The Elounda Mare Hotel in Elounda Crete is easily the best luxury hotel in Crete, and is certainly one of the top resort hotels in Europe.

It has 215 suites and villas and some of the villas have their own pool. In terms of facilities you can do most things from watersports to tennis, and importantly golf as well.

If you have stayed in resort hotels in Europe, claiming to be five star and have been disappointed, then this will NOT be the case at the Elounda Mare which caters for a very sophisticated clientele. It is a Relais and Chateaux hotel

You need to understand the philosophy behind the Relais and Chateaux hotels, which is one of creating a peaceful and quiet atmosphere, with excellent food, so this is probably not the place to take children, as there isn’t a disco or evening entertainment for that matter.

If you go to the Elounda Mare Hotel, try to stay in a bungalow with a private pool, where you will not only have a very private pool, but you must ask for ‘private pool’ when or before you check in. The room will be simply furnished but very comfortable, the bathroom is what you would expect with bath shower, Jacuzzi, twin wash hand basins, and lovely toiletries. There are of course bathrobes, and slippers with plenty of towels which are changed frequently.

You will also get complimentary flowers, chocolate, wine, fruit, and nuts, which will arrive spread out over your holiday, and it is the little touches that makes the Elounda Mare one of the top resort hotels in Europe.

It’s always difficult to decide on a meal arrangement when staying in a resort hotel, but half board would seem the ideal arrangement. Breakfast is mainly buffet, with hot food cooked to order. The table d’hote menu has five courses, and whilst the alternatives aren’t huge, the quality of the food is excellent. You will get a credit against the a la carte menu, which also extends to the Elounda Mare’s sister hotels if you wish to vary your surroundings.

Jackets are expected at the Old Mill restaurant, and if you like fish, then try the Yacht Club on a Friday evening.

It isn’t a surprise that there is no children’s menu!

Whilst dealing with food, try the local wines, they are a lot less expensive than the rest of the wine list and they aren’t bad at all.

The overall standard of service including room service is as you would expect from a top resort hotel, very good, and the hotel grounds are very well looked after and quite beautiful. There are plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas, and the the private beach is lovely for a swim especially before breakfast.

If you enjoy water sports they are all on offer, as is golf.

The Elounda Mare is a gem, and well worth its description as one of the top resort hotels in Europe.

Why not take travel tennis away with you.It can be played anywhere, a visit to http://www.travel-tennis is a must if you like tennis or old fashioned non electronic games.

Owned by MGM Mirage, this Hawaiian-themed, 3,000 room hotel is as much an entertainment complex as a place to stay. Over 40 years ago it was known as Castaways. But it’s as up-to-the-minute fresh as any place in Vegas now. Inside the front entrance is a lush tropical rainforest housed under a 100-foot high dome, with 60-foot palm trees providing ‘shade’. Not far away are the lagoons where visitors can swim or walk among palm trees. With two pools and a series of cliffs where water streams down into grottos, it’s a man-made paradise. Step along and step up to the Paradise Cafe or the Dolphin Bar and sip a cool drink on a hot Vegas day.

If you’re feeling especially hot, or want to get that way, try the Bare pool area. A clothing-free environment, you can lounge away and observe the local beauty while sipping a drink from the bar. You’ll enjoy the sunshine au naturel as the dolphins swim only a few feet away. Connected to it is a Siegfried & Roy-sponsored animal attraction: the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. The area is a carefully reconstructed tropical paradise. Here, a dozen species fly, crawl or swim continuously. The 2.5 million gallon pool is home to several Atlantic bottleneck dolphins in a sandy-bottomed artificial coral reef system. With four connected pools, they enjoy plenty of variety and so will the visitor.

For a closer look at sea life, visit the Aquarium – a 20,000 gallon seawater enclosure that houses puffer fish, tangs and other interesting creatures. There are over 60 species represented among the 1,000 animals and all are easily visible within the 53-foot long, six-foot wide by 8-foot high, 4-inch thick acrylic walls. Until a few years ago the hotel was the home of the Siegfried & Roy white tiger-themed show. But Roy was attacked by one of the animals and the show closed down. Fortunately, the tigers are still around in the White Tiger Habitat. Visible daily, these rare beauties are on display 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in a carefully controlled environment. With a pool, fountains and simulated mountain terrain for the tigers to enjoy, it’s a treat for them as well as the viewer.

Outside is the Mirage volcano – an artificial Vesuvius that erupts periodically throughout the evening. At the top of each hour from 7 p.m. to midnight, flames shoot high into the night sky, spraying smoke and fire a hundred feet up. Backed by design expertise that helped create the Bellagio Fountains, it’s a not-to-miss attraction. Over 50 feet high, situated on three water-covered acres, it’s been amazing viewers for almost 20 years. It even smells interesting. To mask the scent of the gas used to power the volcano, the structure emits Piña Colada vapor.

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Immerse yourself in the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the world’s entertainment capital. Home to the rich and famous, you’ll be in good company. Over 38.9 million visitors every year enjoy Las Vegas, staying in some of the most luxury hotels in California.

A mind blowing fantasy land with fabulous dining, critically acclaimed shows, fantastic shopping venues and bordered by outstanding desert scenery, prepare to be dazzled. For an adrenaline rush, hope that Lady Luck’s on your side in the casinos, where play never stops. Outside of gaming there is a vast array of activities that will keep you busy well into the neon light filled nights. Explore the culinary delights of world class chefs, take in a Las Vegas show, discover your shopping heaven, play and party hard on the Strip or relax in one of the acclaimed spas with the ultimate in indulgence and rejuvenation.

Dining

Visit the restaurant that helped put Vegas on the culinary map in 1992, Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in the Forum shops at Caesars Palace or for a true Vegas classic of steak and potatoes, try the Plaza’s Center Stage.

Shopping

Great for shopping Las Vegas offers some of the best brands and exclusive designer pieces amongst its huge outlet malls and boutiques. Key shopping destinations are Las Vegas Boulevard South and the Strip where you can shop in France, Italy, New York, Cairo Fifth Avenue and Rodeo Drive without leaving Las Vegas.

‘The Strip’

Right at the centre of all the action is the Las Vegas Strip. Lined with copious hotels, restaurants and hip nightclubs the Strip has something to suit everyone’s desires and tastes. Marvel at the scale and theatrical complexity of the dancing water fountains of Bellagio and ride the world’s highest roller coaster at the Stratosphere Tower. Get your tickets here to see some of the best Las Vegas shows in town.

Shows and Events

Cirque Du Soleil’s “O” is a spectacle that promises to astonish with its fusion of circus acts, modern theatrical effects, live music, dance and most of all water. A variety of listings include showgirl revues from the traditional to the avant-garde and Broadway hits that have made it to Las Vegas, like Mamma Mia!

Gaming

If there is a game to be played Las Vegas is the place to do it. The excitement of 24 hour non-stop gaming is hard to beat. From table games to sports betting and slot machines the options are endless.

Many casinos also offer gaming lessons for those that want to brush up on their gambling techniques before hitting the floors.

Whatever your interests, a luxury holiday in California, Las Vegas guarantees the jackpot!

Cayo Coco is a small island linked to Cuba by a 17 km man made road over the sea. The hotel is an adult only all inclusive hotel, at the far end of a long beach, so is not as busy.

We travelled with Thomas Cook, and are very glad we paid extra for Premier Class Seats, and we landed at Jardines Del Ray, and it only took about ten minutes to get to the resort. We changed money at the airport, but it would have been better to have done this at the resort.

Champagne and a cool flannel greeted us at the resort, and check in was quick and efficient. We had a Lagoon Room on the ground floor, a large balcony, chairs, sunloungers facing east so we got a great view of the sunrise. Also being over the lagoon we could feed the fish.

We liked the beach, even if it was a bit narrow, plenty of sunbeds and palapas. The sea was very clean and crystal clear, warm, and full of friendly tame fish. There is a beach bar, a watersports and diving centre, and to be truthful we spent most of our time on the beach, partly because of the persistent breeze.

We did visit the pool area, but felt it too warm, although it was a good place to go in the mid afternoon, by which time sunbeds were not a problem.

There are three restaurants, serving good food, the Buffet, The Italian, and The International. Whilst the buffet got a bit repetitive, there were stalls cooking dishes to your liking. The a la carte options in the other restaurants were all good. We could not fault the catering at all, and during the day there is the snack bar next to the pool, and the beach grill were you could choose all the usual suspects, freshly cooked and brought to the table.

One word of caution, mosquitos ? make sure you bring sprays etc, because they are a nuisance, so Deet is an essential.

Finally, what really made the holiday was the staff. They were happy, friendly, helpful, and the management believe in managing by wandering about ? always a good thing.

This may not be on the best of the Cuba vacation beaches, but Cuba resort Cavo Coco comes from us as the top cuba vacation recommendation. We will definitely return.

When you travel, you are probably concerned about having good insurance coverage, should something ever happen and you need it. While you are probably concentrating more on having fun on your vacation, making sure you will be well taken care of should an accident or unforeseen event occur is a very important consideration. That is why it is good to purchase travel insurance just for the occasion.

When choosing good coverage there are several factors to consider. You want to be sure you are covered in just about any aspect as your normal coverage would provide you at home. Important features are emergency room coverage, accident coverage, and hospital stays.

This becomes especially important if you will be traveling outside Canada. In order to make your policy work, you need to make sure there is a co-operative relationship between the policy holder and the company providing the insurance. Because the medical treatment around the world is so broad and varied, the home-based insurance companies will often provide you with booklets that outline what they will and won’t cover. That is why it is very important for you the purchaser to become to become as familiar as you possibly can with the basic guidelines of the policy before an emergency ever occurs. Decision so any reimbursement of expenses are not likely to be the first thing when you are in an urgent situation. Below are a few guidelines for insurance financial coverage should an emergency occur.

BE sure to obtain authorization. As soon as possible, be sure to call the number for the emergency service center provided policy. The role of the service center is to manage your medical care and make the overall claim process faster and more efficient. The center should provide claim administrators, on site doctors, nurses, and other medical officials to arrange to help manage your care and monitor any treatment that may become necessary in an emergency situation. If possible, do not proceed with any treatment before receiving the proper authorization.
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N order to assist in the claims process more efficiently, you should supply all information and facts you can as accurately as possible. Keep a log of the contacts at both service center and your insurance company. This includes the names of people assisting you, the date of contact, what was discussed during any conversations that took place.

You should also keep a detailed record of all medical transactions and get receipts for all medical care including: tests, treatments, and proscriptions. Receipts are an absolute must when making a claim, and you never know when you may need them. You should also observe the time limits of your policy. Complete the supplied forms and enclose all bills signed by the attending physician, along with receipts and any supporting claim documentation that will prove necessary when filing your claim. Also include all numbers such as those pertaining to your policy, along with your date of birth and any other requested information that will make the process faster and more efficient.