Category: Resort

The official Caribbean hurricane season stretches from June 1 – November 30. It’s rare to see a large storm in either June or November and most major hurricanes occur between August and October, with the peak season usually being September.

The upside is that prices are lower for the Caribbean during this time and resorts are less crowded. So what do you do if you want to get away during hurricane season?

Buy Travel Insurance
You must buy the trip cancellation insurance before the storm is announced, otherwise it will be deemed a pre-existing condition, so always purchase insurance the same day you book your trip to be safe. Most travel insurance policies will cover a trip disrupted because of a hurricane when you are forced to arrive late or leave early for your trip, but you’ll be reimbursed only for the affected days until the airport or resort reopens. You will usually be reimbursed for the days you are forced to stay at a resort during a hurricane, but be sure to always read the fine print on your policy to make sure you know what they will actually cover.

Try to Avoid the Storms
Track hurricanes online with weather websites during the season. Some good sites include:

The National Weather Service – National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Hurricane & Storm Tracking for the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
http://hurricane.terrapin.com

Hurricane News and Information
http://www.hurricanetrack.com

Weather.com Tropical Storm Center
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/

Pick Your Location Well
When planning a trip to the Caribbean during hurricane season, it is good to know that hurricanes are less likely the further south you go. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St. Vincent, including the islands below them, are the least hit by hurricanes. However, as Grenada discovered in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan, never say never and keep in mind that hurricanes are unpredictable.

Go on a Cruise
The good thing about cruises is that they can usually sail around the worst of a storm. And today’s ships are extraordinarily safe and with the advanced weather tracking available today, bad weather is something they can avoid. The downside is that the cruise line always reserves the right to reschedule port calls and change itineraries for weather-related reasons and therefore you may not get to visit the places you had hoped to.

Pick a Resort That Offers a Hurricane Guarantee
Recently, many of the largest resorts and resort chains, have started instituting a hurricane guarantee, offering guests their money back for days lost to bad weather. For example, in the unlikely event that hurricane force winds (as defined by the U.S. National Weather Service) directly hit the Sandals or Beaches resorts while you are a guest, interrupting the use of all the included activities, Sandals or Beaches Resorts will offer a free replacement vacation to be taken at any Sandals or Beaches Resort of your choice. Go to http://www.best-family-beach-vacations.com/caribbean-hurricane-season.html for more resorts that offer hurricane guarantees.

Make the Best of It.
If you do get caught on vacation during a hurricane, try to make the best of it. As long as there is no danger present, relax indoors and focus on other activities.

My husband and I got caught in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico during hurricane Keith in 2000. He was still my boyfriend at that time and unbeknownst to me, he planned to propose on our second evening there. We got dressed for dinner and arrived at the hotel restaurant to find it boarded up. We saw the line up in the hotel lobby, everyone was being evacuated from the hotel to one farther up the coast. We ran back to our room, packed and got on the next bus out – not the evening my husband had planned!

When we checked into our room at the new hotel a few hours later, he still had the engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket. The winds were blowing and it was raining so the romantic walk on the beach he had been hoping for was out. He couldnt put it off any longer so he dropped to one knee and proposed then and there. It was definitely a memorable evening, hurricane and all!

In order to maintain a competitive edge the Dutch company, Excellence Group, known best for their five-star resorts in the Caribbean, announced the restructuring of their brand at the beginning of 2012. Under the new structure, Excellence Group Luxury Hotels & Resorts will serve as the umbrella brand for the firms two product lines Excellence Resorts and the recently created Beloved Hotels- its answer to those seeking equilibrium between luxury, exclusivity and the convenience of all inclusive holidays.

Vice President of sales and marketing for the group, Ignacio Fernandez, had the following to say of the restructuring The goal of this restructuring is to meet the needs and demands of our clientele. Our mission is to always be attentive to satisfy our guests and to continuously surpass the highest standards of quality. We’re dedicated to offering an unforgettable experience of sophistication and pleasure in each of our properties.

Anyone hoping to book all inclusive holidays to Cancun for the entire family should consider the La Amada Hotel Playa Mujeres, recently renamed as The Beloved, Cancun. La Amada is not only one of the top Cancun hotels it is also the first hotel the Excellence Group Luxury Hotels & Resorts has launched under the new Beloved Hotels category, as such it represents the harmonious fusion between the luxury of a boutique hotel and the fun and convenience of an all-inclusive resort.

This five star luxury resort is ideally located a short 25 minutes away from the Cancun International airport and is fully equipped to meet the needs of any holidaymaker. In addition to a varied spectrum of land based activities and non-motorised water based activities, such as sailing, snorkelling and kayaking, the resort has all the ingredients for a unique fun filled Cancun holidays experience for the entire family. Facilities include four outdoor Jacuzzis, three swimming pools, kids pool and playground as well as a kids club for children between the ages of 4 and 12 years old, all these come in addition to a first class spa, fitness and dining experience.

In addition to the rebranding process, other exciting things have been happening for Excellence Resorts in Cancun as heavy investments were made into the adults only Riviera Maya Resort. The hotel group has announced that over two million dollars were invested in refurbishments and upgrades to the Excellence Riviera Cancun including an expansion of the gym facilities, which now includes a Fitness Trail with a scenic route, seven two-story Rooftop Terrace Suites kitted out with hydro spa pools and private rooftop terraces with breath-taking views as well as one exclusive Excellence Club Ocean Front Honeymoon Suite with Rooftop. The newly built honeymoon suite overlooking the beach-front comes with hydro spa pool, separate couples massage room, separate living room area and an additional Jacuzzi; all the trappings necessary for a romantic all inclusive holiday in Cancun.

The Caribbean is an idyllic destination for tropical nuptials and Almond Resorts is now giving couples the chance to get married abroad for free at its collection of all inclusive resorts in Barbados.

Engaged couples will receive free Caribbean weddings when they book seven nights or more in a deluxe room or higher category at Almond Beach Club & Spa or Almond Casaurina Beach resort.

The Wedding for You Complimentary Package includes the choice of a wedding location at the hotel property, a professional wedding coordinator, a registrar, single tiered wedding cake, bouquet and boutonniere for the bride and groom, bottle of Champagne, a Best man or Maid of Honour if required, postcards of the property and island, and all taxes, government fees and charges.

Couples who book at least ten nights in a deluxe room category or higher and stay at any of Almonds Resorts’ properties to host their free Caribbean weddings will receive the Unforgettable Wedding For You package which includes all of the above-mentioned extras in the basic wedding package plus additional extras such as a decorated guest room, manicures for the bride and groom, a special celebration dinner for two with personalised menus, breakfast in bed the morning after the wedding, and two commemorative glasses.

The luxury resorts can cater for Barbados weddings of any size and couples can upgrade their wedding package to the Treasured Wedding For You package, the Opulent Wedding For You package or the Platinum Wedding For You package.

Married couples who are looking to renew their vows with a romantic Caribbean wedding ceremony will receive a free package if they stay for at least seven nights in a deluxe room.

The Vow Renewal package includes a wedding location of their choice at the property, clergy/magistrate, bottle of Champagne, single-tiered celebration cake, and a corsage for the bride and boutonniere for the groom.

Couples can choose from romantic beach weddings, ceremonies in lush tropical gardens or nuptials by the poolside at either of the luxury all inclusive resorts.

Barbados is a perfect location for romantic destination weddings and brides and groom can enjoy unique white pink sandy beaches; calm turquoise waters that are perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving activities; world-class golf courses; and thriving wildlife reserves.

Are you looking for an opportunity to pamper your body and mind? Does the hectic life at your workplace leave you exhausted? If the response is positive, visit some of the Spas and resorts that give you an opportunity not only to pamper yourself, but also spend some quality time with your inner self. The Best spa hotels in the world offer you a variety of programs to meditate and practice yoga so that you are able to connect with your inner self. The serene settings around the Best spa hotels give you enough time to think and relax. You can unwind yourself in Spas and resorts by treating yourself with the best treatments provided by some of the Luxury resort spa. The natural products used by Luxury resort spa for treatments help you relax, rejuvenate, and invigorate your mind and body. You feel the purification of the mind and body when you mediate in the calm and peaceful settings of the spa and hotels.

The Best spa hotels treat you with some nourishing treatments, healthy activities, and nutritious meals to further purify your body. An amazing combination of various services offered by Spa and resorts ensures that you experience a relaxing and wonderful time at these destinations so that you are ready to face the hectic and stressful work life of the city with a renewed energy.

Many Lake Spa resort surrounded by the wilderness ensures that you experience the quiet, sparkling waters of the lakes around the resorts. The lush green surroundings of the Lake spa resort offers you an enchanting confluence of the spirit world that you can never even imagine in the urban world. Once in the Lake Spa resort, you feel as if you are in a different world altogether. The areas nestled in the canyons or bordered by the islands have some Spa and hotels that give you an opportunity to live in harmony with nature.

The One&Only Ocean Club on an island called Paradise at Bahamas have the white sand beaches and turquoise water of the sea surrounding the enchanting place. The club takes you back to the times of simple pleasures and offers you the treatments that will rejuvenate you. The rapture that you experience here will make you visit this place time and again. The gracious staff will make your stay so comfortable that you will simply not feel being away from home.

Another such destination is the Amarvilas Spa resort situated in Agra, India. It is situated merely 600 meters from Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Discerning travelers can enjoy the beautiful view of this magnificent symbol of love from the world-class luxury of their rooms. The classical architecture of this hotel with the Mughal Gardens takes you back into the history of the Mughal emperors. You will be greeted with the same royal treatment around one of the most extravagant monuments of love. Along with the experience of eternal peace and connection with the inner self, these destinations also provide you with an opportunity to spend some quality time with your family or friends.

Astonishingly, there are more than 300 islands that make up the nation of Fiji. Even more amazingly, there are a further 500 islets or atolls scattered between those islands creating an enomous archipelago. While millions of tourists come to Fiji every year looking for the perfect Fiji island resort, with such a large number of islands to choose from finding the ideal vacation spot can be extremely confusing!

Many visitors arrive at the main international airport in Fiji at Nadi. Nadi is a fast growing city and is surrounded by many high quality resorts and hotels just a short distance from the airport. This is a sensible economic decision for many travels who choose a Nadi resort for their vacation – but when you come to Fiji you come to ‘get away from it all’. And that’s really what you should do.

Domestic flights within Fiji are short and inexpensive and if you want to create a Fiji holiday you’ll remember forever, think about choosing a Fiji island resort that takes you deeper into the heart of Fiji. The further you get from Nadi, the closer you’ll come to the true spirit of Fiji. You’ll discover a culture of fun loving people who are eager to share their beautiful slice of paradise with you, and you’ll be invited in with true Fijian hospitality. If you want to experience the best of Fiji, board a flight to Vanua Levu – Fiji’s northern island.

Just a short flight from Nadi, you’ll arrive at Savusavu on Vanua Levu, a beautiful old-fashioned kind of paradise. Unspoiled by the hundreds of visitors that line the beaches around Nadi, Savusavu is situated along a beautiful bay with excellent diving, snorkeling and swimming experiences to be had right at the doorstep of your private bure. Surrounded by 100 year old coconut plantations and rainforest covered mountains, the beaches at Savusavu lead you down to crystal clear waters containing an entire other world of wonders and treasures.

There is an almost endless array of activities available in Savusavu including diving, snorkeling, kayaking, golf, tennis, biking, hiking, rainforest and waterfall treks, hot springs, fishing, sailing and surfing – not to mention exploring the cultural side of Fiji with village visits, traditional markets, lovo and meke events and the wonderful shops of Savusavu. Local black pearls are farmed and harvested in Savusavu with excellent opportunities to for you to purchase a rare and special Fijian souvenir. In additional to all that, one local resort also runs yoga retreats with classes held on Fiji’s only yoga shala – a beautiful platform built on the side of a mountain with fantastic views over the bay.

While there are many Fiji island resorts to choose from, if you’re looking for a Fiji vacation that gives you a relaxing hide-away far from the pressures of every day life, then you really must consider a Savusavu resort for your holiday. There are a number of excellent Savusavu hotels, guesthouses and resorts to suit every budget, so what are you waiting for? Fiji’s hidden paradise awaits you.