Best Family Destination of Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne - the capital of Victoria and Australia's second largest city - is a modern, cosmopolitan city with a host of entertainment, sports, and culinary, cultural and shopping options to be enjoyed. The streets, parks, distinctive cultural precincts and waterfront area of Melbourne make it a magnificent city to explore at leisure.

The city has an amazing range of attractions and activities to keep you entertained all year round.

Enjoy a cruise along the Yarra River, re-live some great sporting memories on a tour of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) or see some spectacular 360-degree views from the Melbourne Observation Deck.

Explore the animal kingdom at the Melbourne Zoo or dive with the sharks at the Melbourne Aquarium. Join in some interactive footy action at the AFL ( Australian Football League) Hall of Fame & Sensation or enjoy the international art on offer at NGV International and Australian art at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.

To find out how Melbourne became the city it is today, spend a day or two at one of the many local museums. The Melbourne Museum houses the state collection in an imposing modern building. The Immigration Museum and Maritime Museum- home of the Polly Woodside, highlight key events in the growth of Melbourne, while the Gold Treasury Museum shows how Melbourne became a city built on gold.

Other histories include the stomach-turning tales of the Old Melbourne Gaol, Ned Kelly's armour at the State Library of Victoria and Cooks' Cottage the parental home of Captain James Cook. Kids will love the hands on workshops and new playground at ArtPlay, and the Champions Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame at Federation Square.

Melbourne attractions include:
Federation Square - Fast becoming the cultural icon of Melbourne with its 'Fractal Façade' system on each building in the square. The façade is made up of triangles made of sandstone, zinc and glass pieced together at different orientations and surface angles. See it from the inside at The Atrium and the BMW Edge Theatre indoor amphitheatre. The Square is home to restaurants, cafes, bars and retail outlets as well as venues including the Melbourne Visitor Centre, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Australian Racing Museum and the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia - dedicated exclusively to Australian art.

*Queen Victoria Market - a Melbourne institution since the late 1860s, you can shop for gourmet food, clothing, toys, souvenirs and more. Closed Monday and Wednesday.

*Melbourne Cricket Ground - Melbourne's home of cricket and Australian Rules football, and the heart of the 1956 Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. There are tours and the ground houses the Australian Gallery of Sport, Olympic Museum and the Cricket Hall of Fame.

*Southbank - a bustling entertainment complex situated on the south side of the Yarra River, housing Crown Casino, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, sculpture, artworks and more. There is an open air Arts & Crafts market on Sundays.

*Melbourne Aquarium - a state-of-the-art aquarium located by the Yarra River, featuring sharks, stingrays and coral.

*St Patrick's Cathedral - with soaring interiors and stained glass windows.

*Melbourne Tram Car Dinner - A unique way to see the city of Melbourne whilst enjoying the fine Australian Cuisine.

*Old Melbourne Gaol and Penal Museum - amongst the museum's chilling exhibits are the gallows from which Ned Kelly was hung. If you're brave, take a night-time tour of the jail.

*Docklands - New Quay - a short walk or tram ride from the CBD, you'll find restaurants, cafes, bars and riverside walkways decorated with public artworks.

*The Shrine of Remembrance - in the parklands of Kings Domain, off St Kilda Road, a fine European-style boulevard.

*St Kilda - beachside suburb with restaurants, cafes, bars and famous Luna Park.

*Scienceworks - a hands-on, innovative science museum in Spotswood also includes Melbourne Planetarium. Exhibits include Australia's first plane and car.

*Melbourne Museum - innovative collection housed in a stunning modernist building.

*Lygon Street, Carlton - known as "Little Italy", a popular restaurant, cafe and bar strip.

*Brunswick Street, Fitzroy - a street with a bohemian heart, with cafes, restaurants, clubs and fashion shopping.

Top Caribbean Caribbean Destinations for 2010

Welcome to paradise. We're counting down Caribbean resorts with crystal-clear waters, powder-soft sands, sumptuous settings and world-class accommodations. These aren't your average cookie-cutter beachfront hotels either. These Caribbean hot spots rank among the most luxurious and lavish in the world.

Hyatt Regency, Aruba Resort & Casino
Aruba, Netherland Antilles
Set just 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela, Aruba is the westernmost island of the Netherland Antilles. Here Spanish, Dutch and Caribbean culture blend as comfortably as your beachside cocktail. The Hyatt Regency Aruba is one of the region's premier resorts, because it has a lot of casual elegance and the staff combine that attribute with an incredible array of really fun activities.

Caneel Bay
St. John, US Virgin Islands
The island of St. John is a treasure trove of tropical jungle and enticing enclaves. It was once the playpen of gazillionaire Lawrence Rockefeller, who fell in love with this lush land in the 1920s. Facilities here include 166 elegantly understated rooms, 3 restaurants, a 20,000-square-foot spa and a state-of-the-art tennis facility.

Parrot Cay Resort & Spa
Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos Islands
Located 575 miles southeast of Miami, the 8 major islands and more than 40 keys of Turks & Caicos cover only a combined 196 square miles of sun-drenched shoreline. Stars like Paul McCartney, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis and David Copperfield have all said ahoy to this place. And unlike super-accessible mega-resorts, the exclusive 5-star Parrot Cay Resort and Spa can be reached only by small boat.

Little Dix Bay
Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Set 90 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico, Virgin Gorda is 8 1/2 square miles of lush greenery and stunning crescent bays; it truly is a tropical wilderness. The huge sprawling property includes an amazing number of hiking trails and amazing snorkeling.

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
A visit to these beautiful islands will often cost you a pretty penny, but not if you stay at the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and Spa. Opened in 1997, this popular spot is an all-inclusive resort.

Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
St. Thomas is part of the US Virgin Islands, just east of Puerto Rico. Blessed with breathtaking views, it's no wonder this island attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Combining Old World Colonial charm with a tropical setting, the 152-room Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas sits on 15 acres of impeccably manicured grounds and its stately elegance attracts guests from all around the world.

Four Seasons Resort
Nevis, West Indies
The tropical island of Nevis sits a balmy 19 degrees north of the equator. While it's only separated from other islands in the West Indies by 2 miles of warm water, go there and you'll feel a world apart. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Four Seasons, Nevis, is that it has attained a 5-diamond rating. Getting a five-diamond rating from AAA is hard enough in the United States, but to get this rating on a relatively remote Caribbean island is a testament to the resort's commitment to service.

Atlantis
Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas
Rising up majestically from the Caribbean is Atlantis, a resort based on the mythical city that sank without a trace 11,000 years ago. Along the 3 miles Cabbage Beach's sugary sand, guests can snorkel, parasail, jet-ski or just lounge to their hearts' desire. Then there is the Leap of Faith: a 60-foot drop down a Mayan temple water slide that takes you to 1 of the resort's spectacular family attractions -- the aquarium.

Sandy Lane
St. James, Barbados
Fresh off a $200-million renovation, the stunning Sandy Lane is just what any Caribbean connoisseur is looking for. This 800-acre resort features an 18-holegolf course, a 7,000-square-foot pool, state-of-the-art tennis facilities and museum-quality art. In fact, Sandy Lane has become not only the premier luxury resort in Barbados, but also 1 of the premier resorts in the world.

Hotel Maroma
Maroma, Mexico
Thirty miles south of the crowded Mexican resort of Cancun, in the heart of the Mayan Riviera, you'll find the pristine, quiet area of Maroma. The Hotel Maroma has a mere 36 suites decked in handmade mahogany and bamboo furniture. A stay here is worth every penny.

Mauritius for a Great Family Vacation Hotel

Great Family Vacation Hotel

Mauritius, and great family vacation are synonymous, always providing you have the money. The Beau Rivage Hotel is a very good example of what is meant by that. This is a very beautiful hotel, almost better than the photographs which isn’t something that can be said very often.
The whole place is quite beautiful, the beach is as good as it looks, and the staff extraordinarily helpful, polite, and the service is immaculate.
If you have never gone east from the UK to the Indian Ocean or the far East you will be staggered at how lovely the hotels are, even when they aren’t absolutely top five star palaces, and how brilliant the service is.

The Beau Rivage makes for a great family vacation because it caters for children of all ages, from an excellent Kids Club with inside and outside accommodation and qualified hostesses, so that younger children can be cared for all day.
Kids have their own early supper, and babysitting can be arranged.

A great family vacation needs activities for all age groups and not just mums and Dads. There is also a Teens Club for those children over the age of 12, with a number of activities during the school holidays.

There is plenty for the active to do with a gymnasium, table tennis, beach volleyball, petanque, mini golf, exercise classes with Yoga, Tai-Chai. There are three championship golf courses closeby, mountain bikes to hire, and many free water sports including waterskiing, and sailing. For the adventurous there is baig game fishing, and there are dive sites only ten minutes from the hotel.

In the evening there is some form of entertainment every night, from pianist to bands, which are great to listen to, if the bar prices weren’t so extortionate

The Beau Rivage has much more to it than just activity and things for the children to do, and it has a number of plus points that make it a great choice for a great family vacation, and they are as follows.
The rooms are very well presented, and roomy with a large bathroom, very comfortable beds, and a good selection of TV Channels.

The restaurants and food are excellent most of the time, but you need to be aware of what food and drink costs.

Take half board, but realize that you will need to pay for lunch, and with everything priced in Euros, and with Sterling not good value against the Euro, you could expect to pay around £70 for a family of four, for what is essentially a snack. Soft drinks, and water are extortionate at about £3 for a bottle of water, and more for a coke.

Breakfasts whilst buffet style do have crepes, and eggs cooked for you, but beware of scavenging birds which are fun on the first morning, but a nuisance thereafter.

The best advice is to have your room fridge emptied on your first day, and then fill up with drinks bought outside locally.

Be warned that shops close to the hotel are wise to this, and they have marked up their prices, so it’s worth going a little away from the hotel area to shop for a better price.

All in all the Beau Rivage will give you a great family vacation in Mauritius, at a price. It can call itself a luxury hotel, and you will enjoy your holiday there.

What is important that you do your research first to make sure you get the best possible price, because recent studies have shown a price difference of over £2000 sterling for an identical holiday in Mauritius at the Beau Rivage.

Exotic Beach Holidays in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil

Rio de Janeiro has one of the seven wonders of the world and it makes tourists to visit again and again. This is because of the fact that it is beautiful place to visit with pleasant atmosphere and plenty of natural green environment with hills and mountains giving a wonderful experience to the tourists. It may not be easy to find such beautiful place in the world because of the fact that the exclusive borders of Brazilian states and there are many ancient colonies here which will give you lot of historical knowledge and information about Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil’s most populous city Rio de Janeiro has several special attractions for tourists. It is made up two areas which are plains and plateaus and these give a plenty of view for the tourists to enjoy the city and take lot of pleasure in sightseeing.

It is important to take note here that tourists always choose a hot spot only when it is perfect as destination and also when it has good hotels and luxury resorts. The airport carries several flights from the city bringing thousands of tourists and business travelers to the city and extending lot of good service and promoting tourism for Rio de Janeiro. Further there are bus services and taxi services which are connected throughout the city and which carry lot of distance transportation. Tourists from all over the world will be visiting Rio de Janeiro to see the city and to enjoy the pleasure trip either as single or with family.

Bundoran Beach – Enjoy the Dramatic Scenic Beauty of Nature

We all are very well aware with the fact that nature and its exotic components are really one of the most beautiful things that are present on the Earth today. Today, every one loves to spend most of the time in the lapse of marvelous beauty and splendor of nature.

Today, mostly all the people love to enjoy their seasonal holidays in the lapse of natural attraction. A natural attraction is the one and only place where you can easily avail yourself with the pleasure of peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. You can also enjoy the refreshing air and feel the essence of natural majesty.

There are a large number of exotic and out of the ordinary natural vacation spots that are located in various parts of the world. Well, further in this article, I am going to discuss about the indispensable facts related to the grand Bundoran Beach side of Ireland. Make sure that you go through this article once if you are also searching for a majestic natural vacation destination of the world.

The grand Bundoran Beach is one of the most popular beach sides of Ireland. This famous seaside resort is situated in Bundoran town which lies in Donegal in Ireland. There are numerous tourist attractions that are located in Ireland but the grand and eye catching Bundoran Beach side is one of the most visited natural attractions of Ireland. A large number of foreign visitors as well as local residents of the nearby areas of Bundoran town love to visit this grand beach side during their seasonal vacations as well as on the weekends.

Various modifications have been made on this grand and spectacular beach side from the last few years. This grand beach side is very much famous for its spectacular and outstanding sea front. You can easily view at the dramatic scenic beauty of the shores of this grand beach side of Ireland. There is also a strand through which you can easily gaze at the whole of the beach side.

There are numerous shops which attract a large number of tourists. You can also notice several restaurants and cuisines on the shores of this grand beach side. This beach side offers many attractions for its visitors like swimming, surfing and many more water adventures. You can observe a huge crowd during the evening when most of the people love to enjoy the view of the setting sun.

The Balearic Islands Holidays, Best Beaches Vacation in Spain

This wonderful group of islands is divided into Gimnesias (Mallorca, Menorca) in the North, and Pitiusas (Ibiza, Formentera) in the South-West. Located between Spain and the North Africa, these Mediterranean islands are infamous for their beaches, sunshine and nightlife. The best known and most visited of the four main islands are Mallorca and Ibiza which are two of Europe’s top holiday spots.

This group of islands known as the Balearic Islands has a smooth coast line which is dominated by various bays, coves and capes. The Balearic Islands’ crystalline waters and almost three hundred beaches boast all types of services and offer unparalleled variety that ranges from beaches to untouched coves. A rich cultural offer and the unusual hospitality of their inhabitants make Balearic Islands one of the preferred holiday destinations in Spain. The islands are a favourite holiday haunt of royalty, the seriously rich and famous and package tourists from all over the world. Balearic Islands holidays are enjoyed by many visitors simply for that great combination of warm weather, superb beaches and water sports such as diving, snorkelling, water skiing and parasailing.
Ibiza is one of the most well known islands in the world. Ibiza attracts thousands of holidaymakers each year with its beautiful beaches and azure blue waters, stunning scenery, legendary nightclubs, and lively atmosphere. Most people come to Ibiza primarily for its beautiful Mediterranean beaches. With some of the cleanest beaches in the Mediterranean, each year over a dozen of Ibiza’s beaches are awarded blue flags.

Majorca is the largest Balearic Island and is located close to neighbouring islands Menorca and Ibiza. Families, couples and groups of friends alike venture to Majorca every year to enjoy its golden sands, bustling bars and vibrant atmosphere. Majorca boasts 250 miles of stunning coastline, an endless series of hotels and offers an array of activities. If you are looking for a car rental then check out this cheap car hire Majorca Airport service. They offer reasonable prices.

If you take a trip over to Formentera, you will discover one of the Mediterranean’s best kept secrets an island paradise of dunes, cliffs and coves with some of the cleanest unspoilt beaches and clearest waters in the Mediterranean. Cala Saona is a heavenly beach with impressive fine, white sand and totally transparent water. On one side of the beach there are old jetties. You can hire motorised pedaloes. It is one of the best beaches for snorkelling.
The co-official languages in the Balearic Islands are Spanish and Catalan. Every day, thousands of passengers from all over the world arrive at the islands’ airports. The airports of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza act as one of the principal links.

Moreover, for a great selection of places to stay with discount prices visit Mallorca Hotels for more information.”

Best Beach Vacations for Family at Atlantis Paradise Island

Atlantis Beach Tower 3 Nights from $815

Bahamas offers its visitors a piece of land from heaven: Atlantis Paradise Island. It is located on Paradise Island and offers many attractions to its visitors. You may be lost in the activities they offer. Where you are going to stay is not so hard to decide as it has many options for all budgets. What most families prefer is the Coral Towers, which is central for the city and close to the famous Predator Lagoon.
In which age you are is not so important. Atlantis Paradise Island Resort has a thing for everybody. If you are interested especially in water sports, do not worry because they are in abundance. In Neptune’s Water Toy’s Hut, you can deal with many water sports like water biking, kayaking, snorkelling, pedal boating.
Children will like Atlantis more than everybody. It has two programs; one of which is Aqua Tots program that is designed for 3 aged children. The other one is Discovery Channel Camp arranged for the kids of 4- 12 years old. Discovery Channel Camp lasts long an hour and include lunch and break. Other activities that will attract the attention of children are water slides and marine exhibits. In these activities, you can enjoy with your children. In water slides, children are required to be more than 48 inches tall.
All in all, if you want to keep yourself busy with the activities, you can take a right decision by arranging a vacation with your family to Atlantis.

Cozumel: The Best Activities & Destinations on Mexico’s Little Caribbean Paradise

Mexico’s Famous Caribbean Island Uncovered

In This Article You Will Discover:

* The Top Six Destinations/Activities on Cozumel
* How to Take Advantage of a Your Trip to Cozumel
* Tours, Activities & More on Cozumel

I stroll off the idling ferry, now parked at San Miguel’s main terminal, on to the dock leading towards Cozumel’s busy main town and into the island’s hub of activity. Hawkers are everywhere, promising the lowest rates on scooter rentals, surf lessons, scuba diving tours and T-shirts. No problems for me, though; there are so many tourists to pick from, none waste their time on the disinterested.

It all catches my attention, though, even if my skyward gaze doesn’t betray it. I have escaped the confines of my all-inclusive mainland Mexico resort, and ferried to Cozumel, Mexico’s famous Caribbean vacation island. Now what?

San Miguel

Whether you flew in direct or ferried from nearby Playa del Carmen, on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, San Miguel is where you will find yourself first. This is a good thing — because under the chaotic traffic, aggressive street vendors and throngs of tourists lies information, tour operators and accommodation choices to help you make the most of your time on the island, whether it’s a day or a month. First tip: if you plan on renting a scooter or motorcycle, keep in mind prices in town will be lower than you find at the airport or marina. (In fact, this applies to pretty much everything.) Furthermore, adventurous souls who are visiting the island sans reservation can no doubt find accommodation to suit any taste or budget simply by roaming the streets of San Miguel. Shopping (head to the Forum Plaza or Punta Langosta), dining, cold cerveza and people-watching galore awaits.

Surfing

The Mexican Caribbean is not well known as a surfing destination, unlike the famous beaches on the Pacific side. However, Cozumel is a fantastic place for beginner and intermediate surfers to catch some waves. Surf tours can be found in San Miguel, and run about $100 (US) for a day’s tour, including transportation around the island, equipment, lessons and sometimes lunch. Perhaps the best thing about surfing on Cozumel, though, is the fact that it’s off-radar. Beaches on the windward side of the island, where the waves crash, are all but empty, as the tourist hoards tend to stick to their resorts and pools on the other side of Cozumel.

Snorkeling/Scuba Diving

This is what Cozumel is really known for: its world-class underwater realm. Whether you choose to simply bob about with a snorkel stuffed in your mouth or venture offshore for some coral reef scuba diving tours, Cozumel will satisfy. For the former, it couldn’t be easier. The west-facing side of Cozumel is literally one big coral reef, and there are several spots where self-guided snorkelers can simply wade into the sea and have a look around. Just remember: south shore (near San Miguel) currents are much safer than north shore currents. If you’re not a strong swimmer, stay south. While the snorkel spots are numerous, put-ins include Playa Caletita (look for the lighthouse), south of San Miguel on the main road, and the Snorkel Center just to the south of that. (More avid explorers will want to organize a tour, and these run about $40 US or so). For scuba diving, you’ll want to hire a tour.

Two-Wheeled Touring

Cozumel is tiny — intrepid super-marathoners have been known to jog around the island, but let’s be honest, you’re here on vacation, not to sweat through your clothes in the 35-degree Celsius-plus Caribbean sun. While many choose to either stay in their resort, or hire a taxi to get around, a self-guided, two-wheeled tour of Cozumel could be the highlight of your trip. There are essentially three choices: bicycles, scooters and Harley Davidson Sportsters. A bicycle tour of the island will be tough work, as the road around Cozumel is about 30 km, and it’s hot and humid, but you can explore smaller routes without as much commitment. Scooters are by far the most popular choice, as rentals are cheap and abundant (always negotiate a better rate than the operator’s first offer), they are easy to ride and move about just fine for the small island. Tips: check out the condition of the scooter before you ride; if it seems in disrepair, go elsewhere. Also, make sure the rental price includes fuel, or at least negotiate the fuel surcharge — these scooters will only use a couple of dollars worth of petrol in a day, so pay accordingly. Renting a Harley Davidson seems like the “coolest” option, but truth be told, the roads on Cozumel are so short that a 50 cc scooter is more than adequate, and the price of a Harley rental is considerably pricier. Finally, no matter what type of two-wheeled transport you choose, make sure you take the outer road (“scooter road”) around the island. It’s for two-wheeled vehicles only, making it safer for scooterists, and is also far more scenic.

Freedom In Paradise

This will be a stop on your two-wheeled tour (or hire a taxi) and it’s not to be missed… Freedom In Paradise reggae bar! Found on the southern windward side of the island, in the middle of nowhere on a desolate, crumbling asphalt road, Freedom In Paradise is a true taste of the Mexican Caribbean. It is a friendly, breezy, open air bar that serves grub and booze for cheap (stick to the bottled beer) while patrons enjoy endless vistas of the Gulf of Mexico. Bob Marley posters adorn the walls and his music pumps out through the stereo; hammocks swing in the breeze; a couple of free-roaming pigs may stop by; and you can even pick up some unique gifts at Rasta’s, a gift shop and eatery across the road (which is equally chilled-out and funky). It’s as far away from your luxury resort as you may ever get on Cozumel, and worthy of half-a-day in itself.

Deep Sea-Fishing

Much like Ernest Hemingway, Zane Grey and the other old-school outdoorsman writers of yore, in Cozumel you can take to the blue water in the Gulf of Mexico to pursue the mighty billfish. Marlin larger than yourself, toothy barracuda and more await – if you choose your guide wisely. Fishing operators abound, and the visitor might be tempted to go with the first one he meets or the cheapest he finds. Be wary and take your time – you could have the best fishing experience of your life if you ensure your guide uses sharp hooks and gear in good repair. Ask around and find a guide who comes recommended from multiple sources. Then warm up your reeling arm, because an 800-pound blue marlin awaits you.