Virginia Beach has really made a name for itself, but it had some help in doing so. The Cavalier Hotel really helped Virginia Beach, Virginia, become as popular as it is. In fact, back in 1927 the hotel was founded and since then it has hosted many celebrities and famous people. Today, there are two hotels available, each one focusing on a different type of guest. One is the modern Cavalier on the Ocean and the other is the original Cavalier on the Hill. This hotel is part of the Historic Hotels of America and it is really worth checking out and even more worth staying there. The hotel overlooks the beach and it is simply beautiful. If you are looking for a way to relax and unwind then the Cavalier Hotel is the place you have been looking for.

Recently, the Cavalier Hotel had a major renovation and it is even lovelier than ever. The two different hotels and setups offer guests an option as to where they would like to reside for a few nights. A hotel with the view of the ocean or a quainter room with a whirlpool tub? No matter what you are looking for the Cavalier Hotel at Virginia Beach can make your dreams come true.

When you are at this hotel you don’t have to leave looking for great things to do, like with most hotels. Instead, you simply take advantage of the expanse of private beach, the Olympic size swimming pools, the health club, tennis courts, and everything else that is offered.

When you are hungry you can choose between one of the five great restaurants on the property. There is romantic dining and casual dining and a little bit of everything in between. No matter what you are doing at Virginia Beach you can have all your needs and desires met very well right at the hotel.

One of the greatest benefits of visiting the Cavalier is that you will get your money’s worth and are guaranteed a sunny vacation. How is that you are wondering? Well, when you visit in the summer months of June, July, or August and don’t have sun to enjoy then you will get a complementary night’s stay when you plan another visit in the future.

There is a website that has great information on USA Vacations and Unique Travel Spots Listed State By State and Season, the website is called: Seasonal Vacation Spots, and can be found at this url:

http://www.seasonalvacationspots.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Dolphin Island Lodge is located on Uaguitupo Island, a private Island directly across from the indigenous Kuna island community of Achutupo. Known locally as the Uaguinega Ecoresort, the name derives from the Kuna language, where Uagui means dolphin and Nega means house. Together, therefore, it means “The House of the Dolphin.” During certain times of the year you can catch a sight of dolphins, and with some you luck you might be able to admire them.

It is a 45 minute flight from Panama City to Achutupu airport, which is hardly Heathrow, with only a tiny landing strip with a wooden hut!!

You are them met by by your Kuna guide, who will take you on a short trip in a motorised dugout canoe to the lodge itself. If you don’t like small boats, and don’t fancy the idea of a dugout, this trip is all of three minutes!!!

It doesn’t take long to feel you are miles away from civilisation.

When you hear the words eco resort, it may be a put off, because our only previous experience had involved worms, and I won’t tell you what they did, but if you go prepared mentally then what you will find is a Robinson Cruso castaway style, quite basic but very comfortable, vacation.

Check out photographs at http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/articles/17/1/San-Blas-Islands-Dolphin-Island-Lodge/Page1.html

The Lodge has 11 cabins, which are pretty basic, and have electricity from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. after which an emergency lamp is provided.

The 3 junior suites are a great deal more comfortable and more suited for those of us who have outgrown our enthusiastic eco-warrior youth, and now like some home comforts!! They are equipped with solar panels to provide electrical energy through the night. The island not being very large is almost all given over to the resort, apart from a few staff huts.

It is all very attractive with a mix of palm trees, grass, and the cabins, which are right on the edge of the sea. In fact the sea is so close you almost feel it!! You can sit on the deck in a hammock and totally relax to the sounds of the sea.

Each hut is equipped with a proper flushing toilet, and a semi open air shower area, but it is cold only as there no hot water here. Cold showers don’t seem so bad with a hot sun. You won’t find any air conditioning either although there is electricity for lighting,so keeping the doors open at night is a ‘must do’ but if there is no breeze, then it could become unbearable.

There is also an open air dining area right next to the sea, where all the delicious meals are taken. There is tons of fresh fruit, and all the gorgeous seafood is freshly caught, in fact you can see the Kuna fishermen arriving with their daily catch.

There is a small shop run by local Kuna women, where you can buy local handicrafts, and if you cannot bear to be completely separated from your emails, then there are internet facilities.

Other things you might wish to do is to visit a larger Kuna village a three minute boat ride away, or visit a nearby deserted island with a beautiful white sand beach.

The whole thing is almost like a scene from South pacific except it is in the Caribbean, but it is like turning back the clock to a time where ultra modern full facility hotels were still a nightmare, sorry a dream!!

Go see it now and experience it whilst you can.

Cancun is certainly the most luxurious destination in the Mexican Caribbean. Offering all of the finer things in life, the Hotel Zone and downtown areas of Cancun are brimming with top notch entertainment and relaxation opportunities. With everything from couture shopping to gourmet dining and exquisite spa treatments, Cancun is the place to indulge and treat yourself like royalty.

With the splendor of the Mexican Caribbean in the background, Cancun spas and resorts blend traditional Mayan techniques with innovative technology. Therapeutic treatments, such as thalassotherapy ? the use of seawater to relax and rejuvenate ? and traditional hot stone massage, offer guests the opportunity to decompress at the beginning or end of a Cancun vacation. Many spas also utilize a stunning assortment of sea greens, herbs and minerals indigenous to the region in their treatments. Furthermore, despite the top-tier quality of these spas and resorts, spa visits in Cancun are generally much less expensive than comparable trips to destination spas in the United States.

Cancun also boasts the largest spa in all of Latin America, the three-level, 35,000 square foot paradise at JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa. Additionally, the JW Marriott Resort and Spa was recently rated as a top 5 Latin American spa by Travel and Leisure Magazine. Offering a full range of Mayan-inspired treatments, incorporating materials such as crystal, stone, mud, exotic fruit and milk, the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa is certainly unlike anything you’ll experience at home.

For travelers looking for an exclusively native spa experience, Temazcal is an indigenous Aztec steam bath treatment said to renew the body, mind and spirit. Performed on hot stones with aromatic herbs, the Temazcal treatments are performed in cloth huts on the beach at sunset. As a traditional form of therapy, Temazcal could be likened to certain aspects of the Turkish bath, Finnish sauna or Arabian hammam. Having been practiced for centuries by tribes throughout North and Latin America, the term “Temazcal” is derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) terms, “temaz” (bath) and “calli” (house). Several beach resorts also offer more traditionally romantic moonlit massages in outdoor cabanas or secluded terraces, allowing guests to enjoy luxurious relaxation in a gorgeous environment with spectacular ocean ambience and vistas.

As you are in Cancun, you will probably want to indulge in some adventurous Mexican cuisine. Many internationally-trained chefs employed in Cancun are well-versed in both local cuisine and cutting edge techniques. Within the Hotel Zone, you will find the most adventurous dishes, with many chefs offering Mayan flavors with a unique European flourish. Most restaurants within the Hotel Zone and downtown Cancun will have menus in English, so there is no need to worry about a culinary language barrier. There are plenty of adventurous cafés both downtown and within the Hotel Zone, but fresh steak and seafood are always available as luxury staples. Take a stroll down the Avenida Tulum if you are looking for a sidewalk café to enjoy some sun and people watching.

Furthermore, with over 1,200 restaurants in Cancun, there is certainly a lot to savor.

The shopping options in Cancun are almost as limitless. With a number of shopping centers containing all of the world’s finest retailers, you will find everything you have seen in the magazines at prices below similar stores in the U.S. The Plaza Caracol ? the largest of these shopping centers ? houses over 200 boutiques and galleries with everything from unique local arts and crafts to European couture. After browsing the racks at Ralph Lauren and Gucci, settle down in one of the complex’s many elegant cafes for lunch or a quick snack.

The most luxurious shopping center in Cancun is probably the 500,000 square-foot Plaza Kukulkán. In addition to all types of great local products, all the best stores like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo and Rolex are located within this sprawling mall. When you are ready to unwind after an exciting day of shopping, there are also plenty of great restaurants and bars in this area of the city.

For a luxury ski holiday to remember Méribel ticks all the right boxes. In the heart of the Alps, in the middle of the Trois Vallées stands the first class ski resort of Méribel. A classic Wintersports destination Méribel offers the largest ski area in the world. As part of the Trois Vallées there are over 600km of runs for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. Couchevel, les Menuires, Val Thorens, La Tania and St Martin are all linked to the resort and each other whilst the Méribel ski area alone consists of 9 different sections.

Méribel is the only ski resort to have 15 high capacity gondalifts and the resort also boasts 14 drag-lifts and 19 chair-lifts. There is a massive 150km of groomed runs, 9 black 23 red, 36 blue and 8 green, offering versatility to suit all skiing abilities. Intermediates have a variety of red runs to choose from while beginners will appreciate the easy runs and gentle slopes. Advanced skiers can take full advantage of the glacier skiing and soft powder runs and picturesque descents through the forest. The area is naturally blessed with good snow cover however thanks to the snow making facilities on the upper and lower slopes, lack of snow is rarely ever an issue and getting around the resort is easy. Ideally located, Méribel is home to an impressive 2 Olympic runs, 2 slalom stadiums and also has 2 snowboard areas. Not to be missed try the women’s downhill of the 1992 Olympics from Roc de Fer or the runs from the top of Saulire down to Méribel or the two sweeping runs and off piste of Mont Vallon.

11 ski and snowboard schools are on hand for those that feel they would benefit from lessons, whether you are a beginner or experienced skier. Off piste excursions to the Gebrolaz Glacier & Heliskiing in Italy and Switzerland can also be arranged through the Méribel Mountain Guides office. Aside from skiing Méribel is number one when it comes to a lively après ski culture. There are a wide array of restaurants serving gourmet cuisine, bars and popular nightclubs in the resort. Hot spots include Rond Point above Méribel 1600 and Jacks Bar in the main town. During the day the pretty and traditional style of resort can also be enjoyed off the slopes with a whole host of other activities such as swimming, rock climbing. biking, paragliding and shopping. A walkers pass is situated at the top of the mountains and restaurants delivering a wonderful view of the entire resort. A luxury ski holiday in Méribel offers everything your heart could possibly desire?

You can read all about Barcelona in history books, since this city has been around since Roam times. No, we are not going to give you a history of Barcelona, but rather tell you about the best ways into and around the city, as well as all of the wonderful sites to see in this vibrant city. Guell Park, the Water Parks and more will tempt you but there is so much more to see in Barcelona that you will need to come back time and again.

For a truly emotional experience, visit the Picasso Museum. This museum is situated in five medieval palaces, each of them crammed with the works of this prolific artist, in his various stages. By viewing the exhibits in the Picasso museum, you will follow his career from his birthplace of Malaga, to his years in Paris, to his Moscow period, in which he portrayed the Russian Ballet in all of its beauty, and back to Barcelona, where he settled once again in Spain. The Picasso Museum has everything to recommend it, from reasonable entrance fees, to convenient visiting hours, to easy access by public transportation, and finally a central location in the Ciutat Vella (Beautiful City).

The Ciutat Vella is the original Barcelona and remained little changed until the 14th Century. The original neighborhoods of the Ciutat Vella are the Gothic area, La Ribera, Las Ramblas (a promenade filled with flowers) and the Raval. Finding your way around Ciutat Vella is very easy since there are four famous landmarks that lead you into this area. Using Catalunya Square as a starting point, head straight down Las Ramblas to the Christopher Columbus Monument. This towering edifice is at the end of the city, at the port. If you head north, toward Olympic Port, you will enter Ciutat Park. Look to your left and you will see the majestic Arc of Triumph, a few blocks away. You are now enclosed in a small section of antique cobblestone streets and charming shops, like a medieval time warp.

Whether you are an avid football (soccer) fan or not, you will want to take in one of the exciting games played by the Barcelona home team, Barca. JUst stop at the Nou Camp football stadium and you can get your tickets, if you are visiting Barcelona during the football season, between September and May. In a winning season like this year’s in which Fran Rikard brought his team to a Spanish football league championship, there will be non-stop celebrating and souvenirs to commemorate.

The beaches of the Costa Brava and the Costa Dorada in this area are beautifully maintained and cater to the tourists they draw. Whether closer to the city, or on the outskirts, you can find wonderful accomodations for every taste and pocketbook. Hotel choices range from youth hostels through to five star hotels. In between, you have a choice of bed and breakfasts, and more modest hotels such as two, three and four star hotels. In addition, you could also choose to stay in a vacation chalet, or a rented apartment or home.

Whether you choose a quick weekend to relax, a romantic honeymoon destination, an extended family holiday or a business trip, you will find many ways to enjoy yourself in Barcelona.