Pay 5/Stay 10 in French Polynesia extended!!

Because there's no bad time to visit paradise, Pearl Resorts have re-upped their amazing "stay 10/pay 5" deal for November 1, 2011-April 30, 2012! If you love fabulous resorts, rich culture, delectable food, and the most stunning scenery on earth, take advantage of this deal - it's not likely to come along again soon!
For more information on this deal: http://travelprincessatl.blogspot.com/2011/01/incredible-last-minute-deal-to-french.html

Go ahead, tell me you don't wish you were here right now!

Fantastic "double deal" at two exotic Caribbean hideaways!

The weather may have gotten cold in many parts of the world, but Firefly Mustique and Firefly Bequia are heating things up with their "Best of Both Worlds" special! These luxury resorts in St. Vincent & the Grenadines are still not exactly cheap, but this deal makes them less of a splurge, and is well worth every penny!

For $5999 per couple*, you'll receive:

+4 nights at Firefly Bequia
+4 nights at Firely Mustique
+Upgrade upon arrival to the best available room at each resort
+Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner at both resorts
+Daily afternoon tea at Firefly Bequia and daily sunset snacks at Firefly Mustique
+Free flight from Barbados to Bequia for both travelers
+Free flight or boat ride from Bequia to Mustique for both travelers
+Free flight from Mustique to Barbados for both travelers
+Transfers between airports/docks and resorts
+Complimentary use of Club Caribbean Lounge at Barbados airport
+All other inclusions as per resort policy

*Not including airfare to Barbados or airport taxes/fuel surcharge; airfare from the US and Barbados starts at around $420 per person

A pictures is worth a thousand words, so check out the websites, and I'll let these speak for themselves...don't you wish you were there right now? If so, please feel free to contact me at Caroline@easyescapestravel.com for a fully customized quote!

Photos courtesy of Firefly Resorts

Now on Twitter!

I finally broke down and started a Twitter account! For lots of travel tidbits, follow me here: http://twitter.com/#!/Blonderlust!  In the meantime, here's a photo of a monkey at Gumbalimba Park (Roatan, Honduras) marveling over the smoothness of my skin after the chocolate-coconut body scrub and massage I had at Serenity Day Spa.

Eco-friendly dream hotel - Ninamu Resort, Tikehau

After countless trips to tropical islands all over the world, the island of Tikehau remains my top pick for a “castaway” feel without an insane amount of travel time. Located in French Polynesia’s Tuamotu archipelago, Tikehau only about an hour-long flight from Tahiti, but feels like a world away from even that paradisical isle.  A coral atoll, Tikehau (which means “peaceful landing” in the Tuamotuan language) consists of 2 main islands and numerous smaller islets, all circling a 16-mile wide lagoon.  

The lagoon itself is a natural aquarium  - a study by the Jacques Cousteau Institute found it to have the greatest number and variety of fish in all of French Polynesia (an area the size of Western Europe)! These findings came as no surprise to those who’ve spent time on Tikehau; spend 5 minutes peeking over the edge of a pier into the gin-clear water and you’ll feel as though half of the ocean has swum by. 

The islands and islets are also picture-perfect; flat, sandy (Tikehau is especially famous for its pink sand), and dusted with palm trees and lush foliage. Those who’ve always dreamed of the perfect untouched tropical paradise need not look any further!

Until recently, the only resort option here was the Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort (there are also a few very small family hotels, known as pensions). While the Pearl Beach is definitely a fabulous place to stay (and one of my all-time favorites), I’m very excited to hear that another resort has recently opened, offering  fewer accommodations, eco-friendly luxury, and an even more intimate feel.  Ninamu does not offer any overwater accommodations, but its 6 bungalows (3 located right along the beach and 3 set  back a bit in the gardens) are each completely unique and designed with classically tropical style.  

 

Rates begin at $700USD per couple per night, and include daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner – a rarity in French Polynesia. With round-trip transfers between the Tikehau airport and resort also included, along with unlimited use of all of the resort’s watercraft, Ninamu is an excellent value for those looking to get away from it all in a setting straight out of a dream! 

Photos courtesy of Ninamu Resort

Finally, overwater bungalows in the Dominican Republic!

Ok, so you won’t be able to actually enjoy them until 2013*, but I have a feeling they’ll be worth the wait! Harlequin Hotels & Resorts, owner of the luxurious and exclusive new Buccament Bay Resort in St. Vincent & the Grenadines (also very worth checking out!), is working on a new resort complex in Las Canas, Dominican Republic. Las Canas Resort will offer riverside, beachfront, and overwater bungalows at the main resort, as well as studios and apartments at a boutique property called The Hideaway, about a half kilometer away.  Located only about 20 minutes from the Puerto Plata airport along a gorgeous tropical beach lapped by the crystal-clear turquoise sea, Las Canas and Hideaway are poised to become the next Caribbean “must-stay”!  

 Photos courtesy of Harlequin Hotels and Resorts

*Don't want to wait 2 years to enjoy an overwater bungalow vacation? Then contact me at Caroline@easyescapestravel.com for ideas and quotes on gorgeous resorts in other areas of the world that will allow you to be dipping your toes in the water from your deck within days!

Tadrai Island Resort, Fiji

Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands just became even more enticing with the opening of the ultra-luxe Tadrai island Resort.  Located on a paradisiacal palm-fringed isle, Tadrai is the perfect spot for a honeymoon or other romantic getaway. The resort boasts 5 beautiful and spacious beachfront villas, each with a plunge pool overlooking one of the property’s 4 private beaches.   

 

 

With a maximum of 10 adult guests (sorry, no children allowed!)  on property at any given time, attentive and personalized service is guaranteed. Rates include all meals, select alcoholic beverages, all non-alcoholic beverages, gratuities, and non-motorized water sports, making Tadrai one of just a few true all-inclusive properties in Fiji. The first few guests to stay at Tadrai have raved about  the staff, food,  spa, and everything else the resort has to offer, and I expect that the kudos will just keep coming! 

To plan your own getaway to this pristine paradise, contact me at Caroline@EasyEscapesTravel.com!

Sailed off to Antigua, it took her 3 days on the boat...

(Note: please excuse the odd formatting on this one...after trying to fix it for the past hour, I finally had to give up!)

Ok, so we actually went via plane, and it took more like 4 hours than 3 days, but I could not resist this line from one of my very favorite Jimmy Buffett songs! For our 7th wedding anniversary this April, my husband and I spent a week on the Caribbean island of Antigua, a sandy paradise dusted with more than a touch of British influence.

We spent 3 nights at Cocobay Resort and 4 at Galley Bay, two fairly different properties, but each of which has its own special qualities. We enjoyed our time at both resorts, though Galley Bay is far and away more luxurious overall and the only one of the two I would recommend to almost anyone without hesitation.

Check-in at Cocobay was a bit slow, but the front desk service was very friendly, and when we mentioned that it was out anniversary, they arranged for a complimentary bottle of champagne on ice to be sent to our room. We stayed in Loblolly Cay, one of the resort's Seafront Cottages. Most of the cottages are detached units, but Loblolly does share a high bamboo fence with another unit. However, we still thought it was the best location on property, and would have been our first choice if we'd had every cottage to choose from!

2011 Dream trip # 2: Costa Rica honeymoon!

Since last Monday's episode of "The Bachelor", filmed at Costa Rica's Springs Resort & Spa near the Arenal volcano, I've noticed a huge uptick in the number of requests for information on vacations in this beautiful Central American country. So today I'm showcasing a fabulous itinerary - the perfect Costa Rican dream honeymoon!

Day 1:
Fly into Daniel Oduber International airport in Liberia (LIR), and then take a short flight from there to La Fortuna.  After checking into your Honeymoon Vista Suite at The Springs Resort & Spa mid-afternoon, put on your bathing suits (or go au natural!) and sip champagne in your private infinity-edge jacuzzi, which is fed by hot mineral springs. Enjoy a romantic dinner at the resort's Las Ventanas restaurant, where the delicious fusion cuisine is outshone only by the incredible views of the Arenal volcano. After dinner, grab a bottle of wine to go, and head back to your private jacuzzi for some "star-gazing". ;)

 

 

Incredible last minute deal to French Polynesia - 10 nights for the price of 5!

Baby, it's COLD outside! But why stay indoors when you could be sunning yourself on the beach in the famed islands of French Polynesia? Book now for travel through March 31st, and you can get 5 or more nights free!

Here's how it works:
Book 5 or more nights at the Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa or the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort Spa in an Overwater or Premium Overwater Bungalow...
And then receive the same number of nights free in ANY room category at Huahine Te Tiare Beach Resort, Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort, or Manihi Pearl Beach Resort! Having trouble deciding where to use your free nights? No problem - they can be split between any of these gorgeous properties!


For more details, please feel free to contact me at caroline@easyescapestravel.com!


Need a few more reasons to take advantage of this incredible offer? Check out the photos below from my stays at these resorts and islands, along with the top reasons for visiting each of them!
Disclaimer: I have not yet stayed at Manihi Pearl Beach Resort, so photos of that property are courtesy of spmhotels.com.

Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa
Great for those looking:
*To not travel far from Tahiti - Moorea is accessible via a 10 minute flight or 30 minute ferry from Papeete!
*To experience a gorgeous, lush, and laid-back tropical island, while still having access to plenty of activities and excursions
*To experience an island that is less developed than Tahiti or Bora Bora, but not totally off the beaten path
*To explore via a car or buggy--the island can be circumnavigated in a few hours!
*To interact with dolphins
*To visit a fruit juice and tropical liqueur distillery (and enjoy free tastings!)
*To see sea turtles from the deck of your overwater bungalow
*To get married in paradise, complete with traditional Polynesian wedding leis  
*To hike up to Belvedere Lookout for great views of Cooks Bay, the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett's "One Particular Harbour"
 

Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa
Great for those looking:
*To spend time on the most iconic of French Polynesia's islands
*To swim (or just float!) in a crystal clear lagoon often referred to as "the eighth natural wonder of the world"
*To enjoy the sun rising over Bora Bora's famed Mt. Otemanu
*To swim with sharks and stingrays
*To have dinner at Bloody Mary's, the island's most famous restaurant and legendary celebrity hangout
*To stay in an overwater bungalow in the waters off a motu (tiny coral island)
*To snorkel in coral gardens teeming with colorful and exotic sea life
*To slip into pure bliss with a couple's massage at the gorgeous Manea Spa

Te Tiare Beach Resort, Huahine
Great for those looking:
*To take a peek into traditional Polynesian life
*To visit the island's sacred blue-eyed, long "eared" eels
*To rent a car and explore 2 islands at once - Huahine Iti and Huahine Nui
*To relax in an incredibly beautiful and tranquil setting
*To enjoy a classically Polynesian dinner and show

 

Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort
Great for those looking:
*To snorkel or dive among incredible sea life - in a recent study, the Jacques Cousteau Institute found that Tikehau has the highest concentration and variety of marine life in all of French Polynesia
*To enjoy a "luxury Robinson Crusoe" experience
*To really get away from it all in a remote and gorgeous location
*To explore one of the quietest and least-touristed villages in the South Pacific
*To spot birds during a 1/2 day trip to Oe Oe (Bird Island), a nesting spot for noddys and white fairy terns
*To kayak to deserted motus for a picnic lunch

 
 
 
 
 

Manihi Pearl Beach Resort

Great for those looking:
*To visit a pearl farm
*To snorkel and dive with schools of sharks, manta rays, barracuda, and other large fish
*To get off the beaten path, while still enjoying resort amenities and excellent service
*To eat seafood that was caught in the lagoon only minutes before
*To have a breakfast delivered to your overwater bungalow via outrigger canoe
*To go deep sea fishing