1. Hemingway Resort

The hemming way is located in the Northern coast at Watamu near Malindi. Watamu is a recluse resort which is off the main Malindi tourist thoroughfare. The Kenyan resort offers world class cuisine has immaculate décor and a warm and friendly staff to boot. Its easy access to the coral reef offers its visitors easy snorkeling and diving opportunities. The resort is popular with big game fishing enthusiasts and is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World as well as the prestigious chaine des rotisseurs. The resort has 74 comfortable air conditioned rooms and suites, all with ensuite bathroom, shower and ocean views.

2. Baobab Beach Resort

Located on a coral headland overlooking the Indian Ocean and nestled in 35 acres of indigenous forest, the Baobab resort has retained its leading status amongst the coastal resorts.

The Kenyan resort underwent major renovations in 2005 which included extension of the bungalows, new custom-designed furniture and elegant soft furnishings. An addition of an extra 35 rooms also increased its capacity and now provides facilities for those with disabilities, the elderly and family rooms. It also has the marhaba sea food restaurant, new cafes a shopping village and a sunken bar in addition to the common swimming pool. The hotel offers animation, a fitness centre, Jacuzzi, holistic beauty programmes, massage and hair dressing services.

3. Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa

Set on the legendary Diani Beach with the pristine white sands, Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa is the first resort in Kenya and East Africa to feature a health and wellness spa.

The Kenyan resort is mammoth and enjoys a 350 meters beach frontage and located on 35 acres of landscaped tropical gardens. The resort has 142 rooms with ocean view comprising of standard and deluxe including some suite, pent house and presidential suites.

There is the Sake oriental restaurant specializing in Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine and 2 other restaurants specializing in sea food and Mediterranean dishes. There are five bars, a disco and pool bar. They also have a 120-seater conference room with all necessary equipment, a board room and a business centre.

Activities include golfing, kayaking, cycling and scuba diving among other water sports.

4. Temple Point

Club temple is an all inclusive resort on Watamu beach, 25km from Malindi airport. The clubs accommodation units have been designed with the business and pleasure guests in mind and combines high luxury and standards.

It offers 100 spacious air conditioned rooms in Swahili style décor, conference facilities for 200 delegates, private beach with white powder sand, fine dining and wide range of water sports.

5. Travelers Beach Hotel & Club

Travelers is an all inclusive club located on beautiful white sandy beach in the northern coast. The club offers 288 air conditioned room including standard rooms, suites, family rooms and honeymoon suites.

It also has 24 hour access to restaurants and eateries, four interconnecting swimming pools, a full programme of evening entertainment and a wide choice of water sports.

6. Sarova White sands

This Mombasa hotel is located north of Mombasa and has 340-rooms and has fine white sandy beaches of the northern coast.

The Kenyan hotel is famous for Lido Grill which serves sizzling steaks and freshly caught seafood. The 24 hour Minazi café is a bistro-style eatery with some of the best pizzas on the coast. The pavilions restaurant offers buffet-style dining with culinary themes from around the world.

7. Mombasa Beach Hotel

Located on a cliff top, the Mombasa Beach Hotel has splendid views of the Indian Ocean. It has vast tropical gardens and ensures tranquility and privacy for guests.

The Kenyan hotel has 150 air conditioned rooms. The hotel also has fine food and refreshments and five restaurants complimented with three bars. Other amenities include a comfortable Mombasa lounge and a 200 seater conference facility.

8. Indian Ocean Beach Club

The club is set on the white sandy Diani beach with its warm blue waters.

The main building is designed in grand Moorish-style and consists of 100 palm fronds-roofed chalets, club rooms and beach front rooms with private bathrooms. The chalets are air conditioned, provided with ceiling fans, minibar and telephones.

They have 3 restaurants including one dhow shaped and captivating Bahari cove moored on the southern side of hotel facing the full moon or the magical African sky.

The Kenyan club has a large free form swimming pool with other smaller ones scattered around the property. All kinds of water sports are arranged including deep-sea fishing, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and canoeing. They also have 2 flood lit tennis courts, volley ball, croquet, boules, bird-watching and jogging trail. Daily entertainment in the form of live band, cabaret shows or traditional dances and live music in sultan’s lounge.

9. The Alliance Hotels & Resorts

The Alliance consists of three coastal hotels all next to each other; they are the Alliance Safari Beach, the Alliance Jadini Beach and the Alliance Africana Sea lodge.

The safari beach offers luxurious two-storey coastal cottage-style accommodation and also features a circular shaped restaurant called the village. The hotel has the famous beachcombers’ brasserie, ice cream and juice bars for the midday sun.

The Jadini beach the Boriti bar and main restaurant are built over the beach for that exquisite view. All rooms are air conditioned with en-suite bathroom, TV and radio, telephone and minibar. The African a sea lodge is built in a traditional style and is an all inclusive resort.

10. Woburn Residence Club

The Woburn is for those in need of exclusivity. Located near the coastal town of Malindi it offers spacious accommodation in a homely environment. The apartments include executive suites and luxury bedrooms available for daily or long lease vacation rental.

The Woburn has 18 three-bedroom apartments, nine one bedroom apartments and 14 hotel rooms and suites. All apartments have well furnished sitting and dining areas plus a separate kitchen with electric cookers and fridge.

Also included is a three tier swimming pool, shady Jacuzzi, lush tropical gardens and an elegant dining area and bar. The Woburn is attractive and convenient for either long stay or short holiday for those that want to escape crowded hotel settings.

11. The turtle bay beach Club

The Mombasa beach club is located in Watamu, 25km south of Malindi town and is an all inclusive holiday facility.

The beach club has 145 rooms as ensuite, club rooms, and cottage-style and ocean front rooms. There is a main dining room serving wholesome breakfasts and buffet-lunches and dinner. A poolside snack bar and the pizza garden are places worth your visit.

The hotel has the added advantage of being located dead centre in the Malindi National Marine Park. It therefore offers easily accessible snorkeling, scuba diving, coral garden boating. Other activities on offer include, bird-watching, horse riding and visits to the Gede ruins. There is always some one on hand to look after the children.

Robert is a tour consultant and co-owner of Landmark Safaris Ltd in Kenya. Visit us landmarksafaris.com/tours/beach.php landmarksafaris.com/tours/beach.php to tailor your own beach vacation or grab more info here eastafricasafari.blogspot.com eastafricasafari.blogspot.com

You can read a hundred of the “10 Best Activities Hawaii has to Offer” and find as many lists with differing information. This is not because the lists are wrong, it is simply because there are so many amazing activities to do in Hawaii that each list maker can only include their top 10 favorites, which is why there are so many differences. Here are 10 more of the best activities in Hawaii, but they are generalizations that appeal to the general population and tourists heading to the islands for vacation. So, the best thing to do is read this list and rank the activities you like most and call and make reservations before your vacation begins. Then, when you reach the islands you can look around, check out other activities, and either choose more on this list or some of your own. Remember, there are several islands that make up Hawaii and all of them have special activities. The goal is for you to have the most fun possible and enjoy your Hawaiian vacation.

Hawaii Activity #1 Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay, on the island of Oahu, boasts an amazing coral reef that is simply out of this world. There are many fish species that call Hanauma Bay and the coral reef their home, which makes for incredible snorkeling. In fact, so many people snorkel at Hanauma Bay that it often gets quite crowded. So, if you want to snorkel at Hanauma Bay you should get there early or find out which days are the slowest in order to enjoy this fabulous experience.

Hawaii Activity #2 Hawaii Volcanoes

The Volcanoes National Park on the main island of Hawaii is out of this world. When you visit this park you will encounter 330,000 acres preserved for hiking and the like, as well as Mona Lau volcano that is dormant and the active, lava flowing Kilauea volcano. You will be impressed to see the red, hot glow of lava oozing out of this volcano. Spend a few hours or even a few days in The Volcanoes National Park.

Hawaii Activity #3 Maui Drive

Take the road from the Kahului Airport all the way to Hana and you will pass over countless bridges, enjoy the beautiful landscape where you will see pineapples growing and proceed through the tropical rainforest where other amazing fruits grow in addition to eucalyptus trees. It takes several hours to make this short drive, but near the end you will be blessed with the vision of black sand beaches that are simply astonishing in their beauty. When you finally end up in Hana you can enjoy excursions to waterfalls as well as great hikes.

Hawaii Activity #4 Waimea Canyon

On the island of Kauai is the Waimea Canyon which is simply a breathtaking experience. The canyon is so large and colorful that Mark Twain dubbed it the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” You will love the adventure and scenery at Waimea Canyon so you must include this on your vacation “to do” list.

Hawaii Activity # 5 Waikiki Beach

If you are looking for a luxurious resort and a relaxing beach, then Waikiki Beach is the place for you. In fact, the majority of the resorts are located on Waikiki which was made popular in the 1800s by Hawaiian royalty who frequented the area for its beautiful beaches. This area is certainly not economical, but every type of luxury you can imagine is available to you.

Hawaii Activity #6 Kona

The Kona coast is also a great resort location and its beaches are fabulous for sun bathing and other beach activities, as well as fishing and even snorkeling. As a result, many people vacation at Kona because there are so many activities available in one place. There are also coffee plantations that produce the natural and organic Kona coffee so you could always take a tour to see how coffee is grown, processed, and ultimately packaged and sold. Whatever you decide to do, Kona has a lot of options.

Hawaii Activity # 7 Na’Pali Coast

The island of Kauai boasts the Na’Pali Coast which is one of nature’s wonders. The towering cliffs originate on the ocean’s floor and ascend from the water to create amazing gorges created by waterfalls streaming down over centuries and eroding the stone. You can hike to the Na’Pali coast, but this might take all day. There are other options like boat tours and helicopter rides that will also allow you to reach Na’Pali without so much effort if you are not in the best physical condition to walk 11 miles or don’t have that much time to spare.

Hawaii Activity #8 Iao Valley

This cloud covered valley on the island of Maui provides a historical lesson for tourists because this flourishing valley was the home to the agricultural god, Lono, and during feast week the Hawaiians all joined together in the Iao Valley to honor Lono. You will be amazed at the shape of the valley and the general feeling you have of history when you visit this amazing place on Maui.

Hawaii Activity #9 Go Whale Watching

Whale watching can be a spectacular experience so you should definitely include this in your itinerary. There are whale watching tours that can be booked from Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu, or Maui. You should book in advance, however, because these tours can get filled up quickly and don’t happen year round!

Hawaii Activity #10 Luau

When people think of Hawaii the first thing that comes to their mind is the luau. As a result, when you visit the islands you absolutely must attend a Polynesian luau to top off your vacation. You will enjoy the food, music, dance, and sites of the luau and it will be an experience that will stay with you long after your vacation ends and you return to your real life.

When you visit the islands you will not have enough time to do all the amazing activities waiting for you. However, you should pick the ones you find most interesting and save the rest for subsequent vacations. When you visit Hawaii, you are sure to be enchanted and engaged.

Stephanie Coburn is the Marketing Director for Wailua Bay View, an oceanfront wailuabay.com kauai vacation rent. She has personally researched and experienced many of the activities and destinations graced with Hawaiian culture as described above.

According to American social historian Daniel J. Boorstin, there is a fine distinction between a mere tourist and a true traveler. A mere tourist is someone passive; what he does is a simple “sight-seeing”. He expects interesting things to happen when going to different places. However, Boorstin described a traveler as someone active; an individual who is strenuously in search of people, adventure, and experience. So, if you want to set yourself apart from the bunch of mere tourists and achieve the appellation of a real traveler, then choose to travel in Marrakech, Morocco.

This bewitching city in Morocco holds a special place in the hearts of many true travelers. Why? Simply because their trips to Marrakech city are worth labeled as ultimate adventures. How does Marrakech able to transform a travel enthusiast’s normal vacation into an ultimate adventure? Help yourself out with the answers below:

1. Bewildering Attractions in Marrakech

Whether you are longing for a good entertainment or artistic fulfillment, Marrakech is the perfect place for you. At the heart of the city lies the Jemaa l-Fna square, also known as the dwelling place of pure fun and entertainment. Here, you will see different talents performing at their very best. Acrobats, musicians, comedians, and dancers come together at Jemaa l-Fna to satisfy every visitor’s thirst for the unique Moroccan style of entertainment.

If the sights at Jemaa l-Fna fail to amuse you, then hop on to Majorelle Garden and satisfy your craving for aesthetic pleasure. This spectacular garden, which is considered as the Magnum Opus of French artist Jacques Majorelle, is now owned by couture geniuses Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge. The Majorelle garden hosts a wide variety of flora that is absolutely pleasing to the eyes. The stylish blue house found in the garden serves as a museum that houses precious Islamic art objects.

2. Delightful Cuisines in Marrakech

Moroccan food is not just your ordinary foreign food. It is prepared with much care and artistry because it does not only intend to fill an empty stomach. Every Moroccan dish is created to be savored and remembered by those who consume it. The taste of Moroccan mint tea and couscous are sure to linger not just in your mouth but also in your mind. Those people who managed to travel in Marrakech would agree that these Moroccan foods taste a lot better in the city’s fine restaurants.

3. Fascinating Culture in Marrakech

A mix of old and new. These are how most travelers describe the Moroccan culture. However, the unique and amazing culture of the country manifests more in the city of Marrakech. Not heavily infiltrated by modernity yet not too ancient-looking, Marrakech city managed to preserve the look and feel of the Moroccan medieval era. The wonderful Moroccan customs and traditions are still given importance and strictly practiced in the city. So, if you decide to travel in Marrakech and you happen to encounter a peculiar happening, do not be surprised. The people in Marrakech are just used to show off their deep appreciation and love for their truly fascinating culture.

Rcon Franchesca Pascua is an in-house writer for the online media company Intelligraph Corporation. She finds great pleasure in visiting and discovering enchanting destinations such as Morocco. For more information on maroc-emotions.com/ travel in Marrakech, visit morocco-emotions.com morocco-emotions.com

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area might be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. There are even some parts of Piedmont that haven’t yet been discovered by tourists. This article presents “the rest of Piedmont”, Piedmont outside Turin, the region’s capital and largest city. A companion article presents Turin.

Piedmont means foot of the mountains, and that describes the area perfectly. A large part of the region is surrounded by hills and by mountains such as the Alps. While the setting is beautiful, don’t expect a Mediterranean climate such as found in most of Italy. The Piedmont climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters, especially in the plains.

We’ll start our tour of the Piedmont at Stupinigi just west of Turin and go west to the Bardonecchia near the French border. Then we will head south and east to Alba and finally northeast to the city of Casale Monferrato near the Lombardy border.

Stupinigi, a village of about two hundred inhabitants a few miles southwest of Turin in central Piedmont is our first stop. The Palazzina di Caccia (Caccia Hunting Lodge) was built early in the Eighteenth Century. With its 137 rooms and 17 galleries, it is really something to see. It houses the Museo d’Arte e Ammobiliamento (Museum of Art and Decoration). The lodge is surrounded by the Parco Naturale di Stupinigi (Stupinigi Nature Preserve) with its collection of rare plants and animals.

The nearby city of Rivoli was once the court of the House of Savoy. It is home to the Fifteenth Century Casa del Conte Verde (House of the Green Count). Rivoli also hosts the Museo d’Arte Contemporaneo (Museum of Contemporary Art) in a castle that was started in the Eighteenth Century but only completed in the past century. Its permanent Italian art collection focuses on Minimalist art, Conceptual art, Land art, and the Arte Povera Movement.

The Abbazia di Sant’antonio di Ranverso abbey founded in the Twelfth Century by the Hospitaliers of St. Anthony is said to be the site of phenomenal cures for a multitude of ailments. The buildings, the frescoes on the walls, and the landscape itself give the impression of being in the Middle Ages. Charlemagne may have visited the area.

The Sacra di San Michele (Abbey of St. Michael) was built during the late Tenth Century for the Benedictine order about one thousand years ago on Monte Pirchiriano. This site overlooks a three thousand foot bluff and its view is spectacular. The abbey was once the control point for almost two hundred European churches including the famous Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France. The Abbey of St. Michael was subject to numerous assaults over the centuries and abandoned in 1622. It was restored more than one hundred years ago. The site also contains three small chapels built during the Ninth to the Twelfth Centuries.

The ski resort of Bardonecchia near the French border is located in a sunny Alpine valley surrounded by mountains. It hosted some events during the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics including the snowboarding giant slalom. There are about 140 kilometers (90 miles) of snowboarding and ski trails for all skill levels. The nearby village of Sestriere was a main venue during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games and the 2006 Winter Paralympics. It hosted all the men’s alpine skiing competitions and was the site of an Olympic Village. The resort offers night skiing and, during the summer, Europe’s highest altitude eighteen hole golf course.

Times change. During the Middle Ages the town of Pinerolo was a major crossroads in Italy and so a key fortress of the dukes of Savoy. Now it’s a quiet town with about 35,000 residents, a Ninth Century Cathedral, and the Gothic church San Maurizo (St. Maurice). It also has two recent claims to fame. In the days of Louis XIV Pinerolo held a French prisoner whose face was never seen. They called him The Man in the Iron Mask. More recently Pinerolo was the site of the Curling competition during the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

Saluzzo, population approximately sixteen thousand, boasts a Lombard-Gothic Cathedral built at the end of the Fifteenth Century and several churches of interest. The town itself is well preserved. It was the site of Chaucher’s The Clerk’s Tale in his Canterbury Tales.

The city of Alba was once known as the “City with a hundred towers.” A few remain. There is a cathedral and several churches worth seeing in addition to the F. Eusebio Municipal Museum of Archaeology and Natural Science. But if you go to Alba, it’s probably because of the wine and the white truffles. Both Barolo and Barbaresco wines are produced within a few kilometers of the city. And its nickname is “The City of the White Truffle”. If you want to try any of these great local products bring your wallet.

Alba won a Gold Medal for Military Valor to honor its citizens and their participation in the Italian resistance movement during World War II. The partisans liberated Alba in October 1944 and established the Republic of Alba, which survived only a few weeks. It was named after Piedmont’s Napoleonic Republic of Alba which survived much longer, namely between 1796 and 1801.

Asti has often competed with its neighbor, Alba, lying about 18 miles (30 kilometers) to the northeast. They both were known as the City with a hundred towers. They both produce white truffles. And they are both important wine producers. Asti Spumante, now called Asti, was probably the best-known Italian sparkling wine. Please note that we did not say the best Italian sparking wine. The Asti area produces still wines that compete nicely with many of the Alba wines. On the third Sunday of September Asti celebrates its victory in a Middle Ages battle against Alba with the Palio d’Asti, a bareback horse race preceded by a medieval pageant. You’ll also want to see the city’s remaining towers, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (Saint Mary of Assunte Cathedral), and the Gothic San Secondo Church.

We finish our Piedmont tour in the city of Casale Monferrato. Its Cathedral of Sant’Evasio was first built in 742, and rebuilt in the beginning of the Twelfth Century. There are other churches and a castle to visit. You should also see the Jewish Synagogue built in 1595 and considered one of the most beautiful synagogues in Europe.

What about food? The Piedmont region is well known for all kinds of food, often with a French style. Don’t forget that the French House of Savoy ruled the region for more than five hundred years. In 1986 in the Piedmont city of Barolo Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food association to protest against the opening of a MacDonald’s in Rome. Within twenty years Slow Food has grown to 80,000 members in 100 countries. Slow Food fights to defend classic agriculture in order to protect the environment and ensure that local, artisanal products are economically viable and widely available. Every second October they hold an international exhibition and conference.

Let’s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Bagna Cauda (Vegetable Dip with Anchovies, Garlic, and Olive Oil). Then try Carbonada (Veal Stew). For dessert indulge yourself with Zabaione (Zabaglione – Egg Yolks, Marsala Wine, Cinnamon and Sugar). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We’ll conclude this article with a quick look at Piedmont wine. More than half of Piedmont’s wine production is either DOC or DOCG wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Piedmont is home to least 44 DOC wines. There are seven DOCG wines where the letter G stands for Guarantita. Among the DOCG wines are Barolo, arguably Italy’s finest red wine, and Barbaresco. But you can find many other fine DOC or unclassified wines in the Piedmont.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His major wine website is theworldwidewine.com theworldwidewine.com theworldwidewine.com and his major article website is travelitalytravel.com travelitalytravel.com travelitalytravel.com