How to Make the Most of your Holidays

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Maldives luxury holidays are a great getaway for couples. While you’re in the Maldives, you’ll enjoy dancing, dining, and water sports. You may even go to the spa and enjoy a couple’s massage. When you arrive in the Maldives, the first thing you’ll notice is the crystal, clear blue water. You’ll get to enjoy the view of the water while you’re on your holiday because the cabanas are located over the blue water. When you go out onto the deck of your cabana, the first thing you’ll notice in the morning is the water.

Sit on the deck with your loved one and enjoy the beautiful sunset. It’s so breathtaking that it’s a memory that you won’t forget. You can have a romantic dinner on the deck of your cabana by having your dinner delivered right to your room. You can also watch the sunset go down while eating your dinner. When it comes to the food and wine, you’ll have many choices to choose from. You can enjoy international cuisines and seafood. Keep in mind, all of the seafood that is served is fresh from the sea.

When it comes to activities, there are an unlimited number of things to do, such as snorkeling, canoeing, sailing, fishing, and scuba diving. You may want to explore the lagoon, which is a step away from your cabana. During the holidays, some people forget to exercise, but your Maldives luxury holidays won’t have to forget because they even have a gym available for all of their guests. After a long gym session, head back to your cabana and take a shower. You have the option of showering in or outdoors. After this, you can take your spouse down to the restaurant and enjoy one of their main dishes they have to offer and dance the night away.

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The Road Less Traveled

Traveling hippie
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In the traveling world there are two types of travelers. One group of travelers are those that go on vacations to get away, relax and visit some of the popular landmarks and areas of the world. Another group includes those that go to exotic locations to experience the local sights and sounds as if they were a native. If you are in the second group, you may be wondering how to go about finding all the local hot spots that most tourists would overlook. To find these locations, that is where the traveling secret comes into play.

One of the best kept traveling secrets for those that wish to experience their vacation hot spot as if they were a local is to use the locals. It is the locals that are the best resource to use when trying to find all those little unknown hot spots. By living and working in your vacation destination, they know where all the locals hang out and all the little shops and restaurants to visit.

This little known secret is how I found one of the best local Chinese restaurants right in the heart of Ireland. Ireland isn’t known for Chinese food, but while wandering the streets I came across a unique cigar shop. This shop wasn’t just for smoking cigars—it was a leisure local spot with lounge chairs, a small bar and even a gaming room complete with poker tables. I headed in to get a better look at this local cigar shop and ran into the shop owner. He struck up a conversation and started talking about some of the best local hot spots. He told me as a traveler I just had to try this local Chinese restaurant down the street. That evening I stopped there for a quick bite to eat and now I can officially say that the best Chinese food I’ve ever had was right in the heart of Ireland.

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Luxury and Relaxation in New York City

If you are planning to visit New York City for the first time or the hundredth time, why not visit New York City in the lap of luxury by staying at one of the finest hotels in town? While you are enjoying your stay in a luxury hotel in New York City, you will also want to take in some of the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Big Apple. You may want to see a Broadway show, visit an art museum, take a tour of the Statue of Liberty, go to a comedy club, sample some unique cuisine, or spend the day shopping at Bloomingdale’s. Whatever you choose to do while you are there, you can relax and unwind in your luxury hotel at the end of the day.

Jumeirah Essex House. This property is located at Central Park in Manhattan and has been a choice for world leaders and celebrities. You will be treated like royalty at Jumeirah Essex House with special concierge services. You’ll also be pampered in the private spa.

Smyth TriBeCa Hotel. If you are looking for a quiet, elaborately decorated, modern luxury hotel located in the cobble stoned area of Tribeca in Manhattan, you will want to seek out the Smyth TriBeCa Hotel, a Thompson Hotel. This hotel not only offers luxurious accommodations but also has an incredible restaurant that serves French Riviera-inspired cuisine.

The Plaza Hotel. Located in Central Park, Fifth Avenue, amongst the amazing art and thriving culture of NYC, you will find a top-notch hotel that offers over 100 luxury suites. You will be pampered with “white glove service” including butler service. When staying at The Plaza Hotel, you will also have access to world-class shopping, a Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, and a Warren-Tricomi Salon.

Discover for yourself the best luxury hotel New York City has to offer by staying at these fine properties.

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Honeymoon Hotspots

For many soon-to-be married couples, deciding where to spend the honeymoon is just as important a decision as deciding where to hold the wedding. Check out these honeymoon hotspots:

1. The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas offers lush accommodations for newlyweds including a world-class spa, pool complex and gourmet dining. The hotels gardens are an ideal spot for romantic strolls and the excitement and nightlife of Vegas are just a few steps away.

2. Disney World isn’t just for kids — it’s a popular spot for honeymooners, too! Hardcore Disney fans can hold their wedding at the Florida-based theme park, but if you’re just looking to honeymoon there, Disney World offers packages that include passes to the park and hotel accommodations. A deluxe escape package features a cruise to the Bahamas.

3. The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on The Big Island of Hawaii is a fabulous place for a tropical honeymoon. The resort’s honeymoon package includes daily breakfast, one private dinner on the beach and a rental car for the length of your stay. Newlyweds can enjoy couple’s massages at the resort’s spa, or dinner on a terrace that overlooks the ocean.

4. Seeking a winter wonderland for your honeymoon? Then look no further than Whistler, British Columbia. You and your spouse can ski in and out of the hotel, and first-class dining and shopping is just a few miles away.

5. Paris, the proverbial City of Lights, is also synonymous with romance. This makes it a perennial favorite for honeymooners. A Paris honeymoon won’t be complete without a trip to the top of the iconic Eiffel Tower or a night cruise of the River Seine.

6. If you and your honey are outdoorsy, consider honeymooning at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The resort of near the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park; winter visitors can enjoy miles of cross-country skiing trails.

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Vacations for Animal Lovers

The World Wildlife Fund logo, inspired by Chi Chi.
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There are ways to work your love of animals into your next vacation. You can use a vacation to help animals in need, or spend your time off watching animals if you’d rather not go for the hands-on approach.

Volunteer vacations give animal lovers a chance to get up close and personal with creatures that they only see on TV or in zoo enclosures. If you’re interested in a volunteer vacation, consider lending a helping hand at organizations such as Farm Sanctuary, with locations in New York and California. Farm Sanctuary provides refuge to cows, pigs, chickens, goats, turkeys and the like. Volunteers perform tasks such as cleaning enclosures and get to spend time with rescued farm animals. Seeking a volunteer experience at a more far-flung locale? Encosini Eco Experience offers a number of volunteer wildlife conservation programs at game reserves and sanctuaries in Africa. Projects include feeding cheetah cubs and tagging fish species.

For those who’d rather just watch, opportunities abound to view animals either in their native habitats or in zoos. The World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, sponsors a number of domestic and international tours to locations including Wyoming’s Big Bend National Park and an excursion to Southern India & The Maldives.

If you want to go to a zoo, consider the Philadelphia Zoo–the nation’s first zoo is home to more than 1300 animals. In Washington, D.C., the National Zoo houses some 2,000 animals and is a leader in giant panda conservation and breeding efforts. On the West Coast, more than 4,000 animals call the San Diego Zoo home–visitors can also visit the Zoo’s Wild Animal Park to see rhinos, gazelles and giraffes roam in herds on 1,800 protected acres.

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Eco-Friendly Hotels

If you are committed to living green, you don’t have to abandon that commitment just because you’re going on vacation. Eco-friendly hotels and resorts combine luxury with sustainable business practices to provide you with a vacation that is comfortable but also environmentally conscious.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants sponsors an EarthCare program where company employees make sugggestions on how to make hotels more eco-friendly. For example, at Kimpton Hotels, phone books are provided to guests upon request, instead of placing on in every room. This is one of the initatives that has helped each hotel in the chain save about 130 trees per year. Kimpton Hotels are all listed as Energy Star partners, and some, such as the Hotel Palomar in Philadelphia, are LEED-certified.

Hotel Indigo backs a number of sustainable initiatives for its properties, such as using green cleaning products, testing biodegradable food containers, and launching a water conservation program. Hotel Indigo properties are located in the United States, Canada, the UK, and China.

At the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel in California, rooms are lit with solar tubes and painted with low-emission paints. Recycling bins are placed in each guest room, and toilet paper and facial tissue are made from recycled products. Responsibly harvested wood was used in the LEED-certified hotel’s construction.

Hotel Terra in Jackson, Wyoming, is LEED-certified and follows a number of environmentally-friendly practices. Water conservation systems such as low-flow showerheads and low-flush toilets result in a 34 percent reduction in water use annually. Bed sheets, towels and bathrobes are made from organic cotton, and compact fluorescent light bulbs are used throughout the property. A food composting program has been implemented in the hotel’s restaurant, and refillable aluminum bottles replace disposable plastic bottles of shampoo, soap and conditioner.

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Love Books, Will Travel

Bibliophiles can tailor a vacation that surrounds them with books of all kinds. From festivals to independently-owned booksellers, there’s something out there for everyone on a bookworm’s vacation.

The National Book Festival is a must for any book lover. The festival is held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., every year and is free and open to the public. Authors read from their works and festival attendees can vote online for their favorites. Fiction, children’s literature, history and poetry are represented at the festival.

Iconic libraries are also an ideal destination for book lovers. The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., is the world’s largest library (with more than 145 million items in its collections) and the oldest federal institution in the United States, founded in 1800. Among its treasures are a Gutenberg Bible that is one of only three perfect copies in the world. Since its grand opening in 1911, the New York Public Library has grown to 89 locations and four research centers. It serves about 16 million visitors each year.

Have you visited a Book Town? Book Towns are locales that are dedicated to books and book-related events. Notable Book Towns include Nevada City/Grass Valley, California. The communities host an annual festival that brings about 25,000 visitors and between them, the towns have more than 25 bookstores.

Traveling abroad? London’s Hatchard’s has been selling books since 1797 and carries special editions of classics such as Oliver Twist and Little Women. Paris is a book lover’s paradise, with numerous book stalls along the River Seine and English speakers will enjoy perusing the shelves at stores such as Shakespeare & Co., The Red Wheelbarrow, and Tea & Tattered Pages.

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