Thursday, August 21, 2008

A Review of the Hideaway Resort in Fiji

Some clients of ours just returned from their 9-day vacation to the beautiful Fiji Islands where they stayed at the Hideaway Resort in one of the Garden Bures. This moderate property is located approximately 1 ½ hours from the Nadi, Fiji airport, on the Coral Coast.

Here is what our clients had to say about the resort: “It was quite a large resort, very spread out and peaceful. …The gardens were immaculate. The bures (villas) were roomy, with good air conditioning and the cleaning (staff) was thorough. All members of the staff were amenable, agreeable, and always smiling.

There was entertainment of one kind or another every evening. We ate dinner there every night and the menu changed every night too. The food was delicious. …All in all, I would go to Fiji again. I would recommend (Hideaway Resort) to anyone who does not expect a 5 star…”

The Hideaway Resort offers the following amenities:

· A large multi purpose swimming pool with water slide, children's wading pool, conversation dish, 8 people spa, area for water games and aqua aerobics, reading blocks, and ideal deep end for scuba diving training.
· Pool surroundings are equipped with lounges and tables for outdoor dining
· Large theater restaurant overlooking a beautiful lagoon
· Cannibal Cafe, poolside with views overlooking lagoon
· Boutique
· Health and beauty spa
· 5 Palm Padi Dive School
· Handicraft Shop
· Wood Carving Center
· Professionally Equipped Gymnasium

This resort is just one of hundreds available to enjoy in Fiji. Take a look at a select few of our Fiji Vacation Packages and contact one of our Fiji Experts today to book your dream vacation to Fiji.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

How Do You Pick the Perfect Cruise?

In the process of searching for the ultimate adventure in cruising, there are many choices that need to be made during the planning stage. Here are some items you'll want to consider to ensure a fabulous experience and to create lifelong memories.

Size of Ship: There are small, medium and large ships that can accommodate up to 900, 1300 and 2500 passengers respectively. Of course, there are the super small vessels that carry only 100 or fewer passengers but you pay more for that luxury. Decide whether you’d like to recognize individuals throughout your cruise or blend into the crowd – there is the perfect size ship to suit your needs.

Style of Ship: Ships tend to be either more formal or very causal. You will want to choose if you are more interested in wearing flip-flops to dinner or prefer to dress a bit fancier a few nights, or during the whole duration of the cruise.

Length of Cruise: The amount of days you want to cruise is definitely a component you'll want to consider. There are anywhere from 3-27+ day cruises available on a variety of cruise lines.

Kids or No Kids: Cruise lines offer certain sailings that are geared towards family with lots of activities for the kids and plenty of fun for adults. If you are searching for a more quiet cruise or one that has been designed for couples, those are available as well.

Dining Options: Some ships offer simple “open” style dining meaning you can eat whenever you want. Others offer both open and sit-down options and some only offer reserved dining meaning you have a set time for dinner. There is usually a formal night on most cruises so you could be casual for 90% of the cruise and have one gourmet evening of dinner and dancing.

Type of Port Stops: Cruises offer a variety of port stops. Depending on whether you want the freedom to explore at your leisure or you want scheduled shore excursions like a guided tour, choose the cruise that best fits the way you like to explore a new place.

Destinations: Weather and type of eco-systems might be a consideration for you. Do you like scenic places to travel to or is warm weather a must? You can have both! There are culture-rich and plenty of adventure type of destinations as well.

Reason for Taking a Cruise: Think about why you want to experience a cruise. Is it for a Family Reunion? A cruise is a fantastic place for such a gathering. All that you and everyone else have to do is get on the boat! If you are looking to relax and rejuvenate, keep that in mind. Many ships are improving, adding and/or expanding their spa offerings. There are cruises that specialize in hobbies from music to naturalists with presentation and well known speakers. Bringing your employees together for a business retreat is a great way to reward their hard work and bring the group closer together. Some other reasons you may consider is the ease of travel a cruise offers and if you simply want to be pampered by having others do the dishes and serve you delicious meals.

Cruising offers a great variety of choices and can usually satisfy everyone in your travel group. Use these tips to start your planning process and narrow down what you’d like to experience on this amazing adventure.

Browse our Cruise Listings and call one of our Cruise Specialists to discuss the unlimited possibilities and to help book your cruise today!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Fly in Style to Australia on Qantas' New A380 Jumbo Jet

Starting in late October, Qantas will be flying their new state-of-the-art A380 jumbo jet out of Los Angeles and San Francisco to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Cairns. This aircraft is superior to other large aircraft in many ways.

It was designed to be the most environmentally friendly aircraft in the world. The A380 uses 17% less fuel per passenger than other large airplanes. The take off and landing are significantly quieter than other planes and it has the quietest cabin in the sky (so you may actually be able to sleep on the plane!).

This jumbo jet offers 450 seats: 332 in economy class, 32 in premium economy, 72 in business class, and 14 individual first class “suites”.

These are perhaps the best economy seats around. They were designed to be ergonomically correct, and not only do they recline and the seats shift slightly forward, but there are also foot rests. Every seat comes equipped with its own state-of-the-art entertainment system, offering new movies, hundreds of TV shows and games. Also, each seat has its own USB and internet ports. So when you can’t seem to find some shut eye, you’ll have entertainment at your fingertips.

The business class seats can lie completely flat, extend up to 80 inches long and even feature a built-in massager! Each business class seat comes with several personal storage options, including a laptop storage compartment and a shoe cupboard. Think of it as “moving-in” for the next 14 hours of your trip.

The first class suites feature a large, 29 inch-wide comfortable armchair with a built-in 5 zone massage system and a touch-screen suite controller. With just a touch of the finger, you can adjust the lights, the seat/bed and raise or lower the shades. The seats convert into beds that are 29 inches wide x 83 inches long. (Okay, these passengers will be sleeping for sure.)
Qantas will begin flights on the A380 in late October and certainly look forward to having you onboard.

To book your next Australian vacation, connect with one of our Expert Australia Specialists or browse through our Australia Airfare, Independent Packages or Escorted Tour Options. See you downunder!