I used to spend most of my time on holiday pretending I was working, and working pretending I was on holiday, which has been a very fortunate way to discover the world.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Jamaica

Canada: Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City.

Costa Rica


Cuba Que Linda Es Cuba!


Berlin / Germany

Amsterdam / Netherlands

London & Bath/ England

 London
Touring London
Say Hello To Queen Elizabeth
Thames river
Heading off to Piccadilly Circus
Bath, outside London (45mins by train). Stayed with Emily. I met her 2 cute kids also. I have to say the weather was COLD - COLD - COLD, brrrrr. Bath is beautiful. Plenty of history, quite, clean, neat, far from the noisy London, but still accessible by road or train. Here some photos. I'll post better version of them a.s.a I get the scanned versions.

Bath
Bath Abbey
Bath Botanical Garden
Bath Botanical Garden
With Emily's sons in Bath Botanical Garden
Emily cooked dinner for me.
At Emily's. My face doesn't show I was in fact freezing that night.

Barbados / West Indies


Rio de Janeiro / Brazil

Saint Tropez / France


Rome


Monaco / Montecarlo


I love Paris.


Thursday, December 10, 2009

Puerto Plata / Dominican Republic



Puerto Plata is for those seeking an attractively-priced R&R active vacation with the option of lots of places to visit in the vicinity. Its centrally located international airport is less than a 20-minute drive from most hotels. Choose Puerto Plata if you like to explore. Luperón, Maimón, Cofresí, Playa Dorada, Costa Dorada are the main tourism enclaves located near Puerto Plata town. Sosua and Cabarete are about half an hour away. Playa Dorada, 10 minutes to the East of Puerto Plata, concentrates the largest number of hotel rooms in the North. This compound includes 15 low rise resorts built in a “U” shape and sharing a common beach and the Playa Dorada Golf Course, a 18 hole course by Robert Trent Jones. Meet guests from other hotels during evening outings at the casinos and night spots which are open to all guests. And because all the hotels are close together, this is a great choice for spring break travel. Cofresí is located West of Puerto Plata town and is also an enclave of several smaller hotels and residential communities that use the same Cofresí beach facility. Fifteen minutes from Puerto Plata town, Maimón is located about five minutes from the highway entrance to Cofresí and its beach is dotted with new all-inclusive resorts that used to cater to Europeans but are now attracting large numbers of North Americans as well. Maimón is for those seeking rest and relaxation, with the main attractions being the beach and other comforts provided by the hotel. Luperón is about an hour’s drive west of Puerto Plata. Luperón Beach Resort is quite isolated and has its own beach. Perfect for those who want to get far away from it all but still enjoy luxury. Nearby is the La Isabela National Park, complete with a small museum that showcases items related to the first European settlement in the New World.





Casa Colonial Beach & Spa, world-class seaside resort  is located on the exotic north coast of the Dominican Republic and directly on the water. This tastefully intimate resort, thoughtfully designed by Sarah Garcia, daughter of owner Don Isidro Garcia, features an exceptional fusion of old-world elegance with distinctly contemporary style. The resort sets its colonial chic vibe with sheer curtains, eclectic furnishings, fabric light elements and one-of-a-kind art throughout. The wonders don't stop there. The acclaimed Lucia restaurant completely reinvents the hotel restaurant concept offering fusion cuisine artfully prepared. The Bagua spa provides guests with a cross-cultural spa experience. Bagua's Spa menu features the best of indigenous and European treatments available.

LifeStyle Haciendas (in Cofresí) Dominican Republic


The Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club Resort, Just 20 minutes from the Puerto Plata airport, on the North Coast of the Dom. Rep., offers accommodations such as; hotel rooms, suites, penthouses and villas to fit any size family, as well as an endless array of activities to suit various areas of interest. The Villas (stand-alone homes) offer private swimming pool, cook and house cleaning services, within three to seven bedroom, with sprawling living, dining, kitchen, lanai and gaming areas. The Tropical (hotel property) offers ocean views, clear blue waters, sandy beaches and majestic mountain views. The Residence and Crown Suites (one and two bedroom suites) offer majestic mountain views, private balconies and spacious accommodations for families to spread out and enjoy. You can get there by direct flights into the Puerto Plata Airport ( American airlines , Jet Blue ). Four-hour drive from Punta Cana and two and a half hour drive from Santo Domingo.