Archive for March, 2011

Maui Vacation Rentals

The next time you want to spend a relaxing vacation surrounded by pristine beaches and breathtaking views, make your way to the always entertaining Hawaiian Island of Maui. Maui is the perfect place to kick back and participate in a variety of recreational pursuits while soaking in the stunning natural features that abound along its shores. For your next trip the island, stay in a convenient vacation rental and enjoy everything you love about this jewel in the Pacific with all the amenities of home at your fingertips.

Since every vacation to the Hawaiian Islands is bound to include at least a few days at some of the spectacular beaches, consider staying just steps from the soft sandy shores of your favorite beach. Whether you prefer the snorkeling of Kannapali or the excellent swimming and sunbathing conditions of Kapalua Beach, you can find a vacation rental that is ideally situated directly on the ocean.

As a part of staying in a waterfront rental home, you will also be privy to the breathtaking views and relaxing sounds of the water. Wake up to the rush of the waves crashing ashore each morning then head out for an early morning stroll in the sand, where the refreshing breeze and cool brush of the water against your feet are the invigorating caffeine for your day. And at the end of day, you can sit back on your comfortable balcony or patio and watch one of the most memorable sunsets you have every witnessed.

Family vacations are also much simpler when you have convenient access to a majority of the activities you plan to pursue during your trip. With swimming, boogie boarding, sunbathing, snorkeling, and scuba diving within sight, it is easy to accomplish everything on your agenda and keep your children continually appeased with the pace of your adventures. Also, if you happen to be visiting during the winter months, you can enjoy the acrobatic moves of the humpback whales from your vacation rental’s patio without ever stepping foot on a crowded tour boat.

While you will certainly be able to enjoy all of the unique features that make Maui such a popular tourist destination, there are bound to be times when you simply want to retreat into your accommodations for a short and restful break. In a vacation rental, you can enjoy the privacy of your bedroom or relax in a separate living room while the rest of the family laughs through a round of pool in the gameroom or watches a DVD in the family room. With an entire home at your disposal, the days of avoiding a cramped and loud hotel room are over as you kick back in the sanctuary of your home away from home.

In addition to all of the space your house or condo rental affords, you will also have access to all of the comforts of home you typically forget about during vacations. Wireless internet, a washer and dryer, a fully-stocked kitchen, numerous TVs and DVD players, and a private pool are just some of the extras you can expect from many of the cozy and comfortable rental homes Maui has to offer.

Maui vacation rentals are the ideal accommodations option for anyone who wants to enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable getaway vacation without losing out on all the luxuries of home. To realize the Hawaiian vacation you have always dreamed about but never quite experienced, stay in a Maui condo rental the next time you make your way to the Islands and let your convenient location coupled with an abundance of amenities dictate the pace of your trip.

Jen W.
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/maui-vacation-rentals-76565.html

Cheap Hotel Bookings – Travel Packages

Cheap hotel booking with transport, accommodation and rental cars? Is that what you are looking for? Unwind yourself from your busy schedule in an ambience you would never want to come back. Enjoy every moment of your travel package, combined with it is cheap hotel bookings. Avail a complete travel plans along with sight seeing and meals, not merely a basic transportation. The internet is a wonderful resource for finding awesome hotels and travel package to suit your varied needs.  Travel packages that suit your budget and offer all that you were looking for. It is an ideal thing to opt for tour packages online, so that it enables you to see a lot of places in a limited time. Plan your vacation, want to go to an exotic place?

If you are finding it strenuous to fins the right tour package, choose the online option. A gamut of options with a variety of travel plans and travel tips can be made yours with a simple click. You can even opt for a travel guide, who will make your vacation plan a simpler yet enjoyable one. Holiday with ease, by opting the right tour package for you and your loved ones.

Your business tours need not be a boring trip any more, make that interesting too. Travel hassle free and Save a lot of time dealing with details about travel packages. You can make your trip adventurous too, by opting for scuba diving, parasailing, skiing, or spend time in the lush and green lakes, sea side hotels and relax! Make your travel plans a creative one, by taking ideas from travel guides online.

Opt for a discount travel packages, get the most by paying less. This will help vacationers who are in big numbers, when it’s a larger family. There are couple discount tour packages too available. Booking online and finding a variety of cheap hotel bookings is at your finger tips, try now!

The feature of vacation package is that it includes first class and deluxe hotels, many meals; extensive touring that includes the places you really want to see. There are comprehensive, high quality, discount vacation packages to many exotic vacation spots and world popular destinations.

You may find a package that fits your needs in a company that offer wide range of travel plans. Choose your hotels and book them by reading hotel reviews, once you have visited a hotel and found it amazing, you can write about it and make other vacationers know about your favourite hotel and the memorable time spent at that hotel. Reach out now!

Kirthy Shetty

There Is Always Something To Do In Curacao

As one of the Caribbean’s less-crowded resort destinations, many travelers might think that Curacao lacks the excitement of the region’s more popular islands. However, even if you visit Curacao in the tourist off-season, you will find plenty of events and activities throughout the island. Here you will find not only a description of some events taking place in upcoming months, but also an overview of activities available year-round.

The month of April features several small festivals and events throughout the island, each devoted to elements of Curacao’s uniquely Caribbean culture. The 9th of April features the Harvest Parade – a celebration of the island’s folkloric groups in the town of Otrobanda. The following week boasts a four-day celebration in honor of the Snoa synagogue, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. This year, a full schedule of events and performances have been planned to mark the structure’s 275th birthday.

At the end of April, visitors can participate in the 41st annual International Blue Marlin Release Tournament – a unique fishing competition devoted to the preservation of this treasured species. Meanwhile, the fishing village of Boca Sami hosts a two-day sailing regatta event complete with live music, local food and plenty of Caribbean fun. If sailing and fishing don’t excite you, take part in the island-wide celebration on April 30th – also known as Queen’s Birthday. On this holiday, you can’t beat the festivities located in the Punda Market region of Curacao’s capital Willemstad. During the same week, you can also find plenty of live entertainment and great cuisine at the International Food and Family Festival.

The month of May might be one of the best times to visit Curacao. From great resort deals to some of the best events anywhere in the region, Curacao is one of the Caribbean’s best early summer destinations. Celebrating its 20th year on the island, the Curacao Jazz Festival has drawn visitors and performers from throughout the world. The two-day festival puts a unique island spin on the traditional jazz festival, offering some of the best live music anywhere in the Caribbean. The final week of May also features the popular Curacao Dive Festival, a favorite of experienced divers and amateurs alike. With event sites throughout the island featuring guest speakers, presentations, film viewings and once-in-a-lifetime dive opportunities – the Curacao Dive Festival is a must for anyone interested in exploring the majestic underwater treasures of the Caribbean.

Whether you plan to travel to Curacao in the next few months or later in the year, there are always plenty of activities for any type of tourist to enjoy. One of the island’s most popular attractions is the Curacao Seaquarium, a sprawling oceanfront complex famous for its open-water system that constantly pumps seawater into the holding tanks. Another family favorite is the Dolphin Academy Curacao, a truly distinctive program that allows guests of all ages to swim and interact with dolphins.

As Curacao is known worldwide for its excellent scuba diving and snorkeling sites, you will certainly want to spend some time underwater. Equipment rentals and dive operators are available year-round, so you don’t have to worry about finding a tour during the off-season. Furthermore, the weather always seems to be perfect. You can enjoy Curacao’s sunny, sandy beaches nearly every day of the year!

Curacao is also an excellent shopping destination, regardless of season. The capital of Willemstad is full of quaint shops selling everything from jewelry and handmade souvenirs to exquisite Caribbean artwork. Like the island’s more crowded neighbors, Curacao also has a number of luxury shops and high-end duty free shops. The most impressive of these is the renowned Harbor Duty Free Zone, the largest duty free shopping area in the Caribbean. This 57-acre complex houses an incredible display of clothing, perfume, jewelry and much more – all at prices far below American outlets. When you make a purchase in the Harbor Duty Free Zone, you don’t even have to worry about carrying it around for the rest of your trip – your goods will be transferred directly to your flight or shipped to your home!

When planning their Caribbean vacations, many travelers seem to forget about Curacao. However, if you want to escape the crowds and visit some of the best events, find the most picturesque dives and uncover the finest shopping in the Caribbean – just remember that there is always plenty to see and do in Curacao.

Justin Burch
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/there-is-always-something-to-do-in-curacao-134996.html

The almost three hours drive was completely paid off with the good time I had. It was a really sleepy fishing village with only a few modest accommodations available. Even my cell-phone, subscribed to the widest network provider, could not get a signal. I stayed at a very modest bungalow called Three Brothers, less than $8 for an absolute beachfront bungalow with private bath. Whilst it did not have luxurious amenities like TV, AC, or hot water, it is nice and clean, but the more impressive thing of friendliness of the staffs treating guests like old friends.

Just a few weeks back we got in touch with Scott, a Seattle based American furniture exporter, who has just completed a beachfront villas at Amed. His invitation to visit his new villa was really appealing. But I was calculating about the chance that we can rent it out to our mostly Seminyak-minded clientele, and the time I had to spend to pay a visit. No other holiday rental agency listed villas outside the greater South, literally means “close to Seminyak”. No one has ever inquired villas at those remote areas. It was simply just like a question of who came to earth first between a hen and an egg.

A few days back, we rented out a villa Talia Vasthi at Candidasa for two weeks. I felt this occasion like a moment to clear the cloud out. It proved that there were certain holiday makers who are interested in off-the-beaten-track areas. So decision was made, I would drive east to meet Scott at his villa.

I was surprised that things have been progressing quite quickly. The new bypass connecting Sanur to the East has now been completed. They even started construction to make it four ways instead of two. This new road ended just a few kilometers away from Padang Bai, the main ferry port to Lombok which was very close to Candidasa. It cut out the traffic hassle at Batubulan, Celuk, Sukawati, Gianyar, and Klungkung. Only a few minutes over one hour I have passed Tirtagangga. The traditional fish-market which was the entrance to Amed was reached within less than two hours. Turning right from the fish market, I just followed the road along the beach. Everything remained the same, nothing seemed to change compared to my previous visit almost two years back. There was nothing to notice until the road hiked up hill and sloped back down, I saw a big house on the beach. The road hiked-up again after the house, so it was in between the two hills.

Built on roughly 5,000 square meters of land, it has spacious parking space at the front. Entering the gate, narrow pathway leaded to the house through soothing freshwater pond full of koi fishes. The main door opened directly to the living area opening to spacious terrace at the back, overlooking the beach through its indigo swimming pool. On the left hand side was a huge LCD-TV with state of the art sound systems equipped the living area furnished with modern comfortable couches. On the right hand side was a dining table and fully equipped kitchen. At the same floor there were a study room with a double bed, and a private home gym with complete set of body-building equipment and a mini-pool table.

The stairway next to the front door leaded to a hall at the upper floor, which housed all the remaining three bedrooms. The spacious master bedrooms enjoyed both ocean views in one side and mountain views in the other side. Both views are magnificent, however, after a while stunning at the ocean views I found the mountain more appealing. The two smaller guest bedrooms enjoyed either one views, a bedroom enjoyed the ocean views while the other enjoyed the mountain views. All bedrooms had adjoined western en-suite with bath-tub and running hot water. Functional minimalist furnishing suggested the guest to enjoy outdoor living. However, the master bedroom had a wide LCD-TV.

While the upstairs balcony offered spacious space gazing at the stunning views, the downstairs terrace offered even more space for more purposes, with large daybeds, lounging chairs, and dining table. At the opposite of the swimming pool, very close to the beach was a garden gazebo. A small pathway leaded to a small door to the beach where hundred of traditional boat decently parked nest to each other.

There was nothing special about the beach, really. For lovers of underwater world, the treasure was hiding under the calm surface. Boat parked just in front of the villa to transfer you to chosen diving spots. Scott, the owner, was a well-seasoned scuba diver who managed a diving operator in addition to his main furniture business. I would personally suggest that he owned it more for his personal enjoyment than to deliver decent income. However, the point was that the he offered package of daily diving to various diving spots in the area to guest renting his villa.

He should be away when you stay at his villa. That was the reason why you could rent his villa anyway, because he left the villa vacant while he was away, either taking care of his business or dive other underwater treasures in the other sides of the globe. But Wayan, his right-hand aide would do his best to pamper your stay in and out of the villa, on the surface or underwater.

Find photos at Amed Diving Villa

Adi Arifin
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/luxury-villa-living-thriving-scuba-diving-81206.html

what type of scuba gear should i get?

im gonna be getting scuba gear and im a 15 year old girl and im about 5ft9in. im be pretty much diving in the atlantic in MA. what type of gear should i get?

Above all else, a 7 mil wet suit. Atlantic water in New England is always well below body termperature so you’ll need greater thermal protection than you would diving in the Bahamas. I personally have a Bare becuase it’s excellent protection without having to pay for a brand name like DUI. Also get a hood because most of your body heat is released from your head, so if you keep your head warm your brain won’t steal the warm blood from the rest of your body. Get at least a three mil set of dive gloves for regular diving, both to keep your hands warm and to protect them against the inevitable nasty thing you’ll be touching (like the invisible growth on that anchor chain you’re holding onto during your deco stop) . Don’t bother with 5 mil gloves unless you get a drysuit.

Get TWO dive knives, one main knife (I strap mine on my leg but I’ve seen people tape their onto their octo) with a chisel point to pry things up and one smaller backup knife (I put mine on my BC) with a pointed edge. Get a dive mask either in clear plastic, or that has transparent side panels. Sooner or later you WILL need to depend on your peripheral vision to see through the pickle-juice green New England water and the black rubber masks act as blinders.

Everything else- buoyancy compensator, fins, dive computer, and the like- are mostly personal preference and/or specific to the individual dive.

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