Vacation Home Rentals

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jun 26

Lanzarote, a beautiful Spanish island located in the eastern part of the Canary Islands chain, offers amazing volcanic mountains as well as expansive beaches. Since the island is designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve protected site, there are numerous restrictions on the style and amount of development on the island.  Visitors to the island can choose from an array of Lanzarote hotels, restaurants, and clubs, in addition to the stunning natural beauty. This means that no high-rise apartments or condominiums are on the island and billboard advertising is not allowed. Your island holiday experience is guaranteed to be one to remember, with so many sights on offer, alongside the many restaurants, bars, shops and cheap hotels.

Timanfaya National Park

This part of the island looks almost martian since the landscape is barren and desert-like, due to Lanzarote’s Montañas del Fuego – or Fire Mountains. There are plenty of rare plant species to marvel at in this fertile area and guided tours around the park will help you to make the most of the region – there is even the chance to view the landscape while riding a camel.

Jameos del Agua

There’s more to these caves than meets the eyes, as it has been turned into into an underground complex, with a swimming pool, auditorium, restaurants, and gardens that have been designed to complement the natural look of the surrounding caves.

Lanzarote Aquarium

Get up close and personal with the sea life of the Canary Islands in this large, interactive aquarium. You can really close with many of the species, like the warm water sharks, in the aquarium’s three touching pool.

Castillo de San Jose

Now it has been turned into a modern art gallery and restaurant with beautiful views of the harbour, but this fortress has an intriguing history, having been originally built to help protect the island from pirate attacks in 1799.

There is a tendency to be more natural developments with enhanced privacy, for many Lanzarote hotels and villas. In fact, many offer such superb surroundings and facilities that guests often decide not to leave their resorts at all and opt for the comfort and convenience of an all inclusive hotel package.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jun 26

Crete has so much to offer the holidaymaker, that it is hard to know where to start when you arrive. This Greek islands is the largest of the group and has so much to see, with a thriving culture and number of historical attractions. The fact that it is one of the oldest civilizations in Greece means that many people come to Crete to see the historical sites. With a terrain which is extremely mountainous and criss-crossed by three different mountain ranges, Crete enjoys a temperate climate with mild winters and warm summers. As varied as the local attractions and beaches, make sure you choose one of the Crete hotels which are available, to appeal to your own unique tastes and interests.

What to See

The Minoan palace of Knossos, the old Venetian port and city of Chenia, the ancient Roman archaeological site of Gortyn, the Venetian castle of Rethymno and the Samariá Gorge, are some of the popular modern-day tourist attractions. The beaches around the island all possess their own unique character, from the high sand dunes of Agios Pavlos to the fields of lilies surrounding the beaches of Xirokambos – Sitia. Surround yourself with expansive beaches and crystal clear waters and look at the array of Crete hotels and resorts, with a variety of price points.

What to Do

From scuba diving, snorkelling, water skiing, windsurfing, boating or windsurfing, there are plenty of water activities on offer – so dive in. There are plenty of mountainous areas of Crete, including coastal paths and gorges, for those who like the outdoors and hiking. Look for nightlife all over the island, from almost any Crete hotels or villages, including swanky nightclubs or discos in the capital city of Iraklion or traditional tavernas in small villages where you can learn local dances.

Where to Stay

Where you’re staying will depend on what you want to do and see in Crete, but there are many beautiful natural spots to feast your eyes upon, including the White Mountains, Amari Valley or Kournas Lake, with plenty of hotels in Crete located nearby. Or for metropolitan fans, there are the cities of Chania (the oldest inhabited city in the world), or Rethymnon which will charm the socks off you with its harbour market and famous nightlife.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jun 26

Things have come a long way in Namibia! At one time it was really difficult to find somewhere luxurious to stay in Namibia but the more (or very) discerning traveller can now choose from some stunning places to stay.
luxury Namibia Namibia is excellent because the traveller has choice of a safari: perhaps self-driving or flying from one remote, beautiful place to another, whilst camping or staying at comfortable homely lodges; then there’s the other end of the spectrum: luxurious, breathtaking lodges with superb scenery. Leaders in creating superb holidays to this gorgeous country, African Explorations have three Namibia specialists who were born or worked extensively in the country.

For our purposes here let’s concentrate on “Luxury Namibia”! Namibia has a tiny population in it’s vast expanses; here we will focus on just one property as example.

Okahirongo Lodge in Kaokoland is far out in the wilds, very remote. Namibia safari holidays The majority of this area is inhabited by the Himba tribe. The women are statuesque, painting themselves in red ochre mud mixed with fat; these people lead a peaceful, nomadic, existence raising goats and sheep. One is encouraged to visit the scattered Himba settlements where these people are very traditional in both lifestyle and garb.

With a backdrop of purple and blue hillsides and lying in the most beautiful surroundings with fabulous views this superb lodge looks out over dry river beds meandering through swaying grasslands and red-gold sand dunes . Okahirongo is located in Purros Conservancy; a malaria-free region and one of the very few where the harsh environment supports desert dwelling elephant, rhino and occasional lion. One should treasure – not expect! – sightings of the desert-adapted wildlife in the area which is just one reason to visit.

All of the eight luxury rooms have an immense, almost endless, view of plains and dunes as Okahirongo perches on the side of a mountain, dominating the surrounding scenery. The rooms are ensuite, with indoor and outdoor showers and the whole being surrounded by a traditional Himba boma. Each room has a private sala, perfect for afternoon siestas or in which to sleep out, perhaps under a full moon, with the stars twinkling through the pole lattice above. holidays to NamibiaA chorus of the desert plains birds such as larks and pipits are one’s alarm call in the morning whilst the wake up calls of baboon, as they set about preparing to forage in the mountains, can be heard far off.
The terracotta colours of the rooms are in gorgeous contrast to the blonde grasses swaying in the breeze. There is also an infinity swimming pool.

An unusual activity here is tracking desert adapted elephant and rhino; one may also see the rare desert lion in this superb untouched wilderness which can be explored on game/nature drives. Or one might set out on foot, hiking along the Uarosib River and surrounding mountains whilst visiting a Himba village. Put simply, Okahirongo is a photographer’s delight and a sophisticated desert experience.

It is now quite possible to assemble an interesting, intelligent and beautiful safari where no comfort is compromised as Namibia also has number of other simply lovely and luxurious lodges in Etosha, the Namib Desert and the Caprivi Strip!