Monday, April 28, 2008

Why Not Travel To Rome For Your Summer Vacation?


Are you starting to make your travel plans for this summer?  Do you want a travel experience like no other?  In my opinion, making plans to travel to Rome is an ideal way to spend your summer vacation.  If you have older children, a trip to Rome is a learning experience they will never forget.

We did a family trip to Rome last year and it was unbelievable.  I was pleasantly surprised by how many family friendly activities we found to do!  After polling my two children, I’ve created this short list of their favorite activities – just in case you are lucky enough to travel to Rome in the next few months!

  • Parco Scuola del Traffico – If you have children between the ages of 4 and 18, one of the most unique Rome experiences for them is to learn to operate an Italian vehicle on the streets of Rome.  Parco Scuola del Traffico is a driving school where children as young as four can learn to drive mini cars and ride scooters.  It really is cool, as the streets inside the school have the same layout as in real life with stoplights, crosswalks, gas station, billboards etc.  Depending on the ages of your children, they may learn to drive mini electric cars (ages 4-6), mini motor cars (6-12) or motor scooters (12-18).  If you don’t know Italian, phone ahead to find out if the instructor who speaks English will be on duty.  Our kids thoroughly enjoyed this unique experience.
  • Museo Explora – The first Italian museum created just for children, Museo Explora is a fun spot divided into four sections and resembles a small town.  A great learning experience, children learn through hands on, personal experience about the four different themes: society, me, environment and communication.  Visits are scheduled, last almost 2 hours and need to be booked in advance.
  • Bioparco – No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to Rome’s zoo.  With a strong attention to the conservation of species, it is a fun place to spend the day.  It holds 1200 animals in a 17-acre area in the heart of Rome.  What makes this zoo unique are the early 20th century buildings still maintained in the zoo alongside modern habitats for the animals.
  • Hydromania – Another highlight of our trip was a visit the huge water park called Hydromania.  Featuring a giant wave pool and the fastest slide in Italy, my kids had a blast enjoying a hot day in the water.  Not many tourists come here, so it’s a neat place to see locals enjoying family time.  Plenty of change rooms and many options for eating, it is a nice change of pace from museums and galleries!

If you plan to travel to Rome with your family, it really is a great destination featuring loads to do that interest both the adults and children in the family.  Include some of these family favorites in your own itinerary and your children will return remarking that it was one of the ‘best trips ever’!  Have fun!

Posted by Mrs. New Yorker on 04/28 at 11:36 AM
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Friday, April 25, 2008

Travel To Italy This Year!

One of my dreams for many years has been to travel to Italy and stay in an Italian villa.  I’m not really sure when or why this dream came to be, but it’s been on my mind for at least a couple of decades.  Now that our kids are older and pretty much self sufficient, my husband and I decided that we would finally embark on our Italian travel dream.

Coming up with our itinerary was difficult.  Just open up any Italy travel book and you quickly get overwhelmed with the sheer number of places you want to visit.  Since we weren’t sure if, or when we’d get back, we carefully considered each destination to ensure we hit all the spots we really wanted to see. 

When it came to picking our villa, we used the Conde Nast Traveler June 2007 issue as our guide.  In this issue, they provided a villa rental guide that really helped us pick our choice.  I especially liked a section on ‘is a villa for you’ where they provided some poignant questions about if a villa rental is right for your type of travel style.  Some of the questions were:

  • Am I better off in a hotel?
  • Do I require American style comfort?
  • Do I have to stay a full week?
  • What amenities do I require?
  • How do I envision spending my time?
  • How large a staff should I have?

After reviewing these questions and researching our options, we decided that we still wanted to travel Italy and end off with a two-week stay at a villa.  Based on the magazine’s suggestion, we choose a villa with a cook and housekeeper so that our precious hours could be spend sightseeing and enjoying the local culture instead of searching for supermarkets, cooking food and cleaning house.

We also went with one of the villas recommended in that same issue.  The property owner has a large variety of villas suiting every taste and budget.  Since our budget was somewhat modest, we went with Villas Europe because we were able to get a lovely cottage that had everything we envisioned.  The owner even secured a terrific car rental rate!  One of the greatest perks was her unbelievable restaurant advice.  We went to some amazing local spots and indulged in some of the best food we’ve ever tasted!

For the remainder of our trip to Italy, we booked the Virgin Vacations Italian Adventure that included accommodations in Rome, Florence and Venice along with rail service between the cities.  It was the perfect way to get a taste of these amazing cities and allowed us to maximize our time. 

I hope you get the opportunity to travel Italy in the upcoming year.  I highly recommend finding a villa, as it is a unique opportunity to really get a taste of Italian life.  We met some wonderful people and will look back on our month in this amazing country as one of the best times of our life.  Buon viaggio!

Posted by KyrasGram on 04/25 at 02:10 PM
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Monday, April 21, 2008

Eight Reasons To Travel To Paris

Ahh… the city of lights – the city of love.  There is nothing quite like Paris in the springtime!  Well, have you had enough of my cheesy clichés?  Well, I truly believe there is no other city quite like it and I recommend that everyone visit at least once in his or her life.

My husband and I are busy planning our next trip to Paris so I thought I’d post my top eight (or should I say huit – that’s French for 8) reasons for you to consider your own trip to Paris this spring or summer.

  1. Romance – There really is no better city to bring back that sparkle of romance.  Paris has a certain romance about it and it surrounds you as you visit every corner of the city.  There are many romantic pursuits like a trip up the Eiffel Tower, indulging in a French kiss on a bridge overlooking the Seine River and enjoying a class of great French wine in a smoky jazz club.
  2. Art – I’d go back to Paris anytime just to have another chance to visit the Louvre Museum.  From the Mona Lisa to Venus de Milo, it is jam packed with some of the world’s most famous works of art.
  3. Cuisine – A top reason to travel Paris is to enjoy some of the most amazing food and drink.  From a fresh croissant and cheese for breakfast or a tasty baguette sandwiches from the boulangeries to five star cuisines in the evening, the tastes of Paris are second to none.  Everything is simply fresh and you can’t beat a wonderful glass of French red to go with it!
  4. Cafés – My husband and I thoroughly enjoy finding an outside table at a busy café and passing our time people watching while enjoying a tasty café au lait. 
  5. Shopping – I’d be remiss if I didn’t include shopping in my list of reasons to visit Paris.  While I can’t afford haute couture, I really enjoy window shopping at the designer shops along the Champs d’elysse.  A girl can dream – right?!
  6. Paris Plage – If you are visiting in the summer, be sure to include a trip to Paris Plage where the city turns the banks of the Seine River into a French Polynesian beach resplendent with palm trees, umbrellas and lounge chairs!  You can enjoy water sports and hot tubs and in the evening open air dances and indie bands.  Loads of fun!
  7. Open air entertainment – Another great reason to visit in the summer are the free concerts featured every weekend at Parc Floral.  Expect to see and hear a wide variety of music!  We’ve also enjoyed Shakespeare in the outdoor Theatre de Verdure.
  8. Landmarks – You’ll really want to visit some of the most famous Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, and Pompidou Centre during your first visit to Paris.

There you have it!  I really hope you’ll have the opportunity to travel Paris in the next few months.  It will be a trip of a lifetime and will fill you with beautiful memories!

Posted by Chef_Steph on 04/21 at 11:46 AM
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Friday, April 18, 2008

Shop Till You Drop In Barcelona!

If you’ve ever been to Barcelona, then you know it is a city of impeccable style.  Just take a look on any of the major streets, and you’ll find senoritas dressed to the nines in the latest fashions.  In fact, Barcelona is where you can find the best in Catalan, Spanish and international design.  I just returned from an extended stay in Spain and found that Barcelona was an ideal place to search for fashion.

When planning your own trip to Barcelona, be sure to schedule in some time for shopping.  It’s best to begin a tour of Barcelona on the streets around the Passeig de Gracia, which makes up the most important shopping area and where you’ll find well known fashion and design stores just waiting to gobble up your tourist dollars!  If fashion is not your forte, you’ll also find wonderful bakeries, interesting herbalists and pharmacies, antiques dealers and stores specializing in traditional crafts.

Here are just a few of my favorite stops that I enjoyed during my latest trip…

  • If you like department stores, then be sure to visit the branch of El Corte Ingles, Spain’s largest department store chain.  Located on Placa Catalunya, it is the ideal place to find everything you need.  If you don’t enjoy browsing through many shops, then one trip to El Corte Ingles is all you need to do!

  • Be sure to visit one of the galeries (fashion malls).  One my favorites is Boulevard Rosa on the Passieg de Gracia - it has hundreds of stores selling clothing and accessories that you aren’t likely to find back home. 

  • If international fashion labels is more your thing, Passeig de Gracia is the place to be.  On top of the international designers, you’ll find funky shops featuring young local designers.

  • For all your souvenirs from Spain, make a stop at La Caixa de Fang - it has a great variety of Catalan and Spanish ceramics.  If you have cigar lovers in your family, L’Estane features everything they could need, including Havana cigars.

  • While Spain is renowned for fashion, it is also well known for its food.  No visit to Barcelona would be complete without looking around La Bouqueria on La Rambla, one of the most amazing food markets in Europe.  If you like Antiques, come on Thursday as antiques are sold in the Placa Nova on that day.  Cheese, honey and sweets are featured in the Placa del Pi on the first and third Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each month. 

  • If you like to keep in touch with news of home while you are away, you’ll find that most city center newsstands stock English language newspapers.  If you want a top selection of foreign papers and magazines, then visit FNAC at Crisol and L’Illa.  You can also pick up DVDs, CDs, and books from these locales.

Barcelona really is one of the great Mediterranean cities.  Few other places have as much history, mixed with a modern vibe.  Any shopaholic can get their fix too by visiting some of the recommendations I’ve made.  I hope you get a chance to visit this vibrant city and experience everything it has to offer!

Posted by Signorita Elsie on 04/18 at 12:02 PM
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Monday, April 14, 2008

Bali’s Five Top Dive Spots

My best friend and I are avid divers and usually try to take a diving trip together at least once a year.  This year, we went all out and spent a couple of weeks in Bali.  Let me tell you – it was amazing!  Bali has an abundance of diving locales, each one offering something special.  If you like diving, you’ll love the diversity offered in Bali.  Imagine encountering shipwrecks, vertical walls, volcanic outcrops, ripping currents, coral ridges and submerged reefs.  Although we loved every dive, we managed to come up with our top five lists of our favorite dive spots we encountered on our recent trip.

  1. USAT Liberty – Most of the dive operators we talked with consider the USAT Liberty to be the most popular dive site.  Based on the number of divers when we visited – I’d have to agree.  This dive site features the American Ship USAT Liberty that was an armed cargo steamship torpedoed by the Japanese in 1942.  With all those years under the sea, it is now a beautiful artificial reef.  You can expect to see huge soft coral trees, barrel sponges, bigeye jacks, batfish, sweetlips and parrotfish!  Definitely worth the crowds. 

  2. Gili Tepekong – Located near the Candi Dasa shore on the southeast coast, this dive site is a big volcanic hump rising impressively out of the water.  But, it’s what’s underneath that is so spectacular.  Covered in snake like coral heads of many sizes, you’ll be in awe of the site.  Blood red seafans, tunicates and many different kinds of sponges proliferate.  You’ll also witness gorgeous coral life; however, it is important to dive with a guide because strong downward currents can develop when the tide and surf are active.

  3. Manta Point – If you are lucky, you may just have a close encounter with the manta rays that pass through this area.  We were lucky enough to have such an encounter.  I especially enjoyed seeing the pure white manta that was both eerie and beautiful at the same time.  Be warned though, this dive site is located along the Nusa Penida, famed for its high and rugged cliffs, so it can be difficult to get to the site if there are large swells.

  4. Menjangen Island – Home to the Menjangen Island Marine Park, a protected habitat for around 3,500 marine species you can expect a spectacular visual dive.  We enjoyed being greeted by batfish and exploring the deep crevices and small caves around the reef.  We also saw beautiful coral, sleeping groupers and nervous bigeyes.

  5. Lipah Shipwreck – In the Lipah fishing village, you can find the Lipah Shipwreck dive site.  Hire a boat to take you down the coast or you can drive along the coast and walk in.  We were there on a particularly active day and found hundreds of cooper sweepers, more batfish and breathtaking waving sea fans.  We also went with a guide here because we’d heard that it can be an area susceptible to sudden, hard and fast currents.

Bali is an amazing place to dive with the abundance of spectacular dive sites and the generally warm waters.  Not only is it a great place to dive, but the culture and landscape make it amazing for all your land-based activities too!  I truly hope you get to enjoy your own Bali diving escape someday soon!

Posted by Dippold on 04/14 at 03:04 PM
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Friday, April 11, 2008

Visit Victoria House in Belize and You Won’t Be Disappointed!

This winter, my husband and I took a well deserved vacation and booked the Ambergris Caye Beach Break to Belize with Virgin Vacations.  After many years of enduring our cold northeastern winters, we finally saved enough money and embarked on a wonderful weeklong escape.

Neither of us had been to Belize before, but from our research, we discovered the Ambergris Cave sounded like it was exactly what we were looking for.  Ambergris Cave has been the hub of Belizean maritime trade for centuries and in the last twenty years, the amazing scenery has turned it into a scuba, fishing and ecotourism hub.  With amazing weather, an abundance of things to do and breathtaking beauty it was the perfect locale for a winter break!

We choose the Victoria House hotel for our package because we wanted a smaller resort and we weren’t disappointed.  After a pleasant flight and transportation to the hotel, I was surprised that initially the Victoria House didn’t really feel like a typical resort because of its size and layout.  It is an ideal location, nestled among swaying palms and pristine sandy beaches.  The hotel is the perfect location to relax in its casual elegance with all the amenities you’d expect from a luxury hotel.

My husband and I both liked that the hotel was informal and encouraged rest and relaxation.  One of our favorite things to do was exploring the grounds and enjoying the ten acres of tropical flowers and fauna.  Although we spent much of our time enjoying the outdoors, the room was amazing and we were lucky enough to have an unbelievable beach view.  In fact, Victoria House has only 45 rooms/suites so it was easy to mingle with other guests and staff.

My husband enjoys diving and I like snorkeling, so we made use of the Fantasea Dive Shop offering a variety of different activities.  The activities director was helpful and he was integral in the planning and coordinating of our itinerary.  But, we didn’t do too many things because we also wanted plenty of time to rest and relax beside the pool and on the beach!

For me, the food at a resort is very important.  Well, we certainly weren’t disappointed and went back with slightly tighter pants!  The resort has three different dining options focusing on fresh local ingredients and of course – seafood.  Restaurant Palmilla was my husband’s favorite because it overlooks the pool and the Caribbean and had a casual feeling.  The a la carte menu offered so many choices so we were never disappointed.

We often ate our lunch and breakfast at the poolside patio because I love dining outside.  This restaurant also provided breathtaking views!  We also ventured out to the Admiral Nelsons Beach Bar with the adorable Palapa thatch roof bar and casual dining veranda.  Great food here as well!

If you are planning your own Belizean escape, I highly recommend you consider the Victoria House.  It has island charm, fantastic staff, amazing activities and comfortable, luxurious accommodations.  Everything you need for a one week escape to recharge your batteries!

Posted by Bella on 04/11 at 03:55 PM
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Monday, April 07, 2008

Taking Great Digital Landscape Shots

Have you ever returned from a trip and once you uploaded your photos, you were disappointed by what you saw?  Did your pictures just not do the scenery justice?

This has happened to me many times.  I’m rarely satisfied with the photographs I take on vacation.  That is, until I finally took a photography class and learned about taking scenery and landscape photographs.

What I discovered is that it really is quite simple to take photographs that capture the beauty of the place you are visiting.  All it takes is some know how… and practice!  Here are my top tips for photographing landscapes…

  • Bring a tripod – If you are serious about shooting landscapes that are beautiful, then a tripod is a necessity.  It doesn’t have to be big and bulky, just a small, sturdy one that will allow you use the various settings on your camera and you won’t have to worry about having stable hands.
  • Use the landscape setting – Most digital cameras have a landscape setting.  Ensure you use this setting in order to get the clearest photo.  Of course, if you are using a conventional camera, put on your wide-angle lens for the best landscape shots.
  • Shoot at the right time of day – The best piece of advice my photography teacher gave me was to avoid shooting during the midday.  You’ll find that during midday, there is a lot of harsh lighting creating bad shadow effects.  I’ve taken my best landscape pictures during the early morning or late afternoon.
  • Fill the frame – Look carefully at what you’ve got inside your frame before you take the picture.  Take the time to experiment.  Move your camera up and down, side to side and even tilt it at various angles.  What you want to do is fill the frame with the object that you are most interested in.
  • Geographical position – Another good tip I received is to try to place yourself at the north or south from the landscape that you want to take pictures of because you will then benefit from lateral light.  Lateral light is the type of light that emphasizes shapes, shadows, relief and textures.
  • Reflections – Some of my favorite photographs are peaceful waters with the landscape reflecting off the still pool of water.  Calm water is the perfect occasion to take a beautiful mirror image.

I hope these tips will help you create landscape photographs from your travels that will capture the beauty of what you saw.  Don’t forget to display your effort too!  If you have a favorite photo, why not get it blown up to use as artwork in your home!

Posted by Tammy on 04/07 at 03:32 PM
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Friday, April 04, 2008

My Stay At The VIP Berna Hotel
  

I recently traveled to Lisbon, Portugal and truly loved every minute.  One of the highlights of my stay was my accommodations in the city – the VIP Berna Hotel.  I usually travel on a budget, because I like my dollars to stretch further so that I can plan more trips in a year than would be possible if I blew my entire vacation budget in one trip.  Therefore, this hotel was the least expensive in my Virgin Vacations package.

Despite the low cost, I found the hotel to be excellent.  It was completely functional and from the time I checked in to when I left, I had a really pleasant stay at the hotel.  As I often have trouble with jet lag when traveling to Europe, I asked the friendly front desk clerk at check in if I could have a quiet room that was non-smoking.  My request was fulfilled immediately and I was really pleased when I entered my room on the fifth floor.  As soon as I dumped my bags, I had a seat on the bed and took in my surroundings for the next few days.  The room was very clean and most comfortable.  As a bonus, the TV had several English speaking channels so I knew I could keep up with world events.

For me, the hotel bathroom has to be well equipped and impeccably clean and I wasn’t disappointed.  The towels were fluffy and new and they provided plenty of towels, which I always appreciate.  I also found the bed linens to be of superior quality and perfect for a restful sleep!

I generally eat my breakfast at my hotel because I just find it easier and it saves me time.  The VIP Berna offered a buffet breakfast that filled me up well into the afternoon.  The food was all fresh, there was a huge variety and all the dishes were kept well stocked.

In terms of location, this hotel is in the commercial area of Lisbon and it is easy to get around by public transportation (either the subway or buses).  Taxis are also cheap, so unless you plan to venture outside of the city, a rental car is not required.

At all times I found the staff to be friendly and professional and willing to answer any questions I had.  Overall, this was a great stay at a budget hotel.  I highly recommend it if you find yourself traveling to Lisbon, Portugal anytime soon!  It is a beautiful city with loads to do!

Posted by Daisy on 04/04 at 02:38 PM
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