People always ask what our favorite place has been...and it's a difficult question to answer! We have been lucky enough to have visited many wonderful places, each with unique benefits. But here are a few places that have really stood out...
*Favorite destination for gorgeous scenery: Tikehau, French Polynesia
*Favorite resort: Los Altos de Eros - Tamarindo, Costa Rica
*Favorite hotel room: Frangipani villa at Stonefield Estate - Soufriere, St. Lucia
*Favorite trip overall: Brazil
*Favorite for snorkeling: Tikehau, French Polynesia
*Favorite for a long weekend: Ambergris Caye, Belize
*Favorite domestic destinations/hotels:
Lanai, HI--Four Seasons Manele Bay
Scottsdale, AZ--The Phoenician
Captiva Island, FL--South Seas
San Francisco, CA--Westin St. Francis
Charleston, SC--Francis Marion, Charleston Place
*Favorite airlines:
Domestic--Continental
International: Air Tahiti Nui
*Favorite non-beach destination: Tuscany
Friday, August 03, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Brazil-- Buzios, Morro de Sao Paulo, and Rio April '07
Buzios photos: http://tinyurl.com/2kcj9e
Morro de Sao Paulo photos: http://tinyurl.com/2rflrx
Rio de Janeiro photos: http://tinyurl.com/2q8hsb
Buzios--Pousada Casas Brancas (4 nights): A
review to come
Morro de Sao Paulo--Anima Hotel (4 nights): A
review to come
Rio de Janeiro--Hotel Praia Ipanema (1 night) : A-
review to come
Morro de Sao Paulo photos: http://tinyurl.com/2rflrx
Rio de Janeiro photos: http://tinyurl.com/2q8hsb
Buzios--Pousada Casas Brancas (4 nights): A
review to come
Morro de Sao Paulo--Anima Hotel (4 nights): A
review to come
Rio de Janeiro--Hotel Praia Ipanema (1 night) : A-
review to come
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Looking for an overwater bungalow?
The two areas in which these types of accommodations are most prevalent are French Polynesia (aka Tahiti) and the Maldives. In general, if you want the stereotypical OWB with all the bells and whistles--including crystal clear water and glass floor or coffee table, and more upscale building materials and furnishings--these 2 areas will have the most options.
There are a few exceptions, of course, one of which is a brand new resort in Fiji called LikuLiku (http://www.likulikulagoon.com/)
Another gorgeous place for an OWB is Aitutaki Lagoon Resort, in the Cook Islands http://www.aitutakilagoonresort.com/
In the Phillipines: http://www.elnidoresorts.com/
Other resorts with OWBs do exist throughout the world--just be aware that these may not all be at the same level of luxury or in as tropical of a setting as the OWBs mentioned above. Not to say they would not still be wonderful places to vacation--just perhaps somewhat different from the commonly seen French Polynesian overwater bungalow. Here are a few to consider:
Coral Lodge-- San Blas Islands, Panama http://www.corallodge.com/
Punta Caracol Aqua Lodge-- Bocas del Toro, Panama http://www.puntacaracol.com/
9 Beaches--Bermuda http://www.9beaches.com/
Hotelito Desconocido-- near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico http://www.hotelito.com/
Anthony's Key-- Roatan, Honduras http://www.anthonyskey.com/
Coconuts Beach Club--Samoa http://www.coconutsbeachclub.com/
Glover's Atoll Resort--Belize http://www.glovers.com.bz/
St. George's Caye Lodge--Belize http://www.gooddiving.com/
There are a few exceptions, of course, one of which is a brand new resort in Fiji called LikuLiku (http://www.likulikulagoon.com/)
Another gorgeous place for an OWB is Aitutaki Lagoon Resort, in the Cook Islands http://www.aitutakilagoonresort.com/
In the Phillipines: http://www.elnidoresorts.com/
Other resorts with OWBs do exist throughout the world--just be aware that these may not all be at the same level of luxury or in as tropical of a setting as the OWBs mentioned above. Not to say they would not still be wonderful places to vacation--just perhaps somewhat different from the commonly seen French Polynesian overwater bungalow. Here are a few to consider:
Coral Lodge-- San Blas Islands, Panama http://www.corallodge.com/
Punta Caracol Aqua Lodge-- Bocas del Toro, Panama http://www.puntacaracol.com/
9 Beaches--Bermuda http://www.9beaches.com/
Hotelito Desconocido-- near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico http://www.hotelito.com/
Anthony's Key-- Roatan, Honduras http://www.anthonyskey.com/
Coconuts Beach Club--Samoa http://www.coconutsbeachclub.com/
Glover's Atoll Resort--Belize http://www.glovers.com.bz/
St. George's Caye Lodge--Belize http://www.gooddiving.com/
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Travel insurance and medical evacuation insurance
Now that you have your flights and hotels booked, your list of must-see sights, must-eat restaurants, and must-buy souvenirs, there's one more thing to think about: insurance. For travel, this type of insurance tends to fall into one of two categories: trip cancellation/interruption coverage (often with a medical insurance rider), and medical evacuation coverage.
Basic trip cancellation/interruption insurance generally covers you if you have to cancel your trip due to injury, a death in the immediate family, a hurricane or terrorist act in your destination city, etc.
Only you can decide whether it's worth it to you to purchase insurance or not, and I would not bother with insurance when traveling fairly inexpensively close to home, especially if you can cancel/change your flights and hotels with little or no fee.
However, I do recommend it for:
* International trips or any other trips that are fairly expensive and in which you may incur high costs is you have to cancel or come home early
* When traveling to high risk areas (for weather or political reasons), such as the Caribbean during hurricane season, many parts of the Middle East any time, Indonesia right now, etc.
* When you have non-refundable plane tickets (though you can often cancel and re-ticket even these for a $100 or so fee, depending on the airline) and hotel reservations
* If you have a medical condition that may cause you to postpone/cancel your trip, or a close relative with the same
Costs vary based on your age, the cost and length of the trip, how comprehensive the coverage you choose, etc. But to give a ballpark figure, we generally pay $100-$150 (total for both of us) for coverage on an 8-9 night international trip. The cost is very small as compared to the overall cost of the trip, and the peace of mind is well worth the small added expense. The best site I've found for immediate quotes (generally it gives you a couple of dozen to compare) and online purchase is www.insuremytrip.com. If you are working with a travel agent, they may also be able to wrap insurance into your package. Just be sure to do your research and make sure you get the coverage that fits you and your trip!
Medical evacuation insurance is another breed. In the event you are seriously injured while out of town, medevac insurance covers your transportation from your destination to either the nearest hospital, the nearest hospital with good facilities to treat you, or whichever hospital you choose, depending on what type of coverage you have. You may think you don't need this because you are young and healthy, but accidents do happen to people of all ages. The bill if you are injured and have to be med-evaced to another country can be in the tens of thousands of dollars--and your health insurance may not pay cover it.
There are a couple of options for med-evac insurance. First, you can go trip-by-trip and purchase this along with your regular travel insurance. If you travel rarely, this is probably the best option. If you travel a great deal, though, especially to exotic destinations, the better option may be a MedJet membership. For $325 a year, my husband and I have complete medevac coverage through them. Luckily, we've never had to use it, but it's nice to know we are covered if we do ever face an emergency.
http://www.medjetassistance.com/default.asp?partner=
Basic trip cancellation/interruption insurance generally covers you if you have to cancel your trip due to injury, a death in the immediate family, a hurricane or terrorist act in your destination city, etc.
Only you can decide whether it's worth it to you to purchase insurance or not, and I would not bother with insurance when traveling fairly inexpensively close to home, especially if you can cancel/change your flights and hotels with little or no fee.
However, I do recommend it for:
* International trips or any other trips that are fairly expensive and in which you may incur high costs is you have to cancel or come home early
* When traveling to high risk areas (for weather or political reasons), such as the Caribbean during hurricane season, many parts of the Middle East any time, Indonesia right now, etc.
* When you have non-refundable plane tickets (though you can often cancel and re-ticket even these for a $100 or so fee, depending on the airline) and hotel reservations
* If you have a medical condition that may cause you to postpone/cancel your trip, or a close relative with the same
Costs vary based on your age, the cost and length of the trip, how comprehensive the coverage you choose, etc. But to give a ballpark figure, we generally pay $100-$150 (total for both of us) for coverage on an 8-9 night international trip. The cost is very small as compared to the overall cost of the trip, and the peace of mind is well worth the small added expense. The best site I've found for immediate quotes (generally it gives you a couple of dozen to compare) and online purchase is www.insuremytrip.com. If you are working with a travel agent, they may also be able to wrap insurance into your package. Just be sure to do your research and make sure you get the coverage that fits you and your trip!
Medical evacuation insurance is another breed. In the event you are seriously injured while out of town, medevac insurance covers your transportation from your destination to either the nearest hospital, the nearest hospital with good facilities to treat you, or whichever hospital you choose, depending on what type of coverage you have. You may think you don't need this because you are young and healthy, but accidents do happen to people of all ages. The bill if you are injured and have to be med-evaced to another country can be in the tens of thousands of dollars--and your health insurance may not pay cover it.
There are a couple of options for med-evac insurance. First, you can go trip-by-trip and purchase this along with your regular travel insurance. If you travel rarely, this is probably the best option. If you travel a great deal, though, especially to exotic destinations, the better option may be a MedJet membership. For $325 a year, my husband and I have complete medevac coverage through them. Luckily, we've never had to use it, but it's nice to know we are covered if we do ever face an emergency.
http://www.medjetassistance.com/default.asp?partner=
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Want to join the Mile High Club?
There's a new name in airborne love in Atlanta...
http://milehighatlanta.com/
Wow. Good idea in theory, bad idea in actuality. I am especially both entertained and repulsed by the photo of the bed entitled "View from the cockpit with the curtains open". Personally, I prefer not to have a random stranger 3 inches from me when being intimate with my husband. But that's just me. On the plus side, it looks as though you could easily join not only the mile-high club, but also the much more exclusive "Midair Menage a Trois Club".
Mile High Atlanta...because nothing says romance like sex on Wal-Mart sheets 3 inches from a stranger's head while circling over downtown Snellville.
http://milehighatlanta.com/
Wow. Good idea in theory, bad idea in actuality. I am especially both entertained and repulsed by the photo of the bed entitled "View from the cockpit with the curtains open". Personally, I prefer not to have a random stranger 3 inches from me when being intimate with my husband. But that's just me. On the plus side, it looks as though you could easily join not only the mile-high club, but also the much more exclusive "Midair Menage a Trois Club".
Mile High Atlanta...because nothing says romance like sex on Wal-Mart sheets 3 inches from a stranger's head while circling over downtown Snellville.
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