Ladera Resort – St. Lucia

Known for its breathtaking, serene sceneries, St. Lucia is legendary a good reason.  The award winning Ladera Resort in St. Lucia takes luxury to a whole new level.  Its open-air architecture, luxury hospitality, and eco-friendly practices at 1,100 feet above the Caribbean Sea, is celebrating its 20th Anniversary by launching an exciting new offer that generously gives back to its guests.

Starting early April, the Ladera Resort is offering the first 1,100 people (or 550 couples) who book a Hilltop Dream Suite or Luxury Villa under the new “Anniversary Package” promotion, full, gourmet breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Ladera’s famous restaurant, Dasheene.

Regarded as one of Caribbean’s most innovative West Indian cuisine, Dasheene also boasts unobstructed views of the sunset and the Piton Mountains, a famed UNESCO World Heritage site.  The promotional code is “20ANNIV” and is valid for minimum of five-night stays between now and December 21, 2012.

Since its inception in 1992, Ladera Resort has become the top Caribbean hot spot for celebrities and honeymooners.  It has received numerous awards, including the prestigious “Best Hotel in the Caribbean”, “Best Hotel in the World” and was given the number spot on the “Best of the Best” list.

Its Dasheene Restaurant is one of the highlights of Ladera, offering some of the most refined dining and astounded views in the Caribbean.  Its elegant decor focuses on natural fabrics and woods to complement the birds-eye view of the island.  The menu features Chef de Cuisine Nigel Mitchell’s innovative interpretations of Saint Lucian and Caribbean specialties, based on local produce, and fresh fish.

During this 20^th anniversary celebration, the St. Lucia resort will also unveil five additional connecting luxury one-bedroom Hilltop Dream suites on Paradise Ridge due to open in October 2012.  Other new Ladera Resort developments to mark their twenty years of achievements include, a new fitness room, equipped with state-of-the-art machines and Yoga classes.

The luxury Caribbean resort’s Ti Kai Posé Spa will offer new outdoor Couples Massages on Paradise Ridge, a completely private retreat area of the resort which overlooks the Caribbean Sea and Pitons.  The Ladera has definitely made some remarkable upgrades to its already top-of-the-line luxury accommodations.

Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France

Saint Barthélemy in French West Indies has long been a favorite tropical retreat for the rich and famous. Escape the hustle and bustle of commercialized hotels and overcrowded beaches by traveling to St. Barth’s for a tropical getaway to enjoy sunshine, swimming and serene simplicity.

The upcoming summer months are the ideal time to plan a visit to the Caribbean. Although St. Bart can be one of the more expensive Caribbean islands, Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France invites guests to experience the magic of this fabulous island with the “2012 Summer Holidays Special for Friends and Family.”

Located on Flamands Bay, which is the most beautiful beach on the island of Saint Barthélemy in French West Indies, Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France is a small, privately owned resort with a total of 39 rooms, suites and villas, amidst lush, enchanting tropical gardens.

Between now and August 31, Isle de France is offering reduced rates for its hotel guests, in addition to special promotions and added amenities. Included are deluxe accommodations in the serene Garden Rooms and Bungalows, plus private airport transfers, daily continental breakfast with a vast selection of fresh fruit and pastries, welcome complimentary mini-bar, access to all hotel facilities and a complimentary car rental to explore the beautiful island.

Additional benefits of the “2012 Summer Holidays Special for Friends and Family” package at the Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France include: a sunset cocktail each evening, a complimentary dinner at the hotel’s renowned beach restaurant, and a hammam treatment with black soap at The Spa.

For hotel guests looking to extend their stay for seven or 14 nights, enjoy a Natura Bissé Spa gift, a couples massage, lunch at the main or beach restaurant, one additional dinner (for those staying 14 nights), and a 2-hour champagne sunset cruise. And for those who can’t get enough of summer, the special is also available October 15 – 31.

Rates for this indulgent summer package start at Euro 2095* (approximately USD $2,787) for two Garden Rooms for a 4-day, 3-night stay. For reservations or addition information, please call 1-800-810-4691, or visit www.isle-de-france.com.

Rainforest Adventures

Since 1994, Rainforest Adventures has combined unique rainforest adventures (such as tram rides, bobsleds and zip lines), with exceptional, multi-lingual naturalist guides, and tour excursions in Costa Rica (both Pacific and Atlantic), Panama, Saint Lucia, Dominica and Jamaica.

Each Rainforest Adventures location serves as ecotourism attractions, in addition to wildlife and wilderness refuges. Rainforest Adventures’ keen eco-consciousness has earned high marks from conservation groups and government bodies.

Some of the company’s achievements include earning Blue Ecological Flags and the highest rating under the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (Costa Rica Pacific and Atlantic); receiving a Tourism Service Excellence Award from the Ministry of Tourism (Jamaica); and being acknowledged by the Rotary Club of Gros Islet for Outstanding Contribution for Humanitarian Service (St Lucia).

Each park and tour is unique, built around the natural history and culture of each country with its own special attractions. All shore excursions are carbon neutral and the company has been certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Association of Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) for safety. Below are several wonderful destinations to consider:

– Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic

Located just 80 kms (50 miles) from the Costa Rica’s capital city of San José, Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic was the company’s first park, introduced in 1994 with the non-invasive construction of an aerial tram. Today, the park has grown to include guided tours (pick from nature hikes, bird-watching treks and family-friendly adventures) and attractions like the AdrenaLine – a 700-metre (2,297-foot) zipline that takes thrill-seekers flying 55 km/hr (34 mph) through the jungle. For softer adventure, guests can explore the butterfly and frog garden ( $10.00 USD, per person): a 200-square-metre (1,250-square-foot) open-air space where nature-lovers can immerse themselves in a world of bug-eyed bullfrogs and tiny tadpoles. And with bilingual naturalists overseeing the grounds, this garden is an eye-opening and educational experience for adventurers of all ages. Unique to Costa Rica Atlantic are the 10 modern bungalows, each with private baths and terraces available for overnight accommodation.

è Guests can explore their phobias at the Serpentarium at Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Pacific

Rainforest Adventures’ Costa Rica Pacific park, located outside the beach town of Jacó and about a two-hour drive from San José, is home to a heart-leaping Serpentarium: a snake exhibition located deep in the jungle that showcases 20 of Costa Rica’s finest slithering species. – Admission to the Serpentarium is $10 USD per guest. Adventurers with kids in tow might consider springing for the Family Tour, a package for all ages that showcases the beauty and secrets of the rainforest with every turn. On this five-hour tour, families join expert naturalist guides for visits to the Serpentarium and the Medicinal Plant Garden, a painting workshop (where kids can colour a T-shirt with natural dyes or create a fossil) and a ride through the rainforest treetops on the aerial tram, complete with a nutritious Costa Rican meal. Cost for the Family Tour is $82.00 USD (children) and $78.00 USD (students and adults).

– Take a blind leap on the AdrenaLUNA zip line tour at Rainforest Adventures St Lucia

Guests can up the zipline stakes and leap over to Rainforest Adventures’ St Lucia Park, located the highland community of Chassin, Dauphin, for a little nighttime action. While not for the faint of heart (or for those afraid of the dark), the brand new AdrenaLUNA nighttime zipline tour starts with a dark walk through the rainforest and launch off a volcanic boulder, continuing with a zipline through the high jungle canopy (only a headlamp leads the way) and a swing on a Tarzan-like rope, and finishing with a rappel back down to Earth. Cost for the tour is $79.00 USD (adults).

– Jungle bobsledding at Rainforest Adventures Jamaica

With Rainforest Adventures Jamaica, on Mystic Mountain, bobsledding isn’t just a wintertime sport for northerners. Guests who visit the park, located in the resort town of Ocho Rios, will discover a wild ride that’s inspired by the famous Jamaican bobsled Olympians and ranked by TripAdvisor.com as one of the region’s top attractions. Bobsledders are safely strapped into a sled and then sped, using only gravity, down a 1,000-metre (3,281-foot) mountainside track through the dense rainforest. (Going a bit too fast? Slow down using a handbrake). While the experience of bobsledding in a Jamaican jungle is priceless, guests do pay $62.00 USD per ride. To get back to earth, guests can drop by the butterfly garden (a spot designed to attract these insects in non-enclosed setting) and the hummingbird garden (a place for visitors to see and learn about Jamaica’s national bird in a natural setting). Finally, guests may cool off after a long day of jungle adventures with an exhilarating ride down the 77-metre (253-foot) mystic waterslide, ending in an infinity-edged pool.

– Leap across a 107-metre (350-foot) cavernous drop at Rainforest Adventures Dominica

Located at the edge of the lush Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Rainforest Adventures Dominica offers guests a range of activities, such as aerial tram tours, jungle hikes and, the most adrenaline inducing of all, the gorge zip challenge. Home to the highest zipline in the southern Caribbean region, Rainforest Adventures Dominica boasts three cable lines, culminating in 361 metres (1,185 feet) of heart-leaping fun. The grand finale of the park’s zipline experience is a clammy-hand journey across the Breakfast River Gorge, a 107-metre (350-foot) cavern filled with plants and waterfalls. Cost is $50 USD (trail walk and zipline) or $99 USD (aerial tram ride and zipline).

– Exploring the depth, breadth of the Pearl of the Pacific – Rainforest Adventures Panama with Panama Excursions.

To open visitors’ eyes to the true heart and soul of Panama, Rainforest Adventures offers seven diverse tours, adventures and experiences: Shaping of Panama, Chagres River Adventure, Authentic Embera Indian Village, Miraflores Locks Observation Center, Eco Cruise on the Gatun Lake, Panama Canal Partial Transit and Panama Canal Railway. On the Authentic Embera Indian Tour, guests take a dugout canoe ride into Chagres National Park en route to a remote village. Once there, explorers will meet the chief, watch a series of traditional dances and take time to explore the village, meet the local people and purchase a crafted keepsake. With four exhibition halls, a visit to the Miraflores Locks Observation Center is an eye-opening and educational look at the shaping and importance of the Panama Canal and its locks. Nature-lovers wanting to be immersed in Panama’s lush flora and fauna needn’t look further than the Eco Cruise on the Gatun Lake tour, an experience that takes guests aboard a small boat for an exploration of back channels, islands and bays and to the Gatun Locks. Birds, monkeys, sloth, iguanas and crocodiles are just a few of the animals that can be spotted on this tour.

Prices range from $10 to $100 USD per person, based on the level of experience, with group and individual packages available.

For more information, visit www.rainforestadventure.com or call 1-866-759-8726.

East Course at Dorado Beach

The East Course at Dorado Beach has long been regarded as the most historic course in the Caribbean. For most who have played a round of golf there, they consider it one of the best.

This history rich golf course – East Course at Dorado Beach has officially reopened. Although the famed golf course routing has remained intact, it has actually changed dramatically.

The 18-hole crown jewel at Dorado Beach continues the Robert Trent Jones legacy and is the first of his quartet of creations unequaled in the Caribbean.

East Course at Dorado Beach is the golf course where pro golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez learned the skills that molded the pro he is today. Many well known people had had the luxury of playing East Course at Dorado Beach, including legendary amateurs: Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Presidents Gerald Ford, Dwight Eisenhower, and even President John F. Kennedy.

Robert Trent Jones, Jr. completed an 18-month restoration to all 18-holes of the Caribbean’s East Course at Dorado Beach. The renovation of the East Course is the first phase of a complete transformation of the property that includes the addition of the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residences.

Back in 1956, visionary Laurence Rockefeller commissioned Robert Trent Jones Sr. to build this 72-hole masterpiece that helped catapult the island to its international acclaim. With great thanks to Rockefeller’s contribution, Puerto Rico is now the most golf celebrated island in the Caribbean and home to more than 40,000 golfers.

In addition to having breath taking ocean and golf course views, the residence owners are also granted membership to the Dorado Beach Golf Club and its 72-holes. The grand opening of Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is this December.

Sandals Resorts

The Pirates was such an overwhelmingly influential franchise, it glorified pirates (mostly of the Caribbean persuasion) and showcased the beauty of the Caribbean.

Played by Johnny Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow standing proudly on a small, sinking sailboat was the image that immediately pops into my head, when I hear or see the word, “Caribbean.” But that hardly does Sandals Vacations justice. If anything can dominate the image of Captain Sparrow, it would be Sandals.

Sandals Resorts has a global reputation for providing the most romantic vacation experience in the Caribbean. With 14 luxurious all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, and The Bahamas, Sandals is further solidifying its reputation by offering a limited-time “Sandals Renewal of Vows” event.

The concepts of  The Sandals Renewal of Vows are simple, for each couple that reserves a stay of six nights or longer in any room category will receive a complimentary, intimate Renewal of Vows ceremony.

“A Sandals Renewal of Vows ceremony is perfectly tailored to create the ideal romantic experience and moments that will be treasured for a lifetime,” says Marsha-Ann Brown, Director of Romance, Sandals Resorts. Married couples looking to profess their love will enjoy a complimentary Renewal of Vows ceremony and reception styled by Martha Stewart that incorporates elements of the Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart ‘Beautiful Beginnings’ theme.

Along with a Personal Vow Renewal Consultant, all Renewal of Vows ceremonies include recorded musical accompaniment, an elegant reception with chilled hors d’oeuvres and sparkling wine, as well as a Renewal of Vows Officiant and personalized commemorative certificate.

Following the festivities, couples celebrating a vow renewal at Sandals Resorts will also receive a full breakfast in bed on the morning of their choice, a romantic in-room turn down service and a 5×7 “second honeymoon” photograph and branded beach bag.

For more details on the Sandals “Renewal of Vows” package, visit www.sandals.com or call 1-877-SANDALS and mention promotion code ROV12.

Photo: Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort

Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort is an award-winning Caribbean resort and if offering a wonderful honeymoon package.

You hope your wedding is once-in-a-lifetime event, so why not have a memorable honeymoon at a luxury beach resort in the Caribbean.

Celebrate your special wedding by planning your honeymoon in a romantic, tropical paradise, complete with a powder-sand beach, clear-blue skies and spectacular views of the Caribbean waters.

Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort offers the bride and groom additional luxuries designed to turn your special day into something truly spectacular.

Featuring an ambiance of luxury and comfort, beautiful Mexican and Mayan architecture and warm hospitality, the Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort is a special place in the Caribbean.

Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort is offering a fantastic wedding honeymoon package, that includes:
• Complimentary upgrade to the Penthouse for the bride and groom who book a deluxe room;
• Complimentary upgrade to a Master Suite for the parents of the bridge and groom who book a deluxe room;
• One complimentary room night for every 15 rooms booked by wedding guests;
• One complimentary fruit plate for all wedding guests upon arrival.

With Ceiba’s Penthouse suite, the bride and groom can celebrate their new commitment to each other with breathtaking views of sun setting into the sea or with a romantic dinner under the twinkling stars.

The spacious, 904-square-foot suite offers a beautifully appointed bedroom with a separate living room area as well as a private 753-square-foot panoramic terrace with a plunge pool and double chaise lounge.

To learn more about this unbelievable honeymoon package at the Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort and special discounts, contact us via email at: sales@thelifeofluxury.com

Matachica Resort – Belize

The luxury resort Matachica has long considered the hidden jewel of Belize. This exquisite and award-winning beach resort recently completed a multi-million dollar redesign and expansion.

Matachica has been referred to as the anti-generic beach resort, and now proudly offers an incredible Caribbean getaway with both a signature relaxed attitude and barefoot elegance.

Matachica’s features an impeccably chic overall décor that was influenced from the owner’s passion for both the island’s native heritage and his extensive global travel.

Just a short water-taxi ride from the lively shops and restaurants of San Pedro, Matachica is located on the secluded island of Ambergris Caye, just a 15 minute local flight from Belize’s mainland.

The Matachica resort is located on on miles of natural white sand beaches overlooking the crystal blue sea. Matachica has skillfully integrated itself into the lush azure surroundings.

Nearby, you jump in one of the resort’s kayaks for a short fifteen-minute ride, arriving at the second-longest living barrier reef on planet Earth.

Matachica also offers a wide variety of activities, including scuba diving and snorkeling, to fishing, trekking and historic site excursions, are also available. You can also relax in a secluded hammock for quiet contemplation and to soak in the island rays of Belize.

The renovation at Matachica includes 10 brand-new and even larger casitas, in addition to full upgrades to all existing rooms. These are now 21 single casitas, 2 two-bedroom villas, and 1 three-bedroom residence, called our Beach Mansion. These properties are all thatch-roofed, vibrantly-painted and feature private patios, fully updated bathrooms and original art.

If you seek the ultimate indulgence, visit our Jade Spa for a rejuvenating massage and treatments using natural ingredients sourced locally from the Belizean jungles and sea. From banana and papaya body wraps, to traditional deep tissue massages, the spa is sure to offer you a unique experience with our own Belizean twist.

For additional information or to make reservations, please visit: Matachica – Belize

Caneel Bay invites you to ‘disconnect’ in pristine natural surroundings and low-key luxury. The exclusive resort, nestled within the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, remains faithful to the vision of founder Laurance Rockefeller and his reverence for the environment.

Seven secluded white sand beaches border 170 lush acres where Caneel’s accommodations have been artfully built to blend into the landscape. A true escape, the resort remains purposefully absent of modern glitz, digital distractions and the furious pace of the world at home.

Caneel Bay is a Rosewood Resort found on the pristine island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The resort recently took the top ranking in the category of Tennis Resorts and Camps in a survey taken by Tennis Resorts Online.

Caneel Bay was awarded the number one position in the Caribbean and number five overall. That makes it the only resort in the Caribbean region to make the Top Ten. Who knew you could find world class tennis on St. John’s?

The Top 100 rankings were recently posted on the Tennis Resorts Online website, and were compiled using survey data from “vacationers like you: people who pay for their holiday and have every reason to be objective about the experience.”

Site members were asked to evaluate tennis resorts and camps in 16 different categories, “including all aspects of the tennis experience.” The reviews from this survey scored Caneel Bay a “Gold Medal” overall, placing it in the company of the 25 best tennis resorts in the world.

For tennis lovers, Caneel Bay features an 11 court tennis facility that is managed by Peter Burwash International. A full schedule of tennis programs and round robins are implemented daily by the resort’s knowledgeable tennis staff, lead by the resident Tennis Pro, Patrick Alle.

Caneel Bay is set on 170 acres in Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John. The property houses one hundred and sixty-six guest rooms, all of which are in close proximity to any of seven white-sand beaches that surround the resort.

Guests may dine at any of four distinct restaurants. The private Wine Room offer is available as well. In addition, guests may relax in the Self Centre, which is dedicated to nurturing the mind, body and spirit and the fitness center. Turtle Town is a dedicated facility just for the kiddies.

If you want to make your tropical vacation one to remember, then why settle for a hotel room in the Caribbean? Rent a villa with your family, high on a breezy hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea, and be prepared for some singing. Full article