cruise - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-28T19:10:47Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/cruiseThe Benefits of River & Canal Cruisinghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/river-canal-inland-waterways-cruises-cruising2022-05-20T10:05:00.000Z2022-05-20T10:05:00.000ZVictor Blockhttps://tripatini.com/members/VictorBlock<div><p style="text-align:left;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10227429296,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10227429296,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10227429296?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></strong><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>A French Country Waterways barge in France</em></span></p>
<p><br /> One evening several years ago, my wife Fyllis and I savored a sumptuous four-course gourmet dinner accompanied by wines that had been produced nearby. </p>
<p>More recently, we listened raptly to lectures by knowledgeable experts about a variety of issues, some controversial, in several Eastern European countries.</p>
<p>The settings for these experiences could have been a five-star hotel or resort - and indeed in atmosphere and attractiveness they deserved that rating. But what set them apart was that they took place on small ships plying some of the most famous and fabled rivers in the world.</p>
<p>At present, a number of oceangoing vessels have been canceling sailings and, in some cases, dealing with an outbreak of coronavirus among passengers and crew members. That can be frustrating for the many people who love the cruising experience. But there's is an alternative that allows cruise lovers to leave enhance their waterbornes travel in ways not available on the world’s oceans. Inland waterways may lack some appeals for those who prefer the lure of the open sea, but they can more than make them up in other attributes. These include panoramic views of magnificent scenery, opportunities to explore the history and cultures of countries through which the ships are passing, and interesting onboard activities which often relate to those places.</p>
<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10227430079,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10227430079,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10227430079?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>A Grand Circle Cruise Line Ship on the Seine in Paris</em></span><strong><br /> </strong></p>
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<p>While usually referred to as river cruises, they can also traverse bays, lakes, fiords, and canals; for example, that delicious dinner which Fyllis and I enjoyed was served aboard a <a href="https://www.fcwl.com/" target="_blank"><strong>French Country Waterways</strong></a> barge moving leisurely on canals that run through some of France’s most picturesque areas. The vessels operated by the U.S-based company give new meaning to the word “barge,” offering the gracious ambience of a fine country inn in an atmosphere of informal elegance. Meals often feature fresh ingredients purchased on land, including breakfast bread and croissants still bakery warm. </p>
<p>The philosophy of another river-cruise company, <a href="https://www.gct.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Grand Circle Cruise Line</strong> (as well as its sister company <strong>Grand Circle Travel</strong>)</a> is summed up in the phrase “Learning and discovery.” That often means delving into topics like the refugee situation in the four Eastern European countries through which our ship was traveling. There’s also time for fun and games, what I call “down home” entertainment that contrasts with the large, flashy reviews common on massive ocean-going vessels. Our crew members competed in a hilarious karaoke contest, and presented a comically butchered performance of the ballet <strong><em>Swan Lake</em></strong>, which prompted the boat’s captain to join in by pleading with passengers, “Remember, what happens on the ship stays on the ship.” Grand Circle’s offerings include sailing along the Seine through France, a four-country "Romantic Blue <strong>Danube</strong>" jaunt and a "Grand European Cruise" which covers eight countries over the course of 29 days.</p>
<p><span style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="https://www.avalonwaterways.com/" target="_blank">Avalon Waterways</a></strong> covers some of the same European territory, offering land excursions ranging from classes in French cooking and Dutch painting to meeting an Austrian count in his castle. </span>Its "Storyteller Series" brings along well-known authors who discuss their books, and its Suite Ships, which sail in Europe and <strong>Southeast Asia</strong>, feature floor-to-ceiling windows which provide spectacular views of the passing scenery. </p>
<p>The scenery is different for passengers aboard a <strong><a href="https://www.fredolsencruises.com/" target="_blank">Fred Olsen Cruises</a></strong> ship exploring the fjorland of <strong>Norway</strong>, a featured destination of that company. It’s a wonderland of towering mountains, deep valleys and mighty waterfalls interspersed with charming villages. Norway’s Arctic north is an area of remote islands and unspoiled wilderness which at times is blanketed by the awe-inspiring Northern Lights. </p>
<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10227430488,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10227430488,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10227430488?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>American Cruise Lines' </em>Constellation<em> in Alaska</em></span></p>
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<p>On the other side of the planet, the self-styled adventure cruise specialists <strong><a href="https://www.lindbladcruises.com/" target="_blank">Lindblad Cruises</a></strong> takes passengers along rivers that pass through <strong>Cambodia</strong> and <strong>Vietnam</strong> - including palaces, temples, and floating villages - while other Lindblad ships follow the <strong>Nile</strong> and <strong>Amazon</strong> Rivers.</p>
<p>Of course it’s also not even necessary to leave the <strong>United States</strong> in order to enjoy the pleasures and perks of vessels that ply non-oceanic waters. During 2022, <strong><a href="http://americancruiselines.com" target="_blank">American Cruise Lines</a></strong> has 15 small ships and riverboats operating in 31 states. Nine itineraries follow the <strong>Mississippi</strong>, <strong>Ohio</strong>, and <strong>Cumberland Rivers</strong> between <strong>New Orleans</strong> and <strong>Minneapolis-St. Paul</strong>. Along the way, passengers may visit Civil War battlefields; enjoy the beat of jazz and country in <strong>Memphis</strong> and <strong>Nashville</strong>; and relive the stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn where Mark Twain created them in <strong>Hannibal</strong>, <strong>Missouri</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10227430865,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10227430865,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10227430865?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Dining on the French Waterway’s </em>Espirit </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;"><br /> From gourmet meals to the sounds of music, the pyramids of Egypt to floating villages in Asia, small ship cruises offer a surprisingly divers choice of places to explore, cultures to experience and other attractions to enjoy, providing a welcome alternative for those who wish to set foot on a boat deck other than that of a mega-size ocean-going vessel.<br /> <br /> In addition, because of their lower passenger capacity and Coronavirus safety procedures, small ships generally are less likely to face the challenges impacting some ocean vessels. Even so, check in advance to make sure the trip you’d like to take is a go.</span></p>
<p> </p></div>Whatever Your Pastime or Interest, There May Be A Cruise For You!https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/special-interest-cruises-cruising2021-08-30T12:26:10.000Z2021-08-30T12:26:10.000ZVictor Blockhttps://tripatini.com/members/VictorBlock<div><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/cunard-asset/Images/Hero2.jpg.1571333432483.image.750.563.low.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/cunard-asset/Images/Hero2.jpg.1571333432483.image.750.563.low.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750" alt="Hero2.jpg.1571333432483.image.750.563.low.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><a href="https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/inspiration/life-on-board/focus-on-fashion?otprrf=https_duckduckgo.com%2F" target="_blank">Cunard.com</a></em></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><br /> <br /> Whatever hobby, pursuit or pastime you enjoy, it’s possible there’s a voyage that will let you combine it with the pleasures of cruising. From food to fashion, music to mystery, the offerings are as varied as the destinations which are included on ship itineraries.<br /> <br /> An Internet search for cruises that interest you may turn up one or more alternatives. While cruise lines are gradually beginning to return to normal services, it’s necessary to check what sailings are being offered, and what coronavirus/COVID-19 protocols they have in place.</p><p style="text-align:left;"></p><p style="text-align:left;">Food aficionados long have looked to <strong><a href="https://www.avalonwaterways.com/" target="_blank">Avalon Waterways</a></strong> to meet their longing for <em>haute cuisine</em>.<span> </span> And what could be more “haute” than combining a voyage through the rivers and lush landscapes of <a href="https://www.avalonwaterways.com/river-cruise/a-culinary-experience-in-burgundy-provence-northbound/WLJ-T1/?season=2022" target="_blank"><strong>France</strong>'s <strong>Burgundy</strong> and <strong>Provence</strong></a> including gourmet meals?<span> </span> These food and wine trips merge cuisine and culture to offer a memorable experience.</p><p></p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9553051452,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9553051452,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="750" alt="9553051452?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Alexander Kolemion/Dreamstime.com</em></span></p><p><br /> <br /> For golfers - from duffers to low-handicap players - small luxury <strong><a href="https://www.azamara.com/" target="_blank">Azamara Cruises</a></strong> is a good place to start.<span> </span> It has a well-deserved reputation for <a href="https://www.azamara.com/es/search/results/golf" target="_blank">cruises including some of the best known and most beautiful courses around the world</a><span>, with</span> packages including everything from experienced caddies to convenient transportation to the links. Another plus is on-board opportunities to compare experiences and tips with other golf aficionados. <span><br /></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9553051292,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9553051292,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="750" alt="9553051292?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Valtours/Dreamstime.com</em></span></p><p><br /> <br /> And now turning from links to tunes, music is usually a big part of the entertainment on any given cruise, but some special-interest sailings make it front and center, such as next Februaary's <strong><a href="https://rockandromancecruise.com/" target="_blank">70’s Rock & Romance Cruise</a></strong> leaving <strong>Miami</strong> and including the Caribbean islands of <strong>St. Maarten</strong> and <strong>St. Thomas</strong>.<span> </span> A long list of performers includes the popular band <strong>Guess Who</strong> and singer-song writer-actress <strong>Melissa Manchester</strong>, plus a long list of others.<span> </span> Onboard activities will range from a disco party and costume ball to question-and-answer sessions with the musicians.</p><p><span> </span></p><p>Where there’s music there often is dancing, and that’s definitely true on <strong><a href="https://www.hollandamerica.com/" target="_blank">Holland America</a></strong>’s <strong><em>Dancing with the Stars</em></strong> cruises. Champions from that popular TV series join passengers in competing for the colorfully named Mirrorball Trophy. Those who feel they’re not quite ready to don dancing shoes with experts may join a complimentary onboard class to learn the same routines that have been performed on the hit show.</p><p></p><p>Hands-on workshops also are part of <strong><a href="https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/inspiration/life-on-board/focus-on-fashion" target="_blank">Transatlantic Fashion Week</a>,</strong> which since 2016 has been a feature of <strong>Cunard Line</strong>’s cruise calendar.<span> </span> Designers, milliners, models and others present a series of talks, Q&A sessions, catwalk shows and events aboard the <em><strong>Queen Mary 2</strong></em> that celebrate style against the backdrop of an iconic ocean liner.</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9553051663,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9553051663,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="750" alt="9553051663?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Mickem/Dreamstime.com</em></span></p><p><br /> <br /> Wait, there's much more! Art mavens will get a kick out of Avalon's <a href="https://www.avalonwaterways.co.uk/europe/special-interest-cruises/art-and-impressionist/" target="_blank">Art and Impressionist</a> river sailings through the French countryside, including destinations depicted by the likes of <strong>Van Gogh</strong> and <strong>Monet</strong> (his house and gardens depicted above). Avalon also runs other specialized history itineraries such as a <a href="https://www.avalonwaterways.co.uk/europe/special-interest-cruises/art-and-impressionist/" target="_blank">World War II itinerary</a> led by an expert in the amphibious landing on the beaches of <strong>Normandy</strong> and stories of the Allied forces that drove the Nazis out of <strong>France</strong> and other occupied countries, and several of its <strong>Danube River</strong> cruises explore Jewish heritage stories and sites such as the world’s second largest synagogue in <strong>Budapest</strong> and <strong>Prague</strong>’s Jewish quarter.<span> </span></p><p></p><p>The themes of other special interest cruises range from birding <a href="https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/to-do/outdoor-activities/birding" target="_blank">in the <strong>Arctic</strong>/<strong>Antarctic</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.tropicalbirding.com/cruises/" target="_blank">elsewhere</a> to beer (<a href="https://www.avalonwaterways.com/river-cruises/beer-cruises/" target="_blank">Avalon</a> and <strong><a href="https://www.crystalcruises.com/" target="_blank">Crystal Cruises</a></strong>) and from literature (<a href="https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/cruise-types/event-cruises/literature-festival-at-sea-2021" target="_blank">Cunard</a>) to <a href="http://craftcruises.com/" target="_blank">craft cruises</a> focusing on the likes of knitting and needlepoint.</p><p></p><p>Theme cruises differ in other ways as well.<span> </span> Some take over an entire ship while others have a group join a regular itinerary.<span> </span> In addition to the opportunity to enjoy a favorite activity, benefits include meeting and mingling with people who share an interest and input from experts in the topic or activity.</p><p></p><p>At this time of restrictions on the cruise industry, it’s necessary to check if, and when, a theme cruise in which you may be interested will sail.<span> </span> <span> </span>Check out websites of individual cruise lines or log onto <a href="https://www.sixthman.net/" target="_blank">Sixthman.net</a>, a clearing house for special-interest shipboard experiences.</p><p><span> </span></p><p> </p></div>The world’s foremost destination Galapagoshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-world-s-foremost-destination-galapagos2019-09-30T08:14:31.000Z2019-09-30T08:14:31.000Zrohny joneshttps://tripatini.com/members/rohnyjones<div><p>Everything you need to know about this Island, the Galapagos Islands are actually quite big. The archipelago is a home to a grand total of 21 major Islands, 14 of which are open to visitors. These Islands spread out over 45,000 square kilometers of Pacific Ocean and are located 906 km off the coast of Ecuador. If you want to experience something outstanding and adventurous in this case <strong><a href="https://nemogalapagos.com/">Galapagos Islands cruises</a></strong> can be the best experience of your life. If you want to enjoy the nature we prefer a Galapagos cruise. The boat owner and operator with over 30 years of experience in cruise.</p><p><strong>Choosing the best Galapagos cruise</strong></p><p>If you want to choose the best Galapagos cruise, <strong><a href="https://nemogalapagos.com/">Galapagos cruise itinerary</a></strong> is best for many travelers, including us you have to experience this trip once in a life time. Without doubting one of the experience that you cannot miss and that you can do in all itineraries is snorkeling. The marine life of this Island is recognize throughout the world and is one of the most memorable experience of its visitors. You will be able to swim near sea lion, rays, sea-turtles, thousands of tropical fish, sharks and even some birds that dive up to 8 meters under water to hunt their prey.</p><p><strong>What is the best time to year to visit these Islands?</strong></p><p>As the seasons in the Galapagos are split into cool and dry (June-November) and warm and wet (December to June) so, the best time to visit the Island depends on what you want to see. The warmer season is the best time to go to the Galapagos Islands for diving as the sea is calmer and the underwater visibility is really good. Many of the land birds, sea lion, and tortoise that you will find on the Galapagos use February and March.</p><p>We specialize in 4, 5 and 8 days first class naturalist cruise in the Galapagos Islands designed for international visitors. Our magical cruise will take you to magic places. All the commodities are covered and exploration activities and abundant. Cruise ship include a restaurant, numerous, spacious social area, and other features. There are plenty of boats option so it might not hard to start planning your trip to the Island. This is the time of summer so don’t think too much enjoy your vacations choose your favorite cruise. The natural diversity if these Island offer wildlife you won’t see anywhere else. You can travel with your group of friends, family and special celebration we also offer personalize services for you.</p></div>A Monsoon Houseboat Experience in Kerala Backwatershttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-monsoon-houseboat-experience-in-kerala-backwaters2018-10-11T21:51:30.000Z2018-10-11T21:51:30.000ZIPR Backwatershttps://tripatini.com/members/IPRBackwaters<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009314268,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009314268,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009314268?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Kerala is the best place to enjoy the tranquil houseboat cruises. You can't experience a backwater experience as in Kerala nowhere else in the world. One of the main factors making Kerala a top notch backwater destination is some of the incredible <strong><a href="https://www.iprbackwaters.com/" target="_blank">Kerala houseboat packages</a></strong> that are provided by some of the authorized and professional tour operators like <strong>IPR Backwaters</strong>, which let the travelers enjoy the backwaters of Kerala in an amazing way.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009314101,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009314101,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="747" class="align-center" height="474" alt="9009314101?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">One of the best time to enjoy a Kerala trip, especially the backwater trip, is the monsoon. Since it is the offseason, there will be many discounts and offers regarding the <strong>Kerala boat house rates</strong>, and also fewer crowds in the waters. During my recent holidays In Kerala, I have enjoyed some memorable experience with a tranquil backwater cruise in Alleppey and Kumarakom backwaters. If you are traveling with kids, then the day trips are the safest choice. It is better to enjoy the cruise through the backwaters in a day time and sleep over in some elegant resort at night.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Itinerary</strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">My trip was a short one and that included 2 days and 1-night trip. We took a flight from Bangalore to Cochin and reached at the Cochin international airport in the morning at 7 30 am. The journey was started from Cochin, in the morning around 8 am and was greeted by the representative of <strong>IPR Backwaters</strong>. Our first destination was Alleppey, one of the top emerging backwater destinations in Kerala. The drive to reach this place took around two hours, and on the way, we had breakfast from some cozy restaurants, and I tried the typical Kerala cuisine, for a change. It was of mildly spicy and prepared using coconut oil and was refreshing.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009314868,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009314868,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="749" class="align-center" height="496" alt="9009314868?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">We reached Alleppey, around 11 am. We had booked a customized Alleppey <strong><a href="https://www.iprbackwaters.com/" target="_blank">houseboat cruise</a></strong> in the scenic backwaters and our tour operators owned a few houseboats and also some home stays and budget resorts in the bank of backwaters. The houseboats have a typical traditional style with full of modern amenities. Ours was a one-bed room boat that provided standard amenities like a standard hotel room.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Since we had only two days to savor the real taste of this serene place, we picked a short 4 hours journey. We also wanted to collect some typical souvenirs of Kerala and visit some religious and other top hot spots nearby. The houseboat cruise started around 11 am in the morning and winded up around 2 pm in the afternoon</span></p><p></p><p><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-size:14pt;"><strong>Review of the Trip</strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315074,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315074,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="742" class="align-center" height="421" alt="9009315074?profile=original" /></a></strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">The <strong>backwater resorts in Kerala</strong> that we stayed were a luxurious one without burning our pocket. The itinerary was flexible and it helped to accommodate our preferences like timings, food options, and route of the cruise etc. The entire boat was packed with whatever we wanted, the staff was really cordial and warm to us. The quality of the food was beyond expectations. We had the chance to savor fresh seafood, typical Kerala cuisines etc. And the most comfortable thing has we had enough privacy to enjoy our private moments, the staffs never interfered in our personal affairs. The guide assisted our trip was really helpful. We didn’t feel a moment of boredom, as he told us tales after tales as we sailed through those sleeping canals, which made at really travel back in times.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-size:14pt;"><strong>Safety Concerns during Monsoon</strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315091,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315091,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="749" class="align-center" height="474" alt="9009315091?profile=original" /></a></strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Most of the people who choose <strong><a href="https://www.iprbackwaters.com/" target="_blank">Alappuzha Honeymoon packages</a></strong> during monsoon may have the fear that monsoon might be the worst time for a houseboat trip, because of safety issues. But the staffs in the houseboat will always keen about our safety and we will be warned beforehand if there is the heavy downfall or the wind. And the trip will be postponed if there is heavy wind. But luckily, the wind was not that bad during our trip. At some point, the staff pulled us to some other safe canals rather than stopping the cruise because of the wind.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">The monsoon is off the season in Kerala, and there will be fewer tourists everywhere you visit, which means less standing in the queues, and more discounts on purchases. And enjoying the backwaters in the rains it will be a unique experience. The whole land becomes greener and during the day time, you can stroll along the markets, or visit some tranquil islands nearby, or experience the typical rural life in Kerala on the banks of a lake.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Food Options</strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315887,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315887,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="754" class="align-center" height="566" alt="9009315887?profile=original" /></a></strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">The food options vary from typical Kerala cuisine to international cuisine. Since our trip was a short one, we weren't expecting some meals, but the staff was very cordial and was always eager to prepare our food according to our preferences and choices. The typical Kerala lunch is a must try, the pearl spot fish fry is popular in the area, the chicken curry was really spicy and there were many unique vegetable dishes that was all a treat to the taste buds. We really enjoyed the culinary treatment.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">There were not many complaints of issues during our backwater trip. The houseboat was really well maintained and tidy. The rain might cause some mess, but it is nothing avoidable. The food was great and the staffs, friendly and flexible, always ready to serve according to our needs. The bedroom was comfortable and speaks luxury, the bathrooms were cleans and tidy and rooms air-conditioned.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315496,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009315496,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="747" class="align-center" height="420" alt="9009315496?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">The rates of different <strong><a href="https://www.iprbackwaters.com/" target="_blank">Alleppey boat house booking</a></strong> are pretty reasonable. We can also negotiate with the tour operators if we face some problems regarding the rates and timing, Because of the high competition in the field, you will also get the best deal; last minutes and offers especially for family trips. But before doing the booking, it is advisable to go through the recent photo to avoid last-minute troubles. There are also unlimited sightseeing options when you visit Kerala backwaters. During our houseboat cruise, we have visited Pathiramanal, Kakkathuruthu, Karumdaikuttan temple, Kumarakom bird sanctuary, Thanneermukkam etc.</span></p><p> </p><p> </p></div>Have You Discovered the Joys of a Mini Cruise?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/mini-cruises2018-09-20T04:02:12.000Z2018-09-20T04:02:12.000ZSophie Andersenhttps://tripatini.com/members/SophieAndersen<div><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009282075,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009282075,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" class="align-center" alt="9009282075?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Cruising is among the most popular types <span>are usually long affairs.</span> vacationing due to all the advantages they offer. The very format of a cruise vacation is incredibly enticing and exciting – instead of spending time and energy to visit a destination or two, the gigantic movable feast of a cruise liner will take you, a “layabout,” to the rich set of locations. Still, they tend to be long affairs - most often a week in length, and many people do not always have enough vacation days to enjoy most “classical” cruises. But there are still ways to enjoy the joy of cruising without the time commitment. I'm here today to talk about the "mini cruise." </span></p><p></p><h2><b>It Can Be a Part of a Bigger Vacation</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><br />Maybe you are an “omnivore” when it comes to vacationing and you want to try a bit of everything during a single go. For example, while you are visiting Australia, you can go hiking in the Blue Mountains for a weekend, have a few days of urban tropicana on the beaches of Sydney and, of course, go on a mini cruise from Brisbane to the Whitsunday islands. It can easily be part of a longer vacation and the upside of it is that it is completely optional and modular. You do not have to commit.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296640075,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296640075,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" class="align-center" alt="9296640075?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p></p><h2><b>Try Before You Buy</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><br />While we are on the topic of commitment, there is a “try before you buy” attitude written all over mini cruise option. In other words, if you have never tried going on a cruise, this is an excellent way to “dip your toe” into the water and see if this sort of vacationing is for you in the long term. The last thing you need is to embark on a two-week-long trip and learn that you will have a horrid time on your second day.</span></p><p></p><h2><b>Some of the Nicest Cruises are Mini Cruises</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><br />Not only that, but some of the nicest cruises are actually mini cruises. Many such setups can be found in the Continental Europe, along the idyllic rivers that cut through the bucolic landscapes of Provence, Tuscany and the Po Valley. In fact, the Po offers some of the most</span> <a href="https://www.bargetravel.com.au/locations/italy"><span style="font-weight:400;">sumptuous river cruises in Italy</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">, and you can have a truly magical experience sailing through the canals of Venice.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009283476,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009283476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" class="align-center" alt="9009283476?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p></p><h2><b>Luxury on a Budget</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><br />The brevity of these cruises means that you will not spend a lot of money on the whole endeavor, and yet you will get a chance to enjoy all the</span> <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/top-reasons-cruise-family-friendly-affordable-vacation-deals/story?id=11796434"><span style="font-weight:400;">advantages and amenities</span></a> <span style="font-weight:400;">bigger cruise journeys offer. It’s a simple reciprocal math: by scaling down the length of your cruise, you can scale up the luxury – and it is an equation that can come in handy for many types of vacations.</span></p><p></p><h2><b>A Way to Celebrate a Joyous Occasion</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><br />For this reason, many people opt for mini cruises as a way to celebrate something special – an anniversary, a birthday or some sort of an academic or a business success. If you want to share the joyous occasion</span> <a href="https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2694"><span style="font-weight:400;">with your friends</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">, whatever it may be, you may strike some incredible deals financial-wise. Group deals are known to be incredibly opportune these days.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009284261,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="640" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009284261,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009284261?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p></p><h2><b>Trying Something New Every Now and Then</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><br />Finally, you can embark on a mini cruise simply to try something new. Due to their flexibility, short mini cruises offer a lot of options when it comes to “themes.” This means that you can go on a plethora of interesting little vacations instead of a big, long one. For example, you might end up going on a Wine tour along the canals of France, have a romp-filled sail across the sea as you enjoy several nights of scheduled comedy shows, etc. Many of the themed mini cruises are focused around a holiday or special events, so you can easily enjoy the most wondrous festivities out there, for example, Australia Day, as you sail along the coast of Pacific for two nights.</span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">A mini cruise is a short but sweet delight. It entails a few tasteful nights of an easygoing, dreamy sailing with the best possible service your money can buy. The short adventure can easily match your wallet and your schedule. You will not have to hassle with organizing your life and family because you will not be absent for a long time, and you do not have to pack a lot. These advantages make mini cruises an enticing new addition to the vibrant “tourism” menu.</span></p><p></p></div>Top Destinations of India-Based Cordelia Cruiseshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/india-cordelia-cruises-destinations2021-03-23T13:22:00.000Z2021-03-23T13:22:00.000ZTejbir Singh Anandhttps://tripatini.com/members/TejbirSinghAnand<div><p><a href="https://www.holidaymoods.in/uploaded_image/tour_studio_images/banner_images/thumb_image/main_1611564411.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.holidaymoods.in/uploaded_image/tour_studio_images/banner_images/thumb_image/main_1611564411.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" alt="main_1611564411.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">This list covers the top destination of Cordelia Cruises and the packages of the place where Cordelia Cruises will go has also been given.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.holidaymoods.in/cordelia-cruise-packages" target="_blank">Cordelia Cruises</a> covers several destinations during her travels, including Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Colombo, and Kochi, etc.</span></p><p><b>Goa -</b> <span style="font-weight:400;">The most popular cruise destination in India is <a href="https://www.holidaymoods.in/jalesh-cruise-mumbai-goa-mumbai" target="_blank">Mumbai to Goa</a> if we talk about cruise packages popularity-wise. One has to make advance bookings to book the sailing. Goa is a wonderful place, surrounded by the blue water of the sea.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPv2gLYhGSg?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Goa makes the most spectacular coast of India. The seaside coast of Goa ranges from less abandoned lines to crowded beaches. If you are looking for a serene experience, then when the cruise arrives in Goa, you can take off from the cruise and enjoy the seaside beaches of Goa. Apart from this, many adventure activities are also included here.</span></p><p></p><p><b>Sri Lanka, Colombo, Jaffna -</b> <span style="font-weight:400;">Sri Lanka is a fascinating island pearl-shaped, which is a paradise for all Indian and foreign tourists. Sri Lanka is a blend of Buddhist culture and its charming islands make a spectacular destination. If you want to come to Sri Lanka by cruise, then <a href="https://www.holidaymoods.in/cordelia-cruise-tour-package" target="_blank">Cordelia Cruise Chennai to Sri Lanka</a> is the better option for you. Apart from this, you can also book a cruise trip for honeymoon and family packages. Colombo and Jaffna in Sri Lanka is an ideal place to cruise.</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><b>Diu</b> <span style="font-weight:400;">is a small city situated on the sea coast of Gujarat state of India, which is a historical jewel of India. Diu has many specimens of Portuguese heritage, which are reminiscent of Portuguese heritage. Many historical forts also exist here. If you love the sea, look no further and the</span> <a href="https://www.holidaymoods.in/cordelia-cruise-mumbai-diu-mumbai"><span style="font-weight:400;">Cordelia Cruise Mumbai Diu Mumbai</span></a> <span style="font-weight:400;">is an ideal package, in which you board a cruise from Mumbai, and after a full trip to Diu, return to Mumbai via the sea route. There are many caves here as well. Also, don't forget to indulge in Portuguese-inspired cuisine when you travel to Diu.</span></p><p></p><p><b>Kochi</b> <span style="font-weight:400;">is a great and attractive holiday destination, where many magnificent forts and churches are included. Walk leisurely along the roads to see all these attractions. Kochi's main attractions include the Chinese Fishing Nets, St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, Vasco House, and Fort. If you are looking for Kochi for an attraction and a wonderful holiday, then a cruise is the best option, in which you can also see many sea lures.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qzqg7cgS7nI?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe></span></p><p></p><p><b>Lakshadweep</b> <span style="font-weight:400;">is a magnificent island surrounded by a blue sea. The biggest fact of its beauty is its connectivity. Air India connects Kochi to a flight to Lakshadweep every week. To travel to Lakshadweep, you can get a tourism permit from Kochi. But if you are looking for a comfortable journey, then the cruise journey can be fantastic for you. Cordelia Cruise sails from Kochi to Lakshadweep and you can also travel from Mumbai to Lakshadweep.</span></p><p></p><p><b>What are the attractive places to see in Lakshadweep?</b> <span style="font-weight:400;">Lakshadweep is undoubtedly an island, but its special feature is that there are no tribal groups here. It is believed about Lakshadweep that at the time of history some people came to settle at this point when the Portuguese and the British had successfully populated the island. Apart from this, there are many adventures & attractions in Lakshadweep </span></p><p></p><p></p><p><b>The Maldives</b> <span style="font-weight:400;">is a group of several coral islands, located in the Indian Ocean. There are many palm trees on the coast of Maldives, which make your trip beautiful. In addition, the Maldives is also home to exotic reef fish and coral gardens.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">The time spent on the seashores of the Maldives lasts a lifetime. At sunset, bring your rustic chair and table to the shore, and sit on the edge of the sea and contemplate a wonderful day. To make a trip to the Maldives by cruise, you can book Cordelia Cruise Chennai to the Maldives.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.holidaymoods.in/uploaded_image/tour_studio_images/banner_images/thumb_image/main_1611564411.jpg" target="_blank"></a></p><p></p></div>Dhow Cruise Dubaihttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/dhow-cruise-dubai2020-08-07T21:53:11.000Z2020-08-07T21:53:11.000Zzahidshaamhttps://tripatini.com/members/zahidshaam<div><p>Skimming down the peaceful Dubai Creek on our conventional Arabian dhow, with an extravagant smorgasbord supper spread out locally available, is an encounter recognized by fantastic milieu, unequaled neighborliness, and considerate administrations.</p><p>Completely one of the principle attractions of your <strong><a href="https://cliftontours.com/package-type/dhow-cruise-dubai/" target="_blank">Dhow Cruise Dubai</a></strong>, a supper voyage with Clifton Tours is the absolute best approach to appreciate the perfect vistas of Deira and Bur Dubai in a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. The two-hour Dubai Dhow voyage that generally starts after dusk covers nearly the whole of Dubai Creek.</p><p>Home to endless attractions, the waterway bank that lines the rivulet itself is one of the Dubai's notable sights. When you board our brilliantly reestablished wooden dhow on Dubai Creek, you'll be offered an invite drink, and when the cruising starts, you can feast on a roused scope of newly arranged gourmet strengths including unique Emirati dishes finished off with a tasty exhibit of sweets.</p><p>As you look at the impressive perspectives on the Creek wherein the cutting edge time's tastefulness holds hands with the air and appeal of times past, our conventional Arabian dhow voyage Dubai furnishes you with an as-at no other time touring experience while permitting you to an appreciate a range of locally available exercises including unrecorded music exhibitions and customary Tanura move shows.</p><p>What better approach to end an exceptional day of touring in Dubai? Call us now itself to find the sparkling waterfront sights of Dubai in an easygoing, strengthening setting.</p></div>Egypt and jordan tours to discover many thingshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/egypt-and-jordan-tours-to-discover-many-things2019-10-09T20:31:26.000Z2019-10-09T20:31:26.000ZMohamed Ahmedhttps://tripatini.com/members/MohamedAhmed<div><p>Egypt is one of the ancient international locations within the world which covers a wide variety of points of interest that appeal to several vacationers. It is a really perfect destination for those who want to discover archaeological web sites and other things in detail. Jordan is an arab u . S . A . Positioned in west asia which has many famous sightseeing places. However, all people who wants to tour each egypt and jordan at a time should pick out the right package deal which fits their budgets. This can assist lots to create the exceptional memories on a journey to make certain more pride.</p><p><img src="https://images.narrative.org/1.0/images/58319338463725607/large-Egypt%20and%20Jordan%20Short%20Package.jpg" alt="" /></p><p><br /><strong>Taking a breathtaking tour to egypt and jordan<br /></strong><br />Both egypt and jordan cover essential spots allowing visitors to recognise extra about numerous matters in detail. A number of the matters blanketed in egypt excursion consist of<span> </span><a href="https://www.luxorandaswan.com/en/egypt-nile-cruises">nile cruise</a>, pyramids, the treasures of the king tut, saqqara desert, etc. A experience to jordan allows vacationers to revel in the dead sea, the historic metropolis of petra, jerash, and so on. Every other aspect is that they can view remarkable monuments in each international locations for experiencing extra pleasure. On the equal time, it's far necessary to pick a package that suits the requirements of vacationers.</p><p><br /><strong>A way to make a travel to egypt and jordan?</strong><br /><br />There are numerous tour operators who provide egypt and jordan excursions at cheap charges which variety from 7 days or more. A number of the crucial offerings blanketed in a package deal consist of airport transfers, domestic flights, sightseeing tours, english talking guide, meals in restaurants, resort accommodation, front fees, and water bottle. A tour operator will set up the entirety starting from pickup to drop allowing tourists to plan their journey consequently. But, it's far beneficial to make a entire take a look at of excursion operators from numerous assets for creating a higher choice.<br /><br /><strong>Planning a excursion to egypt and petra</strong><br /><br />Petra is a historic and archaeological city in southern jordan that's famous for its monuments and different websites. Cairo, the capital town of egypt gives many things for visitors enabling them to witness entire enjoyment. Egypt and petra excursions allow a person to plot a adventure with options thereby displaying ways to get complete pride. Aside from that, they offer strategies to make a experience with children and others for overcoming unwanted troubles. It's far very vital to consider the charges due to the fact they may range from one excursion operator to every other operator.<br /><br /><strong>Understanding more approximately egypt and jordan tours</strong><br /><br />Those who want to travel to<span> </span><a href="https://www.luxorandaswan.com/en/packages/egypt-and-jordan">egypt and jordan</a><span> </span>on the identical time should realize extra sure matters for minimizing the dangers. A number of them encompass visa requirements, nearby legal guidelines, tipping, and so on. It's far beneficial to carry a duplicate of passport, visa, and different critical documents at the same time as traveling to crucial places. Vacationers need to work with a reputed travel operator earlier than making a ride to both nations for coping with complex issues. Moreover, it gives approaches to prepare a tour earlier for ensuring peace of mind. Maximum tour operators offer quotes for traffic to select a package deal depending on their needs.</p></div>5 Must-Do Adventures in Costa Ricahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/5-must-do-adventures-in-costa-rica2020-01-14T03:57:03.000Z2020-01-14T03:57:03.000ZSky ITLhttps://tripatini.com/members/SkyITL<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009394681,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009394681,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009394681?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Before you board a plane to Costa Rica, there are somethings that you should know about this beautiful country. And then I will tell you the five adventurous things that you should definitely do when you go there.</p><p><br /> First of all, you should know that Costa Rica is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites (three relating to nature and one to its precolumbian culture), and its tourism industry is the country’s leading foreign exchange earner. You might aslo be surprised to know that since 1948 Costa Rica is one of the 23 countries in the world that don't have standing armies. Costa Rica is home to over 200 volcanic formations. The residents here are called <em>ticos</em> and <em>ticas</em> and they're generally a a contented bunch - the country ranks number one in the Happy Planet Index.</p><p><br /> Now let’s get down to business and explore the adventurous things to do in Costa Rica!<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong><span style="font-size:12pt;">Scuba Diving</span><br /></strong></p><p><br /> Its an activity that I think everyone should try at least once in their life irrespective of the country, but Costa Rica offers some of the world's best scuba diving. If you're a beginner, you need to take a certified diving course - which can be completed in a day or 2-3 half days - but trust me, it will be well worth it. My top pick is Drake Bay, in the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica's south. Of course, many wonderful snorkeling options are also available to you on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.<br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Zip-Lining<br /> <br /></strong></span></p><p>My personal favorite activity on this list, invented here decades ago, it of course involves whizzing through treetops in a harness suspended from thick steel cables. Costa Rica has dozens of zipline operations (aka canopy tours) all over the country. I found a course that covered as long as a mile in Central Valley and another that includes 14 separate zip-lines that go down the side of a mountain. It's an activity perfect for young and old; you just have to be older than six and weigh under 300 pounds.</p><p> <br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Volcano Tours</strong></span></p><p><br /> If, like used to be the case for me, you've seen a volcano only in pictures or on TV, you're in for a treat, as a number of Costa Rica's volcanic formations can be visited, either on your own (a couple you can even drive right up to) or with a tour operator. The most popular are Arenal, Barú, Irazú, Poás, and Rincón de la Vieja. At some you can see steam rising, at others lava, and at yet others, volcanic hot springs can be enjoyed in the area.</p><p> <br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Canyoning/Waterfall Rappelling</strong></span></p><p><br /> Costa Rica is a heaven for waterfall fans, and quite a few outfitters across the country offer adventure tours than involve rappelling down pre-approved cascades - some as high as 50 meters -after a short hike through rainforest and some instruction on technique and safety. The ultimate refreshing adrenaline rush! <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Surfing Lessons</strong></span></p><p><br /> This country ranks among the world's top ten for surfing, with gnarly waves all up and down both coasts and top spots including Playa Guiones, Naranjo, and Santa Teresa on the Pacific and Cocles, Manzanillo, and Salsa Brava on the Caribbean. Each beach has multiple surfing schools that do a great job getting newbies into riding the waves - it's very tricky at first, but you'll soon get the hang (ten) of it!</p><p><br /> So as the ticos like to say, <em>pura vida</em> ("pure life")! Come learn more about these and other fantastic Costa Rica experiences with us at <a href="https://www.skyitl.com/all-activities.html?s=Costa+Rica" target="_blank">Sky ITL.</a></p><p></p><p></p></div>The Classic Mekong Redefinedhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-classic-mekong-redefined2016-08-23T12:30:00.000Z2016-08-23T12:30:00.000ZSandra & John Scotthttps://tripatini.com/members/SandraJohnScott<div><div class="prTile"><h1><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296616074,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296616074,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9296616074?profile=original" /></a></h1></div><p><span class="font-size-3"><br />There can be no tapestry of river life as fascinating and varied as the River Mekong. Indeed there can be no more striking a cultural contrast as that between the bustling Vietnam delta and the tranquility of Cambodia. Pandaw's Classic Mekong's cruise passes from the vibrant French colonial port of Saigon, through the vast delta so rich in human life and endeavor, to travel along the main channel into the rich countryside of Cambodia. After a full day in charming Phnom Penh the cruise proceeds to explore remoter waterways on the way to great monuments of Angkor.<br /><br /></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Pandaw was the first to offer river expeditions on the Mekong back in 2003 and have since been honored by many imitators. Pandaw, though, has always stayed a step ahead of these shadow ships and this season introduces another first for this expedition through Vietnam and Cambodia.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br />The sumptuous Mekong Pandaw goes one step further and higher up the Mekong than any other vessel as far as Kratie. Only Pandaw ships with their ultra-shallow draft can go this far adding another 100km to the river route and penetrating deep into rural Cambodia.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br />Kratie is an attractive French colonial river port but the main excitement are the dolphin grounds on the Mekong just north of there. As this is a protected area we cannot take the mother ship so we will travel there by local transport and sampan.These 'Irrawaddy' dolphins are unique to Asian rivers and can be found on the Ganges, Irrawaddy and Mekong. It really is a very moving sight and not to be missed.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br />The Mekong Pandaw sails weekly between Saigon and Siem Reap covering the highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia with an absorbing stop in Phnom Penh.</span><span class="font-size-3">This ship, With 800 square meters of open deck space and a further 600 meters of indoor space, which includes a bar, restaurant, spa, gym and library, each passenger has a 29 meters to himself when outside of his stateroom. No other ship offers this passenger-space ratio.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br />Cruise price Includes: Entrance fees, guide services (English language), gratuities to crew, main meals, locally made soft drinks, local beer and local spirits, jugged coffee and selection of teas and tisanes, mineral water. Transfers between the meeting point and the ship at the start and end of a voyage. For more information and to make reservations log on to Pandaw.com</span></p><p></p></div>It's Time for a New Adventure with India's First Premium Cruise Line!!https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/it-s-time-for-a-new-adventure-with-india-s-first-premium-cruise2019-04-22T12:30:09.000Z2019-04-22T12:30:09.000ZFAB Holidayshttps://tripatini.com/members/FABHolidays<div><p><span>● Make your Holidays Memorable with 02 Nights Mumbai - Goa - Mumbai Cruise Holidays & Enjoy the Exotic Retreat of the Cruises.</span><br /><span>● Call @ 01142635901, 9312528147, 9971474841 or whats app @ </span><a href="https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2M9Aipa%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR25VEhuEehVNo9UjUEhN4MeoQdKuk6vQHnv9mLlzasnUqpefTMrSp7Mlj8&t=YTI3MmU4MGFiOGRkMWIzMWE1YjAxNTFjZjcxZTQ0MmM1MDMzZTIwOCxPc09kQ1RPVQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A3GbTo3Q2rNq0XDnlxN7CAw&p=https%3A%2F%2Ffabholidays.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F184364117501%2Fits-time-for-a-new-adventure-with-indias&m=1">https://bit.ly/2M9Aipa</a><span>. </span></p><p><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009358280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009358280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009358280?profile=original" /></a></span></p></div>The Munroe Islands of Kerala, India - Where Serenity Speakshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/munroe-islands-kerala-india2018-11-19T14:51:23.000Z2018-11-19T14:51:23.000ZIPR Backwatershttps://tripatini.com/members/IPRBackwaters<div><p></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009326472,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009326472,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="690" height="518" alt="9009326472?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Have you ever longed to go for a small cruise in a classic village boat which will take you to extreme emerald green picturesque space? You can make your wish fulfilled by visiting the beautiful Munroe islands located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and Kallada River in Kollam district. Kerala has always astonished us with its never ending beauty of backwaters. The most preferred tourist activity in backwaters is a boathouse cruise taking through the outskirts of backwater villages and lush green coconut plantations. <strong><a href="https://www.iprbackwaters.com/" target="_blank">Kerala houseboat packages</a></strong> are splendid and will take you to Alleppey- Kumarakom- Kollam routes of which Alleppey- Kollam is the longest one. We could sight many villagers who rely on the fishing for their livelihood catch fishes in the country boat and Chinese fishing nets have already gathered the popularity. Thousands come to Kerala especially to take a houseboat cruise. There are some offbeat islands which will equally provide you with the enthusiasm of travel. Since these places are less crowded one can enjoy its serenity to extreme limits. One such place is Munroe Islands. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009326885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009326885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="690" height="459" alt="9009326885?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Munroe Islands or Mundrothruthu is a tourist destination where we can find coir resting process, coir weaving, fishing, migratory bird watch, prawn catches etc. The island also houses Mangrove trees and coconut plantations on the lake shore. The famous Kallada boat race is conducted here at Karuvathrakadavu- Muthiraparambu Nettayam in Munroethuruth. This island is actually a cluster of 8 tiny islands in Kollam district separated by small water channels and lakes. The life here is co calm and serene since it is less crowded the areas are clean. We can take part in small country craft cruise along the backwater villages. This small cruise is more astounding than picking up a </span><span style="font-size:16px;"><b>Kerala</b></span><b style="font-size:12pt;"> boat house for honeymoon</b> <span style="font-size:12pt;">as this will take you deep into the lives of rural folks and their occupation.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009327280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009327280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="689" height="457" alt="9009327280?profile=original" /></a> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;">There is a small history of this place. British has claimed their supremacy in South India in 1795 and Travancore, the princely state came under their custody and from then East India Company has appointed one resident as the administrative head of Travancore. One among was Colonel John Munro. He oversaw the land reclamation process in the delta formed by Kallada and Ashtamudi River. This reclaimed land was known after his name as Munroe Islands. He integrated several backwater regions by digging canals using Stone Age tools and megaliths. The colonel was good in discharging his duties in the state and during his reign a senior priest expressed his wish to build a seminary for training for training priest and a place to settle the newly converted Christians. Thus he fulfilled his wish and the place was given his name as a tribute to him by the locals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009327672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009327672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="690" height="461" alt="9009327672?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">The boat tour is the best way to explore the island and it is mostly done in the conventionally country boats which are a silent mode of transport without breaking the serenity of the place. On the course of the tour, we could hear the chirping of birds, cry of cows, and music from temples. There are some plants which have the medicinal values and chance to watch the countrymen climbing coconut trees. Coconut water is given on the tour and this drink has the capability to wash away your drowsiness to some extent. Beautiful breathtaking sunset can be watched from these islands and birds going back to their nests bidding a goodbye to the dusk. A walking tour of the villages and spot the coir retting process done by women. Some of them visit this place exclusively to taste the delicious recipes prevalent here. Various seafood is provided to taste.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009327476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009327476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="687" height="517" alt="9009327476?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">One of the ancient churches in Kerala, Dutch church built in 1878 prevails here. On the scenic banks of Ashtamudi Lake, there stands the church with a blend of both Dutch- Kerala architecture built with red bricks. Presently the church is deserted and an annual festival is conducted with the support of residents in the area. The tourists from the various states can get a chance to visit here over the course of their <strong><a href="https://www.iprbackwaters.com/" target="_blank">luxury houseboat Kerala</a></strong></span><b style="font-size:12pt;"> </b><span style="font-size:12pt;">and spending some quality time in these islands. Try to visit during the event of Kallada boat race, the famous boat race in Kollam which happens after 28 days of Onam annually in which 12 snake boats used to participate. The winners will be awarded Kerala rolling trophy and a cash prize of one lakh rupees. Munroe islands are the vantage point to view the commencement arrangements for the event. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>Examples of Dubai Desert Safari Including Dinnerhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/united-arab-emirates-dubai-desert-safaris-dinner2018-12-18T20:44:00.000Z2018-12-18T20:44:00.000ZSara Younghttps://tripatini.com/members/SaraYoung<div><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009291280,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009291280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009291280?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;margin:0px 0px 6.5px 0px;">Traveling to the desert and exploring it is such an exhilarating experience to have and the tours that I am going to tell you about in this article are full of them. Dubai is rich in its beauty of the desert and the matchless landmarks around it made with efficient engineering. <a href="https://godubaidesertsafari.com/" target="_blank">Dubai Desert Safari</a> is one of the highly demanded tours in Dubai due to all the luxuries and exciting stuff that it provides you. Just by spending a few bucks and booking yourself a tour, you have so many lavish facilities and activities waiting for you. Let's crack some of the deals along with their Dubai Desert Safari Price now.</p><p><strong><br /> Quad Bike Riding with BBQ Dinner<br /> <br /></strong></p><p style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;margin:0px 0px 6.5px 0px;">This deal is a jaunty short deal that you can actually say an adventurous BBQ time with your family or friends. It offers you quad bike riding - which is actually one of the most expensive sports in the desert. You can enjoy other activities too along with quad bikes, such as camel riding. With such fierce activity, camel riding is one of the most peaceful and soothing experiences in the desert. This exquisite package of the fun comes with the Dubai Desert Safari price of 40USD.</p><p><strong><br /> Dune Bashing with Bedouin-Style Dinner</strong></p><p style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;margin:0px 0px 6.5px 0px;"><br /> This tour to the desert is one of the jauntiest, yet also soul curing. After Dune Bashing with some of the world's most famous and most luxurious cars, right after the sunset, you can enjoy henna painting on your hands and feet - one of the oldest customs of the Middle East. When the moon comes up and night becomes more charming you are served with a delicious five-star buffet in a Bedouin camp - totally a picture perfect moment. The Dubai Desert Safari price of this deal is 60USD.</p><p><br /> <strong>VIP Desert Safari</strong></p><p><br /> If you are absolutely dedicated to living your vacation to the max, then this VIP Desert Safari deal is for you, with an endless trail of activities that you can try out and maybe for the first time ever in your life you'll be doing them in a desert. Such as:</p><ul><li>Sandboarding</li><li>Camel riding</li><li>Quad bike riding</li><li>Desert dune bashing</li><li>Henna painting</li><li>Snacks and cold drinks</li><li>Live belly dancing</li><li>Live Tanoura performance</li><li>Hubble Bubble Corner</li><li>Five-star buffet dinner</li><li>Horse riding around the camp</li><li>Free dresses for the tour</li></ul><p><br /> You must be thinking that it’s actually quite a lot. Well, that's only the part that services play during the tour. You can enjoy the desert safari yourself with your crew. There are plenty of memories to be made by you and fun to be experienced. This all comes in the Dubai Desert Safari price of 200USD.</p><p><strong><br /> Morning Desert Safari with Dhow Cruise Dinner</strong></p><p><br /> This deal gives you a good package for starting your day with so much energy. The morning safari includes:</p><ul><li>Camel riding</li><li>Sandboarding</li><li>Falconry experience</li><li>Breakfast</li></ul><p><br /> After enjoying the morning desert safari you can go to the Dubai Creek where you’ll experience a beautiful Dhow cruise showing you the most famous landmarks of Dubai. It gives you the privileges of:</p><ul><li>Sightseeing</li><li>A live singer singing melodious songs</li><li>Five-star buffet dinner</li></ul><p><br /> This deal’s <a href="https://godubaidesertsafari.com/" target="_blank">Dubai Desert Safari</a> price starts from 90USD.</p><p></p></div>8 Ways To Save For A Cruisehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/8-ways-to-save-for-a-cruise2018-05-30T02:43:54.000Z2018-05-30T02:43:54.000ZLaura Martinshttps://tripatini.com/members/LauraMartins<div><p>Cruises are a great holiday option. You get to explore amazing coastal destinations, see the vastness of the ocean, explore different entertainment and dining options and you don’t need to stress about planning something to do everyday. Whether you’re a couple, a young family or a group of friends looking to get away, a cruise has something for everyone. That being said, as with every holiday, finding the extra money in your budget to pay for a cruise can be hard. However, with a bit of research, clever budgeting and cutting back on a few luxuries here and there, you can find the way to kick-start those holidays savings. Here are eight ways you can start saving for your cruise.</p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009260672,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009260672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009260672?profile=original" /></a></p><p><strong>Check your credit card statement regularly</strong></p><p>It’s easy to pay down your credit card balance each month without paying close attention to where your money actually goes.</p><p>If you aren’t yet in the habit of doing so, check your statement regularly for unnecessary expenses. Are you paying for services you don’t use, such as an old gym membership or subscriptions to magazines you don’t read? Are you being mistakenly charged for something you cancelled months ago? Do you subscribe to one too many online streaming services?</p><p>By analysing your statements you can see where your money is going and how you could use that money more wildly. If you have a rough estimate of how much your cruise is going to cost, consider what you should be saving each month to account for this. By curbing your spending habits and cutting down on monthly cuts you can bring yourself one step closer to that holiday. Create a budget for non-essential purchases and stick to it.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Cut down on takeaway coffee … and alcohol</strong></p><p>The maths is simple: replacing your daily $3.50 takeaway coffee with one made at home or in the office kitchen could save you over $80 a month. Similar savings can be made if you pack a drink bottle when you go out – all those $4 bottles of water you buy at convenience stores can add up.</p><p>Another luxury to cut down on is alcohol consumption. According to recent ABS figures, Australians spend an average of $32 a week on wine, beer and spirits, which is a significant amount of money over time. As a bonus, going easy on Friday night drinks means your health will thank you too. Plus, once your on board the cruise you can reward yourself with a couple of glasses of wine and feel zero guilt!</p><p> </p><p><strong>Start meal planning</strong></p><p>Grocery shopping according to a weekly meal plan is much more economical than buying food on an ad-hoc basis. Not only does it encourage you cook more, you can plan your meals around items you already have in the fridge and avoid buying food you don’t need. To help you out, the Victorian state government has a weekly meal planner on their website.</p><p>Shopping smarter can also make a difference to your hip pocket. Generic brands often deliver the same quality at half the price, while buying in bulk can be cheaper in the long run. Try to buy fruit and vegetables that are in season – not only will the prices be significantly lower, but the produce will be fresher.</p><p>Meal planning also reduces that chance of your ordering food when you could be making something at home. Regularly dining out and ordering takeaway adds up and could be cutting into your cruise fund. Instead, try and stick with meal planning and think of all the inclusive dining options you’ll have on board!</p><p> </p><p><strong>Surf the web and watch for sales</strong><strong> </strong></p><p>When it comes to booking the cruise, you want to be getting the best bang for your buck. To do this, you should be regularly <span><a href="http://www.cruiseagency.com.au/">doing your online research with different cruising agencies</a></span> and companies to see where the best deals are and what the best time might be to go. Keep your eye out for sales and promotions but be wary of how much you’re actually saving. Oftentimes, promotions or sales can promise big savings but they are based on the brochure price or a fare that has been bumped up. If you keep up-to-date with cruise pricing, you’ll have a better understanding of how good different sales are.</p><p>Usually, the best sales are those where you get value added to your cruise experience free of charge, for example beverage packages or on-shore outings that you would normally have to pay for. Signing up to different newsletters can help keep you in the know about these kinds of savings.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Cruise close to home</strong></p><p>By picking a cruise that’s close to where you live, you can make a big difference to the cost of your holiday as well as additional travel costs. By picking a port that’s easy for you to get to and choosing a holiday that focuses on an area within your country, you won’t have to think about how you’ll get to the departure port or needing to book a flight.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Sell your</strong> <strong>preloved items</strong></p><p>Is your home filled with furniture, appliances or clothes you no longer need? Turn your clutter into cash by selling your items on social media or online marketplaces such as eBay you can also look for part time work on <span><a href="https://www.gumtree.com.au/jobs">Gumtree</a></span>.</p><p>Listing your pre-loved goods is not only free; it can also land you a decent sum of money in just a couple of sales – especially if you have branded, big ticket items in good condition, such as a fridge or a dining table set.</p><p>Also, don’t forget your old childhood toys and collectibles; that old video game console gathering dust on top of the cupboard may be worth more than you think. By selling all those things you no longer need or use, you won’t only be freeing up space around your house, you could pay for almost the entire cruise with your preloved goods alone.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Automate your savings</strong></p><p>If self-discipline is not your strong suit and you tend to whittle your pay cheque down to the last dollar, consider setting up an automated savings plan. If you’re saving for a cruise, you can change the amount you deposit into your savings account so you’re saving more in the lead up to the cruise. When estimating how much you will be paying for your holiday, consider the worst-case scenario or the maximum amount you might be paying so that you’re not caught off guard when it comes to paying using the money you’ve saved. </p><p>One way to do this is to set up a regular direct debit from your transaction account <span><a href="https://www.ratecity.com.au/savings-accounts">into a savings account</a></span>. Make sure you time the transfer to happen as soon as you get paid. That way you won’t even miss the money because it will get squirreled away before you have time to see it in your everyday account.</p><p>Savings accounts also have a higher interest rate compared to transaction accounts, which will help your savings grow.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Entertain for free.</strong></p><p>A night out with friends can cost a fair bit these days, if you add up the cost of eating out, alcohol and entertainment such as movies and concerts.</p><p>Instead of going out, you can save for your holiday by inviting friends over for a dinner party where everyone brings a dish and shares the cost of alcohol. Swap catching up over brunch with going for a walk out in nature. If you’re going to be going on holiday with your friends, these kind of catch-ups can be a great way to get excited about the cruise and to encourage one another to save.</p><p>When it comes to entertaining the kids, opt for free activities such as visiting a park, going for a family bushwalk or riding bikes. Lots of museums offer free admission for kids and run plenty of workshops in the holidays. Visit your local council website for other free entertainment ideas close to home.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Save on fuel</strong></p><p><span><a href="https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/life-events-and-you/life-events/buying-a-car/car-buying-in-australia">The average car costs $1,737 per year</a></span> in petrol, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum. Save the money you would spend on fuel by choosing other forms of transport such as walking to work, catching public transport or riding your bike. You can also use fuel price websites and apps to find out where the cheapest petrol is in Australia throughout the week. Another way to make some significant savings is to become a one-car family. While it may require some juggling, selling a car immediately injects a significant amount of money into your holiday fund. You’ll also save on insurance, registration and maintenance costs too.</p><p>Saving for a cruise holiday takes some self-control and willpower. It means making a few changes here and there to our lifestyle habits. However, if you imagine yourself lying on the deck of the ship, by the pool with a cocktail in-hand admiring the coastal views around you, all that saving can be worth it. Happy cruising!</p><p><br /> <br /><em>Laura Martins is a content manager for <a href="https://www.ratecity.com.au/">RateCity</a>, where you can make smarter financial decisions and compare thousands of financial options.</em></p></div>5 Best Cruise Destinations for Spotting Wildlifehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-best-cruise-destinations-for-spotting-wildlife-42017-11-04T14:31:21.000Z2017-11-04T14:31:21.000ZEmma Palmerhttps://tripatini.com/members/EmmaPalmer<div><p></p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009197099,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009197099,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009197099?profile=original" /></a><br /></b> A cruise holiday is ideal for sitting back and relaxing. However, the destinations you stop at are typically full of more exciting experiences than lying on the beach. If the wildlife plays a big part of decision, we have put together a list of the best cruise destinations for spotting wildlife.<b> </b></p><p></p><p><b>Australia</b></p><p><br /> The Land Down Under is full of animals, most notably the native kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and platypuses. You can see all three at nature reserves and sanctuaries around the country. The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane is the largest koala refuge in the world and has been open since 1927.</p><p> </p><p>However, Australia has a lot more to offer. <a href="https://www.pocruises.com.au/">P&O</a> offer great cruises to the famous Great Barrier Reef, the largest living entity on earth. The 2,300-km ecosystem comprises thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands. It’s home to countless species of colourful fish, starfish, turtles, dolphins and sharks.</p><p> </p><p><b>Vanuatu</b></p><p><br /> The tropical climate in Vanuatu supports a broad range of wildlife, tropical rain forest, grassland and more. However, it’s the wildlife that keeps visitors coming back. Native flying foxes, more than 100 species of land and sea birds, dolphins, turtles, whales and even dugongs. Yes, sea cows! The dugong is the largest mammal in Vanuatu, and the only herbivorous marine mammal in the world. You can go diving among reefs which are home to over 300 species of coral and 450 species of fish. It’s some of the best snorkelling in the world.</p><p> </p><p><b>St. Thomas</b></p><p><br /> If you think of the Caribbean, marine life likely comes to mind. In St. Thomas, you can get up close a personal with the wildlife. Swim with sea lions at <a href="https://coralworldvi.com/" target="_blank">Coral World Ocean Park</a> or take a catamaran to the islets to get a glimpse of the hogfish and beaked parrot fish that call the coral reefs home.</p><p> </p><p>On the island, you will find giant iguanas are especially prominent. It’s thought they arrived at St. Thomas on floating debris that carried them across the Caribbean Sea. They will be relaxing in the sun just like you!</p><p><b> </b></p><p><b>Fiji</b></p><p><br /> Fiji happens to be a birdwatcher's dream. Over 100 different species are found on the islands. Within the rainforests and along the Coral Coast, Pacific Harbour and mainland you will spot species such as mush parrots, fantails, and honeyeaters. On the smaller islands, in the south-eastern region of Vanua Levu, you will find the endangered silk tail. Some islands have even been set up as bird sanctuaries. An Island hopper cruise is a perfect way to check out everything.</p><p> </p><p>Fiji is also home to 30 reptile species, including the Pacific boa constrictor, considered to be a god in native mythology. You also will find exotic fish, turtles and sea creatures. </p><p> </p><p><b>Alaska</b></p><p><br /> Obviously, not your typical holiday cruise, but one that offers equally great wildlife, if not better. Everything from a humpback whale to a moose. One of the unique animals you will see is the king crab, an indigenous shellfish that can grow a leg span of six feet. There are also black bears, bald eagles, salmon fishing and more. If you are going to pay for a cruise to Alaska, go between May and September. This is the time when the weather is mild, and you won’t be stuck in windy, cold conditions.</p><p></p></div>Taking a Family Cruise in the Pacifichttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/tips-for-mastering-a-family-cruise-in-the-pacific2017-10-01T03:30:00.000Z2017-10-01T03:30:00.000ZSophie Andersenhttps://tripatini.com/members/SophieAndersen<div><p dir="ltr"><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009175669,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009175669,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="639" class="align-center" alt="9009175669?profile=original" /></a></span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span><span class="font-size-1"><strong><br /> Every parent knows that a huge part of a ‘family’ cruise is making it kid-friendly. While some ships are great for infants, others are perfect for teens; also, some itineraries are simply designed for kids, while others aren’t really fitting. In fact, not even the ships within the same fleet are identical; they may vary greatly in terms of onboard activities, which are the essence of any cruise. With this in mind, I've rounded up some of the top tips for a fantastic family vacation time at high seas.</strong></span><br /> <br /> Don’t miss out on diving and snorkeling in the South Pacific</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>If you want your kid to get in touch with water from young age, while simultaneously tackling your fear of water and sea life, snorkeling and diving might be a perfect fit. After learning about all the dos and don’ts and about what to look out for (yep, sharks), your group led by a professional will hit the water and, before you know it, you will already start getting used to your surroundings.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Some South Pacific cruises offer kayaks, canoes and windsurfing boards, in addition to free-to-borrow snorkeling equipment.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>This is a great idea for some family adventure time as long as you make sure there’s a</span> <a href="https://www.coffeewithasliceoflife.com/2016/07/28/the-ultimate-guide-to-becoming-a-divemaster/"><span>dive master</span></a> <span>on board.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Turtles, clown fish, urchins, triggerfish, and eels are only a few of the species that you and your family are likely to see here.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>An onboard aquapark</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>The main thing that makes a cruise kid-friendly is the amount of activities that they can engage in. Kids love onboard aquaparks! Water slides, sprayers, soakers and dump buckets are only some of the sources of infinite fun for the young ones on a cruise ship. This, of course, is very much an outdoor activity, and the best part here is that some ships are equipped with mini-golf courses, basketball courts and even foosball tables, which you can use while your children are having their own fun at the aquapark.</span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><p dir="ltr"><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009176071,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009176071,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="639" class="align-center" alt="9009176071?profile=original" /></a></span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>Watch movies on your cruise</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Dream-class ships offer a movie experience outside with a 22-feet-tall jumbo screen! Some are even equipped with 3D-movie theatres with, get this, “multidimensional effects”. If you don’t know what these are, well, let’s just say that you can expect a seat-moving, wind-blowing, water-splashing film experience in a movie theatre.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>Cabin choice</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Of course, not all fleets and ships offer the same capacity and cabin size, which means that you’re going to have to find a perfect one for your family. Some cruises feature family lounges and free meals for kids, so looking into this should be your number one aim.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>Don’t forget about yourself</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Going on a family cruise with kids means a lot more responsibility than going by yourself or with your partner. On the other hand, you should never disregard the importance of actually enjoying your vacation time. There are many</span> <a href="https://www.carnival.com.au"><span>cruises that offer date activities onboard</span></a><span>, such as midnight strolls on deck, couples’ massages, gigs, dancing events, and romantic dinners, so check them out. Paying attention to this part of your Pacific journey planning is an essential factor in making sure that your entire family enjoys the vacation; and that includes you, too!</span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009175279,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009175279,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="639" class="align-center" alt="9009175279?profile=original" /></a></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>Bonus: onboard nursery</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>This bonus tip is dedicated to families with babies. If you are going to travel with a baby, you will need to have some time for yourself, so opting for a ship with an onboard nursery can go a long way in making sure that you remain as relaxed as possible during your journey.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>If you don’t want to leave your kids at home and want them to be able to add “a Pacific cruise” to their achievement list, by all means, go for it. On the other hand, knowing what to look for on a cruise ship can go a long way in making the entire vacation more enjoyable for you and your entire family.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8aee1475-a742-1972-e6cc-ea7c56318521"> </span></p><p></p><p><span> </span></p></div>Visit Borneo the Pandaw Wayhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/visit-borneo-the-pandaw-way2016-12-10T15:21:46.000Z2016-12-10T15:21:46.000ZSandra & John Scotthttps://tripatini.com/members/SandraJohnScott<div><p>The luxury river cruise line, Pandaw, now offers travelers the best way to explore Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. Named for the river it plies the newly refitted vessel joins the Pandaw family in February 2017. Borneo is the next big thing for Pandaw aficionados. In fact, nearly all 2017 Borneo cruises are fully booked, completely with Pandaw regulars.</p><p> </p><p>Explore deep into the heart of Borneo on a river expedition on the Kapuas River system, the largest in Borneo flowing over 700 miles through Kalimantan. The river basin is surrounded by mountain ranges and filled with rainforest, with some 15,000 species of flowering plants, 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds.</p><p> </p><p>There are about 440 freshwater fish species in Borneo (about the same as Sumatra and Java combined). It is the center of the evolution and distribution of many species of plants and animals. The Borneo rainforest is one of the few remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean orangutan. It is an important refuge for many forest species, including the Borneo elephant, the eastern Sumatran rhinoceros, the Bornean clouded leopard, the Hose's palm civet and the dayak fruit bat.</p><p> </p><p>The one week expedition will cover the upper part of the Kapuas between Sanggau and Lanjak, a voyage of over 300 miles that includes traversing the Denau Sentarum system of lakes that connect to the river that are now a national park. This will be a truly pioneering expedition into a rarely visited area where the main attraction will be the scenery, wildlife and tribal village life. For more information and to make a reservation – there are still a few cabins available for 2017 – go to <a href="http://www.pandaw.com" target="_blank">www.pandaw.com</a>.</p><p> </p></div>Why is Costa Rica's Certificate for Sustainable Tourism so important?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/why-is-costa-rica-s-certificate-for-sustainable-tourism-so2016-05-04T19:20:50.000Z2016-05-04T19:20:50.000ZShannon Farleyhttps://tripatini.com/members/ShannonFarley<div><p>In ecotourism pioneer Costa Rica, being eco-friendly is extremely important. <b>Eco-friendly travel</b> and <b>green tourism</b> continue to be the fastest growing sectors worldwide in the tourism industry.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009069269,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="250" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009069269,original{{/staticFileLink}}" height="218" alt="9009069269?profile=original" /></a>Nearly two decades ago, in 1999, the <b><a href="http://www.visitcostarica.com" target="_blank">Costa Rica Tourism Board</a> (ICT)</b> founded the <a href="http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/sostenibilidad.asp?tab=0" target="_blank">Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program</a> to regulate Costa Rican tourism businesses that are truly <b>sustainable and eco-friendly.</b> Their goal was to differentiate the real ecotourism businesses from those that are “<i>greenwashed</i>” – eco-friendly in advertising only.</p><p><a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/" target="_blank">Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure</a>, a nature and adventure park in Costa Rica’s Caribbean mountains, is a good example of a real ecotourism business that is not greenwashed. The ecotourism company last month was awarded its <b>first Certificate for Sustainable Tourism</b> in Costa Rica.</p><p>The CST process is intense, rigorous and very detailed. The <a href="http://sdt.unwto.org/" target="_blank">United Nations World Tourism Organization</a> uses Costa Rica’s CST program as the <b>model for sustainable tourism practices in Latin America</b>. Tourism companies are graded on specific sustainability criteria such as proper waste management, environmental protection, use of resources, respect for local cultures and support of local communities. The CST ratings range from one to five “Leaves”, using the symbol of a green tree for its scale.</p><p>At the beginning of its CST process, Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure holds one leaf for now. The ecotourism company will work on improvements to raise its status before its next CST review in two years, said Erick Quirós, in charge of CST process at Veragua.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009069498,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="550" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009069498,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009069498?profile=original" /></a>For instance, just recently after their first CST review, Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure installed a new <a href="http://www.enchanting-costarica.com/costa-rica-2/veragua-rainforest-eco-adventure-uses-clean-energy-costa-rica/" target="_blank">solar energy power system</a> and is now operating almost solely using clean energy. This is no small feat given the nature park’s location in the Costa Rica Caribbean mountains, many kilometers from the nearest public electrical poles or a main road.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009031076,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009031076,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="555" alt="9009031076?profile=original" /></a>“The CST program fits right in with the <b>triple-bottom-line philosophy</b> of people, planet and profit we’ve had at Veragua since inception,” said Veragua owner Marti Jimenez. “We are very proud since we worked on this for many months completely with only our staff, rather than the usual practice of hiring a consultant who guides you through it. We went through the learning curve ourselves. Going through this process gives all of our employees a sense of teamwork and belonging in a sustainable project,” Jimenez added.</p><p></p><p><b><i>Article by Shannon Farley</i></b></p></div>A Cruise Port of Call in Dubrovnik, Croatiahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/mediterranean-cruise-dubrovnik-croatia2016-07-07T15:24:51.000Z2016-07-07T15:24:51.000ZDave Fallonhttps://tripatini.com/members/DaveFallon<div><p id="docs-internal-guid-80a801ef-c09a-3127-8dfa-b71fd810281a" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009065292,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009065292,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009065292?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">Our visit to Dubrovnik seemed to be generating lots of hype onboard the ship. As this was our first Mediterranean cruise we were swept up in the added anticipation. Let me tell you, we weren’t disappointed.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"> </b></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">There were many ex-pats on board the ship with us who were looking forward to the visit. Also, many with ancestors from the area. Perhaps as a result of the former Yugoslavia’s troubled past, many were returning to their homeland for the first time. You could visibly see the added excitement in their eyes as the ship docked in the port.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"> </b></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">Regardless of the reason for visiting Dubrovnik, we all agreed on two things. Dubrovnik far exceeded our expectations and we all vowed to return one day.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"> </b></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">A Mediterranean Oasis for All Ages</span></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"> </b></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. This beauty is characteristic of the whole of the Dalmatian coast. It appeals to young as well as old, and I will never tire of looking at it. We paused at a restaurant for a bite to eat and watched the children run in the plaza, chasing pigeons and tasting the delicious gelatos. Parents can enjoy a coffee or something stronger in one of the many street cafes that line it’s stunning promenades. Grandparents can sit in the shade and read a newspaper or play dominoes. A perfect holiday destination for all ages and it allowed me to engage in one of my favourite hobbies of people watching.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"> </b></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">And for young couples it is one of the most romantic cities in the world. People travel from all over the globe to propose or get married on the old town walls. The walls themselves are wide enough to walk two-abreast and we saw several weddings taking place during our brief stay there. As this mediterranean cruise was our honeymoon we were a little jealous that we hadn’t chosen Dubrovnik as our place of marriage. Oh well. Maybe next time ;0)</span></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"> </b></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">The walls themselves overlook the city and despite the steep walk up, the view from the top makes the effort worthwhile. The walls are the first thing that you actually see as the bus transfer from the ship descends from the mountains. We all gasped upon first sight of the walls. And that was only from the outside. Many visitors opt to just take the shuttle bus from the port to the drop off point by the front of the city gate. It’s an option we went for as we were travelling on a budget. But we later learnt the shuttle is the better option to choose as it travels along the coast and the views from the bus are far superior than other private coach transfers.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"> </b></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">Whether you are viewing the walls from the outside, walking the walls themselves, gazing upon the red tiled rooftops, strolling the narrow cobbled streets, pausing in its museums and churches, admiring it’s palaces, shopping its outdoor market, sipping the best ever coffee in a street side cafe, eating fresh fish in a restaurant or taking a boat ride to a nearby island, Dubrovnik has something for everyone and we all left the city with a heavy heart and promising to return one day. And with that, I returned to my cabin to book my next <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:14.66px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;"><a href="http://www.cruiseparadise.ie/cruise-holidays/cheap-all-inclusive-mediterranean-cruises.phtml" target="_blank"><font size="3">Mediterranean cruise</font></a></span>.</span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" dir="ltr"></p><p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /></b></p></div>Veragua Rainforest is best day tour near Limon, Costa Rica.https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/veragua-rainforest-is-best-day-tour-near-limon-costa-rica2013-07-17T20:30:00.000Z2013-07-17T20:30:00.000ZDanny Solano Alvarezhttps://tripatini.com/members/DannySolanoAlvarez<div><p style="text-align:justify;">One of the <strong>top day tours on <a class="zem_slink" title="Costa Rica" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.93333333333,-84.0833333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=9.93333333333,-84.0833333333%20(Costa%20Rica)&t=h" target="_blank">Costa Rica</a>'s Caribbean Coast, <a title="Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure in Costa Rica" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/" target="_blank">Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure</a></strong>, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The <strong>highly popular nature and adventure <a title="Attractions at Veragua Rainforest in Costa Rica" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions.html" target="_blank">attraction</a></strong>, and <strong>important <a title="Veragua Rainforest Scientific Research Center" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/research/index.html" target="_blank">scientific research center</a></strong>, was four years in the making and now five years open. In that time, the tour destination has achieved a long list of successes.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-entrance-walkway.jpg"><img src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-entrance-walkway-300x120.jpg" alt="Veragua Rainforest entrance walkway" class="alignright wp-image-5663" style="margin:5px;" title="Veragua Rainforest entrance walkway" align="right" height="131" width="315" /></a>"Everyone is very proud of the work and effort we have given during these years," said Federico Quirós, Administrative Financial Manager for Veragua, in an official announcement. "The staff has always had a good attitude to offer the best service and quality care to our visitors. This has made us a very united and consistent team."</p><p style="text-align:justify;">"I am very proud to have a top team that is dedicated, hardworking, loyal through thick and thin, and committed to facing challenges. We have had many successes in our relatively short history and I am sure that we will continue into the future," added Veragua owner Martí Jiménez.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-map.jpg"><img src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-map-300x247.jpg" alt="Veragua Rainforest near Limon, Costa Rica" class="alignleft wp-image-5664" style="margin:5px;" title="Veragua Rainforest near Limon, Costa Rica" align="left" height="192" width="234" /></a>Just one hour inland from the <strong>Caribbean port of Limón</strong>, the 1,300-hectare (3,212-acre) park is located in an area of breathtaking tropical rainforest bordering the immense <strong><a class="zem_slink" title="La Amistad International Park" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.40708333333,-82.9388055556&spn=0.01,0.01&q=9.40708333333,-82.9388055556%20(La%20Amistad%20International%20Park)&t=h" target="_blank">La Amistad International Park</a></strong>. Veragua Rainforest gives visitors the most <strong>complete rainforest experience</strong> possible in a one-day tour on the Caribbean in Costa Rica.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"></p><p style="text-align:justify;">Additionally, ongoing salient research is conducted by <strong>Veragua's team of on-site</strong> <strong>biologists</strong>, who partner with the University of Costa Rica (UCR), Costa Rica's <a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-research-lab.jpg"><img src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-research-lab-300x199.jpg" alt="Veragua Rainforest research lab" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-5665" style="margin:5px;" title="Veragua Rainforest research lab" align="right" height="199" width="300" /></a>National Institute of Biodiversity (<a class="zem_slink" title="Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad" href="http://www.inbio.ac.cr/en/default.html" target="_blank">INBio</a>), and the National Museum of Natural History to conserve the area's abundant population of amphibians, reptiles, insects, birds, and mammals. International and national student groups come to study and learn about the <strong>Neotropical ecosystem</strong>.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"></p><p style="text-align:justify;">Since opening on July 4, 2008, more than 70,000 visitors have experienced Veragua Rainforest. They are a <strong>main one-day tour destination for cruise line passengers</strong> docking in Limón.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-05-aerial-tram.jpg"><img src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-05-aerial-tram-300x253.jpg" alt="Veragua Rainforest aerial tram" class="alignleft wp-image-5666" style="margin:5px;" title="Veragua Rainforest aerial tram" align="left" height="209" width="247" /></a>Veragua attractions include a <a title="Veragua Rainforest canopy tour" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/canopytour.html" target="_blank">canopy zipline tour</a>, an <a title="Veragua Rainforest aerial tram" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/aerialtram.html" target="_blank">aerial tram</a>, <a title="Veragua Rainforest hiking trails" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/rainforesttrails.html" target="_blank">hiking trails</a> through rainforest and by a river with waterfalls, <a title="Frog Habitat at Veragua Rainforest" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/froghabitat.html" target="_blank">wildlife exhibits</a> and <a title="Veragua Rainforest biology lab" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/research.html" target="_blank">science labs</a>. "We have all of the top activities that people enjoy in Costa Rica all in one location," explained Jiménez. Nearly all of the park is wheelchair accessible and is designed to be safe for all ages.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Rather than being like a zoo, each sensational wildlife exhibit is an interactive live biology lab. Learn about the fascinating lifecycle of butterflies in the giant <a title="Butterfly garden at Veragua Rainforest" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/butterflygarden.html" target="_blank"><strong>butterfly garden</strong></a>.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"></p><p style="text-align:justify;">See iguanas, lizards and snakes up close in the <a title="Reptile habitat at Veragua Rainforest" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/reptilehabitat.html" target="_blank"><strong>reptile habitat</strong></a>. Be informed about Costa Rica's more than 300,000 species of insects in the <a title="Insectarium at Veragua Rainforest" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/insectarium.html" target="_blank"><strong>insectarium</strong></a>. Enjoy the dynamic <a title="Frog Paradise Habitat at Veragua Rainforest" href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/froghabitat.html" target="_blank"><strong>Frog Paradise habitat</strong></a>, whic<a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-06-morpho-butterfly.jpg"><img src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Veragua-06-morpho-butterfly-300x187.jpg" alt="Veragua Rainforest Butterfly Garden - morpho butterfly" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-5667" style="margin:5px;" title="Veragua Rainforest Butterfly Garden - morpho butterfly" align="right" height="187" width="300" /></a>h has a daytime area for diurnal amphibians, and a nocturnal frog habitat where day turns into night so you can see and hear nighttime frogs in action.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"></p><p style="text-align:justify;">It is Veragua Rainforest's plentiful wildlife that is attracting <strong>international scientific recognition</strong>. "We've had scientific experts come from around the world to study our wildlife – bats, crabs, lizards, frogs, butterflies, birds," noted Jiménez. "Specialists from Harvard University have called us the 'anole mecca' for the wealth of anole lizards in our forest."</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Veragua biologists have made <strong>key discoveries of new species</strong> of butterflies, beetles and frogs in the area. Last year's <a class="zem_slink" title="Christmas Bird Count" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Bird_Count" target="_blank">Christmas bird count</a> at Veragua found a <strong>record-breaking 417 different bird species</strong> sighted in a 24-hour period – the highest number registered in <a class="zem_slink" title="Central America" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_America" target="_blank">Central America</a>.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Jiménez revealed that they are in the process of formalizing a <strong>Veragua Foundation</strong> for rainforest research with the Costa Rican government. "This will allow us to expand and strengthen our resources for further research," he explained.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Peje-School-remodeling.jpg"><img src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Peje-School-remodeling-300x225.jpg" alt="Peje School remodeling, one of Veragua Rainforest's adopted schools" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-5669" style="margin:5px;" title="Peje School remodeling, one of Veragua Rainforest's adopted schools" align="left" height="225" width="300" /></a>Veragua's success extends to their neighboring community. The business is <strong>supporting two nearby schools</strong> – contributing to the children's education, raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity for conservation, and improving quality of life with infrastructure. "We're located in a poor area that traditionally was involved in logging, mono-agriculture and hunting," said Jiménez. "We're turning the region into a conservation-focused area, giving locals jobs and teaching them to protect their resources."</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Veragua Rainforest is endorsed by <strong><a class="zem_slink" title="Conservation International" href="http://www.conservation.org" target="_blank">Conservation International</a></strong> and <strong>The <a class="zem_slink" title="The Nature Conservancy" href="http://www.nature.org/" target="_blank">Nature Conservancy</a></strong>.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">By Shannon Farley</p></div>Puerto Vallarta Cruise Lines and Shipshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/puerto-vallarta-cruise-lines-and-ships2012-02-24T18:03:07.000Z2012-02-24T18:03:07.000ZPablo Gonzalezhttps://tripatini.com/members/PabloGonzalez<div><p class="normal-ind3"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/how_to_get/by_ship.jpg" alt="cruise chips" height="76" width="65" align="right" />A magnificent way to arrive in <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net" target="_blank">Puerto Vallarta</a> is by sea. Several cruise lines make Puerto Vallarta a "Port O' Call", docking at the Terminal Marítimo, which has had to be modified to receive more than one cruise ship at a time.</p><p class="normal-ind3">The cruise lines that will be arriving in Puerto Vallarta during 2012 and 2013 include the following: Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard, Disney Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.</p><p class="normal-ind3">Here's a list of the <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/fast_facts/by_ship.php" target="_blank">cruise lines and ships</a> that will arrive in Puerto Vallarta during 2012-2013:</p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="410" align="center"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="26%"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/carnival-cruise.gif" alt="carnival cruises" height="50" width="100" /></td><td width="44%"><p class="normal-ind3">Carnival Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/carnival-splendor.jpg">Carnival Splendor</a><br /> Carnival Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Carnival-Spirit.jpg">Carnival Spirit</a><br /> Carnival Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Carnival-Miracle.jpg">Carnival Miracle</a></p></td><td width="30%" align="center"><a href="http://www.carnival.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Carnival Cruises</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/celebrity-cruises.gif" alt="celabrity cruises" height="40" width="100" /></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8"><p class="normal-ind3">Celebrity Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/celebrity-infinity.jpg">Celebrity Infinity</a><br /> Celebrity Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/celebrity-millenium.jpg">Celebrity Millennium</a><br /> Celebrity Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/celebrity-century.jpg">Celebrity Century</a></p></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" align="center"><a href="http://www.celebritycruises.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Celebrity Cruises</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/crystal-cruises.gif" alt="crystal cruises" height="19" width="100" /></td><td><p class="normal-ind3">Crystal Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/crystal-symphony.jpg">Crystal Symphony</a></p></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.crystalcruises.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Crystal Cruises</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/cunard.gif" alt="cunard" height="81" width="100" /></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8"><p class="normal-ind3">Cunard, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Cunard-queen-Elizabeth.jpg">Queen Elizabeth</a></p></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" align="center"><a href="http://www.cunard.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Cunard</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Disney_Cruise_Logo.gif" alt="Disney Cruises" height="28" width="100" /></td><td><p class="normal-ind3">Disney Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Disney-Cruise-Wonder.jpg">Disney Wonder</a></p></td><td align="center"><a href="http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Disney Cruises</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/holland-america.gif" alt="" height="85" width="100" /></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8"><p class="normal-ind3">Holland America (HAL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Oosterdam-cw.jpg">HAL Oosterdam</a><br /> Holland America (HAL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Statendam.jpg">HAL Statendam</a><br /> Holland America (HAL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/rotterdam.jpg">HAL Rotterdam</a><br /> Holland America (HAL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Zuiderdam.jpg">HAL Zuiderdam</a><br /> Holland America (HAL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Westerdam.jpg">HAL Westerdam</a><br /> Holland America (HAL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Amsterdam.jpg">HAL Amsterdam</a><br /> Holland America (HAL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Zaandam.jpg">HAL Zaandam</a></p></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" align="center"><a href="http://www.hollandamerica.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Holland America</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Norwegian-Cruise-Lines.gif" alt="Norwegian Cruise Line" height="63" width="100" /></td><td><p class="normal-ind3">Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/norwegian-pearl.jpg">NCL Norwegian Pearl</a><br /> Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Norwegian-Jewel.jpg">NCL Norwegian Jewel</a></p></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www2.ncl.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Norwegian Cruises</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Oceania-Cruises.gif" alt="Oceania Cruises" height="25" width="100" /></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8"><p class="normal-ind3">Oceania Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Oceania-Regatta.jpg">Oceania Regatta</a></p></td><td bgcolor="#FFFFE8" align="center"><a href="http://www.oceaniacruises.com/" target="_blank" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Oceania Cruises</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/interfaz/linea_punteada.gif" alt="line" height="10" width="390" /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><img src="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/princess-cruises.gif" alt="" height="92" width="100" /></td><td><p class="normal-ind3">Princess Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Sapphire-Princess.jpg">Sapphire Princess</a><br /> Princess Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/Star-Princess.jpg">Star Princess</a><br /> Princess Cruises, <a href="http://www.puertovallarta.net/images/fast_facts/cruise-ships/grand-princess.jpg">Grand Princess</a></p></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.princess.com/" class="win-car-reserv-btn">Princess Cruises</a></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Best shore excursions in Limon, Costa Ricahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/best-shore-excursions-in-limon-costa-rica2014-03-27T20:32:29.000Z2014-03-27T20:32:29.000ZShannon Farleyhttps://tripatini.com/members/ShannonFarley<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008833062,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="250" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008833062,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008833062?profile=original" /></a>Coming on a <b>cruise to Costa Rica</b> and looking for what <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/tours-rates/shore-excursion.html" target="_blank">shore excursion</a> to choose? I always recommend seeing <strong>what Costa Rica is most famous for – rainforest and nature</strong>.</p><p> </p><p>At your Caribbean port of call in <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/location.html" target="_blank">Limon, Costa Rica</a>, one of the <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/tours-rates/shore-excursion.html" target="_blank">best Costa Rica shore excursions</a> to experience the rainforest and its exotic wildlife is <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/" target="_blank">Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure</a>.</p><p> </p><p>On cruise ship stops, you normally only have time for a half-day tour, or maybe a full-day tour. The nice thing about <strong>Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure is that it is located less than an hour away from the pier at Limon</strong>. You have minimal travel time, which means more time in the rainforest.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008833455,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008833455,original{{/staticFileLink}}" height="184" width="251" alt="9008833455?profile=original" /></a>Veragua Rainforest’s 3,212-acre (1,300-hectare) park is set in the <strong>tropical rainforest of the Caribbean coastal mountains</strong> bordering the renowned <strong>La Amistad International Park</strong>. This is <strong>real rainforest</strong>, not contrived. Howler and white-faced <strong>monkeys</strong> roam the treetops. Hundreds of species of tropical and migratory <strong>birds</strong> fly through the forest. Brightly colored <strong>poison-dart frogs</strong> join rare salamanders and other lizards on the forest floor.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Veragua Rainforest’s <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions.html" target="_blank">award-winning adventure park</a></strong> design gives you the most complete rainforest experience possible in a day tour in Costa Rica. Important <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/biological-research-station.html" target="_blank">national scientific research</a> goes on here with Veragua’s team of on-site biologists.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008833477,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="250" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008833477,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008833477?profile=original" /></a>For your <strong>Limon shore excursion at Veragua</strong>, you can choose either a <strong>half-day tour</strong> (pier-to-pier 5½ hours) or <strong>full-day tour</strong> (pier-to-pier 7½ hours). Both tours include a fascinating <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/aerial-tram-ride.html" target="_blank">aerial tram ride</a> through the rainforest canopy, <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/rainforest-trails.html" target="_blank">walking trails</a> along a river under giant trees to a beautiful waterfall, and interesting <strong>interactive wildlife exhibits</strong>: the largest indoor <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/frog-habitat.html" target="_blank">nocturnal and diurnal frog exhibit</a> in the world, <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/reptile-habitat.html" target="_blank">reptile</a> and <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/insectarium.html" target="_blank">insect</a> areas, and a huge <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/butterfly-garden.html" target="_blank">butterfly garden</a> filled with some of the world’s most colorful butterflies including the famed electric-blue Morpho. <strong>Veragua Rainforest is completely accessible for disabled visitors.</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The full-day tour adds the <strong>exciting zip-lines of <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/attractions/the-original-canopy-tour.html" target="_blank">The Original Canopy Tour®</a></strong>, which has been featured on Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Travel Channel. <a href="http://www.veraguarainforest.com/facilities.html" target="_blank">Lunch</a> is included on the full-day tour. </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Article by Shannon Farley</strong></p></div>Sa Sung in Halonghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/sa-sung-in-halong2012-11-10T09:19:50.000Z2012-11-10T09:19:50.000ZIndochina Sailshttps://tripatini.com/members/IndochinaSails<div><div>There are many special foods in Ha Long Bay . Almost people will talk about Sa Sung firstly when talk about special food here.</div><div class="separator"></div><div> Sa sung (Vietnamese: Sá sùng) is a kind of sea worn. It is found in some sea areas in Vietnam such as: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Con Dao… Its environment is sand. It lives on deep hole under sand. Length of Sa Sung is about 10 – 15cm with blow red. It looks like earth worm but it is bigger. In its bowler is full of sands. Early morning is the best time for local people to catch Sa Sung. While earning food Sa Sung lets a lot of traces on sand. Therefore, local people easy to find down it inside holes following that sign.</div><div>Coming to Quan Lan, a island of Bai Tu Long-Quang Ninh, you should not lose chances to see catching Sa Sung- this kind of organism is the main material make noodle soup dish of Ha Thanh delicious. You should enjoy a dish of fried san sung with pine apple, it is very nice.</div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkIesGoloOg/UJ4TCNGdTfI/AAAAAAAAA_E/b9EDXkrXQxE/s1600/sa-sung.jpg"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkIesGoloOg/UJ4TCNGdTfI/AAAAAAAAA_E/b9EDXkrXQxE/s320/sa-sung.jpg" width="320" alt="sa-sung.jpg" /></a></div><div>How to cook this dish Sa Sung?</div><div>In each region, Sa Sung is cook in different ways.</div><div>Dried Sa Sung is similar to dried cuttlefish. It is a kind of ephemera, so that it contains a lot of nutrition. You have to wash them carefully, take sands out of their bowler. You should wash them under water until Sa Sung has the ivory white color. Then, you will make it dried.</div><div>In Quang Ninh and other northern provinces, they use Sa Sung as dried shrimp to cook with noodle soup or vermicelli. Local people also make this kind of organism into many delicious dishes such as baking with pepper and salt, or eat it raw with spice. This kind of food is very nutritional. In Con Dao or Vung Tau, Sa Sung is fried or baked.</div><div>Sa sung has its natural sweet taste, so you do not have to add sugar or glutamate. You only add a little salt. The native here said that if you have once chance to try this food, you will never forget it.</div><div>Prices of Sa Sung</div><div>In Quang Ninh , its price is 500.000-600000 VND per kg.</div><div>In Con Dao, it is 150000-160000 VND per kg.</div><div>Source:Internet</div><p></p><div><b><span><span><span>Supported by Indochina Sails - The most luxury and safest cruises in Halong Bay</span></span></span></b></div><div><span><span><span>INDOCHINA SAILS</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Hanoi Office</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Add: 27 – A6 – Dam Trau Quarter – Hai Ba Trung District – Hanoi – Vietnam</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Tel: +84 – 4- 39842362</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Fax: +84 – 4 – 39844150</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Email: info@indochinasails.com</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span>Website: <span><span><span><a href="http://www.indochinasails.com/en/">www.indochinasails.com</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div>Discovering Halong Bay by Kayakinghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/discovering-halong-bay-by-kayaking2012-06-19T02:55:56.000Z2012-06-19T02:55:56.000ZIndochina Sailshttps://tripatini.com/members/IndochinaSails<div><div><strong><em>If you’re looking for a different and fun way to experience <a href="http://www.indochinasails.com/">Halong Bay</a>, I can assure you a <a href="http://www.indochinasails.com/">kayak tour</a> is the best way to go. Though notorious for being misty this time of the year, the scenery was incredibly dramatic as it created a mystical- almost magical type of environment with the limestone rock formations producing truly beautiful reflections on the water.</em></strong></div><div><span><a href="http://www.indochinasails.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d0nNonoqeo4/T9hB2sNiTAI/AAAAAAAAAk8/g9AmBw9pHJA/s400/IMG_0376.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5753420931802483714" class="align-center" name="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5753420931802483714" /></a></span></div><div>Seeing the other boats pass us with the rock formations in the background made for great photos ops and at times, it felt as if we were part of a scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean”.</div><div>The journey to our kayak destination took approximately 1.5 – 2 hours and guests had the opportunity to stay inside the junk boat or make use of the sundeck to enjoy the spectacular scenery in a truly tranquil environment. This route is a little more off the beaten track than the normal Halong Bay by Boat tour, but talk about destination immersion!</div><div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcEClfeDfuw/T9hA1m6sPBI/AAAAAAAAAkk/KiR9E-Eb6nY/s400/IMG_5407.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5753419813689768978" class="align-center" name="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5753419813689768978" /></div><div>Once at anchor, the kayaks were brought to the boat and the brightly colored orange and yellow of the kayaks against the water and rock formations presented yet another great photo opportunity.</div><div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_syy1tq2vZI/T9hA2CkJdMI/AAAAAAAAAkw/h36TwRR8ucI/s400/IMG_0286.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5753419821111407810" class="align-center" name="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5753419821111407810" /></div><div>Once our lifejackets were snug and secure and we were sitting comfortably in our <a href="http://www.indochinasails.com/">kayaks</a>, our guide shared important paddle instructions with us before setting off for two hours of kayaking. The sense of peace and tranquility was simply overwhelming. You heard nothing but the soothing sounds of paddles gliding through water. Along the way, the local mountain monkey made an appearance – which only served to enhance the trip even more.</div><div>Once back on board, we were treated to a delicious seafood buffet of prawns, crab, calamari, spring rolls, fish with rice and cabbage as well as fruit for desert. Many guests then moved to the deck to rest on the loungers while the boat returned to the jetty.</div></div>An Expedition Cruise to Antarctica - Penguins, Seals, Peace & Beautyhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/an-expedition-cruise-to-antarctica-penguins-seals-peace-beauty2014-05-05T00:30:00.000Z2014-05-05T00:30:00.000ZVoyages Groupe Idealhttps://tripatini.com/members/VoyagesGroupeIdeal<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008685257,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008685257,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008685257?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008685085,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008685085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008685085?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008685454,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008685454,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008685454?profile=original" /></a></p><p><b><i><font face="Calibri">“Our Team Travels” (OTT) by Voyages Groupe Ideal</font></i></b></p><div><p><font face="Calibri">Welcome to the very first in our series of “<b>Our Team Travels</b>” where we share our team members travel experiences from across the globe.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><i><font face="Calibri"><strong>The following is an account of our team member Rona Cukier’s Antarctica Adventure</strong>.</font></i></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><b><font face="Calibri"><font size="5">A Cruise Expedition in Antarctica</font></font></b></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">Do you ever want to get away from everything and take a vacation that is experiential in nature; something different and enriching to somewhere you’ve never been?</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">Well that is what Rona and Ed Cukier set out to do when they participated in a 3 week cruise expedition to Antarctica.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">They arrived in Ushuaia where they boarded a cruise ship that had capacity for 300 passengers but chose to max out at 200 in order to protect the fragile Antarctic environment. In addition, when out exploring by Zodiac (and ultimately by foot), they were separated into two groups of 100.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">“I didn’t know what to expect but when I envisioned this part of the world, I imagined it to be desolate, gray and lifeless” explains Cukier.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">The opposite proved to be true and as each participant cleaned their boots off before placing foot on land, they were in awe of the blue sky and snow capped mountains reflecting off the ocean and the peacefulness of it all.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">One of the highlights was standing in the midst of hundreds of thousands of penguins and learning about them right there on the spot from the crew Naturalists (with specialties in geology, ornithology, geography, history and more). These specialists provided the group with interesting tidbits and thorough explanations of the breeding season, the type of birds, the feeding procedure and how they interact with the surroundings. Then on the boat during the evening there were further lectures and sessions.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">“We learned something new each day as we travelled from one island to the next”, states Rona.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">As it was breeding season, the group was able to observe as the parent penguins cared for their unborn by sitting on the eggs and for their new born by going out to sea and catching “dinner”.<font size="+0"> </font> This is quite a feat considering that the one who goes fishing has to make its way through thousands of colonies of penguins and then back to their family again somehow finding them amongst all the others.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">This is done with such precision – it’s quite amazing.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">The baby penguins were seen shedding <font size="+0"> </font>their first skin (brown fur) <font size="+0"> </font>in preparation for their <font size="+0"> </font>waterproof version.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">The group also encountered large colonies of seals. The Fur Seals, petite and cute were actually the ones to watch out for as they can be aggressive whereas the huge blubbered Elephant Seals were more passive.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">“One of the most incredible feelings was being amongst all of these birds and being surrounded by only nature – the mountains, the sea, the icebergs, the wildlife; it was surreal” says Cukier.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">The group also had the opportunity to go on advanced hikes ascending to mountain tops for exquisite views over the horizon and beyond. “The sky just seemed to go on forever” explained Cukier.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">On one of these hikes, the group made it to the top and then outfitted in their snowsuits slid all the way down to the surface. There were fast parts, slow parts and overall it was very exciting, much more so than just walking down.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">They viewed and photographed some stunning icebergs amazingly shaped as arches and squares with a translucent blue light coming from inside.<font size="+0"> </font> They could hear and see them calving (when sections separate and move out to sea) and it was hauntingly beautiful. They also saw the largest iceberg in the world.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">There were whales to watch as well and hot springs to rest their weary bodies in after a full day of exploring.</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">When I asked Rona what the most amazing thing was about the entire trip she responded, “Just seeing nature do its thing without any barriers.”</font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri"><strong>There are several Nature Expeditions offered through Voyages Groupe <font size="+0"> </font>Ideal .</strong></font></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri">We agree with Rona – <em><strong>there is nothing as mystifying as seeing nature in motion.<font size="+0"> </font> It puts things into perspective and reminds us that we are not the only living beings on this planet.</strong></em></font></p></div><div><p><em><br /></em></p></div><div><p><font face="Calibri"><strong><em>Check out the great images Rona captured and share your travel stories with us.</em></strong></font></p></div><div><p> </p></div><p class="separator">Yours in Social Media and Travel <a href="mailto:lisacohen@groupeideal.ca">lisacohen@groupeideal.ca</a> at <a href="http://www.idealtravelalongtheway.com/">www.idealtravelalongtheway.com</a></p><p class="separator"> </p></div>Clonmacnoise symbolizes eary Irish Christianityhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/clonmacnoise-symbolizes-eary-irish-christianity2011-09-01T18:58:00.000Z2011-09-01T18:58:00.000ZBeverly Burmeierhttps://tripatini.com/members/BeverlyBurmeier<div><a href="http://stripedpot.com/2011/09/01/clonmacnoise-symbolizes-early-irish-christianity/">http://stripedpot.com/2011/09/01/clonmacnoise-symbolizes-early-irish-christianity/</a> Clonmacnoise is one of the most important religious sites in Northern Ireland.</div>Choosing a Cruisehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/choosing-a-cruise2011-08-18T21:00:00.000Z2011-08-18T21:00:00.000ZKaleigh Layhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleighLay<div>James and I are in the process of choosing a cruise for December, and let me tell you, it is not easy. Due to the podcast and the website, we want to have as many cruising experiences as possible, so we can't really choose a favorite line and stick with it like most people do. (Although this will really hurt our chances at any loyalty programs) There are so many considerations that my head is spinning at this point. It is difficult to decide what priority to give each consideration. But, I will do my best to break it down for you, and I would LOVE to hear any feedback from you on how you decide on a cruise.<br /><br /><strong>1. Ports/Itinerary</strong>- We are, of course, really into the ports and are constantly looking for the best possible experience in every port with our personal preferences tending toward history and architecture with private/all inclusive beaches being our favorite option when a port doesn't happen to have much in the way of history or architecture. We aren't huge water sport type people, but James has an affinity for cave tubing, so I guess that is an exception. Some people go see turtles, and some are cool with stingrays swimming all around them, even though the Crocodile Hunter died from one of these "gentle" creatures (just my personal fear/thing) Not us, although I could see swimming with dolphins at some point. <br /><br /><strong>2. Cruise Line</strong>- This is the one that most people usually have all figured out, but we are having trouble with. We want to try a line that we haven't experienced, so Princess, Celebrity and Holland America are all in the running. My favorite thing to do when deciding on this category is to find the daily paper of whatever line I am looking at and try to figure out how many of the activities I would want to attend. Did I not mention that we LOVE trivia? Yes, we were the first trivia nerds to ever show up for trivia on the brand new Carnival Magic when everyone else was attending the naming ceremory or whatever. So, I always look for multiple trivia opportunities each day, as well as a good mix of cooking demonstrations (so fun!) and tastings. Gameshows are always a plus for us, and scavenger hunts are like gold. Entertainment, for us, is not as important as the daily activities, but we do like to have something to see each night, with a late night option like karaoke or comedy to cap off the night. I suppose other people may choose the cruise line based on food options/reviews or maybe the cost of alternative dining, which has figured into our calculations (Celebrity, I am looking at you!). Service might fall under this category, but to be honest, I have never really had a service issue, so that isn't a concern for me. Others may choose based on how many loungers are available or how many kids or people might be on the boat. Maybe you choose based on the adults-only facilities. I will admit to leaning somewhat toward Holland American based on the private cabanas on deck that you can rent. There is something tempting about the idea of going up to your cabana and having a lounger and table waiting for you. And this leads into our next consideration...<br /><br /><strong>3. The Ship</strong>- Within each line you have lots of variations, of course. Except maybe Disney, but I digress. We give ships with waterslides gold stars, and think movie theatres are super cool. Throw tons of hot tubs and some neat bars in the mix, and we are pretty happy. And we all know that there is something to be said for being on one of the newer ships of a fleet. Whether you want a killer casino or real grass, trees or a rock-climbing wall (I will never understand that one) are certainly considerations for this category. Staterooms would also fall in this category, and I must admit to being an ocean-view snob. Gotta have one. And I do like my space, so when I see staterooms over 180 sq. ft, my heart races a little. (Not really, but it does make me smile) But, that extra space and view often cost extra, which brings me to...<br /><br /><strong>4. Price</strong>- Yep, the final and, perhaps, most important consideration. So why did I put it last? Because it is no fun to think about. Because I might find the perfect itinerary, line and ship and then be looking at wayyy more than I can afford. Guess it should be first then, but then I would always cruise Carnival, which would not make for a very interesting podcast/website. (Unless the site was dedicated to photos taken on the Serenity deck) But, if you stick with most of the mainstream lines and happen to be within driving distance of more than one embarkation port, you can usually get a great deal, even if the price is higher than Carnival because cruising is such a good deal in general. I prefer to use a travel agent, combined with internet searches in order to search out the best rate, plus I can sometimes get a special little deal like stateroom credit etc. <br /><br />Whatever we choose, I know we'll have a great time and enjoy reporting on those experiences to all of you. And, along the way, you can bet that we will be winning a trivia contest (or 2).<br /></div>Carnival Cruise Lines Goes Facebook, Skips Web Sitehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/carnival-cruise-lines-goes2011-01-11T18:15:29.000Z2011-01-11T18:15:29.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/l6sxpsMdv6EnzzPaV4sz0A?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="305" width="400" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_AnBusKXSA8o/TSqPlEZ-GrI/AAAAAAAACOE/a1L-qBgcqWk/s400/1195015417-31579_full.jpg" alt="1195015417-31579_full.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/travel.video/NMTImages?feat=embedwebsite">NMT Images</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Carnival Cruise Lines Goes Facebook, Skips Web Site<br /><br />It’ a great video. It’s fun, alive, upbeat and touches a travel nerve: It’s Carnival Cruise Line’s new advertising campaign, <em>“Hey America, Didja Ever.”</em> <br /><br />But the video is not on the cruise line’s web site, confirming, once again, that searches for authentic travel experiences are not found on search engines or on web sites, but on social media networks.<br /><br />It’s here where people can question, connect and participate with real people in real time. <br /><br />Since a vast number of American have never taken a cruise, (probably 90%), Carnival’s chief marketing officer, Jim Berra, knows that the first time cruiser is a huge market.<br /><br />“How better to reassure those contemplating their first cruise than to let them experience on Facebook, the experience of other cruisers?” he asks.<br /><br />Berra understands Facebook’s power, and that of social media, when he says that interacting with the brand on Facebook, “ lends an environment where you can talk to experienced cruisers and get unbiased information on Carnival.”<br /><br />The video is on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/Carnival">Carnival Facebook</a> page where their 455, 266 people who “Like” the page get a chance to see a video with real people, talking about the real things they’d like to do in life, from fly a plane to feed Llamas and deep sea dive or Parasail.<br /><br />The implication of course is, why wait. Do it now!<br /><br />Marketing messages? Do it on Carnival. <br /><br />And, make your own list, and enter the “Didja Ever” contest and possibly win a free cruise.<br /><br />Industry publication, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.travelweekly.com/cruise/article3_ektid226524.aspx">Travel Weekly</a>, says this is yet another example of a major cruise line “being dedicated to social media,” and reports that the Facebook campaign is doing very well viz a viz Carnival’s competitors. As of last week, the numbers tell the story:<br /><br />• Carnival Cruise Line has 455,266 “Likes”<br /><br />• Royal Caribbean International, 230,365<br />• Princess Cruises, 73,942<br />• Norwegian Cruise Line, 48,058<br /><br />It may be that these three lines are late to the social media table. <br /><br />Travel Weekly reports that Berra has seen traffic driven from their Facebook account to their booking web page triple in the last 12 months, allowing Facebook to pass Yahoo as the second largest source of traffic to <a target="_blank" href="http://http//www.carnival.com">carnival.com</a>.<br /><br />For now, Google is still the number 1 traffic driver, but Facebook allows potential cruise-buyers to create initial, human connections, which Google and a web site can’t do.<br /><br />The “Didja Ever” videos will appear on and off line, including Hulu, YouTube and Yahoo.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>US Virgin Islands: Paradise Awaits You!https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/us-virgin-islands-paradise2010-11-08T01:30:00.000Z2010-11-08T01:30:00.000ZMichelle A Thurstonhttps://tripatini.com/members/MichelleAThurston<div><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><br /></font></font></font><p style="text-align:left;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><img width="721" alt="" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008580888,original{{/staticFileLink}}" /></font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">– St Thomas/St John Trip to Paradise.</font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Spirit left late by 40 minutes from Ft Lauderdale as they were waiting for a flight connection to arrive so people weren’t stranded. What a nice thing to do for an airline. Normally they just don’t care. Arrival into St Thomas, pretty uneventful. A 22 year old tried to smoke a cigarette on the tarmac! To funny, although not so funny to security. They were like – what are you crazy dude this place could explode.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Arrival to Marriott Frenchman’s Reef. It was a pleasant drive from the airport to the resort ($25.00 for 2 people, with luggage). We past Havensight and the New Yacht Haven Marina ..OMG I wished I was able to stop and SHOP! Great shops. VL Louie Vitton, Cache, and so many more.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Checked in to the Frenchman’s Reef with a nice upgrade from a 2queen standard room to a Balcony Room, ocean view. I appreciated it greatly. The view is so worth it.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Went to the Cruz Rum Bar and had a drink on the deck, had dinner at the Sunset Grill, very low keyed and no dress code TG.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">6/6 – Buffet breakfast that rocked the house $21.00 pp, eggs cooked to order, fruit, meat, bagels & lox, any kind of fruit you wanted, oatmeal, cereal. The works.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Many people here on the all inclusive. We’re not. Just room and Tax and whatever happens happens! YIKES.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Today it was Pina Colada’s by the pool with the creatures. Many iguanas lurking on the pool deck. Cute but they bite. They do like pineapple.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Tonight’s it’s dinner/Linner at LINO21 in St Thomas. Got there and it was now Café Amici’s. We walked town and shopped the market (looking for a purse of course) and by the time we were ready to eat, most of the town was closing down 445pm. (a good thing to know). I’m shuttling over via the Marriott ferry for $6.00 pp and having a blast in town. We enjoyed talking to the locals about where to go and where NOT to go. Bumpa’s wasn’t a FAV. We ended up at Gladys’s Café in the Royal Dane Mall. (340) 774-6604. OK so to my disappointment Café Amici’s was closed, but that led us to this amazing alley Café with the BEST hot sauce in town, and the food was so tasty. Pauline the barmaid said the kitchen closed at 5pm, but was eager to seat us and get us a cocktail. I’m not one for frozen drinks, but had a bushwhacker. It was by far the best thing I had had all day. We ordered Group with peas, rice and plantains and were so pleased with our choice. I believe we had the restaurant to ourselves which was even better. If ever you’re in town struggling with were to eat. Struggle now longer go to Gladys’s Café.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">6 wedding total today at the resort. This is seriously WEDDING CENTRAL. Beautiful set ups for receptions, and a lawn area, overlooking the water for the ceremony, with a beautiful flora walk for the bridal party.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">6/7 - Sunday normally town is closed but Carnival is in port, so everything opens. Kind of comical, but that is how these local folks make there money.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Today looks like a beautiful day. A little beach, shopping for some needed essentials for St. John and some drinks. What a hard day.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Today only saw 1 wedding and the bride ended up in the pool for her final picture. To cute.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Dinner we decided to go to Iggie’s at Bolongo Bay Resort. The had a BBQ, chicken, ribs for $25.00 all u can eat. $14.00 each way to get there.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Marriott offered a BBQ, fish, steak, chicken and all the fixings for $45.00pp. It looked and smelled amazing, but since I don’t enjoy eating meat, we opted for the alternate as I didn’t feel that the buffet was the best deal for me.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">We’re packing so we can leave early AM for St. John. Our driving will be here 830a and the ferry leaves Charlotte Amalie at 930a. We can’t wait to get there.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b>6/8 –</b> <b>St John</b> <b>– An amazing island.</b> We think the best!</font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Afternoon at leisure. Room is 108. Very much the same, typical room on Hawksnest Beach.. The Garden/Tennis/poolview rooms are abit larger.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Attended afternoon 4pm Tea at the Turtle Bay House.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">At 6pm the Manager’s cocktail reception started, as did a wedding that got rained out and re-positioned….guess……In the exact same room as the Managers cocktail reception. I’m not sure why, but the bride and groom still seemed happy, even though the thunder was crashing as the vows were being said.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Dining tonight at Morgan’s – Just beyond Mongoose Junction in town. I love this restaurant. 340-693-8141</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b>6/9 Snorkeled all day on</b> <b>Hawksnest</b> <b>Beach</b>. Saw Elk Coral, brain coral, all kinds of fish. Seriously felt like I was swimming in the blue lagoon, only with a suit on!</font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Dinner was at the Caneel Beach Bar & Grill. Mahi Mahi was excellent, as was the sirloin!</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Drinks….Mudslides were, as usually wonderful.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b>6/10 We’re off to Virgin Gorda on the Caneel Ferry, to Little</b> <b>Dix</b> <b>Bay</b> <b>and the Baths.</b></font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">8am ferry from Caneel Bay to The Bath’s and then Little Dix Bay!</font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">We arrived The Bath’s (Virgin Gorda) around 10:15am after clearing customs and immigration with the British Government.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">The Bath’s were gorgeous. A boulder labyrinth created by volcanic activity.</font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">12:00noon we headed out to Little Dix Bay a luxury resort by Rosewood Resorts, to meet with the Sales Rep Nicole Stevens and view this beautiful property.</font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color:#000000;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">Rosewood <strong>Little Dix Bay</strong>, the first and largest resort on Virgin Gorda,</font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><strong>Little Dix Bay</strong> boasts a spectacular setting on Virgin Gorda, its reef-protected <b>...</b> offers bathrooms with outdoor showers, a private <strong>pool</strong> and dining pavilion/barbeque area. This resort is a favorite of the stars and offers a romantic setting for a Destination Wedding.</font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">My accommodation choice is a 1 bedroom Suite, oceanview. All rooms at The Little Dix Bay Resort have been renovated recently, within the last year, year ½.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><font color="#000000">The Spa is a beautiful display of tranquility from the moment you enter and see the amazing</font> <span style="font-size:11pt;"><font color="#000000">view of the bay, overlooking the</font> <span style="color:#000000;">two-tier infinity <strong>pool</strong> and an exclusive Cliff <strong>Spa</strong> Suite is available for couples.</span></span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.littledixbay.com/"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#0000FF" size="4">www.littledixbay.com</font></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">6/11 2<sup>nd</sup> to last day.</span></b> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">The morning was cloudy, however it cleared up. We did an amazing snorkel on Hawksnest from ridge to ridge and between both buoys. We saw many turtles, 2 very large rays, reef squid and so many different fish, to many to mention.</span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Afternoon tea at 4pm. We stumbled on to the Governor of St Thomas’s wife - Celine Dion with her 3 body guards. They were meeting at</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Turtle</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Bay</span><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">. After that went down to the main building and witnessed a private school graduation taking place in what is typically the Caneel Restaurant for breakfast. Steve Simonsen was the photographer.</span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Dinner was spent at the Equator with our dear friend Lovia who works at the resort. The grouper was amazing. We enjoyed our dinner and said goodbye once again to her, as she is off the next few days. We truly love the family feel at</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Caneel</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Bay</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">and the personal touches the staff give.</span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">So many of these people here have become friends.</font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">6/12 – our last day here?</span></b> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">What to do!????BEACH, SUN, SNORKEL –</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Snorkeled</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Turtle</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Bay</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">Beach</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">in the morning and Scotts Beach (center reef) in the afternoon. Both were amazing, really some of the best snorkeling we’ve seen. On Scott’s Beach we got to see a shark, resting ever so still on the ocean bottom.</span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">6/13 – Parting Caneel is always so hard. Goodbye to all of our friends. This is such a family now to us.</font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">We took the 1215p ferry to</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">St Thomas</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">and went to Café Amici’s for lunch located in the alley of A.H Rise. The Margarita Pizza was awesome.</span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">In town we were going to show for liquor however the store attendant told us that Spirit would charge us for an extra piece of luggage. When we asked at the airport, we were told that this was not true that they do ship it for free.</font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">Note – if you wait and shop in the airport, you don’t have to lug it around, AND the prices are only 1.00 or more a bottle more. Not bad! And you can carry it on.</font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">BTW, Spirit was effortless checking in on both ends. We were amazed as we have experienced long lines in Ft Lauderdale and</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">St Thomas</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;">before.</span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:#000000;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">Follow me on TWITTER at</font></font> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/YTCNaples"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#0000FF" size="4">http://www.twitter.com/YTCNaples</font></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">A great website to view Sightseeing and local Restaurants is</font> <a href="http://www.vinow.com/"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#0000FF" size="4">www.VInow.com</font></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Michelle Thurston ~ Owner<br />Your Travel Concierge of Naples<br />Email:</font> <a href="mailto:Michelle@YTCNaples.com"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#0000FF" size="4">Michelle@YTCNaples.com</font></a><br /><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" size="4">Website: www. YTCNaples.com<br />Phone: (239) 403-7703<br />Fax: (888) 590-7703<br />*Certified Travel Associate ... Senior Destination Wedding Specialist…..CLIA Master Cruise Counselor ... Destination Specialist~ Caribbean ... US Virgin Islands Specialist*</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"></p></div>Is a Norwegian Coastal Cruise on Your Bucket List?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/is-a-norwegian-coastal-cruise2010-11-30T15:38:19.000Z2010-11-30T15:38:19.000ZBarry Vaudrinhttps://tripatini.com/members/BarryVaudrin<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">At an art gallery in Eden Prairie, Minnesota about 1995, there was a painting that caught my eye, that would lead me to a magical place in Norway many years later. Passionate about the cruise industry, I have been on over 300 cruises around the world and have even worked on the ships as a Cruise Director and Entertainer. Today, as a Cruise Industry Journalist, I set out to find creative and fascinating cruises and itineraries that will be of interest to the listeners of my talk show and viewers of my videos. Back to the painting I saw back in 1995, at first glance this beautiful scene was of a mountain that rose out of the sea with a quaint fishing village at the base of this magnificent, magical, and mountainous rock. I thought it was a fictitious location, because the image was so powerful, so I inquired further only to see the gallery manager bring out the actual photo from which this painting was based on. I’ve travelled all around the world and had yet to ever see a sight as magnificent as this place and told myself one day I want to go there to see it first hand. On a business card from the gallery, I wrote the name of this beautiful village with the intention to research more about this remote location in Norway called Reine Lofoten. And so finally in October of 2010 I saw an opportunity to possibly journey to Reine. I considered which cruise lines might visit Lofoten, and finally determined the best option was with Hurtigruten, which has operated passenger ships along the Norwegian coast for over one hundred years. I called this the Hurtigruten and SAS Experience because what better way to get to Norway than on a Scandinavian airline. Join me on this journey where we experience the <i>“Most Beautiful Voyage”</i> aboard the Hurtigruten ships and get to Norway in luxury with SAS.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">From the U.S. it’s a full day and a half of travel to get to Kirkenes, our initial port of departure with Hurtigruten aboard the Nordlys. It certainly was a pleasant experience in Business Class aboard the SAS trans-Atlantic flight from Chicago to Copenhagen. The seats in this section have video and movies on demand, there’s a plug to charge your lap top if you so choose, and what I found to be truly fascinating was the electronically operated seat which reclines to a near horizontal position for sleeping at the touch of a button. Dinner was exquisite. This was the first time in my hundreds of flights all over the world where I could select my entrée from a menu of choices. I decided to have the Halibut and a fine wine. There’s also a special snack bar open to Business-class passengers where they have fruit, candy, chocolate, drinks and sandwiches available throughout the eight and a half hour flight. We enjoyed a nice dinner then decided to sleep through the flight since we were traveling eastbound. Flying on an SAS trans-Atlantic flight was the perfect way to prepare for a trip to Scandinavia.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">After four different flights, we finally arrived at Kirkenes Norway in the Arctic Circle. After a long day of traveling it was a pleasure to stay one night at the Rica Arctic Hotel in Kirkenes. This hotel reminded me of an Ikea, in fact most of the items in the room seemed to be from Ikea. I liked the wood floors and the comfortable beds. Norwegians seem to like wood floors. Most of the airports we went through in Norway had wood floors. Speaking of floors, my wife enjoyed the “heated” floors in some of the bathrooms we encountered. The Rica Arctic Hotel had a very typical Norwegian buffet breakfast that included an assortment of fish, cheeses, breads, meats and some eggs. We could board the Nordlys at around noon, so we caught the bus at the front of the hotel around 11:00am. My wife has been on a number of cruises with me, but this “voyage” with Hurtigruten was an entirely different experience for her. I somewhat knew what to expect, because I read a lot about Hurtigruten prior to this trip, and I understand the concept of a multi-functional passenger vessel. I was looking forward to the experience of being on a “working” passenger ship because there is more of a “purpose” rather than simply a round-trip “bus tour” through the Caribbean like most cruise ships….not that there’s anything wrong with what cruise ships do.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">Boarding the Nordlys with Hurtigruten was a far different experience than boarding a cruise ship. There were no lines, no other passengers in sight, only the Nordlys’ fascinating fold-out gangway awaiting our arrival. Most of the Hurtigruten ships have a self-contained robotic gangway and huge cargo hatch that open up onto the pier. We stopped for a photo then climbed up the gangway into the lobby of the ship. The Hotel Manager and another staff person greeted us. It was an absolute requirement, apparently, for us to have our hands squirted with anti-bacterial hand sanitizer as we boarded. We checked in, were given our room keys, and headed off to our little sanctuary “cabin” for this first leg of our five-night Hurtigruten journey. Our itinerary included two nights on the Nordlys, then three nights in Lofoten, and finally another three nights aboard the Trollfjord where we would disembark in Bergen.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;"><b>Cruise Ship, Ferry, Cargo or Passengers ship?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">I set out on this Hurtigruten Experience to determine where these ships fit within the cruise industry. The Hurtigruten ships can be broken down into several classifications, and there certainly is an element that resembles a cruise ship, however, when you look at the full picture, these ships are very different than your typical cruise ship. The Hurtigruten ships also carry automobiles, but I wouldn’t say they are one hundred percent car ferries either. The same applies to cargo, mail and these ships act as a passenger transport as well, bringing local passengers on short hops between point A and point B along the coast of Norway. I have heard a number of explanations for these multifunctional ships and their true nature, which range from “Ro Ro Ships” to “Hybrids” and “Working Vessels”, however, I place these ships in the “Coastal Passenger Liner” category….oh wait that’s not an official category. In the days of the trans-Atlantic liners, the ships were “working” vessels that carried passengers, cargo and mail from point A to B, which is quite different from what the cruise ships do today, but very similar to what the Hurtigruten vessels do. The Hurtigruten ships often visit up to four or five ports a day. These are short visits that last between ten to fifteen minutes to an hour or so, but mostly these visits are comparatively shorter than what you would expect on a cruise ship. So a note to typical cruise ship passengers, the Hurtigruten ships are not in the ports for extended periods of time, and barely long enough to go a shore to see the sights. There are some exceptions to this where the ship will stay long enough for an excursion, but overall, a voyage should focus on the beautiful scenery as the ship cruises along the coast from port-to-port.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;"><b>The ports and scenery</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">A Norwegian coastal voyage aboard a Hurtigruten ship is a very visual experience. I often saw passengers quietly cuddled up in a chair, reading a book, in the observation lounge, watching the scenery pass by. Photographers could often be seen on deck near the bow or on the aft decks adjusting their apertures and depth of field on the incredible panorama of peeks, mountains and seascapes. Sitting in a cozy chair on the main promenade, my wife would laugh at me, as I would suddenly jump out of my chair to head outside to snap a photo or two. The scenery is so amazing it’s like sensory overload at times, and I would often scramble to the open deck to capture the moment either on video, a still shot, or both. Because the ships are not in port long, it’s best to sign up for the excursions, but often there were not enough participants for the tours so they were canceled, leaving my to fend for myself using a taxi to visit the sights. A few of the ports we visited stood out as being particularly memorable. We stayed one night in Kirkenes and had an opportunity to see the town a bit. Apparently the main industry in Kirkenes was iron mining, however, that industry has slowly shut down over the last few years leaving many without jobs. I was told a new tourism industry was rising up for that area, with tourists from Norway, Germany, England and France. In the winter season you could go dog sledding, or visit a hotel made of ice. <span><br /></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">Hammerfest was a fascinating port that I enjoyed very much. As we approached the city aboard the Nordlys, we passed by a huge natural gas facility, which provided power and energy to the entire region. Hammerfest is also known to be the World’s most northernmost town at 70 degrees 39’ 48”N in the arctic region. There are ten thousand people who call Hammerfest home. This is the place where my wife and I experienced an amazingly rapid change in weather. It went from cold and clear to colder with near snowy and blizzard conditions in a matter on a couple of minutes or so. We watched as a wall of snow and wind hit us. In Hammerfest, I became a member of The Royal And Ancient Polar Bear Society. With only about 200,000 members this is a very exclusive club with members all around the world. The only way to become a member of this elite and exclusive club or society is to visit Hammerfest, and apply for your membership in-person. Elvis Presley wanted to become a member and sent one of his buddies to Hammerfest to acquire a membership for him, but he was declined because applicants must physically be there to apply for membership. This exclusive society seeks to preserve the polar bears and the unique and delicate ecology of this arctic region. It was fun to tell my wife that I was able to literally take her to the top of the World.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">The Nordlys stopped at the little town of Stokmarknes where my wife and I experienced a very interesting museum. The 1956 built Finnmarken was a Hurtigruten vessel that had been retired and turned into a museum. What was unique about this museum was the Finnmarken vessel was hoisted up onto land in a cradle so that you can actually walk under the hull of this ship. To me that was really cool to see a big ship like this on land and to walk under the hull, to be able to touch and see the propeller and rudder was a thrill. You can go aboard the finnmarken and see her old staterooms and lounges. As a ship buff this was a highlight for me. I really enjoyed this museum!</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">Before the Nordlys arrived at Svolvaer, Lofoten, we went on a special Sea Eagles Safari, an excursion that brought us up close to this mighty bird. We boarded a smaller boat that took us into the Kjellfjord where these sea eagles nested and hunted for food. Our guide inflated the fish bait with air, then threw them out into the water near the boat so the Sea Eagles would swoop down, grab the fish out of sea and fly off to enjoy their meal. We were able to take pictures of this amazing bird as it buzzed right past our boat and nearly grabbed the fish out of the hand of our guide. The Seagulls were everywhere and they too were fun to watch.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">A highlight of our Hurtigruten and SAS Experience was our three-night visit to Lofoten. After two nights cruising the coast of Norway aboard the Nordlys we disembarked in Stamsund, Lofoten at 10:30pm, rented a car and drove for about an hour south, in the dark and in the rain, to a quaint and amazingly picturesque town called Reine. Of course it was dark when we drove down to Reine, so we really couldn’t see much until the next day when we woke up in our little rorbuer and looked out the window. We checked into a rorbuer or boat house at about midnight in a wonderful place called Reine Rorbuer which is like a resort or bed and breakfast cottage in the middle of a fishing village that has been in operation since about 1785. The little rorbuer we stayed in could very well have been nearly two hundred years old, however it was rebuilt, refurbished and fitted with modern facilities, so it was very cozy. I have been all around the World and I am not exaggerating when I say Reine, Lofoten is perhaps the most beautiful and scenic place I have ever seen with my own eyes, and it was the fulfillment of a dream to visit this place. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, it was a beautiful painting that inspired me to one day journey to this place of Reine, Lofoten, and finally that dream became a reality and I was not disappointed. It truly was a magical place and I felt like I was in a dream as I marveled at the scenery. I could almost sense that there was a spiritual echo among the amazingly picturesque mountains, where God was saying, “Look what I have made for you”! The Managers of Reine Rorbuer, Hans van Kampen and Daniella de Vreeze were gracious hosts, and one day Daniella, a chef, prepared a special Norwegian dinner for us in their little rustic restaurant called Gammelbua. We also toured the fascinating fishery next to Reine Rorbuer that has a long heritage of sending dried fish all around the world. We saw first-hand how the fish was prepared and processed. The Director of this fishery told us about the theory that God specially created the Reine Lofoten area as a perfectly balanced environment for the fish to flourish abundantly because of the warmer Caribbean waters coming from the south, that seem to blend with the arctic waters from the North. A delicate and perfectly balanced ecosystem that seems to indicate there was a great deal of intelligence and design to the environment, allowing fishermen for centuries to enjoy an abundance of quality fish to catch. I didn’t want to leave Reine after three days, but we had to catch the Hurtigruten ship, Trollfjord in Stamsund, to continue our journey along the coast of Norway.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">Another highlight of our voyage with Hurtigruten was our visit to Trondheim, which is the third largest city in Norway. As I mentioned earlier, the Hurtigruten ships do not stay in the ports very long and this fact was evident when we embarked on our excursion or bus tour of Trondheim, which lasted about two hours. Our bus tour quickly took us through town and up onto a hill where we could look out over the city. Next we visited a cathedral that has been there for over one thousand years. Trondheim is a historical and friendly community with a large university and a number of cultural centers and museums. After about an hour of touring the cathedral we returned to our ship the Trollfjord and shortly thereafter we enjoyed a chilly departure.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">As we came closer to our final destination of Bergen the Trollfjord went through some beautiful passages and fjords. Our ship crossed the Arctic Circle (66 degrees 33’ North) on October 19<sup>th</sup> in the morning, and we were issued an official certificate indicating this accomplishment. Among the many rock formations and mountains, we came upon an interesting mountain that literally had a hole through it. I thought as we went further south the weather would improve and we would experience a little warmer climate, but this did not turned out to be true on our cruise because it was colder, with sleet and snow, which can be expected for this time of year. We were blessed to experience the first snow of the winter season when we arrived in Bergen. The hillsides near Bergen were covered in a fresh coat of beautiful white snow allowing for some nice photos. Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, tucked in the hills along the coast. We met up with a third cousin of mine who lives in Voss, near Bergen, and had a delightful Chinese dinner and visit with her. We walked around town through some of the shops and a mall.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;">Our journey with Hurtigruten had ended and the next morning we were off to the airport to fly home via SAS. Flying on SAS was an enjoyable experience because of the care and service of the friendly flight crew. During our eight and half hour flight from Copenhagen to Chicago we watched a few movies and entertained ourselves to stay awake so we could have a good sleep when we finally arrived at home again in Minneapolis. What type of person embarks on a Hurtigruten voyage? I’m going to come out and say that your typical cruise passenger might be disappointed because of the more specialized elements to a Hurtigruten voyage. There are no casinos, there is no formal entertainment or show lounges, the port visits are short, and the onboard amenities are comfortable but minimal. The dining is Eurpoean-style which some Americans may not understand. Europeans dine at a more leisurely pace, and the menu each evening is fixed to a set course as opposed to multiple options. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style. Expect a lot of fish and cheese. A Hurtigruten voyage will appeal to those who enjoy the quiet, scenic, go-at-your-own-pace routine. Photographers and those who enjoy a rich Norwegian cultural experience will feel very comfortable on a Hurtigruten journey. For those who have a desire to visit an ecological and environmental wonderland, a Hurtigruten voyage will fulfill the quest for natural beauty, spectacular panoramas and abundant wildlife. As I compare our Hurtigruten voyage with our Alaska cruise we did in 2009, I can now say with complete confidence that while Alaska is very beautiful, a Norwegian coastal voyage with Hurtigruten is magnificent and the scenery pushes and exceeds my expectations to a higher level than I had anticipated. We have heard many people say, after we tell them of our trip to Norway, that a Norwegian coastal cruise is on their bucket list, and it should be, because I cannot imagine anyone visiting Norway like we did and not return feeling completely overwhelmed with the incredible scenery. Other cruise ships may visit Norway, but you can truly become entrenched with the culture when you embark on a Hurtigruten voyage. The Hurtigruten vessels have an all Norwegian crew onboard and in fact, Hurtigruten is a Norwegian company with a genuine and rich Norwegian heritage and history. The artwork onboard all the ships reflect Norwegian artistry at it’s best. Cruising on any other cruise line along the coast of Norway would be like going to the grocery store and buying frozen fish for dinner, as opposed to going out with the fishermen on their boat to catch the fish, and preparing the fish dinner right there on the boat.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For those who have a Norwegian coastal cruise on your bucket list, do not delay, make your plans sooner than later to experience for yourself this incredible voyage, this beautiful journey with Hurtigruten. Your expectations will be fulfilled and you will come away with memories of Norway that will inspire you and fuel your imagination. Embark on a southbound or northbound itinerary or do what we did and custom-design your own itinerary so you can have an extended visit to a particular village or town of your choosing. Expect to be enriched by the culture and beautiful scenery.</span></div>