Search Results for Category: Beach News

Photo of Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort, courtesy of TripAdvisor.

U.S. News & World Report has released its inaugural ranking of the Best Hotels in Mexico . Out of the 340 luxury hotels across Mexico evaluated for the 2013 rankings, 34 properties scored high enough to earn a place on the list of the Best Hotels in Mexico . The top five are:

1. Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort; Cabo San Lucas
2. Rosewood San Miguel De Allende; San Miguel de Allende
3. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort; Punta de Pita
4. Capella Pedregal; Cabo San Lucas
5. Banyan Tree Cabo Marques; Acapulco

See full list: Best Hotels in Mexico

About the Rankings

Luxury hotels in Mexico were ranked based on an unbiased methodology that includes the collective opinion of travel experts and guests, expressed through awards, recommendations and ratings. The U.S. News approach reflects the core goal of all of our rankings, which is to help take the guesswork out of choosing the right hotel by providing travelers with an impartial analysis of luxury hotels.

“Hotels that consistently meet the high expectations of experts and travelers are recognized in our rankings,” said Chad Smolinski, Senior Vice President at U.S. News. “Applying an unbiased approach to identifying these hotels lets us give travelers to Mexico recommendations they can count on.”

Awards

• Best Hotels in Mexico : Top 10 percent of all ranked luxury hotels in Mexico
• Best Hotels in [Destination]: Top 30 percent of all ranked luxury hotels within a Mexican destination (e.g., Puerto Vallarta)

Kauai, Hawaii. TripAdvisor traveler photo.

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, has announced the winners of its inaugural Travelers’ Choice Islands awards. Based on millions of valuable traveler reviews and opinions on the site, the awards recognize more than 100 islands across the globe, including dedicated lists for Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, and the U.S.

“Whether you’re looking for idyllic palm-lined islands, or islands that offer a more cultural experience, you’ll find inspiration in these lists,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.  “From the world famous to the hidden gems, what unifies every award winner is the fantastic feedback from travelers across the globe.”

Top 10 Islands in the U.S.:

1. San Juan Island, Washington
2. Kauai, Hawaii
3. Marco Island, Florida
4. Anna Maria Island, Florida
5. Maui, Hawaii
6. Sanibel Island, Florida
7. Chincoteague Island, Virginia
8. Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
9. Amelia Island, Florida
10. Key West, Florida

Top 10 Islands in the World:

1. Ambergris Caye, Belize
2. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
3. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
4. San Juan Island, Washington
5. Santorini, Greece
6. Isla Mujeres, Mexico
7. Moorea, French Polynesia
8. Koh Tao, Thailand
9. Easter Island, Chile
10. Nosy Be, Madagascar

“We’re delighted that San Juan Island is honored as both the top island in the U.S. and as a top four world pick in the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Islands awards,” said Deborah Hopkins, executive director for the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau. “We’d like to thank the travelers who have made this win possible, simply by sharing their love of the sparkling waters, abundant wildlife, outdoor recreation and vibrant arts scene that San Juan Island offers on TripAdvisor.”

Photo of the Venetian on Grace Bay courtesy of TripAdvisor.

I just came across this tempting sweepstakes in Islands magazine and thought I would share. It is free to enter this sweepstakes, and there are three great prizes:

ONE GRAND PRIZE:  Four nights/Five days for two people in a one bedroom Oceanfront Suite at The Venetian Grace Bay plus a complimentary snorkeling excursion for two people, approx. retail value $4,999.00

ONE SECOND-PLACE PRIZE:  Four nights/five days for two people in a one bedroom Oceanfront Suite at The Tuscany on Grace Bay plus a complimentary snorkeling excursion for two people, approx. retail value $3,500.00

ONE THIRD-PLACE PRIZE: Two nights/three days in a one bedroom luxury oceanfront suite at The West Bay Club, approx. retail value $1,500.00

The entry deadline is August 15, 2013.  Enter here for a chance to win a Turks & Caicos vacation

Photo by Hugh Ryono, Aquarium of the Pacific

Life as a captive penguin in an aquarium just got a whole lot more interesting. Penguins at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, are being entertained by the latest technology- iPads!

This is how the aquarium reports it on its website:

Take an old obsolete iPad. Load up a cat game app. Place in front of a couple of young curious penguins and you have the recipe for a fun time for these aquatic birds and a pretty neat video.

With the coming of spring a mature penguin’s thoughts turn to finding a mate. The pairing of birds has already started in the June Keyes Penguin Exhibit. But what of the young penguins like Newsom and Jeremy. Still too young to think about mating and with most of the other penguins busy trying to impress the opposite sex these young birds are feeling a bit left out of all the excitement.

As an enrichment for these youngsters aviculturalist Sara told me about her idea of using an iPad game made for cats as penguin entertainment. Just like cats penguins are very curious and the idea of these birds following a virtual mouse on a screen was just too appealing to me not to try out. Dusting off my old iPad 1 and loading Game for Cats app on it we set up a penguin video arcade in the exhibit last week.

Sure enough when Jeremy and Newsom noticed the iPad in the exhibit they both waddled on over. Jeremy was the first to try it out but Newsom was the one that really got into it. Stalking the virtual mouse intently he tried to pick it up repeatedly with his beak. Newsom especially seemed to like the squeak that the mouse made when he put his beak on the virtual critter. The mouse was self reinforcing for this penguin. Newsom set the penguin high score of 1600 for the game.

The video below shows just how much fun they had with the game. Listen for the mouse squeak when Newsom touches it with his beak.

Hanauma Bay, Oahu. Beach Maniac photo.

The Travel Channel’s 2013 list of the Best Beaches includes a few I have been fortunate enough to visit already, and a few that are high on my bucket list. Among those I have already visited, my favorite on this list is Hanauma Bay on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, which was named the Best Beach for Adventure. On the far side of Diamond Head volcano from Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, this tranquil bay has amazing coral reefs just offshore, allowing for incredible snorkeling right off the beach. To protect the coral, all visitors are taken through an instructional tour before being allowed onto the beach. What I liked best is you can snorkel for a while, climb up on shore and rest and then go right back in whenever you want.

Another spot I have been fortunate enough to experience is Rick’s Cafe in Negril, Jamaica, named the Best Beach Bar. I only visited for an hour or so as I swam to the bar from a catamaran docked just offshore as part of a snorkeling trip but it was an experience I will never forget. No, I did not take the adventurous (and dangerous) 30-foot dive off the rocks into the sea, but I sure enjoyed watching others do it as I relaxed with a cool one.

Then there is the Best Beach Boardwalk, Venice Beach, California. If you have not yet visited this iconic beach, be sure to add it to your to-do list. It’s not necessarily a great family vacation spot because of the many oddities you might encounter, but it’s about as unique and entertaining of a place as you’ll ever see.

The Travel Channel spot I most want to visit someday but have not yet been able to is Bora Bora, the exotic South Pacific island known for its incredible beauty and clear waters. The Travel Channel names Matira Beach in Bora Bora, Tahiti, the Most Romantic Beach in the World AND the Best Overall Beach. And who wouldn’t want to spend a night in one of those over-the-water villas with the one you love. You’ll have to save a lot – a real lot – to ever experience this, or you can rely on winning the lottery. If nothing else, it makes for a great goal, or should I say a dream?

Other beaches making the Travel Channel’s ‘Best of’ list are:

• Best Exotic Beach: Mustique, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Best Beach You Haven’t Heard of Yet: Nevis, Caribbean.
• Sexiest Beach: Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Best Family Beach, Destin, Florida. (I can’t believe I haven’t been there yet, though I’ve been close.)
• Best Party Beach, South Beach, Miami, Florida. (Yes, I have been two or three times and am always ready to go back.)

Note: Links on this page will take you to TripAdvisor pages, where you can read traveler reviews and compare prices.

The Travel Channel article can be found here.

Beaches near Palm Beach, Florida, were temporarily closed this week after as many as 60 migratory sharks were spotting swarming just off the coast. Officials said the black tip and spinner sharks generally aren’t a threat to humans and are chasing small fish in the area. They will likely only bite a human in murky water if they mistake the person for a fish. The waters currently are very clear, making it easy to see the dozens of sharks in the shallow waters.

Music icon, actor and designer Lenny Kravitz joined Sarkis Izmirlian, Baha Mar Chairman and CEO, onstage to celebrate the partnership announcement between Kravitz Design and Baha Mar. (PRNewsFoto/Baha Mar)

Baha Mar, the $3.5 billion resort enclave rising in the Bahamian Riviera, celebrated its midway completion point with a themed topping-off celebration. The festivities, held inside the active construction site, marked completion of the final level – the 25th floor – of The Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, the iconic, tallest structure at the 1,000-acre resort.

Baha Mar, on schedule to open in December 2014, is set on 3,000 feet of white-sand beach just 12 minutes from Nassau’s newly expanded Lynden Pindling International Airport.  The Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, with 1,000 rooms, is the centerpiece of the resort, and includes a 100,000-square-foot Las Vegas-style casino – the largest in the Caribbean region.  A 700-room Grand Hyatt, a 300-room Mondrian, and the 200-room Rosewood Hotels & Resorts complete the extraordinary accommodations at Baha Mar.

Amenities will include the 18-hole, 72-par championship Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Baha Mar, scheduled to open in February 2014, 185,000 square feet of combined state-of-the-art convention facilities featuring a curated collection of Bahamian art, as well as a 2,000-seat performing arts center, more than 30 restaurants, nightclubs and bars, two spas, including the 30,000-square-foot destination ESPA at Baha Mar, designer retail boutiques, a beachfront sanctuary with native Bahamian flora and fauna,14 distinctive pool experiences and a private island.

Amenities will include 200,000 square feet of retail and entertainment experiences, combining upscale shopping boutiques with authentic Bahamian arts and crafts galleries, chef-branded restaurants and exciting nightclub and entertainment offerings.

More than 20 acres of beachfront experiences will transport guests to the natural habitat of The Bahamas.  Pristine beaches with crystal clear waters are set along exciting pools, groves and coves where docile sea animals abound.

Central to the arts-inspired topping-off event were announcements of the creation of Believe, Baha Mar’s philanthropic foundation, and a new design partnership with Bahamian multi-platinum Grammy-award winning performing artist, actor, and designer Lenny Kravitz.

For more information, please visit www.bahamar.com

Related Link
Baha Mar Resort

SOURCE :Baha Mar

Kaanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii

Kaanapali Beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui is this year’s top beach in the United States, according to TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site. Siesta Key Beach in Florida came in second. In its annual Travelers’ Choice Beaches Awards, the travel site listed these as the Top 10 Beaches in the U.S.:

Siesta Key Beach, Florida

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

1. Ka’anapali Beach, Lahaina, Hawaii
2. Siesta Key Public Beach, Sarasota, Florida
3. Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola, Florida
4. Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde, Florida
5. Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Hawaii
6. Wailea Beach, Wailea, Hawaii
7. Assateague Beach, Assateague Island, Virginia
8. La Jolla Cove, La Jolla, California
9. Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, California
10. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Honolulu, Hawaii

The 2013 rankings are based entirely on feedback from millions of TripAdvisor travelers. TripAdvisor said 276 winning beaches were named around the world. Dedicated lists highlight travelers’ favorite beaches in Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Middle East, the U.S. and more.

“For those planning their summer vacations, spring break trips, or just looking for a weekend escape from the winter doldrums, take inspiration from TripAdvisor travelers that have visited these beaches and given them the highest levels of praise,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.  ”These beaches provide some of the finest spots around the globe to enjoy water activities, sun and sand.”

For the complete list of winners from the 2013 Travelers’ Choice Beaches Awards, more reviews and candid traveler photos, go www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Beaches.

To see the best hotels for luxury, service and more, as honored in TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Hotels from January, go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Hotels.

Photos courtesy of TripAdvisor

Tahiti’s romantic island of Bora Bora stars in “The Amazing Race”. (PRNewsFoto/Air Tahiti Nui)

The dream destination of Tahiti played host to the first two episodes of the 22^nd season of CBS’ The Amazing Race.  The first episode aired February 17, 2013, and both episodes were filmed on the island of Bora Bora, a “bucket list” South Seas destination with what author James Michener called “the most beautiful lagoon in the world.”  Tahiti Tourism, Air Tahiti Nui and Hilton French Polynesia were especially eager to participate in the project since this multi-Emmy winning show is known for creating contestant challenges that celebrate the culture and unique features of each country they visit.

The Amazing Race challenged the contestants to experience some of Tahiti’s top adventures including skydiving from above Bora Bora’s signature blue lagoon (photo above) and its majestic Mt. Otemanu, sand castle building on a powdery white sand beach and assembling an outrigger canoe to race across the lagoon.

In the premier episode, The Amazing Race’s 11 teams raced to Los Angeles International Airport to catch Air Tahiti Nui’s Airbus A340-300 for the eight-hour nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Tahiti. Flight attendants greeted each passenger with a Tiare Tahiti gardenia, the first of many amenities that create Air Tahiti Nui’s ambiance of gracious Tahitian hospitality.

Bora Bora is a 45-minute flight from the main island of Tahiti and arriving by air to Bora Bora is a unique experience, with the tropical airport located on its own motu (islet) and all hotel transfers done by boat or private yacht.  Visitors travel across the famous lagoon surrounded by an 18-mile ring of little motus near the reef breaks, with the jagged, lush Mt. Otemanu rising up from the main island of Bora Bora in the center of it all.

The Amazing Race crew stayed at Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, a luxurious all-suite resort with 120 thatched-roofed bungalows situated on the hillside, along the beach and over the water. Read more about the Hilton Bora Bora, read traveler reviews and compare prices on TripAdvisor.

Not only is The Nui on a rare motu with a hill, but the resort’s location is also a memorable site in Tahitian lore.  The mischievous Polynesian god Hiro is said to have thrown his spear from the top of the motu’s black lava hill, giving Mt. Otemanu its jagged profile.  And, The Nui’s black lava hill rises above a sacred cove where ancient islanders gathered for stone fishing festivals.  This island lore is celebrated in the original artwork displayed throughout the resort.

Travel2 has launched the Bora Bora, Ready, Set, Go! package featuring the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa and Air Tahiti Nui and offering round-trip air to Bora Bora, a five-night stay, meals and a couples massage for inclusive rate of $3599 per person. 

BORA BORA, Ready, Set, Go! 
6 Days / 5 Nights from $3599*
  Package features:

• Round-trip international airfare from Los Angeles on award-winning Air Tahiti Nui
• 1 Night at Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti – Deluxe Ocean View Room
• 4 Nights at Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa – Overwater Villa
• American Breakfast daily
• Dinner daily in Bora Bora
• Round-trip inter-island air transportation on Air Tahiti, Tahiti’s domestic airline
• A relaxing 50-minute Couple’s massage
• A romantic Motu Tapu Escape including a picnic lunch with wine
• Meet & Greet and flower lei upon arrival
• All transfers and baggage handling
• Airline and hotel taxes

Add-on fare from NYC: from $400pp + $14 tax es , round-trip. Only applicable in conjunction with TN fares on specific AA, DL or US flights. Subject to availability at time of booking. For terms and conditions and to book:  http://www.airtahitinui-usa.com/amazing/

Tahiti is located halfway between California and Australia, on the same side of the International Date Line as North America and in the same time zone as Hawaii. To learn more about the Islands of Tahiti, visit www.tahititourisme.com

About the Islands of Tahiti 
About Air Tahiti Nui 
About The Hilton Bora Bora Nui 
About Hilton Hotels

SOURCE Air Tahiti Nui