Category Archives: Travel And Leisure

Cabarete, Puerto Plata Nightlife Guide For the Dominican Republic

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Cabarete in the Dominican Republic has long been known for its fantastic kite surfing beaches that attract droves of college aged travelers from around the world. Cabarete is a popular destination where the young come to surf, drink, tan, and party.

Most people don’t realize that Puerto Plata’s towns of Sosua and Cabarete offer much more that a few all inclusive resorts. This is particularly true if you’re younger and looking for a place to have a few nights of romance.

By day Cabarete is a quiet little beach town, only a few miles long. By night it becomes a happening beach strip. Unlike its neighbor Sosua, Cabarete is known more for its European travelers than for the working girl locals.

There are a strip of restaurants along that beach with outdoor seating. These restaurants are a great place to catch dinner and watch the sunset. Once the sun goes down the restaurants turn into nightclubs. There is Casanovas, Ohm, Blue, and a handful of others that offer late night drinking and dancing.

The party does not stop at these clubs though. Once these clubs shut down the truly vibrant head over to the Casino where the action goes well into the morning. The Casino is the after hours place that offers a trendy nightclub and gambling. What else do you need?

Cabarete is a small town and if you find yourself up for adventure you are just a quick cab ride away from Sosua where the streets are filled with “beach bars.” Beach bars are small open bars, mostly frequented by Dominican working girls. Even if that doesn’t sound like your scene its worth it just for the experience.

My recommendation for those of you heading to Cabarete is to rent a condo or villa instead of booking a week at a hotel. While a hotel might offer some nice luxuries you will most likely wind up missing out on the fantastic Cabarete nightlife.
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Caribbean Cruises- Finding Exotic Close to Home

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The Caribbean is the world’s number one choice for cruise goers, and it’s no wonder why. With their jaunts through clear blue waters, beautiful beaches, and tropical climates, today’s Caribbean cruises offer the vacationer a taste of paradise on Earth.

The peak cruise season runs through the winter months, when people are trying to find relief from the cold weather of harsher climes. Because more people are looking to travel in the Caribbean, cruise fares will be higher at that time. Some savvy travelers like to tour the islands in the early spring, when fares have come down, and the temperatures are still tropically mild.

The best part of taking a Caribbean cruise is the accessibility. There’s no need to go all the way to the South Pacific to find unspoiled tropic islands; you can find them right next to the USA’s front door, in the West Indies. This arc of islands, curving from the northern coast of South America to Cuba, just south of Florida, includes such lovely Caribbean cruise destinations as St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. Adjacent mainland areas, like the Yucatan Peninsula, or the Gulf Coast of Mexico, are also sometimes included in Caribbean cruise packages.

On a Caribbean cruise, you’ll make port of call stops at these and other harbors, where you can taste the slow pace of life, and easy going nature of living in the tropics. Each island has a unique history, blending the cultures of the original inhabitants and the colonial-era powers to make an ambience like nowhere else in the world.

At each port-of-call on Caribbean cruises , you’ll be able to book tours of the island. You can choose from attractions such as historic forts, plantation recreations, and white sand beaches.

The Caribbean isn’t just about taking it easy on a slow boat, though. For the younger crowd, destinations like Cancun, Mexico, or Kingston, Jamaica offer a party atmosphere, and a non-stop carnival ambience. And at every port, cruise-goers can sample the local foods: conch chowders, fresh fish, and the famous West Indian rum. So give your next vacation a calypso beat, in the Caribbean.
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What We Discovered in Puerto Rico

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A town hidden from the luxury resorts of Puerto Rico; simple, charming and antiquated, Old San Juan is a historic landmark for the country, a cluttered jut of white and creme buildings, palm trees, and dilapidated walls that trace an outline of the town.

San Juan offers all the quaint, old-world Spanish elements one would expect from a Caribbean town prefixed with “Old”. In the summer months, the temperature and humidity are raging, but the city retains its perpetual beauty. The brave tourists, those not to be thwarted by heat, discover what was the scene for many famous movies, the infamous Cathedral of San Juan, San Cristobal Fort, a field of marble graves and statues, and much more striking scenery.

What visitors are initially taken by are the narrow cobblestone streets and passageways that circulate throughout; curvaceous and erratic, they mount and sink with the town’s inconsistent elevation. Tiendas are scattered throughout the town, but what dignifies Old San Juan are the extravagant cultural and governmental structures and vestiges of a civilization that no longer exists.

Venturing to Old San Juan is a trip suggested for the early and later months of the year. As the weather is at its coolest and breeziest state, the potential for experiencing the town and not leaving with your clothes plastered to your body is greatest.

Renting a car or commuting the town by taxi is an option but, because of the confining nature of the streets, is an option that is commonly nixed for walking. If not for the history, the culture, a change of pace to compliment the beautiful hotels in Puerto Rico, visit Old San Juan for the lush scenery and the vivid memories.
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Holidaying in the British Virgin Islands

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The British Virgin Islands are located in the Caribbean to the east of the Puerto Rico. This place is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The British Virgin Islands mainly consist of the islands of Virgin Gorda, Tortola, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke. Additionally this place consists of 50 other smaller islands and cays. The biggest island of British Virgin Islands is Tortola. This island is around 20 kilometres long and around 5 kilometres wide. The islands have the total population of 22,000 of whom around 18,000 live on Tortola.

The capital of the British Virgin Islands is Road Town that is situated on Tortola itself. The best part of these islands is that all the islands are situated in the distance of some miles from each other. This gives great holidaying pleasure to the tourists to explore different places in shorter span of time. In the north of British Virgin Islands there is the North Atlantic Ocean and the southern boundaries of this place touch the Caribbean Sea. This is an ideal place where you explore volcanic mountains and sea at the same point of time.

The British Virgin Islands are truly a tourist’s paradise. This place is famous for its great hospitality and leisure activities. You can have an experience of several mind blowing things. For all those people who love to spend their time by surfing on the layers of the sea, it is an ideal place for them. You can have an experience to do professional sailing on the waves of the sea under the guidance of several professionals.

One of the best tourist attractions in the British Virgin Islands is Tortola. This is also known as the land of turtle doves. This place has a complete visual delight for the tourists. It has beautiful places where you can spend the great time with your friends and family. These islands offer several things like ridges of mountains, mind blowing scenery, water sports and many more.

The British Virgin Islands do not only have rich natural beauty but it is also very clean and eco-friendly. The best way to start your holidays is to roam around the city and explore some beautiful buildings and infrastructures made by the government. To make this place safer, the government has placed several mirrors on the corner of every road. These mirrors help drivers see that if there is any car coming from the other side.

This place is also a shopping paradise for the tourists. The ideal place for shopping here is the Road Town. It is also known as the commercial hub of the island. There are several main street shops that showcase many unique shops selling attractive things that you can purchase as souvenirs to take back home.

In order to interact with the local crowd of the island, you can hit the farmers market and the Craft Alive area. From these places you can collect some native art work of the British Virgin Islands. These places are also suitable for getting some delicious sea food.
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Puerto Rico – The Basics

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Puerto Rico is officially known as the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which of course is Spanish for the “Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico”. Puerto Rico is also a popular destination for worldwide travels, offering relatively inexpensive travelling costs, first class accomadation and attractions, such as golden sandy beaches, which are second to none.

The Puerto Rico area is run by a self governened, as it is part of the territory of the USA, located just the the North East sector of the Carribean, which leaves it slightly to the East of the Dominican Republic, and slightly west of the Virgin Islands. It’s location makes it the ideal travellers destination, not a massive distance away from mainland countries such as the United States.

Puerto Rico is the resort, but it made up of many different sectors, which are comprimised from many smaller islands. Of course the main island is the Puerto Rico island itself, with the smaller sub islands such as Vieques, Culebra, and Mona, to name a few.

The Mona and Monito Islands are between the main area of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and are considered by locals, or nationals to be the Gal?pagos Islands of the Caribbean Sea. They are protected and reconised by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as being a Natural reserve, made up of endangered inhabitants such as marine turtles, sea birds and marine mammals in general.
One of the smallest islands, both by population and by area, is the island of Borinquen.

The Enchantment That is Puerto Rico

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They call Puerto Rico the island of enchantment, and rightly so. Located at the Caribbean, spectacular beaches are one of the prime attractions of the country. With its white sand and crystal clear water, Boqueron is one beach which tourists flood to during weekends and summer vacations. Have fun in the sun and relax with a cool drink at Boqueron!

Other famous beaches in the country include Ballenas, Cana Gorda, Isla Verde, Shacks Beach and so many others. These resorts offer not only breathtaking view but also fun activities like wind-sailing, parasailing, waterskiing, surfing and body boarding.

Those who love the outdoors are also sure to enjoy this island which is simply teeming with life. Would you like to see the Puerto Rican Boa or perhaps the Coqui Frog? If it is a little hard for you to reach their natural habitat, government-owned and controlled wildlife preservation parks should be able to give you access to Puerto Rico wildlife.

Or if you would like to get a glimpse of the distinctive Puerto Rico culture and way of life, take a trip down to their art galleries and museums. The Museo de Arte de Ponce is said to have a remarkable collection.

Also integral to learning about Puerto Rico culture is experiencing locally popular sports. The Puerto Rican flag has been proudly raised many times thanks to the people’s achievements in soccer, boxing and various water sports. You want something distinctive different? Try an afternoon of Puerto Rican cockfighting!
Pack your bags now and visit this island they call enchantment.
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Is the Bahamas Really the Lost Continent of Atlantis?

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Edgar Cayce, a clairvoyant, in 1940 predicted that the lost continent of Atlantis would start to rise again in the vicinity of The Bahamas in 1968 or 1969. Since then, 37 years have passed and many major events have happened, such as The Great Britain granted The Bahamas internal self-rule in 1964, Huber Ingraham became prime minister in 1992, and Perry Gladstone Christie elected prime minister in the 2002 general election. However, the lost continent of Atlantis has yet to be found.

Bimini, which consists of a tiny grouping of islands, was situated some 50 miles off the coast of Florida (USA). According to the Caribbean Indians, this group of islands gush magical waters called the “fountain of eternal youth”. It was told that someone drank the water from this fountain and was cured of all his illnesses as well as able to retain his youth. Juan Ponce de L?on, a Spanish explorer, was intrigued by this legend and thus, he set out to find Bimini in 1512. He set sail from Puerto Rico and landed on Florida after missing Bimini.

The mystery surrounding Bimini did not end with legend of the mystical fountain. In 1968, aircraft pilots reported that glimpses of wall or building foundations were seen in the water of the north island of Bimini. The discovery stirred worldwide interest and further investigation was held. The results of the investigation revealed that the foundations look more like roadways rather than walls. According to experts, a more satisfying answer would be that this strange phenomenon is entirely due to natural formations. Till this day, it is still a mystery as to whether the roadways really belong to the lost continent of Atlantis or exist due to natural formations.

Putting aside all the legends, myths and mystical tales aside, Bimini is indeed a wonderful and worth while place to visit. If you like game fishing, diving and snorkeling, this is the best place to go. The offshore reefs, which are located 3 miles off the island, attract millions of colorful fishes. Snorkelers are able to enjoy seeing black coral gardens and blue holes. Perhaps, they may also see the infamous roadways of the lost Atlantis on the sea floor! Divers can explore the wrecked motorized yacht which sank in the shallow waters of the coast in 1929. Apart from these wonderful explorations, other places of interest you can visit include the Healing Hole, the Shark Mounds, the Fountain of Youth and the Devils Triangle.

Albert Einstein once said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious”. Indeed, it would be a wonderful experience to visit a fascinating and mysterious place, like the Bimini, The Bahamas, with such intriguing and mystifying tales. It is worth taking the effort to explore this mysterious place as well as enjoy the vast variety of activities it offers. For more information on travel, you can refer to Cheap Airfare

The #1 Most Budget-Friendly Vacation? US National Parks

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The U.S. National Parks – A national treasure run by the U.S. National Park Service since its inception in 1916. Comprised of 391 areas and encompassing over 84 million acres. They are located in every state (except Delaware), the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These sites include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and even the White House. You would be hard pressed to not find a national park in an area near you.

So now that you know that you have many diverse destinations are available to you, be prepared to be astonished at exactly how inexpensive it is to visit any of these parks. The most “expensive” pass is the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass. Priced at $80, and valid for a year from the date of purchase, it will admit you and 3 other adults into a national park or recreation area as long as you are in a non-commercial vehicle. Bringing the kids? No problem. Children under the age of 16 are completely FREE.

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident over the age of 62, you’ll qualify for the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass. This is a LIFETIME pass and has the same features as the regular annual pass mentioned above except that there is a onetime charge of only $10! PLUS, it also provides a 50% discount on some of the “Amenity Fees” charged for facilities and services such as: camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services. You won’t find a better deal than that anywhere!

If you are permanently disabled, your lifetime pass is completely FREE of charge. If you volunteer your time and accumulate the designated amount of hours, you will earn a FREE annual pass in recognition of your service. You can purchase these passes in person at the park or by calling 1-888-ASK USGS, Ext. 1, or via the Internet at http://store.usgs.gov/pass.

Finally, if you prefer to not incur the expense of a hotel, how about camping instead? Many of the parks have camping facilities and some even offer reservations. Either way, be sure to check out www.recreation.gov. There you’ll find all of the information you’ll need to explore not only the national park and recreation areas, but also find great information on scenic highways, tours, reservations and more.

Due to rising fuel costs and the weak dollar, many Americans are considering scrapping their vacation plans. Sharpen the pencil, revisit the budget and consider at visiting one U.S. National Parks and Recreation areas this summer!
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Going to the Caribbean

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If you want to spend your vacation in the Caribbean Islands, the most difficult part of your vacation planning is choosing the island you want to visit or deciding how many island you can visit during your holiday. There are over 7,000 islands in the Caribbean Sea and most of them can make a great holiday destination. While some of them like the Bahamas, Aruba, Barbados or the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic are well known tourist destinations, there are several less known islands like Curacao, Saba Island, St. Kitts and Nevis Island or St. Vincent and the Grenadines Island where you can spend an unforgettable holiday. Most of the islands have beautiful beaches some of which are always present in the top ten beaches of the world. Access between islands is made by plane and by boat. A great way to visit several islands is to take a Caribbean cruise. There are several companies offering cruises with stops on different islands and activities for all kinds of tourists.

While a lot of the islands where the tourism industry is more developed have all inclusive resorts where prices can be quite high especially in the seasons, you can still enjoy a holiday on a Caribbean island with a limited budget. One of the new tourism trends that are rapidly growing all over the world is the eco-tourism and the agro-tourism. This pretty much means that you can stay in privately owned houses that are run by the locals and are cheaper than hotels. Food can be relatively inexpensive and even though there are a lot of fast food restaurants, one is always encouraged to try the Caribbean cuisine and eat where the locals eat. The huge number of things to do and things to see available on the islands make your decision of where to spend your Caribbean holiday even more difficult. A series of water sport and outdoor activities are available on most of the islands. Also if you are just interested on lying in the sun and swimming in the ocean, pretty much any island can do.

However, if you are looking for more than that, you should think of a list of things you would like to do and then decide on an island. If your holiday is just for you and your loved one, you should check Jamaica, St. Lucia or Bermuda. Aruba, Bahamas and St. Kitts and Nevis are the islands to visit if the whole family is going. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are known for their parties so if you are not planning to sleep too many nights you can choose one of these islands. There is at least one island that has the activity you want to do, thus if you like to gamble there are several casinos around the islands. You can go shopping of visiting museums, you can sit in a caf? and have a refreshing rum cocktail or you can try one of the many outdoor activities available. Several of the islands have golf courses and offer the possibility of water related activities like diving, scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing or sailing. Some of the islands preferred for diving are the Grand Cayman, the Turks and Caicos, and the St. Croix.

The Caribbean islands are famous for many things like the beaches, the music, the food, the coffee, the cigars, the nightlife, the diving, golfing and tennis possibilities, the pirates that make great stories, the cruises, the shopping, the festivals and carnivals taking place on the island throughout the year. If you want to visit a tobacco factory you can do it in Cuba and if you want to visit a coffee plant you can do it in Jamaica. Music and food are the result of the many cultures that can be found on the islands. Everybody knows Bob Marley is from Jamaica, everybody knows what reggae is and where to try the best rum in the world. For music lovers there are several Jazz and Blues Festivals, the Carnival happens on different islands during the year and each island has its own events and celebrations. For example in Puerto Rico you can be part of the feast of the Three Kings, in Trinidad or Curacao you can experience the Carnivals and in Bermuda you can enjoy the International Film Festival. Except for the hurricane season which usually happens from July to September, there is always something to do, something to see or an event to take part of in the Caribbean islands.
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The Wonders of Puerto Rico – "El Yunque a Natural Wonder"

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If you want to experience a “slice of heaven” here on Earth then you should plan on going to El Yunque in Puerto Rico. El Yunque is the only tropical forest in the United States National Forest System and get its name from an Indian spirit, Yuquiyu, which means “Forest of Clouds”. It is truly representative of all the diversity and beauty that Puerto Rico has to offer. Located approximately 45 minutes East of San Juan, El Yunque is easily accessible by car or by scheduling one of the many tours that originate in the tourist areas of Isla Verde or Condado.

The fauna is a truly amazing aspect of this area. There are about 240 native tree species, of those 23 are only found in El Yunque. Moreover, 88 are considered to be rare tree species. Another unique feature of the park is that it is home to the Puerto Rican parrot, an endangered species. Going back only a few years to 1990, there were 20 of these native birds. Today, their numbers have increased to about 85 and therefore would represent a very unique sighting to visitors of the park. Approximately 50 other bird species are found on the Forest.

The park also has very rare ecosystems that will make your visit memorable. Average annual rainfall is estimated between 200 to 240 inches; and usually spring and fall bring the most precipitation. Thus, you should expect to get wet during your visit. The forest is divided into four spectacular areas:

-Tabonuco Forest

-Palo Colorado Forest

-Palma Sierra Forest

-Bosque en las Nubes Forest

The average temperature in El Yunque is very pleasant all year around. The average temperature for the lower elevations (i.e., 3,280ft). The park has several paved trails that make hiking safe and enjoyable for all. These trails will take you to beautiful waterfalls and rivers. El Toro, the highest peak in the forest at 3,532 feet, has only odd dwarf vegetation clinging to its sides. On a clear day you will be able to see both the Atlantic Ocean to the North and the Caribbean Sea to the South as well, as other breath-taking views of Puerto Rico’s scenery. In the evenings you will be able to listen to the “singing” of the Puerto Rican Coqui. The Coqui is a small frog that is only found in Puerto Rico and makes an enchanting call.

When visiting Puerto Rico, make sure that you plan on spending at least one full day at El Yunque in order to fully enjoy all that it has to offer. When you see it, you’ll easily understand why.

On my next article I will provide information on Las Cuevas de Camuy (Camuy Caves), another of Puerto Rico’s Natural Wonders. For your lodging needs while in Puerto Rico, please visit our website. Our Condo is centrally located in Isla Verde which will allow you easy access to all of Puerto Rico’s attractions while enjoying the best of night life and gourmet restaurants only steps away.
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