resorts (182)
THREE GETAWAYS OFFERING FOUR SEASONS OF FUN WITHIN 80 MILES OF MANHATTAN
by Ed Wetschler
Finding resorts near New York City where you can enjoy swimming, golf, and other summertime pleasures is easy. But finding full-service resorts near New York that are affordable and offer great activities in fall, winter, and spring is not so easy. The good news for folks in and around the tri-state (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey) area -- and for visitors to Manhattan who want to see something else on t
Chiang Mai, Thailand, is known for its elephants, tigers, resorts, parasols, temples, hill tribes and mountains.
So what's in it for Levelers? All of the above and more.
Old city gates
Start with Chiang Mai which means "new city" despite its being 700 years old. Once capital of the Lanna ("a million rice fields") Kingdom and center of Buddhism in northern Thailand it is now the country's second largest. For many years it was accessible only by river or elephant. A railway line wasn't finished un
From NMT Images |
There are probably more blonds in Lithuania (capital, Vilnius), Iceland and maybe Sweden than any other place on the earth.
But the blonds of tiny Lithuania (a Baltic country) have decided to turn one corner of the Indian Ocean island of the Maldives into a blonds-only resort.
The BBC reports that a Lithuanian tour operator, Olialia (“oo-laa-laa” ) wants to create a holiday resort that’ll be run by a blonds-only staff.
Even the direct f
From From Kaleel |
Maybe I won't have to travel with my white noise maker or ear plugs anymore.
Loud hotel guests, especially when they occupy the room next to mine, or, worse, on either side or even a floor above me, are my biggest travel gripe and stress causer.
I always ask the check-in desk to be sure my room is not next to a wedding party or other merry-makers (or an elevator, above the kitchen or near a landing). By then the check-in staff are asking me if I'm s
Swadee Ka. Relax in the cool azure blue pool as you gaze out at the secluded stretch of warm white sands, only a few feet away with the spectacular green jungle as your back drop.
The pool bar in the centre of the pool will serve you anything from an ice cold Singha beer to a freshly made coconut lassi, sweetened to your taste.
@dreamlandresort.net
If you prefer your fruit picked that morning you can buy a colossal bag of mouth-wateringly juicy pineapple or lychees from the 'wandering beach lady,'
From NMT Images |
In search of romantic couples or at least couples seeking a sexy stay, hotels promoted “intimacy kits” in their mini bars just a few years ago
Happily, the Thompson Hotel in New York still stocks its mini bars with condoms, cinnamon mints, scented cloths, personal lubricants and feather ticklers for libidinous couples.
But a spokesperson cooly downplayed their availability by telling me they don’t promote the kits any more, not the way they used to. “They’re just there for the clie
(via Hg2) If the words “Dubai resort” make you think of gleaming highrises and artificial islands, then Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa will astound you. This ultra-chic eco-resort is tucked into the billowing dunes of Dubai’s largest nature preserve, and since it offers the only lodgings in that protected area, you get to enjoy 87 square miles (225 sq. km) of your own personal desert. Al Maha is an encampment supposedly built in Bedouin style — but let's face it, no real nomad sheiks ever had the b
whatever that may mean in real service and amenities.
I think the ratings inflation trend began with the Xanadu-like building frenzy in Dubai, especially with the luxury hotel, Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs), built on an artificial island and bill
From NMT Images |
Pssst! Don't Change Your Sheets, And Earn Some Money
Usually my hotel room doesn't need regular cleaning, and my sheets don't need changing daily. And when I tell the housekeeping staff to skip my room, they reward me with a hand to the small of their backs, and a thanks for making their day a little easier.
Besides, they often come to clean just when I most want them not to!
So I wasn't too surprised to learn that when Best Western conducted a pilot program designed to help train
Seduced By The Cayman Islands
Most any novel or movie about corporate bad guys somehow always has shady types furtively wiring funds off shore to the Cayman Islands.
Truth is, the three islands that make up the Cayman archipelago are so much more than temples of high finance, regardless of John Gresham's books.
Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are specks of places about a 45 minute puddle jumping ride in a 12 seater that feels more like flying on an Avatar bird than a plane.
Little known, and less t
Brian and Leslie Mulcahy work very hard for their accolades and consistently outstanding reviews by always being there for their guests.
"It’s not easy,” say the innkeepers of the quintessential New England inn, Rabbit Hill Inn, in the Currier and Ives town of Lower Waterford, Vermont.
But Leslie is reading Groundswell ("winning in a world transformed by social technologies,"), which sounds the clarion call for a social tools-based mind se
Can you imagine the travel industry, limping along in this sclerotic economy, not catering to the needs of an important travel niche market: Single Parents?
This travel cohort feels like second class citizens.
They’re not swingers.
Not looking for wild parties.
They want quality vacations that let them connect with other single
parents, and they want attention paid to them and their kids.
They want the travel industry to know they have needs that are different
from coupl
Jumbie dancers at The Bucanner's sugar mill
The Manor House, which is still in use today, was built in 1653 by the Knights of Malta. The sugar mill, constructed in 1733, now serves as a venue for weddings. Former slave quarters dating back 250 years provide lodging.
It’s not often a visit to a destination hotel includes a history tour spanning several centuries. But history permeates the grounds of The Buccaneer on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Just a ten minute drive from island capita
Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism
The Dominican Republic is one of those Caribbean countries that truly offers the proverbial something for almost everyone (OK, admittedly, skiers are out of luck). On this blog we’ll be covering them one by one. But to kick things off, here’s an overview:
Santo Domingo History & Culture
The DR’s capital (top) is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the Americas, founded in 1498 by Bartolomé Colón, brother of Cristóbal (better known to
You have every right to have a stress-free vacation. An ideal vacation is free from the hassles of matching the best hotels with cheap air tickets. It should allow you to make savings even as you enjoy some time in the Caribbean sun. All-inclusive resorts are a cheaper, hassle-free, and fun way to holiday. They help save time as everything is planned and catered for and effectively match your holiday needs with the budget. If you are planning a holiday in Jamaica, the follow
This Indian-Ocean archipelago has in recent years become reknowned as a spectacular luxury beach destination, and one of its highest profile and most ambitious projects of the past two decades is the creation of a two-square-mile artificial island immediately north of the Maldives' capital Malé, and connected by bridge. Hulhumalé has become another wonderful destination known for its beaches, parks, water sports, and more. Here are eight of the island's top luxury beach resorts:
Hotel Ocean
Finding yourself in a Mediterranean village just 10 kilometers from Budapest is one of the surprises the Danube offers up to travelers. The small town of Szentendre (Saint Andrew) is the gateway to the Danube Bend, a curve of Hungary’s most majestic river. The town retains its 18th and 19th century appearance and atmosphere.
With a population of approximately 26 000, to this day the customs and traditions of Serbs who fled the Turkish hoards at the end of the 17th century are kept al