Blogs

It has been some time since we reviewed a Hawaiian vacation property, and the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on the leafy garden island of Kaua‘i  is particularly interesting for several reasons.

Mixed Clientele

The Westin Princeville is a village style resort that caters to a number of different types of vacationers. We spoke with Westin Vacation (timeshare) owners, business people using their Starwood Preferred Guest points for a much deserved vacation, and ordinary folks seeking a safe

Did you know that one of the more prominent beach resorts of Europe was not so long ago locked away behind the Iron Curtain? Bulgaria's town of Nessebar, on the coast of the Black Sea, is home to a booming and still growing resort called Sunny Beach, which began in 1958 as the then Soviet régime's version of fun in the sun. 

Sunny Beach's menu of beaches, culture, leisure, dining, and activities on water and land is such that the visitor will be have no choice but to leave some for the next time.

The fun-loving beach town of Jacó lights up as “beach party central” on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. Just an hour from the San Jose metropolitan area on the Route 27 and Costanera Sur highways, Jacó is one of the country’s most developed beach towns.

Jacó spreads out in front of a low green mountain range along an azure horseshoe bay and features hotels, funky restaurants, souvenir and surf shops, bars, discos, casinos, and a wide beach. Just before Jacó is Playa Herradura, home to the ren

Are you looking for a​n ideal​ tropical paradise for an upcoming vacation?

One with a 10-acre pristine ,​sandy ​beach, superb food, a fabulous spa and fitness center, a nearby 18-hole championship golf course, yoga and tennis, a choice of three swimming pools with pool activities and tranquil waterfalls, and ​gorgeous lush​ vegetation?

How about a gaggle of friendly peacocks who will welcome you every morning to breakfast or a few resident iguanas to visit with you around the

by Nellie Huang

It was his obsession with adventure that brought him to the interior of what was then known as Spanish Sahara, an overseas territory of Spain. In 1930, Michel Vieuchange, a French adventurer, set out on his journey to the largely unexplored region known today as Western Sahara. He removed his gold tooth and disguised himself as a Berber woman to sneak his way into the unknown. His goal was to discover the ruins of Smara, a walled city that was built centuries ago and then aband

Crete is Greece's biggest island, whose culture, natural beauty and climate, summer sunshine and cool sea, together with its dynamic people, make it also one of the biggest and most modern tourist centers in Greece. On the north coast, its beautiful capital Heraklion is surrounded by ramparts and medieval fortifications, erected by the Venetians who controlled the island, it is also the main port.

On a visit to the city of Heraklion, you cannot miss a trip to the San Menas cathedral  (19th c.)

Lush nature, golden beaches, tropical fauna, emerald mountains, tradition, culture and an enviable climate. That is how to sum up what to expect in Riviera Nayarit, the 307 kilometers of Mexican coastline which have become one of the world’s new paradises for vacations. Cradled by the Pacific Ocean and the stunning Sierra Madre Occidental, the Riviera Nayarit is a dazzling gem. From the very first moment, you will be amazed by its intense blue skies, its vegetation, the spectacular whale sightin

Sunsets in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica are some of the most spectacular I’ve seen, especially if it is low tide. When the Pacific Ocean recedes from the long coastline of this stretch of the Nicoya Peninsula – Playa Carmen, Playa Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa – the setting sun reflects its fiery colors in millions of little tide pools in the exposed reef and turns the white sand rosy pink.

The best place to be on the beach in Santa Teresa and watch the sunset, while you enjoy a refreshing cold dri

While the Great Depression gripped most of the world in 1931, Milton S. Hershey built an opulent hotel atop Pat's Hill overlooking his chocolate factory in Hershey Pennsylvania. The Hershey Hotel is truly a testament to the fact that greatness marches to the beat of a different drum. But eccentricity borne by wealth alone doesn't explain why Mr. Hershey went ahead with such an extravagant project during hard times. Faced with the decision of either employing his town's construction workers or pr

Incorporated in 1829, Waterville Valley is a New Hampshire village at the end of a winding scenic road just 15 miles off I-93, 2 hours from Boston surrounded by over 40,000 acres of White Mountain National Forest under a dramatic backdrop defined by 4000 foot mountain peaks.

You're as far as you want to be from anything resembling the hectic everyday world. The skies are dark enough at night to rediscover the constellations, a characteristic that served Curious George authors Margret and H.A. Rey

When it was time to start planning our family’s summer ‘14 adventure, we decided to expand our borders beyond tours around the Northeast to a destination down South.

My wife Sue and I felt that we were ready for such an expedition.  Our excursions to Vermont, the Poconos, and the Jersey Shore were successes, and we figured that a location below the Mason Dixon line that offered new experiences, culture, and surroundings was worth the longer drive.  Also, our kids were at ages (Eli – 16, Doris – 1

Summer is here, and that means Sitges is in full swing for the season. Of the myriad little fishing-villages-turned-beach-resorts along Spain's Mediterranean coast, this is the one nearest and dearest to the heart of gay men and women across Europe and beyond. In Catalonia about 45 minutes south of Barcelona, Sitges (pronouced “SEAT-jess,” its fetching seaside church – pictured above -- an icon) now has a year-round population around 20,000, doesn't attract queers alone - in fact, they're great

Travel can be stressful, there’s no doubt about it. Standing in line, airport security, incessant waiting, lugging bags and suitcases, crowds … and the sitting! Sitting on a plane, or in a car or taxi, or on a bus, or on a train – it plays havoc with your back, butt, hips, legs, and well, pretty much everything.

After a long airplane flight, I always feel about two inches shorter from my back and muscles being scrunched from so much sitting. Know the feeling? Ever want to be pulled apart from he

In antiquity, the city of Cavtat was known as Epidaurus. A Greek colony was established there. Cavtat’s soil and surrounding seabed are brimming with artifacts from those times: coins, funeral stelae, baseboard fragments, mosaics, amphorae, and so on. Having been destroyed by barbarians, it was reconstructed in the 15th century in the beautifulDubrovnik style, with the same clear stone from Brai and with remarkable homogeneity.  Also to be found are several Roman remains, defensive walls dating

Coming face to face with a giant manta ray is the thrill of a lifetime. They are amazing and curious creatures. People are fascinated by their opposite-seeming natures -  ominous looks, but sweet dispositions.

The Sheraton Kona Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii pays homage to these gentle giants by providing a viewing area for visitors at the resort’s Rays on the Bay restaurant. 

From the restaurant’s lookout, the magnificent and mysterious creatures can be seen gliding in the night ocean far bel

South of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand, the Holiday Inn Regent Beach Resort offers days of lazing in the sun and walking on the beach but the best relaxing can be had at the hotel’s Tea Tree Spa. Pamper yourself with one of their therapies that will relax the body, soothe your soul and lift your spirits. Their Tea Tree Signature treatment offers the ultimate experience creating a new zest for life.  An exfoliation will cleanse and leave your skin ready to receive the maximum benefits of one o

On March 3, the Holiday Inn Ch-am, located three hours south of Bangkok, held a housewarming party to introduce their recently completed upgrades. Upgrades included sprucing up the Regent pool, changing all beds and bedding to Holiday Inn international standards, and other amenities that complement their seamless hospitality. 

The 40-acre resort located on the Gulf of Siam has lush tropical gardens, a wide beach and two large pools.  All the modern, spacious accommodations have a balcony and a

It starts just after I land in Hobart. I am whisked into the airport’s private Saffire Lodge lounge. Quick refresh, an espresso and pick up my snack pack and drink, then fold into a private car to take me to the magical Freycinet Peninsula of Tasmania.

Just two and a half hours away, along Tasmania’s scenic east coast from Hobart (it’s two hours’ drive from Launceston), you turn off the road and cruise towards heaven on earth. (Purely subjective – but hey, I was there.)

Tasmania has to be one o

Doing yoga outdoors has many benefits, and the beach in Costa Rica is an ideal place to practice your poses. Besides fresh air and killer scenery, your body has to work a lot harder to do yoga in the sand. It takes balance, concentration and strength to hold yoga poses on an uneven unstable surface, so you get more of a full-body workout.

Here are six reasons why yoga is fun on the beach, from Nancy Goodfellow, resident yoga instructor and co-owner of Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat in