Vacations for the Water Sports Enthusiast

Posted on Sunday 30 October 2005

For many people an ideal vacation means a warm and comfortable climate, sandy beaches and an ocean shore nearby. Vacations are a great way to remove your self from the routine of every day life and take that desperately needed. For those who enjoy sailing, skiing and surfing, as well as a variety of other water sports, here are some number one hot spots for all you water sports enthusiasts.

Set your sails for adventure and prepare your body, mind and soul for paradise when you visit the Island of St. Lucia, a truly tropical island paradise, 27 miles long by 14 miles wide and a dream come true for sailors. The western coastline features exciting anchorages and adventures for explorers of every type. Sail the west coast up to Rodney Bay and enjoy the beach on Pigeon Island National park. At night there is a superb selection of attractive restaurants and bars for you to enjoy a fabulous meal and cocktail.

Then set sail to Soufrière and visit the Volcano, the Botanical Gardens, Diamond Falls, and the Mineral Baths. Then drop anchor at Ansa Cochon, a magnificent deserted beach that was made just for snorkeling. Set your sights on the famous Pitons, where a romantic night under the stars awaits you. Sample the natural wonders of St. Lucia, enjoying snorkeling as it was meant to be at Anse Chastanet. In the afternoon enjoy the beach at the Jalousie Plantation Resort or continue your snorkeling adventure at the Coral Gardens.

Then return to the Marigot before dark. Dine at your choice of spectacular restaurants and enjoy the most dramatic view in the Caribbean.

Where the Atlantic’s powerful breakers reach an accessible shore in the Caribbean, there you will find surfers. In Barbados, the “Soupbowl” at Bathsheba has attracted water sports enthusiasts from the world over, including champions of the sport who spend training vacations here and appreciate the uncrowded waves, warm water and friendly atmosphere. Bathsheba is famous for its fast walls and big thundering barrels.

For years locals and overseas surfers alike have enjoyed the surfing at the “Soup Bowl” in Bathsheba. This picturesque fishing village becomes a hive of activity in November, when the waves are at their best and the International Surfing Championship takes place. Surfers rent “bay houses” and mingle with the locals, enjoying the friendly laid back atmosphere.

St. Vincent also has good waves at Lagoon Bay as well as Shipping Bay on the Windward side, not a venue for the faint hearted, while Trinidad has a good surfing spot at Minister Bay on the east coast. From sunrise to sunset bodies on boards await the break and the Caribbean doesn’t disappoint.

Water skiing at Ski Paradise, located in Acapulco, Mexico has been rated as the “best ski site in the world” by Water Ski Magazine. Whether you are a beginner or want to improve on your water skiing skills, you will have a great time. Ski Paradise is the ultimate water ski and sports vacation, including great accommodations and instruction from celebrity guest coaches. If you would like to experience the greatest ski vacation of your life, then visit Ski Paradise, who also caters to golf, tennis, and sport fishing.

Acapulco is a city of over a million people with a great night life, distinguished beaches and the worlds most perfect climate. You will experience a magical week of great skiing, great instruction, friendly people, excellent accommodations and fabulous food. Even slalom addicts need to take a break from skiing every now and then. You can explore the Fuerte de San Diego, a landmark Spanish fort built in 1616. If you’re in the mood for a little adventure, you can hire a taxi and have them drive you through the winding streets of the old town to show you the best and beautiful historic sites.

Although these are the top hot spots for water sports enthusiasts, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t more great places out there to go sailing, skiing or surfing. Whether you’re on the East coast or West coast or anywhere in between, you can always find a nice affordable vacation to revel in water sports and simply have a great time.

kthomas @ 3:05 am
Filed under: Vacation Articles
RVing - Take a Vacation in Your Travel Home

Posted on Tuesday 25 October 2005

Most people have to save up for and carefully plan their vacations. Not only do you want your vacation to be memorable and fun, but oftentimes you want to be able to see and do as much as possible. Therefore, vacations are not the time to be wasting money on unnecessary items or services. Your best bet for vacations is to research your trip and plan to save as much money as possible. Road trip vacations are one type of vacation where saving money is possible and easy to do. RVs offer the most accommodating and convenient mode of travel for road trips. Follow these simple steps and your RVing road trip will be one of the best and cheapest you have ever taken.

RVs of all sizes are available for purchase. Depending on the number of people you typically travel with and what types of accommodations you would like your RV to have, you can find RVs of all kinds. In addition to saving money on lodging on every trip you will take in your RV, you will also be able to take much more in terms of the accommodations of home, than if you were to take a road trip in your car.

If you are traveling with children chances are you are going to be challenged to keep them amused along the way. RVs offer plenty of room for children to play and roam around if they get bored along the way – which they inevitably will. Make sure to pack plenty of entertainment for the children. Some RVs include DVD players that allow children to watch movies and some can even provide you with the ability to hook up video gaming systems.

The beauty of investing in an RV for your family vacation will help with cutting the cost of lodging when you stay in your RV. This provides you with extra funds to do other things. You and your family can travel almost anywhere and save money by staying in your new home on wheels. You have the freedom to take any type of vacation you want from a mountain getaway to a stay on the beach. Whatever suits your family is what you will be able to do in your RV.

In researching your RV vacation you will find that there are plenty of scenic places for you and your family to stop along the way. Take a family of four camping for a week at a State Forest or National Park. Camping gear, campground fees (which usually run per night stayed) and travel fees will likely run you under $1000.00. Your family can bond while enjoying the great outdoors during the day and sleep in the comfort of your RV at night. If your RV does not include a small kitchenette, you can purchase a small grill or stove, some of which are made particularly for camping, you can bring your own food to cook and save money on meals as well. Yellowstone National Park is a great place to visit with your family. In addition to being one of the most famous and historic campgrounds in the United States, you will find that Yellowstone provides your family with plenty of activities and entertainment.

If you do not mind sleeping in a tent but are not quite ready to rough it to the point of staying in shower-less campgrounds, consider an RV trip to one of many hot springs locations across the US. Hot Springs, Arkansas offers RV parking and campground sites. Enjoy the convenience of your RV and pitch a tent for your kids to enjoy. Hot Springs, Arkansas is found to be one of the most popular hot spring areas. Staying in your RV or pitching a tent will cut the lodging fees and you can enjoy days full of soaking in the soothing water. There are also a number of activities provided for children so the whole family can enjoy their stay.

There are countless campgrounds and RV parks throughout the United States and Canada that will provide ideal vacation spots for your family. Do some research and start planning your next vacation. You will likely find that the convenience of having your own RV is well worth it.

kthomas @ 3:03 am
Filed under: Vacation Articles
Condos and Time Shares - How do They Work?

Posted on Sunday 23 October 2005

If you visit the same vacation destination each year then you may be interested in purchasing a more permanent vacation residence. For people who frequently visit an area on vacation but do not stay long enough, it would make sense for them to purchase a vacation home in the area. Timeshares may be the option to consider. Timeshares can be described as partial ownership of a property. Timeshares are often found in the form of condominiums being sold by resorts. Occasionally you will run into a timeshared home. Ask your agent about homes if that is what you prefer.

Once purchasing a timeshare, these are owned by a number of people who spilt time at the property throughout the year. The various timeshare owners are able to claim specific time periods throughout the year when they will be able to vacation at the property. Other times will be claimed by other owners so timeshare properties do not hold the convenience that full property ownership does, in the way that you cannot vacation at your home whenever you wish. However, for people who are only looking for a limited amount of vacation time each year, timeshares can be the perfect choice.

Timeshares are designed to save money for the frequent traveler. Real estate can be a huge investment but timesharing is designed to save you considerable amounts of money and still leave you with a great place to stay during your vacation getaways. However, keep in mind that in saving money when purchasing your timeshare, you will also not be likely to make much money when selling it. This is because timeshares have relatively low property values. When buying into your first timeshare make sure to shop around. You may fall in love with the first place you visit but look around first and make sure you can not find an even better place at a lower rate. Timeshares that are lived in are typically cheaper than timeshares that are new and have not yet been sold to anyone.

Another thing to keep in mind when deciding on the best timeshare for you is how long you plan on vacationing at your timeshare each year. Timeshares come in all different kinds of shares for the year. In some cases you can even find a timeshare that allows you to visit once every two or three years. If you are not a frequent vacationer this will assure that you have a beautiful place to stay and will also save you money. For people who plan to visit their timeshare often, they can find timeshares where they get an entire month each year.

Typically timeshares are broken up into 52 week-long periods throughout the year. Timeshare owners are allowed to choose one week each year to visit, however timeshares with longer and shorter time vacation periods are also available if you take the time to shop around. Since a timeshare is a major investment, it is best that you find the timeshare that is going to better suit your needs. If you rush into the purchase of a timeshare you will ultimately regret it if you find that the choice was hasty and not what you really wanted.

One of the biggest benefits to purchasing a timeshare is that in almost all cases the property is maintained for you. You do not have to worry about keeping up with fixing broken appliances or the maintenance of the exterior of the property. If you purchase your timeshare through a resort, the resort will take care of this for you and you will simply pay maintenance fees each year to pay for the upkeep. All you will be concerned with is scheduling the weeks you want for your vacation and enjoying yourself while you are there.

Once you find a timeshare that is exactly what you are looking for you will be all set to enjoy your vacations. Just be careful during the buying process. There have been a number of timeshare scams throughout the year that have given timesharing a bad name. However, if you purchase your timeshare through a reputable company you can rest assured that your money will not be wasted and you will be enjoying your vacations in a beautiful timeshare for years to come.

kthomas @ 3:01 am
Filed under: Vacation Articles
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