Tours


by Dream Vacations on June 5, 2012

Chichen Itza Tour MapA few years ago my wife and I had the pleasure of touring one of the new 7 wonders of the world, Chichen Itza.  Chichen Itza, which means “at the mouth of the well of Itza”, has over 40,000 visitors every single day.  Through Apple Vacations we were able to take a guided tour of this amazing archeological discovery and truly get to experience it’s size and beauty up close and personal.  No matter which Riviera Maya resort you are staying in, this Chichen Itza tour is available for purchase.

Chichen Itza was built over 1500 hundred years ago and until recently, tourists were allowed to walk all the way to the top of the pyramid.  But now, because of wear and tear, guests can no longer walk up the step stairs.  The stairs themselves are only 6 inches wide.  The site is divided into 3 distinct sections but can easily be toured in one full day.  There were local vendors all over the place, hundreds of them so be sure to bring some money for souvenirs.  In the video below you can see the scope of how large these ruins really are.  At one time, it has been said that tens of thousands of Mayan Indians would gather to hear “sermons” preached from the top of the pyramid.  One of the most amazing aspects of Chichen Itza is that because of the design, if someone were speaking from the top the echo could be heard for miles.

Each of the structures four stairways contains 91 steps.  When counting the top platform as another step, in total “El Castillo” has 365 steps, one step for each day of the year.  The structure is 78 feet, plus an additional 20 feet for the temple top for a total height of 98 feet.  The square base measures 181 feet across.  Huge sculptures of plumed serpent’s heads sit at the base of the pyramid on the northern staircase.  At sunset during the spring and autumn equinoxes triangle shadows are formed by the platforms making it appear as if a plumed serpent is descending the pyramid.

This is a great addition to your vacation while in Cancun or Riviera Maya, Mexico.

by Dream Vacations on April 16, 2012

Not long ago I had the pleasure of taking part in the Marinarium Excursion in Punta Cana Dominican Republic. At first, I was a little apprehensive since I am deathly afraid of sharks.

At first you board a glass bottom catamaran for a short trek down the breath taking Bavaro coastline in Punta Cana. Once you arrive at the Marinarium you will hop out of the boat for some great snorkeling in pretty shallow water. Once you round the other side of the boat, you will see the enclosed area where the sharks and stingrays await your arrival! Don’t be to worried, the sharks are nurse sharks, perfectly harmless. I remember swimming in the direction of a 6 to 8 foot shark and then he turned around and headed right for me! I was frozen in the water, stuck my arms and legs straight out fearing the worst… to my surprise, he swam right under me! I could actually reach and touch this huge nurse shark, it was amazing and frightening at the same time.

Once you are done with your underwater adventures, you will again board the catamaran and heard toward a shallow ocean oasis. We get to this spot that is only waist deep and hop back out of the boat to enjoy some cocktails. It’s like you are standing in a natural swimming pool and the workers from the boat join you in the water to pass out drinks. Total cost for this half day trip, only $89 with drinks and snorkeling equipment provided. This Punta Cana excursion is well worth it.

by Dream Vacations on April 11, 2012

This will be the first in a series of blogs about my recent two week trip to the “Islands of Aloha”.  In all the trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Our first island was Maui. Upon first landing we realized somewhat cool and breezy temperatures were much different than the hot, humid Missouri we’d left behind. It’s interesting how mild the temps are inland, but as you move toward the coast, the heat begins to increase. Every day we spend on the islands hovered around 85 degrees as a high as 75 as a low. No rain to speak of. Now if that’s not perfect, I don’t know what is.

The highlight of our trip to Maui was a trip up to Haleakala crater. Just the trip up there was so magnificently beautiful, we knew we were somewhere special. As you climb the mountain, you can peak through cracks in the beautiful, tropical foliage to catch glimpses of the coast in all directions. Make sure and keep your windows down though, because this place is so perfect, that it actually smells like plumeria all the way up. It was really a delight for the senses and a great way to start a Hawaiian vacation experience.

By the end of the trip, it was clear we should have allowed more time to stay on the island of Maui. There is so much to do and experience that we didn’t get to, but it was time to move on to the Big Island.

by Dream Vacations on April 9, 2012

On my Hawaii vacation, I had a chance to stay at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The Sheraton is an open air hotel located on the Kona coast.  It is surrounded by ancient lava flow and feature a 200 foot waterslide.  The hotel also has two championship golf courses next door at the Kona Country Club.

I stayed in the Ocean/Poolview room and it was very nice.  The Sheraton hotels have very comfortable beds and offer a nice fluffy robe and slippers in each room category.  I did see the oceanfront rooms and they were much larger with an unobstructed view of the ocean.  The hotel has a huge waterslide and a nice pool area but it does not have a beach.  You can not access the beach directly from the hotel due to the lava flow.

The food was excellent but the real highlight is The Manta Ray Bar.  You can get a view of an amazing Hawaii sunset and then wait for the Manta Rays to come in after dark.  The bar has a flood light out in the ocean and once the sun goes down the Manta Rays come in to feed. This is one of those things you have to see for yourself to really appreciate.

I took a scuba trip that I booked through the hotel and it was excellent.  The weather was a bit overcast but the rays and dolphins did not seem to mind.  Some of the people in my group played golf at the Kona Country club.  They have two courses within walking distance of the Sheraton.  The courses were amazing as with most of the golf courses in Hawaii.

I highly recommend this hotel for your Big Island Hawaii vacation.  The pool, rooms, view and location are super and no hotels on the Kona side will have a sandy beach.  If your ready to visit Kona, head to the Sheraton Keauhou.

by Dream Vacations on March 30, 2012

The Fairmont Orchid is located on the Kohala Coast, on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The hotel has a  white sand beach and a great snorkeling lagoon.  My wife and I stayed in the corner oceanview room.  It had a great view with a marble bathroom.  The service is what you would expect from a Fairmont Hotel, top notch!  The check in was a breeze and our bags actually made it to our room before we did.

The pool was huge and the hotel had a beautiful Jacuzzi area.  The Jacuzzi was big and was surrounded my mature landscaping.  In the evening the pools were busy and the hot tubs were full.

The beach is great and the lagoon has excellent snorkeling.  The beach side bar was a lot of fun and the bartender was super.  BEWARE of the coral on the outside edge of the lagoon.  We seen a fella come up from the beach all tore up from falling on the coral when the waves came in.  If you stay where you are supposed to be you will not have to worry about this.

The food was amazing at the hotel but it was a bit expensive.  We ate breakfast and lunch at the hotel but went out for most of our dinners.  The concierge offered some amazing tips on local restaurants and other area attractions.

The highlight of the big island was the fishing trip.  The hotel concierge booked us a 1/2 day deep sea fishing trip.  We left in the morning and the fish were really biting.  No trophies but we had a lot of action.  The sea was a little rough on the way in but we had a wonderful time.

Our stay at the Fairmont was amazing.  These are special hotels and the Big Island of Hawaii is one of a kind.  If your looking for  luxury accommodations on the Big Island come and see The Fairmont Orchid!

by Dream Vacations on March 19, 2012

A few years back I was fortunate to travel to the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in Maui. My wife and I were looking to play some golf and soak up the sun.  The Ritz is a golfers paradise with two championship golf courses right on property.

The hotel also features an Environmental Program that teaches guests about Hawaiian culture and the native environment through fun-filled excursions led by expert naturalists.  The spa is world class or if your into a more active vacation take on a high-octane hike or water adventure at the Kapalua Adventure Center and Mountain Outpost.

We had a standard room with a pool view.  The 1 bedroom suites are amazing and feature a full kitchen.  The accommodations were immaculate and the service was even better.  They have three huge tiered swimming pools and had plenty of chairs.

The drinks and food were a little expensive but the food was unbelievable and the drinks were all top shelf.  The Lobby Bar, Alaloa Lounge-features  a new onyx bar with carved wood details, hand-blown glass pendants and a black lava stone wall to form the back-bar.  It was named Best Lobby Lounge on the island by the readers of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine.  They offer evening entertainment and breathtaking views.  Get there early and stay late!  The Banyan Tree is the hotel’s signature restaurant and features a bar and lounge with beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and Moloka’i.  The menu showcases Hawaii’s abundant fruits and fresh catches for lunch and dinner.

The beach is incredible!  It is just a short walk from the pool.  The beach is private with sort of a  crescent shape and has soft, fluffy sand.  It was never crowded and most often you were sharing maybe  a few other couples or families.   The waves do come in with some force so do not turn your back on it.

I have stayed in over a dozen Ritz Carlton’s around the world and this was my favorite!  If your looking for a high end golf/Hawaiian vacation the Ritz Kapalua is truly special.