Thursday, December 30, 2010

Remembering 2010, dreaming of 2011!

As 2010 comes to a close, I find myself reminiscing about the amazing places I visited this year, and getting excited to see where 2011 takes me! With this year's destinations including Savannah, French Polynesia, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, South Africa, and Fiji, 2010 is going to be hard to top - but I look forward to trying!

Everyone keeps asking me where I'm headed next, but I actually have no idea! With a few things up in the air in terms of travel agents conferences and my husband's vacation time, I likely won't know for a little while where my next passport stamp will come from. But as usual, I've got a wish list a mile long! So starting today, I'll be posting a few times a week with my top travel picks for 2011, including dream hotels, excursion ideas, and other destination information! First up...the Cook Islands (after the jump)!

I'd also love to hear where 2010 has taken you, and where you're going (or even just dreaming of) in 2011! 
A toast to all of you! (at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa)

And a bit more champagne on the grounds of Villa Monastero in Varenna (on Lake Como), Italy - because who can stop at just one glass?

Monday, December 27, 2010

Fiji 2010 day 1: Hotel Novotel Nadi and Sonaisali Island Resort

For background info on this trip: http://travelprincessatl.blogspot.com/2010/12/fiji-me.html
After landing in Fiji about 5:30AM, all of the agents on the trip were driven to the Hotel Novotel Nadi to eat breakfast, freshen up, have a site inspection, and then eat lunch. Only about 10 minutes from the airport, the Novotel is convenient for those needing a day room for a few hours between flights, but I would not recommend it for a stay longer than a quick overnight.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Nicaragua part 5 - Granada

For the last 3 nights of our July trip to Nicaragua, we decided to visit the colonial city of Granada. After a lot of research, we settled on Hotel Spa Granada, which was originally the largest private colonial home in the city, but had recently been renovated and reopened as a hotel. A few days ago, it was actually featured on the Today Show as one of their top hotel bargains for travel this holiday season - you can watch a clip of the show here (HSG portion of the clip starts about 1 minute and 40 seconds in)! We actually spent our last 2 nights (more on that below) in the room they show with the pink bed.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Fiji Me!

Bula Vinaka! 
 Enjoying some kava at Outrigger on the Lagoon on Fiji's Coral Coast
Well, once again I've fallen way behind in my blogging duties. And once again, I enter a defense of "not guilty by reason of travel insanity". I just returned home from a whirlwind trip to Fiji , where I spent time at 17 different resorts over the course of a week! A huge vinaka vakalevu (thank you in Fijian) to Tourism Fiji for putting together this amazing trip for me and the 30 other Matai (Fiji specialist) travel agents who attended!
And an even larger vinaka vakalevu to the extraordinarily warm, friendly, and welcoming Fijian people who so graciously hosted us in their beautiful country!

 Matangi staff (and a couple of the resort's furry mascots!) singing a traditional farewell song
The agents were split up into 4 different groups, each visiting different areas of Fiji for all but the first and last nights of the trip. My group was called "Talei", which in Fijian means "the best", and I would have a hard time disagreeing with that! Our itinerary had us spending time in the Nadi area and Coral Coast on Viti Levu (Fiji's largest island), as well as heading to the Northeast part of the islands to visit Savusavu on Vanua Levu (Fiji's 2nd largest island) and Taveuni (you guessed it - the 3rd largest), as well as the small islands of  Matangi and Qamea which lay right off Taveuni's coast. As I'd not visited the north of Fiji before, I was thrilled to get to see an entirely new part of this gorgeous island nation!
Part of Matangi Private Island Resort's beautiful beach at high tide
It may take me a little while to complete my reviews, but in the meantime, I'll leave you with a list of each of the unique properties I was able to visit on this trip and an invitation to contact me anytime you'd like assistance with planning your own fabulous Fiji vacation!
Hotel Novotel Nadi
Sonaisali Island Resort*
Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
Shangri-La's Fijian Resort & Spa*
Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji
Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort*
Koro Sun Resort
Namale*
Taveuni Island Resort
Garden Island Resort*
Paradise Taveuni
Matangi Private Island Resort*
Qamea Resort & Spa
Sheraton Fiji Resort*
Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa**
Sheraton Denarau Villas
Radisson Resort Fiji Denarau Island
*Spent a night at this property on this trip
**Spent a night at this property on my trip to Fiji last year, did a site inspection this year

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