Archive for the ‘Honeymoon Vacations’ Category
Mauna Lani Bay, Big Island, Hawaii
Mauna Lani Bay is a luxury resort located on the Big Island in Hawaii.
The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows are a mecca for golfers, a treat for the gourmets and wonderful hideaway to relax and a nature preserve for rare green sea turtles. The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows is an oceanfront paradise on the Big Island’s sunny Kohala Coast that has a list of accolades as long as its white-sand shoreline.
This AAA Five Diamond-rated property on the Big Island of Hawaii, is an award-winning combination of sophisticated luxury and Hawaiian style hospitality. Guestrooms are spacious and tastefully furnished all feature private lanais. Ninety percent of the rooms have magnificent ocean views, the other overlook lush tropical garden’s. The resort’s five restaurants include the widely hailed Canoe House. Its Pacific Rim fare has received recognition in such prestigious publications as Gourmet, GQ, Esquire, Bon Appetite and Departures.
Seafood specialties include Nor9-Wrapped Tempura Ahi with tomato-Ginger Relish and Fresh Seared Mahi Mahi with Chinese Black Bean Sauce. The resort is renowned for its cuisine. The Mauna Lani tradition of fine food began centuries ago when Hawaiian Ali’i (royalty) first settled on the Kohala Coast, creating the fishponds that are now the heart of this luxury destination.
If you’re seeking up to the minute, non-stop activity, you will find that the Mauna Lani features the award winning Tennis Garden and Racquet Club, a comprehensive sports center, a wide range of watersports and a picture-perfect 36 hole championship golf course. In 1991, golf course architects Nelson and Haworth reconfigured the 18-hole Francis H. I’I Brown Golf Course, doubling the number of holes and creating Mauna Lani’s now-famous North and South. The recipients of six “Golf Medal Awards” from Golf Magazine.
The North Course is built on an older and smoother pahoehoe lava bed. It features rolling terrain and kiawe tree forests. A 230-acre protected archaeological district lies on the northern boundary; consequently, herds of feral goats frequent the entire North Course, providing a unique neutral hazard. James TravelPOINTS 1-800-538-7461, www.travelpoints.com has the expertise to help you plan your next vacation to the Hawaiian islands. Give us a call, we look forward to helping you create the custom vacation to fit your needs.
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Grand Canyon, Arizona-Rails and Wedding Bells
Grand Canyon rail, traveling to the Grand Canyon in Arizona offers this great package for a romantic weekend or honeymooners.
If you are soon to be a newlywed looking for an adventurous honeymoon we would like to suggest: Arizona’s Grand Canyon Railway two-night “Rails and Wedding Bells package.
The itinerary begins with an evening at the Fray Marcos Hotel in Williams, AZ where couples will enjoy champagne, a romantic dinner, and dessert at Max & Thelma’s restaurant, right next to the train station.
Couples will spend the next morning on a rail excursion in a luxury parlor car where they will enjoy a continental breakfast and strolling musicians. Once at the Grand Canyon the honeymooners are whisked away on an exciting guided motorcoach tour of the most spectacular viewpoints along the south rim. Couples can also chose from either a Sunset or Sunrise Tour of the canyon during their stay. Guest then spend night in the canyon and return in the afternoon, enjoying appetizers and champagne in their luxury parlor car. Call us for this or other Grand Canyon Rail adventures, James TravelPOINTS 1-800-538-7461, www.travelpoints.com.
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Lanai (Lana’i), Hawaii
Nestled in the Hawaiian Island Chain, is the tiny island of Lana’i. Remote, untouched and dramatically beautiful, this 16,000-acre island holds the mystery of old Hawaii. There are only 2,800 residents, and two world-class resorts on this beautiful island, top quality recreation is never crowded, and always convenient. And speaking of sports they’ve got it all–hunting, Sporting Clays, fishing, golf, tennis, horseback riding and hiking or of course everyone’s favorite sport–relaxation. This sleepy little island is also home to a cultural arts program that surpasses those offered in many metropolitan cities; the visiting arts program brings authors, chefs, filmmakers and other fine artists together with you in a personal, living room setting.
Here you will find miles of sand with no footprints on both the northern and eastern shores, pristine hideaways just as they were thousands of years ago. Experience incredible snorkeling at the Marine Preserve at Hulopo’e Bay and Manele Day with abundant tropical fish. Don’t be alarmed if the spinner dolphins break the stillness when they cruise past you in the blue waters, and leap playfully into the air. The clarity of the water, the fantastic lava tubes, and the underwater cathedrals provide the most dramatic diving in Hawaii.
A must see is Kanepu’u, where the Garden of the Gods is located. Described as eerie, beautiful, serene, and spiritual, these badlands were sculpted by the raging forces of nature.
Hiking throughout Lana’i is superb. The Munro Trail winds up from Koele though mountain grasslands, where rain forest of ohia lehua, pine, ironwood, and eucalyptus line the mountain’s backbone ridge to the summit of Lana’ihale. Lean about the ancient Hawaiians and hike around Kaunolu in southwest Lana’i. This area is the location of a deserted pre-contract Hawaiian village, which was once a fishing community.
Visitors can horseback ride around the uplands or take a horseback tour of the island’s many off-road trails. Keep your eyes open for wild game such as the axis deer, mouflon sheep and an abundance of game birds-pheasant, quail, chukar partridge, and wild turkey.
The Lana’i Pine Sporting Clays is the only resort course in Hawaii. The rustic 14-station course is situated within a 200-acre pine-wooded valley overlooking Molokai. There are different levels of play, challenging enough for the experienced and easy enough for those new to the sport.
If it’s time you got back to nature yet spent your nights in luxury it’s time you experienced the island of Lana’i, give the experts at James TravelPOINTS a call we will get you on your way 1-800-538-7461, www.travelpoints.com.
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The Big Island “Hawaii”
The island of Hawaii, commonly called the Big Island, is the youngest and the largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Five massive volcanoes built the Big Island and in the fires of creation formed an island twice as large as all the other islands combined. The Big Island continues to grow as Kilauea Volcano, the worlds most active volcano is constantly adding acres of lava to the island’s shoreline. Geographically it’s the most diverse island with deserts, rainforests, volcanoes and surprisingly, snow-capped mountains. The mountain create a huge barrier that block the northeasterly trade winds and makes the leeward, western side of the island the driest region. This coast has the best beaches and water conditions. The windward, eastern coast is predominately rugged, with pounding surf, plenty of rain, tropical rainforests, deep ravines and majestic waterfalls. Kona, Waikoloa and Hilo are the main centers for accommodation and restaurants.
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is hands down the most unique park in the US National Parks system. The park represents life and growth and creation of the most natural, basic kind. This exceptionally large park encompasses two active volcanoes, a still-steaming sunken crater and geologically awesome landscape of cinder cones, pumice pillars and hardened rivers of lava. Its terrain ranges from tropical beaches to the subartic summit of Mauna Loa, and includes lovely rainforests and fern groves. It is a fascinating, exciting place to visit. Plan to spend at least two days in the area, exploring the hiking trails, the unusual attractions and the scenic points.
The lush, coastal Waipio Valley is the largest and most spectacular of the series of valleys on the windward side of the Kohala Mountains. It is enclosed by near-vertical 2000-feet-high cliffs and is accessible only by a narrow, excessively steep 4WD track, making hiking in the best option. The valley is a fertile tangle of jungle, flowering plants, taro patches and waterfalls; this is a magical place to experience the spirit of the “old” Hawaii.
Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park encompasses ancient temples, royal grounds, burial sites and a place of refuge. Take time to check out the carved-wood representations of ancient gods; the stone board for playing konane, an ancient form of checkers played with black lava and white coral; and the wonderful snorkeling found off the natural lava steps just north of the place of refuge. The beautiful stretch of white sand at Hapuna Beach is the island’s most popular beach. It has good snorkeling, swimming, diving and bodysurfing. Avoid the winter surf, which can pound the shoreline and get unsuspecting swimmers in trouble.
The Big Island is a perfect adventure for everyone; there are accommodations for every price range, great adventures, great beaches, and amazing scenery. Give the experts at James TravelPOINTS a call and we’ll take care of the rest, 1-800-538-7461, www.travelpoints.com.
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