DESTINATION
BRAZIL:
ROCK ON IN RIO
…Brazil Tour Operators Offer Fall/Winter Deals from
$369
Don’t wait for the Olympics
in 2016. Go now to
one of the world’s most beautiful cities and take in
the excitement of sizzling nightlife, world-class dining, towering
mountains, lush parks and miles of white sand beaches edging warm
turquoise waters. Sun on the sands of Ipanema or Copacabana by day;
sway to samba and pagode sounds by night. Take a cable car up Sugar
Loaf Mountain; marvel at the 98-foot statue atop Corcovado Mountain. Enjoy the Botanical Garden’s 5,000 species
of plants
and flowers. Walk or cycle around picturesque Frietas Lagoon; wander
through
the many exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art or the
fun Carmen Miranda Museum.
Just Brazil Vacations by Hotur’s
5-night program starts at $859 p/person double and includes roundtrip
airfare
from Miami, room with private bath at 4-star Porto Bay Rio
International, daily
Brazilian breakfast, half-day tour of Sugar Loaf, full-day tropical
island
cruise with lunch; half-day visit to Corcovado, an evening Samba show
w/dinner,
visit to H. Stern’s fabulous gems and jewelry collection, local guides
and all
hotel service charges and taxes. Rate valid through June 26,
2010.
www.justbrazil.com
Brazil Nuts offers several unique packages, airfare extra.
Accommodations are at
Hotel
Santa Teresa, a restored colonial mansion with 44 suites among acres of
gardens
up in the mountains overlooking Guanabara Bay.
Included with room are daily breakfast, half-day spa treatment, a
guided walk
through the rain forest to a spectacular waterfall, a beach adventure
to
Grumari, Prainha and Guaratiba Beaches, roundtrip airport transfers and
all
hotel taxes. www.brazilnuts.com
RIVIERA
NAYARIT
…Mexico’s New Hot Spot
Mexico’s newest tourism destination is growing in
leaps and
bounds. Encompassing more than 100 miles of Pacific coastline and
beaches, Riviera
Nayarit is the ideal spot for inland adventure, seaside watersports,
exploring
quaint towns or just relaxing in the idyllic setting between the sea
and the
Sierra Madre mountains. Puerto Vallarta airport is a half hour or so to the
south.
Nayarit’s
rich cultural
heritage has launched a wide array of traditional festivals, folklore
and
handicrafts. Huichol Indian crafts dominate the choices. The skilled
artisans
fashion their distinctive art pieces by painstakingly pressing tiny
colored
beads into wax for jewelry, animals, wall murals and other surprises.
These are
sold in stores around town, but for the ultimate hands-on
experience, take a tour company trip up the mountain to their
settlement.
Bucerias…a
quaint fishing
village with cobblestone streets, a main square and tiny shops…keeps to
its traditions by supplying the many
seafood
restaurants and cafes that offer local cuisine. If you visit in
January, don’t
miss the blessing of the fishing fleet. Another little fisherman’s town
that
won’t remain little much longer is La
Cruz de Huanacaxtle. An
elegant
new
marina, accommodating yachts as large as 400 feet and an Immigration
station,
has brought new hotels, restaurants and boutique shops along with it.
Sayulita,
known
internationally for great surfing, maintains its somewhat bohemian look
with a
thriving art colony. Browsing the galleries and colorful shops is a
tourist
pastime. A French fashions and cosmetics boutique blends with a
neighbor selling handmade jewelry. Colorful Huichol art is displayed in
the town’s central park.
This
amazing growth has
attracted top name hotels to Punta
Mita, a 1,500-acre area dedicated to
luxury
of the Four Seasons (pictured above) and St. Regis stature, with a Jack
Nicklaus
signature golf
course between them. The town of Punta
de Mita
retains its funky beachside charm. Vendors, who
are not
allowed in the restaurants, parade along the sand in a
steady stream,
holding up everything from beads to hand-embroidered blouses to
hammocks.
Golf,
tennis, miles of
beaches, canopy tours, watersports and even bird watching are part of
the
recreational activities in Riviera Nayarit. In nearby Puerto Vallarta, walk along the Malecon
admiring those
whimsical sculptures, soaking in the history of this once sleepy town,
and
enjoying its many excellent restaurants.
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DESTINATION
ASIA:
A WINTER WONDERLAND
Crowds
have thinned, room
rates are lower, and a veil of white covers the eaves of ancient
pagodas.
What better time for you to enjoy this enchanting Japanese city,
especially on
the Restaurant Winter Special? Now through March
31, 2010, a select
list of restaurants design special menus
featuring the delicacies of Kyoto’s
distinctive culinary style. Joined with the city’s many cultural
aspects taking
place simultaneously, this becomes a one-of-a-kind package featured at
several
hotels.
Famed
entertainment district Gion
plays host to a “Tea Party with Maiko,”
a complete Japanese Tea Ceremony in the company of Maiko and Geisha, as
teahouses, gardens, utensils and refined service contribute to this
work of
art. Geisha and Maiko…colorfully costumed, bejeweled and painted…add to
the
event with singing, dancing and meticulous hospitality. Japanese girls
begin five
years of training from as early as age 15 to become a Geisha or Maiko.
After
traditional tea is served, guests have a unique photo opportunity with
the
kimono-clad, white-faced girls.
“Hanatouro”
brings the city’s streets and alleyways to life with a magical
profusion of
lights and flowers. Many streets and buildings are adorned with
dazzling floral
displays and bright paper lanterns. The celebration, which began here
in 2003,
now attracts 2 million people every year. It occurs in March, 2010
at
Hanatouro. Famous locations are bathed in the gentle glow from over
2,000 andons,
traditional ‘lamps’ created from ceramic and metalwork.
Take time out
to visit nearby Ishikawa, the treasure of Japan’s cultural richness and beauty nicely
complementing Kyoto’s charm. The coastline along the Sea of Japan supplies this town with rich seafood and
high
quality
sake from local pure water. Top quality crafts can be found here in
gold-leaf
art, Kutani pottery, lacquer ware and traditional confections. www.japantravelinfo.com
THINK ASIA
Believe it or not, you can have
that dream
trip to exotic Asia on Ritz Tours' new air-inclusive packages. China trips start at $1,251 per person double,
including
air, fuel surcharges and travel protection. China
Special, at $1,479 per person with air etc., takes you to Beijing. Walk on the Great Wall and visit such famous
sites
as Tianamen
Square,
Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Shop Shanghai's Nanjing Road; marvel at the futuristic look of Oriental Pearl Tower and other skyscrapers in Pudong; become
engrossed in Chinese culture on four floors of the very modern Shanghai Museum.
If you’ve already seen those
Chinese cities, Ritz Tours
offers a six-night Yunnan program to scenic Southern China—including mystical Jade Dragon Mountain and the Stone Forest of Kunming --from
$1,432 with air
and travel protection.
Thailand is another bargain option. Marvel at Bangkok and the architectural wonders of the Grand Palace; or go sea kayaking in caves and grottoes.
Specially equipped boats take you to dozens of islands off the
beaches of trendy
Phuket. Trips start at $1,043 per person, the cost of airfare
alone if booked separately. www.ritztours.com
China
Super-Value.
A 12-day
“Historic
Cities & Yangtze River” package from Pacific Delight Tours covers China’s
three
Imperial Cities plus a 4-night sail
down the Yangtze River
aboard
Victoria Cruises’ Premier 5-star
vessel. See the Great Wall and Tiananmen
Square
in Beijing; the amazing
2200-year-old terra-cotta warriors in Xi’an; plus
Shanghai's Jade Buddha Temple,
an amazing
acrobatic show
and the fascinating museum.
Land only: $1,588-$2,288 through March
2010. See details and other offers in company’s
2009/10 Quick Guide. www.pacificdelighttours.com
DESTINATION
CARIBBEAN:
SULTRY
ST. LUCIA
St.
Lucia is known for its
natural beauty, diverse attractions
and the inner jungle, home of the island's indigenous parrot. Several
local tour operators take
you into those jungle depths on spectacular trail hikes with varying
degrees of difficulty. The
twin Pitons dominate the scenery on the southwest side of the
island.
Take a day sail down the
coastline to Soufriere. Roam the
botanical
garden
to its cascading waterfall...a rainbow of colors from sulfur
content. Soufriere’s 'drive-in' volcano and its bubbling sulfur springs
lie a short distance above the
gardens. Vehicles are banned from the dormant crater, as the bubbling
could
signal unexpected action.
At Castries Market in the bustling
capital, don't miss the craft ladies in back. On each visit, I’m continually amazed at the
wonderful
products they make from the simplest ingredients. Among my many
purchases, a necklace of beach glass polished to glistening pastel
shades ($6.00)
and a clay candle pot interestingly carved and delicately painted
($8.00) are
my prized possessions.
St. Lucia's accommodations range from intimate
inns, cozy
cottages, and popular all-inclusives to top five-star resorts. Among
the latter
is a newly opened RockResort, The
Landings, at trendy Rodney Bay.
Upscale Kor Hotel Group is
spending $100 million to transform Jalousie Plantation
into The
Tides Sugar Beach Resort. And last
but not least, The
Ritz-Carlton St. Lucia on Half Moon Bay is targeting an opening
date in
2010. www.stlucia.org
For other
destination reviews, click: ...anguilla
villa ...jamaica
...negril ...hong
kong ...montreal
...mendocino ...barcelona
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