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Archive for April, 2006

April 15th, 2006

Be Neighbourly In Your Orlando Vacation Home

People who choose to stay full time can have numerous reasons for doing so. They could be Disney employees thus enjoying the luxury of a very short journey time to work, since the majority of vacation rental villas are very well situated to access Walt Disney World and all it has to offer. Some residents own vacation homes in and around where they stay and they like to be close at hand to keep an eye on their property and look after their guests themselves. Others may have some kind of occupation related in some way to the hospitality/vacation industry. Then again you may just find some friendly folks who like the idea of having new and different neighbours every few weeks!

Having full time residents nearby can be a great thing. They very much enjoy visitors to their area and those who settle there full-time are well used to new neighbours every one or two weeks and are very friendly and keen to learn you are enjoying your stay and having a fabulous vacation.

Just generally walking about the resort your vacation villa is in, you are bound to pass some local residents who are always ready to greet you with a smile and genuinely wish you a “nice day”. If you have questions about the local area or attractions, I am sure you will find them only too happy to help.

That said, since these people are resident full time, one should always be remember to be courteous to them whilst still making the most of your vacation.

Local residents need their sleep too!

Generally there are safety and courtesy rules in all residential areas for “quiet times” at the pool. As a rule of thumb these tend to be 11pm-7am. One of the most tempting times to forget about these rules is for those visitors who have travelled from far away (e.g. U.K.) and need to make huge adjustments to time changes and body clocks. On the first morning of these guests’ vacation, they will tend to waken very early and it is strongly advised to resist the urge to come straight down to the pool until it reaches what everyone would agree is a slightly more reasonable time.

Stay in a resort based vacation home…

You will find a great many of Orlando vacation villas have been built in resorts that offer communal areas. These can include any combination of the following: a communal swimming pool (in addition to your very own private pool at your holiday villa); a games room; a fitness room; a shop; a café; basketball/volleyball courts; tennis courts; childrens play areas. Any of these areas offer the ideal opportunity to meet people from all over the world- both full time residents and other holidaymakers like you.

Showing your neighbours common courtesies will encourage them to extend a warm welcome when you return for another vacation at a later date and then your villa experience really will be like a “home from home” since you already know the neighbours!

April 15th, 2006

One night in Bangkok

By the end of October in Thailand finishes so called “rain season”, so now it’s just the right time to visit this country and to see all its sightseeing.
Before going to one of its sea resorts, most of which have recovered from the last year’s tsunami, it could be very interesting to spend some time in Thailand’s capital – Bangkok. Bangkok is 8-million metropolis. You can live here for several years but still find something new. However 24 hours is quite enough to fall in love with the city and to see the best it can offer.
For the last 200 years Bangkok has been the residence of the Tai’s kings. Live in Bangkok boils up round the clock. All the big shops and small stores are open 24 hours a day. The night is the best time in Bangkok. No heat, bright lights… Even the mud, so usual for the oriental city seems to hide under the cover of the dark.
Impetuous Bangkok’s nightlife attracts a lot of people, mostly tourists from the West. All bars, clubs and discos are always overcrowded. Noise, smoke, different shows (go-go, burlesk etc) and Thai’s massage become the symbols of unforgettable Bangkok’s nights.
When the night is over, if you still have forces, you can enjoy all the traditional attractions tourists usually visit.
As Thailand’s capital, Bangkok boasts the outstanding monuments of country’s past. Bangkok’s best temples include Wat Trimitr with its five and a half ton solid gold Buddha, Wat Po with its huge reclining Buddha - the first traditional massage school in Thailand, (massages are avalable.) and Wat Banjamaborpitr - the White Marble Temple - one of Bangkok’s most beautiful temples with impressive Thai architecture. Even if you’re short on time you should visit with the Grand Palace - Bangkok’s most famous landmark is a former residence of the Kings of Thailand.
In November Bangkok hosts the Royal Rattanakosin Loy Krathong Festival. Loy Krathong is celebrated in different styles. This special festival includes a revival of traditional ceremonies, games, contests and competitions: Krathong Competition, and Thai costume contest. The festival lasts several days. You can choose only one of them – and see the most beautiful Thai’s traditions and the most impressive national dresses.
Now, when you saw it all you can continue your vacations on Phuket, Pattaya or any other resort. Many tourists after visiting Bangkok decide to see Laos or Cambodia that are not so far away.

April 15th, 2006

Atlantic City Casino Resort

If you want great casino experiences without going to Las Vegas, considering Atlantic City Casino Resort might be the place for you. Here you’ll get high class gambling entertainment as you elevate your game with the best table action around. This casino resort offers some of the highest limits in town, and very few - if any - can match their personalized service.

This casino entertainment hotel has a brand new poker room, where you can play your favorites - Texas Hold ‘Em and 7-Card stud. You can also play baccarat, a really elegant game that’s easy to play. If you want it really simple, nothing is more fun to play than the Big Six Wheel. Your only task is bet on the number or symbol of your choice, then the dealer will spin the wheel and the number it stops on is the number that wins. Can it get any easier?

Blackjack-fans can entertain themselves with “21″, one of America’s most popular casino games. Spanish 21 is the ultimate blackjack variation, where the blackjack game is combined with the multiple payoffs of a slot machine. This casino resort even has five spot tables exclusive to Resorts! And of course you can play poker in many variants like 5 card poker (Caribbean Stud Poker, Let It Ride), Three Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker and Texas Hold ‘Em. It goes without saying that Craps and Roulette are amongst these exhilirating gambling games, not only of chance but which take knowledge of reasoning included in this, as within every great casino.

Another interesting and entertaining game this Casino hotel has included is Pai Gow. This dominoe game originated in ancient China and is played with 32 dominoes, 11 of which are identical pairs. The purpose is to make two ranking hands using 4 dominoes, a high hand and a low hand. If your rankings for both hands are higher than the dealer’s, you win!

This casino resort gave me a comfortable, classy and entertaining experience and I highly recommend that you try it for a weekend. Always remember though, this excellent advice from the resort’s staff: “Bet with your head, not over it.”

April 15th, 2006

Top Ten Travel Nursing “Hot Spots”

The great thing about being a traveling nurse boils down to one key component – it’s about the travel! For those of us who love moving around and seeing the world, travel nursing is the profession of our dreams. There are many travel destinations available, based on weather, activities, cost of living, and salary. Therefore, I have gathered a list of my “Top Ten” destinations that nurses choose, based on the number of travelers who inquire about each location every month. Are you a travel RN scouting a new assignment? Then I’d like to suggest the following ten “Hot Spots”:

HAWAII – It’s no shock that Hawaii generates over 500 travel nursing inquiries per month. The wide range of outdoor activities from snow-capped mountains to snow-white sandy beaches elevates Hawaii to one of those meccas where you can build a snowman or a sand castle all in one day. Nurses tell me that you’ll discover virtually every type of outdoor activity imaginable—hiking trails that wind through erupting volcanoes, secret beaches, and lush green ranchlands. Many travelers also hunt, mountain bike, go rafting, and golf on some of the world’s most extravagant courses.

ALASKA – Travel nurses are intrigued by the possibilities of Alaska’s rugged mystery. Alaska is a huge wilderness with beautiful scenery, and travel nursing assignments offer plenty of time to see and do everything you want, whether in winter’s darkness under northern lights, or the glorious spring and summer where it’s light most of the time. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy Alaska for its’ wildlife, spectacular natural landscape, and fishing expeditions where the fish really are as big as the stories about which they’re told. Countless day cruises and sightseeing expeditions abound, as well as opportunities to hike, kayak, canoe, ski… Need we say more?

MONTANA – Whether photographer, adventurer, or both, Montana is truly a state that beckons with open arms. River trips, fishing and camping, history, snowy mountain ranges, and waterfalls are what you’ll encounter, along with plenty of open space to explore. Assignments in Montana appeal to those travel nurses who just need some time to break away from their city grind to enjoy marching to the beat of an entirely different drummer. The Big Sky Country boasts some of America’s most famous mountains, canyons, river valleys, forests, grassy plains, badlands, and caverns, and many travelers find it just irresistible enough to keep coming back.

MAINE – Maine’s splendor has inspired artists like Georgia O’Keefe and three generations of the Wyeth family, since the mid-nineteenth century. Travel nurses can’t resist at least one adventure in this charming getaway. Whether you embark on outdoor adventures like skiing and snowmobiling, or if you prefer the cozy ambience of antiquing through charming villages or just strolling or riding horseback on miles of sandy beaches in the smell of salt air, Maine is legendary and offers some wonderful travel nursing experiences. Its’ unique culture is outdoorsy and quaint, and of course you get to enjoy lobster as the locals do—fresh from the ocean!

CALIFORNIA – Warm weather and world-famous beaches make California a favorite choice for traveling nurses. Nine-hundred miles of coastline gives nurses in all locations the chance to spend many hours near the waves; and for nature lovers, California is home to many wildlife parks, remote wilderness areas, and safe-havens for endangered animals. If you’re an excitement junkie, you can scout out a wide selection of theme parks; and no matter what your taste in music, concerts abound in every type of venue. Historic sites and museums invite, as do five-star restaurants and clubs in which to see and be seen. The shopping is unparalleled, whether it’s trendy Melrose Place, La Jolla, or the strand in Venice Beach; and of course it’s home to Hollywood, and, yes, movie stars. Whether northern, southern, or coastal locations, traveling nurses return to California time and again.

WASHINGTON – The Evergreen State boasts the gorgeous Pacific Ocean, the Cascade Mountains, desert experiences, rain forests, towering volcanoes, glaciers, and lush wine country. Washington State rates high on the list of many nurse travelers. Must-sees are the Space Needle and Coulee Dam. The culture here is incredibly diverse; sophisticated, outdoorsy, and loaded with resorts, history, parks, museums, and botanical gardens. Whether touring downtown Seattle for cozy antique and book stores, exploring ancient Indian grounds, or hiking and biking mountains or trails, Washington holds a strong allure for many nurse travelers.

SOUTH CAROLINA – Endless adventure, excitement, fun and exploration represent why South Carolina is always a favorite destination for travel nurses. America’s oldest landscaped gardens frame mansions rife with historical heritage, in addition to pristine beaches and legendary marshy wetlands. For all you golfers, with over 330 golf courses, there’s always a new place to swing your clubs. But what fascinates many traveling nurses is the rich heritage in which South Carolina has paved the roads of culture, art, and folklore in our past. You can visit several historical areas and discovery centers of American history, including the American Revolution and the Civil War.

COLORADO – World-class winter skiing and summer music festivals in the mountains are just two reasons that nurses love traveling to Colorado. Boasting four spectacular seasons, Colorado is where travel nurses get to explore the state’s 18 million acres of state and national parks, forests, and monuments for biking, hiking, fishing, mountain climbing, and kayaking, to name a few. Colorado has many cultural treasures, including ancient Native American sites and dinosaur fossil exhibits, historic ghost towns, and even award-winning vineyards in Grand Junction. And for those who enjoy city life, amid all this natural beauty lie wonderful metropolitan areas like Denver and Boulder, full of shopping, performing arts, and professional sports.

TENNESSEE – From energetic nights of blues on Beale Street, to gorgeous rolling acres of Tennessee Walker horse country, to peaceful Smoky Mountain sunsets, Tennessee is a vacation that offers many world-renowned attractions. Nurse travelers who visit Tennessee will find that they’re within a day’s drive of 75-percent of the U.S. population via quality interstates and highways. Attractions in Tennessee include the Jack Daniels’ distillery, Elvis’s Graceland, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and lots of southern hospitality. And don’t forget the crown jewel of the southern Appalachians, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

ARIZONA – If you adore the outdoors, then the Grand Canyon State might just be for you. The nurses who go there just rave about Arizona’s landscape which takes in tall mountain ranges, swift rivers, grasslands, sand dunes, and cactus forests all set against a beautiful sky that glows pink in the sunset. The traveler nurses who enjoy history will find plenty of it here, including Old West reformations, Native American nations, and Spanish-influenced areas all in one state. Arizona is also home to the nation’s greatest golf courses, resorts, spas, cabins, and ranches.

As you can see, limitless possibilities exist for those nurses who want travel, fun, and adventure to be part of their daily lives. If you’re a nurse who travels and it’s time for you to move on to a new location, try one of these top travel nursing destinations and see what new experiences lie ahead.

April 15th, 2006

The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

The newest member of the Disneyland family of theme parks and resorts opened to the public. Hong Kong Disneyland is located on the island of Lantau, positioned to look out over Penny’s Bay and the Chinese Sea. Started as a joint operation between The Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong SAR government, Hong Kong Disneyland brings the magic of Disney to a whole new environment, respecting the aspects of the culture of the country where it makes its home. The park boasts 2 glamorous hotels, the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel.

Hong Kong Disneyland has some of the attractions that will be familiar to visitors of Disney’s other parks. Main Street looks like a piece of Americana transplanted, with the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad for a trip around the park. There’s also Adventureland, with the exciting Jungle River Cruise and all of the animal sights and sounds. Tarzan has made his home in Adventureland, where guests can take a ride on a raft to cross to Tarzan Island where they can visit Tarzan’s Tree House. For those who love the movie The Lion King, there is a musical performance based on the story as well – The Festival of the Lion King.

In the original Disneyland, Fantasyland is well known for the symbol that people think of when speaking of Disney - Cinderella’s Castle. Hong Kong Disneyland’s version is the castle of Sleeping Beauty, where children can explore the fairy tale and their own imagination. They can also visit the grotto of another Disney princess, Snow White. Cinderella is there too, represented by a beautiful carousel ride. There’s everyone’s favorite bear at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride. More popular Disney rides include the Mad Hatter Tea Cups and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Children and grown-ups can watch a 3-D movie with all the favorite Disney characters at Mickey’s PhilharMagic or The Golden Mickeys at Disney’s Storybook Theater.

The fourth area, Tommorrowland, gives visitors a Disney vision of the future. The three main attractions include 2 of the fastest most exciting rides in the park. Space Mountain is a literally rocketing rollercoaster. Orbitron lets you pilot your own jet through the sky of whirling planets. You can also play a cosmic game of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters with the whole family. In 2006 guests will have a new adventure to enjoy. Autopia will have visitors driving futuristic electric cars around a track meant to envision the roads of tomorrow.

Visitors can choose to stay inside the park at one of the two beautiful new hotels. The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel is designed to take you back in time to the grandness of the Victorian era. The European influence is obvious in the 400 luxuriously appointed rooms. Guests can enjoy spa services at the hotel as well. At Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, the 600 guest rooms are decorated in an art deco style, meant to bring back the allure of the golden age of Hollywood.

Although the park exposes local visitors to traditions and exhibits from the Western world, local culture is honored as well. At the opening ceremonies children sang in English, Cantonese and Putonghua. The Hong Kong Children’s Choir was followed by other local traditional performances such as Chinese acrobats and dancers performing a Lion Dance. The ceremonies were attended by members of the local government as well as representatives from Disneyland theme parks in other countries. The culture of the Hong Kong region is also reflected in the cuisine served throughout the park. Yes, guests can find food that is more often served in the West, but also local dishes that they’ll enjoy as well.

April 15th, 2006

Booking Holidays Online - Cheaper than Travel Agents?

The way in which many of us book holidays has changed dramatically in recent years. Ten years ago many of us would have relied on our local travel agents to find us a good deal.

When we came to think about our next trip away, we’d simply wander down the high street and nip into a few travel agents shops, picking up a number of different holiday brochures to compare prices offered by different tour operators.

Comparing prices sometimes involved taking into account certain special offers that might be available, or any additional costs caused by the time of year (school holidays, for example) or number of people travelling.

When thinking about destinations, resorts or particular hotels, our opinions might largely be shaped by what friends and family had told us, what we’d read in magazines, or maybe what we’d seen in holiday-related television programmes.

The arrival of the internet and its increasing availability to many of us has undoubtedly changed the goalposts. We now have the ability to research our chosen destinations online - we even have access to the thoughts of previous visitors to the hotels that we may be planning to stay at.

We can compare prices relatively quickly and also have more options in terms of how we structure our holidays. We’re no longer limited by the narrow boundaries of the package holiday market - we can now book our flights and accommodation independently, with far less hassle.

So everything has got better. Or has it?

The internet has brought us a lot of information but how much of that information is really reliable? When I read reviews of places that I’ve visited, I often find that other people’s experiences are very different from my own.

It’s clear that we all have different expectations of what is involved in having a good holiday.

It seems to me that, while holiday prices may well have come down, many of us are left looking to trawl through masses of information, much of which may be considerably less reliable than that once provided by the good old-fashioned travel agent.

April 15th, 2006

Best Ski Resorts in Europe

Tourism has been a booming industry for the past few decades and ski resorts have seen a surge in interest, but where are the best places to go in Europe to make the most of the snow and the nightlife?

For many people Val D’Isere remains the first choice. This area in the French Alps has become so popular with foreign visitors that you’ll be hard pushed to find a bar or shop where the locals don’t speak English.

The ski area is first class, as are the facilities away from the slopes. Of course, it’s sheer popularity may put some holiday-makers off. If you’re looking for a quiet week away then Val D’Isere may not be right for you.

St Anton in Austria is less well-known but also has a wonderful ski area. So great, in fact, that it recently hosted the World Championships. This provides a great platform for both skiing and snowboarding.

The Zermatt resort in Switzerland is another contender for the title of the best ski resort in Europe. It benefits from fine Alpine scenery, matching the sort of scenes that you might expect if you’ve ever seen any film footage of Switzerland.

Set in the centre of Europe, Switzerland is of course highly accessible for Europeans, but has recently been proving very popular with tourists from all over the world.

Many people are put off Switzerland and Austria because they believe that prices can be prohibitive. Whilst it’s certainly true that both countries have some very expensive resorts, such complaints can be applied to many European ski resorts. Equally, if you shop around you can still find some bargains in terms of both travelling to your chosen destination and making the most of your stay there.

April 15th, 2006

Hilton Head Resorts

Hilton Head Island has a number of world class resorts, from 5-star branded hotels like the Westin Resort which is home to AAA four-diamond restaurant The Barony Grill, to the Sea Pines Resort which hosts the PGA Tour’s annual MCI Heritage Classic one week after the Masters’ in Augusta. The Disney Vacation Club Resort established in 1996 was fashioned after the hunting and fishing lodges fashionable in the 1940’s. The resort covers fifteen acres and is adjacent to the Shelter Cove Harbour Marina, with over 100 villas, a beautiful swimming pool, exercise room and a main lodge in the Palmetto Dunes Resort. Other resort areas include Shipyard Plantation, Palmetto Dunes, and Daufuskie Island.

Shipyard and Palmetto Dunes offer a variety of activities including golf and world-class tennis, along with miles of beautiful beaches. Shipyard is renowned for its tennis and golf. It offers families affordable vacation experiences and is conveniently located near Coligny Plaza, North Forest Beach, and the Village of Wexford where fine dining and great boutique shopping are available. Also within the plantation is the Crown Plaza Resort considered by many to be the finest hotel accommodations on Hilton Head Island. Whether you enjoy golfing, playing tennis or just lounging by the pool, Shipyard is truly a resort for the adventurous and active family.

Palmetto Dunes, located in the center of the island’s seashore, offers other amenities such as fine restaurants, shopping and night life. Golf there is fantastic and challenging but yet social in nature. The plantation also includes an 11-mile lagoon system where one can rent a kayak and paddle away to observe some of the most beautiful homes on Hilton Head Island.

Across Calibogue Sound from Hilton Head Island is the enchanting Daufuskie Island Resort, with miles of secluded beaches. The Daufuskie Island Resort offers a variety of romantic settings for weddings or intimate getaways. It’s romance at its finest, a place where beautiful brides ride in horse-drawn carriages to their storybook weddings under canopies of palms and moss-draped live oaks.

Finally, there is the original destination resort on Hilton Head Island. From its championship golf courses to the top tennis center in the United States, Sea Pines offers its visitors the best of everything. Sea Pines has quiet miles of bike paths, golf, spas, shopping, sandy white beaches, fishing charters and even dolphin cruises that depart from Harbour Town Marina, where the signature red and white lighthouse stands proudly looking over the harbor and the world famous 18th hole of the Harbour Town Golf Links. If you truly want a vacation for all ages, Sea Pines Resort has it.

Hilton Head Island, simply put, is the gold standard for the vacationer who wants refinement and style. There are no neon lights, no ostentatious signs, just natural beauty blended with good old-fashioned hospitality.

April 15th, 2006

How To Select Your Preferred Bali Hotels

Bali is a wonderful island situated in Indonesia, the ultimate tourist destination in Asia, is worth a visit. Most people come to Bali for its beach, waves, sun, some come for business, some come for its undying art and culture, some come for its breathtaking landscapes and some for pure relaxation.

Choosing Bali for your holiday destination, of course you should select and decide your preferred Bali Hotel which would match your interests. There are myriad of accommodations to choose from in Bali, from five-star luxury hotels to budget accommodations.

Bali Hotels by locations: Accommodations by the sea (has beach front), in town and hotels are situated in countryside. Or Bali Hotels by interest (boutique hotels, villas, small hotels in traditional Balinese style bungalow and big or leading Bali Hotels).

Every place has its own attractions and features:
Sanur: Famed for its white sandy beach, sun rise, sea activities, close to other places of interest. Is for gracious living, peaceful and quiet. More “international” but somehow far less cosmopolitan than frenetic Kuta. There are so many excellent hotels here that you can scarcely go wrong.

Kuta: Frenetic, sometime chaotic, noisy, lots of hype, but a great playground. Originally what drew visitors to Kuta was the wide beach and the surf. It still has best sea front on the island. Kuta also famed for its shopping, dine and night lives. Though there are now many first-class hotels and home stays, caters best to the economy traveler who likes to be in the thick of things.

Legian & Seminyak: Lie at the north end of Kuta Beach strip. This is the place to stay if you want the best of both worlds. Conveniently located within 15 minutes from the center of Kuta, yet safely removed from the nerve-wrecking intensity and hype. The villages are perfect for extended vacations. There are several first-class hotels, a great number of intermediate-range bungalow, and inexpensive accommodations.

Nusa Dua & Tanjung Benoa: The area is rather isolated from the rest of Bali. Nusa Dua is providing a “total” hotel environment, everything you could possibly ask for is available on the premises. White sandy beach and a wide range of sea activities.

Jimbaran bay: Has nice and wide beach, good sunset (weather permitted), and close to Airport. There are two leading hotels, good villas and nice hotels in Balinese style bungalow.

Ubud & environs: The heart of arts and cultures of Bali. There are many small resorts deluxe and intermediate accommodations, most blend of typical Balinese and modern amenities. Situated either in town or in the countryside, most have wonderful gardens and views. Ubud is a paradise for shopping too.

The east: Offer more restful vacation.
Nusa Lembongan: Is a surfing, snorkeling and diving paradise. There are some excellent hotel resorts and some inexpensive hotels.
Balina beach: Buitan Village, this is spacious, gorgeous white sand beach, is one of the major scuba diving centers of Bali. There are a deluxe hotel and some intermediates and budget hotels.
Candi Dasa: The beach (at low tide, at high tide there IS no beach) because it has been eroded by the waves, but Candi Dasa offer restful vacation. There are first-class, intermediate and inexpensive hotels. You will be treated here with the utmost of graceful service.

The North:
Lovina beach: A northern beachfront alternative to Kuta and Sanur, this is a serene and infrequently visited vacation spot. Black sand beaches and quite waters nestles inside of extensive coral reefs distinguish this idyllic beach. Snorkeling is superb here and the reef is close enough that even children and beginner swimmers can feel comfortable here. There are first-class, intermediate and inexpensive hotels.

Western Beaches:
Up along this coast north of Kuta and Legian lies a stretch of black sand beach with a dangerous reef and heavy undertow, these beaches are not ideal for swimming and beginner surfers. At Canggu there are some luxury hotels. Yeh Gangga boast a small luxury resort Waka Gangga is facing the Indian Ocean. Tanah Lot boast a leading hotel Le Meridian and a world championship golf course with breathtaking view of famous Tanah Lot temple and sunset.

Western Interior:
Bedugul: This mountain resort is famous for its air, restful and serene. There are a number of places to stay here, from luxury hotels to budget accommodations (losmen).

The quickest and easiest way to select your preferred Bali Hotels is to go online and visit hotel reservation website. Do a search for the city or place (Indonesia, Bali, Hotels) you are traveling to and you will be presented with a list of available hotels in that area. There are also more information about hotel’s and room’s facilities. Most luxury hotel has excellent spa facilities.

The wide choice can be confusing – especially for first-time visitors – and it’s sometimes difficult to select the right accommodation. So still go online and click travel. Choose your reputable travel agent (contact him by e-mail). Just let him know your personal needs and preferences that he can recommend those hotels he feel suit you best.

April 15th, 2006

Puerto Galera Travel Guide

The Philippines is a country gifted with great beaches. The better known beaches are those found in Boracay and Palawan. Another beach or resorts worth mentioning are those found on the Mindoro’s northern part in the province of Oriental Mindoro. The place is called Puerto Galera. It is locate south of Manila (130 kilometers south) and 14 nautical miles from Batangas City. You can go to Puerto Galera from Manila to Batangas using only land routes. When you arrive on Batangas, you would then need to ride a ferry to transport you. The ferry trip will be 1 to 2 hours long. You have two options to go to Puerto Galera, the cheaper way or the more expensive way. The more expensive way is generally a faster way to get there. The more expensive one will make you ride the MV Super 85 Ferry and Sikat and Bus Services. Riding them is more expensive because they have no stop-overs, board the passengers directly to the ferries and are coasters or vans that are provided by the company. The cheaper transportation is the way of the commuter buses of BLTB, JAM and TRITRAN which can be located at EDSA-Pasay, Taft Avenue near the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue, and Buendia, respectively. The bus fares will only range from P80 (non-air-conditioned) or P100 (air-conditioned). You will then ride a ferry to go to Puerto Galera and later on would need to hire an outrigger boat that ranges from P2, 000 per banca. When you arrive at Puerto Galera, there are limitless activities to be done and places to go. You can go to the Hidden Valley, the Mangyan Village, the Muelle Bay and the Tammaraw waterfalls. The activities that can be done in Puerto Galera are kayaking and golfing to name a few. For people who are fascinated by the marine life Puerto Galera also offers a variety of dive sites. The following dive sites in Puerto Galera are the Coral Garden, The Pink Wall, the Hill, the Hole in the Wall, the Manila Channel, La Laguna Point, the Sabang point and wreck, the dungeon wall, the monkey beach, Ernie’s cave, and many others. A person who goes to Puerto Galera can also find some nice souvenirs to bring home to. They can be able to get the handicrafts that are made by the Mangyan to bring home to their friends. There are other interesting places to go to in the Philippines. Don’t simply restrict yourself to the more popular ones. The less popular places can also provide you with a memorable experience.