Tips & Articles on Traveling, Aviation, Boating and Cruises
Vacations
The Best Ski Vacations
May 28th
Looking for a great way to please the family? Consider a ski vacation. Everyone loves to ski, and there are many great locations to take the family to for a good time. Take a look at these locations.
Sugarloaf, in the great state of Maine, is a ski resort sure to please your family. Located on a mountain named, appropriately, Sugarloaf Mountain, it has a grand history. In 1951 the first trail was cut by a group known as a The Bigelow Boys. It is today a premier ski area of the Northeast United States, second in elevation onto to the highest mountain in Main, Mount Katahdin. At the summit of Sugarloaf is a life to take the skier above treeline.
New Hampshire offers fine skiing at Cannon Mountain, home of the New England Ski Museum, which contains the most extensive collection of historical ski equipment, literature, film, clothing, photographs, and artwork on the East Coast. The extensive archive is renowned by scholars and historians across the U.S., and the Museum is officially recognized by the United States Ski Association as a Regional Museum, one of only four in the country, and sure to please a ski enthusiast.
On the south short of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada, Blue Mountain prides itself on being the largest ski area in the province. The resort offers several six man chair lifts and a pedestrian village is under construction. Enjoy your visit to Blue Mountain for a fantastic and unique experience.
In upstate New York, Whiteface Mountain reigns king among ski resorts. The fifth highest mountain in New York State and one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack range Whiteface Mountain offers a 360 degree view of the mountains and on a clear day a visitor can see both Vermont and Canada. Near Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain has a ski area with the greatest vertical drop in the eastern part of the country. In 1980 Whiteface hosted the alpine skiing competition of the Winter Olympics.
Aspen Mountain in Colorado is world famous for fine skiing. Still called by the old name of Ajax by the locals, Aspen is a skiers delight, as are most Colorado resorts, including Vail. Another world famous western state resort is in Park City, Utah, home of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. All of the resorts listed provide great skiing.
Modern skiing evolved gradually from snow shoeing, and a Norwegian, Sondre Norheim, is thought of as the father of modern skiing. In the 1800s he invented the form of skiing he called Slalom, but which we know today as Telemark skiing. While skiing has practical transportation value in many colder climate countries, and many militaries train troops in skiing, most people think of the sport involving taking a ski lift to the top of a mountain for a fast and fun downhill ride. When engaged in this activity most people prefer to wear warm clothing and follow runs, trails or slopespatrolled ski routes that are checked for safety. Skiers also enjoy cross country skiing, but for safety sake most stay within the boundaries of the resort. In fact, most European countries have laws against cross country skiing outside of the resorts boundaries due to the danger of avalanche and the high cost of search and rescue operations.
Skiing enthusiasts report a euphoria that comes from skiing, a feeling they liken to flying and many more people are engaged in the sport today than ever before, with many fine ski schools teaching the basics. Even if youve never skied before, the basic skills can be acquired quickly and youll be on the slopes enjoying yourself in a way youve never experienced before. Skiing is a great way to get in good physical shape, and at the end of the day, sitting around a fireplace in the lodge, bundled up with a warm blanket, and your spouse sitting next to you, holding a cup of hot cocoa in hand for sipping. This is the perfect ending to a wonderful day, which youll experience at any of the six great ski vacation resorts listed. So give a ski vacation a try, and be very glad you did.
The Best Florida Resorts For Family Holidays
May 28th
Florida has to be one of the very best destinations in the world for family holidays. Florida’s top family resorts have programs designed for children of all ages. Some of the more popular activities are instruction in water sports such as snorkelling, waterskiing, windsurfing and sailing – others offer coaching in tennis and golf. For younger children, the resorts organise special days around a theme, with crafts, activities and games. The programs are often part of your holiday package, but some resorts charge an additional amount per day for each activity.
The Northeast Coast
Set on lovely Amelia Island, Amelia Island Plantation, covers 1350 acres, with winding roads and paths that meander through natural woodlands. Here you’ll find Kids’ Camps, and a Teen Explorers program that offers tennis and golf clinics, arts and crafts, and field trips, plus a highly popular games room.
Northwest Coast
The giant 2400-acre Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has many activities for kids: sailing, tennis, kayaking, golf, and the Jolee Island Nature Park with pirate-ship playground. Watersports include body surfing, with complimentary boogie boards. Programs include day and night activities for teens and a water park.
Central Florida
The 800-room Nickelodeon Family Suites, located within five minutes of Disney World in Orlando, will be a big hit with your kids. The resort’s pool is actually a water park, and a complimentary nine-hole miniature golf course, several basketball courts, and a state-of-the-art theatre are all geared for family fun.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has the relaxed feel of a brightly coloured island village – a perfect setting for a moderately priced family holiday. Parrot Cay, a one-acre adventure island built in the middle of a lake, is a play area for children, connected to the lakeshore by footbridges. A wide variety of eating options will satisfy the fussiest eaters. Another exceptional accommodation option for Disney World visitors, the new All-Star Music Resort Family Suites are particularly inexpensive and family-friendly. They sleep a family of six and offer two full baths and a kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator.
At Universal Studios Florida, you can choose from three luxury resort hotels: Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Portofino Bay Hotel. Here you are within easy reach of Universal’s theme parks, their Wet ’n Wild water park, themed restaurants, entertainment complex and a 20-screen movie theatre.
On the central west coast, The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, a five-star resort, on Longboat Key, was named the 5th Best Family Resort in the United State by Child magazine in 2006. The complimentary children’s programs include a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities.
The Southeast Coast
Located on the St. Lucie River, the Club Med Sandpiper has a great ambiance and its outstanding programs include waterskiing and wakeboarding, inline skating, tennis and golf, plus a circus school, complete with flying trapeze. The Breakers, at Palm Beach, is particularly suited for families. Children 17 and under stay for free, and kids from 3–12 can attend the Coconut Crew Interactive Camp for a fun day of tennis, golf, arts and crafts, lawn hockey, or swimming. The family entertainment centre includes a toddlers’ room, a computer X-box room, and Italian restaurant.
The Southwest Coast
Noted for its Victorian style, with big verandas and wicker rockers on the porch, Sanibel Harbor Resort and Spa is a top-rated 80-acre oceanfront resort that overlooks Sanibel and Captiva islands. There is a Kids Club for ages 5–12. At the South Seas Resort on Captive Island, you can paddle a kayak, canoe or rent a Hobie; try the fishing, parasailing and body boarding at the beach; bike or jog; join in the Fun Factory kids’ programs, and there are excellent teen and family activities.
Cheap Airl Tickets – Flying On A Shoestring
May 28th
1. If you fly frequently, consider joining a frequent flyer program.
Frequent flyer programs can offer long-term discounts, so dont always buy the cheapest ticket. Once you factor in the free tickets that you eventually qualify for, you could end up saving money. This is an especially good strategy for those who often fly overseas how many trips to Singapore would it take to accumulate enough frequent flyer miles to get a free domestic ticket?
2. Check the airlines own websites
Dont restrict yourself to the major airlines. Some regional and national carriers offer cheap airfare. China Airlines, for example, might offer cut-rate airfare to Beijing.
3. Check the online travel agencies
Expedia and Orbitz are among the most popular. Travel agents purchase air tickets at a discount by buying in bulk from the airlines, so they can often offer you cheaper rates than the airlines.
4. Be flexible.
Cheap airfares are often available only on certain days and require you to stay a certain minimum time.
5. Try the small agents in ethnic enclaves.
If you live in a big city and want a ticket to Japan, for example, go to Little Tokyo and check out the small agencies. If you want to go to Rome, check out Little Italy. I have purchased round trip tickets from Los Angeles to Tokyo for as little as US$500.
6. Book in advance.
Tickets booked in advance are normally cheaper than last minute purchases.
7. Buy from an air courier service.
Air courier services are companies that buy your luggage allowance in exchange for discounted tickets. Although they are the cheapest tickets available, they are usually reserved for international travel. Please note, however, that you may only bring carry-on luggage.
8. Become a student.
An International Student ID Card will get you lots of places cheap.
9. Offer to pay your way aboard an unregistered cargo plane by cleaning toilets and mopping the deck (bring along a parachute and you can stop anywhere you like – for the very adventurous only!).
The Best European Golf Destinations For Family Holidays
May 27th
Golf holidaying with a family presents its own special challenges. Keeping non-golfers in the family happy and feeling like they are having a real holiday, while at the same time getting your fill of golf, is worth that bit of extra travel planning. The following European golf resort holiday destinations are perfect for family holidays.
Central Algarve
Central Algarve, with its beautiful scenery, perfect weather, and exceptional golf courses, is one of Europe’s top golfing destinations. Resorts such as Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, and Vale do Lobo, and Vilamoura offer much more than golf and will provide non-golfers with all the holiday variety they would expect from a first-class resort. At Quinta do Lago, a 2,000-acre exclusive residential and recreational estate, you have countryside and pine forests, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Ria Formosa nature reserve as your playground, plus 72 holes of golf. Horse riding and tennis as well as a variety of water sports will keep your family occupied during the day, and there are classy restaurants, hip nightclubs for night-time entertainment, as well as the Bourganvilla Shopping Centre and a health club. The stunning two-mile stretch of golden-sand is a bonus.
Vale do Lobo, receiver of accolades such as Best Resort of the Millennium”, and the Algarves largest leisure resort, has quality accommodation and diverse sporting facilities, including one of the largest tennis facilities in Portugal. Vale do Lobo, with its two (going on three) 18-hole championship courses, hosts around 100,000 golfers each year.
Vilamoura, twice the size of Vale do Lobo, has tennis courts, a riding school, fishing and shooting facilities, and indoor and outdoor sports complexes, as well as five golf courses. Amazing vessels are moored at the large marina, home to restaurants, cafes and shops. A surprisingly cosmopolitan nightlife consists of bars, clubs and restaurants.
Costa Del Sol
Costa del Sol offers variety both on and off the fairways, and the mild winters and beautiful springs and autumns are perfect for golf. There are around 20 courses, leisure areas, playgrounds and family attractions, as well as beaches and seaside promenades. Three excellent water parks are open from Easter for the summer season, with water slides, pools for all ages and abilities, as well as picnic areas and restaurants. At a number of nature parks you can see animals and enjoy educational programs. Selwo Aventura has over 2,000 wild animals and an unrivalled nature reserve, and Selwo Marina has exotic birds, an underwater observation centre, and dolphins. At the Benalmdena Sea Life Centre, an interactive underwater park, you can walk on the bottom of the sea and view thousands of aquatic species.
The Lisbon Coast
There are great golf courses here and the beaches are perfect for families. The scenery, magnificent with its small fishing bays and towering cliffs, and the superb local cuisine worth the trip alone. And nearby Lisbon, has all the diversity that a capital city can offer. Quinta da Marinha resort has leisure facilities including three salt-water outdoor swimming pools, a fitness centre with heated indoor swimming pool, six tennis courts and a tennis school, a Turkish bath, sauna, Jacuzzi, gym, massage room, bicycle hire, horse riding, and, last but not least, an 18-hole golf course.
Praia D’el Rey Marriott, just 60-minute drive from Lisbon airport, is a beachfront hotel with spacious family rooms, away from the tourist crush. The hotel has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a health club, Jacuzzi and tennis courts. Nearby Obidos, a charming hill town set within 14th-century castellated walls, is a perfect day trip destination. And the Praia del Rey golf course, one of Europes finest, is right on your doorstep.
The Best Deals On Malaga Hotel Accommodations
May 27th
Whatever type of accommodations you need for business or leisure travel to Malaga, Spain, there is a Malaga hotel that can take care of all your needs. Accommodations can be categorized by hotel, resort, apartment or condominium, hostel, bed & breakfast, or conference centre. While the hotels are most plentiful, there are these other types of arrangements to give you more options.
Hotels in Malaga
There are dozens of hotels in Malaga ranging in size and price. The average hotel will cost about $100 US or less, so even the four and five star rated hotels are quite reasonable. For a nicer, high rise hotel in the centre of the city, you could choose from the AC Malaga Palacio Hotel or Los Naranjos Hotel, each with all the amenities and services of any large chain. Other hotels rated highly by visitors include the Novetel Malaga or the Hotel Adriano.
Luxury Spas and Resorts
You can enjoy the beautiful weather, golf or just a relaxing holiday at any number of spas and resorts in and around Malaga. Some favourites of tourists include the Parador Malaga Golf and the Sunset Beach Club. The Gran Hotel Benahavis in Malaga features swimming and a fitness centre and costs between $100-$250 US per night. If you prefer an International chain, there is the Radisson sas el marques resort and spa.
Apartment Living
Apartments offer affordable housing for extended vacations or just the convenience of having a kitchen and other comforts of home. An option with apartments or condominiums is that you could just lease for your vacation or buy timeshares so that you can return year after year. Apartments generally do not rent by the night, unless you are willing to pay a short-stay surcharge. Usually owners like to book the apartment for at least one week as a minimum stay.
Money Saving Hostels
Hostels are not just starving students on break. They offer an entirely different way to spend your holiday. At a hostel you will get to know travellers from around the world, even if you do give up a bit of luxury in the process. Some options in Malaga include the Residencia Universitaria Santa Paula or the Picassos Corner Backpackers Hostel. These will cost you under $30 per night. At the hostels, you will generally have access to a shared kitchen and common room, but a private sleeping area. Linens may or may not be included, but there is usually a place to do laundry and lock up valuables if need be. Some require advance reservations of at least 24 hours, while others allow for drop in. Be sure to check if yours has a curfew or you may find yourself locked out after returning from dancing or the bar!
Romantic Bed and Breakfasts
Bed and Breakfasts are a little different in Malaga and the surrounding areas than you might find in New England in the U.S. This description could be applied to hotels having as many as 150 rooms, but because a continental breakfast is included it earns that name. These hotels are more like hotels than the quaint inns furnished with antiques. However, they still have plenty of European charm and personal service.
Full-Service Conference Centres
Conference centres provide all of the business services needed to run a successful business meeting along with comfortable rooms and amenities. These tend to be higher on the price range scale but no expense is spared in service or upgrades. For example, the Avda Rio de Guadalmedina in Malaga is a four-star hotel with rooms ranging in the $220-$300 US per night range. It is new and modern and is close to all of the good restaurants and sights. You can just as the concierge for directions or to make your dinner reservations for you.
As you can easily see, choosing a Malaga hotel offers many different options at various prices. To decide which is right for your holiday, the only real question may be do you want to be closer to the golf course or the shopping plaza?
