World Travel Guide Online

If you’re a fan of BootsnAll, you probably consider yourself an independent traveler. Chances are you prefer to pull on a backpack and take off on a moment’s notice versus making detailed plans about where you’ll stay for the duration of your travels. The idea of staying in a place where everything – food, accommodations, activities – are part of the package may even turn you off. In fact, you’re probably wondering what place all-inclusive resorts even have on a website that encourages people to take charge of their travel destinies.

Trust me, I hear you.

But I’ve also had the chance to stay at and visit several all-inclusive resorts over the last few months – primarily in Huatulco, Mexico – and I’ve learned a few things about myself as a traveler and about choosing an all-in-one vacation experience. The main thing I’ve learned? All-inclusives aren’t all bad and they’re definitely the right option for some people.

Interested in learning more? Here are a few pros and cons to consider if you think an all-inclusive resort might be in your future.

PRO: No need to worry about the details.

Stay at an all-inclusive resort and you’ve found the epitome of the stress-free getaway. The beauty of an all-inclusive is that someone else has taken care of everything for you – dining, accommodations, cleaning.

Your resort will have countless dining options to choose from including buffets, casual cafes and high-end restaurants, and you don’t have to count out your change to see if you can afford them. Plan to leave your bed sheets a tangled mess in the morning because someone else will remake the bed for you while you hit the beach or explore the area.

Many all-inclusives also offer at least limited services and activities, such as beach access and snorkel gear. And you can usually get all the answers with a single phone call if you have questions about what is included in your stay, which restaurants are open or how to sign up for tennis lessons.

CON: All-inclusive doesn’t necessarily mean all-inclusive.

Read the fine print carefully before handing over your credit card at an all-inclusive resort. At some all-inclusive resorts, alcoholic beverages, spa services and some activities may have an additional cost. Also, don’t forget all the people who make your all-inclusive stay possible. Porters, waiters and housekeeping staff should be tipped accordingly.

PRO: On-site help is available.

One of the luxuries of staying at an all-inclusive resort is having access to a concierge or activities staff member. These people can help you choose the best off-site excursions that match your interests and offer tips for when and how to get where you want to go. No need to pick up a guidebook or buy a map when someone else can provide you with that information.

CON: On-site help may have ulterior motives.

Though I recently spoke with an on-ship cruise travel guide who helps advise passengers of things to do other than take planned shore excursions, some on-site activities staff or concierge may get a kickback if they convince you to take a tour with certain companies or shop in certain stores. Be wary of these people if they can only offer suggestions about places packaged in glossy brochures and have no recommendations for small, family-owned shops without marketing budgets.

PRO: Everything is easily accessible.

It is completely possible to roll out of bed in the morning and spend your entire day at an all-inclusive resort. Everything you need – food, activities, amenities and possibly even medical care and shopping – is on-site and easily accessible. You don’t have to leave the resort property for your entire vacation if you don’t want to.

CON: You feel like you can’t – or shouldn’t – leave.

You paid a good chunk of change for your all-inclusive vacation, and you may feel guilty if you leave it or don’t take advantage of all of its services. Here’s the thing: If something doesn’t interest you, don’t feel the need to participate in it just because you paid for it.

Many people who never leave their resort don’t get the chance to explore the local culture and people beyond the confines of their resort. You may have to pay a little something to get out on your own, but don’t feel guilty about defining your own travel experience within the all-inclusive one.

PRO: All-inclusive resorts help stimulate the local economy.

When an all-inclusive resort moves into town, chances are many local people will be hired as wait staff, porters or housekeepers. In the best case scenario, these businesses will provide training and incentive for young people to stay in their hometowns instead of moving away for school and work. When I visited Huatulco, I was excited to note that not only were locals hired to work at the all-inclusive resorts, but a college was built for people interested in studying hospitality. In addition, an extensive array of public schools and medical facilities were built when the resorts were developed – all of which created even more jobs in the area.

CON: All-inclusives may force local businesses to close.

How can small mom-and-pop inns and cafes compare with the likes of oversized all-inclusive resorts? In many cases, they can’t. Whereas all-inclusives may be able to offer discounted dining and accommodations due to the simple rules of economics, local businesses work on a much smaller scale and can’t bulk their costs the way large resorts can. Also, some international all-inclusive chains might bring in their own employees from outside the area, thus pushing locals to the side by not training or hiring them to work on the property. This can have an adverse affect on the area by encouraging locals to leave in order to find work, which in turn degrades the culture of the local community.

PRO: They’re cheap.

When you consider the total amount you’ve spent to stay at an all-inclusive resort and itemize it down to every meal you eat, every service you receive and every night you stay, you’ll probably be surprised by how inexpensive the whole package really is.

The average high-end hotel cost is well over $100 each night, so the savings you receive by combining accommodations, meals and activities together at an all-inclusive resort can be stunning. Not a bad way to travel if you’re strapped for cash.

CON: We become wasteful.

Because everything is paid for up front, people often become wasteful at all-inclusive resorts. Instead of choosing one dessert, we grab a plateful so that we can sample them all. We’ll try the complimentary bars of soap and wear the in-room bathrobe for a few hours because we paid for them (even though the soap will be discarded at the end of our stay and the bathrobe will need to be washed). All-inclusive resorts allow us to do and try things we normally wouldn’t, but as a result it’s easy to become overzealous and wasteful without even thinking about it.

photos by JoAnna Haugen and may not be used without permission

Source: bootsnall.com

I recently visited Roatan, a Caribbean island located off of the mainland of Honduras. Though Hurricane Ida had just moved through the area and the waves lapping up on the shore were more than a bit choppy, I stood on the beach in the light of the sun. A strip of large palm trees lined the beach and a row of reclining chairs beckoned. Just beyond the tree line was a beach bar, complete with bartenders wearing khaki shorts and button-down, short-sleeved shirts decked out in tropical patterns. The most pressing matter at hand was whether I needed to apply another layer of sunscreen.

A month later I found myself bobbing in the warm Pacific waters off of the coast of Huatulco, Mexico. Beach shacks serving fresh seafood and stacks of colorful kayaks sat just past the large sandy beach. Young girls tossed their towels out and lay clad in tiny bikinis and oversized sunglasses, sucking up the sun’s rays. I wandered along the water line. The waves breaking at my feet felt like bathwater. I stopped to write “I Was Here” in the sand then watched the water erase it, one gentle wave at a time.

Was Roatan stunningly beautiful? Did Huatulco fit the ultimate beach destination definition? Absolutely. And to some people, these places would be considered paradise.

Paradise.

It’s a word derived from Latin, Greek and Iranian roots which made its way into the English language through the French word paradis. It’s a concept as old as the Bible and has a place in countless religions around the world. It’s a place associated with a positive, harmonious and timeless existence where peace, happiness and contentment reign. It is, in many ways, considered a utopia — a place of perfect existence where anything ugly, negative or obstinate is not welcome.

Mention the word paradise today, though, and a backdrop complete with palm trees, pristine beaches and a fruity alcoholic beverage topped off with a little paper umbrella probably comes to mind.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, paradise became a slick marketing term used to describe sunny locales, tropical getaways and anything over 75 degrees Fahrenheit with a beach. Hawaii, Fiji, St. Maarten … they are all, by the book, paradise. It’s an easy cognitive shortcut to describe a warm, sunlit, oceanfront place where we can wander around in sarongs decorated with tropical fish and drink piña coladas with little thought of anything else.

Even in recent months, the Marriott invited travel bloggers to visit nine different properties peppered across destinations such as Aruba, Grand Cayman, Cancun and St. Kitts. The point of the trip was to promote the company’s (appropriately named) Paradise by Marriott Caribbean and Mexico collection, and the bloggers followed through by posting photos of frothy drinks topped off with slices of pineapple and stories of snorkeling in the ocean.

But why is that paradise? If paradise is another way to verbalize a feeling of utopia, and the definition of utopia describes a place of peace, happiness and contentment, then my ideal paradise is more appropriately defined in Zion National Park or on a hiking trail far from anything. In fact, I would argue that everyone’s paradise is different and that each one has value as the epitome of utopia. Leave the beach where it is … my mom would rather be in a Midwestern garden. Try convincing my rock climbing girlfriend that she’d rather be sunbathing than scaling a rock in Utah. A few close friends living in Portland would be hard pressed to spend the day splashing around in the ocean when they could be snowshoeing in the mountains. And give my husband a people-free, hard-to-reach locale and he’s happy … though beachfront resorts need not apply. For many people, paradise is far from the belt that wraps itself around the equator. It’s found on mountaintops and desolate wilderness, in cold weather and possibly in rain, through the desert and in the heart of rainforests.

I can appreciate the desire to define a beach scene as something other than water and palm trees, but when we pigeonhole a term such a paradise into meaning simply a place with shore, sand and sunshine, we take away its power to be so much more to so many people. A seaside getaway is desirable, to be sure, but for some of us, the power of paradise makes us cringe when we’ve found our utopia miles from the ocean and tropical drinks.

photo by roybuloy

Source: bootsnall.com

“You see the spot where the cloud hangs low on the mountain.” Lambert points across the valley from the porch of his small cinderblock house up a trail at the top of the village of Trafalger. “In it you will be.” He pauses, “A mystic view, mon… Mystic view.” We linger there as he smiles, repeating those two words, “mystic view.”

Lambert is musing on the cloud that hangs over the boiling lake in Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is actually a flooded fumarole and is the second largest hot water spring in the world after Frying Pan Lake on New Zealand’s North Island. Although Frying Pan Lake can be reached on a short walk, Dominica’s Boiling Lake will take the better part of a day.

I’ve come to enlist Lambert’s help as a guide on the trail, a recommendation from a good friend who recently moved to this rugged, mountainous Eastern Caribbean Nation. After Lambert, a short, kind, man who exudes positive energy, takes me on a tour of his garden full of dasheen, bananas, green grapefruit and papayas, I leave with plenty of fruit as a gift for my visit, but no guide. Lambert has to work for the electric company tomorrow, but he assures me he will find the right guy for me as he sets out into the village.

About an hour later, Lambert returns. He takes me to Ivo’s, a local bar where on a Sunday evening, the men are pouring out into the street with their bush rum. Behind the bar I am introduced to Wendal, the serious looking bartender with short black dreads who, according to Lambert, is “not crazy like these other guys. He’s got a good head, positive thinking. He’s your guy.” We negotiate a reasonable price and meeting place and I leave with Lambert back into the village street. The setting sun paints a vibrant picture as Lambert gazes up and says, “Look at that sky… a very good sign. The weather will be perfect for you tomorrow.” And it was.

At 6:00 am, with no cloud in the sky, I meet Wendal and we catch a bus up to Laudat (pronounced Lo-Dah), a scenic mountain village that is the home base for accessing many of Dominica’s natural treasures. At an elevation of almost 2,000 feet, Laudat is often draped in its own cloud cover as the dramatic peaks of Dominica’s interior catch every incoming system off the Atlantic. We walk through the streets in a crowd of schoolchildren until we make our way down the dirt road, past the hydroelectric plant, and across the river to Ti Tou Gorge, the starting point of the trail and a spot that I will thank the heavens for when the hike is over.

With over 1,000 flowering plant species, walking through the Dominican rainforest is like walking through the Garden of Eden. The first part of our journey is the wettest, as we walk through dense, textured greenery, a series of flowers, ferns, and vines fighting for their space amidst imposing gommier trees reaching high into the tropic sky. The land is so pristine and perfect one would swear it was the design of a master landscaper. This forest houses many species of birds including two endangered parrots, who are singing their morning anthems as we pass through their home.

The nice thing about walking through the jungle in Dominica is that there are no large animals to fret over. The largest animal I see besides the goats tied to poles in Laudat is the Dominican Agouti, a rodent that Wendal informs me is a delicacy in this nation.

At the outset, I am a bit antsy about our trek. I have read from various sources that this is the “toughest hike in the Caribbean” and that it is a 6-hour minimum, guide-necessary ordeal. There is an I survived the boiling lake website, there are t-shirts made, there is an online guestbook to talk about the journey; the online community has really hyped this one up for me. Not normally one to opt for a guide, I jumped out of my computer chair to find Lambert.

Here Wendal and I are finally on the trail and I’m thinking, “hey, its not so bad,” and I say so. He laughs, reminding me that we have only been walking for a half hour.

About 45 minutes in, we come to our first landmark, “Breakfast River.” Naturally, we sit down for breakfast. Wendal has brought some fresh bananas, so we balance on rocks by the river eating the bananas one by one until they are gone. We refill our water bottles with fresh Dominican spring water and cross the river on our way up, up, up in the steepest part of the journey to the trail’s peak on top of Morne Nicholls. We have left the wet, lush greenery of the inner rainforest, moving towards a dryer, more arid landscape. From the peak we can see both the Atlantic and Caribbean. Nestled in the hills that do not roll but rather bunch and gnarl like unkempt hair, Laudat seems strikingly far away. We have made it to the highest point on the trail, but this trail is not about reaching a summit.

They say what goes up must come down again, a phrase I hold onto in times such as these. On Dominica, the phrase would be better put: what goes up must come down… so it can go up again.

Wendal and I wind our way through a path latticed with wooden logs towards the billowing smoke signaling our entrance into the Valley of Desolation. The sweet, slightly pungent smell of sulfur is in the air as we enter the ghoulish scene. The valley stands in stark contrast to the lush forest of the trail’s start. Here, a black and a white stream of boiling hot water wind down the ravine like a strand of DNA, giving birth to plumes of grey steam. Wendal leads me over to a particularly virulent pool of murky water for a steam bath and then hands me a pasty grey substance from nearby that I am instructed to put on my face as a mud mask. With my war paint on, I am ready to face the boiling lake, beckoning on the horizon.

We follow a stream of warm, milky blue water as it cascades down garish red and orange rock ledges into vine-covered pools below. The whole sight is otherworldly. It’s hard to believe that such unnatural colors are the product of one of the earth’s most natural processes – plate tectonics.

Hiking uphill again, we pass through a smaller, similarly desolate and smoky valley towards the cloud-covered peak ahead. The path gets slightly confusing but we can see the end in sight, so we press on knowing we are headed in the right direction.

As we crest the final peak and enter the hot, sulfuric cloud I hear a slight rumbling below. Carefully, I walk to the ledge and peer down. Through the clouds I can make out pale, sky blue water violently bubbling below. We have made it to the famed Boiling Lake… and it’s boiling!

As recently as 2005, bewildered adventurers have encountered an almost bone dry, tepid puddle after three hours of arduous hiking. In fact, there is an archive photo of two visitors standing in the center of the dry Boiling Lake in 1887 and in 1900 an English visitor and one of his two guides lost their lives upon encountering the barren lake when a thick sulfurous gas was emitted from the empty crater.

Alas, in October of 2009, the lake is as active as ever, covering Wendal and I in its thick steam and daring us to get too close. We cautiously hike down the cliff ledge to the lake’s edge to look the beast in the eye. Lost in the haze we take time to absorb the raw power of this awing spot on this volcanic island of wonder.

On the way back, which is relentlessly uphill at the start, Wendal begins to tire. When I jokingly harass him about his fatigue, he assures me he is going to start exercising regularly and tells me I should have warned him that I was an avid hiker. To prove his strength he offers, “let’s sprint the whole way back once we get to the peak, get some good exercise.” While I would not recommend this, I go along with the plan to appease him and we jog the mostly downhill trek from Morne Nichols to Breakfast River.

We slow our pace for the last leg from Breakfast River back to Ti Tou Gorge, mostly because my left shoe is barely hanging on after the beating it has taken. When I hear the rushing water below, I know we have successfully completed the hike. Tearing off my clothes, I jump into the cold pool that serves as an entrance to the gorge. Swimming in the crystal clear water through the dark, narrow passageway between the high cliffs that I just traversed, I make it to the rushing waterfall at the end. Sitting on a rock by the fall, endorphins in full force, I am elated. I have hiked through the rainforest, crossed a river, climbed over a volcanic peak, received a mud mask by a black stream, took a steam bath by a boiling lake, swam through a gorge, and relaxed by a waterfall. There are not many places on Earth where you can witness and experience so many things in one walking day. This is the unmatched beauty of Dominica.

“Mystic” can be described as inspiring a sense of mystery and wonder, or having an import not apparent to the senses, nor obvious to the intelligence. It is beyond ordinary. In that sense I did not have one, but many mystic views. It was a mystic day of beauty that defies description, intrigue that baffles the best of scientists, and unending enchantment. Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park is truly a special slice of heaven.

The next afternoon, I go back up the trail at the top of the village of Trafalger to thank Lambert for making this incredible adventure possible. He is not there. I stand in his fragrant hilltop garden gazing back across the valley to catch one last glimpse of the cloud-covered peak whose mystery is only slightly more apparent to me now.

“Mystic View.” The words pour out of my mouth and I linger there with a knowing smile as the sun sets on another day.

Source: bootsnall.com

You plan your next Caribbean vacay around a disaster of legendary dimensions, an “active” island of ashes and dust associated with flash jetsetters and celebrities, virtually destroyed by an angry volcano. Right now, it stands ominously as the Pompeii of the “protected” paradise-seeking set.

Much like Hurricane Katrina kicking New Orleans’s ass and Venice’s virtual “vanishing act”–the flood-prone canal-cut city of grinning gondoliers in striped shirts is literally sinking into the sea!—the British Crown Colony of Montserrat must be seen to be believed.

Although the sun never sets on the British Empire, unfortunately there isn’t much of it left. Nothing lasts forever, but with a little elbow grease and a grand plan we can change all that. The future of Montserrat is ecotourism rather than narcissism.

Boy am I glad, though, that I didn’t purchase the villa of my lifetime friends, the D’Amato’s, even though I was a steady winter freeloader at their posh pad for almost five years in a row. Once the perfectly set gemstone villas, complete with Pellegrino-like pools and postcard panoramic views, were full of big-time rock stars, business execs, and drug barons.

The capital of Plymouth was wiped off the map.

Hence, the envious villas crawling with ivy and moss are now eerily empty and awaiting eventual sale.

Even the bulk pop of native black Montserratians, all full bonafide U.K. citizens, have fled the so-called Other Emerald Isle for greener pastures of cloverleaf in Great Britain and Ireland, bringing their peculiar patois of Caribbean English with a vague Irish brogue to the streets of London, particularly Portobello Road .

And despite the destruction and destitution caused by menopausal Ms. Mother Nature, the so-called Dead Zones of blasted land and brimstone dreams, “green” is still the best description for this outpost of isolation: I mean, desolation. Geography is only a state of mind.

But where else can you sit on black-sand schisty volcanic beaches and watch an orange sun go down leaving behind at the last second a flickering Irish-flag-colored “green flash”—an inexplicable natural phenomena unique to the island. It might not be as dramatic as the freaking aurora borealis, but the emerald flash, like a leprechaun paparazzo snapping a photo of the Celtic goddess Erin lying topless on the beach, is certainly nice enough to put down your Planter’s, cut the blarney, and make that awkward first move on your serendipitous date from the stock of local talent.

You’ll feel like a pale Poltergeist at the island’s one resort hotel, with nary any tourists, just “jumbies” (spirits of the donkeys) harshly braying in the nighttime winds. It doesn’t get more lonely than this.

Once, though, the island was one of the most exclusive retreats in the Caribbean.

Once upon a time, I was invited to a cocktail party by the local “white masters,” our amusing slang for the expat Montserratian elite, with nicknames like “Rom” and “Mr. House” (and real names like Neville and Trevor),. I was surprised to meet publishing baron James Truman’s well-preserved good-looking ultra-English mother, who was hosting the event. Nice villa!

“My son is one of the head executives at Condé Nast,” she told me with evident pride.

“Oh, I’m a big fan of Condé Nast Traveler magazine.”

“It’s not just Traveler,” she said, looking slightly offended. “It’s the whole thing: the empire. . . .” It was impossible to tell how old she was, warm and welcoming to this mad revolutionary from the American ex-colonies.

Here I also met the “high society” Brays, surely characters lifted from an unpublished Evelyn Waugh novel, who split their time between their Montserrat “shack” and a 15th-century Gascon farmhouse, where I eventually house-sat for them years later for three months in view of the snow-capped Pyrenees, gorging myself on local foie gras, confit de canard, and Armagnac. Alas, French cuisine beats out conch fritters, I’m afraid, but then again the local “mountain chicken” (large frogs) would dazzle any Michelin reviewer. As would Montserrat’s signature “goat stew.” Mr. Bray, a veteran of D-Day who also used to work for the BBC and “international” (read: offshore) banking, resembled a cross between Alistair Cook and Robert Morley, all bushy eyebrows and broad understated humor.

Mr. Bray told me a way sad story about their previous “paradise lost” perch somewhere in the remote British Virgins, where they had to swim ashore with their groceries to reach their house. Unfortunately, the locals became suspicious of them and burned down their house out of spite, thus driving them off the island.

They now preferred the comforts of Montserrat, thank you, to the vagaries of their former “sauvage” sandtrap, but still, come on!

To reparaphrase Milton’s famous line associated with Satan, “Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven,” I offer this consolation prize for people looking for nearly deserted islands in the Caribbean: “Better to live well in Montserrat than to be snubbed in the Virgins!”

Even though I played my part well: American Mayflower descendant, part owner of an oil concern based in Houston and New Orleans (America’s oldest “personal holding company”), and travel writer, I still felt like an angry vengeful dwarf from the dark pages of Swedish Nobel Prize Winner Per Lagerkvist up against such overt wealth, privilege, and prestige.

Even so, the local African Montserratians, looking like monied rap stars in their tennis whites, treated me like a celebrity, naturally assuming I was one: a musician, which I was once–a mean bass player whose main claim to fame was that I once played in a garage band with Jammie-award-winning PHISH keyboardist Page McConnell, surely now one of the best piano players on the planet.

Most of the locals claimed to be good friends with Elton John, a frequent visitor to the island.

Other rock stars who have come to roost include Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney, and, while I was there, the lead singer of Ultravox (a band I had never heard of), dressed all in black and looking distinctly uncomfortable in the tropics, but who came alive after perpetual shouts of lager and who aught me how to “stomp” the floors of Plymouth pubs like a fierce Scot out of “Braveheart.”

All the yachties hanging around resembled aging Mods and Rockers from bands less successful than the Who or the Clash. More along the lines of Supertramp and Toto. Indeed, as a Mayflower descendant directly related to William Bradford, Plymouth Town brought out the “Puritan” in me, which to me combines merry Maypole paganism with open Christianity. In other words, it was time to partay!

I really knew I was in the land of volcanic VIPs and Caribbean chic, though, when I bumped into part-time resident George Martin at a local grocery store, one of the great geniuses of classic wobbly 33 rpm vinyl. We do live in a Yellow Submarine.

What the? George Martin?!

Which makes sense when you remember that Air Studios was located on the island.

My hands full of limes (none left), I didn’t know what to say to the so-called Fifth Beatle.

“Mr. Martin, I’m a big fan!” I managed.

“Oh, limes!!!” he said with a whimper, envious eyes upon my clover-leaf-colored fruit, absolutely worshipped here in Montserrat. “Could I have some?” he said with false ecstasy, obviously trying to put me at ease. I dropped two in his hands and one on the floor, like a beginning juggler auditioning for “The Gong Show.”

With that, Mr. Martin wandered off, dropping some Ting sodas into his cart. He looked so tanned and healthy that he was positively glowing. An aureole of fame, similar to that found in a bright Byzantine mosaic, radiated from his unfathomable Freemasony soul.

But there was something strange about his eyes, yes.

I could tell he knew things.

On second thought, don’t go to Montserrat. (Maybe Mustique?)

It’s gone, mon.

About the author:
John M. Edwards has traveled worldwidely (five continents plus), with stunts ranging from surviving a ferry sinking in Thailand to being stuck in a military coup in Fiji. His work has appeared in such magazines as CNN Traveller, Missouri Review, Salon.com, Grand Tour, Islands, Escape, Endless Vacation, Condé Nast Traveler, International Living, Adventure Journey, Emerging Markets, Literal Latté, Coffee Journal, Lilliput Review Kit-Cat Review, ,Poetry Motel, Dark Horizons, Artdirect, Verge, Slab, Stellar, Glimpse, Big World, BootsnAll, Hack Writers, Trips, Travelmag, Vagabondish, World Hum, ForeWord, Richmond Review, Borderlines, Go Nomad, North Dakota Quarterly, Michigan Quarterly Review, and North American Review. He recently won a NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association) Award, a TANEC (Transitions Abroad Narrative Essay Contest) Award, and a Solas Award (sponsored by Travelers’ Tales). He lives in NYC’s “Hell’s Kitchen.” His future bestsellers, Move and Fluid Borders, have not been released. His new work-in-progress, Dubya Dubya Deux, is about a time traveler.

photo by rachel_thecat on Flickr

Source: bootsnall.com

I sprawled out on my lounge chair. White, powdery sand surrounded me. I felt energized, yet relaxed. The beach appeared picture perfect. It was nearly deserted. I looked out at the calming shades of blue water – from bright azure to light baby blue. The water was remarkably clear and calm. The air temperature hovered about 80 degrees. Just right for a day at the beach. A small number of beachgoers wandered around the horse-shoe shaped beach. A few people played in the water. Others walked the sandy shoreline. And some like me, remained planted in their beach chairs reading, napping or otherwise chatting away.

It is no wonder Flamenco Beach has been voted one of the best beaches in the world. A mile long stretch of soft, white sand and crystal clear water that you can enjoy in near solitude. No vendors trying to sell you stuff. No loud music. Only the sound of small, gentle waves coming ashore. My eyes began to get heavy. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought, “I can’t believe more people don’t come here.”

Looking to get away from the cold weather this winter, but don’t know where? Want to be lazy, unwind, and relax? A beach vacation to somewhere other than the typical touristy islands? A tranquil, low-key place? Off-the-beaten track without the crowds? A destination with character and a small island feel? Award-winning, must-see beaches and natural attractions? Well, set your sights away from the usual suspects and head to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico? Yes, the islands of Vieques and Culebra to be exact.

Vieques and Culebra are part of Puerto Rico. The two sister islands are referred to as the Spanish Virgin Islands. They lie just off the east coast of the Puerto Rico mainland – between Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. The Spanish Virgin Islands reside in the prime tourist zone of the Caribbean. But strangely, they remain relatively underpopulated and underdeveloped. It is even more interesting given the accolades the islands have been getting.

The beaches of both Culebra and Vieques made the Travel Channel’s list of Best Beaches. Flamenco Beach received the international Blue Flag eco-designation by the Foundation for Environmental Education indicating high water quality and environmental management. The Discovery Channel named it the second best beach in the world. Vieques won Travel and Leisure’s 2008 World’s Best Awards readers’ survey for Best Island in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. Vieques also made Islands Magazine’s 2007 list of the top 20 islands to live on. Travel Channel ranks Vieques on its list of “Mind Blowing Escapes” which highlight the “best that nature has to offer.” With two-thirds of Vieques protected as a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuge, the island also has earned the distinction of the largest wildlife sanctuary in the Caribbean.

Culebra is the smaller of the two islands in terms of size and things to do. It is only 7 miles long and 3 miles wide with about 2,000 residents. It boasts a total of one town, Dewey, which does dual duty as the capital. When I first arrived at Culebra and got settled in at the guesthouse, I asked a local passing by where was the town center. She motioned with her arm from one side to the other at a few rustic, wood buildings and said, “right here.”

This is the place to go if you really want to slow down and chill out. Culebra is a true beach “getaway” in that you get away from (i.e., there are none) high-rise hotels, resorts, shopping malls, chain restaurants, casinos, nightclubs, golf course developments, and other artificial entertainment options available at most popular beach destinations. No cruise ships dock here. But there not being much to do is exactly the point. It is why you come to tiny, remote Culebra – to relax, meander around, and take in the natural scenery of this sparsely visited tropical isle.

The island’s limited offerings provide a great fit for harried visitors seeking a slow-paced, doing-less-is-better type of vacation. Hang out at the few beaches, venture to some nature preserve areas, explore the 10 square miles of island in a four-wheel drive vehicle, visit a shop or two, patronize the handful of small, modest bars and restaurants (make sure you hit Mamacitas and Dinghy Dock), and simply sit with a beverage and a book. Just remember to bring a book, as there are no bookstores in Culebra.

Vieques is the larger of the Spanish Virgin Islands at 21 miles long and 5 miles wide at its widest point with about 10,000 residents. Vieques offers similar activities, just more than its smaller sister: more beaches, towns (or barrios), bars, restaurants and lodging options. The main destinations in Vieques are the two large coastal towns of Isabel Segunda (or Isabel II) and Esperanza, which lie opposite each other.

Isabel Segunda resides on the north side of the island on the Atlantic. It is the capital of Vieques and central business district. Isabel Segunda offers a wide range of bars and restaurants running the gamut from casual to upscale. My favorite bar is Al’s Marazul. The laid-back waterfront establishment offers great ambiance and views, particularly at sunset. Esperanza is a small beach town with big character on the Caribbean side (southside).

The town’s main attraction is a short boardwalk or malecon that runs along the waterfront. Across the narrow, paved street are a few shops, restaurants and bars that will remind you of Jimmy Buffet and give you an overwhelming urge to order a Pina Colada. My favorite hangout in Esperanza is Banana’s Bar & Grill. This open air bar and restaurant looks out onto the water and has a cool vibe.

Not surprisingly, the primary leisure activities in the Spanish Virgin Islands revolve around its natural attractions. The most popular activity is exploring and enjoying the numerous beaches. By far, the most notable is Culebra’s famous Flamenco Beach. This mile and half long, cresent-shaped cove is protected by a reef. This keeps the waters calm and the beach in pristine condition.

Flamenco is great for snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. As the main public beach, it provides facilities such as campsites, bathrooms, showers, grills and food vendors. The more adventurous should definitely hike the unmarked, one-mile dirt trail at Flamenco Beach to Carlos Rosario Beach. Flamenco Beach is a must-do if you only have time to visit one beach while in Culebra. But if you have the time, check out Zoni Beach. This quiet beach is more secluded in terms of visitors and geography.

Snorkelers should visit Melones Beach, Malena Beach, Tamarindo Beach, and Punta Soldado. Turtle Beach (located on Culebrita cay) is popular with both beachgoers and snorklers. Other top attractions in Culebra are the tiny cays off the shores of Culebra, particularly Culebrita and Luis Pena.

These islands, part of Culebra, are nature reserves and only accessible by boat. Culebrita off the eastern coast of Culebra is the most popular. It has a number of beaches, but Turtle Beach is the one most visited. Culebrita is also known for having the oldest operating lighthouse in the Caribbean. Luis Pena located off the north side of the island is more isolated and secluded. Most vacationers spend their time on these cays snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing, and taking nature walks.

In Vieques, head to the main public beach called Sun Bay. Located about a half mile from Esperanza, it is by far the most popular. This picturesque, lanky, crescent-shaped beach is the place to go if you can only visit one beach on Vieques. Easy access, services, plenty of shade, and tranquil water make Sun Bay a top choice for most beachgoers. Facilities include bathrooms, showers, snack bar, campground and a swimming area with lifeguards. Sun Bay is a mile-long stretch of water and sand with coconut palm trees, sea grape and almond trees running along the entire length of the beach.

Hopefully, you have the time to explore the many other scenic, more remote beaches of Vieques. Virtually all the best beaches reside on the old U.S. naval training grounds. The U.S. Navy left the island in 2003. The U.S. Government turned over ownership of the property to the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service. They, in turn, designated the land a protected wildlife reserve – the largest in the Caribbean.

It is worth the drive down the pot-hole infested dirt roads to reach the beaches of old Camp Garcia located on the southern part of the island. Four-wheel drive vehicle and fastened seat belts are a must. While all the beaches (named after colors by the Navy) are recommended, Blue Beach (Bahia La Chiva) and Red Beach (Playa Caracas/Bahia Corcho) should not be missed. While inconveniently located on the northwestern end of the island away from the other beaches, Green Beach (Punta Arenas) is another favorite worth the trek. Green Beach is more remote and private. It also offers a great view of the Puerto Rico mainland.

Beyond beaches, the top attraction in Vieques is its world-famous bioluminescent bay, Mosquito Bay. Visitors come here to experience and see the bay waters glow at night. Hundreds of thousands of one-celled micro-organisms called dinoflagellates (or Pyrodimium bahamense using their scientific name) create the glowing effect. You cannot see these mirco-organisms, that is except at night, when they are disturbed from sudden motion – from a fish or a person. This is when they glow.

Using a biobay tour company, you can kayak out into the bay. Once you get in the water, just move around and watch the water light up around you. It is safe to say that you will not forget the experience of this uncommon, spectacular natural wonder. Mosquito Bay received international recognition when the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records identified Mosquito Bay as the brightest bioluminescent sanctuary in the world.

Come see for yourself why Vieques and Culebra’s natural attractions are rated among the best in the world. Now is the time to head to the Spanish Virgin Islands. The tourist industry is beginning to respond to all of the attention. Case in point, the W Hotel chain recently discovered Vieques and plans to open the W Retreat & Spa in March 2010, the first W hotel in the Caribbean. So, hurry up to the Spanish Virgin Islands to slow-down.

Getting there

To get to Vieques and Culebra, you must first fly to San Juan via San Juan International Airport (SJU). Once in San Juan, your choices are to either take a 30-minute flight or the passenger ferry from Faardo. I recommend flying since its faster and easier. If cost is most important, the ferry is by far the cheapest option. Flights from San Juan depart from San Juan International and from San Juan Isla Grande Airport (SIG).

Isla Grande airport offers less expensive and additional flights. A 15-20 minute taxi ride gets you from San Juan International to Isla Grande Airport. The main local airlines that service Vieques and Culebra are: Isla Nena Air Service, Air Flamenco and Vieques Air Link.

You can also charter a flight. This may be appealing if you have a group of people traveling together. A few air charter companies include Culebra Air Services, Air America and MN Aviation Services.

If you opt for the ferry, the best bet is to take a taxi to Fajardo. The 30-mile drive will take about two to three hours depending on traffic. A one-way ferry ride per person is about US$2. Once on the islands, make sure you rent a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get around. (Tip: make reservations in advance) To travel between the islands, book a flight on one of the previously mentioned local airlines.

Source: bootsnall.com

This particular cruise left fron San Juan. In short, the cruise and crew were outstanding. Check in was from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, a bit long.

Every evening the Celebrity Today newsletter is delivered to the stateroom, listing the next day’s activities, description of the port of call, plus where
to shop at that port. I took two excursions only, to ports I hadn’t yet seen, opted to walk around the ports instead.
Shore excursions assembled at the pier. The newsletter also listed the activities for the day, entertainment at night, plus the different times to eat.

The entertainment staff was good, however, I found shows pretty much the same on all cruise ships, too Americanized. A more international flavor and flare would be good. There was always something going on though, a small band at one of the lounges, of course the main show in the Celebrity Theatre, something by the pool, even late night disco. The casino and shops opened when the ship was sailing.

As alcoholic beverages and soft drinks aren’t covered in the price, they are a bit pricey so watch what you spend. Everything is put on your sea pass credit card; also acts as your key to the cabin and getting off and on the ship. For US $5.00 you can purchase for a day, plus service charge, unlimited
soft drinks (sticker placed on back of sea pass card). You get to keep the bottle with a picture of the ship as a souvenir. Coffee,
tea, juices and water (not bottled) are available 24 hours.

The buffet at the Watergrill Cafe were good, although I sometimes ate breakfast at the Aqua Cafe for a lighter meal (fruits, breads, cereal,
yoghurt). The line at the Watergrill Cafe was usually long unless you came at the right time. What does one expect with over 2,200 guests aboard a 91,000-ton ship.
The Cosmopolitan Restaurant served tasty fancy dinners. A few of the evenings are formal. The head chef we were told was from
France.

To work off the food, they have excellent gym facilities. I walked on the top deck rather than use the treadmill.

When you disembark to return home, you are given a new tag with a colour code and number, instructions on what time to meet at which
designated area. Bags are to be placed outside your cabin by 11:00 p.m. on the last night. Do not pack what you’re going to wear the next day, medicines,
passports, air tickets and anything else you may need; you won’t see your luggage until you disembark, clear customs then head for your tag colour area to
claim luggage.

Ports of Call

First stop: Philipsburg, the Dutch side, Saint
Maartin, the French side. I like this port, easy to walk around.
The main area for shopping, eating or getting to a beach is about a
10-15 minute stroll from the ship. I headed to Fort Amsterdam, stopping
in a few shops along the way for a quick browse. I passed by
beautiful St. Martin Tours Catholic Church, once a
courthouse (built 1793), now a post office.

The steep walk toward Fort Amsterdam was worth it for the view.
The fort is located behind Divi Divi Resort. Since 1631, it has looked
out over Great Bay, was Netherland’s military outpost until two years later when it was captured by the Spanish. The view
is awesome.

Making my way back, I headed to the
beach. Taking off my shoes and socks, I welcomed the cool water on my
hot feet. I walked along the beach onto the promenade then back to
the main street and to the cruise ship I had seen before from a
distance.

Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, the volcanic island of Dominica
has few beaches. If that’s what you’re looking for, this island
isn’t for you. But for those who love nature, exploring in a relatively
untouched 29 mile long, 16 miles wide land, this surely would be your choice.

The perfect shaped colourful rainbow that seemed to last
forever entertained me as the van made its way out of Roseau, the
capital of Dominica.

The fresh air was perfect for our 15-minute hike up through the lush rainforest toward Emerald Pool.
Usually when ships are in this area it tends to be busy, but we lucked out. The sound of the 15-meter waterfall was lovely. You can have a dip in the pool if you want. I
wished I had brought my umbrella that was provided for me in my cabin. We
sought refuge from the waterfall downpour, neat but wet, of course. No need for the air conditioning on the way back.

We headed off to the Carib Indian Territory, home to the
world’s last surviving Carib Indians. After the Indians sang and danced
for us (with some audience participation at the end), we walked around
the village of Kalinago Barana Aute. Our tour guide explained about
the plants they grow, some for medicinal purposes, canoe building, various ways to cook. The sun’s full force dried me quickly from the waterfall’s earlier downpour. Strolling the path,
I was entertainment by the spectacular beauty of crashing waves.

The tour lasted six hours as opposed to four that I read online. I was eager to get back on the ship and have lunch so I took a quick
picture of Dominican Museums, which gives an overview of the history
and people of this beautiful island. I’ll for sure visit Dominica again.

Next, beautiful Grenada, known as the Isle
of Spice. It was in political turmoil in 1983 when U.S. troops had
to intervene. After the Grenadines built a healthy tourism for
themselves, in 2004 Hurricane Ivan tried to put a damper to that. Once
again, the people are determined to rebuild.

After a quick lunch and freshening up, I walked under the Sendall Tunnel
(built 1825) to get to the waterfront of Carnegage, found Tout Bagay
Bar & Grill. I sat at the bar area looking out toward the water and
houses on the hill with a $5.00 glass of wine.

Athough there is a hint of development on the island of Bonaire, I do
hope it remains unspoiled for a long time. We went to the
southern part, home to protected flamingos on
Goto Lake. We passed by gorgeous Rincon Village built by the
Spanish. It remains the oldest settlement in the Antilles. Next
was Washington National Park, opened in 1969, a museum and culture centre. To top off the 3-hour tour, we had a
view from Seru Largu (Long Hill) of Klein Bonaire, Kralendijk and our
ship. It was a bit hazy but great nonetheless.

Our ship docked at Oranjestad, Aruba. A
short walk to the terminal, I took bus #10 (the stop is on the left
side at the bus depot, there are signs to the beaches). For US$2.30
return or $1.30 one-way (have exact change), the ride was about 15-20
minutes to Palm Beach. Busy with huge hotel chains such as Radisson,
Riu Palace and Westin, I walked the white sandy beach for a while then
made my way back to Radisson. I sat down at one of the lounge chairs
despite the “for guest only” sign. I took a chance and sat down (did
not use my towel from the ship so I didn’t stand out). I figured if a
staff person told me I had to leave then I would. I continued to walk further
down the beach, passing by a sand castle that a sun worshipper said was
built the day before; I was surprised it was still there.

Couple of hours was enough for me so I grabbed the bus back in front of
Occidental Grand Aruba. Next time I plan to visit Eagle Beach; it has
sugar-white sand and gentle surf, ideal for swimming.

The sun was beating at full force walking the town of Oranjestad.
Though not complaining since in over 48 hours I would be back in my
cold hometown, I could have used my cap. Despite feeling touristy, this
capital is still pretty. There’s a palm-lined thoroughfare along the
centre of town with Dutch-style pastel-painted buildings.

After walking around and taking pictures of such sites as the Protestant
church of Aruba, and Dr. Elroy Arenda house built between 1922-25,
resorted 1998, I stopped off at The Paddock. There was a cow on the roof,
and a Christmas tree decorated with Heineken memorabilia: beer
cans, coaster and boxes under the tree. I sat on the patio, had a
couple of glasses of wine and a view of my ship, plus an older sail
boat and I watched planes fly by ready to land at Reina Beatrix
International Airport.

The last day onboard was spent on the sea sailing toward San Juan.
After quickly packing, filling in custom forms for Puerto Rico, and
attending a half hour seminar about disembarking, I was free to spend
time in the sun, soaking up the heat as much as I could. I found a quiet
spot on the top deck in front of the ship. Few people were there.
Everyone else was by the pool where there wasn’t much breeze, but plenty of loud music. On the final night, instead of the dining room, I ate outside in the aft 10 deck, having my favourite bartender
make me one last martini, soaking up all the warmth I could. Then I
dragged myself for a last night’s sleep,
dreading the thought of returning to winter, and dreaming about my next
vacation.

Source: bootsnall.com

“BOY! BOY!”

I looked over at the sculpted resort hedge, illuminated by a Tikki torch, and stepped uncertainly off the porch, like a young adult waking up from a Frank W. Dixon Hardy Boys mystery.

“Boy! Boy! Come here!”

I walked over to the hedge, eyes adjusting to the androgynous gloom. Crouching behind the hedge like the gums of a cancer victim was a real live Rastafarian with long flowing dreadlocks and superfly mirrored sunglasses. I could tell he had been smoking weed.

“Do you want to buy a bag of sensimilla?” the Rasta rasped in a low gravelly voice.

“No thanks,” I said. I had never smoked pot before.

“Was that your sister you were talking to earlier?” So. He had been spying on me. “She is good-looking. Maybe you can set me up with her?”

Yeah, right. “She has a boyfriend.”

“My name is General Montgomery!”

This is, of course, the same name as the legendary former leader of Liberia, the only attempt at a real U.S. colony on the African mainland, spearheaded by Free Blacks, former plantation slaves turned American mercenaries.

Even though I was underage, here in Antigua, a permissive Caribbean island almost totally reliant on tourism, I was allowed to drink Red Stripe beer and banana and pineapple daiquiris—and, more dangerous, talk to the young local islander women who kept asking me if I wanted some “company.” I guess I looked old for my age. I felt free and easy on this family vacation. Maybe I should try something new.

Yes or no?

The General handed over a large plastic pouch of “sense” for only 20 dollars! Dreams are cheap in the Caribbean.

Paranoid. Smoking the ganja in my bungalow bathroom, with rolling papers supplied by the General, and ready to flush it down the toilet if my parents barged in, I felt warm waves of ecstasy shudder through my body. This was as cool as listening to Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon!” I felt like my soul was pulsating, then I saw stars, strobes, fireworks, and passed out like my lethargic greedy cat, Kirk, on the stone floor.

Initiated, I would buy a bag from the General every day over the hedge, which appropriated folkloric dimensions, from the vague friendship forming between me and the Antiguan. I was a big Bob Marley fan and was just a little bit in awe of the freestyle Rasta-man culture, which the General explained was based upon worship of the late assassinated Ethiopian King Haille Sellasse and an eventual exodus or return to Zion. It’s uncertain if the so-called religion is based upon Judaism or Christianity—the twin faiths of the African Ethiopian diaspora.

“We must also eat a lot of goat stew!” the General added superfluously. “I don’t like fish.”

I was eating gigantic lobsters every day. But my favorite was the conch fritters, which I ate absentmindedly like Fritos or Pretzels.

“Boy! I will return tomorrow with another bag of the best sensimilla.” With that, he made his way like a bat through the shrubs and quickly across the grounds to the beach.

Where the next day I spotted the General wearing only shorts running down the beach like an Olympic athlete on steroids, closely pursued by two policemen, who tackled the General and handcuffed him. As they hauled him away, he bawled out, “I’m innocent!”

Oh well, I thought glumly. There goes my supply. And so that was probably the end of my experiment with becoming a drug addict–like my burnout friend, Erik, back home, who surreptitiously grew marijuana leaves in his basement with Grow Lights.

Huh? What? The General appeared at the appointed hour at the hedge, like an apparition.

“What happened?”

“The police arrested me, but later let me go. No evidence.”

“That’s lucky!” I was psyched to smoke.

Montgomery then invited me to meet his friend on a secret place on the beach. I wondered if the so-called friend was a woman. Reluctantly, I agreed.

The friend didn’t seem very friendly. A fat black guy wearing a T-shirt, saying simply “Antigua,” he had wild eyes and seemed to be suffering from some mild palsy which made him shake when he talked. In Caribbean slang, he said something about me, along the lines of: “What’s this fucking white cracker doing here?”

With a devilish smile, the General loaded an elaborate chamber pipe with some bud his friend was handing over. He lit the pipe and quickly handed it to me, his arm moving like a lightning bolt in front of my face.

“Try!” demanded a disembodied voice.

I grabbed the pipe and inhaled deeply, deeply.

Whoa, I woke up sprawled out on the beach, my head pounding, unsure of what time it was.

“Boy! Boy! Are you okay?” His voice sounded like a saxophone: scared.

There was no sign of his friend.

“What happened?” I managed, with suspicion sliding around like a salamander in my sore throat.

“You passed out. Maybe this ganja is too strong for you.”

I stood up and felt around in my pants for my wallet. “My wallet is gone!” I lamented with teenage angst.

“We’ll find it tomorrow,” the General said lamely.

“Do you think your friend stole it?” I accused.

The silence that ensued seemed dangerous, so I said goodbye abruptly, and walked back toward the resort, wondering if the General had set me up. I no longer wanted to be his friend. I felt like a fool for being so trusting in a foreign land.

On the way into my bungalow, wouldn’t you know it? “What?”

“John, we’ve been looking all over for you.” My dad looked exhausted with worry. “Where were you? Have you been drinking?”

Luckily, my dad just thought I was drunk. Aside from having seen the classic propaganda film “Reefer Madness” and owning all the original Capitol Records Beatles albums, my father, a university professor and notable literary critic, was so square that he never suspected that anyone he knew smoked marijuana. He, however, smoked 3 packs of Kent cigarettes a day.

Obviously relieved, my father finally said, “Well, we’re leaving early tomorrow and you have to get up for the plane. Sleep it off.”

Back home in the New Jersey suburbs, I received a small package evidencing illiterate scrawl. I opened it. Out popped my wallet, empty. On a small piece of paper was written the following:

“Greetings from General Montgomery! I found your wallet on the beach, but the money and cards were gone. . . .”

Sure that the General had lifted it himself, I was somewhat miffed by the unreasonable request that came after: “For returning your wallet, could you send me 10 pairs of Levi’s blue jeans?”

Signed: “General Montgomery, your Caribbean friend.”

About the author:
John M. Edwards has traveled worldwidely (five continents plus), with stunts ranging from surviving a ferry sinking in Thailand to being stuck in a military coup in Fiji. His work has appeared in such magazines as CNN Traveller, Missouri Review, Salon.com, Grand Tour, Islands, Escape, Endless Vacation, Conde Nast Traveler, International Living, Emerging Markets, Literal Latté, Coffee Journal, Lilliput Review, Poetry Motel, Artdirect, Verge, Slab, Stellar, Trips, Big World, Vagabondish, Glimpse, BootsnAll, Hack Writers, Road Junky, Richmond Review, Borderlines, ForeWord, North Dakota Quarterly, Michigan Quarterly Review, and North American Review. He recently won a NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association) Award, a TANEC (Transitions Abroad Narrative Essay Contest) Award, and a Solas Award (sponsored by Travelers’ Tales). He lives in New York City’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” where you can eat ethnic every night with lost souls from Danté’s Inferno. His future bestsellers, Move and Fluid Borders, have not yet been released. His new work-in-progress, Dubya Dubya Deux, is about a time traveler.

photo by ••iFLUK•• on Flickr

Source: bootsnall.com

The sheer mention of a long-term voyage immediately puts
some people on the defensive. Here are some scenarios.

• I can’t take off and travel the world. What a
  ludicrous idea! I have too many responsibilities, loans, payments, a social
  life. What if I don’t find a job when I
  return? What if a boss looks at my
  resume and says why does it have so many gaps? They’ll think I’m a flake and
  not someone who is in it for the long haul.
• I wish I could go. Wow that is so
  courageous. So daring! But I can’t. I
  just bought a new car, and it’s my parent’s thirtieth anniversary this year,
  you know how it is. Besides, I don’t have
  that kind of money to just take off. I’m
  no millionaire!
• Are you out of your mind? Travel for how long? No way. I end up dumping over five grand on a
  two-week vacation. Can you imagine
  anything longer than a month? I’ll be
  claiming bankruptcy before I even get started.
  Forget about it, besides I’ve got to save up for a down payment on this
  great studio apartment, it’s gonna hurt but that’s life buddy.
• I wish I could. It’s always been
  my dream to take off for a while. But I
  have too many responsibilities: mortgage payments, kids, a wife. I really envy
  you. You have the guts and obviously the money.

How can we explain that one of the easiest aspects is to acquire the
capital necessary to travel. I’ve
traveled for well over two years, was robbed of $1,700 and still managed to only
spend $12,000 during the entire trip. I
did everything I wanted to do. Granted I
was staying in low-low budget hotels, dining on bread and butter (special
occasions, of course), and was a bit too eager when offered free night stays and
free grub. But the bottom line: Where
there is a will there is a way.

So where does the money
come from? A rich uncle, a trust fund,
the lottery? Don’t we wish!

How many people
would classify backpackers as creative types? Not many (including most backpackers). From afar we seem to simply possess a free
will and spirit, but on closer scrutiny, our simpleton-ness is the furthest
thing from the truth. To live this
lifestyle, as with any other, requires a lot of thought, maneuvering,
creativity and perseverance.

Since we weren’t
born rich and have yet to find the tree that grows money, how do we come up
with the resources to keep us moving for as long as possible?

Travelers come from
all walks of life, so do their money management skills and acquisitions. If you
talk to most backpackers, they will grimly admit that work is part of the gig as
much as the actual trip. There are many different
folks with different strokes for acquiring the funds necessary to move on. Place yourself in anyone of these categories
and get ready to join the others to never-never lands.

The Conservatives

Also known as the
preparers – they look ahead and know the price to pay for what they want.
Tomorrow’s freedom can only be bought by today’s sacrifice: work, work, work;
sharing flats and dealing with an assortment of roommates (two or three to a
room); living with parents and obeying their rules at the age of twenty-five
and older; maintaining a minimal social life.

Their motto: A
dollar earned is a dollar saved.

There are moments when
the feelings of misery cave in and become overwhelming, numbing the senses
towards imprudent thoughts of packing it in and shipping out. Resulting in none other but travel suicide.
Don’t cut your nose off to spite your face! It’s not worth it.

How do they stay
afloat and see it through to the end?
Easy: escape the mundane. Surf the net, prepare the trip, get involved
with forums and bulletins, connect with others who feel your pain and are in
the process of planning for their trip. Do whatever
it takes to sustain yourself and refocus. View
every hour of work as a full day of travel, imaging the different
activities, beers, foods and other joys you will gladly spend this blood money
on. Renew your energy with a new attitude, as your trip nears, your bank
account swells and the taste of freedom becomes sweeter and sweeter by the
minute. Don’t give up! You’re almost there.

The Burrowers

They
burrow themselves in debt, with a swift reply to justify the cause: “I’ll worry
about it when I get back!” or “I’ll eventually get a job, no problem, why throw
away my youth for money. That’s why there are loans.”

If you are daring
enough then max out your cards, scrounge off of banks and whoever will give
you lend-outs or hand-outs, and have a blast.

The Settlers

The
lucky ones, so to speak. They’ve paid their dues: they were married to the wrong
person and got a nice settlement out of the divorce, or won a law-suit for other
reasons and are now wisely spending their riches on a low budget trip
stretching out the jackpot as far as it will take them and then some.

The Breakers

The
product of suppressed needs and appeasement of others is the inevitable
breaking down and act of pure irrationality. Without forewarning they quit
their successful jobs, sell off their assets, cash in their savings, and take
off without looking back. They’ve been
grooming and cultivating their gardens for much too long until the tentacles of
their overgrown blossoms suffocated their sensibilities and caused them to go
over the edge. At least they reap in their rewards with plenty of bucks to
cover even their wildest dreams. They can be very
generous and certainly great friends on the road

The Seasoners

Why
sacrifice precious time at dreary desk jobs in a much too familiar location? Season it!

Not
only are you working, having fun, you’re definitely enjoying life on the road.
Seasonal work is always bountiful. Of course it’s more fun to bum around and
enjoy free-time. But for a few hours a day a lot of people have realized the
fringe benefits attached to working at seasonal locales while traveling:
Economics, baby!

Samples:

Resort work – ranging from tropical
paradises to winter wonderlands.

Instruction – dive masters, ski bunnies,
lifeguards, rafting specialists, and a million more job opportunities. Find the ones that best fit your travel
goals.

The Maestros

English As A Second Language: teach the world your native tongue while earning money. Enjoy the fringe benefits of getting to know
a new part of the world and immersing yourself within it, meanwhile saving a bundle
and spending it all on travel time afterwards – guilt-free!

The Enterpreneurs

This
is the fun part. Let’s get those mental wheels a spinnin’ and creative juices a
flowin’. There are a thousand and a half
ways to make money on the road. Become an international businessperson raising
the supply and demand curve to work for your gain. With
real talent, unique designs and original works, people will be flocking to your
stalls in all parts of the world. Everyone wants something others don’t have – at
a great bargain, of course.

Accessories jewelry
is jewelry. How about: dream catchers, shot glasses, ashtrays, jewelry boxes,
pens, journals, lighters, hair pieces, hats, scarves, shawls or funky odd-shaped
bags made of seeds, coconuts, trees… Sarongs: a must
have for every traveler. An easy sale,
without the heavy investment of money, time or energy.
Ideas are limitless beckoning
you to invent and create something distinctive and definitely sellable.

We
travel to the most inspiring places in the world. I can say from personal experience (I can’t
draw to save my live), but there have been moments when I’ve been moved to whip
out a pencil or a brush and try to capture my surroundings – with no luck! If you are one step ahead of me and are
blessed with this rare talent, use it wisely.
The most unique artworks aren’t done on the typical, expensive 6×6
canvas, but on materials found that make a minimal dent in your wallet. Let your imagination run free and push your
art to the limit, with an edge.

The Jewel Keepers

Yes they are a dime a dozen, creating with seeds,
beads, gems, hemp, metals, leathers, stones and other tools of the trade to
produce the perfect piece. For the right price.
But a sad reality is that this is not the fairy tale life of the
traveling salesman, as you’ve imagined.
It is a difficult life, with few moments of reward – surrounded by
hundreds of other stalls and vendors, waiting hours upon hours for
customers to browse around and appreciate what you have worked so hard on.
Praying that a big sale will come along so that you can have enough money to
eat, sleep and hopefully, party with.

For every gray cloud there is a
silver lining. No traveler, tourist, vacationer or native leaves for home
without an exotic piece of jewelry as a token of their trip.

Tarot Reader

Are you
clairvoyant, prophetically inclined? No.
Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter.
No one will know the difference anyway.
Since the majority of the traveler population and overall populace are always
concerned with what their future holds: Will they be rich? Will they meet their
soul-mate? Etc… You can make a pretty penny reading the cards and bringing
hopeful news to your fellow man. Just
don’t play God with their naïveté!

Braids
and Hair Weaves

Dexterity, patience and a loud yet inviting voice
to announce your trade and expertise.

Tree Planters

Definitely
a tough job! But if you have the stamina
and strength for it, it can be extremely rewarding: monetarily and environmentally. The majority of these sites are located in
remote and out-of-the-way lands – giving you the great opportunity to travel to
a place, most likely not on your list of to-dos or to-sees. The upside: it is
good money and they are always in search of dependable help.

Fruit and
Berry Pickers

Super
hard, bone wrenching work but in constant need. It’s quite simple to
understand – what you give is what you get.
Once you’ve picked your lot, saving becomes the easy part. With no place to spend it, your trip can be
extended for long periods of time during and after the picking.

Hostel Workers

The
free-nighters and feeders – dishwashing, cooking, cleaning rooms, washing
toilets, changing sheets, taking out the garbage – can allow you those extra days
of paradise without the concerns of payment.

Festival Carnival Followers

Keep
on truckin’ and a boppin’ while keepin’ the cash a flowin’. There are constantly art fairs, musical
shows, theatrical festivals to gather up the communities and pump some juice
into our economic system:

The Powwow Circuit – Taking place during the summer throughout the United States and the Canadian Provinces.
Powwows have been making their rounds for years, sustaining hundreds of vendors
of all varieties, who in turn are always in search of temporary help. Besides free admission, accommodations are also included. This is a great avenue to
meet others with the same interests while participating in a unique and
brilliant experience.

Theatrical Productions – All productions no matter the rank are in need of
back stage help, management, artistic designers, electricians, carpenters, set
design, etc… They might not offer pay, but will cover most expanses, travel
costs, room and board.

Renaissance Festivals and other Medieval Reenactments – Come join the fun,
sell the tickets, eat the food and intermingle with the rare crowds and
participants. Mainly a United
States exposition.

Concerts – All of us
has some intention of getting to a musical venue during our trip. Right?
So, why not work it? Besides free admission, you’ll have extra pocket
money and other freebies. And you won’t
be part of the rowdy crowd, but rather, with the real crowd backstage. Who knows, it might even open new doors for
other opportunities with more promise of travel and other fun encounters.

Rainbow Festivals –
No
matter what part of the world you are in, you’ll stumble onto a Rainbow Gathering. Either for a full moon party, Fourth of July
celebration or an international reunion. There aren’t any jobs, but the food is
free and so are the sleeping arrangements.
Great place to meet others with the same thirst for adventure and
excitement.

Carnivals
and Fairs – Have always been a source of quick spurt employment.
Not particularly the most inviting or glamorous, but still an option not to be
overlooked.

So open your mind to the possibilities
and don’t get caught up in the excuse of money problems and life’s drudgery. There is a way out and it can certainly be
fun!

Source: bootsnall.com

Looking for a guide to lead you through the tricky task of choosing your shore excursion and ultimately your cruise destination? With the variety of choices in cruise lines and itineraries, it is difficult to find the perfect one for you. Luckily, shore excursions are a great way to narrow your field of vacation destinations.

Numerous variables can affect your decision on your cruise choice, which ports you are visiting should be high on the list. Sometimes your choice is made by your embarkation port, limiting your options. So it might not be the port of call you made plans to visit when you saw Pirates of the Caribbean, but with a little knowledge under your belt and a sense of adventure in your heart… this can be the trip of a lifetime!

Trying to go it alone

On a recent cruise to Progresso, my fellow fitness trainer / favorite travel buddy and I planned to navigate the streets of Mexico by ourselves for some cultural exploring. As others from our group loaded onto busses for prearranged shore excursions, we hit the local open-air market to do some shopping. Being women’s fitness club trainers, which translates to we are Super Women, there was no doubt in our minds we could handle anything Mexico could throw at us. Let’s face it; we handle sweaty, sometimes cranky women trying to lose weight… what could be more challenging or terrifying?

Our first clue that we should have made other plans was at the checkpoint our bus passed. It’s not every day you see M-16 toting men waving at you. The open-air market greeted us with a barrage of peddlers selling jewelry, crocheted dresses and your standard tourist fare. Being a little more adventurous than the average bear, we headed down the street to the beach. We ducked; we dodged and still were accosted by the locals we thought we wanted to experience. Anything from massages to tequila was offered to us for free but the coup de gras was free coochie coochie. We high tailed it back to the ship and vowed never ever again to visit Progresso.

This is a mistake made by many travelers. You get excited about traveling abroad and heading to exotic locales without realizing the cultural norms you are so familiar with, do not apply. While some ports are perfectly fine and more interesting when exploring on your own, others are a definite no-no. With some research, you can prevent experiences like ours.

Research, research, research before you leave home

If you use a travel agent to book your cruise, start with their office for information. At the very least, a book from your cruise line with shore excursion descriptions is available. Your next stop in your pursuit of knowledge is the internet. With so many sites chock full of information on your port of call, you can find anything from the average temperature to what time the hermit crabs invade the beach.

Make sure you are checking the tourism site for your port of call. While tourism sites more than likely aren’t going to publish negative articles, they are going to be filled with a wealth of information. For instance, tourbymexico.com stated;

“Today you will find Progresso to be a bustling town of some 25,000 people. Fancy restaurants are springing up along the seaside promenade ‘El Malecon’, facades are being painted quaint colors, and the people are trying hard to improve their services.”

What they are not telling you is the port is probably not what you are accustomed to seeing with definite room for improvement. It’s all about semantics. If they aren’t mentioning the nightlife in the area you are interested in visiting, it either doesn’t exist or you need to move on before the sun goes down. What they leave out could be as telling as what they say.

Check into the shore excursions offered by your cruise line

Check your cruise line information about the port and available excursions. My pal and I knew we were scuba diving months in advance. What could be better than swimming with the fishes without the cement shoes? Doing our research before we left home made the difference between booking the excursion we wanted and waiting in line with everyone else picking from the leftovers. Once you are on the ship, the coolest, neatest, niftiest, excursions sell out quickly!

Visit your cruise line’s website, find your cruise and click on the “Book shore excursions now” button. A list of shore excursions and their descriptions are listed in an easily navigated format. On some sites, I have found it necessary to proceed to checkout to find the actual pricing for the excursions. Don’t worry; you can always back out of the checkout process with no problems.

Find the ones you are interested in and start your research again

The forum on your cruise line site would be my first stop. You’ll find reviews from actual travelers with up-to-date opinions. People either love to tell about the great time they had on vacation or they love to complain about the lousy time they had. Make sure you are reading all of the reviews. A couple of negative reviews aren’t enough to scare me off from an excursion I am really interested in going on; a bunch of negatives will make me reconsider. Also make sure you’re reading current posts, two years ago is too old. What might have been a great excursion before the hurricane might be horrible after and vice versa.

Tours outside of your cruise line

Couldn’t find anything on the official list that excited you? Most of the ports you will visit are major tourist areas, meaning, there are tours upon tours to choose from hosted by different businesses outside of your cruise line. Here is where you have to be extra cautious. Check the times of your excursion against your debarkation time. Remember, at a certain time, the ship is going to leave with or without you. Common sense dictates if your ship disembarks at 5 p.m. a shore excursion ending at the same time isn’t going to work.

With the negatives out of the way, the good news is most of the time the excursions are less crowded and cheaper booking through an outside company. With very few of your fellow passengers feeling comfortable enough to book outside the cruise line, it opens up a variety of companies vying for your business. A cursory search of the St. Thomas shore excursions available online found anything and everything from deep sea fishing to walking tours and excursions for the disabled. One thing I always check before even considering using an outside company is the Better Business Bureau logo on their site. It’s not a guarantee, but you at least have a mediation process in place if the excursion is misrepresented.

Don’t overestimate yourself

“Ten minutes and you are under the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean enjoying the vibrant fish of the reef.” We were so excited about Scuba diving. I could picture myself under the water with tropical fish surrounding me floating in a world of turquoise.

What I failed to take into consideration is claustrophobia. Yep, I am claustrophobic! Imagine your first time with a mask on, the water hitting your face and think of breathing in the one place you are always told you can’t. This is not going to be a pleasant situation.

Just because you are on vacation it doesn’t mean reality will cease to exist. If you don’t like being in water, you probably won’t have fun on “The Ultimate Undersea Adventure;” no matter how cool it sounds. How about a nice zip line adventure instead? Claustrophobic? Submarines are not for you! Try a dune buggy trip for a more enjoying time.

Bottom line; the more information you have, the better armed you will be to make your choices. The better choices you make, the more fun it will be to come home and tell all your friends!

---

About the author:

Lisa Legere is the German Sheppard bather, Siamese cat tamer, mother of three teenagers, wife of a police officer. The thought that gives her hope on a daily basis, is a beach in the warm sun all to herself! The vision of getting kicked out of Paula Dean’s restaurant with her wonderfully crazy mom is one of Lisa’s favorite daydreams. Traveling is her passion second only to writing.

Source: bootsnall.com

Maybe you’re rich and famous. Or maybe you just dream of being rich and famous. Or maybe, if you get together with a group of friends or family members you can stay at one of these luxurious villas where someone rich and famous has stayed before you. Famous by association? Take a look.

Villa Sylva on Corfu, Greece

Ever wonder about those fantastic villas you see in the movies? Well, this is one of them. You may remember it from “The Executioner” or “For Your Eyes Only.” For $3,962 – $8,150 a night, you too can pretend like you are James Bond. This 9-bedroom estate sits high above the Ionian Sea and offers incredible views from its amazing terraces. The 9 acres surrounding it have everything from beaches to well-tended gardens of bougainvillea, jasmine, and olive and cypress trees.

The main house sleeps 12 people and also has a large reception area and a dining area which connects to an outside dining patio. The guest house sits at a lower level looking out over the pool and can sleep 4 people. A second studio apartment can accommodate 2 more guests. You’ll also have a gym equipped with high quality Cybex equipment and a treadmill, a pool and large pool house. Your staff includes a cook, 2 helpers, 3 cleaning ladies, a property manager and gardener. The only thing you’ll need to do is order a cocktail. May I suggest a martini – shaken, not stirred?

Chateau de Villette near Paris, France

Wouldn’t it be nice to live like King Louis XIV for a few days? This splendid 17th century private chateau is located just 35 minutes outside of Paris and 15 minutes from Versailles. You may recognize it from the movie “The DaVinci Code.” On the main floor is a huge octagonal salon decorated in white and blue, a music salon, a library, an elegant dining room, a massive stone staircase, 2 small kitchens, plus the main kitchen, which alone boasts 4 separate rooms.

The chateau has an entirely separate wing just for parties or weddings. There are a total of 10 bedrooms in the main house, all with private bathrooms. In the west wing you’ll find an additional 5 bedrooms and baths. The grounds are an incredible 185 acres, complete with gardens, swimming pool, outdoor dining areas, tennis court, your own chapel, a guest house, horse stables and a greenhouse. The fee for this incredible estate is $11,675 a night. You’ll pay a little extra for the staff of 6 people, but when you’re living like a king, do you really mind?

Palmasola in Punta Mita, Mexico

When you arrive at this Mexican paradise, you’ll have a private chauffeur to transport you from the airport to your beachfront villa. The villa is located inside a secure, gated community of estates on the northern tip of the Bahia de Banderas. You’ll find 22,000 square feet of luxury awaiting you on a property of incomparable tropical beauty. The main house boasts pristine views of the turquoise bay, white beaches and the 500 palm trees scattered around the property. There are 9 bedrooms available for you in the main house, guest house, and garden apartment.

In the main house you’ll also find a large dining area that comfortably seats 14 guests. But why eat inside? You’re in Mexico and the outside dining is spectacular. You have 2 outside choices – dine next to the large pool or on the rooftop terrace closer to the stars. You’ll enjoy fabulous meals at this all-inclusive retreat. Near the pool, you’ll discover a family room with movies, board games and foosball; a gym with an elliptical trainer, treadmill and weights; a massage room; and a business center for your work related activities. The guests at this villa have access to golf at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, tennis, kayaks, windsurfing equipment, snorkeling and many other activities. The resort is $13,000 – $20,000 per night and comes with an extensive staff of a concierge, property manager, 3 waiters, chef, 5 housekeepers and landscape and maintenance people. And, since drinks are also included in the all-inclusive price…Margarita, anyone?

Rio Chico near Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Would you like to stay someplace where diplomats and celebrities have vacationed? Then this is it. This spectacular villa has 8 bedrooms, each with a private bath, and can be yours for $61,555 – $136,000 a week, depending on the season. Twelve people can stay in the main house, while the cottage accommodates 4 more. You’ll have 14 acres all to yourself. Imagine colorful gardens to stroll through, 2 private beaches, tropical waterfalls and breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea.

The main house has a living room, formal dining room, entertainment room and a library equipped with everything you need to conduct business away from home. If you are feeling the need to do more than swim in one of the 2 pools, there’s a sailboat, windsurfer and paddle boat for you to use, plus an on-site tennis court and unlimited golfing at nearby Sandals Golf & Country Club. Of course, you are not going to want to lift a finger while relaxing in this paradise, but no worries, you’ll have a private butler, housekeeper, gardeners, 24-hour security at the gatehouse and a chef to cook you anything your heart desires from simple to lavish seafood to juicy steaks. Are we there yet?

Villa Diodati near Lucca, Italy

In this ancient land of sensational villas, Villa Diodati stands on its own. With its classic lines of architecture, and over 7 acres of beautiful grounds, gardens, woods and even a small vineyard, it is in a class by itself. The villa can accommodate 22 people in its 11 air-conditioned bedrooms for $26,455 – $38,665 per week. When it’s not being rented the owner is often there and you can tell by how well it is maintained.

Beautiful antique furniture graces the rooms of the three floors of the villa. Downstairs you’ll find an incredible living room with a frescoed ceiling and French windows looking out over the garden. A large dining room with a fireplace is where you’ll enjoy any meal of your choice, accompanied by table service. There is also a billiard room, salon and the kitchen.

Outside relax by the pool or play a game of tennis on your private tennis court. Choose to dine alfresco on the patio, if you prefer. If work accompanies you on your trip, there is a separate out-building equipped with the things you’ll need to conduct your meetings. You’ll probably never want to leave this paradise, but if you do incredible Lucca is nearby and Florence with all its history is only 50 miles away.

Polpis Waterfront Estate in Nantucket

Nantucket is a Native American word meaning “faraway island.” You’ll feel like you’ve found a faraway paradise when you stay in this incredible, 7,000 square foot house. The estate sits on 10 acres on Polpis Harbor near Cape Cod. The main house has family room, dining room, den, living room, gourmet kitchen and 4 bedrooms, as well as a huge basement with a gym and everything you need to entertain – a home theatre, wine cellar, and billiard, foosball, ping pong and poker tables. On the property you’ll also find a 2,000 square foot guest house with a kitchenette, family room, bedroom and loft bedroom.

There is a boat house, with mooring, and a swim dock at the lake, and a pool with pool house and spa available for your use. This lovely property rents for $42,250 per week from June through October. Highlights around the area include great restaurants, beaches and hiking and biking trails. You’ll have a personal concierge to help you organize any event from a luxurious spa treatment to a Nantucket clambake. You’ll enjoy the shopping, history, many water-related activities and peace of this island.

The options for renting a luxurious private villa anyplace in the world, are endless. These are just a few for you to think about. Take a look at the many that are offered. Dream. Maybe even book one.

Source: bootsnall.com

The old adage; “one size fits all” has never applied to traveling. Open up the travel section of the newspaper or plug in your favorite travel website, and you are bombarded with a plethora of ideas on where to go. From family getaways to a weekend romp, the simplicity of planning a vacation seems more complicated as the web gives you more and more choices. Add that to the state of our economy, making sure you choose the right vacation is as important as getting the best bargain.

Resorts that include everything have made a surge to the top of this vacationer’s list in recent years due to their convenience and pricing. A beach front paradise retreat nestled on long strips of sand and the bluest water is enough for any beachcomber style. Most beach lovers will go along merrily to a tropical spot on the map, but throw in the fact that your meals and that fruity drink with an umbrella in it is included, it might even tempt the semi-beach lover.

My “one size does not fit all” analogy applies perfectly to all-inclusive travel. The mere mention of “all-inclusive” may not include alcoholic drinks or dining in restaurants. Always double check the web site to see exactly what is part of the deal! Some may be for couples only, such as the famous Hedonism II – all you can eat, drink and do.

Other packages appeal to a mix of families, friends and couples. Most do a good job of separating the children and adult pools, kid friendly restaurants to gourmet dining. Couples who do not want to hear the pitter patter of little feet, do not have to. However, as the competition for the most cutting edge "kids club" is high, they are getting more creative and fun! For example, I learned about the Meliá Caribe Tropical where the entire kids club is set up like the land of the Flintstones! I wish this was around when I was a child.

The first step in finding the all-inclusive that fits your needs is to understand exactly what is and is not part of the price. There are different types. The difference between a 24-hour and an all-inclusive that does not claim to be 24/7 is your access to food and drinks. Also, the more deluxe the resort, the more restaurant choices you will have and the longer time spans. The less expensive ones are still a great experience, but expect more buffet style restaurants open at specific times.

Here are two examples of Deluxe 24/7 all inclusive deals that will not break the ban.

The Dominican Republic, specifically Punta Cana, is known for their all inclusive resorts and reasonable pricing. One in particular is the Ocean Blue Golf & Spa Beach Resort. It has everything you need to make your vacation as relaxing or as exciting as you want. To make this deal even sweeter, they are offering one child free (food, activities, etc), so you can take full advantage of all the food and activities you can handle – 24 hours a day! Enjoy a private Jacuzzi, a gorgeous beach and a wide variety of themed restaurants, all drinks included in the price.

Another resort in Punta Cana is the Majestic Colonial – a beach front exclusive and ideal facility for a great holiday. Enjoy six restaurants and nine bars – four nights with flight starting at $677.00.

If you are interested in golf before relaxing in your hammock, check out the Melia Cabo Real located in Los Cabos, Mexico, next door to the Robert Trent Jones II designed Cabo Real Championship Golf Course. The Melia Cabo Real puts a bit of a new twist on the all-inclusive genre. Stay at this luxurious resort for $115.00 per person and enjoy free unlimited golf! A round of golf followed by a refreshing dip in any of their pools might be exactly the vacation that any golfer would love. Unlimited breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks add to make this the perfect trip.

The list is immeasurable. You can find all of the best deals conveniently at dunhill vacation news. With a little homework, you’ll be able to grab your bag, hit the trail and wind up on the moon-lit bay that you have been dreaming about.

Source: bootsnall.com