Now that the mild winter weather has vanished hanging around the northeastern end of the United States is no longer any fun for a non-skiing, boarding, or snowshoeing individual like me. As I sit here in a semi-decent hotel room in Burlington a.k.a Brrrrlington, Vermont , I’ve made up my mind that I will spend the weekend searching for refuge in warmer climes. To kick things off, I’ve discovered this short and sweet list of new Caribbean resorts from Daily Candy. The islands featured are Turks & Caicos, St. Lucia, Virgin Gorda, and the Bahamas. Of all of them I’m mainly digging the one in St. Lucia, Jade Mountain, which is said to have suites with one wall missing so you can look out at the private infinity pool or beachside mountains. I’ll gladly take the view of the mountains.
Luscious Latitudes Magazine
Lusciously photographed Latitudes Magazine has got a new issue out today and I take seriously my responsibility to let others know about this superb travel magazine. I hardly ever hear other people talking about Latitudes, and that is a shame. It is a lovely magazine with an Internet version that crackles with color and impresses with clever hidden “easter eggs” inside each online issue. There is always an Italian and English version, depending on your Latinate inclination, and in Windows you can actually download a full, bursting version of the magazine to your laptop so as to carry and read when wireless and on the road.
This month’s issue features jaw-dropping images from Amsterdam, Thailand, Los Roques (“An Eden in the Caribbean”), Slovenia and more. I’d link to the specific stories, but the whole thing is in Flash (one of the format’s drawbacks) and there’s no bookmarking function. But look at it this way: now you’ll have to browse the magazine yourself and to savor all the wonderful visual surprises inside. Or something like that.
Photo of the Day (9/18/06)
Here is what you call the “diver’s four-leaf clover” according to webmink who took this awesome shot of a fiery red starfish in the Bahamas. While I’ve spotted some in the past none have ever looked as vibrant as the one found here. This was a pleasant surprise among all the other photos in the Gadling Flickr pool. Webmink if you’ve got more we’d love to see them and that goes for anyone else out there with photos to share.
Bahamas Anyone?
Maybe you’ve decided it’s time for a little beachiness in your life. Well, what about giving the Bahamas a shake. Travel promoter Liberty Travel is featuring a new promotion for summer getaways. The costs run from $299, but the folks at smarter travel found cheaper rates running from $283, if, that is you price out airfare and accommodations separately. The packages they found include round-trip airfare to Nassau, round-trip airport transfers, three nights at the Nassau Beach Hotel, and all hotel taxes. Of course, there’s a catch: Travel is valid midweek from July 9 through August 31. Book by June 1. But hey, that’s OK, right? You were looking to do something midweek in June anyway.
Cruisin for a Cruise?
I don’t much follow, nor do I post about cruises here much. But I did come across a few deals that I thought worth at least mentioning. You can go on a three-day Carnival cruise from Florida to the Bahamas starting at $249 per person double for an inside upper and/or lower cabin. Which means you’re staring out the porthole and watching the wonderful blue world pass you by. The deal, should yo uchoose to accept it, will avail you of three sailings in October and November on the Fascination, a big opulent ship or on the Fantasy. Similarly, you can hop aboard the Norwegian Coastal Voyage and steam your way across the Atlantic to the wonderful world of Norway. If you book now, you savings will be from between $100 to $500…and that ain’t chump change. For example, the 17-day “Grand Norway” trip in May with round-trip air from D.C., an 11-night cruise and four hotel nights starts at $3,440 per person double. But you have to act quickyl and book by March.