Introduction
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
-Saint Augustine
These are pages in a book – a wondrous book, full of fascinating characters, incredible landscapes, seat-of-your-pants climaxes and unexpected plot twists. In one chapter, discover the seclusion of out-of-the-way beach hotels. In the next, take the ride of your life to one of the most exotic locales in the civilized world. In the next, uncover history and romance in your own backyard.
So far, the book is unfinished….
How many pages will you add?
British Virgin Islands Intimate Hideaways
A Chapter About Quiet Hotels on Unspoiled Beaches
More than 60 islands in the Caribbean belong to the British Virgin Islands, laying claim to hundreds of miles of white sand beaches unmarred by development and use. Many hotels, villas, cottages and private homes serve visitors to this beautiful water sport mecca and definitive vacation spot.
On the gorgeous islands of Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and Virgin Gorda, there are a number of smaller properties that offer a little something extra that the grandiose, name-brand hotels simply can’t: an intimacy, a quaintness, that – coupled with the ebullient warm weather and breathtaking majesty of the Atlantic – makes these tiny, private villas and inns worth serious consideration for anyone thinking of vacationing in the Caribbean.
Local residents own the majority of these properties, which range from charming beachside guest houses to secluded, elegant villas that sit high above the coastline and create stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Often, because of the relative size of the properties and the limitations of the owners’ market resources, these tiny inns and villas get lost in the shuffle. After all, how can a family in North America know where to find a safe, modest and comfortable cottage off the beaten path when it’s located on an island nation hundreds or even thousand of miles away?
That’s why the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board started the new British Virgin Islands Intimate Hideaways, Charming Cottages, Inns, Hotels and Villas Reservation program: to lend support to the more than 70 small, diverse properties found on these four islands, so that they might increase their exposure to potential visitors just in time for this year’s peak winter travel season.
Whether guests desire modest accommodations or absolute luxury, whether they want to swim, hike, fish, din, or just kick back and relax, somewhere among these Intimate Hideaways is what they’re looking for, at a price that’s already an incredible value. Even so, as added incentive, several of these properties are offering reduced rates and special offers to make their already enticing location even more enticing.
So, turn the page to this sunny, exotic and serene chapter in the book we call the World, and visit some of the best that the Caribbean has to offer. For information on any of these properties, call the BVI Tourist Board at 1-800-835-8530 or visit www.bvitouristboard.com.
The Florida Keys and Key West
A Chapter About Five Parts That Make Wonderful Whole
They are a chain of islands descending from the tip of Florida, miles of scintillating waves and long, low bridges, famous for their pervading serenity, legendary fishing and spectacular dive sites.
Five districts comprise this historic getaway destination, each with a unique means of luring visitors and captivating them. Each district is distinct – a small group of islands with individual histories and glorious appeal. Each one contributes in its own special way to the wonder that is the Florida Keys.
Closest to the mainland and Everglades National Park, Key Largo is a day’s journey from a profusion of fascinating flora and fauna. Islamorado is known for its fishing, both offshore in the Atlantic and backcountry in Florida Bay. In the middle of the Keys, Marathon hosts a museum chronicling the area’s history as well as beginning of the Seven-Mile Bridge that spans the ocean between Marathon itself and The Lower Keys. Big Pine Key and The Lower Keys contain Bahia Honda State Park, with its fantastic beach, colorful butterfly garden, and snorkel charters to Looe Key reef. Finally, Key West itself offers theaters, museums, art galleries and treasure trove of preserved historical homes and buildings.
For more information, call 1800-FLA-KEYS or visit www.fla-keys.com.