By: Douglas Black,

Would you believe that you could drive to a breathtaking tropical island from Fort Myers Florida, in less than an hour?

Perfect vacations are found on Sanibel Island. Located just off the southwest coast of Florida, this barrier island offers activities, adventures and many ways to relax. Endless beaches remain unspoiled by tourists. This, combined with a veritable abundance of natural wildlife, promises the ideal retreat and refuge on Sanibel Island.

And Sanibel also has infrastructure to support other desires. There is shopping for bargain fare and fashionable finds. There are fabulous restaurants to satisfy every craving. And of course, an array of accommodations for all types of travelers.

There are so many resorts and rentals available that it really is easy to find comfortable accommodations on Sanibel Island. Here are some of the best hotel and resort choices that Sanibel Island has to offer:

Relax at Beach Road Villas

With natural vegetation and native wildlife all around, Beach Road Villas offers the perfect tropical getaway. Just moments from the famous beaches of Sanibel, the water way at Beach Road Villas leads directly to the breathtaking Gulf of Mexico. Bicycles, beach wagons, umbrellas, hammocks, beach chairs and boat slips are available right on premises. Many amenities are available to rent at Beach Road Villas.

Coquina Beach

Consider Coquina Beach if you are looking for weekly Sanibel Island accommodations. Coquina Beach is located on the Gulf of Mexico, close to some amazing golf courses. If you like to golf, you’ll love this spot, as their courses offer the perfect playing conditions all year round.

Delightful Dugger’s Tropical Village

Dugger’s is a well-known property that rents weekly Sanibel Island accommodations in quaint cottages. Each cottage is surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and located directly across the road from the revered Sanibel beach. At Dugger’s Tropical Village, you can stay in a prime location at an affordable price. When hunger strikes, the fabulous Riviera Italian restaurant is just a short walk away.

Kick Back at Gulf Breeze Cottages

On the island’s east end, Gulf Breeze Cottages offer nightly and weekly Sanibel Island accommodation rentals. Incomparable Florida charm combines with Sanibel’s natural beauty in a location that’s close to the beach with shops and restaurants nearby.

Sanibel’s Loggerhead Cay

If you’re looking for family fun, Logger Cay has a tennis court, shuffleboard and pool. There are beautifully landscaped grounds that make it the perfect spot to relax when you just don’t feel like venturing to the beach. There is great food and nightlife nearby, including the critic pleasing “Ellington’s Jazz Bar and Restaurant”. Ellington’s has won 3 “Taste of the Islands” awards and even better, 8 “Best of the Islands” awards. Loggerhead Cay is a great choice for weekly accommodations on Sanibel Island.

These are just a few of the many accommodation options you’ll find on Sanibel Island. Thanks to the natural beauty and excitement of the island itself, you’re sure to have a wonderful holiday no matter where you drop your suitcase.

Writer Farrell Harber is a freelancer for several popular Internet sites, on family recreation and sports store topics.

====================================

Make A List of all Your Electronic Gadgets…
By: Larry Westfall,

One or two weeks before I travel overseas, I make a packing list and check items off as they go in my suitcase. In addition to the packing list, I also have my electronics list.

With all of the gadgets and gizmos, wires and cables, I need a list to make sure that I have everything. It is no fun to arrive in a foreign country and not be able to use your laptop or camera.

First and foremost, I check my laptop. I want to make sure that I have everything. So, I check to make sure that I have my power supply and spare battery. I also have a USB device that converts one port into four. I prefer to use a mouse, so I pack that too. I bring a LAN cable in case there is no wireless available in the hotel.

I already have a power strip that will accept 3-prong electrical plugs. This is an absolute must as a 3-prong plug will not work in most Thailand electrical outlets.

Next thing I do is charge up my camera batteries. I like to take pictures of my entire holiday to include the departing airport, layover and arrival. I also ensure that I have my memory card and my spares. I also have a USB device for my memory card so that I can transfer pictures to my laptop. I check the memory card and delete or transfer any pictures on the card. I like to start my vacation with empty memory cards.

I have a tri-band, GSM cell phone that works in Thailand with a local SIM card. So, I make sure that the battery and back-up are both charged so that I can use my Thai cell phone as soon as I hit the ground in Bangkok.

Next, I check my portable DVD player. I make sure that I have my power cord and also my DIN jacks for the TV to DVD connection. I charge the battery and make sure that I have the small remote control and that the battery is operational.

Packing up all the charger cables and wires on the very top of my suitcase makes for easy finding when I arrive.

I also have some minor electronics. I have sound reducing headphones that I pack in my carry-on. No real electronics, but I do make sure that I have 4 AAA batteries. That way I have 2 to use and 2 spares.

Checking your electronic devices before you go, charging all of your batteries, and packing all the cables and wires, will make your vacation go electronically smooth.

Larry Westfall is a frequent traveler to Pattaya and saves money booking his hotel through Pattaya-Accommodations
Submitted by: Free Article Submitter
===============================

Tips To Get Best Deals On Cruises…By: Robin Weiske,

There are today many people who have never set foot aboard a cruise ship, but dream about being able to sail away for a few days on a relaxing and exotic cruise holiday. And it’s probably also true that most of these people don’t have sufficient funds to be able to pay full price for a holiday on a cruise ship. However, there are some amazing deals available on cruise vacation packages. These deals can be found if you know where to look for them.

Here are a few tips that will help you find some great cruise deals and will make your next sailing vacation much less costly.

In order to find great cruise deals you have to be in the right place at the right time and you must have a good plan of action to take when you find the good deals. In the cruise industry, as in every other business, it’s all a matter of supply and demand. If the cruise line companies are fully booked and have a lot of potential customers wanting to get on board, prices will be higher and good deals will be hard to come by. On the other hand, if the cruise companies have more ships out sailing than they can fill with vacationers, discount deals will start to appear.

When a cruise line brings a new ship into service, they suddenly have increased their passenger capacity considerably. These days, the new ships are usually in the “megaliner” category. This means they will lower their prices to fill up all the newly available cabins. In order to compete with the cruise deals that are offered to fill the new ship with paying travelers, the other cruise lines will often drop their rates at the same time. Former passengers often get the first notice of discount cruise travel opportunities.

You can enjoy the best deals on cruises if you are willing to be as flexible as possible when it comes to the type of cabin accomodations as well as the category of cruise ship that you will consider for your vacation. You should also try to book your cruise at least 90 days before the date of sailing.

If you want to get the best cruise travel deals, it is advisable to make your reservations five to six months ahead because the rates are usually lower when the cruise ship hasn’t filled up yet. However, if you can be really flexible about your departure date, then you may also be able to find really good deals on last minute travel.

When reflecting on the available cruise deals, don’t forget that the rates for cruises include all your meals aboard ship, your entertainment, and most of the on board activities such as movies, live shows, gym usage, games and sports, as well as dance and exercise classes. All of these may be included in the price of the cruise. A lot of people are more than satisfied with all of the food, fun and activities that are included in the “all inclusive” price.

Whether you find great cruise deals or pay the full price, you should be aware that there will be a few additional expenses during your time on the ship. For example, you will be expected to tip the cruise staff and this amounts to about $10 per day. You will also have to pay for all your beverages, both soft drinks and bottled water as well as alocoholic drinks. You will also be required to pay extra for special perks like usage of the spa, yoga classes, or trips and excursions on shore.

Author Frank J. Snyder has often written on vacations to the Caribbean. You can get more information on inexpensive cruise deals at his web site.

=================================

I’m not much of a golfer, but I do enjoy 18 holes every now and then. However, when I golf at a new course, I usually rate that course not so much on the technical aspects of golf course design, but more on how entertaining I find the terrain. I appreciate grand vistas from the tee box, or impressive trees in the middle of the fairway. It doesn’t matter to me who designed the course, whether it’s Nicklaus, Palmer, Miller, or any of the host of golf course designers out there. What I care most about most, is that the designers make the course visually appealing. Give me something to look at while I wait for my brother to complete his 15 practice swings.

About two minutes from my house there is a country club. The parking lot is full of expensive cars, and you can order lobster from the menu. But when it comes to the golf course, it’s about as bland as a rice cake. Luckily, a 30 minute drive will take you to a different kind of course. At this golf course the only food you can purchase is of the fried variety. The parking lot is full of old jalopies, and on a hot summer day you might see a golfer with his shirt off. Even with the shirtless course patron, the loss of decorum is more than made up for by the entertaining design and terrain of the course. For me it’s not what’s on the menu back at the club house, but what’s out there on the course.

Recently, I was able to play at just such a course. This was at the Four Seasons golf course at the Peninsula Papagayo, in Costa Rica. I was there during the dry months and even though the scenery was not as green as I had imagined, the views from some of the tee’s were fantastic. Even with the brutish heat and the five dollar candy bar, this place was as fun as they come.

Right off you know you’re playing somewhere special, but it isn’t till the third hole that you really grasp the beauty of the place. From the third hole you get a great view of the pacific ocean with rocks jutting from the sea and the surf breaking in white splendor as far as the eye can see.

However, it was at the sixth hole, where I found a hole that embodied everything I love about golf . It has a tremendous view of the water and the coast, but what makes it so spectacular is the nearly 300 feet of sloping decent down to the flag of this par 4. I spent some time craning my neck and straining my eyes, looking down this U-shaped valley, trying to catch a glimpse of the flag far below. I could have hit balls all day off of the box, but instead I hit only two after my first ball sailed into the trees on the left.

A couple of holes later we found ourselves at another big downhill tee off. Only this time we had some company. A group of howler monkeys relaxed in the trees above us, making distracting noises. It was as if they were mocking warm up swing I took. In the end it didn’t matter, and I was able to put one down on the fairway.

The thing about Papgayo is, it’s not just exciting to play the course, it’s also a thrill ride on the golf carts. Some of the descents golfers have to negotiate in their carts are best described as precarious. Not only are they steep, but for some reason they have installed speed bumps. As if anyone would voluntarily try to break the land speed record, in a golf cart, on one of those hills. There must have been two or three descents where my passenger gripped the side bar with white knuckles. I even think I heard him mutter a prayer.

As I finished the course I reflected on how awesome the experience had been. All the elements that make up a good day of golf were there, Monkeys, large lizards, extreme golf cart driving, long drives off of hilltop tee’s and most of all stunning views of the pacific ocean and it’s rugged coast were present at Papagayo. And as I sipped my nine dollar Gatorade I thought about the golf course back home with the fried foods and shirtless players. I released that even though I’m far from a good golfer. There still is an element of the sport that I can enjoy.

Look to Johnnymiller.com for quality golf course design and golf course construction

=======================================