Fabu Family Eco Adventure Deal – Cancun

Whale Shark!

This just in! From June through September, hundreds of whale sharks gather in the waters just a short boat ride from the Villa del Palmar beachfront resort in Cancun – one of the top two places in the world to see these incredible ocean-dwellers. The family-friendly beach resort, which opened last December, is currently offering a Whale Shark Adventure Family Package Deal at great value, with massages included (helloooooo, Cancun!) and two children under 12 staying and eating for free.

  Whale Shark Eco Adventure Package Deal at Villa del Palmar Cancun

5 Days / 4 Nights
Seasonal (June-September) 

 

 

Villa del Palmar

Package Includes:

• 5 Days and 4 Nights in a luxurious One Bedroom Ocean View Suite
• 2 50-Minute Relaxing Massage per room, per Stay
• 10% Off additional Massages
• Up to two children under 12 stay and eat free (sharing room with their parents)
• 2 Whale Shark Tour passes
• Round Trip Transfers
• Welcome Cocktail upon arrival
• All Meals, Snacks and Beverages + Premium Brand Alcoholic Beverages
• Complimentary Internet access in your room
• 6 times daily shuttle to Downtown and Hotel Zone Shopping Centers
• Complimentary use of Water & Land Toys: Non motorized water sports
• Daily Theme Nights
• Taxes and gratuities

Price: $1,598 total package

www.villapalmarcancun.com

SustainableTrip.org

Sustainable Trip For Savvy Travelers

A bit of news from our friends at The Rainforest Alliance. A portal for sustainable travel! Now travelers looking for sustainable vacations in Latin America and the Caribbean can find them at SustainableTrip.org.

A database of hotels, tour operators, and restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean, have been certified by a third-party sustainable tourism certification program, verified by the Rainforest Alliance, or recommended as being sustainable by a reputable organization.

The site, available in three languages – in English as SustainableTrip.org; in Spanish as ViajeSostenible.org; and in French as VoyageResponsable.org. Initially launched in 2005 as the Eco-Index of Sustainable Tourism, SustainableTrip.org features a robust search engine and an in-depth profile for each business that includes information about amenities and rates, a description of the area and activities, a Google map of the business’ location, photos, videos, and actions that the business is taking to demonstrate sustainability. Interested parties can subscribe to a monthly email newsletter that includes links to new or updated hotel profiles. The site also features “News for the Savvy Traveler” and detailed info rmation about sustainable tourism.

The launch also coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the Rainforest Alliance’s sustainable tourism program which helps tourism professionals improve the sustainability of their businesses based on the principles of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.  Initiatives include adopting ecosystem and water conservation measures, reducing energy use, supporting local economies, hiring from within the community and reducing costs. The Alliance also works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily.

www.rainforest-alliance.org

www.sustainabletrip.org

Mustique, Now That’s Chic

Mustique Island... Bareback, baby!

Bareback and in a bikini. Tell you, tell me! I’m ready for my Mustique vacay.

Luckily, the private, ultra-exclusive
island of Mustique is offering a ‘Summer Sizzler’ package you won’t want to miss.

A small private island in the West Indies, Mustique is actually a group of islands called the Grenadines (most of which form part of the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines). Attracting a number of celebrities (just like you), the big dogs who’ve visited include: Bill Gates, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Pierce Brosnan, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. So clearly, you’re next.

The island is petite and discrete; covering 1,400 acres with several coral reefs, tortoises, herons, and a year-round population of only about 500 living in the villages of Lovell, Britannia Bay, and Dover. And, the good news is this right here… starting right now through September 4, 2010 (maybe they’ll even extend it a bit if you say you saw it here first), book a room at the Cotton House, the island’s only hotel, and receive 2 nights free, plus up to a $500 hotel credit to use on luxe amenities like a spa treatment or dinner at Veranda Restaurant. The ‘Summer Sizzler’ package includes:

* Stay 7-nights, only pay for 5-nights  get 2 nights for free!
* $500 hotel credit for double-occupancy or $250 resort credit for
single-occupancy
* Daily breakfast
* Airport transfers to/from hotel
* Welcome cocktail

The starting rates for this offer are $520 per night for a cottage at single
or double-occupancy. Rates are exclusive of a 10% service tax, subject to
availability and require a seven-day cancelation policy for full refund.

Mustique's Luxurious Cotton Island Hotel

A little bit about Mustique:

A renowned 1,400-acre private island in the Grenadines and long favorite hideaway for the world’s most discriminating travelers.

Scattered around the island are 72 super swanky, yet island dreamy designer villas, each with its own distinctive architecture and atmosphere. Available for weekly rentals, these villas range in size from 2 to 9 bedrooms from $4,250 to $150,000 a week, including a full staff and vehicle.

The only hotel on the island, the Cotton House is an elegant West Indian-style plantation estate with 17 luxe rooms, cottages and suites, 11 of which feature private plunge pools.

www.mustique-island.com
www.cottonhouse.net

Barbados: The Crane’s New Eco-Techniques

It may be the oldest, most historic hotel in Barbados, but it certainly isn’t stuck in the past when it comes to earth-saving tips. Sure, ‘Being Green’ is all the rage, but taking a landmark from the 1700′s and turning it green is another – more ambitious – story. Set on forty acres of oceanfront land on the Southeast Coast of Barbados, The Crane, located six minutes from the airport on a spectacular cliff overlooking Crane Beach, is comprised of the original historic hotel building, built in the late 1700s and expanded in 1887, with an new all-suite development underway. On completion, this world-class resort will feature a Barbadian village of retail shops, a jazz bar, art gallery/museum, a full-service spa set in a coconut grove on the beach, a choice of gourmet and casual restaurants, and flood-lit tennis courts.
The Crane, Living Room Suite

Known for its modern “vertically integrated” approach, this approach also increases environmental sustainability, examples of which include:

Landscaping – The Crane has a thirty-six person full service landscape team dedicated to beautifying Crane’s extensive grounds. A new on-site covered nursery will be used to propagate plants so that the grounds will continue to be beautifully and economically maintained. Rather than using metered town water for its irrigation needs, The Crane relies on a 350,000 gallon water tank that collects rainwater for irrigation.
Laundry – The Crane does all of its laundry in-house and has recently constructed a facility that utilizes state-of-the-art, high volume, commercial equipment and rain water collected in underground collection tanks.

Pool Service – A system of salt-water chlorination in which salt from sea water is converted into natural chlorine through electrolysis without the extra cost of replenishing chlorine.
Central Air – The Crane’s central air-conditioning system is not only far more energy efficient than individual “split system” units for every room, but it also produces hot water, requires less ongoing maintenance and has a life expectancy of over twenty-five years.

So make like Rhianna and “Shut Up and Drive” to the airport. You won’t need an “Umbrella” in Barbados.

(Sorry, we couldn’t resist)