Family Vacation Central

The Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic is part of the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago. Hispaniola lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba. The Dominican Republic makes up the eastern third of Hispaniola, and the nation of Haiti makes up the other part of the island.

For most of its history, the Dominican Republic has experienced political turmoil and unrest and has suffered through many non-representative and tyrannical governments. The present-day nation has moved toward representative democracy.

The island is a classed as tropical maritime with a wet season from May to November. It can also be prone to hurricanes in season, from June to November. Read the rest of this entry »

Part of the fun of taking a cruise is being able to see different places when you dock at the various ports of call. Each ship’s itinerary is different and it is up to you to choose a cruise according to the places you want most to see.

Your cruise brochure, on-line web search or travel agent can tell you what ports the ship stops at, and what the best sights to see are. The ship line you choose to cruise on tries to pick ports that have things of interest for their passengers to enjoy. They encourage excursions to enhance your cruise experience.

It is best to plan the excursions you wish to take early on in your cruise experience, and sometimes even before you leave home. Some tours tend to be more popular and will often book up fairly quickly. Sometimes you can book excursions ahead through your travel agent but if not plan to book the excursion you want to take during your first day on the ship so you won’t miss out. Read the rest of this entry »

The Caribbean islands are beautiful tropical treasures for you to visit, with this region in the world being one of the most popular tourist sports. Trinidad and Tobago and just two islands you can visit while on your Caribbean vacation. Within its own nation, Trinidad and Tobago has between one and two million year-round inhabitants and welcomes people from all nations. Both of the islands are great to visit.

Trinidad is located very close to the coast of Venezuela. It is the larger of the two islands, and most agree that it is also the more exciting. The thrilling nightlife you find on Trinidad rivals nightlife found anywhere else in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico’s San Juan. You can reach Trinidad in only 15 minutes by air or two hours by sea, and the pink sand beaches are perfect for rest and relaxation. Tobago, on the other hand, is a serene and secluded tropical getaway.

Like many of the other islands in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago celebrate Carnival, which is a large two day festival right before Lent begins. The celebration is comparable to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. Carnival season brings thousands of visitors to Trinidad and Tobago, since the country is known for holding one of the largest and most exciting festivals in the world-full of culture, dancing, cuisine, contests, and parades. Read the rest of this entry »

With a unique blend of colonial history and African charm, Bermuda has an old-world charm. Being Britain’s oldest colony, British influences dominate the island’s culture. Here you may walk down a street in the City of Hamilton and see a judge in a powdered wig, or witness a bobby directing traffic or stop to watch a cricket match. Or you could find African influences in the reggae music and spicy cuisine.

Although Bermuda seems like one long landmass, it is actually made up of 181 islands, islets and rock formed by lava millions of years ago. Most of the smaller islands are uninhabited, but eight of the larger ones are joined by bridges and one causeway to form what visitors know to be Bermuda. The geographical terrain is made up of low, rolling hills and relatively flat land, with what many believe to be the most exquisite coastline in the Atlantic. Read the rest of this entry »

One of Amsterdam’s claims to fame is being known to be a haven for hippies. It has moved since then to be a bigger economy and a successful cosmopolitan business centre. The hippie era was the 60’s and 70’s is when Amsterdam got its name as the hippie haven, a free-for-all culture. Most people still look at Amsterdam in that light even today.

The new economy has brought prosperity which is evident all around from the growing business zones and transformation of the general landscape surrounding ancient town houses and canals.

With about ¾ of a million of populace, the transformation of Amsterdam from a hippie haven to a buzzing business city is not yet complete. The culture of free thinking and collective living has not yet gone away. Only the free culture is not an offshoot of semi legal toxic and exotic plants, but a by-product of successful economic growth today. Read the rest of this entry »