famous for its nightlife. No matter what your idea of fun is Benidorm has a place for you. Cabarets, British pubs in the “Square,” tapas bars, adult clubs and restaurants, bars and dance clubs are all over Benidorm and more than 4 million tourists a year come to visit each year.
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It is Fall Foliage Time In Michigan
The colors in the Upper Peninsula in the fall will be well worth the trip to see. There are nine different areas that are suggested. The first is a trip of 105 miles from Hancock to Lake Linden, on to Lac La Belle, Bete Grise and then to Copper Harbor. Leave Copper Harbor and go to Eagle River and on to Calument and Laurium and back to Hancock. The route covers Mackinac County with the peak color expected in mid-October, Chippewa County with the peak color expected the first two weeks of October, Luce County with peak color expected the first two weeks of October and Schoolcraft County with the peak color also being the first two weeks in October. This is called the Eastern Upper Peninsula tour.
Visitng the Central Upper Peninsula your tour would go from highway 107 to 64 where you begin at Silver City and on to Ontonagon. Now go to Highway 45 to Rockland and Victoria. Now you will have to backtrack a bit to highway 26 and on to Greenland. At Greenland you take highway 38 to Baraga and then hwy 41 to Chassel and Houghton. Now you take hwy 26 to Twin Lakes and back to Greenland. This tour will be approximately 200 miles. The season for you to see the peak colors of fall begins the first week of October and runs for about three weeks.
Now you can take the third tour which takes you on hwy 2 from Ironwood and Wakefield to Watersmeet, Iron River and Crystal Calls on the Western Upper Peninsula. Then take hwy 141 to Covington and then to highway 28 to Bruce Crossing and back to the beginning at Wakefield. Peak season for seeing this colorful route is the last week in September and the first week in October.
The 4th tour starts in Ishpeming on highway 29 and goes to highway 510 to Nagaunee and Big Bay, take highway 550 to Marquette and then 29 to Munising, on to highway H 58 to H 15 for a drive to Singleton and then highway 28 to highway 94 to Chatham, Gwinn and then on 35 to Palmer and back to Ishpeming. All toll this route is 165 miles long.
The fifth option is a shorter one beginning at Iron Mountain and Norway on Hwy 2 to Spalding and then highway 41 to Menominee and hwy 35 to Cedar River and Escanaba. Just 125 miles long but full of beauty.
The sixth option is from Esdcanaba on hwy 2/41 to Rapid River then hwy 2 to Manistique and Saint Ignace. This is 183 but in a rather straight line.
Try tour 7 which starts at Whitefish Point and goes on to Paradise on hwy 123. Newberry is next on highway 28. Now go to Seney and take hwy 77 to grand Marais and H58 to Deer Park and back to highway 123 and Paradise. This route is 150 miles in length.
The 8th tour begins at Saint Ingace which is on hwy 75 and goes on to Kincheloe and Sault St. Marie. Then drop down to highway 129 and Pickford where you will take hwy 48 to Goetzville and De Tour Village getting on 134 to Cedarville and then back to Saint Ignace. 150 miles of foliage to enjoy.
The last suggested tour is number 9 where you start off highway 28 and join highway 123 and begin at Eckerman. Take 123 north to Paradise and then go back to the intersection to turn toward Curley Lewis Scenic Highway. Stay on Curley Lewis Scenic Highway to Bay Mills and Brimley. This is the shortest of the tours at just 90 miles.
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Tags: lake michigan, michgan vacation getaway, michigan attractions, michigan camping, michigan family vacation, michigan hunting, michigan lake, michigan recreation, michigan sports, michigan tourism, michigan travel, michigan travel guide, michigan vacation
Enjoy New England Charm at These Award-Winning Inns
New England is a region steeped in Americana. Whether it’s simply enjoying the country villages where handmade quilts and antiques fill the shops, or taking in the majesty of a city such as Boston, where in a day you can learn more history by walking down the street than you might in a semester of American history, it is memorable to visit. The region, which includes six states, is both quaint and sophisticated and offers much for travelers to enjoy.
A trip to Boston, New England’s largest city, is a staple of any tour of the region. After exploring the historic sites of the city and surrounding area, you can head to Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard for a seaside experience. Perhaps you want to enjoy the scenery of rural New England. If so, drive along Route 7 through Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont and you’ll find plenty of fall foliage and quirky villages to enjoy. Another option include exploring the coastal towns of Maine, where you’ll find lighthouses dotted along the rugged shoreline.
Travel writer Karen Brown offers up some excellent itineraries in her guidebook about New England, as well as on her website, Karen Brown’s World of Travel. As for where to stay, Karen Brown’s readers have voted and chosen the following four lodgings as the region’s best.
For a romantic retreat, the Lodge at Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine, is sure to put the spark back into your relationship. Voted by Karen Brown readers as New England’s “Most Romantic” lodging, this inn affords excellent views of its namesake lake, as well as the distant mountains. You might even see moose splashing in the water. There are five rooms in the main lodge, each decorated with a different theme. There are also four suites in the carriage house. One spectacular example is the Allagash Suite, which includes a queen bed suspended from the ceiling by boom chains that date back to the logging days of the 19th century. The room also includes a bathtub surrounded by river rock and a private deck boasting lake views.
If you long for the Norman Rockwell experience, book a stay at Maple Leaf Inn in Barnard, Vermont. The picturesque white Victorian farmhouse, the recipient of the Karen Brown Readers Choice Award for New England’s “Warmest Welcome,” is surrounded by 16 wooded acres. The interior is decorated with hand-stenciled walls, handmade quilts and unique samplers created by the innkeeper. Antiques and king-size beds decorate the guest rooms, most of which also have a fireplace and whirlpool tub. Gourmet breakfasts are served by candlelight in the inn’s dining room.
For those on a budget, the Whaler’s Inn in Mystic, Conn., has been named by Karen Brown’s readers as New England’s “Greatest Value.” Accommodations at the inn are spread among five different buildings and range from standard rooms with two queen beds to spacious suites with fireplaces and views of the Mystic River. Continental breakfasts are served in the inn’s Hospitality Room, which also houses a center for business travelers.
After a stay at The Wauwinet, you’ll feel a bit like royalty, or at the very least a member of the Kennedy Family. Located seaside on Nantucket Island, the inn’s property rests against a nature preserve, so you are guaranteed privacy. There is so much to do here that you could spend a week at The Wauwinet and never venture into town. You can relax on the beach, take a cooking class, pamper yourself at the inn’s spa or take a sail on Nantucket Bay aboard the Wauwinet Lady. The guest rooms and cottages are stocked with the finest linens, fresh flowers, fluffy robes and luxury bath products. Each of the accommodations has been decorated individually in a romantic, luxurious style and some include a view of the bay. The inn’s combination of location, ambiance and amenities earned it the Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award as best “Splendid Splurge” in New England.
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Tags: bed and breakfast, new england travel, romantic retreat
Boston Bed and Breakfasts: Book at Stay at a Boston Inn
Boston is not a place where you’ll ever run out of interesting things to do and see. It is in this stunning city that you’ll find beautiful architecture, ranging from 17th-century buildings to modern skyscrapers. Historic sites, such as the Freedom Trail and Quincy Market will keep you busy brushing up on your American history. Cultural experiences such as museums and the world-class Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops are some of the nation’s best.
Easy day-trips from the city include heading over to nearby Cambridge to enjoy Harvard Square and all the local shops and restaurants. The Adams National Historical Park documents the lives of the United States’ second and sixth presidents, as well as beloved first lady Abigail Adams. A short drive will take you to Lexington and Concord, where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired.
Travelers to Boston have many excellent bed and breakfasts from which to select. These Massachusetts inns provide close access to area attractions, as well as plenty of ambiance.
Guests staying at the Charles Street Inn in Boston’s posh Beacon Hill area enjoy all the comforts of a top hotel with all the charm of an authentic historic Massachusetts inn. The inn was built in 1860, and each of the elegant guest rooms has a working fireplace and is decorated with period antiques. But there are plenty of modern touches, as well, including HDTV, a DVD player, Bose alarm clock with a CD player and wireless internet. Each morning, your hosts deliver a deluxe continental breakfast to your room. Surprise your special someone to a stay at this romantic inn by purchasing a Charles Street Inn gift certificate at iLoveInns.com.
Guests at the Gryphon House, a historic Boston inn located between Back Bay and Boston University, are close to all the city’s major attractions and just a short walk from the nearest T station. The 1890 bed and breakfast still boasts original wood floors and moldings, as well as the fireplaces you will find in each of the guest rooms. Rooms feature antiques as well as more modern furnishings. In-room amenities include cable TVs with DVD/VCR players, wireless internet and a wet bar with a refrigerator. With its ideal location, a stay at Gryphon House makes a perfect gift, and gift certificates for this inn are available at iLoveInns.com.
If you want to experience Boston but prefer a true bed and breakfast experience, consider “A Bed and Breakfast in Cambridge.” This historic Massachusetts inn is just two blocks from Harvard Square and within walking distance to shops, museums and restaurants. There are three guest rooms, each with antiques. In the mornings, a gourmet breakfast is served. This inn participates in a Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free program, so it can be an excellent value. Details about this program are available at iLoveInns.com.
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Tags: accomodations, b&b boston, bed and breakfast, lodging, travel to boston
How To Travel With Cheap Airline Tickets
Three to five months before your date of departure - buy tickets!
Buyers who buy tickets at an earlier date are offered discounts by some airlines. As most of the discounted tickets get sold out real quick you should buy your tickets at least 20 days before your actual departure date to have a chance at the best seats and seating arrangements. During holiday seasons like Christmas the airlines tickets bring on a hefty rise in prices. So to avoid paying extra it is always good to buy the tickets at much earlier dates.
Flying on weekends is an absolute no!
Undertaking the journey on weekdays is a good idea. Better still if you can make it from Monday to Wednesday as because during the weekends you have to encounter heavy traffic. You may find yourself paying an extra $25-$40 and waste a lot of time being stuck in traffic. So keep this in mind while planning out a tip.
During Peak season do not travel!
Due to an increase in demand during Peak season when people travel a lot airlines tend to increase prices of ticket. Traveling during low season is better as you do not have to face a crowd. But if you have no option other than to travel during peak season you can avoid the rush by going early and coming home late.
Duration of Stay?
Airline ticket prices depend on long you are staying. You get discounts from airlines if you stay a week at least and within 90 days return.
Connecting Flight should be considered!
It is popular belief that direct flights are the cheapest option out there. But that is not true. Instead of booking direct flight many people have saved as much as $1000 by booking connecting flights. You can opt for this cheaper and better option if you are not traveling with a lot of luggage and do not have to keep up with a particular schedule and have time to spare.
Opt for the senior citizen discount!
Enquire whether the Senior Citizen Discount is being offered by the airline you are opting for. This type of discounts is offered to the people accompanying a senior citizen by some airlines.
Earlier you are the Cheaper it gets.
The proverbial phrase that the early bird catches the worm applies best while buying airline tickets. You should make your calls to the airlines on Wednesday mornings at around 12:01 am. The airlines make the release of all new seat plans and fares during this time. At this time you can get the cheapest tickets available if you get hold of them first.
On-line shopping?
The ability of being able to find out the entire list of available price ranges from the convenience of home, office or any place you may be at the moment is perhaps the best feature that the Internet provides us with. You do not have to rush to the various travel agencies to get the information you need. It is made even better with the on-line discounts that you get for availing the services of some of the Internet sites including detailed maps.
Internet shopping - things to remember.
Some times prices offered on the Internet are not cheap so check with a good travel agency regarding prices. Some airlines often publish offered discounts on print so it is good to keep an eye on the various newspapers. The net usually does not show schedules that range for a period more than 6 months. So if you are planning to by ticket more than 6 months in advance check with a travel guide for proper information.
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