Tag Archives: Destinations

Best Vacation Ideas – Choose an Island Among the Top Travel Destinations of the World

Where to go for your next vacation? Do you want to travel to the top of the mountains or to dive to the bottom of the sea? Well, these travel ideas might only be interesting for the happy few with special interests. But anyway the World is offering a staggering number of fantastic travel destinations of which some are much more accessible than others.

This article will open your eyes for some of the best vacation spots in the World and also mention some of the best travel sites to provide further information before you book one of the vacation packages.

Whatever you are looking for one of the budget vacation packages or you are searching for true luxury holidays you should realize that you are not only spending money to go on vacation. You are also spending a part of your life during that time of vacation. We have a limited time living -we all know that.

We benefit from spending our time in such a way that we can look forward to our future travel destinations with pleasure, during the travel period we should experience a great time and – very important – when we get back from our vacation we should have nice travel memories from the holidays to keep for the future. It is human nature to live with the memories as an important part of our quality of life. The more different travel tours we experience compared to our daily life the stronger memories they will generate – often as travel memories for life.

Personally I am a big fan of holidays on islands. Top travel destinations will include a number of island vacations in my future and also in my travel suggestions here.

So where are the best vacation spots: Let us divide the answer in some travel categories?

1. Travel to a destination with a relaxed atmosphere and enjoying a variety of leisure activities

Many of the Caribbean islands will live up to such a travel profile:
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (France), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, United States Virgin Islands (US Virgin Islands). These islands are all blessed with local beautiful sandy beaches, blue water, a tropical scenery and easy access to some sport facilities, water sports etc. And the food is usually delicious.

Especially the Spanish speaking islands for vacation will live up to the relaxed atmosphere.
I must admit that a few of these islands could also be included in the next category, for example Tobago, with its lush rainforest, unspoiled bird life and attractive nature in general. In US you should take a serious view on Sanibel Island in Florida and Padre Island in Texas. They offer great vacation packages to a reasonable price.

2. More exotic travel destinations

These more exotic travel destinations will provide you with extraordinary memories and open a new world for your understanding of the world and how people live and how nature is far from your homeland.

Greenland is such an exotic travel destination. You can go there all year round but with very different experience. The daylight during the night in the summertime gives you lot of time to experience this outstanding island – the biggest island of the world. You will never forget a travel to Greenland.

Madagascar is the big island east of Africa in the Indian Ocean – a huge island with extraordinaire nature and a very interesting culture of the local tribes. Many species of birds other animals and plants are only living here. I am sure you have seen some glimpses of these exotic animals on TV.

The Galapagos Islands – these unique islands are difficult not to mention in a list of some of the best vacation ideas. Most tourists come to The Galapagos Islands with one of the travel packages offered from local travel agencies through your travel agent in your country. A trip to Galapagos will always be a cruise trip as tourist will live on a cruse ship to be able to visit the different islands of the Galapagos archipelago. I prefer a smaller boat for a bigger cruise ship for the best Galapagos experience. Expect to come very close to breeding birds, reptiles and sea lions. A once in a lifetime experience.

3. Travel to a remote luxurious destination
The most attractive remote luxurious travel destinations I will reveal for you is Bird Island in The Seychelles Islands and Heron Island at the east coast of Australia, The luxury isn’t that much the overwhelming provision of buildings, furniture and facilities but the outstanding place and atmosphere. You can find many luxurious travel destinations that boost much more an artificial setting – but before you decide for that, take a look at the Seychelles with Bird Island. Bird Island is a private island with no other hotel but the Bird Island Lodge – a true tropical paradise and a bird watcher’s dream come through.

Don’t forget Heron Island at Great Barrier Reef in Australia for your next luxury vacation. Heron Island has world famous diving and snorkelling in the most beautiful setting.

How to Pack When You’re Traveling For Your Destination Wedding

Destination weddings are one of the most romantic and exciting trips to plan and prepare for. Planning a wedding in a remote location offers many benefits, but also demands a little more vigilance from you. Since a destination wedding involves shuffling, transitioning and moving while traveling, packing becomes one of the most important jobs. It’s easy to miss out important things at home because of the excitement. Because your mind is swept up in the excitement when you’re packing, you may forget little but crucial details. Such mistakes can prove to be very costly. With planning and allowing yourself time, plus a checklist and suggestions from others who have experience with destination weddings, you’ll be good to go. As destination wedding planners, we have worked with brides for years. Here we’ll share with you suggestions for packing your bags while you travel for your wedding.

It is recommended that you start creating a check list of items to be packed, months in advance from the wedding day. Keep jotting items as you remember them, and while packing, check them against your list. This way your packing will be more organized and fruitful.

One of the first things to keep in mind, and perhaps the most difficult, is weight. With extra charges on luggage and weight limits, be sure to check with your airline in advance so that you don’t have costly surprises at the gate if budgeting is a concern. Use bags and suitcases that are lightweight. Bags with wheels on them are quite handy, that allow the bag to be easily pushed, thus saving you a lot of effort. Check out the vacuum-sealed bags from stores like Target and Wal-Mart to pack your clothes tightly and efficiently. You may also want to FedEx or mail a box of clothing or items in advance to your location.

This is quite obvious, but needs to be said anyways; do not forget to bring your wedding dress. We have known women to pack their bags–and then turn around to realize they still need to figure out how to fit in their dress. It is important to keep your dress wrinkle free throughout the duration of your journey. Use the coat closets available in aircraft to hang your dress. Grooms are advised to rent and bring a tuxedo from their hometown, and not risk searching for one at the destination. You may want to ask your wedding planner or local hotel what services or facilities may be located near your destination in case you need care at the last minute. Also, do not forget to pack shoes that go with the tuxedo.

For brides, pack your make up box, and other related appliances if you prefer to do everything yourself. Go with travel-size everything as much as possible. Remember if something is liquid to check your airline’s regulations. Most liquid items need to be checked in your luggage, not taken on your carry-on. Ziploc bags are key for keeping cosmetics, lotions, perfumes and other products organized and sealed from spilling into the rest of your things. Also, you can always choose to visit a salon to have your makeup and hair done before your ceremony. This depends a lot on the location of your wedding…but private stylists or salons are often available if you ask your planner or hotel. Toiletry items might be provided by your hotel, so it is better to check with them on phone in advance. Pack your jewelry and wedding rings safely. Pack a sufficient change of clothes for before and after the wedding, including swimsuits if you opted for a beach wedding. Also, for the beach, you should definitely pack sunscreen lotion for protection against sunburns.

Forgetting to bring some important paperwork can be extremely excruciating, therefore pay special attention while packing these. You will need to check with your wedding planner about what the legal requirements of your wedding location are, and bring the appropriate papers with you. Some documents you should definitely bring with you are your birth certificate, your passport, and if applicable, your divorce papers. Put all your papers where they are easily accessible, for example your hand bag. Do not place them in your main luggage.

Apart from these things, you should have the contact numbers of your doctor, pet- sitter and your bank. Do not forget your hotel reservation slips, and your ATM cards. Take digital photos or scans of your ID, passport and credit cards on both sides; store these images in a safe place and/or on your computer in case of loss or theft. Make sure you take down the number of your credit card company into your address book contacts as well.

We hope everything we mentioned here is helpful to you. Packing may feel overwhelming, but with some suggestions and then organization, you’ll dissolve that stress quickly. If you have questions, contact other past brides who have experienced a destination wedding and/or your destination wedding planner. As the common saying goes, “prepare for the worst, expect the best.”