The RIU Palace Pacifico in Riviera Nayarit has been called the Giant Wedding Cake of resorts. Not for its high rate of marriages that take place there, if they do, but because of its unique decore. The RIU Palace Pacifico is all about making its guest feel as comfortable as possible, using the unique and modern decorations, the friendly service, and the quiet atmosphere. This specific resort is a little higher end because they are targeting a very unique genre of guests; people who want that special quiet and private enviroment and who are willing to pay a little extra to get it. This RIU has 445 jr. suites availible and is located directly on the Flamingos Beach, providing it with that exotic, adventurous feel that a person can readily enjoy with relaxing on the beach sipping on the All-Inclusive beverages offered by this resort. Some of the great activities to be found at the Palace Pacifico could be the gym, jacuzzis, steam rooms, spas, and even a unique cold-stone massage. The area around the resort offers many areas to be explored and experienced, whether your pleasure is art, surfing, or just dancing and relaxing.

The RIU Palace Pacifico is a great place to go and experience this particular area of the world (Riviera Nayarit) but if you would like to try somewhere else, it might be worth it to check into the RIU hotels website for more locations! RIU has many different hotels in many different locations, including Playa del Carmen, Mazatlan, and there is talk of a new RIU resort being build in Huatulco! These resorts are all top notch and are kept up with about $45 million in repairs each year! Visit TropicalTravel.net to book your vacation today!

While economic times are tough life can be just as tough. Sometimes it is necessary to escape all of the hassles of the world and take some time out for yourself. Whether that time is by yourself, with your partner, or with your family it is an important aspect of life. But the problem comes when all of the good deals for travel cost an arm and a leg for seven nights. The trick is to find a good deal on a vacation for a weekend. Two or three nights is the ideal length of time for the budget and work schedule. 

With that fact in mind, the next question would become where to take these two or three nights so that you can really get your moneys worth. One good option could be the Hotel RIU Montego Bay, located in one of Jamaicas hottest vacationing spot the RIU is a great option for any single, couple, or family to enjoy life on the beaches for a weekend. The RIU has something for everyone in the family! The kids can enjoy a action-packed day full of swimming, both in the ocean and in the pool, dancing, singing, and playing games all supervised by trained staff while their older brothers and sisters enjoy the chill teen area complete with an inline skate park, a non-alcoholic bar, and hammocks on the beach. But while the kids are off enjoying their day, mom and dad can be enjoying a lovely day at the spa, sitting on the beach, or even playing beach volleyball with some newly met friends! The RIU can be as relaxed and chilled as a person wants with its hammocks, spa, and pools, but it can also be the catalyst to a action packed weekend with nights full of drinks, dancing, and new acquaintances! Two or three nights at the RIU could be just what you need! Check out TropicalTravel.net to book your budget weekend today!  

If you are planning a trip at all this year, then maybe you should consider taking a fun-filled excursion to Costa Rica! In 2008 more than two million people decided to take that small step in visiting Costa Rica and that did not just happen by chance! Costa Rica is a tropical oasis with over half of its land mass protected by natural reserves! It has been deemed politically stable and economically prosperous making it a hot-spot for those business men and women looking for a good getaway from the hustle and bustle of North American culture.

Even with all of these facts stated, a person cant help but wonder what to do once you get off the plane. After you get off the plane, what you do depends on which direction you set off in! The trip from the West coast of Costa Rica to the East coast takes about three to four hours on land and only 45 minutes by air. But in that small distance a person could tour a coffee plantation, go rafting on the beautiful tropical rivers, or even climb a volcano! Taking a pit-stop in San Jose, the Costa Rican capital city, would be a must for any serious sightseer. Experiencing things like the National Symphony Orchestra, the Marriott Costa Rica, eyeballing the 1880 piece gold collection at the Gold Museum or even touring the National Museum that is built within the former Buenavista fortress.

But if big cities arent your thing, you could easily find some of the most relaxing, tropical hideaways in the area within a couple of hour from San Jose. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve would be the place to go in February to witness not only the mating habits of the beautiful Quetzal but also the 2,500 types of plants, the 399 other species of birds, and the 110 different kinds of mammals! Or you could visit the Arenal Volcano Nation Park for a hiking excursion, the Caribbean coast to visit the Tortuguero Lodge that is placed inside the exotic Tortuguero National Park, or even the Manuel Antonio National Park that is found on the Central Pacific Coastline. There really is something for everyone that can be found in Costa Rica!

Book your trip today at TropicalTravel.net!

In Riviera Maya and Cancun there have been countless, All-Inclusive resorts built on the beach front. Most of them built as close to the beach as the government allowed and then connected to the road with private drive-ways and made into beautiful beach hotels and resorts. But the only downside to all of these beautiful, All-Inclusive resorts being constructed is that the ecosystems in the Riviera Maya have been destroyed and polluted. For instance, there is a plant called the mangrove that grows on the coastlines of most tropical locations that help protect the coasts from erosion, surge storms, and tsunamis and they do this through their root systems that work to dissipate wave energy. This plant has largely been removed from the areas that the resorts have been built to make room for pools, hotels, and driveways.

But as always there is an exception to this enviromental incident caused by all of the construction and tourism. The Mayakoba Resort and the Tres Rios Hotel have been constructed without destrying the enviroment, and have actually been built in such a way that they have helped encourage the aquatic ecosystems found in the Riviera Maya! For instance, instead of removing all of the mangroves and underground rivers that are so vitally important to the ecosystem, the Mayakoba resort has simply uncovered some of these underground rivers and has used them as the center piece of the resort creating an atmosphere of being in the jungle instead of being on the beach. But never fear! The beach is still only a few minutes away, and is actually connected to the resort via the new uncovered river systems.

But in addition to the Mayakoba the Tres Rios hotel has also implemented a new, green design that was created to not only preserve but utilize the natural ecosystem of the Mexican beaches. The Tres Rios has been built on more than 400 piles of permeable rock so that the hotel has about 3 yards of clearance between the ground/lagoon and the hotel floor. This was done so that the rivers and plant life could live on without being disturbed. Both of these hotels have actually seen an increase in animal life since being built because of the aquatic ecosystems that have been created. These hotels also utilize multiple systems of using green energy and not letting things go to waste. For instance they sort all of the garbage before it is recycled and their water comes from the ocean and is distilled in a processing machine instead of using the ground wells and depleting resources.

For more information on booking a trip to the Riviera Maya or either of these hotels please contact us at tropicaltravel.net!

 This time of year- in the Christmas-New Year season – is the second busiest travel period of the year after thanksgiving.  Here are a few tips that will help you ease through it and come out on the other side happy and more importantly, with everything you went in with.

 First, check you flight arrival and departure times before going to the airport, you can do this online.  Next, be prepared for flight delays, especially in the Midwest and East Coast with the bad weather this time of year.  If traveling with children its wise to pack some snacks for when you are caught in a delay.  Also try keeping the airline’s phone number with you, as it is usually easier to rebook a flight by phone than in person at the airline ticket counters.  Also during this time there is a lost of lost luggage, so try traveling with a carry-on bag only.  This will cause you to pack more lightly, but you will be rewarded by avoiding losing your luggage at luggage check and avoiding the long wait for your bags when you land.  If you must check your bags, be sure to pack all your medications and valuables, documents, jewelry or gifts in your carry on, and be sure to lock any checked luggage with a TSA-approved lock.  Also, be sure to abide by the Transportation Security Administration’s air-travel regulations, such as the 3-1-1 rule for liquids.  If your luggage does end up lost, be sure to report your bag missing before you leave the airport, if you report it after your missing-luggage claim may not be accepted.  Most airlines will allow you to receive compensation after 10 days from the time you maid your claim.

 Many hotels plan on you being in such a rush at checkout, in order to get out on time and make flights, that you won’t have the time to glance at your bill.  And this is where they bank on you not seeing the hidden fees that they sneaked onto your bill; these are fees you should be aware of.

 Most travelers have learned to avoid the phone fees that hotels are so accustomed to charging for, and hotels are making less and less from guests on these grounds, and most everyone has cell phones nowadays.  But they have found other ways to make money from you without you being aware of it.  Some of these fees include:  a towel fee, grounds keeping fee, resort fee, mandatory tips for the bellmen and the maids, hospitality fees, mandatory valet parking fees, Ethernet cable fees, and workout room fees and a fee for the in-room safe (even if these services aren’t used).  They even can charge you for that so called “free/complimentary” breakfast by charging you for beverages such as when the waiter comes around with a picture of juice.

 But there are ways to carefully avoid such fees.  You can try haggling upon check in if you think you may be un-rightfully charged for hidden fees.  If you are a repeat visitor or business traveler, chances are you will have success.  Try to keep asking questions about fees during your stay.  Ask at the buffet when served drinks, ask at the entrance to the gym, ask when the pool boy offers you an extra towel, and ask before using the safe or borrowing a charger.  Also it is advised to leave enough time upon checkout to review your bill, as if there are any complications you have given time to dispute anything.  And there is one thing you cannot avoid, but by being aware of it you can be prepared, and that is taxes.  New York City has an 8.25% sales tax plus their 13.5% hotel tax.  San Francisco’s is 14%, in Phoenix it is 12%.  Either way, you are going to be paying more than anticipated.

 U.S. airlines expect 27 million passengers this Thanksgiving week.  The three busiest air travel days are expected to be this Wednesday, and the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, when the number of passengers daily as expected to be more than 2.5 million.  The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is expecting a 6 percent increase over the holiday period, while they expect to be up 4 percent over last year overall throughout all airlines.  Sea-Tac expects 102,000 passengers on Wednesday, 97,000 on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and 95,000 on the Monday after that.

 With the airline’s on-time performance through September having a weak 73 percent of flights arriving on time (the worst in 13 years), many are striving to help raise this percentage, along with other aspects to flying this holiday season.  The Bush administration is having the U.S. military make more airspace on the East Coast available for commercial airlines from Wednesday through the 25th of November.  But you can also help yourself by following a few guidelines for making your traveling as quick and easy as possible.

 First, you should prepare by checking in and printing your boarding pass at home from your airline’s website.  You should also double check to make sure you any important documents such as your driver’s license and other government-issued ID.  Another good idea is to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight to allow for traffic delays, time to find parking, and other unseen delays.

 Second, you should pack right and conveniently.  Try to travel with carry-on luggage only, but if you must check a suitcase, be sure to follow these tips.  First, be sure to pack your valuables (such as cameras, jewelry, laptop, etc.) and medications in your carry on, incase there are any complications with your checked luggage.  Also, don’t over pack as most airlines allow each passenger to take only two checked bags weighing no more than 50 lbs each.  Also be sure to luck your luggage with a TSA-approved lock which security screeners are able to open and relock.  And last, if taking any liquids or medicines, be sure to check the list of banned items to make sure you can take them along (you can do this online).

 An extra tip is to be sure to check your flight status and delays and weather problems (which you can do online).  So good luck traveling this Thanksgiving holiday, here’s hoping for few delays and minimal complications.

Plan to purchase your Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation early, in order to get the best price. If you are trying to find the best deal on travel during the holidays, start looking after Labor Day . Most people believe if they wait, they will find an amazing last minute deal. This is not so, the best last minute deals are reserved for the low season. Everything is high for holiday travel. Think about it, most people have vacation time around the holidays, so that is when they want to travel.

So book early, you don’t have to pay for the trip in full, most travel agencies will accept a down payment, and you can make payments on the remainder. Call your travel agent and they will work on finding you the best deal available. If you are worried your schedule might change, purchase insurance so you have a way to get your money back if you aren’t able to travel.