I straighten my curly hair every morning…except for the summer I spent in Europe. I had remembered to pack my straightener, but I packed the wrong adapter.
Did you know that there are at least 12 different sockets in widespread use! It’s already tough enough to pack!
Continue to read how it all happened.
Here is a list of the world’s most secluded beaches. Get there fast, though, because inevitably they’ll fill up quickly:
The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica
Holbox Island, Yucatan Peninsula
Cities are sinking, we’re losing pieces of glacier every day; basically, the world is changing on a grand scale. This means that eventually, and unfortunately, some beautiful landmarks will not be around in the future. Here’s a list of locations you should consider checking out before it’s too late:
Oceans & Coasts:
The Caribbean Read more…
West Indian Ocean Read more…
Rivers & Lakes:
Colorado River Read more…
The Great Lakes Read more…
Forests:
The Appalachians Read more…
Forest Bridge of the Americas Read more…
Grasslands:
African Grasslands & Savannas Read more…
Patagonian Grasslands of Argentina Read more…
Deserts & Arid Lands:
Sonoran & Chihuahuan Desert Borderlands Read more…
Arid Lands of Namibia Read more…
NASSAU, The Bahamas, May 22 /PRNewswire/ — Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon recently wed at a surprise ceremony on the picture-perfect island of Eleuthera, adding to the growing list of stars that have planned their perfect day in The Bahamas. With ideal weather year round, breathtaking beaches, lavish hotels and amenities, not to mention privacy, this tropical paradise has long been a favorite locale for celebrities to walk down the aisle in style.
Always the trend setter, supermodel Cindy Crawford said “I do” to hubby Rande Gerber in May 1998 at the swanky Ocean Club on Paradise Island. Since then, A-list couples have continued to flock to the 700 Islands Of The Bahamas including current NFL commentator Deion Sanders who was married on Nassau Paradise Island, Richard De Niro, son of Oscar winning actor Robert De Niro, who also said his vows on Nassau Paradise Island and Solange Knowles, younger sister of pop icon Beyonce, who wed on Grand Bahama Island. Also married in The Bahamas was Google co-founder Sergey Brin to bio-tech specialist Anne Wojcicki. The sweethearts said their nuptials in May of 2007 on Musha Cay Island on a private property owned by magician David Copperfield.
You don’t have to be rich and famous to get married in The Bahamas. Whether planning a large wedding with hundreds of guests or an intimate ceremony with just close friends and family in attendance, The Bahamas can fit the needs of all personalities, themes, and budgets. With endless hotel and resort options, restaurant choices and activities for the young and young at heart, this chic destination makes planning a wedding effortless. What’s more, possibly the most distinct feature of The Bahamas is the ability for newlyweds to cut the cake on one island and then leave their guests behind to escape to their honeymoon on yet another secluded island in The Bahamas!
Life in The Islands Of The Bahamas is as culturally diverse as it is vibrantly beautiful, from the carefree Out Islands to exciting Nassau/Paradise Island and Grand Bahama Island. With world-class diving and fishing, gorgeous turquoise water and miles of picture perfect beaches, the 700 islands of The Bahamas offer visitors the opportunity to do everything or nothing at all. To plan your own destination wedding in The Bahamas visit www.weddings.bahamas.com for all of your wedding planning needs. For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com . To experience The Bahamas at home, visit www.EShopBahamas.com .
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, May 16 /PRNewswire/ — Galley Bay Resort & Spa — Antigua’s award-winning, adults-only Caribbean romantic hideaway — announces an incredible airfare promotion featuring complimentary tickets from all major East Coast gateways that serve Antigua via American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Couples who book seven-night all-inclusive stays in the resort’s Premium Beachfront Suites from June through November 2008 qualify. The all-inclusive nightly rate is $520 per person, based on double occupancy, and includes all meals, top-shelf liquor, non-motorized water sports, entertainment, tax and service charges.
Couples can fly Delta Air Line’s new twice-weekly non-stop service from New York’s JFK International Airport, beginning June 12, 2008; Delta’s non-stop flights from Atlanta, as well as other major Delta East Coast gateways; and American Airlines’ daily connecting service from the East Coast through San Juan to Antigua.
“Galley Bay Resort & Spa has consistently been ranked among the world’s most romantic resorts, and it just keeps getting better. Now we’re making romantic getaways and destination weddings more affordable by providing complimentary flights to couples,” said Steven E. Heydt, Elite Island Resorts’ president. “And, according to the Travel Industry Association (TIA), 42 million+ Americans travel for romantic purposes annually. This promotion plus our complimentary destination wedding program, gives them an even greater incentive to do so.”
Premium Beachfront Suites feature a sunken living room with wet bar, floor-to-ceiling windows, a private furnished terrace or balcony and an expansive bathroom with his-and-hers showers and deep-soaking tubs along with the latest high-tech amenities such as 32-inch, flat-screen wall-mounted TVs, iPod docking stations, DVD players and wireless Internet access. Raising the bar on luxury, the resort’s recently opened Indulge spa was designed as a posh tree house overlooking a tropical bird sanctuary. Also new are a wedding gazebo and a third romantic dining option, Ismay’s — a Caribbean fusion restaurant set along a three-quarter-mile stretch of stunning white-sand beach. Both are sure to be popular for weddings.
An intimate, casually elegant retreat, Galley Bay Resort & Spa consistently earns prestigious awards including top honors from Conde Nast Traveler and TripAdvisor.com, and was recently certified green in accordance with international standards. For reservations, call (800) 345-0356 or visit www.galleybayresort.com or www.eliteislands.com.
MONTREAL, May 16 /PRNewswire/ - It’s hard to imagine a destination more family-friendly than the Caribbean, or an accommodation more suited to family holidays than villas. Put them together and you have the perfect conditions, ready to keep everyone from Grandma and Grandpa on down to the littlest tots happy and busy.
Though, on the whole, the Caribbean is perfect for families, some beach destinations shine brighter than others in terms of the services and activities they have to offer. The trick is to know your group and its needs, wants and what you won’t compromise on (like direct flights, for example). No matter what your make-up, the Caribbean has destinations and villas for you.
Luxury Retreats, www.luxuryretreats.com, a specialist in luxury villa rentals throughout the Caribbean, has experience pointing families in the right direction.
“The majority of the guests we work with are traveling in a group of at least 4 to 5 family members, and that usually includes a wide range of ages and personalities,” said Ben Tuff, Luxury Retreats’ Director of Marketing. “It might seem like an impossible task to find something that everyone will like, but that’s the beauty of the Caribbean - there really is something for everyone.”
For families with kids of all ages, Tuff recommends islands like St. Thomas or Grand Cayman, a crowd-pleaser with plenty of activities for the little ones but also the restaurants and nightlife that the teens and adults might crave. If staffing is a factor, families should look towards St. Lucia, Jamaica or Barbados - all islands where a cook and maid usually come standard with a villa rental.
“Having someone to cook you dinner while you’re hanging out by the pool is an amazing feeling,” said Tuff. “And family vacations are even more special when you are all experiencing something new together.”
Togetherness being the key component of family holidays, villas easily trump hotels and resorts, where spreading out in multiple rooms down a hallway among hundreds of other travelers.
For more information on all our family destinations, visit our website through the following: www.luxuryretreats.com
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Tortuga, Haiti
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Port Royal, Jamaica
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Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
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St.Croix
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Virgin Gorda
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La Blanquilla, Venezuela
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Roatan, Honduras
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St.Kitts
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Guadeloupe
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Cayman Islands
PALM ISLAND, The Grenadines, March 28 /PRNewswire/ — Palm Island, an exclusive 135-acre private island resort in the Caribbean’s pristine Grenadines island chain, provides vacationers with a special 25 percent summer savings off all-inclusive rack rates when reservations are booked by May 19, 2008 for five night minimum stays. This intimate hideaway is also giving guests a $250 resort credit to be used towards fascinating adventures such as a snorkel trip to the pristine reefs of the Tobago Cays, a Champagne Sunset Cruise, spa treatments, or a island-hopping day cruise-or towards an accommodations upgrade. The credit, along with the 25 percent savings off the all-inclusive rack rates, is valid for travel between June 1 and August 31, 2008.
Low season all-inclusive rack rates start at $690 per room, based on double occupancy; with the Summer Promotion savings, the starting rate drops to $518. The promotional rate cannot be combined with other special offers and applies only to new bookings.
“With only 43 rooms, Palm Island in the Grenadines offers the opportunity to truly escape and unwind. Palm Island features many complimentary activities, however, we hope that our guests will take advantage of the resort’s incredible summer savings and resort credit to experience a private island vacation for themselves that is filled with many exciting experiences like a Sunset Cruise or indulgent spa treatment,” said Steven E. Heydt, president of Elite Island Resorts, a distinctive Caribbean resort collection that includes Palm Island.
Ringed by five glorious beaches and traversed by nature trails, this casually elegant private island resort caters to discerning travelers with superb food, caring service and an unspoiled natural setting. The resort features a freeform freshwater swimming pool with a waterfall surrounded by boulders and sun terraces, as well as a spa, fitness center and tennis. Windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking, Hobie cat sailing, bicycling and evening entertainment are among the complimentary activities. Spacious accommodations, delightfully free from TVs and telephones, allow guests to revel in the natural sounds of this rare tropical escape.
All-inclusive rates include meals, afternoon tea, weekly managers’ cocktail parties, top-shelf beverages, tips, taxes and service charges. For reservations, call 800-345-0356 or visit www.eliteislandresorts.com or www.palmislandresortgrenadines.com
“In October 1999 National Geographic Traveler showcased 50 of the world’s top destinations, places that every curious traveler should visit in a lifetime. Now we’re expanding our Places of a Lifetime franchise online, with personal essays on top destinations and the addition of a wealth of timely service information, from insiders’ tips on the best places to stay and eat, to great books and music, to recommended walking tours. In our online Places of a Lifetime you’ll find both inspiration and practical travel tips, and we plan to add more great cities on a regular basis.” - National Geographic
1- Phuket, Thailand
This Thai island is famous for its sandy beaches and posh resorts, but water shortages, partly attributed to climate change, have presented significant challenges for the local tourism industry. In recent years, tap water at hotels has been unavailable during the high tourist season. Chronic water shortages can call into question the long-term sustainability of tourism and create tension between the local population and the tourism industry.
2- Caribbean Islands 
The combination of climate change, development, chronic over-fishing, pollution and coral reef disease in the Caribbean creates a “synergy of threats,” says Mark Spalding, a senior marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy. The whitening of coral reefs, caused by more frequent tropical storms attributed to climate change, is a major concern for local tourist operators. The Caribbean is home to 7% of the world’s coral reef population.
3- Gulf Of Maine 
The rugged coastline of the Gulf of Maine is not only a haven for summer tourists, but it also supports a regional economy based on fishing and aqua-farming. The environmental impact of over-fishing combined with climate change was evident in a recent study in the journal Science, which determined that the adjacent waters had higher than normal risk factors. The changing environment means habitat degradation and rising sea level, according to the Nature Conservancy.
4- Mallorca, Spain 
Mallorca’s Mediterranean coasts draw tourists and celebrities in large numbers, but like Phuket, this island has struggled with water shortages attributed to climate change and increasing demand. In recent years, the Spanish government had to begin importing fresh water via tank ships. Chronic water shortage poses a significant threat to Mallorca’s tourism industry and has the potential to strain relations with the local population.
5- Central Chile 
The coastline of central Chile is populated with beach resorts that allow tourists to enjoy the region’s white sand beaches and Mediterranean climate. A recent study in Science, however, found that the region had significantly higher environmental threats than other South American coastlines. Scientists are still researching the impact of coastal pollution and development and fisheries, but the Nature Conservancy says habitat loss and changes to species populations are linked to these problems.
6- Pacific Northwest 
The Puget Trough/Georgia Basin region stretches from central Oregon to southern Canada. A recent study in Science found that the region had some of the highest environmental risks worldwide. According to Mark Powell, vice president for fish conservation at the Ocean Conservancy, high levels of pollution have caused low-oxygen zones in the water, fish population depletion and even the development of male fish with female sex characteristics.
7- Eastern Philippines 
The Eastern Philippine coastline, known for its turquoise water, registered high according to a recent study in Science. Mark Spalding, a senior marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy, says it’s largely due to over-fishing and the conversion of mangrove forests into aquaculture ponds with low productivity. Mangrove forests protect coastlines from storms, filter water and provide a nursery ground for fish.
8- North Sea 
“There are still some healthy areas and popular resorts, but this is truly a sea under siege,” says Mark Spalding, a senior marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy. Spalding blames the dense coastal population of neighboring countries and over-fishing. The North Sea has experienced declining fish populations and high levels of pollution.
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